Cuisinart Combo Steam/Convection Oven (Part 3)

[KennethT]

Anyone have a setting/temperature for re-crisping left over duck skin?

[Kim Shook]

5 hours ago, KennethT said:

Anyone have a setting/temperature for re-crisping left over duck skin?

I know this is too late for tonight, but I was out of the house all day.  I haven't done this with duck skin, but have with chicken skin.  400F on Bake/Steam for however long it takes (sorry, I don't remember exactly - but since you were just re-crisping, I'd guess 10-15 minutes?).

[KennethT]

10 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I know this is too late for tonight, but I was out of the house all day.  I haven't done this with duck skin, but have with chicken skin.  400F on Bake/Steam for however long it takes (sorry, I don't remember exactly - but since you were just re-crisping, I'd guess 10-15 minutes?).

Thanks. After I posted my question, I found @Okanagancook 's post about chicken skin convection bake 425 for 10 minutes. So about a minute after the oven beeped that it reached temperature, the skin was basically done, but I was still making everything else, so I dropped it to 250, opened the oven door for a bit until it cooled and then it sat that way barely sizzling until I was ready - maybe 10-15 min. They came out great - disaster averted!

[weinoo]

I know it’s a bit messy, but I like doing them in a frying pan. Otherwise, I think with things like reheating and crisping, just use your instincts; can’t really fuck it up too much that way.

[Yiannos]

Sorry if this has been asked already, but am I right to assume that the CSO-300 has been discontinued and there is not a replacement model for it? Was all set to get one of these only to be shot down searching online. If the Cuisinart doesn't exist anymore, are there any worthwhile alternatives to look at? I see that F. Blumlein one talked about quite a bit, but it seems a little bigger than I want on my countertop and I am a little leery about this heretofore unknown manufacturer.

[dtremit]

@Yiannos — yes, it appears to have been discontinued, though you might still find one somewhere.

 

Amazon has a few from third party sellers but they're going for a higher price than we've seen recently ($310). That said, still cheaper than any of the alternatives.

In addition to the F. Blumlein, you may want to look at the Anova Precision Oven thread — it's also bigger than the CSO, but at least solves the unknown manufacturer problem.


 

[Yiannos]

2 hours ago, dtremit said:

In addition to the F. Blumlein, you may want to look at the Anova Precision Oven thread — it's also bigger than the CSO, but at least solves the unknown manufacturer problem.

 

I have thought about the Anova, but I am personally always hesitant to buy appliances that include a phone app middleman, so to speak. I understand I can just not use that feature, but I feel you pay a premium for those kinds of things so the money seems wasted for my application/needs. I have nothing against technology or anything, have grown up watching it evolve and love a lot of it, really it's that I like to buy for longevity whenever I can, and technology changes so fast anymore that I don't want to end up with something that ends up being primitive in a relatively short period time. We sort of giggle now when we watch movies with older cellphone tech in them, for example, because of how backwards and clunky they now seem, and I can't help but feel the same is coming for a lot of the stuff we dive into (myself included) because of the lightning speed of change we are seeing in technology as we learn more. How many iPhone generations has even my basic KitchenAid stand mixer lasted? And how many more are ahead of it? These are the things I think about when I am out shopping for something new.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Yiannos (log)

[dtremit]

@Yiannos I think the consensus is that the Anova oven will have full manual controls in addition to app functionality, but I defer that to the Anova thread which I haven't read in a while.

[Yiannos]

2 minutes ago, dtremit said:

@Yiannos I think the consensus is that the Anova oven will have full manual controls in addition to app functionality, but I defer that to the Anova thread which I haven't read in a while.

 

Yes, I do believe this is the case, I just don't want to pay extra for these kinds of smart features I would never use.

[chromedome]

48 minutes ago, Yiannos said:

 

Yes, I do believe this is the case, I just don't want to pay extra for these kinds of smart features I would never use.

I totally understand that feeling, but with what's already a niche product it would cost at least as much (probably more) to create a supply chain for two different (with/without phone) versions of the oven.

[Smithy]

I wish I had photographic documentation of my salmon success last night using the CSO, but I don't. Still, it's worth description. I had a fairly thick salmon fillet - not quite 2" thick at its thickest, and maybe 5" wide. I mixed a garlic/ginger/soy/avocado oil sauce and drizzled the salmon with it, then cooked it on Steam Bake, 350F, for something under 20 minutes. The timing is approximate because I pulled the salmon before the time ran out, based on appearance and internal temperature. I may have basted the fillet with more sauce partway through the cooking time.

 

I love salmon. I think almost any salmon tastes good, provided the fish is fresh and has not been reduced to cinders. My Other Half is of a different opinion: if he never has salmon again in his life, he won't mind. ("Tough," I said yesterday at the meat market, "this is brain food." That was my story, and I stuck to it.)

 

Even with his anti-salmon bias, he thought it was pretty good. Better than most salmon. Not dry, for once. Me, I thought it fabulous. For once I hadn't dried it out by overcooking it. There was no white protein oozing from the fibers; the flesh was tender and moist, almost gelatinous. The garlic/ginger/soy/oil dressing was a nice compliment both to the fish and the side of steamed fresh green beans.

 

I'll do this again in the CSO. And I'll take pictures next time.

 

 

[dtremit]

13 hours ago, chromedome said:

I totally understand that feeling, but with what's already a niche product it would cost at least as much (probably more) to create a supply chain for two different (with/without phone) versions of the oven.

 

Also, the hardware cost of adding wifi to a device like this is likely on the order of $3.

[Yiannos]

1 hour ago, dtremit said:

 

Also, the hardware cost of adding wifi to a device like this is likely on the order of $3.

 

This unfortunately is not reflected in the price tag when given a choice between a smart and non-smart piece of equipment. I remember when I bought the Anova One, and just a few weeks later they let loose the v2 with bluetooth at I think $100 more than the original, which was released just a year before. And I also remember the complaining that went on about the quirks of the app you had to use and people wishing they had a choice between v1 and v2. To be honest I am very happy to spend good money on something with a more long term view. I think deep down though, I'm just one of those weirdos that wants to be less connected to the internet of things. I cook and spend time in the kitchen to get away from the outside world, with the constant stream of texts emails news weather alerts etc etc etc. The last thing I want to do is pick up a phone to "help" me throw something in the oven.

[dtremit]

10 minutes ago, Yiannos said:

 

This unfortunately is not reflected in the price tag when given a choice between a smart and non-smart piece of equipment. I remember when I bought the Anova One, and just a few weeks later they let loose the v2 with bluetooth at I think $100 more than the original, which was released just a year before.

 

You just got a good clearance price! The list price on the 2014 bluetooth Anova was $30 less than the non-smart Anova One it replaced. (I was a kickstarter backer for that one — and I went years without even opening the app.)

 

Whether you like the features or not, adding Bluetooth or wifi to a more complicated appliance like a sous vide or a steam oven creates a bigger audience — because while expert cooks are totally fine without the app, someone who has never cooked sous vide or in a steam oven can open the app and say "cook a ribeye!" and get the right settings. Ultimately that added sales volume means lower prices for everyone.

 

I'm happy to support companies like Anova that recognize the importance of having *both* physical controls and app controls, though. While the Joule looks really nice, until they release an open API for controlling it, I'm not buying.

 

[weinoo]

24 minutes ago, dtremit said:

someone who has never cooked sous vide or in a steam oven can open the app and say "cook a ribeye!" and get the right settings.

 

 

Of course first they need to say: "What's a rib eye?"

[dtremit]

6 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Of course first they need to say: "What's a rib eye?"

 

People in the Instant Pot Facebook group seem to know what a ribeye is — they keep trying to figure out the best way to pressure cook them 😱

[weinoo]

29 minutes ago, dtremit said:

 

People in the Instant Pot Facebook group seem to know what a ribeye is — they keep trying to figure out the best way to pressure cook them 😱

 

Oy.  We'll end up with a whole generation of "cooks," none of whom really know how to cook, to say nothing of knowing the difference between a rib eye and an eye round.

[dtremit]

51 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Oy.  We'll end up with a whole generation of "cooks," none of whom really know how to cook, to say nothing of knowing the difference between a rib eye and an eye round.

 

I suppose I'm (uncharacteristically) optimistic on this front. To buy something like an immersion circulator or a smart oven requires at least a degree of curiosity about cooking, if not skills. The former isn't self-explanatory, and the latter costs a heck of a lot more than the toaster ovens that cost the same. Some proportion of those folks will undoubtedly pick up nothing from the experience, but I think a good number of others will probably pay attention to what the pre-programmed settings are doing and learn from that. Most of the good cooking apps still walk you through the recipe, they just add the convenience of pushing the buttons and setting the timer for you automatically.

This is distinctly different from the people now buying their first Instant Pot — in my experience, most people buy them because everyone else on their block has one (or get them as gifts), and then they spend a month trying to figure out how to not overcook steaks or spaghetti before chucking it in the closet.
 

(As an aside, I follow both a regular Instant Pot group and an Indian Instant Pot group on Facebook, and the quality of posts in the latter is leagues ahead of the former. I think it's mostly because it consists of people who already cook every day learning to use a new tool, rather than people who would rather not cook and are seduced by the word "instant.")

Edited September 23, 2020 by dtremit (log)

[gfweb]

Re salmon. I'll cook a filet for about 12 min at 275 steam. Gets to 115 in the center. Perfect

 

A trick to stop albumin seepage is to lightly salt the fish 30 min prior.

[weinoo]

36 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Re salmon. I'll cook a filet for about 12 min at 275 steam. Gets to 115 in the center. Perfect

 

A trick to stop albumin seepage is to lightly salt the fish 30 min prior.

 

I like both the low temp and the salting (what I call dry brining) but I'll even do it for a little longer.

[KennethT]

I'm looking for a carbon steel pan (that works on induction) that will fit in the CSO.  Way back on the Darto thread, @kayb said the 27 paella pan fit in the CSO - but at $75 including shipping, I was looking to see what other options are available. Anyone, a little help?

[dtremit]

23 hours ago, KennethT said:

I'm looking for a carbon steel pan (that works on induction) that will fit in the CSO.  Way back on the Darto thread, @kayb said the 27 paella pan fit in the CSO - but at $75 including shipping, I was looking to see what other options are available. Anyone, a little help?

 

This doesn't answer your question directly, but I am almost able to fit my 10" Lodge cast iron skillet in the CSO diagonally, except the very end of the handle — the last bit of the handle keeps the oven from closing completely, but the gap is only about 1/2". This one, specifically: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet With Assist Handle, 10.25" (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

Amazon lists the length of the pan at 16.12" and that's very much the limiting dimension.

Edited October 21, 2020 by dtremit
My brain was clearly broken (log)

[FauxPas]

On 9/22/2020 at 8:10 PM, Smithy said:

I had a fairly thick salmon fillet - not quite 2" thick at its thickest, and maybe 5" wide. I mixed a garlic/ginger/soy/avocado oil sauce and drizzled the salmon with it, then cooked it on Steam Bake, 350F, for something under 20 minutes. The timing is approximate because I pulled the salmon before the time ran out, based on appearance and internal temperature. I may have basted the fillet with more sauce partway through the cooking time.

 

I love salmon. I think almost any salmon tastes good, provided the fish is fresh and has not been reduced to cinders. My Other Half is of a different opinion: if he never has salmon again in his life, he won't mind. ("Tough," I said yesterday at the meat market, "this is brain food." That was my story, and I stuck to it.)

 

Even with his anti-salmon bias, he thought it was pretty good. Better than most salmon. Not dry, for once. Me, I thought it fabulous. For once I hadn't dried it out by overcooking it. There was no white protein oozing from the fibers; the flesh was tender and moist, almost gelatinous. The garlic/ginger/soy/oil dressing was a nice compliment both to the fish and the side of steamed fresh green beans.

 

 

I love salmon also! And I tend to cook it the same way as this, except I marinate the fish for a short while in the sauce and may or may not baste as it cooks. My sauce is similar (I call it a teriyaki) but I don't bother with oil if I'm doing a Chinook or Sockeye salmon, as they are fairly fatty. I guess at the timing and I play around with Steam Bake and Steam Broil. I guesstimate the time based on the size and thickness of the fillet and I never write it down, which is stupid of me because I never remember what happened the time before, it seems. Sigh. 😃

[weinoo]

9 hours ago, KennethT said:

I'm looking for a carbon steel pan (that works on induction) that will fit in the CSO.  Way back on the Darto thread, @kayb said the 27 paella pan fit in the CSO - but at $75 including shipping, I was looking to see what other options are available. Anyone, a little help?

Have a look here i don’t know if they’ll have want you want, but they’re in Brooklyn and a great resource for all things paella. You might even call and see what they can do for you.

 

https://www.paellapans.com/Flat-Bottom-s/31.htm

[KennethT]

11 hours ago, weinoo said:

Have a look here i don’t know if they’ll have want you want, but they’re in Brooklyn and a great resource for all things paella. You might even call and see what they can do for you.

 

https://www.paellapans.com/Flat-Bottom-s/31.htm

Thanks - I found them online in my searching but didn't realize they were in Brooklyn. The problem with the stuff I've found on their website is that the handles stick out really far, which makes it hard to fit in the CSO without cutting the handles off, which I'd rather not have to do.  The Darto looks great because the handles stick straight up - and the Lodge would be ok too since the long handle gets stuck in the corner - but it does decrease the pan size a bit....