Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, dcarch said:

 

I use to have smaller version of similar design for tea making.

 

dcarch

 

 

Yes! It's a giant tea strainer, as used by the Dong ethnic minority in the preparation of their "oil tea". This tea is described in this post. It is made in huge quantities during festivals, weddings etc., so a giant strainer is a useful tool.

It could, of course, also be used for many of the suggestions above (perhaps not lacrosse).

Edited December 6, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[andiesenji]

I went to Vi Tan's market and asked about the "bean strainers" (they didn't want me to take photos).  They have two sizes one deeper than the other.  I asked how it was used - she said "for dipping from liquid so liquid fall away.  For bean soak to grow sprout, for wash rice, for wash liangshi (?)," and something else I could not understand.  I think she thought I was an idiot for having to ask about something with so obvious a use...

 

I didn't buy another but I did buy some dried chestnuts to grind into flour and some "zha cai"  pickled vegetables with mustard plant made "fresh"  - the MILD  because I have had the "regular" in the past and it is much too hot for me.

 

[andiesenji]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

Yes! It's a giant tea strainer, as used by the Dong ethnic minority in the preparation of their "oil tea". This tea is described in this post. It is made in huge quantities during festivals, weddings etc., so a giant strainer is a useful tool.

It could, of course, also be used for many of the suggestions above (perhaps not lacrosse).

 

They have tea strainers but they are like this and they have them in several sizes from small that would fit in a cup to the size of a quart jar.  Probably from a different region.

 

[liuzhou]

1 minute ago, andiesenji said:

They have tea strainers but they are like this and they have them in several sizes from small that would fit in a cup to the size of a quart jar.  Probably from a different region.

 

Yes, I've seen those ones, too

[Alex]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

Well, that's what I use it as, but not the advertised function.

 

Yeah, I know. That was a joke, sort of.

 

More seriously, I was going to say it was for washing rice, but some of the openings look too big for that.

[Wayne]

11 hours ago, liuzhou said:

It could, of course, also be used for many of the suggestions above (perhaps not lacrosse).

 

 

Just a bit of a joke.

After reading the initial post regarding an urgent need for a carrot and a trek to  the nearest carrot emporium my inner Monty Python kicked in (complete with John Cleese) and........

 

 

Edited December 6, 2016 by Wayne (log)

[nonkeyman]

On 12/15/2012 at 10:57 AM, Kerry Beal said:

Check out this fellow I picked up at the reuse center today. I've seen it there a few times in the last few weeks and couldn't figure out what it was. Today I saw one in use at a local european food store and mentioned to the fellow that I'd seen one for sale for $20. He essentially called me a liar - thought I must be mistaken with what I'd seen - so of course I had to go pick it up to prove him wrong. Now just have to find a home for it.

Any guesses?

I googled this...how does this one work????

[Kerry Beal]

23 minutes ago, nonkeyman said:

I googled this...how does this one work????

Heating element under the grate on the top - 1/2 cheese sits in each of the cradles. One side is under the heater - the other side not. You turn the cheese closer to the element and scrape the hot cheese off the other half.

 

[nonkeyman]

2 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Heating element under the grate on the top - 1/2 cheese sits in each of the cradles. One side is under the heater - the other side not. You turn the cheese closer to the element and scrape the hot cheese off the other half.

 

That is dangerous ...and I don't mean from a safety stand point...I mean for my waist line...

[quiet1]

16 minutes ago, nonkeyman said:

I googled this...how does this one work????

 

You put hunks of cheese (looks like halves maybe? I've seen them for various sizes) on the holders and there is a heating element in the bit covered by the black mesh stuff and it heats up the top of the surface of the cheese until it is bubbly and starting to brown, then the cheese holder units usually swing and pivot in some way so you can scrape the top layer off and dump it neatly on a plate of whatever the person's preferred goodies are. (Potatoes are most traditional but you can use bread or basically anything you think would be tasty covered in cheese, really.)

 

My housemate wants to know how we can get the unit Kerry has from her.  (We do not eat THAT much raclette. Home units usually just have little pans that go under a small element that you put slices of cheese in.)

[Kerry Beal]

Just now, quiet1 said:

 

You put hunks of cheese (looks like halves maybe? I've seen them for various sizes) on the holders and there is a heating element in the bit covered by the black mesh stuff and it heats up the top of the surface of the cheese until it is bubbly and starting to brown, then the cheese holder units usually swing and pivot in some way so you can scrape the top layer off and dump it neatly on a plate of whatever the person's preferred goodies are. (Potatoes are most traditional but you can use bread or basically anything you think would be tasty covered in cheese, really.)

 

My housemate wants to know how we can get the unit Kerry has from her.  (We do not eat THAT much raclette. Home units usually just have little pans that go under a small element that you put slices of cheese in.)

I'm afraid this unit has made it to a new home. My cheesemonger at Mickey McQuire's cheese was clearly in more need of it than I - and he has wheels of cheese to use with it!

 

[quiet1]

Just now, nonkeyman said:

That is dangerous ...and I don't mean from a safety stand point...I mean for my waist line...

 

'Also for your sodium intake, raclette is insanely salty but doesn't really taste it the way something like Parmesan does. So you can eat a lot of it without realizing.

 

Very good when you've been out all day in the cold skiing or what have you.

[nonkeyman]

Just now, quiet1 said:

 

'Also for your sodium intake, raclette is insanely salty but doesn't really taste it the way something like Parmesan does. So you can eat a lot of it without realizing.

 

Very good when you've been out all day in the cold skiing or what have you.

Yes, then at least you can use the excuse...that you have earned it!

[Katie Meadow]

This "raclette melter" is a hilarious contraption. I had no idea! I couldn't grasp how it might work, so I googled several videos of them in action. I wish I had a video of some 5th graders figuring out how to use it without adult supervision. I am guessing the Swiss instructions are more detailed than than the Ikea ones would be, if the Swedish ever wanted such a thing. But I'm sure the Swedes would come up with a good name for it. Like "Maelstrum" or "Gloop." 

 

There are various amazing iterations of these melters, aka raclette grills. One uses three votive candles as a heating element. I assume the Swiss have been making giant wheels of raclette long before they figured out the ideal use for electric heating coils. Is there a mini Swiss Army one for use on camping trips? I think my husband needs that for a holiday gift. 

Edited December 7, 2016 by Katie Meadow (log)

[quiet1]

31 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

This "raclette melter" is a hilarious contraption. I had no idea! I couldn't grasp how it might work, so I googled several videos of them in action. I wish I had a video of some 5th graders figuring out how to use it without adult supervision. I am guessing the Swiss instructions are more detailed than than the Ikea ones would be, if the Swedish ever wanted such a thing. But I'm sure the Swedes would come up with a good name for it. Like "Maelstrum" or "Gloop." 

 

There are various amazing iterations of these melters, aka raclette grills. One uses three votive candles as a heating element. I assume the Swiss have been making giant wheels of raclette long before they figured out the ideal use for electric heating coils. Is there a mini Swiss Army one for use on camping trips? I think my husband needs that for a holiday gift. 

 

 

There is a mini one but we are all skeptical about the ability of candles to do the job properly. My housemate just got one as a gift, actually - maybe I'll ask if we can test it this weekend.

 

Finding good raclette can be a challenge, too. It tends to be expensive in the US, and I think sometimes people just import the stuff that sounds fancier to the detriment of the flavor. We did a taste test when my housemate's mother was visiting, and the store-brand stuff she brought over from Switzerland was much better than either of the imported versions we found here. Cheaper, too.

[Max Foodie]

What about this? I've found it at my grandpa's kitchen and it took me some time to understand what it's used for. 

Any ideas?

[andiesenji]

I had a similar "overhead burner" type raclette cheese melter with a single tray when I was catering.  It did not have a "cradle" for the cheese but a wire frame that held the chunk of cheese in place on a metal tray.  I had to have a step-down converter with a receptacle for Euro plug because it was from Germany.  

When I first started Jurgensen's market on Ventura Blvd. carried both Swiss and French Raclette cheese but when they closed, the only place I could buy it was the Cheese Shop of Beverly Hills or the cheese shop in the L.A. Farmer's Market - but the latter was often sold out or didn't have a whole wheel. (There was a discount if one bought a whole, uncut wheel)

 

I gave it to a friend who was doing some catering in the ski resorts - Big Bear, etc., - very popular for the apre-ski crowd.

 

Edited December 9, 2016 by andiesenji (log)

[andiesenji]

39 minutes ago, Max Foodie said:

What about this? I've found it at my grandpa's kitchen and it took me some time to understand what it's used for. 

Any ideas?

Looks like my decanter dryer, just more colorful.

[dcarch]

48 minutes ago, Max Foodie said:

What about this? I've found it at my grandpa's kitchen and it took me some time to understand what it's used for. 

Any ideas?

 

I think I know.

 

My guess tomorrow. :-)

 

dcarch

[dcarch]

OK. 

I believe that is a bottle cap crimping tool. 

This type of tools can be small for beer bottles, medium for capping preserve bottles and large for 5 gallon paint buckets, etc.

 

Here is a different one:

 

dcarch

[scubadoo97]

Come on Dcarch.  You got that off an old TV set right?  

[dcarch]

8 hours ago, scubadoo97 said:

Come on Dcarch.  You got that off an old TV set right?  

 

 

dcarch

[andiesenji]

If the base was thicker, it would resemble one of my glass "grabbers" that I used to use with heavy slabs of flat glass when I was doing glass artwork. The bottom was a strong vacuum when the arms were depressed.  

[dcarch]

If you know this one, you are strange!

 

dcarch

[palo]

candle snuffer

 

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