syoung68

I usually use a bread knife and just cut a corner off.

What setup are you using? Is it possible that it's a couple degrees off and 133F was actually under 130F? I am using an Auber PID controller with a tabletop roaster. I have been using this setup for the last year and never had a problem. I usually use it at 131F-132F. There are posts further up the list that talk about a 30 second dunk in 180F to kill any pathogens before a long cook. I found it when I recently had some short ribs that smelled a bit off. Essentially, there can be pathogens that while they are eventually handled by the long cook, can create lactic acid in the initial couple of hours that will cause the odor. The dunk takes care of them.

Let us know how it fits in the demi. I assume it will since they are selling it, but I am interested to see if it will work on all sides.

I always keep a few bags of the frozen pre-peeled around. I can't always find them so when I see them I grab a few bags. I throw them into soups, peas, pot pies, etc. Lately I have seen fresh pre peeled onions at Fresh Market. I did not buy any, but now that I know they have them I may skip the frozen. And I will pay whatever premium they want to skip the hassle of peeling them myself.

I received mine yesterday as well. I do not have much to add to what OliverB has written. I have pork marinating for carnitas that will go in tonight, and I put some skirt steak in last night at 132 F. I cut a whole steak into 3 pieces and bagged them separately. They are horizontal but I figured over 24 hours it would not matter much. I did rotate the order this morning though. I did expect a similar rack to the SVS. Obviously I missed the fine print. I think I can swing the $12.95 considering I got my Demi for $199. I have noticed that the temperature varies by as much as a degree. It has gotten as low as 131.8 and as high as 132.8. There are not many things that it will make a giant difference on, eggs being the obvious exception.

I did it. Like others have said, $199 was just to good to pass up. Given how dirty my white stand mixer always looks, I went with red. I will happily report back on my first cook.

Let me jump in here and throw another cooker into the mix. I too am in the market and was really looking at the Grill Dome. I have both a BGE and a Primo dealer in my area, so I can go local on either which is nice. For a couple of years now, I have seen, and poo poo'd, the Bubba Keg in Home Depot. It was not as heavy and felt cheaper, it was named "Bubba Keg", there is no way it was a good cooker. Then I started reading around. People love this thing. There are several BGE vs Keg comparisons out there. This is a good one. The guys who make this have revamped the product, improving the control of airflow and redesigned it and now call it the Big Steel Keg. Obviously they are going directly after the BGE market. They are the same size and you can actually use the BGE accessories in it. Here is the rub (no pun intended) I can get one for $599.

That was my point. Yes that is a cheaper more versatile solution, but a cumbersome one. Now for just a few dollars more, I can have a self contained rig. In a perfect world, I would have two SVPs.

I for one am. At $299 it is a more viable solution than the FreshMeals kit in my opinion. I like the idea of one self contained unit, but at $450 I would rather either save some money with the FreshMeals or spend a bit more for the new PolySci circulator. Either of which is more versatile. However, at $299 for not a large difference in bath volume, I think this is now a home appliance for everyone.

On the pork subject, I find that tenderloin benefits from SV. Though I guess not in texture as I usually do them for relative short periods, but for consistency it is great. One thing I have found with tenderloins is that a minute or two too long on the grill and I have dried pork. It is not a bg deal when I am focused, but if we are entertaining, it is too easy to get distracted. With SV they are always fantastic. Like others, I put a little bacon grease into the bag (I am a good Southerner and have an old mayo jar full of BG). I finish in a hot cast iron skillet, but only b/c I have not bought a blow torch yet.

What about the Rivershack on river road? I have not eaten there in awhile, but I am sure they cook gumbo and or jambalaya as a special every now and then. http://www.therivershacktavern.com

I think in a perfect world, Marlene has it right. A separate stand up freezer and separate fridge only.

Unfortunately it is out of warranty. I do think it is a design flaw though, it really only happens if both doors are open together and then not fully shut one at a time. It may just be my model - it is a 5 year old Kenmore. One other thing, I find that more often than not, we have both doors open. Yes, we all know where the milk is, but beyond that, with 4 sets of hands going into the fridge, things get moved all the time. We always open one side only to open the other in search of items. I think I would rather just have one door. We have recently added a second smaller fridge in our laundry room for drinks etc. It is a top freezer unit. With this purchase, I would do a side by side in the kitchen. We did the french door thinking it would be great for large platters, which it is, but the addition of the second fridge negates the need in the kitchen.

We have a French door model and HATE it. I do not mind the freezer on the bottom though it is not really that easy to get things out of the top sliding shelf. We only have water on the door and the ice maker is int he freezer. Whenever we pull out the top shelf, ice falls behind the slid out drawer. But that is not why we hate it. The doors have a really bad tendency to not close all of the way. Sure they close enough to fool the sensor that is supposed to warn us about just such a thing, but not enough to turn off the lights. So not only is cold air escaping, but the bulbs have stayed on and cooked food on the top shelf. We have taken the bulbs out. Never again.

I too posted something just the other day in the drinks thread.... I got a bottle of Amaro Meletti and started playing around with variations of other cocktails and came up with the following. It has no name and I am open to suggested tweaks. It is pretty tasty as is though.

I have made this the lat two nights and have no idea what to call it. I got a bottle of Amaro Meletti and started playing around. 1.5 oz Sazerac Rye 1.0 oz Amara Meletti 0.5 oz Campari 0.5 oz Dubonet Rouge Build in a rocks glass (I am too lazy to chill then strain onto fresh ice) and garnish with a lemon twist. It is really tasty, but I am always open to suggestions.

So, is this as simple as heating some olive oil in a pan with some garlic? Pretty much, yeah. And salt obviously. And many people also like to add black pepper and sometimes crushed red pepper flakes. But all pantry staples. I keep a tube of anchovy paste around for just this reason. I squeeze into the hot oil and garlic and it is just enough that it gives it a nice flavor without it being "fishy".

We have a space above our upper cabinets that we store seldom used but necessary (according to my better half) items like our 87 bread baskets, 15 large platters, and 2 trifle dishes just to name a few. Whenever we need something from up there is needs to be washed because it is coated in a film of grease. We take down everything a couple of times a year and it is skanky to say the least.

I too smoke out my family on a regular basis. I do not understand why builders continue to put in hoods that vent back into the kitchen. Don't even get me started on the over the range microwaves.

Earthy Delights has them.

After having two kids we found ourselves with a ton of these... They are 2 oz stackable containers and I use them for everything from spices to stock. They go from freezer to microwave with no problem. They are small, cheap, and stack well.

D.B.A. and Delachaise have a decent variety of Scotch. I am not sure about CURE as I am always drinking cocktails (as opposed to straight alcohol) there.

Not that this is about the refurb aspect of your question, but I have own several higher priced residential blenders - Waring, Cuisinart, etc all over $100. When my last Cuisinart broke, I bought a cheap Black and Decker - $40 - it works SO MUCH better than the others it is sad. Blends smoother smoothies, creamier soups, and best of all ... dripless pouring. Yes, I still want a vitamix one day, I just can't justify the cost for the times per year that I use a blender.

That is what I was thinking, I can buy a bag of flash frozen PEELED pearl onions and pickle them. I do not see why that would not work.

I know the Violet Hour does savory rice krispie treats. You could do your own version.