Robenco15

cool

Weird thing just happened with the Anova unit. Nothing bad, but weird. I turned it on and at the same time I was wiping water off of the touch screen with a paper towel. A white screen "rolled" down and there was a dot in the upper right corner. I went to touch the dot and then a little bit after I touched it the dot moved to the lower right. It eventually went all the way around. I couldn't get out of the screen so I just turned it off and turned it back on and it was all good. I did the paper towel thing again because I was curious and sure enough if happened again. Weird...but all good now.

Yeah, I'm looking to buy only one saucier and then 4qt and 6qt saucepans but I hear you about the usefulness of 1qt and 2qt sauciers, so I rather just own one. I have a 2qt saucepan for smaller jobs right now as it is. Maybe I'll get a really small saucier at some point for specific pan sauces, etc, but right now I'd rather get the one that I'd use the most and a 3qt would never be too small for anything I'd plan on using it for.

Yeah not being able to see and hold it in person is a little bit of a worry but weight should be ok. I have a 2qt d5 All Clad saucepan now so I am used to using heavy pots. I know the 2qt is as small as I go. I figure with a 3.5 qt I can also do smaller things with it, but if i need to do a large sauce then I have the room for it. I'd hate to spend money on a 2qt saucier and then come to a point where I find myself needing a larger one from time to time. Better to just have the bigger one and do smaller amounts in it and have the ability to do larger amounts when I need to.

I would not put any kind of copperware in the dishwaher. Nor iron, which is what the Falk handles are made from. My falk pot cleans easily with dish soap or (if it really needs it) Barkeeper's Friend. You like your Falk? I am looking at their 3qt (or is it 3.5qt?) saucier. I like all of there stuff besides their fry pan, but it all seems to be the most expensive between Mauviel and Matfer Bourgeat. I figure I can get some from Mauviel, some from Matfer, and some from Falk and end up with everything I want and save as much money as I can as opposed to buying them all from Falk. I would probably get the Falk signature line with the stainless steel handle. I like the angle of it more than their classic iron handles.

I don't recall if I specifically checked Mauville, but I did check a couple-three other brands of stainless lined copper pots, and while they did say the thickness was 2.5, closer examination of the specs indicated that the copper was 2.3mm and the stainless was .2mm. One site said that all stainless/copper comes from the same source, and that it all meets the same specs. FWIW ... Thank you for sharing! Yes, I've also read that since Falk invented the method to line copper with stainless steel, every pan that does it is basically using their exact process so they are technically all the same.

Yeah and actually, if Mauviel says it is 2.5mm thick, then it probably is 2.3mm of copper since you the stainless steel has to account for some part of the thickness. The Matfer Bourgeat seem to be the only ones whose copper is thicker....

Now I don't know if I like the Matfer Sauteuse or the Falk Sauciere. I also see that on that site (Previn), the capacity listed for the Matfer sauteuse at 3.2 quarts differs from other online retailers (they say 2.75 quarts). I want at least 3 quarts for my sauciere. But the Falk is 2.5mm thick, TOTAL. It is 2.3mm of copper and .2mm of stainless steel. No idea if that matters but the Matfer Bourgeat is listed at 3.1mm thickenss (even if that is total, I'm sure there is at least 2.5mm of copper). The sauteuse thing is weird, I really like the look of the Falk, but losing out on copper thickness troubles me.

I like the site Robenco15 -- but for the fry pan, I'm really liking the French Black Steel I have never heard of that French Black Steel before. It looks interesting but I'm pretty set on the copper. I like the Mauviel compared to the Matfer Bourgeat because of the handle and the size. The closer to 12 inches the better.

Forget France. Forget Amazon. And forget Mauviel. This is where I will be purchasing my copper cookware - http://www.previninc.com/shop/index.html Mauviel Fry Pan and the rest Matfer Bourgeat. In a year or so...

Yeah Shel, sorry what happened to this thread. Smithy brings up a good point. I may be looking at copper pans but since I currently have electric coils there is no way I will be buying any copper until I get a gas stovetop. I posted a reply in your All Clad thread that you saw so maybe that was helpful in this discussion! Regardless, sorry this thread got hijacked.

oooooooooooh. I'm sorry. Now I understand. I went to their website and put items in the online shopping cart and went through to see how much it would all cost with shipping. I didn't actually go to the store. Sorry about that. Wish I went to the store. Is the only reason you are recommended the induction models because then I can use them for gas stovetop and induction? I don't really ever plan on having induction stovetops, or whatever they are. Why do the saucepans heat up your kitchen but the other copper pans don't? I was really set on copper saucepans.

I don't see the reason for your odd rants, your accusations about my age, your requests for pictures (of what?) If they are nickel, great, they are nickel. I am only speaking from my experience trying to help by suggesting that somebody look other than at skillets when considering copper since they were never really made for high level cooking other than in the dining room. I'm with you for the most part. I don't understand why you recommend against copper skillets with SS lining (2.5mm copper). Won't it heat up quicker and retain heat better than any other material? And any other skillet I'd be interested has stainless steel lining. I am not interested in tin lined pans as retinning is not something I'm interested in having to do. Thanks for your advice!

Thanks for all of the info!

So one of you recommends copper skillets and one of you does not. I am looking at the SS ones. But copper saucepans aren't good because they will heat up everything in the kitchen?

I was actually on E.Dehillerin last night looking at things. I put two saucepans (approx. 4qt and 6 qt) and the bigget skillet in my cart and went through the process to find the final price with shipping. It was something like 1,100 dollars (after converting the Euros). Then I found the same pieces on Amazon.com and it ended up being around 1,600 dollars. So while it may not be as cheap as it used to be, if you buy a few pans at a time you can save upwards of 500 dollars. This post is great and thank you for your insight! I DEFINITELY want their 11.8 cm skillet and two saucepans. This won't be for a year or so, but I can't help and look from time to time! Glad to hear you like it!

That is too bad that there are no recipes for the iconic part. I have the time and patience, and sometimes the money, to probably do a good number of dishes so I'm excited about that, but good point. Thanks for the info about the esoteric ingredients. Are they things you won't be able to really substitute for? How are the recipes for the "home meals" section, or whatever it is called. Apparently there are 12 meals that Daniel prepares at home and they all have specific regional influences. Are the pictures you mentioned that help along with the preparation for some of the recipes only in the restuaruant section, or in the cooking at home section only, or both? Thanks for this! Let us know when you cook something from it!

Thank you so much for your insight! Seeing what you make for dinner on an almost daily basis makes me really interested in what you have to say too. So the iconic dishes section that you find impressive doesn't have recipes does it? That is more of a narrative/essay form section about the process of making them? I have cooked many dishes out of The French Laundry Cookbook, but you are saying Daniel: My French Cuisine makes it even harder for the home cook to its recipes? Then you say that it is forgiving and gives pictures to help you, so maybe I'm just not understanding you? Thanks for the info though and of all of the well known French chefs, Daniel Boulud is one I know very little about. I don't know his dishes, I don't know his platings, etc. So I'm curious to learn more. Two quick questions: Is there a basics section or anything like that with foams, gels, etc.? How modern is it in that respect? Very similar to Eleven Madison Park? Completely different? I love Eleven Madison Park's lists and lists of extra components. Thank you!

Hello All, I have no intention of starting a thread everytime a new cookbook comes out, but this one has been keeping me interested for a few months now. It was released today so I am hoping some could post their reviews of it and impressions when they recieve it. It reminds me a lot of The French Laundry from what I can tell just based on the what I have read in various onilne sources (essays on the importance of specific ingredients, highly modern french dishes) but then it has a lot of history and home cook dishes based on four regions in France. Now, I don't believe it will come close to The French Laundry, but I'd be ok with being wrong. Couldn't ever complain about having a book comparable to The French Laundry. Anyway, this definitely has a possibility of becoming an xmas gift so I'm hoping to hear from some of you! Thank you in advance!

I've been using the D5 for a couple of weeks now, and I love it. What you say above has been my experience as well. Two nights ago I made an impromptu vegetable soup, and put the pan on the electric burner just one scosh above the lowest setting. The pan, as you suggest, took a while to heat up, but also as you said, it held the heat beautifully. I experimented, and cooked the soup for 30 minutes without stirring. There was no sticking, the soup maintained a nice, even simmer, and the pan cleaned up quickly and easily - just a wipe with the sponge and a little detergent did the trick. I'm thinking of getting the 10-inch skillet. If it cooks anything like this saucepan, I'll be in heaven. If I didn't already have a 12-inch All-Clad, I'd consider that size as well. My 12-inch is an early Ltd version - I must have gotten it on sale somewhere - and my old housekeeper ran that puppy through the dishwasher. The result was that the shiny black outer coating washed off. The skillet cooks OK, but looks like crap. Maybe it, too, should be replaced, Maybe I like the D5 so much that I'm looking for reasons (excuses) to buy more. So glad I could help and you love the saucepan! I have a 10 inch d5 SS skillet (stainless steel interior, not non-stick) and I love that too. However, while it is 10 inches total, the actual flat surface area is probably around 9 inches (I don't have it in front of me as I am not at home, but I think others comment on Amazon with actual measurements). I have a d5 3 qt skillet too which has around an 11 inch diameter so I never really have a problem the 10 inch since I can just use the saute pan if a job is too big. The 10 inch fits my electric coils perfectly. My saute pan though is larger than my coils. That isn't a problem as long as I make sure I give it time to pre-heat all the way through. Obviously the part directly above the electric coils heats up a little quicker than the bottom of the pan that hangs over the coils. In terms of performace of the 10 inch, it is fantastic. It is heavy and it evenly sears everything. As it is heavy and has those 5 layers, if I am searing something at a level of 6 (out of 10, 6 being the absolute hottest I ever go, and only use that to sear meats) and then want to make a pan sauce with red wine, I turn it down to 4 as 6 can be too hot and it separates the wine (I'm no expert at making wine reductions fyi). When I turn the burner down to 4, I also tend to give the pan a little time to change temperature since firstly, the coil has to adjust (obviously changes slower than a flame), and then the pan has to adjust. I guess I'm saying it doesn't react to temperature changes instantly (I guess only copper would anyway?), but more times than not, that is neglible as I've never ruined anything because of the pan (aka, it's always my fault). While I am no expert in making thick, wine based pan sauces like a bordelaise, I've made dozens using the 10 inch d5 and have had wonderful results. You learn how to use it with your stovetop and then you know what to do with it. If a pan sauce is boiling away and I need it to get to a simmer it has no problem doing it. If I need to get it to do it quickly, I can just lift the pan off and hold it while the coil adjusts to the lower temperature. As soon as the pan is off the heat it begins to lose its boil and then I put it back on the adjusted coil and get my simmer. The only concern I guess is 10 inch vs. 12 inch. With the 10 inch you could comfortably sear 4 to 5 U10 scallops without them steaming eachother. 6 could probably fit, but it would be tight. That is it though. I sear steaks one at a time, unless they are filets, then I can usually fit them. When I made croque madames and toast two slices of bread at one time, I use it, but the sides of the toast run up a little on the side of the fry pan, but because it evenly heats so perfectly all over, it still works perfectly. The next fry pan I buy will definitely be a 12 inch fry pan as it is definitely something I want, but don't need currently. I just purchased the d5 12 inch non-stick fry pan as I've found that some cuts of fish I buy are a little too large for the 10 inch and the edges of the fish run up the side of the fry pan (like the toast), but because it is fish it sticks and tears. I purchased the 12 inch specifically because I knew the 10 inch would be too small. I like having a 10 inch skillet now as it works for me, but the 8 inch non stick (not all clad) I have was getting very limiting. I haven't used the 12 inch d5 non stick yet though so no reviews. Let me know if you have any other questions and hope this helped!

Very cool. Yannick's books all seem to be out of print unfortunately. I'm not too familiar with him.

Hello All, Some of you may know about the Thrifty Vac kickstarter - http://www.kickstart...ac/posts?page=1 It looks like a great vacuum sealing product but yesterday I contacted him about whether or not his product can compress fruits and vegetables much like an expensive chamber vacuum sealer. He told me it could, but I was still skeptical because I can't believe it would be powerful enough so I sent him a Youtube video showing the process. He said that yes, it definitely can do that, and once he has finished more of the Kickstarter orders he said he'd make a video showing the process. As someone who will never, ever, ever be spending the money on a chamber vacuum sealer, this could be quite the product I am looking for. And because I wouldn't compress fruits and vegetables every single day, this product could be perfect as I can store it in a drawer when I'm not using it. Anyway, wanted to pass this along for those interested/never thought they could work with compressed fruits and vegetables since chamber vacuum sealers are so expensive.

Dude, every time your food looks so incredible. Do you just do this for fun or is it your job (not that jobs can't be fun too)? Where'd you learn?

That's interesting. The specs don't seem to be on par with the Anova or Sansaire, and it's yellow, but I'd be interested in hearing what people think. I'm curious as to why they are so adamant about household use only. Is it because it can only handle 5 gallons and they assume no restaurant would be using a 5 gallon tank?

This will sound funny but even Williams Sonoma will have specials that are advertised or not advertised for All Clad. I bought a 3 quart All Clad d5 saute pan with lid for 120 dollars on Williams-sonoma.com. It wasn't being advertised or anything, I just was looking around and selected it and there it was. Didn't even say the original price or anything. The only reason I know that it was on sale was because a few weeks earlier I looked at it and it was (and still is) 265 dollars. It was around Christmas so that is probably why it was marked down, but they weren't advertising it and I just got lucky. I also just bought the All Clad d5 12 inch non-stick fry pan with lid. I have been wanting a larger nonstick fry pan for fish and eggs as the one I have is just too small for the fish I've been trying to cook. This was an advertised sale that just ended and I got it with the lid for 100 dollars. It originally was/is 260 dollars. I bought that in store. The sale is apparently still going online and the 12 inch is going for 130 dollars. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-d5-stainless-steel-nonstick-covered-fry-pan/?cm_src=AutoRel Anyway, I'm not saying I shop at Williams Sonoma often because you usually can't ever get a good deal, but from time to time they have a few steals.