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I used the right side of a 12" cast iron pan. The "Pizza" was just a test of tomato suace, M. cheese and dough with that method. I didn't have basil and other stuff. dcarch Hey dcarch, you didn't mention how well the naan turned out. On a scale from the worst to the best naan you have made, where does this rank? Specifically I'm looking for comments on the Naan, not the naan-pizza thanks, rg rg

Well the VP210 is only $100 more through Amazon with free shipping and I think it's quite a bit better than the VP112, isn't it? Anyone have experience with both? One posted in another thread on egullet said: "Nope didnt consider the VP112 at all really. I was interested in something that would be highly reliable and well-built that would be able to reach a high level of vacuum for compression. IIRC the VP210 can reach a higher level than the VP112 when I spoke with the ARY rep. The VP112 also didnt look as sturdy and well-built as the VP210. It sort of appeared to me as a cheap knockoff entry model for the home/sous vide market they just became aware existed. I then brought the specs for the VP210 into a restaurant that does alot of sous vide in NYC and had the chef take a look who was kind enough to give his opinion. He wasn't able to find much of any difference between the VP210 and the one they use other than the speed and qty of bags you could seal per hour. Since I wasn't planning on doing 75+ bags an hour the VP210 was perfect for me. " VP112 on the other hand does have a 12" seal vs 10" for the VP210 but not really an issue for my needs, I think anyways. This size on the VP112 is a huge advantage - only 57 lbs so you could actually move it around much easier than a 90 lb model. I'm still happy with my choice, would have still gone with the VP210 again if I ordered it today but this is definitely a great thing for home cooks since it's a great sign that chamber vacuums will become much more affordable in the future. rg

Can you explain? I guess I should have said "Marinating foods, on steroids". What I meant is that marinades get sucked into the protein during the vacuum process so what might normally take hours will instead take minutes although not sure on the details Thanks for the other comments, looks like I had most of the benefits covered. I made her some rum infused compressed watermelon for dessert One thing to keep in mind for anyone who is considering purchasing one of these is that it might be tough to find a spot for it in your kitchen. You need about 24" of height room to open it all the way and this model, the VP210 which I think is one of the smaller ones, weighs close to a hundred pounds. We have some oversized cabinets so I cleared one of them out and made room for it + all the bags and maintenance tools. The plug is right by the door so I just plug it in when I need to and it seems to work ok. Convenient spot and still completely out of the way. rg

In anticipation of my copy of Modernist Cuisine and based on comments from other egullet members I went ahead and ordered a VacMaster VP210. I'm picking it up today and once my significant other sees the size of this thing she'll immediately start looking for a receipt so I need to be armed with all the wonderful things, both cooking and non-cooking related, that we can now do with a chamber vacuum machine. My current list includes: Much easier to package food for sous vide cooking in SVS Canning is a snap Instant Pickles Preserve the shelf life of proteins and sauces in the fridge and freezer Buy larger cuts and vacuum pack individually Vacuum Pack all sorts of things around the house to keep them organized and conserve space (maybe a bit of a stretch?) Marinating foods on steroids I'm going to be buying those meat dry aging bags and that would have required a new suction vacuum anyways so I'm really saving money! Anything else to build my business case? It's not getting returned so this is more about stopping her from immediately heading off on an epic shopping spree of her own... rg

That's a great result. Would you mind sharing the details on the metal sheet and cook times. Also, temperature of metal sheet if you happen to have an IR thermometer rg

Can't wait to see this! Thanks for the pics and details, something to keep all the 1 month shipping delay people happy! rg

just got the same email

I know there is a bunch of space dedicated to the ultrasonic french fry technique but are other french fry techniques examined and improved? What I'm most interested in is a variation of the Robuchon technique of placing the fries in cold oil, turning on the heat and removing when done. I've been trying variations, like adding cornstarch for extra crispness, and having some pretty good success but wonder if there are better ways to make fries using this or similar "quick" methods that don't sacrifice too much compared to the longer, multi-stage methods. rg

I'm really looking forward to seeing results from this. I doubt that anything in the book is written without substantial testing but at the same time this plate isn't meant to replace a wood burning oven - it's meant to bridge the gap a bit and in the process produce much better pizzas than you could normally do in your oven. BadRabbit, the price I received was based on 2cm x 38cm x 28cm (apx 3/4 inch x 3 feet x 2 1/3 feet) slab of aluminum with edges deburred and it was $95 although it was from a friend so not sure if he's charging much or maybe any markup in that. You might want to look for a local CNC shop - probably get decent prices from them. rg

Is Aluminum going to be ok and is there a specific type/grade I should be looking for? A buddy of mine has a CNC shop and a 3/4 inch aluminum sheet that fits my oven will run around $100 but I'm going to wait for some results, and the book to see the specifics, before I make a decision. rg

I have a question regarding the Risotto parametric table that was just released. For Pressure Cooking, or Boiling for that matter, do you not add oil, onion and then stir in the rice before adding the liquid? It sounds like that is skipped but wondering if it was done to simplify the chart? Also, it says to use water as the liquid for the parcook - is it better / possible to use stock in this step or should it only be done with water? rg

Several recipes, including parametric recipes for preserving and cooking sous vide. Although I don't have access to the book anymore, I read that section with interest. Let's see how good my recall is... The reason that ovens retain heat is because the sides of the oven heat up. The air in the oven is mainly incidental and will heat up fairly rapidly when the door is shut. Hence opening and closing the door causes less damage than most would think (eg. in the questions about basting). Using a sheet of metal means that you add another source that effectively absorbs and radiates heat, thus making the heat sources in the oven more stable. So in answer to your specific questions: any steel should do as long as it can store and release heat. Secondly, it should be good for bread because of its contribution to the overall heat profile within the oven. Nick's memory is excellent. They recommend a piece of steel or aluminum (the latter is much lighter, of course) that is 2 cm -- that is to say, 3/4 in, not 1/4 in -- thick. Has anyone who has high-temperature pizza cooking experience tried this? I use a 2Stone on my grill and it gets up to 800F in about 35 minutes and produces incredible pizzas in a couple of minutes but if this is comparable then it would be quite convenient rg

I'd think you would be ok, he mentioned in the blog post that people who ordered way back in August shouldn't have to wait. I had a July order but canceled and re-ordered through a different site in October to save $100. Probably cost me a few weeks I'd love access to an online version if the book is delayed, even if it is just photos, but I doubt that will happen due to worries about piracy rg

Brilliant, my expectations for this "book" were incredibly unrealistic and it looks like it probably far exceeded that!

It's hard to wait another month for this but thanks for answering the questions. For a traditionally cooked meal, take Risotto for example, does it first provide the best method cooking it traditionally and then go on to provide modernist versions explaining how the new techniques improve / simplify etc? Same thing for BBQ for example - are they are always hitting you with the traditional but with a constant eye towards modernist improvements? rg

I think that's at the core of the problem. If I drop the heat below medium-high the pressure drops almost immediately so i need to keep the heat cranked up to keep high pressure which then evaporates the cooking liquid making it even harder to keep pressure. Difficulty holding pressure sounds like a leak problem I guess? I wish I knew more about these things but I think I'm getting closer to a solution. One other thing I noticed is that under the protection cap there is a lot of liquid accumulating. I tried the pressure cook water test again but with the cap off to see if I could spot the leak and the water and steam is escaping through the small holes all around the metal casing (valve socket) well before the pressure cap even gets to the first red line or even starts moving. Thanks for all of the help and info rg

It is always hard to line up expectations and your experience with what "should" happen. First, go look at this video and pop forward to about 3:30. When people say the KR is very quiet and doesn't put out steam, that is what they are comparing to. On the low-heat thing, it may well be due to the size of the cooker; 12 qt is pretty good. Compare your experience with the video, and you should get an idea if you are much much quieter and less steamy then that. If not, then your cooker could be defective (but it isn't likely, but of course not at all impossible) Thanks for the feedback, mine is very loud. Comparable to that youtube video, maybe louder. I just did a test where I put in 4 cups of water, brought to high pressure then lowered the heat slightly to keep it so that the second red line was just completely visible and let it "cook" for 10 minutes. I did a quick release using the button / valve and when I remeasured there was just under 2 cups remaining... That explains why my ribs burnt after all liquids evaporated a couple of days ago! Maybe I'm doing something horribly wrong but it seems pretty simple. Make sure the gasket is in properly, put in the water, seal the lid, bring to high pressure and set timer. I got a response from Kuhn Rikon support and they said "It's also possible that butanes need to be lowered, I have had this happen to other customers with professional gas ranges."?? Unless someone has some other ideas I'll have to bring this back and get it replaced I suppose. Thanks, rg

I have a Pressure Cooker question I'd love some feedback on. I had never used a pressure cooker or even seen one being used other than through edited video clips but after reading enough great things about them I took the plunge and bought a Kuhn Rikon 12qt Family style stockpot pressure cooker last week. What I expected based on this being a higher end pressure cooker was that it would be relatively quiet, at least once it hits the right pressure, and that it would hold pressure on a lowish flame. My expectation was based on what I've read, not seen so I'm not exactly sure if I have a real problem or just a problem with expectations. What I have experienced in my two attempts (chicken stock at 1 red line and baby back ribs at the 2nd red line so high pressure) was that there was a slightly loud steamy noise throughout the entire cooking process that was loud enough to hear upstairs or pretty much anywhere in my home if I listened carefully. Once it hit pressure the sound never went away - in fact nothing really changed. Some steam was visible but not a whole lot and there was a little bit of water spitting out from under that plate that surrounds the pressure valve. I had to keep the heat at medium high to keep high pressure - if I lowered it to low or medium low it would quickly lose pressure. This is a Viking Professional range so low heat seems like it should have been ok. Does this all sound relatively normal or should I be returning it / cleaning the valve / something else? Could it be because the PC is very large? I so clean and reseat the gasket each time making sure it is in right but same issue. Thanks, rg