dtremit
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Everything posted by dtremit
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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...
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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.)
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@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).
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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.
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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"...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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/
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Notably Microplane has a category of extra coarse graters that might do the trick.
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The shipping is definitely built into the prices — but the combination seems to be cheaper than buying directly from amazon.co.jp in most cases. That said, the Japanese Amazon site will ship many things to the US, so it's worth checking, particularly for any larger orders. The yen is very weak right now which makes a lot of things more affordable than usual.
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My partner is 6'5" and we have a running series of pictures from various doorways and similar in Asia that come to about nose height on them 🤣 @BonVivant, very much enjoying this series! We spent a week in Kyushu in April and it's remarkable how different these islands are despite being "nearby."
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Really late to this topic, but we have been using the Oxo Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) for a few years now, and it has been pretty much foolproof. You brew in the filter, and then place it on top of the carafe which opens a valve allowing it to drain. The glass carafe is compact and feels a little fancy in a satisfying way, and the valve has been very reliable. They make a larger one (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) but it's only about 50% larger, and I don't like the design as much. But YMMV, particularly if you use it occasionally and need to store it away.
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The details on the May pre-sale said they expected to deliver those pans into September, so hopefully they are just prioritizing those orders? The economic situation in Argentina is pretty terrible right now, though.
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I haven't read it yet — I bought a hardcover version recently but it was damaged in transit and I'm waiting on the replacement. I ordered it after hearing her on the Splendid Table — she's a great storyteller in that medium as well. That was on episode 782 if anyone would fancy a listen (alongside Tamar Adler, who I also have long adored).
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Why not just tie a length of butcher's twine between the two metal handles of the trivet when you need to use two molds?
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I don't think I've ever had "nice" olives in a glass jar that were as good as what I get from a deli-type source. My guess is the heat of processing kills something in the flavor. (I'd love to be proved wrong; as the only olive eater in my house it'd be nice to be able to keep them in the pantry!)
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I stumbled on something similar with some pre-made, individual potato gratins from Wegmans recently — have had them once or twice previously and they were good, but the day when I "overcooked" them they came out fantastic.
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This has happened before with them — when sales of their sous vide took off, IIRC they were severely understaffed and emails ended up going into a black hole for a while.
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Great if you have space for a large, 50lb device — which sadly I do not 😔 Given @rotuts experience with the bags, I wonder if the AvidArmor is worth considering as an alternative to the Anova — the vacuum chamber and specs on their cheapest model look identical to the Anova, which makes me wonder if they come from the same OEM: https://avidarmor.com/avid-armor-ultra-series-usv20-chamber-vacuum-sealer-machine/
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In terms of leaving room to cut the bag down later — can you use a bag longer than the theoretical maximum if the excess at the closed end is folded? E.g., if the "max" is 11"x10" (with an 11" seal bar), could you use an 11"x13" bag as long as there's no food in the last two inches?
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@curls Oh, thank you! Other than jars, I honestly don't think there's a specific thing that would be a deal breaker for me if it didn't fit — just trying to get a general sense of how limiting the dimensions are or aren't. Is there anything you've wanted to seal but couldn't? I don't have the counter space for a larger machine (nor the back to heft a 60lb one regularly!) so I'm really comparing this or something like it to not having a chamber vac for the foreseeable future. As an aside, the Anova looks awfully similar on the inside to this AvidArmor unit.
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Curious if anyone here has one of the outdoor gas griddles (the most well known being the Blackstone) that seem to be all the rage right now. If so — do you like it, and what do you use it for? Finding myself tempted by them, though I'm not sure they're the most practical thing in the world. Figure one might be fun for outdoor dinners and breakfasts, and to have a large surface for big batches of things like tortillas. And it doesn't seem like you have to splurge on a high end model to get good cooking performance.
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@curls — this may be a silly question, but as I've never had a chamber vac before — can you give an example of the largest food item you can fit in the Anova, vs something that didn't fit? Have you tried anything in a jar?
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I've never had an issue getting credit for a mistake, but one thing I've noticed is that I don't think either service advertises their meat as frozen. It is, of course, but I've always wondered if they were avoiding making a guarantee that it be delivered without partially thawing.