New Toy: Breville/Polyscience Control Freak!

[palo]

Yes, we CDN folks always need to specify the currency when quoting prices 

 

p

[mjbarnard]

This page has exact times and temperatures for different types of steaks, different thicknesses, and degree of doneness:

https://shop.hestancue.eu/blogs/blog-recipes/the-ultimate-guide-for-pan-seared-steak#:~:text=Temperature and Timing for Pan Searing and Cooking Steaks&text=Sear each surface for 2,thickness and your desired doneness.

I tried it and it was perfect. Surely we need / would benefit from equivalent information for a variety of foods if this is going to equate to what we have for sous vide? 

[blue_dolphin]

12 minutes ago, mjbarnard said:

This page has exact times and temperatures for different types of steaks, different thicknesses, and degree of doneness:

https://shop.hestancue.eu/blogs/blog-recipes/the-ultimate-guide-for-pan-seared-steak#:~:text=Temperature and Timing for Pan Searing and Cooking Steaks&text=Sear each surface for 2,thickness and your desired doneness.

I tried it and it was perfect. Surely we need / would benefit from equivalent information for a variety of foods if this is going to equate to what we have for sous vide? 

Not sure exactly what you have in mind but @CanadianHomeChef has a nice compilation that I’ve found quite helpful. You can find it here, on his website. 

[mjbarnard]

Thanks very much Blue. I have been through every page of the thread so have visited the various resources, including the very helpful sizzling site and the incredibly helpful spreadsheet compiled by a member many pages back. These are hugely useful. 

I guess I was thinking  of the level of detail in terms of product size, cooking times, and variations that the Hestan page gives. Having downloaded it I suspect the Hestan app gives this level of detail, but it does not let you progress very far without connecting to a Hestan. I have a Breville (Sage here in Europe) so cant access that without splashing out on an additional Cue, which I would consider but will not do that if I cannot determine in advance how useful the app would be. 

But thanks again. 

[CanadianHomeChef]

Just a heads up, Breville is offering 20% off the Control Freak until October 17th; the 20% off seems to include Amazon as well.  Good deal for those waiting to pull the trigger.

[horseflesh]

Thanks for the alert @CanadianHomeChef. Man, I have been wrestling with this decision for a couple of years now... Quick, someone come tell me that a Hatco or a Vollrath is a better value...

 

[edsel]

28 minutes ago, CanadianHomeChef said:

Just a heads up, Breville is offering 20% off the Control Freak until October 17th; the 20% off seems to include Amazon as well.  Good deal for those waiting to pull the trigger.

Oh, perfect timing! I ordered one last week at full price. 😬

[afs]

On 5/11/2022 at 5:53 AM, palo said:

I wonder why they put the 20 amp plug on it?

 

The device is rated @ 1800 watts @ 120 volts which equates to 15 amps - most modern kitchens have 20 amp circuits with standard sockets.

 

To increase its perceived exclusivity?

 

p

 

@palo -- to add to what @kelvie said, electrical devices are typically designed to run on a maximum of 80% of a circuit's capacity or less.  A typical "120V 15A" device will generally use less than 12A of power.

The Control Freak pushes the boundaries of energy usage for a 15A device.  I have tested my US units on a few meters.  It pulls up to around 14 amps (1600-1700 watts) and it might peak beyond that.  I understand that PolyScience used the 20 amp plug in Canada because of that.

In the U.S. we got the standard 120V 15A plug, with a warning not to plug into extension cables.  Extension cables often use a thinner gauge of wire than the normal gauge used for the circuit.  For instance, a lot of extension cords for 120V 15A outlets use 16 gauge (instead of 14 gauge or better) and are rated for 13 amps.  Again, multiply that by 80% and you shouldn't be pushing more than 10.4 amps through it continuously.  And because it's an extension cord and there are multiple couplings (places where you're plugging things into other things), you should derate it even more.

The Control Freak probably comes with a warning saying to plug it into the wall directly, not to use anything else on the same circuit, etc.  I actually run mine on an extension cord, knowing that it's not optimal, but I also used 10/12 AWG wire (which is rated for a continuous 20A/15A respectively) and really high-quality connectors.  I can't in good conscience recommend you do the same.  Plug it into the wall if you can.

As for your 20 amp plug...  If it came with a 20A plug, you probably want to continue using a 20A plug unless you know what you're doing.  The wires in the cord may be too thick in diameter to safely attach to a 15A plug.  It sounds like you have a 20A receptacle and are working with 20A connectors so you're already good in this regard.  For others who aren't lucky enough to have 20A outlets in the kitchen, the best thing to do is to replace the problem outlet with a 20A outlet (and with a 20A circuit breaker at the box).

With the exception of UK plugs (which use circuit breakers in the plug to protect the device locally), circuit breakers in the US and Canada are there to protect the wires themselves.  The wattage rating on the circuit and on the wire is there to keep it from overheating, from catching fire, etc.  If you plug multiple machines into the same circuit, the breaker should flip if you go over the wattage, but I prefer to use circuit breakers as an emergency backstop rather than as a mode of limiting power.

I hope it's okay to reply to a post from a few months back on this thread.  I looked at the rules and didn't see anything prohibiting it; if I broke an unwritten rule by responding to something older I apologize.  I just hate seeing questions without complete answers (although in this case kelvie gave a nice contribution as well).

 

afs

Edited November 30, 2022 by afs (log)

[afs]

On 10/3/2022 at 1:08 PM, CanadianHomeChef said:

Just a heads up, Breville is offering 20% off the Control Freak until October 17th; the 20% off seems to include Amazon as well.  Good deal for those waiting to pull the trigger.

It looks like the Control Freak is back on sale at 20% off in the U.S.  JB Prince sent me an email saying that the sale runs from December 1st through December 14th.

 

Breville, Amazon and several other resellers are currently offering the Control Freak (US model) for ~$1200.

Breville PolyScience Control Freak (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

Aargh, do I really need a third unit? 😭

Edited December 1, 2022 by afs
Breville and Amazon are now offering this sale price (log)

[afs]

I've been doing a lot of cooking on my Control Freak using the probe lately.  When I heat up liquids (like when scalding milk), I'd really like to do it with a lid on the pans so that I don't have to stir much/at all.

Has anyone found good pot lids which have a hole for a temperature probe--and which work well with the Control Freak's probe?  I'm mostly using 24cm Falk induction-compatible pans, so that's the size I'm looking for more than any other.

My backup option is a Dremel and some small-diameter rubber food-safe gaskets.  But I would really rather not drill holes in stainless steel lids.

Does anyone have tips on Control Freak probe-compatible lids?

[Kerry Beal]

I would probably hit thrift stores armed with a tape measure and the probe. That's how I find particular lids for particular pots. Not sure how big the hole is on most glass lids but those are probably the ones I'd be drawn to. 

 

 

[afs]

11 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

I would probably hit thrift stores armed with a tape measure and the probe. That's how I find particular lids for particular pots. Not sure how big the hole is on most glass lids but those are probably the ones I'd be drawn to. 

I had not thought of that.  That's a good idea 😄

I searched and searched online, but couldn't find any measurements on hole sizes.

I'm looking to do the same thing that Hamilton Beach does with their slow cooker--but with my Control Freak.  I would have just bought the lid from Hamilton Beach and hoped that the hole was the right size, but the lid is of course not the right shape and size. 😢

Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker w/ Probe (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

NOTE: the "Defrost Setting, Temperature Probe" (silver) version of that slow cooker has an extra-nice solution, with the dedicated white hole for the probe (which I presume has an insulated gasket).

Edited December 17, 2022 by afs
Added note on silver variant's probe insertion gasket (log)

[Kerry Beal]

And you could probably take the chrome ring out of the glass hole and repace it with a silicone ring. 

[Kerry Beal]

 

 

 

 

This should be interesting - looks like I have a couple of gallons of sap - might get a little jar of syrup when I'm done. Got a little chunk of cocoa butter to throw in if it foams up - but I suspect the Control Freak will prevent that from happening. 

 

I'll move over to the probe in a smaller pan when the time comes. Heading for around 104º C (66 Brix).

 

 

 

[KennethT]

3 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

 

 

 

 

This should be interesting - looks like I have a couple of gallons of sap - might get a little jar of syrup when I'm done. Got a little chunk of cocoa butter to throw in if it foams up - but I suspect the Control Freak will prevent that from happening. 

 

I'll move over to the probe in a smaller pan when the time comes. Heading for around 104º C (66 Brix).

 

 

 

It's gonna get nice and steamy in there!

[Kerry Beal]

25 minutes ago, KennethT said:

It's gonna get nice and steamy in there!

Yup!

[TheAvidHomeChef]

Hi! I'm a long time Breville Control Freak owner here.

 

Been owning it for a few years now. Just heard this forum and decided to join.

[Michael Hood]

On 3/12/2023 at 9:15 AM, Kerry Beal said:

 

 

 

 

This should be interesting - looks like I have a couple of gallons of sap - might get a little jar of syrup when I'm done. Got a little chunk of cocoa butter to throw in if it foams up - but I suspect the Control Freak will prevent that from happening. 

 

I'll move over to the probe in a smaller pan when the time comes. Heading for around 104º C (66 Brix).

 

 

 

 

This is an awesome use case for the Control Freak! Do you find that you can set the target temp and walk away, and still maintain the desired brix level no matter how long you let it cook at the target temperature?

 

[TheAvidHomeChef]

I'm thinking about getting a second Control Freak. I heard some of you were able to get it for $800USD. How did you find the discounts? Or were they just used ones?

[yimyammer]

10 minutes ago, TheAvidHomeChef said:

I'm thinking about getting a second Control Freak. I heard some of you were able to get it for $800USD. How did you find the discounts? Or were they just used ones?

 

The lowest I've seen them new in the box is $1,199 + tax.  Thats what I paid, I've noticed they have sales a few times per year at this price, you just have to keep your eye out.

 

I see them on eBay a lot but they're still proved high, sometimes higher than retail and I see no benefit to buying a used one to save a couple hundo

[CanadianHomeChef]

On 5/15/2023 at 4:44 PM, TheAvidHomeChef said:

I'm thinking about getting a second Control Freak. I heard some of you were able to get it for $800USD. How did you find the discounts? Or were they just used ones?

I got lucky and got both of mine for $800 off eBay. They were listed as "demo" units but came in the box with all the packaging perfectly intact. I was able to get both of them by placing a "offer" that was lower than the asking price...   

 

I haven't seen anything close to that price since. 

[gfweb]

@Kerry Beal how did the syrup come out?

[yimyammer]

12 hours ago, CanadianHomeChef said:

I got lucky and got both of mine for $800 off eBay. They were listed as "demo" units but came in the box with all the packaging perfectly intact. I was able to get both of them by placing a "offer" that was lower than the asking price...   

 

I haven't seen anything close to that price since. 

thats great, that was $800 each right?

[Kerry Beal]

11 hours ago, gfweb said:

@Kerry Beal how did the syrup come out?

Came out well - flavour wasn't as complex as I would have liked but apparently sap can change throughout the season. 

[CanadianHomeChef]

On 5/21/2023 at 7:08 AM, yimyammer said:

thats great, that was $800 each right?

Yes, each. Now that being said, I'd pay full price in a heart beat to replace them if anything were to ever happen to them. It's my most use piece of equipment in the kitchen other than the pots and pans that I use with it. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by CanadianHomeChef (log)