Laurentius

I agree with that. The aesthetic smacks of the retro Smeg refrigerators. As for the efficiency uptick, I'm less sure. Someone should compare this to a small Nesco calrod unit, run through a Kill-a-Watt. If the conductivity of the enclosure could be upped, induction holds promise for culinary ovens.

Sure, how is this advantageous?

Other than the inserts, how does this appliance differ from other countertop roasters, e.g., the ubiquitous Nesco?

My sights may be low this year. I'm hoping to skip the coal this year and get one each of Thermoworks' new silicone ladle and turner. Oh, and a flambadou...

In ways, yes. Unless the pan itself is unsupported and sags, it would be very hard to destroy. The worst that might happen is that the lining is shot. Very high heat can also burn out any gunk that's made it into the rivet holes.

Don't be too hard on yourself. I have destructively tested pans by heating them empty. There's all sorts of things that can happen. Aluminum cores can melt in places, and if there's anywhere for the molten metal to go (e.g., out at the disk), it will wormhole. Copper bimetal can delaminate. Carbon steel can grossly warp. Copper can sag. Only cast iron and pyroceram are close to heatproof. On the UNintentional side, I've done what you did with boiling dry a tinned copper saucepan. The same pan, in fact, twice. Both times it got so hot it glowed. But strangely, after a slow cooldown, the pan was fine, and it's still in service. The weird part is that the tin didn't just melt or burn away.

Did it delaminate? Warp?

I'll hazard a guess: highly artificial "fruit", like FrootLoops. Now we need the same scent in fabric softener and deodorant.

Well, if you mean "works" in the sense of being efficiently induced in the magnetic field, yes. And neither works very well at spreading the intrinsically uneven heat from induction. Regarding the weight of Demeyere skillets, not all lines are heavy. Alupro is light, as I believe ControlInduc is. Certainly not as heavy as Atlantis or Proline.

Take that with a grain of salt. I would bet the farm this noisemaking had as much to do with the hob as it did the pan. All-Clad has good manufacturing, and many giftees are thrilled to get one. If you go that route, I would stick with the D3 line--no point in spending for pricier lines. Pick the handle option carefully. Since we're on clad, there are many other makers who do triply on a par with DC at lower prices. Cuisinart French Classic is one. Tramontina is also a good entrant. Up a couple clad rungs are the offerings from Demeyere and Fissler. These would be slightly heavier because they are thicker (thicker is almost always better on induction). Nonstick is sort of a wildcard. I would only buy a NS skillet for eggs and other low heat applications. There is one premium pan I would except from this, Demeyere's ControlInduc. It features technology that prevents the pan from getting too hot. This is very useful, especially for aged and forgetful cooks. There are many more options. How advanced a cook is the giftee?

Um, no. A huge % of the pan-buying public is addicted to automatic dishwashers. If your giftee is among them, the choices for the best (and lightest ones) narrow. If s/he is a hand washer, the next question in the algorithm is what is the household's stovetop heat source.

It's a real sale in the sense that it's annual. Falk controls its marketing with an iron hand, and its pans rarely come up on the resale market. The only other way I know to get any discount on Falk is their "Try Me" offer, the secret handshake being they will offer a comparable discount on most pieces, not just that tiny saucepan. This is not like getting Le Creuset at 25% off MSRP. Compare LC's prices in the US with ECI prices in Europe. There are no similar price disparities between lines of bimetal fort copperware.

Great, I'm jealous. Am I reading the VacMaster site correctly that their entry-level chamber unit retails for $799? And the replacement oil is $65/gallon? After having two non-chamber FoodSaver Model 360 units with poor results/longevity, I now have a FoodSaver Model 3840 that I'm pretty happy with. This was once carried by Costco at a substantial discount off the $329 MSRP. I got mine from a thrift store for $35. I run a different heavier bag material that holds up well to sous vide baths and most pointy things. It has an acceptably small footprint to have earned a place on my countertop. What did you use before and has the VacMaster been worth the high price?

How much do you want to spend, and does your giftee hand wash? Also, what size are you considering?

I can vouch for the jarred Amareno cherries. A little sweeter tan Luxardo, but excellent. The syrup is sweet enough to do a good Old Fashioned without a cube or simple syrup.

YVW. Well, yeah, it's pretty much a unitasker. As long as we're cruising Memory Lane, there're the Green's Gripstand bowls, a progenitor of Mason Cash. See, https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=d153955c96a940f8&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS605US605&sxsrf=ADLYWIK-E9vYMcfKEwd014SZTJjRLdwA9Q:1731979743068&q=Greene's+Gripstand&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWxyMMuf0D-HOMEpzq2zertRy7G-dme1ONMLTCBvZzSlhO4TKEdryJiDx5bWrq9blH_B26AK93iugUaj1giMDocC7Pa_NFI9hZpkIpldOMq66j_qp-KmZD7U0BnwqAxdIkTy_OT1r_9x1uhMoUxi64_CONnidPYb3tI4APRgyOWSAOaifRuLKhNnsa3NY2M-0i16j9Vw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwio19-qn-eJAxWHAzQIHa0LCJ8QtKgLegQIFxAB&biw=1242&bih=568&dpr=1.1

If they nest, you can hang several together--they tend to be light. There's also the thumbs-down-through-hole grip, with fingers splayed underneath. That's pretty stable, but nothing beats a coiled side towel or a dedicated bowl stand. https://matferbourgeatusa.com/product/matfer-bourgeat-mixing-bowl-stand/

I've had a series of copper beating bowls, and they've all come with rings. Not so for formed SS mixing bowls. Lucky you to have met Julia Child!

Not really. Her thumb dips in at the start, but her beating technique has the thumb bracing the ring tightly between it and the index finger. A better grip is the index finger down through the ring, the thumb bracing on one side and the rest of the fingers on the opposite. I checked my old Farberware set--they have two flanking rings. My copper beating bowls only have one.

I have a few bowls with these rings. I find the rings useful when you want to grasp the bowl with one hand without getting your fecal fingers inside.

Well, if we're going to the hardware store, buy a mortar hod tub. Deep and heavy plastic. When I need a tub for using caustic oven cleaner products on things, that's what I use outdoors, and it will accept things larger than a half sheet.

Or (here's a blast from the past), how about a dish tub that fits into a sink? Remember doing dishes by hand?

On your rec, I bought these, and agree. The maple flavor is not overdone. Thanks. The Liebkuchen are in now, too.

Good job. You go, Shel! 🤟 Did you know we have a National Mustard Day? First Saturday in August. And Middleton, WI has a mustard museum.

No problem. A glowing review from you, and I may try it myself.