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Another player enters the sous vide field: Paragon Induction Cooktop

MSRadell

By MSRadell
in Kitchen Consumer

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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 <snip> Do we have a self help group?  <snip>

 

 

No, we're all about enabling.

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Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

Speaking of enabling: RCWilley is now advertising the FirstBuild Paragon Induction Cooktop for $69.97. I first noticed the price drop last month, and don't know whether it's permanent or temporary. (The URL includes the phrase "August campaign" but I'm writing this in September.)

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Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, TicTac said:

I get the whole precise temperature control concept....but that has very limited applications (least in my world of cooking).

 

Why else would I want one of these - especially if I have a brute of a gas cook-top?

 

 

 

It sounds like you wouldn't want one so go ahead and mark yourself safe from this temptation!

 

I have a gas cooktop and ordered a Paragon at the $99 price.  The precise temp control isn't my main rationalization but I'm interested in exploring options.  Factors in my decision:

  • After the Northridge earthquake, my electric power came back on within a few hours but the gas wasn't back for well over a week so having an electric cooktop option is appealing.
  • I've been curious about induction cooking, have never used an induction unit and thought this would be an inexpensive way to play around with it. 
  • I don't deep fry often but I like the idea of being able to set this up on the patio or carport to avoid the mess in the kitchen.
  • There are a few other smelly...um...aromatic cooking tasks, like the stovetop smoked corn I made the other day, that would also be nice to do outside.
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TicTac

TicTac

Posted
Posted
52 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

It sounds like you wouldn't want one so go ahead and mark yourself safe from this temptation!

 

I have a gas cooktop and ordered a Paragon at the $99 price.  The precise temp control isn't my main rationalization but I'm interested in exploring options.  Factors in my decision:

  • After the Northridge earthquake, my electric power came back on within a few hours but the gas wasn't back for well over a week so having an electric cooktop option is appealing.
  • I've been curious about induction cooking, have never used an induction unit and thought this would be an inexpensive way to play around with it. 
  • I don't deep fry often but I like the idea of being able to set this up on the patio or carport to avoid the mess in the kitchen.
  • There are a few other smelly...um...aromatic cooking tasks, like the stovetop smoked corn I made the other day, that would also be nice to do outside.

 

It did sound that way from my post, but I am open to being convinced otherwise!  Luckily this is not a hulking beast of a unit so it might be something one could store fairly easily.

 

I do like the idea of the flexibility of the unit (given the nearest electrical outlet).  That is certainly an attractive element.

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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted (edited)

Dammit, @blue_dolphin and @TicTac, you're undermining every one of my reasons not to buy one of these things.

Edited by Smithy
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Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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cdh

cdh

Posted
Posted

I couldn't stop myself at the $69 price point.  I had been convincing myself that waiting on Kickstarter to come through with the MasterSous device would cover what this does... But at that price and the added value of instant gratification, it was too much. 

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Christopher D. Holst aka "cdh"

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, TicTac said:

Luckily this is not a hulking beast of a unit so it might be something one could store fairly easily.

 

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

Dammit, @blue_dolphin and @TicTac, you're undermining every one of my reasons not to buy one of these things.

 

In an effort to be even handed here, while it's not enormous, it is a sizable unit.  The diameter of the element itself is 12" but there's ~ an inch of housing around that and because of the way the legs angle outwards, you're looking at ~ 17" diameter at those widest points.   It stands about 3.25" high, so it's not wafer-thin either.

That design makes me feel comfortable using larger, heavier pots on it but it does add to the storage size and the countertop footprint when in use. The only outlets in my kitchen would place it below upper cabinets, so that's not ideal.    

I knew all of this going in and plan to store it in the garage, which will make me less likely to use it.  All that said, the $69 price is very good 🙃

 

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

All that said, the $69 price is very good 🙃

 For $69 even I would’ve taken a fling on it.   But by the time it gets all translated into Canadian dollars and Canadian postage etc. I don’t even want to know what the final price would be!   I don’t need the induction I have a full induction range but the precision cooking might intrigue me at that price point.  

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

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FauxPas

FauxPas

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Anna N said:

 For $69 even I would’ve taken a fling on it.   But by the time it gets all translated into Canadian dollars and Canadian postage etc. I don’t even want to know what the final price would be!   I don’t need the induction I have a full induction range but the precision cooking might intrigue me at that price point.  

 

Also, I think RCWilley only ships to the continental US. I had one sent to our US address, but we won't be there until October or November for me to try it out. I have an induction range here, but not in the other house, so it could be quite useful there. 

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Anna N said:

 For $69 even I would’ve taken a fling on it.   But by the time it gets all translated into Canadian dollars and Canadian postage etc. I don’t even want to know what the final price would be!   I don’t need the induction I have a full induction range but the precision cooking might intrigue me at that price point.  

Having said all that I turned down the opportunity to play with the Control Freak when it was up in Manitoulin Island. 😂 Perhaps I was scared I would get to really like it and the price point for it is not something my budget is able to support. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, chefmd said:

I.  Got.  The.  Second.  Unit.  For the beach house.  Because @JoNorvelleWalker has two.  Because I want two.  Because it’s a bargain.  So I got the second unit.

 

JoNorvelleWalker has three.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:
  • I don't deep fry often but I like the idea of being able to set this up on the patio or carport to avoid the mess in the kitchen.

 

Deep frying in a tall stockpot as I am, I get zero mess in my kitchen.  Zero.  Stir frying or searing, yes, I get a little oil splatter; but not when deep frying with the Paragon.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Deep frying in a tall stockpot as I am, I get zero mess in my kitchen.  Zero.  Stir frying or searing, yes, I get a little oil splatter; but not when deep frying with the Paragon.

 

 

Clearly, you are a better fryer than I!

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DesertTinker

DesertTinker

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Deep frying in a tall stockpot as I am, I get zero mess in my kitchen.  Zero.  Stir frying or searing, yes, I get a little oil splatter; but not when deep frying with the Paragon.

 

So, what’s your oil level vs. pot height? Looking for the zero mess solution.

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, DesertTinker said:

So, what’s your oil level vs. pot height? Looking for the zero mess solution.

 

About a gallon of oil or a little less in a 7 1/4 inch high 6 quart pot.  And don't add wet food.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted

I misremembered.

 

@nathanm says to cook corn on the cob 30 minutes at 60C.

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/144275-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-part-7/?do=findComment&comment=1757124

 

I set the Paragon for 165F...

 

Corn09132019.png

 

 

...which sadly is not 60C.  The corn was somewhat overdone.  But other than the initial overshoot shown above the Paragon held the temperature.

 

Worse, I had ordered white corn from amazon but what I received was bicolor.

 

Seriously, the advantage of the Paragon is (as long as you set it to the correct temperature) you do not need bags.  Corn on the cob is almost impossible to cook sous vide.  The bags swell up and float.

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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