dtremit

I appreciate the report — I have two each of the S&S points and flats in the coldest part of the fridge, awaiting their date with the Jacuzzi. Did you soak prior or repeat your water-in-bag technique reported upthread? The $0.17/lb cabbage will end up serving some sauerkraut experiments, I think.

I believe that's how the upcoming Impulse cooktop works: https://www.impulselabs.com I'm not sure that $5500 for a 30" cooktop really addresses the segment of the market that's looking to avoid the cost of a 240v circuit, though they claim a significant percentage may be covered by tax incentives. Also looks like it's way too big to put an oven underneath. The 10kw peak output per burner is intriguing, though — presumably a boost mode, but they claim to be able to boil a liter of water in 40 seconds. If I had rooftop solar, this would definitely be an interesting option.

There's definitely both on the screen — this is from the video: Guessing you can tap to switch between them and the dial controls whatever is active?

It seems like they made a pretty good set of compromises compared to the original — the smaller size and weight are definitely a plus for the home, and I can't imagine e.g. the metal vs plastic subframe is something a lot of home cooks would ever notice. Same element, sensor, probe, and max temperature goes a long way. The Youtube video embedded in the project page shows the knob being used to adjust temperature (link is to the timestamp showing that feature), and they mention being able to use it without the touchscreen. Sort of surprising that there's no mention of compatibility with their app. Glad I picked up a half price Studio Pass after Christmas!

Might be a good use for a silicone ice cube tray or Souper Cubes 2TB tray

Insignia is like Kenmore, I believe; they don't manufacture anything themselves. Given that, I'd be surprised if there aren't air fryers under other brand names that have the same issue...

Got it, thanks! I am leaning in that direction. Part of me thinks the one with the single basket and removable divider would be better; I could use it for browning bigger things. OTOH the two baskets would be easier to clean (only have to clean one if I only use one, and would fit in the dishwasher easier). Either way I think they're the same air fryer with just the basket swapped; the buttons are exactly the same. (Yours seems to have a slightly fancier display with the "Add food..." bit.)

@lindag — thanks for forwarding those recs! @rotuts — good catch on the sale, I have been watching for one on that model without much luck. One of the issues I've run into is that there are so many models from the same companies that it's hard to make heads or tails of any review. I had looked at Consumer Reports as I don't have a ATK subscription anymore. They liked 3 Instant models: the 4qt Vortex Plus, the 6qt Vortex Plus, and...the 6qt Vortex Plus (?!) Based on that I would have guessed that similar looking machines from the same brand would be largely interchangeable, but somehow the non-Plus "Instant Vortex 6qt" was their lowest-ranked machine. 🥴 CR liked the Ninja models they did rate, and it seemed like ATK's complaints were mostly about basket shape, which is completely different in the one I was looking at. I trust folks here a lot more than pretty much any rating site which I guess is why I posted. (That and I really did find Chris Young's explanation interesting.) @palo — is yours the dual basket with the removable divider (same AZ link as Rotuts posted, different style)? That's the feature I really liked in the Ninja and it's about the same price (and a little smaller which is probably helpful).

I've been holding out against the air fryer for the longest time, given I have a Breville and a Cuisinart steam oven, and mostly those do what I want them to do. However, I'm coming close to giving in after watching this Chris Young video where he explains why the top-mounted fan and air circulation pattern of (basket-style) air fryers produces better fries in less time using his technique. One of the things I have been annoyed by lately in my Breville is that roasted potatoes end up getting tough by the time they get crispy. I suspect I could do a multi-step boil/steam-then-bake process but it's just too much for a weeknight. I sometimes see the same thing with other foods (e.g., Trader Joe's frozen chicken). Currently very tempted by this Ninja model at Costco with a wide basket that can be divided in two, and a bread proofing function; I don't have a great device for proofing currently.

I'm a bit suspicious of this etymology for the "chile" spelling, given it's universal in modern Spanish — it seems more likely that the Spanish spelling shifted over time on its own, and then migrated into the US. That said, I didn't quite realize until now how indecisive American usage can be — the pepper is almost always "chile" or "chile pepper," and indeed "chili" by itself would be unambiguously the stew. But at the same time, I don't think I've ever encountered "chile crisp" or "sweet chile sauce"...

I don't get the sense that there's been much innovation in bread machines of late, particularly if your goal is making loaves out of normal wheat. The machines are more popular in Japan, and I think there are some newer models there, but mostly they seem to offer additional cycles for rice-based bread.

You can get the skinny type with a nice ergonomic handle: https://www.microplane.com/premium-classic-series-zester-grater-turq This is the only kind I've ever had, but I've been pleased with it.

The labeling rules for anything that's traditionally been made with nitrates are really odd — as I understand it, the celery derived stuff isn't legally considered "nitrates," and the law requires anything that's not made with nitrates to be labeled as "uncured" if it resembles a product usually cured with nitrates. Hence products that are chock full of nitrates from celery may end up labeled as nitrate free. Was disappointed to see that most of Wild Fork's pork products are unavailable in MA now thanks to the new animal welfare regulations that came into effect this summer — guessing the same may be true in CA as I believe there are similar laws there. (Some of that may be due to a lack of alignment between different standards, particularly for the European products.) As I was looking for a press release or something similar, I learned that WF is a subsidiary of JBS Foods, the large conglomerate that owns Swift — which I suppose would explain the extent of their selection.

For anyone interested, Fuchsia Dunlop was also a guest for a two-part interview on Special Sauce (Ed Levine's podcast): https://www.thespecialsaucepodcast.com/podcast/fuchsia-dunlop-on-chinese-cuisine/ https://www.thespecialsaucepodcast.com/podcast/fuschia-dunlop-on-chinese-cuisine-part-2/

Notably Microplane has a category of extra coarse graters that might do the trick.