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New Toy: Breville/Polyscience Control Freak!

CanadianHomeChef

By CanadianHomeChef
in Kitchen Consumer

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allison_b123

allison_b123

Posted
Posted

Hi all, thank you for all of your info-sharing on the Control Freak!

 

I picked mine up used a few weeks ago and it's been fantastic. I do occasionally get this error though. Has anyone else got this before?

Unplugging it doesn't work every time; sometimes I have to unplug it multiple times and power cycle it.

 

"Sorry there is a Problem

 

Please unplug and re-start me

If this error repeats go to the

Breville website for help"

breville_error.jpg

jbates

jbates

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, allison_b123 said:

Hi all, thank you for all of your info-sharing on the Control Freak!

 

I picked mine up used a few weeks ago and it's been fantastic. I do occasionally get this error though. Has anyone else got this before?

Unplugging it doesn't work every time; sometimes I have to unplug it multiple times and power cycle it.

 

"Sorry there is a Problem

 

Please unplug and re-start me

If this error repeats go to the

Breville website for help"

breville_error.jpg


Never seen that before. I'd recommend calling Breville, it may need a warranty service/replacement.

EsaK

EsaK

Posted
Posted

Can't remember if it has been exactly that, but I've gotten something along those lines a few times. Though unplugging once has worked for me. Have no idea what the reasons behind that error may be.

  • 2 weeks later...
md8232

md8232

Posted
Posted

What do you use to clean the cooktop.  I'm a bit laid back with my cleaning and the surface gets built up with spilled substances.

Any suggestions for a great, safe cleaner?

How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?

Charles De Gaulle, in "Les Mots du General", 1962

jbates

jbates

Posted
Posted

If anyone needs (another) ControlFreak, subscribers to ChefSteps' StudioPass are having a 15% off sale (save $225!) until December 23, 2020 when purchasing through polyscienceculinary.com

 

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, md8232 said:

What do you use to clean the cooktop.  I'm a bit laid back with my cleaning and the surface gets built up with spilled substances.

Any suggestions for a great, safe cleaner?

 

I use this.  Works like a charm.

20201217_185025.jpg

  • Like 2
horseflesh

horseflesh

Posted
Posted
On 12/17/2020 at 2:43 PM, jbates said:

If anyone needs (another) ControlFreak, subscribers to ChefSteps' StudioPass are having a 15% off sale (save $225!) until December 23, 2020 when purchasing through polyscienceculinary.com

 

 

I'm here because I have that opportunity and I am trying to figure out if it is worth it. I am a super serious home cook with other crazy appliances, so I am definitely interested in the Control Freak. I can't yet tell if it's merely very cool, or life changing like sous vide was. If any fans or haters want to weigh in I am really interested in what you have to say!

  • Like 1
horseflesh

horseflesh

Posted
Posted
On 9/10/2020 at 4:19 PM, JasonsCookingAdventures said:

As a note, I'm measuring the temperature using a no-name (cheap) IR thermometer. Perhaps that could be off calibration by 20 degrees (or issues with emissivity)?

 

If you have not set the emissivity specifically for the kind of surface you're measuring, it can be way off. 

 

 

jbates

jbates

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, horseflesh said:

 

I'm here because I have that opportunity and I am trying to figure out if it is worth it. I am a super serious home cook with other crazy appliances, so I am definitely interested in the Control Freak. I can't yet tell if it's merely very cool, or life changing like sous vide was. If any fans or haters want to weigh in I am really interested in what you have to say!

If you're serious about repeatability with your recipes then the CF is a great investment. I'm very OCD with my recipes so now I can make them perfectly every time. Perfect pancakes, none of the throw-away-the-first-one nonsense, just-so scrambled eggs, etc.

 

jaw

jaw

Posted
Posted (edited)

sometimes, i wonder if the CF is actually necessary or worth it. this is not one of those times. the CF shines in candy and sauce making.

in this case, it was trivial to make syrup without scorching or caramelizing anything.

 

i candied some aji lemon drops (C. baccatum).

 

1013534900_ajilemondrops.thumb.jpg.1a894c78a036699e3ba058c17c22c380.jpg

 

2098195579_cutlemondrops.thumb.jpg.a64f92d732d2d7a5ea8ad373ee1ceffe.jpg

 

ingredients:

  • 350g water
  • 250g sugar
  • 2g citric acid
  • 3g salt
  • half a lemon
  • 360g aji lemon drops (cut, destemmed, and deseeded)

 

meticulously cutting and cleaning the peppers is BY FAR the most time consuming part. you don't have to do this i guess, but i'd at least cut them in half. i just think the small, clean pieces eat better, and removing the placental tissue makes the heat level very tolerable to most people. the pepper weight above is after cleaning and cutting.

 

the sugar, water, citric acid, and salt were combined in a saucepan. the lemon was squeezed in as well, and the rind was then sliced into 1cm strips and added to the saucepan for extra pectin.

 

PXL_20201116_111727244.thumb.jpg.61255f81e20526ee6ffcd28652a57400.jpg

 

T+0

1) sucose inversion (acid-catalyzed hydrolysis):

the CF was set to 215°F in pan control mode (cookware contact sensor), and the mixture was heated for 30 minutes at slow/medium power as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. it was stirred to get everything dissolved while it came up to temp.

 

PXL_20201116_112605667.thumb.jpg.5223982c60b978fe3f24c41619329810.jpg

 

T+30min

2) pepper candying:

the lemon rind was removed, and the peppers were added. the setpoint was raised to 232°F, and the mixture was gently stirred until the syrup hit >230°F (thread stage) as measured by thermapen (about 15min). it was necessary to tilt the pan and let the syrup pool up to get a good reading. at this point, the peppers were translucent.

 

PXL_20201116_115556833.thumb.jpg.901f683994b2dfbc0698a917392f2d85.jpg

PXL_20201116_120443031.thumb.jpg.43adf9c383cd218255498b48b3740577.jpg

PXL_20201116_120840183.thumb.jpg.9218ba7c6bc223fe39c6e7fee5007e11.jpg

 

T+45min

3) jarring:

pour them in a jar, let cool to room temp, and put in the fridge. they keep a long time. if you want, you can prop up one side of the pan on something to let the excess syrup drain away. sometimes, i do this and put the syrup in a separate container because i don't like the candied peppers super syrupy.

 

PXL_20201116_120958909.thumb.jpg.b0b2bb857b4a79de8a5a530888ecd8fb.jpg

 

enjoy them on stuff like pancakes, sandwiches, pizza, etc.

 

yield: about 430g (somewhat less than a pint)

 

PXL_20201106_034149684.thumb.jpg.8314a78d6ee1670ef732ff60300c21be.jpg

Edited by jaw (log)
  • Like 8
horseflesh

horseflesh

Posted
Posted

Man, I am gonna have to get a CF, aren't I? 

 

One of my interests is making candy sugar syrup in various grades of darkness, as it is an important ingredient in some kinds of beer... and I am an avid homebrewer too. The CF looks ideal for that. 

 

 

  • Like 1
ErwinR

ErwinR

Posted
Posted (edited)

I’m trying to caramelize onions for the onion soup recipe in the Bouchon cookbook. The recipe has this process take place for 5 hours over low heat. Any idea as to what temperature low translates to on the CF?

Edited by ErwinR
Spelling (log)
blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, ErwinR said:

I’m try to caramelize onions for the onion soup recipe in the Bouchon cookbook. The recipe has this process take place for 5 hours over low heat. Any idea as to what temperature low translates to on the CF?

@CanadianHomeChef has a nice temp chart that suggests 275 deg F for caramelized onions. I’ve had good results with that temp. 

  • Like 1
blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, ErwinR said:

Thanks for the help. How much time does it take?

 

Once they get sizzling, I cover the pan for ~ 45 min, stirring occasionally.  Then remove the lid and stir more frequently for another half hour or 45 min. That timing is going to depend on how many onions you use, how wet they are and the size and shape of your pan.  

In my kitchen ~ 4 lbs of onions in a 12-inch cast iron skillet will go from here:

IMG_3229.jpeg.e9c1d9dafb285155d8432330b9205f82.jpeg

 

Through here, where I've removed the lid and have been stirring a bit:

IMG_3230.jpeg.ca2b44d4133febf5c257a85b16683a6e.jpeg

 

To here, where I have about 1.5 cups of nicely caramelized onions:

 IMG_3232.jpeg.53a477f417ffc6e2cdcb97aa0ff7b320.jpeg
 

  • Like 1
Kerry Beal

Kerry Beal

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, ErwinR said:

Has anyone had a problem with the CF not recognizing the pan material as being suitable for induction cooking?

I've had it tell me a pan was too small and had to move it around a bit to get it recognized.

the Chocolate Doctor
www.thechocolatedoctor.ca

www.eztemper.com

 

Confectionary Course • Confectionary Course Q&A
eGullet foodblog 2006 • eGullet Foodblog 2012

jaw

jaw

Posted
Posted (edited)

unfortunately, the CF is finicky with cookware detection. i talked about this earlier in the thread.

i have a lot of slightly-to-moderately warped stainless cookware that works fine 100% of the time on my miele induction range but works inconsistently on my CF.

sometimes, it works fine on CF. sometimes, it stops working mid-cook. other times, it won't work at all.

 

it's a shame because it's an issue that could be fixed in software. i emailed polysci and asked them to release a fw update with a debug/calibration menu that could let you adjust the coupling detection threshold, but obviously they don't want to do that. they don't even trust their users to update their own fw anymore lol.

 

it does work fine with modern cookware "designed for induction" that is in good condition (perfectly flat-bottomed).

but if you have "borderline" cookware, don't expect it to work even though it could (and should).

Edited by jaw (log)
  • Thanks 1
blackp

blackp

Posted
Posted

If the bottom of your pan is not totally flat and even why would you even consider using a CF?  Assuming that the pan was slightly warped the sensor would be reading the temp close to the centre while one edge may not be even touching the glass therefore not getting the same induction input of those parts of the pan which were touching.  It's all about precision.  If you have an old warped pan toss it or use it on gas.  If on the other hand you are keen to get an even temperature precisely held, then use a decent pan on your CF and get the benefits that you paid for!

  • Like 1
jaw

jaw

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 hours ago, blackp said:

If the bottom of your pan is not totally flat and even why would you even consider using a CF?  Assuming that the pan was slightly warped the sensor would be reading the temp close to the centre while one edge may not be even touching the glass therefore not getting the same induction input of those parts of the pan which were touching.  It's all about precision.  If you have an old warped pan toss it or use it on gas.  If on the other hand you are keen to get an even temperature precisely held, then use a decent pan on your CF and get the benefits that you paid for!

 

first, i assert that it's not all about precision. i think they should have had a "classic" mode without temp control (but where temp is displayed!). i.e. you pick power output in watts or percentage or whatever, and there is no closed-loop temp feedback. this would have added no cost to the device and would have made it more versatile.

 

as for my pans, they aren't warped enough to matter in the way you suggest. also, you realize there's a gap in the field in the center of the resonator too (where the contact sensor is), right? the power distribution isn't perfectly even across the cooking surface, and there's always going to be a temp gradient as a consequence of finite thermal conductivity.

 

On 7/5/2020 at 10:27 PM, Snowpup said:

 

It's okay.  Not much worse than a large cast iron skillet.

 

The CF will read the temperature from the button of the steel, so will be a little low, but consistent enough to compensate.

flir_20200703T105004.jpg

 

 

even if my pans were ridiculously warped, i think i should still be capable of cooking on them unless there's a technical limitation that physically prevents it from working. why should i not be able to do something just because "computer says no"? especially if i paid a lot of money for it, lol.

 

failure to "detect" usable cookware is an undesirable limitation.

Edited by jaw (log)
ErwinR

ErwinR

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, blackp said:

If the bottom of your pan is not totally flat and even why would you even consider using a CF?  Assuming that the pan was slightly warped the sensor would be reading the temp close to the centre while one edge may not be even touching the glass therefore not getting the same induction input of those parts of the pan which were touching.  It's all about precision.  If you have an old warped pan toss it or use it on gas.  If on the other hand you are keen to get an even temperature precisely held, then use a decent pan on your CF and get the benefits that you paid for!

The pan is a Demeyere which is supposedly made for induction use. When I place a straight edge on the bottom of the pan I can slip a piece of copier paper between it and the pan at the very center but two pieces of paper is too thick. I would think that this would be flat enough but I’m just starting to use the CF so I don’t know. 

  • 1 month later...
jaw

jaw

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 12/29/2020 at 6:51 PM, ErwinR said:

The pan is a Demeyere which is supposedly made for induction use. When I place a straight edge on the bottom of the pan I can slip a piece of copier paper between it and the pan at the very center but two pieces of paper is too thick. I would think that this would be flat enough but I’m just starting to use the CF so I don’t know. 

 

even for the CF, that's more than flat enough.

 

any updates?

Edited by jaw (log)
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