dcarch

You don't really have to calibrate all surfaces unless they are drastically different in reflective. I have found in this test, by using cooking oil in the freezer and water in the refrigerator, using a regular thermometer, the IR thermometer is very good by comparision (and of course quick). Using a thermometer measuring one single location, you can be off by 15F +-. I am very particular about the freezer, because I need very cold temperature for sanitizing my cold smoked salmon. dcarch

I don't like freezer and refrigerator thermometers. The inside environment of a home refrigerator is dynamic, there is no way you can get a good understanding of what is going on with temperatures in the freezer and refrigerator with thermometers. 1. Where are the food placed? 2. How often doors are opened. 3. When is the frost -free heater cycles on? 4. How much food? 5. How hot was the food when you put it in? Instead, a remote read IR non-contact thermometer ($30 to $300) is what I use. Just aim the laser beam at various spots, very quickly, you will get a very good idea the thermal characteristics of your entire refrigerator. dcarch

"---My question: can rice makers prepare a small, single person, quantity of rice? I'd like some rice right now.---" With a PC, you can make one spoon of rice. dcarch

I also cook rice with a PC. The nice thing about using a PC is that is is quicker (energy saving) and you can cook again if you find the rice is too firm. Also you will not burn the rice if you have the fire too high. The donabe way is purely aesthetic. The rice knows only heat, it does not know what gives it the heat. It can be stainless steel. clay, aluminum, or any material. I tend to doubt the clay donabe can make rice in 15 minutes, it being a very poor heat conductor. I don't know what's the purpose of the double covers. You will have one more thing to carry, to break and to clean. dcarch

I don't remember where I was one time I was traveling in China. On a sunny day, people would take out bushels of chilli pepper from storage to sun dry so they wouldn't go moldy. Man! it was like some one had dropped teargas bombs in the neighborhood. dcarch

It seems to me that many office building rooftops in Calgary are not just for mechanical equipment. For an outsider like myself, I would be interested in good rooftop eating establishments. dcarch

A tipping experience, in a very good restaurant (NYC) I often take clients to: I had a table with 7 clients for lunch. Food and drinks came to a good amount. The bill came with my credit card printout. As I was working out the numbers, I was distracted by one of the funny jokes told. Must also be the drinks, I signed the bill and neglected to add the tip. Moments later, the server came, "Sir, how was the food?" Me, "Great! Everyone enjoyed everything." Server, "How was my service?" Me, "You are the best. My complements." Server, Loudly, "Then why are you so cheap and decided not to give me my tip?" In front of my clients, I was stunted. I called the manager over, who I knew very well for being a regular customer, asked him to explain that it was a mistake on my part, because he knew that I had always been a good tipper. I also firmly told the manager that I sincerely did not blame the server for getting pissed. Life is tough being a server, if he fired the server I would never return again. I hate the tipping practice!!! dcarch

It has nothing to do with the server's attitude. It has to do a bad practice which does not take into consideration of human nature. I will be very surprised if you can find a server who will serve a bad tipper the same as a good tipper. I have been to restaurants where the server said to me," Sir, thank you for your generosity. I didn't add the dessert to your bill." dcarch

I was there in the winter. I was curious why they had electric outlets near every parking stall in parking lots. I found out later why. :-( dcarch

I have been to Calgary. How can one operate a food truck in the winter? dcarch

Tipping practice, by it's very nature, is the worst cultural practice by civilized societies. I am a good tipper, but I have been neglected by servers because the other table is a better tipper. How about let's start tipping doctors? dcarch

"------ Almost everything we do with food is based on preferences, not requirements. ----" Except when it comes to food safety. The perfect control of temperature offered by the SV method makes it much simpler. As a matter of fact, throw away your thermometer, it does not matter how thick or how cold your meat is when you cook SV. dcarch

A valve is not a wear item. Tires are wear items in a car, but valves in the engine's cylinders are not. dcarch

Not trying to be an egghead about this ( ), in the tests, it would be nice to know what is sticking to the shell, the membrane or the egg white. dcarch

All these tests, experiments, all seem to assume that all egg are the same, as if they are all laid by the same kind of chickens. How many breeds of chickens? Old chickens lay the same eggs as young ones? Does it matter what they eat? Morning laid eggs v.s. evening laid eggs? Winter eggs? Summer eggs? Caged? Free ranged? All I have seen is that fresh eggs cook differently than old eggs. dcarch

I am not sure what makes "non-venting" PC possible. For non-venting to happen, the BTU from the fire must be 100% equal to the (a) total radiant (IR) heat lost and well as (b) heat lost by conduction to outside air. If the fire is a little hotter than (a) & (b), non-venting is not possible. If the fire is less than (a) & (b), the pressure inside will not be building up to meet temperature specification. Just curious. dcarch

Of course there will be boiling inside the PC. The water temperature inside is above 212F. When pressure starts to leak out, the water inside will boil. dcarch

It will taste the same. There will be less shrinkage. The texture will be better, especially if you are making thick burgers. SV gives you a lot more flexibility to control texture. The crust and the interior, (for all meats), are cooked with precise temperature control. Is it worth it? Is it worth it to pay a $1,000 more for wine when the difference is hardly noticeable? dcarch

I highly recommend you try this: Supposedly you can get 250F from a pressure cooker. I put some water in a pressure cooker, a small metal can with cooking oil inside raised above the water and cooked the oil for a while. Then I ran the PC under cold water immediately to release the pressure quickly. I measured the temperature of the oil and it was much below 250F. I have a few unique attachment for my PC. After finding out my PC was not giving me the temperature, I engineered a few new "jigglers" for the PC. I now can get a range of temperatures from slightly above 212F all the way to 265F. At 265F, bones becomes very soft and chewable after making stock. dcarch

The last time I made octopus, I remember on the package it said "pre-tenderized". Which could mean they were all pumped up with brine. dcarch

Enjoying this thread immensely. Thanks for posting. dcarch

If you don't have Trigger Start/igniter Torch, with the Searzall on, how do you light the torch? dcarch

Corn oil and peanut oil. Some olive oil. dcarch

But you guys did not invent Belgian waffles. :-) Welcome! dcarch