CanadianHomeChef

I actually have a website of my own that we can use to host a database with downloadable FA1 files. Could even host pictures and videos that are linked to the temps/times if contributors were inclined to do so. The website was a food blog that I started last summer, after I was inspired with the Control Freak. I haven't had much time to update it since the school year started, so it's not really a public site yet. But may as well use the excellent hosting I got? Here's a sample that I just put together: http://sizzleandsear.com/precisioncooking/ Here's a recipe I posted that I cooked on the Control Freak with video: http://sizzleandsear.com/recipes/how-to-make-butterscotch-pudding-from-scratch/

Froze my computer for 15-20 seconds too.

What kind of attachments are allowed? Perhaps we could zip them up? I forget what the file extension is, but I can check.

Love the idea. I was thinking of starting a facebook group, but wasn’t sure if there’d be enough interest.

Will forward the PDFs when I get home.

I’m wondering how many units have been sold as a result of this thread? If only I made a commission 😂😂

Yes. I remember reading it off the video now. I’ve been happy with the temp.

I just remembered that Elsie sent me some PDF recipes that came from TesTek, Canada’s official Control Freak supplier. In the crepe recipe, they say 350 at high intensity for 25 seconds a side. Makes sense since they are so thin. If you PM me your email, I can send you the PDFs.

Just checked my programs. I haven’t made crepes yet but I have pancakes set at 332F. I think I got to that number from a Breville video or website as it’s one of the first things I cooked on my unit. At that temp I get a nice brown. I cook 2 minutes per side. Without oil one or the sides gets really brown. The other side is paler, probably because of lack of surface contact due to a distorted shape. This is solved with a little bit of fat, but I actually just cook it in no fat and have the good side facing up. Then drizzle it in butter of course.

Makes sense. A ton more wattage on a full sized range. I think my timing is similar to yours on my Kenmore Induction. Overall preheating pans for searing and other applications take relatively little time on the CF. But speed isn’t the reason I have it out. It’s precision. The only time I find myself wishing it was a little faster is for large volumes that need boiling. Actuallly I find the convince of precision often outweighs speed. For example, I want to warm up a soup but not boil it. I can set the CF to 190ish and do other things (take a shower, put a load of laundry away, etc) without worrying that it’ll boil away.

Not a problem. Hope you stick around! Not a lot of owners of this unit on the interwebs and it’s nice to collaborate. Unfortunately I don’t get to play with my two as often as I want as I’m a new teacher with a crushing work load. Hope to experiment and share a lot this summer

That being said, one of the great things about the Control Freak is that you can heat water to something that won’t over boil and then walk away. Turn it up to a full boil when your ready. The only time I find myself wanting a more powerful unit is when boiling large quantities of water for spaghetti (4 quarts in an 8 quart pot). I know I can use a lot less water, but I’m a traditionalist 😂

Just tested mine. 3 cups of water: 3 minutes to start boiling in my 1 quart calphalon triply. 3.5 minutes until full rolling boil. It’s pretty close to the top so I don’t think I’d ever boil this much water in such a small pan. 3.5 minutes to start boiling in All Clad 2 quart. 4 minutes until full boil. Ive seen my heavier pans go to about 230 when boiling water. But it’ll usually start full boiling around 212. I think the pan just gets a bit hotter before the water temp has a chance to regulate it. I find pan control to be close enough for many applications where I want to control the contents. However if I’m using a smaller pan (like my 1 quart) I have to make sure to not use full intensity or else there’ll be a large overshoot. Overshoot is minimal with my larger pans.

Amazon Warehouse Deals currently has one at a significant discount.

Thai basil I grew in the used lettuce pod is turning out nicely.

One thing I forgot to mention. I have a full sized induction range. Since getting the Control Freaks, I never use the full sized except for one application: boiling large amounts of water (e.g. 4 quarts in an 8 quart pot for spaghetti). The CF definately takes longer, and it doesn’t get to a full rolling boil like it does on the range. Smaller quantities in my 4 quart and 2 quart pots can get to a full rolling boil on the CF. Deep frying is fine too. I’m sure I could get to my target temperature on my range faster, but that would involve using external thermometers and manually controlling things. I never really deep fried prior to the Control Freak because of this. Pressure cookers work like a dream. I can get to full pressure quicker on the range but then I have to manually regulate. It’s all auto on the CF. So yeah. Boiling large amounts of water is the only downside I’ve seen from it only being 1800 watts. Everything else works much better.

Ps. I might sear a steak this weekend. If I do, I’ll film it for you.

It’s got a “built like a tank” feel to it. All the plugins (usb and probe) are protected by flaps that seal when in use and out of use. I’ve had milk accidentally boil over once (I forgot I changed it to Celsius and inputted a Fahrenheit temp 🤦‍♂️). Boiled all over the controls and made a mess on the floor. No damage to the electronics (it’s all pretty flush and nowhere for liquids to seap in). I feel that it’ll last me a long time, but I guess you can never be sure. When I was interested in the product, I had the same concerns. But I jumped on it when it was on eBay for a great price. Knowing what I know now, if I lost my Control Freaks to a fire, I wouldn’t hesitate replacing it with one (two at full price would be stretching my wallet a lot). I’ve never seen a broken one for sale for parts. Never read about one in forums (and I’ve scoured the internet looking for other people to share techniques with). To answer your question about searing in your other post. I have no issues. I use All Clad D7 which helps spread the heat and hold onto it , but it’s only marginally better than triply. What I really like is that I can crank the heat past the smoke point (~470 - can’t recall the exact max temp). Add oil. Quickly add a steak. The pan will lose some heat because of the steak and you get real feedback. I immediately change the temp to just below the smoke point. That way you get the hottest pan without smoking your oil. Hope this was helpful. I was very skeptical about what a 1800 watt unit could do. But this thing blows any $150 unit out of the water. Ps. Don’t buy the Tasty One Top. I bought one last winter because I didn’t want to spend the big bucks. While it works the same in theory, it’s absolute trash. Also you have to use your phone; the on-site controls on the Control Freak make it much easier to use whenever. And the programs are pretty nifty (but eventually you memorize that you like your eggs at 248f, much to the laughter of others).

Here: https://www.testek.ca/en/control-freaktm-induction-cooker-from-breville-polyscience.htm About 1350USD. Not sure if they ship to the USA and what they’d charge.

Hey. I started the Control Freak thread. Got my first one in the summer and my second one in the fall. Got both for a steal on eBay, but that was rare. I had been folllowing the price for 2 years and never saw it budge. I do know TesTek was selling the Canadian version for around $1700CAD which is a savings. Only difference I know between the US and Canadian one is it requires 20amp outlet.

One of my larger tomatoes.

Lots of flowers and fruits now. Have over a dozen fruits now.

Yeah I’ve read that basil concentrates its essential oils when it has to work under pressure (too much light, too warm, not enough water). I’ve tried the basil from my click and grow, and I agree that it’s not as strong as the supermarket variety. Will play around with it a bit more though, as basil so darn expensive in Canada.

Went to pollinate my tomato flowers today and 5 of the flowers fell off revealing a geeen tomato fruit beneath. Probably have a 1.5 dozen other yellow flowers blooming right now.

Looks like some sort of zoneless setup. Don’t see the controls anywhere or any branding. Perhaps custom made?