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Do I need a....

Margaret Pilgrim

By Margaret Pilgrim
in Kitchen Consumer

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Kim Shook

Kim Shook

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

I'm new to the CSO so I may have missed a trick or three, but I don't think it has the circulation to provide the same convective power as an air fryer. (This peeves me quite a bit, actually, for reasons relating to counter space and marital harmony.)

 

In my limited tests so far, the CSO hasn't been as good as an air fryer for "tater tots" or breaded pieces of "fried chicken", much less reheated fried leftovers. It is incredibly easy to overcook, overbrown and overcrips reheated fries in an air fryer. Such a feat doesn't seem possible in the CSO.

 

If someone has a good technique for making the CSO match the performance of an air fryer for, say, onion blossoms or reheated fried potatoes, I'm all ears and taste buds.  No doubt @Margaret Pilgrim is as interested.

I can't speak to the air fryer comparison (I don't have one), but reheating crispy stuff in the CSO is, in my experience, counter-intuitive.  I actually use the Bake/Steam function NOT the convection.  I know it doesn't sound right, but that is what works for me.  I reheated some onion rings from a restaurant the other night and they were better out of the CSO than fresh out of the fryer.

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Kim

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

I can't speak to the air fryer comparison (I don't have one), but reheating crispy stuff in the CSO is, in my experience, counter-intuitive.  I actually use the Bake/Steam function NOT the convection.  I know it doesn't sound right, but that is what works for me.  I reheated some onion rings from a restaurant the other night and they were better out of the CSO than fresh out of the fryer.

 

I totally agree. Steam-bake at 250 - 275°F is perfect for gently reheating a plate of pasta without drying it out but would likely make a breaded coating soggy.  Crank that same steam-bake setting up to 425 - 450°F and it perfectly re-crisps any sort of breaded or battered fried stuff.

 

I know @Smithy asked about re-crisping fried potatoes and that's one I haven't tried.

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rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

I don't have a ThermoMix , and would have enjoyed one years ago

 

however , as im mentioned before , 3 relatively new items for the kitchen have changed cooking for me :

 

A SV system of your choice.

 

A CombiOven , AKA   the CSO

 

an InstantPot , at least V2 , with the handles .

 

all three are reasonably priced if you keep your eyes peeled.

 

a Watanabe or two is very nice , but somewhat advanced , both in quality and price.

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TdeV

TdeV

Posted
Posted

Since we no longer live in California, it's either too hot or too cold outside, so DH refuses to own a barbecue. What cooking device gets hot enough indoors (without setting fire to the place)?

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TdeV

TdeV

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, weinoo said:

The great (est?) thing about the CSO, among all the greats listed ... is that it allows one to dispose of one's microwave

 

Nothing I've read says that CSO microwaves. Do I read that right?

 

How do you defrost soup or chili?

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rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

CSO does not defrost.   

 

to defrost : plan ahead , or use cold water.

 

my defrost on my above-the-stove built in Micro gave up the ghost a while ago.

 

Im doing fine w/o it

 

most of the time.

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TdeV

TdeV

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Shelby said:

But in all seriousness, definitely you need a sous vide machine.

 

 

Shelby, what makes you choose CSO or sous vide  or regular oven to cook something? What is each better at?

Edited by TdeV
Correcting punctuation (log)
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Paul Bacino

Paul Bacino

Posted
Posted (edited)

I Love my  pressure cooker, Immersion circulation device... and here don't hate the player  VP 210 ( vacuum sealer ).  I know its costly,  but it saves me tons of food.

 

and love my therma pen   :)  too.  oh and my IR device

 

Edited by Paul Bacino (log)
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Shelby

Shelby

Posted
Posted
42 minutes ago, TdeV said:

 

 

Shelby, what makes you choose CSO or sous vide  or regular oven to cook something? What is each better at?

 

Well, it depends on how I want the meat to be and what meat I'm cooking.  If I'm wanting crispy skin on chicken , the CSO is the way to go.  If I want super tender chicken breast, then sous vide is what I use.  Not that the CSO doesn't make tender meat....  Prime rib I'd choose to do in the CSO, a tough cut of steak, I'd sous vide.

 

My big oven is still a vegetarian lol.  I find that the CSO does great for any meat I want to cook and that way I don't have to clean the big oven.

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Another nice CSO use is for gently warming cheese using the warming setting @ 125°F for a few minutes.  Perfect for taking the chill off a nice blue or brie.

  See there’s a reason I check in here because I learn something every flipping day.

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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

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chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

 

Another nice CSO use is for gently warming cheese using the warming setting @ 125°F for a few minutes.  Perfect for taking the chill off a nice blue or brie.

 

 

"Poor little cheese, you're turning blue! Let's warm you up..."

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“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
6 hours ago, TdeV said:

Since we no longer live in California, it's either too hot or too cold outside, so DH refuses to own a barbecue. What cooking device gets hot enough indoors (without setting fire to the place)?

I use a stovetop grill-pan.    We have a good fan/exhaust system.    Crank up it up to smoking and grill steak, veggies, chicken, satay strips...   Much less hassle than DH's outdoor grilling.

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eGullet member #80.

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chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, rotuts said:

to defrost : plan ahead , or use cold water.

 

 

Mmmm, yeah...not in my household. You know all those memes about "I've named everything in the house/every restaurant within 'x' radius, and she still doesn't know what she wants for dinner"?

That's my little redhead to a T. In fact, she's usually the one sending me those memes. Often nothing's decided until 8 or 9 PM, by which time I've already eaten in self-defense.

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“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
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Posted
23 minutes ago, chromedome said:

 

Mmmm, yeah...not in my household. You know all those memes about "I've named everything in the house/every restaurant within 'x' radius, and she still doesn't know what she wants for dinner"?

That's my little redhead to a T. In fact, she's usually the one sending me those memes. Often nothing's decided until 8 or 9 PM, by which time I've already eaten in self-defense.

Heh!   You've spoiled yours, I've spoiled mine.   

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eGullet member #80.

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chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Heh!   You've spoiled yours, I've spoiled mine.   

 

Actually, though I do spoil her, this predates me. After she had her gall bladder out, several years ago, she never really knew from day to day or hour to hour what would disagree (violently) with her digestive system. So she got used to deciding on the spur of the moment, which made dinner later, and the whole cycle just kept reinforcing itself.

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“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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Shelby

Shelby

Posted
Posted

Oh man, this is us to a TEEEEEEEEEE.

 

Early in the morning, I'm rearing to go.  Then, after gardening, canning, laundry, cleaning etc.  I'm  like...."EH".  

 

The beginning of the day I'm making a 5 course meal......the end I'm making protein, salad and a napkin.

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First eG Blog-Winter 2011

 

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Third eG Blog-Hunting season Birds and Deer 2016, 2017,2018,2019, 2021, 2022

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, TdeV said:

How do you defrost soup or chili?

 Using my Joule.  Cold water. Unit set to its minimum temperature and rapid, safe defrost. 

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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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btbyrd

btbyrd

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Duvel said:

 

Sure. Ever tried to get that fraggin’ Pozole out of your Anova again ..!?

 

 

Ha! Nope. I freeze leftover stock, soup, or chili in bags and then retherm them with Joule. A super-fast way to get dinner on the table. You can also just defrost using lower temp settings, but most of the time I crank the temp and serve straight from the bag.

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TdeV

TdeV

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, weinoo said:

The great (est?) thing about the CSO, among all the greats listed (especially and because of how well it reheats) is that it allows one to dispose of one's microwave, if one were to have a microwave.

 

9 hours ago, TdeV said:

Nothing I've read says that CSO microwaves. Do I read that right?

 

How do you defrost soup or chili?

 

23 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

With a circulator.

 

You'll note that the original question was asking @weinoo how his CSO means he can dispose of his microwave–– a still unanswered question.

 

Edited to add: The Joule seems like overkill for a weekday lunch . . .

Edited by TdeV (log)
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