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horseflesh

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Everything posted by horseflesh

  1. 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. 🤞
  2. The Control Freak may not be perfect but its ability to hold a specific temperature is much better than on other induction burners I have tried, where that feature basically didn't work at all. I have also found temperature-based cooking to be very liberating. If I can get another cooker with the same quality temperature control for a lot less money, I am open to ideas.
  3. That is what mine came with. I contacted support to see if there was an update because I also couldn't find more info on the web site. They assured me it was the latest. (They also said it was the last.) I've been cleaning mine with the same kitchen rag and spray cleaner I use on countertops. The display has been OK so far and I haven't been especially careful about it. But if I wanted to guarantee there were no scratches ever I'd use a microfiber cloth or an old t-shirt. You will love your Control Freak!
  4. After a couple of weeks with the Control Freak, wow, am I happy I got this thing. I am starting to understand why some people on the thread just stopped using their gas cooktop and put Control Freaks up there instead. More than once I found myself saying, "I wish I bought two." Maybe next year if the same deal comes along again!
  5. It's hilarious that my first question when I got the Control Freak was, "how do I just boil water?" Thank you for the links and advice. And for compiling that list of temps, @CanadianHomeChef In my bookmarks I also found this list of temperatures, which perhaps came from earlier in this thread. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1azCSYUU4I25VbHfaPnhOvF_fHplbhMvy/edit#gid=1369374172 (And that list references this cool Breville infographic and some other sources. Thanks, whoever made this!) I have only used my CF a few times now, for boring things like ramen and making quesadillas, but I can already see how thinking in terms of temperature and not power is going to be so cool. Now I have to scan the thread for cookware recommendations, as the only induction pans I have are mediocre. Edit to add: I reformatted the official Breville temperature chart to be easily printable on a portrait page, at maximum size. This did require removing the header and branding (forgive me, Breville). It's attached. Breville Control Freak temperature chart official (resized for printing).pdf
  6. Got my Control Freak! I have just barely plugged it in but it's obvious it is going to require a very different way of doing things. What do you set if you want water to boil ASAP? Maximum speed and 212F / 100C? What if you want water just barely simmering? Technically, that water is still at 100C right? I can imagine the true target temps would depend on your pan too, and how it conducts heat to the central spot. Edit: I see it prints guides like "simmer" and "high" so for crude tasks like boiling and simmering you can just go my the overall percentage?
  7. The Control Freak is 20% off at Breville's online shop right now ($1200). I have a unique coupon that actually stacks and brings it down to $900. I gotta sleep on it, but this may be the year I pull the trigger. I doubt I'll find a better price. EDIT: I did it. Now, where are cool Control Freak user groups and resources, besides this thread?
  8. Hey @Steve Irby one more quick question about your JVR... I cannot figure this out from the manual. When it is pumping down, can you use the Stop button to stop pumping and immediately begin sealing? Or, does it only abort the cycle? I am hoping for the former as when sealing liquids I find it easiest just to watch what is happening, and seal instantly if there is an overflow risk. Edit to add: If I understand this JVR video correctly, at 5:27 he says that hitting the Down button during pumping will skip ahead to sealing. That's exactly what I was hoping for.
  9. @Steve Irby another year has passed, how do you like that JVR Vac100? My mom is looking for a vacuum sealer, so I'm looking for recommendations on units a lot like this, with a good compromise between counter space occupied and interior space... And an oil pump. I've been out of the chamber sealer shopping game since I got my Minipack about 10 years ago so I don't know what the current value picks are... If anyone has suggestions, please lay 'em on me.
  10. That pic from the Prodigy manual could be done in the Control Freak, it's just software if you have the right sensors, which the CF does. In fact, not having a CF yet, that is the kind of thing I thought it also did in addition to temperature control.
  11. Thanks for the alert @CanadianHomeChef. Man, I have been wrestling with this decision for a couple of years now... Quick, someone come tell me that a Hatco or a Vollrath is a better value...
  12. Man, nothing is more confusing than induction... People seem to love it or hate it. So far, I hate it! I have to live with it though since I am currently without a range and do all my cooking with one miserable cheap induction cooktop. (If my experience with what I have wasn't so bad I would have long ago upgraded to a CF or other commercial grade cooktop.) Can anyone recommend a non-stick frying pan with really good induction performance? I have a Circulon Symmetry in my cart but if there is something objectively better I want to know about it. I don't care how much it costs, I just need one righteous nonstick pan to make the best of my induction life.
  13. I wish I could trial a good induction cooktop with optimum pans. I could get a lot of use out of one but my only experience has been terrible and it makes me skeptical of even the nice models.
  14. Wait, so if I want the Control Freak to keep a pot at a certain temperature, that cannot be done without use of the mobile app?! If that's the case it's an absolute deal killer and I'm unsubscribing from the thread, LOL.
  15. Ah yes that makes sense... I don't have a 20A circuit for it either. Thanks for verifying the warranty info. Nice looking unit, I need to read some more about it.
  16. Is this your guy? And, do you happen to know if this is one of those brands that won't provide a warranty for home use? https://www.webstaurantstore.com/hatco-irng-pc1-18-rapide-cuisine-stainless-steel-black-countertop-induction-range-cooker-120v-1800w/413IRNGPC118.html
  17. I'm definitely going to check it out. I like the idea of saving a thousand bucks, let me tell ya.
  18. Thanks @jaw. Interesting that the CF is fussy about cookware... that's a trait I already have on my junky cooker and I is not awesome. Do you have an induction cooktop you favor? I cook outside a lot -- especially now that I am mired in a months long warranty issue with NXR -- and I need something decent... I am limited to 120V, though.
  19. Did you ever figure out if the Control Freak would play nice with your carbon steel pans? I realize carbon steel is not the best for induction but I too want to know how it will perform on the CF. I can live with a compromise... but if the CF is unsuited to even simple tasks like heating up a quesadilla in a CS pan that's something I need to know before I bite. Based on the teardown image and the CF dimensions the coil looks to be between 8-9" across, which is MUCH bigger than the coil in my current junky induction cooktop... it makes a vicious 3-4" hot spot in the middle of a carbon steel pan. It's nearly useless. But it is also perhaps the worst induction cooktop money can buy.
  20. A few weeks ago my NXR gas range/cooktop bit the dust... gas leak! While I've been dealing with the warranty rodeo I have been doing all my cooking outside on a pretty junky induction cooktop. And I hate it, I absolutely hate it... primarily because the heating element is really small, so pots tend to get a hot spot in the middle. It's especially bad with cookware that doesn't have a good heat spreader, like carbon steel... or especially cast iron. It's almost unusable with either of those kinds of pans. I've been eyeing the Control Freak for a couple of years but with my new recent induction experience I am increasingly gun shy simply because it is an induction cooktop. Those of you who have and love the Control Freak, I would love for you to tell me that there's nothing to worry about in this regard. Or if it IS a drawback, knowing that up front would be a big help too. It would be too bad if I could not use my nice Darto carbon steel pans on the Control Freak, but it might not be a deal killer.
  21. Yep, exactly. I have 2 other sous vide gadgets but could maybe see myself using this. I would likely dedicate counter space to it, if I had one... and hooking up its circulator MIGHT be easier, or as easy, as hooking up one of my other gizmos. But, without more reviews, it is too risky. Even the Control Freak seems to have some quirks at 3x the cost.
  22. Here's a Kickstarter for a product like the Control Freak, the Njori Tempo. Looks like it will be about $500. Looking forward to seeing a comparison review. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/njori/njori-tempo-the-smart-cooker-for-adventurous-chefs
  23. That looks great! I have got to find a proper ice cream maker, this is killing me.
  24. @ErwinR -- I've made overnight caramelized onions in a slow cooker but since you have a CF I would try 300F and save some time. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1azCSYUU4I25VbHfaPnhOvF_fHplbhMvy/edit#gid=1369374172
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