dtremit
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Posts posted by dtremit
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On 1/2/2024 at 7:27 AM, chromedome said:
I just tripped across an interesting wrinkle on the whole theme of induction cooktops that's targeting the (substantial) number of households that aren't capable of supporting full-power induction without electrical upgrades. Their solution? Battery storage within the appliance, so the induction coil is powered directly from the battery (ie, wattage not limited by 120V wiring) and the direct electrical connection is used only for charging. Apparently at least one or two other startups are pursuing similar solutions.
https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-05/bto-peer-2023-copper-street.pdfI 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.
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1 hour ago, horseflesh said:
I love the dedicated time knob on the CF. I hope the timer isn't buried on the home version. There might be enough room on the touchscreen for a dedicated timer. 🤞
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?
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On 3/19/2024 at 8:53 PM, afs said:
Very cool. $200 cheaper (plus an extra $300 off, for a limited quantity, for $69/yr. ChefSteps subscribers). US-only, 1800W-only, for now.
It looks like it's not a "washdown-style" unit like the regular commercial units, but most homes aren't looking for that high of a level of water resistance. Breville slimmed down the machine a bit to make it more manageable in homes, without reducing the coil size or residential cooling capacity. Commercial kitchens and residences in very hot climates may still want the commercial version though, as it's designed for higher ambient temperatures.
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.
On 3/19/2024 at 8:53 PM, afs said:The touchscreen interface, the custom program creation, etc. are all nifty. I see that Breville removed the 6 screen-edge buttons and the time knob. I'm not sure that the time knob got used much, but I sure hope there's an easy way to use the knob to adjust heat intensity (i.e. not rely on the screen). That middle-right button is virtually the only button I ever use other than the power button.
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!
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7 minutes ago, ElsieD said:
Do you happen to know if one freezes the undiluted semi-glace in ice cube trays, how hard it is to get them out?
Might be a good use for a silicone ice cube tray or Souper Cubes 2TB tray
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51 minutes ago, palo said:
Yes US owners should be concerned!
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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20 hours ago, palo said:
@dtremit no, it has 2 separate baskets
I tend to use only the one, although a couple of nights ago I did use both baskets for different foods at different temperatures and different times and using the sync finish feature they were both ready at the same time 😀
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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On 11/20/2023 at 10:24 PM, liuzhou said:
History is against you on that one. 'Chili' was used for the pepper for hundreds of years before the dish was concocted. The word for the pepper came from the native Mexican language, Nahuatl which the Spanish, who were apparently extremely hard of hearing, rendered as Chilli. The name 'chile' was erroniously appled to the pepper in 1631 by the Dutch(?) physician, naturalist and writer Jacobus Bontius (1598?-1631) who thought it came from the country Chile, which it didnt. 'Chili' or 'Chilli' is the most commonly used name of the pepper in English worldwide and in other langages. In parts of India it is 'chilly' and I don't mean the weather.
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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On 10/25/2023 at 9:31 PM, palo said:
I asked if someone had found one that was an unexpected improvement on either of those machines - they both have drawbacks (hard to read LCD panel on both) but both are very servable
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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On 1/4/2024 at 8:50 AM, Maison Rustique said:
I have the skinny type and it is increasingly difficult for me to hold onto with my arthritic hands. I'd trade it for a paddle type any day.
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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On 9/14/2023 at 2:31 PM, gfweb said:
A lot of products that use the nitrates in celery juice have weaselly words in their label like "no chemical nitrate added" or some such. Or " naturally cured".
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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On 12/21/2023 at 3:36 PM, rotuts said:
Notably Microplane has a category of extra coarse graters that might do the trick.
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On 12/25/2023 at 11:45 AM, lemniscate said:
I know, right? I bought some goods, just FYI, the shipping is way out there in delivery dates, but nonetheless, it's stuff I probably couldn't find here at those prices.
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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On 12/17/2023 at 9:05 PM, gfweb said:
I was in Japan a few yrs ago ...going to dinner at an old restaurant in a group. They filed through the door and I followed...until I got hit in my 6'2" forehead by the doorframe and got knocked down.
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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5 hours ago, SLB said:
A lot of the Dartos are out of stock. And it is freaking me out honestly.
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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5 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:
It's just a great book. Her family stories are lovely so it's a great read.
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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18 hours ago, Smithy said:
The trivet has handles that I set upright before putting the egg bite tray in, like this:
I don't think the handles are long enough to grab if I have 2 silicone pans stacked, though. I'll have to come up with something to grab them by. Maybe a couple of wire loops made from coat hangers, or picture wire, or even twist ties?
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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2 hours ago, weinoo said:
I tried that brand of olives, and they left me wanting...food service quality, I guess.
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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5 hours ago, rotuts said:
Ive been taking advantage of the CSO as a sealed oven , conventional bake
to bake various frozen items longer than directed and at s slightly higher temp
as the items can get very crispy with out drying out.
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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10 hours ago, rotuts said:
Anova in the past , is not Anova now.
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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8 hours ago, palo said:
VEVOR: https://www.vevor.com/s/dz-260c
My pick, based on price and features - basically you're buying the machine with little or no support, but after a couple of weeks, I'm happy - Youtubers like it - roughly 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the Vacmaster
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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Corned Beef At Home: Recipes, Tips, etc.
in Cooking
Posted · Edited by dtremit (log)
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.