Christmas Presents for the Kitchen: 2010

[CaliPoutine]

A late Christmas present of cash (always the best!) from my sister in England bought me the BRK200 Cuisinart Brick Oven.  It arrived while I was out yesterday so have yet to put it through its paces but am hoping it meets my needs for a second oven.

Brick Oven

Edited to add link to oven on Amazon.com - but I bought mine from HomeDepot in Canada.

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Interesting choice. What was your reason for getting this? Bread? Pizza? Second oven? I'm just curious.

[Anna N]

A late Christmas present of cash (always the best!) from my sister in England bought me the BRK200 Cuisinart Brick Oven.  It arrived while I was out yesterday so have yet to put it through its paces but am hoping it meets my needs for a second oven.

Brick Oven

Edited to add link to oven on Amazon.com - but I bought mine from HomeDepot in Canada.

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Interesting choice. What was your reason for getting this? Bread? Pizza? Second oven? I'm just curious.

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A second oven primarily but I was also constrained by space and money (of course!). My first choice would have been a CADCO but I simply don't have the room or the cash to go that route! So far this wee oven seems to be meeting my needs admirably. I made a boule in it this am and braised chicken in it this evening and it makes acceptable toast too.

[furzzy]

. . .

I just got a new Hammacher Schlemmer notice of new stuff in an email which includes this little gem:

Chef's Remote thermometer monitor.

Neat, huh?

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I am tempted, however I already have about two dozen thermometers of various types and am running out of excuses as well as room for them.

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Your 'excuse' is that you 'collect' thermometers!!

Sorry I can't help with the room situation.

[furzzy]

A little late coming in here.

My DH received the ice cream maker attachment for my KA (he loves/eats ice cream - he's totally useless in the kitchen, but he's learning to make ice cream - last batch was the creamiest chocolate we've ever had outside the old Crystal Palace at Field's downtown. Today he's making a new French vanilla recipe. He still needs help, but he's learning!) I don't eat ice cream, so it really is a gift for him.

I got..... ta da!!!! ..... a brand new Cooktek Apogee portable cooktop -

http://www.cooktek.com/product_info.php?c=3&s=25&p=5

[ojisan]

Around Thanksgiving, I'd bought a non-functioning Rancilio Silvia, and after resurrecting it, discovered that my ol' Braun coffee mill was no longer acceptable. I'm now the pleased owner of a Le'Lit PL53 < http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews/grinders/lelitpl53grinder >

[Kerry Beal]

It's that time again. I got a nice little marble mortar and pestle from Lee Valley - forgot I'd asked for it. Here is a link.

[judiu]

It's that time again. I got a nice little marble mortar and pestle from Lee Valley - forgot I'd asked for it. Here is a link.

Ain't it great? I LOVE mine, which was a post Christmas gift to myself last year, since DS didn't take the hint.

[Lapin d'Argent]

It's that time again. I got a nice little marble mortar and pestle from Lee Valley - forgot I'd asked for it. Here is a link.

Ain't it great? I LOVE mine, which was a post Christmas gift to myself last year, since DS didn't take the hint.

D'Oh! Forgot to gift myself that one, although I did get myself the lovely garlic press that everyone here has been raving about. I was ordering hubby's present at the time (non-food-related), so I figured what the heck. Love it!

And last night, I was delighted to unwrap the two issues of Canal House Cooking, which I originally read about here. They are lovely books, and I highly recommend them...can't wait to try out some of the recipes!

[Anna N]

I already reported on the Thermomix topic about the early arrival of my Thermomix Christmas gift and then on Dec 5 another early Christmas gift - an Aero Garden. Already I have "babies":

[rooftop1000]

Santa was very good to me this year, after guessing that the big box was a Slicer and being told No...it Was and it goes very nicely with a copy of Charcuterie. My daughter's BF's parents sent me over some smoked salt and espresso sugar, the sugar got sprinkled on tonights chocolate mousse

Now I just have to defrost the bacon I made last week and slice it

T

[Moopheus]

The only kitchen gift this year was a copy of Bread Baker's Apprentice, though that by itself should keep me occupied for a while. Everything else was bike tools.

[agray]

A lovely 12 cup KitchenAid food processor to replace the sad, dying and small one I've used for the last decade. Also "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" and "My Bread" to add to my cookbook hoard.

[JTravel]

A copy of Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen.....we're going to Viet Nam in Feb. so I need to really STUDY it. Looks gorgeous and if there is one kind of food I love best it's wrapped up things. So I hope to be cooking from it soon.

[jsmeeker]

For Christmas 2009, the only kitchen/food item I received (so far) is a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma.

[snowangel]

We're returning the toys we got and buying a furnace instead. Oh, and paying college tuition. Such is life. I really don't need more toys, and I can get the books out of the library.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks to a work bonus, I'm enjoying quite a few cooking-related presents. Got the Ultra Pride early, and bought myself a Yarai mixing glass from Cocktail Kingdom a couple of weeks ago, featured here with last night's Bijou Cocktail:

Three cookbooks are on the way thanks to gift cards: Ad Hoc, Momofuku, and The Complete Robuchon. Also got a ThermoWorks infrared thermometer, which is proving its worth in about a jillion ways. (Some depressing: that fridge is, um, not supercold.)

Finally, I've got a Vinotemp 58-bottle wine cooler en route that I'll be using to cure meats. Lots of stuff to support projects in the new decade.

[Richard Kilgore]

An early present to myself was a Vita-Prep 3 from Vita-Mix for processing concrete blocks, smoothies, sauces and soups.

To be delivered in January, a 12 qt Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker for stock making and canning especially.

[John Rosevear]

A Bodum Santos vacuum coffee maker from my coffee-geek sister, David Thompson's Thai Food, The Flavor Bible, a new copy of The Way to Cook to replace one that got damaged in a move a while back, and meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachments for the KitchenAid. (And now I definitely have to go buy a copy of Ruhlman's Charcuterie... just what I need, another time-intensive kitchen obsession!)

[Chris Amirault]

And soon that obsession will cause you to toss the KA grinder & stuffer attachments and get dedicated machines for each.

[andiesenji]

And soon that obsession will cause you to toss the KA grinder & stuffer attachments and get dedicated machines for each.

Exactly! My meat grinder got a good workout during the past two months, what with making Meemaw's pork mincemeat, grinding raw chicken wings, bones and all, to make dog food, grinding several pounds of dried fruits, nuts, coconut, ginger and citrus peel to make various confections.

I doubt very much if even my old cast aluminum KA grinder would have been up to the task.

I tossed the newer "plastic" one I got when I bought the 6-qt KA because it seized up when I tried grinding some figs and I couldn't even get it apart with it fastened in a vise and using a 14 inch Channel-lock to grasp the "nut" so I tossed it in the trash. Best place for it.

I did get the TMX in November, and that should count as a Christmas present from me to me but I haven't bought much else and so far I have not received any kitchen-related gifts, which is somewhat of a surprise.

Perhaps it was because I kept telling folks that my kitchen was about as complete as it was going to get and I really didn't need anything else.

I did get gift cards but none for the usual suspect stores. Mostly for Amazon.

[ncorrigbl]

I got a Pampered Chef stoneware type bar pan. Not sure if it is going to be worth the kitchen real estate it is going to take up. Any suggestions? Keep or regift?

I also got new loaf pans (needed them), electric pizzelle baker (YAAAY!!) replacement whisk and paddle for the KA (anyone else go through paddles frequently because the plastic coating comes off?), blender (giving it to DD in college)and a mini food processor (used mostly for making gremolata or other chopped garlic combos). Unexpected surprise was an autographed copy of Pierre Franey's "Cooking in France". Sweet and thoughtful gift from my futire brother in law.

That's about it, unless you count the big bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, my favorite kitchen assistant!!!

Hope all had a great Christmas!!

Heather

[John Rosevear]

And soon that obsession will cause you to toss the KA grinder & stuffer attachments and get dedicated machines for each.

I suspect you're right. I think my wife was just hoping I'd be inspired to concoct some good breakfast sausage, but I doubt it'll end there.

[Okanagancook]

I have looking for a second on the counter oven and I looked at the CADCO website and am interested in their 120 volt models, like the 1/2 size convection OV-013. Do you have experience with these machines? I presume they ship to Canada? Thanks for any info you can give.

[andiesenji]

I have looking for a second on the counter oven and I looked at the CADCO website and am interested in their 120 volt models, like the 1/2 size convection OV-013. Do you have experience with these machines? I presume they ship to Canada? Thanks for any info you can give.

Yes. I have been using the half-sheet size Cadco oven for several years. I got it because for years I had a big commercial gas oven which was too big for small things and this one is perfect for most tasks. I got rid of the big oven and now use only the Cadco and a Sharp convection/microwave oven.

Here's a photo of the Cadco oven with the largest Staub oval oven, which just barely fits but at least it does fit.

and here's a photo with a 10-inch cast iron skillet

I take the racks out when I use the half sheet pans because they slide in right on the side rails.

I also use them when I bake pies (or anything else that may drip) because it is much easier to clean the sheet pans than it is the floor of the oven.

Because the convection distributes the heat evenly, you can bake on all three levels at the same time without having to shift the pans around.

The fan is powerful and I do use a "shield" when I bake custards, cheesecakes, etc., otherwise I have ripples on the surface.

[bren]

I received a Chef's Choice electric sharpener. I just sharpened 2 knives - wahoo!! They are super sharp now. I didn't realize how dull they had become. I also ordered myself a Wusthof Santoku knife today. I am about to make soup and am actually looking forward to the cutting!!