Current sales, deals, and bargains (Part 2)

Kerry Beal · December 5

5 minutes ago, Laurentius said:

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.

What is a Nesco calrod? I could attach the A4 box to my Kill-a-Watt but it will probably be on its way to its new home before I can do that.

Sid Post · December 5


Product image	Description	Quantity	Price
1	Noon WhiteWhite ANNxxxxxxxxx (-$299.00)	1	~~$299.00~~ Free

Scroll for more items

Cost summary
Description	Price
TotalIncluding $0.00 in taxes	USD $39.99
TOTAL SAVINGS $299.00
Subtotal	$0.00
Shipping	$39.99

Edited December 5 by Sid Post (log)

Sid Post · December 5

Scored one! 😲

Maison Rustique · December 5

I would bite if I hadn't gotten the Cusinart Griddler a year or so ago and only just bought myself the Ninja Possible Cooker. No.More.Kitchen.Appliances.

Sid Post · December 5

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

I would bite if I hadn't gotten the Cusinart Griddler a year or so ago and only just bought myself the Ninja Possible Cooker. No.More.Kitchen.Appliances.

How does the Ninja Possible Cooker work for you? I have been looking for a good or great classic "Crock Pot" and have been really disappointed generally with the ones I have tried, even from well-reviewed and respected brand options.

To the A4 Box owners, will it do a pot of PInto bean or, Red Beans and Rice well and similar Crock Pot classics? I am pre-disposed to look for a 2qt~4qt "round" crock pot but, I wonder if it would now be redundant with my new purchase.

**Smithy** · December 5

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

I would bite if I hadn't gotten the Cusinart Griddler a year or so ago and only just bought myself the Ninja Possible Cooker. No.More.Kitchen.Appliances.

Sorry. I'm snickering because I said exactly the same thing to myself, for similar reasons to yours. And yet, here I am with a new A4 box on the way! I'll find room for it. Somewhere.

rotuts · December 5

@Sid Post

recently , CrockPot dinners came up in the Dinner thread

@mgaretz posts them from time to time, a long w a new Nija he purchased.d

I think @ Costco. He didn't find his iPot fit the bill .

Thus I recalled that the iPot has a slow cooking button I looked into it .

on the original , there were 3 choices . low came out 193 F and high 195 F

I have issues w temps this high for meat .

I also have an Ultra . on that model you can set the temp for the slow cooking to your desired temp

160 F came out 162 F.

so Id look into an iPot Ultra , preferably on Sale , for Slow Cooking

or , perhaps you already have one , as I did.

**Smithy** · December 5

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@Sid Post

recently , CrockPot dinners came up in the Dinner thread

@mgaretz posts them from time to time, a long w a new Nija he purchased.d

I think @ Costco. He didn't find his iPot fit the bill .

Thus I recalled that the iPot has a slow cooking button I looked into it .

on the original , there were 3 choices . low came out 193 F and high 195 F

I have issues w temps this high for meat .

I also have an Ultra . on that model you can set the temp for the slow cooking to your desired temp

160 F came out 162 F.

so Id look into an iPot Ultra , preferably on Sale , for Slow Cooking

or , perhaps you already have one , as I did.

@Sid Post, I'll second what rotuts says. I also have an Instant Pot Ultra, as well as the original version. I like the Ultra for its settable temperatures. The one thing you have to be careful of, though, is the automatic "keep warm" setting. It's warmer than the lowest custom temperature setpoint, so you can end up accidentally overcooking something. For more information, and comparing the Ultra to the original, see this topic.

Getting back to your original question: I don't think the A4 box as it's originally shipped has anything deep enough to do slow cooking. I don't know whether the "deep dish" inset is deep enough, but haven't seen it to be sure. I think I recall reading in the A4 Box Induction Cooker topic that someone put a small pot atop the cooking surface and successfully cooked with it. I think it would have to be a pretty small pot, though: maybe not big enough for what you want to do.

Laurentius · December 5

15 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

What is a Nesco calrod?

Nesco is the brand of tabletop roasters. Calrod is the type of resistive electric element that heats them.

https://www.nesco.com/product-category/cooking/roaster-ovens/

**curls** · December 5

On 12/4/2024 at 1:21 PM, Smithy said:

I just got an email from A4Box.com celebrating their 5th anniversary. The first 500 customers can get an A4 Induction Box (color of your choice) for FREE using the coupon code ANNIVERSARY5. I just ordered mine, and only have to pay shipping ($40). Our dear departed @Anna N and our dear, still-with-us friend @Kerry Beal had a lot of fun playing with theirs, back in the day!

There's apparently another sale going on right now. If I can figure out how to get to it, I'll also order the extra trays and I'll report back here. (Edited to add: they're already sold out. That's why I couldn't load them into my cart.)

Go to AFourBox.com if you're interested in this. Hurry!

Well, there are still some A4 Boxes available at the sale price. I purchased one of the blue A4's for $40! Oh, you enablers!

dtremit · December 5

17 hours ago, Smithy said:

I made meatballs once. For my aging and ailing father-in-law. I haven't wanted to do it again.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates doing that kind of small, repeated task. For meatballs, I have wondered about these sorts of molds:

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

I suppose you would still have MPs, meat polyhedra? But much closer to ball form.

16 hours ago, Laurentius said:

If the conductivity of the enclosure could be upped, induction holds promise for culinary ovens.

I'm not sure this is actually true. Electric resistance elements are essentially 100% efficient — every watt of electricity they use is turned into heat. The reason resistance coils are inefficient as burners is because much of the heat they produce ends up heating the air, stove, and so on, instead of actually getting into the pan. In an oven, there's no place for that heat to go except the inside of the oven.

30 minutes ago, curls said:

I purchased one of the blue A4's for $40! Oh, you enablers!

I ended up getting a second one in green to contrast with my blue. Enablers indeed! Not sure if I will keep it or give it to someone as a Christmas gift.

6 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

Ninja Possible Cooker

I don't know why, but I loathe this name. (Partly I think because it sounds like it will possibly cook the food, but who can tell?)

Laurentius · December 5

46 minutes ago, dtremit said:

In an oven, there's no place for that heat to go except the inside of the oven.

Not really. The heat is mostly confined--yet temporarily and only partially--by the enclosure. But that's different from efficiently making it into the food.

Small corner-mounted induction coils on oven enclosures that are both hyperconductive and well-insulated could be more efficient in terms radiant and convective oven heating.

dtremit · December 5

33 minutes ago, Laurentius said:

Small corner-mounted induction coils on oven enclosures that are both hyperconductive and well-insulated could be more efficient in terms radiant and convective oven heating.

Induction doesn't work directly on food, though — only on the (ferromagnetic) metal of the pan or enclosure. And the food in the oven doesn't touch the walls. So you're just heating the air in the enclosure a different way.

Edited December 5 by dtremit (log)

**Smithy** · December 5

I just got an email from A4 Box. The sale is still going!

fledflew · December 5

I stared at the A4 website yesterday for what seemed like several hours trying to decide if I should get one. I watched the QVC video clip and read through every page of the website. Ultimately, I closed that browser tab without making a purchase. I am at capacity in terms of kitchen equipment (I know, I know, just get a larger kitchen, but I already have equipment overflow into the dining area, laundry room, living room, hallway closet, and home office), but I also couldn't figure out what I would actually use the A4 for. I already have everything it does in the form of other existing appliances/equipment. Now, if a company were to bring a reliable, well designed countertop air-fryer, precision steam oven, convection oven, and microwave combo to market for a reasonable price, I would consider that!

**Smithy** · December 5

11 minutes ago, fledflew said:

I am at capacity in terms of kitchen equipment (I know, I know, just get a larger kitchen, but I already have equipment overflow into the dining area, laundry room, living room, hallway closet, and home office), but I also couldn't figure out what I would actually use the A4 for.

I know what you mean! It seriously looks like a fun toy to me, and at $40 I can afford that fun. It looks like a good Gizmo for traveling, too. I don't know what my next Princessmobile will be, and maybe I'll relegate the toy to that purpose... but maybe not. Right now my cooking is so minimalist that small appliances make more sense than the large oven. If I were still working I'm pretty sure it would have a home in my office.

**TdeV** · December 5

3 hours ago, dtremit said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates doing that kind of small, repeated task. For meatballs, I have wondered about these sorts of molds:

(eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

I suppose you would still have MPs, meat polyhedra? But much closer to ball form.

The link didn't work for me.

Dr. Teeth · December 5

On 12/4/2024 at 1:21 PM, Smithy said:

I just got an email from A4Box.com celebrating their 5th anniversary. The first 500 customers can get an A4 Induction Box (color of your choice) for FREE using the coupon code ANNIVERSARY5. I just ordered mine, and only have to pay shipping ($40). Our dear departed @Anna N and our dear, still-with-us friend @Kerry Beal had a lot of fun playing with theirs, back in the day!

There's apparently another sale going on right now. If I can figure out how to get to it, I'll also order the extra trays and I'll report back here. (Edited to add: they're already sold out. That's why I couldn't load them into my cart.)

Go to AFourBox.com if you're interested in this. Hurry!

Thanks for the heads up. Just scored one

**ElsieD** · December 5

1 hour ago, fledflew said:

I watched the QVC video clip

Try as I might, I can't find this. Can you post the link to it? Thanks!

Laurentius · December 6

5 hours ago, dtremit said:

Induction doesn't work directly on food, though — only on the (ferromagnetic) metal of the pan or enclosure. And the food in the oven doesn't touch the walls. So you're just heating the air in the enclosure a different way.

No, you're inducing the ferromagnetic enclosure, which heats the air to convect into the food, and the heated enclosure also radiates to the food and vessel.

What has been missing is a way past the limited size of the coils. With a high enough conductivity, even very small coils will work. And it would heat all 6 surfaces rather than 1 or 2.

Edited December 6 by Laurentius (log)

**curls** · December 6

4 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Try as I might, I can't find this. Can you post the link to it? Thanks!

Here you go... I found three QVC video clips on the A4 Cook Box.

https://youtu.be/GWZpxTbWW8U?si=mDdMNxYSqLrP90JF

https://youtu.be/JIAdBFp6fbk?si=44wxmuDHvqxXumfg

https://youtu.be/M6mSGr7NADA?si=5nrDTVTiO6CHZHR3

**curls** · December 6

5 hours ago, Smithy said:

I know what you mean! It seriously looks like a fun toy to me, and at $40 I can afford that fun. It looks like a good Gizmo for traveling, too. I don't know what my next Princessmobile will be, and maybe I'll relegate the toy to that purpose... but maybe not. Right now my cooking is so minimalist that small appliances make more sense than the large oven. If I were still working I'm pretty sure it would have a home in my office.

Indeed. I'm also thinking this will be a fun toy. I'm hoping to get as much (or even more) enjoyment out of it than Anna did. I reread the A4 Box Cooker topic and it was rather bittersweet -- I miss Anna and her postings.

I'm looking forward to getting my A4... thinking about using it to serve some appetizers at a holiday party, take it on a picnic, maybe use it for a pseudo-raclette grill/meal. Also hoping that the accessories will go on sale again soon so that I can get them too!

Maison Rustique · December 6

22 hours ago, Sid Post said:

How does the Ninja Possible Cooker work for you? I have been looking for a good or great classic "Crock Pot" and have been really disappointed generally with the ones I have tried, even from well-reviewed and respected brand options.

I haven't used it yet--I had too many appointments this week and bad weather here so just haven't gotten out to go grocery shopping. But soon!!

17 hours ago, dtremit said:

I don't know why, but I loathe this name. (Partly I think because it sounds like it will possibly cook the food, but who can tell?)

I agree--and not easy to remember. I just refer to it as my Ninja pot most of the time.

Sid Post · December 6

20 hours ago, Smithy said:

Getting back to your original question: I don't think the A4 box as it's originally shipped has anything deep enough to do slow cooking. I don't know whether the "deep dish" inset is deep enough, but haven't seen it to be sure. I think I recall reading in the A4 Box Induction Cooker topic that someone put a small pot atop the cooking surface and successfully cooked with it. I think it would have to be a pretty small pot, though: maybe not big enough for what you want to do.

🤣 😋 I was looking at the accessory plate set that is sold out and spoke with my friend about a press-brake to fold some plate steel for a different product and EUREKA! 💡

If I cannot get the factory accessory plates, a thin steel sheet folded up on the sides to provide a deeper pan should be a good match with smooth welds (or welds that can be smoothed with a Dremel). Being induction, the steel should 'assist' with the even heating.

I will also look at Chicago Metallic options for something a little deeper to slow simmer beans and similar things once I have good dimensions of the cooking plate from the A4Box.

Sid Post · December 6

17 hours ago, dtremit said:

Induction doesn't work directly on food, though — only on the (ferromagnetic) metal of the pan or enclosure. And the food in the oven doesn't touch the walls. So you're just heating the air in the enclosure a different way.

True in the general sense, induction only heats the "pan". However, my time in Europe clearly proved to me that it was significantly more even heating since the entire structure was warmed so, cold "dead spots" in whatever I was cooking were minimized. The AEG induction cooktop I used was significantly better than anything I have used in the USA. In terms of energy efficiency for cooking, it is hard to argue against quality induction cooktop options, as commonly found in Europe.

The net effect was sort of like a Convection Oven in my experience, though not exactly the same.

My thick French Antique Copper saucepan essentially heats the same with a low to moderate heat setting as well for anything appropriate for it.

All provide a very similar end result using drastically different heating techniques. I'll skip adding a cast iron Dutch Oven from Lodge to the mix ... 🤣

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