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mindphlux posted:there was recently a sale on foodsavers, and there was a V3880 for $95 with a bunch of extras. I've been meaning to get a food saver for a long time, so I just bought it on impulse - it said it was normally like a $350 dollar package. Yes. I just bought one on sale at Costco for $120, which is already a steal. $95 is nuts. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 06:46
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Steve Yun posted:Yes. I just bought one on sale at Costco for $120, which is already a steal. $95 is nuts. awesome! I just checked and it looks like the deal I got is expired, but there are still a few running for anyone else looking - http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/760...liq.-block-bags
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Jun 27, 2012 06:54
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I bought 3 V2222's for $24 each (2 for gifts) and it works great a couple of years ago. 90-something for any foodsaver seems absurd.
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Jun 27, 2012 06:55
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Some of my experience with one: Do not waste money on pre-cut pouches, always buy rolls and try to avoid MSRP. Ebay has lots of cheap massive rolls. Foodsaver really wants you to waste rolls and keep buying more. Whenever you seal stuff up it feels like there's too much slack and you're letting roll go to waste. A week of practice will help you minimize this. The portion pouch rolls are great for portioning out individual steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops, etc. They are two parallel mini rolls that you tear apart once they're sealed. Once you've torn them apart though, one will not be wide enough to trigger the sealer. If you're just freezing meat for a few weeks, might as well use ziploc and saran wrap. It's being put to best use for long term storage. The $20 marinating container is awesome. You can marinate food in minutes instead of hours. And you can also use it for other things like saving salads for later. Salads get crushed in the vacuum bags but are great in vacuum containers. The round canisters can not only store food but can also be used to vacuum seal mason jars. Vacuum bags seem to be doing well for my vanilla storage. Foodsaver bags can also be used to put your smart phone in a waterproof pouch in case you need to go hiking/swimming/whatever. Don't use the vacuum function though, just seal. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 06:58
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BraveUlysses posted:I bought 3 V2222's for $24 each (2 for gifts) and it works great a couple of years ago. 90-something for any foodsaver seems absurd. well, I guess my point of comparison was $1500 cryovac machines I've used in restaurant kitchens, so $90 seemed like a 'why not if it works anywhere near as well' type of deal. which I guess could be me being stupid. this thing can seal bags with liquids, right? Steve Yun posted:Some of my experience with one: thanks for the tips - I had read that thing about generic bags - are there any go-to places you get your rolls?
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Jun 27, 2012 07:06
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mindphlux posted:this thing can seal bags with liquids, right? There's a reservoir in the 3880 to catch liquids from being sucked into the inner guts, but it doesn't hold much. quote:thanks for the tips - I had read that thing about generic bags - are there any go-to places you get your rolls? I just get them at Bed Bath & Beyond with the 20% off coupons Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 07:21 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 07:17
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My v3880 has recently been trapped in "liquid tray full" status. I've cleaned, applied alcohol to all electronic contacts, and finally used electronic sandpaper to ensure contact but to no avail. I fail to see any real downside from just disconnecting the sensor, so I'm going to do that when I get back home.
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Jun 27, 2012 14:54
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My sensor does get a little goofy too. But otherwise the thing works well, and until I can convince the wife to invest in a chamber sealer, it's as good as it's going to get.
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Jun 27, 2012 14:55
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mindphlux posted:well, I guess my point of comparison was $1500 cryovac machines I've used in restaurant kitchens
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Jun 27, 2012 16:18
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Steve Yun posted:I think... there's a liquid foods setting but I haven't played with it yet. I guess I need to read the manual too. Okay, so for liquids it says to freeze them beforehand. There isn't a "liquid" foods setting, it's for "moist" foods.
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Jun 27, 2012 18:02
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Hed posted:My v3880 has recently been trapped in "liquid tray full" status. I've cleaned, applied alcohol to all electronic contacts, and finally used electronic sandpaper to ensure contact but to no avail. I fail to see any real downside from just disconnecting the sensor, so I'm going to do that when I get back home. yut-oh :/ the majority of what I want to use this thing for involves liquids - portioning and sealing bags of chicken stock, sous-vide prep for veg and meat with marinades in the bag, uhhhh - ok I'm struggling to think of what else involves liquids, but those two purposes were pretty high on my list of reasons to buy the thing. let us know how disconnecting the sensor goes - I have a feeling I'll eventually be doing that.
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Jun 27, 2012 18:09
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There are tricks to vacuuming foods with liquid in them, you can use gravity to keep liquid away from being sucked up as long as possible: http://www.eatfoo.com/archives/2009/02/sous_vide_with_a_foodsaver_or.php Chicken stock and soups... you might as well use ziploc, right? As long as you push most of the air out there isn't any disadvantage over using the foodsaver.
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Jun 27, 2012 18:22
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Steve Yun posted:Chicken stock and soups... you might as well use ziploc, right? As long as you push most of the air out there isn't any disadvantage over using the foodsaver. yeah that's what I do now, and yeah no disadvantage, I'm just being silly. I fill a pot with water and submerge the stock/ziplock bag right up to the seal right now, so it's basically the same as a vacuum seal, works perfectly, and takes two seconds. and you don't even need to vacuum seal stocks. so what am I talking about.
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Jun 27, 2012 18:27
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I like freezing soup and stock in muffin tins
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Jun 27, 2012 20:20
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mindphlux posted:yeah that's what I do now, and yeah no disadvantage, I'm just being silly. I fill a pot with water and submerge the stock/ziplock bag right up to the seal right now, so it's basically the same as a vacuum seal, works perfectly, and takes two seconds. and you don't even need to vacuum seal stocks. so what am I talking about. It's also pretty good for doing poo poo like bagging burger patties without compressing them. I kinda feel like once you take the step back from a chamber sealer that can pull something like a real vacuum and all the poo poo you can do with that, then for sous vizzle at least you're better off with a weak-rear end sealer.
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Jun 27, 2012 20:31
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signalnoise posted:I like freezing soup and stock in muffin tins that's a good thought - I've used icecube trays before, but that is never ever enough stock for me. large muffin tins might be more reasonable, I'll have to give it a go.
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Jun 27, 2012 22:59
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I bake a lot, and I've been thinking of getting a stone pastry board, as a reward to myself for surviving The Great Kitchen Remodel. Marble seems to be traditional, but I've seen good reviews for granite as well. So, my questions are-Is it worth it? Do stone pastry boards live up to the legends? and If yes, what is the best type of stone for a pastry board?
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Jun 29, 2012 06:38
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Not too sure about which one is the best - but I know that I prefer granite, because it won't get ruined by descaling it, like marble will over time...
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Jun 29, 2012 09:23
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IIRC marble is porous and granite is not?
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Jun 29, 2012 09:33
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Steve Yun posted:IIRC marble is porous and granite is not? They're both very low porosity, and close enough to each other that the answer to that question depends on they type of granite and the type of marble. Marble is more reactive to acid and slightly easier to scratch/stain. Get whichever one you think is prettiest.
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Jun 29, 2012 16:44
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Steve Yun posted:There are tricks to vacuuming foods with liquid in them, you can use gravity to keep liquid away from being sucked up as long as possible: In addition to this if your foodsaver has an accessory port you can connect the hose thing to it and touch your finger to the end to have more control over how much vacuum is applied. I find this is really helpful for sealing liquids without freezing.
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Jun 29, 2012 21:53
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A couple people have recommended the Jaccard meat tenderizer in this thread: http://www.amazon.com/Jaccard-45-Knife-Meat-Tenderizer/dp/B000A3I3G0/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1341339695&sr=1-2&keywords=jaccard However, I was browsing around and saw this thing by Deni: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R0FRHC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER for much cheaper. Any reason why I shouldn't get that one instead?
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Jul 3, 2012 19:22
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Any preferences on toaster ovens? My toaster died on me and I'd like to get a toaster oven as its a lot more versatile.
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Jul 3, 2012 21:22
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Doh004 posted:Any preferences on toaster ovens? My toaster died on me and I'd like to get a toaster oven as its a lot more versatile.
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Jul 4, 2012 02:30
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Doh004 posted:Any preferences on toaster ovens? My toaster died on me and I'd like to get a toaster oven as its a lot more versatile. This is a really tough one as almost all of them make some kind of compromise. I.e. if its good at baking it's probably bad at toasting or vice versa. I've also been looking to find one that doesn't get hot on top but basically gave up and just live with being careful. I settled on a Delonghi model like this one that Costco had for $100. At first I hated it but I've slowly grown to accept its flaws. Out of the box it makes terrible toast, seriously it scorches part of the bread and dries it out terribly. However if I use frozen bread it works pretty well and makes nicely browned toast that isnt dry. It's also a decent little convection oven that is great for roasting a pork loin or bits of chicken. Convection is a pretty handy feature for even heating and nice crispy crusts on dishes. Overall I'm on the fence about toaster ovens--I really wanted to find something I could use for both toasting bread and making small meals. The sad truth is that toaster ovens, even expensive ones, just aren't that great at doing both. The one caveat is that Breville makes a 'smart oven' that's supposed to be amazing but is $250, too risky to spend on a toaster oven IMHO.
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Jul 4, 2012 06:01
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Steve Yun posted:A couple people have recommended the Jaccard meat tenderizer in this thread: I have that Deni and don't like it because it doesn't come apart. I do my best to rinse it off before putting it into the dishwasher. Some water always gets stuck inside. I'm trying not to think about what's growing inside. Ugh... I should throw it away.
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Jul 4, 2012 06:27
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Way back in the early days of this thread (like, the first three or four pages), there was talk of an attachment for Kitchen-Aid mixers called the Beaterblade. Does anyone in this thread now still use it, and if so, how reliable is it? I'm thinking of getting one for a neighbor who uses her mixer about five days out of seven, and I want to make sure that it's something she can use.
BearDrivingTruck fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Jul 4, 2012 |
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Jul 4, 2012 06:44
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mod sassinator posted:This is a really tough one as almost all of them make some kind of compromise. I.e. if its good at baking it's probably bad at toasting or vice versa. I've also been looking to find one that doesn't get hot on top but basically gave up and just live with being careful. I settled on a Delonghi model like this one that Costco had for $100. At first I hated it but I've slowly grown to accept its flaws. Out of the box it makes terrible toast, seriously it scorches part of the bread and dries it out terribly. However if I use frozen bread it works pretty well and makes nicely browned toast that isnt dry. It's also a decent little convection oven that is great for roasting a pork loin or bits of chicken. Convection is a pretty handy feature for even heating and nice crispy crusts on dishes. Overall I'm on the fence about toaster ovens--I really wanted to find something I could use for both toasting bread and making small meals. The sad truth is that toaster ovens, even expensive ones, just aren't that great at doing both. The one caveat is that Breville makes a 'smart oven' that's supposed to be amazing but is $250, too risky to spend on a toaster oven IMHO. What I've been told numerous times (as someone who lives in an apartment where counter space is a premium), if you want to make toast, get a toaster. If you want a tiny oven, get a toaster oven. You can make toast in a toaster oven, don't get me wrong - but its best uses come from being a tiny oven that takes a lot less time to heat up, draws a lot less power, and most importantly, won't heat up your entire kitchen if it stays on for awhile. I have family that use them religiously, and if I had the space for one I'd grab it in a heartbeat. I don't eat toast very often, so that is pretty much immaterial to me.
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Jul 4, 2012 09:30
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I bought a Breville Compact Smart Oven ($180 instead of $250 for the larger model). It's a bit spendy but I bought it as a companion oven because my main oven's broiler doesn't have a window so I consider it a fire hazard. It does everything it advertises perfectly. Cook's Illustrated loved the full Smart Oven (the Compact didn't exist at the time of their review) but their runner up was a Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Toaster Oven with Convection Cooking for $100
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Jul 4, 2012 11:15
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I prefer a toaster oven to a toaster because of the versatility. It's easy enough to play around with the temp settings to get your toast to come out the way you want. My main recommendation is to avoid getting one that is too large/fancy. All they do is take longer to heat up. I also suggest limiting the amount of oily/greasy food you cook in it. That's when they get tough to clean and begin to take on odors.
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Jul 4, 2012 14:25
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I prefer toaster oven to toaster because you can make little toast pizzas
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Jul 4, 2012 14:32
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Get this toaster oven: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Toaster-Convection-Cooking/dp/B0039BJ3JG It actually makes really good toast and also cooks stuff and costs < $100.
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Jul 4, 2012 15:00
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BearDrivingTruck posted:Way back in the early days of this thread (like, the first three or four pages), there was talk of an attachment for Kitchen-Aid mixers called the Beaterblade. Does anyone in this thread now still use it, and if so, how reliable is it? I'm thinking of getting one for a neighbor who uses her mixer about five days out of seven, and I want to make sure that it's something she can use. After about a year it snapped while my wife was using it. Emailed them and they asked for a picture. Sent it in, and apparently I had an older one that was more brittle. They replaced it with a new one that has better plastic, and it's been good for awhile. Now the bad part. I think on kitchen aid mixers it voids the warranty because it was burning out motors, because of the extra resistance. Never been a problem for the delonghi I have, but it's also 700 watts. Edit: personally my wife wouldn't use her mixer without it, so they work great, just read up on the risks.
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Jul 4, 2012 15:19
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BearDrivingTruck posted:Way back in the early days of this thread (like, the first three or four pages), there was talk of an attachment for Kitchen-Aid mixers called the Beaterblade. Does anyone in this thread now still use it, and if so, how reliable is it? I'm thinking of getting one for a neighbor who uses her mixer about five days out of seven, and I want to make sure that it's something she can use. I have the Kenwood version of the same attachment (looks the same anyway). I find if very useful when mixing smaller quantities.
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Jul 4, 2012 15:36
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BearDrivingTruck posted:Way back in the early days of this thread (like, the first three or four pages), there was talk of an attachment for Kitchen-Aid mixers called the Beaterblade. Does anyone in this thread now still use it, and if so, how reliable is it? I'm thinking of getting one for a neighbor who uses her mixer about five days out of seven, and I want to make sure that it's something she can use. I have a beaterblade for a Kitchenaid mixer. It works great, although I don't use my mixer nearly so often. I haven't heard any stories of the thing destroying mixers, but I haven't exactly been on the look-out for it.
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Jul 5, 2012 12:57
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Looking for a quality ice cream maker, preferably one under 100$? Have to hide my drinking habits from neighbors somehow, came up an idea to eat lots of alcohol flavored ice creams and sorbets.
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Jul 5, 2012 12:57
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varjoankka posted:Looking for a quality ice cream maker, preferably one under 100$? Have to hide my drinking habits from neighbors somehow, came up an idea to eat lots of alcohol flavored ice creams and sorbets. http://gizmodo.com/5860835/how-to-make-alcoholic-ice-cream-the-greatest-dessert-of-all-time You can't make alcoholic ice cream with any old recipe because alcohol's freezing point is very low. This article has a recipe, and they use a Cuisinart ice cream machine under $100 (fluctuates).
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Jul 5, 2012 16:39
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Steve Yun posted:http://gizmodo.com/5860835/how-to-make-alcoholic-ice-cream-the-greatest-dessert-of-all-time
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Jul 5, 2012 16:41
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I made fresh peach ice cream yesterday. Wanted a no cook recipe, since I wanted it then and not 6 hours later. ended up using a recipe I found online, and in true allrecipes fashion, I omitted the uncooked eggs. Other changes: I also pureed the peaches then pushed them through a chinois, and used a little more peach than the recipe called for, as well as fresh lemon juice and a bit of extra sugar. The end result was very reminiscent of sherbet. I figure the final butterfat % was around 7%, so higher than sherbet, but lower than ice cream. And it was delicious. Four stars, great recipe.
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Jul 5, 2012 17:11
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So you made peach gelato, more or less? Sounds loving good to me.
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Jul 5, 2012 22:24
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