The GWS product recommendation thread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The GWS product recommendation thread

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

Doh004 posted:

Don't get a lovely coffee grinder if you're going to be drinking coffee. It's easily one of the first upgrades you should make to better tasting coffee.

If you're just going to use it to grind spices, that's fine.

Addendum: a lovely blade grinder is okay if you're doing cold-brew coffee

# ? Apr 30, 2014 18:29

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 21:13

Stalizard: Aug 11, 2006; Have I got a headache!

For all of you having trouble with mandolins and wayward fingers, I can't recommend this cut resistant glove strongly enough. We have to use them at work when we're using knives. It's terrible for that, but perfect for running a bunch of vegetables through a mandolin. You have a lot more control with the glove than with one of those awkward guards, and it stops your hand from getting all sliced.

I don't have a washing machine so I just throw mine in the dishwasher, works just fine.

# ? Apr 30, 2014 18:42

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

Somebody way back in the thread somewhere suggested putting a tight-fitting food service glove on top of the cut-resistant glove. That way, it takes a lot longer for the glove to get smelly and gross.

# ? Apr 30, 2014 18:57

deimos: Nov 30, 2006; Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!

Doh004 posted:

Not sure of the brand, it was some plastic-y one my roomate got for christmas. I should buy a legit one but it'd just be another thing that'd take up space in my tiny NYC apartment.

If it wasn't a Benriner I'd wager that was your issue, if the less sharp the edge of a mandoline the more dangerous it becomes.

Just buy a Benriner, well worth the :10bux:

# ? Apr 30, 2014 19:16

dino.: Mar 28, 2010; Yip Yip, bitch.

Doh004 posted:

Not sure of the brand, it was some plastic-y one my roomate got for christmas. I should buy a legit one but it'd just be another thing that'd take up space in my tiny NYC apartment.

Go to MTC Kitchen at 45th and 3rd in Manhattan. They have the Benriner for less than $25. It's small enough to fit in a drawer easily, and sharp as all hell. They're pretty much the equivalent of Takashimaya when it used to be in Manhattan.

# ? Apr 30, 2014 20:38

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

No Wave posted:

Pesto/hummus = Food processor (or very strong blender)

People do pesto in a food processor, but it really comes out better if you do it by hand with a really sharp knife. You slice up a shitload of basil, add in some lightly roasted pine nuts, mince mince mince, a little more pine nut, mince mince mince, and so on until you get a really fine, moist, malleable mass.

The really gimmick or whatever you want to call it is that using a knife you're not bruising the basil, which a food processor will.

I mean pretty much any way you approach it it'll work, but the final product definitely ends up having a different character if you go at it by hand. I tried making pesto using like a dozen different techniques, everything from using a food processor to pounding the gently caress out of everything in a molcajete, and doing it all by hand with a knife was definitely the technique that made me think holy poo poo, yeah this is what works.

# ? Apr 30, 2014 21:14

Doh004: Apr 22, 2007; Mmmmm Donuts...

dino. posted:

Go to MTC Kitchen at 45th and 3rd in Manhattan. They have the Benriner for less than $25. It's small enough to fit in a drawer easily, and sharp as all hell. They're pretty much the equivalent of Takashimaya when it used to be in Manhattan.

Dino is the best.

# ? Apr 30, 2014 21:24

Tiny Brontosaurus: Aug 1, 2013; by Lowtax

SubG posted:

People do pesto in a food processor, but it really comes out better if you do it by hand with a really sharp knife. You slice up a shitload of basil, add in some lightly roasted pine nuts, mince mince mince, a little more pine nut, mince mince mince, and so on until you get a really fine, moist, malleable mass.

The really gimmick or whatever you want to call it is that using a knife you're not bruising the basil, which a food processor will.

I mean pretty much any way you approach it it'll work, but the final product definitely ends up having a different character if you go at it by hand. I tried making pesto using like a dozen different techniques, everything from using a food processor to pounding the gently caress out of everything in a molcajete, and doing it all by hand with a knife was definitely the technique that made me think holy poo poo, yeah this is what works.

I make pesto the same way, but I really like making hummus in a molcajete. I tend to like a little unevenness in texture for grainy foods though, and some people prefer a smoother texture.

# ? Apr 30, 2014 21:27

mindphlux: Jan 8, 2004; by R. Guyovich

does anyone have any experience with evaluating vent hoods? I'm moving and want to get a gently caress off one with a giant externally mounted blower, but don't know where to begin. I've googled my butt off. I think I need something 900-1200cfm and 42"x27" based on what I've read - but there are all these different baffle and grease trap types, and I can't seem to find any objective reviews worth salt. I also have no idea what is a reasonable amount to pay for something like this, or how to find an installer. :L babbys first homeimprovementproject.

# ? May 1, 2014 06:41

dalstrs: Mar 11, 2004; At least this way my kill will have some use; Dinosaur Gum

I'm not really sure what makes the fuzzy logic rice cookers better than cheapo ones, but I saw this deal on a 10-cup one and thought I would post it up for anyone interested.

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/119513/newegg---rosewill-10-cup-fuzzy-logic-rice-cooker

# ? May 1, 2014 21:57

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

Has anyone ever used oven gloves/grill gloves? My oven mitts have started to wear down, and I'm thinking of buying these gloves to replace them, because it would be nice to have a bit more dexterity when handling something like a host cast iron pan or even just for grabbing cookie sheets out of the oven without worrying about mashing a cookie near the edge of the sheet. Do the gloves work? Any brands to recommend? What about those I linked?

# ? May 3, 2014 04:27

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

TychoCelchuuu posted:

Has anyone ever used oven gloves/grill gloves? My oven mitts have started to wear down, and I'm thinking of buying these gloves to replace them, because it would be nice to have a bit more dexterity when handling something like a host cast iron pan or even just for grabbing cookie sheets out of the oven without worrying about mashing a cookie near the edge of the sheet. Do the gloves work? Any brands to recommend? What about those I linked?

Eh. I understand the theoretical arguments for mitts and oven gloves, but in most cases I don't want to have to put on or take off whatever I'm using to pull something out of the oven. Because I'm doing other poo poo at the same time. So I just use a side towel or whatever.

Anyone want to argue for gloves? I'm willing to be convinced. And I haven't even used a damp towel by accident lately.

# ? May 3, 2014 06:20

FishBulb: Mar 29, 2003; Marge, I'd like to be alone with the sandwich for a moment.

Are you going to eat it?

...yes...

Nah my mom bought me an "ov glove" years ago because she's a well meaning old lady who doesn't know suit about cooking and it was pretty much a pain in the rear end. I guess you could make an argument for like, rearranging logs on a wood stove or something but for a normal kitchen it's exactly ore of a pain than just grabbing a couple layers of towel.

# ? May 3, 2014 06:27

TychoCelchuuu: Jan 2, 2012; This space for Rent.

I have a feeling I'm the only one on earth who's neurotic about towels. Maybe I just have lovely kitchen towels (I think a better way of describing them is "threadbare rags") but by the time I bunch them up enough to be fairly certain I won't burn myself, they're too unwieldy and small. Certainly if I want to grasp my cast iron pan that's been sitting in a 450 degree oven for an hour and shake it around a bit, I feel like I want something like an oven mitt to make sure I can have a more secure grip (that pan is heavy even without food in it!). So maybe the solution is just buying nicer towels, but even then it still always feels unwieldy when I use a towel - don't parts of it flop onto whatever you're holding, or hang down too much and touch the heating element in the oven, or get caught on something, or get wet and then cause you to burn yourself?

I guess the way to rephrase my question is that if I'm already a fuddy duddy who uses normal oven mitts to touch most hot things (at least, most hot things in the oven), is a glove going to work, or are they just expensive oven mitts? Although looking at the prices for oven mitts those seem pretty bad too and I'm not sure I want to stalk garage sales until I can find some cheap ones.

# ? May 3, 2014 06:56

Five Spice: Nov 20, 2007; By your powers combined...

I own Ove Gloves, and I really like them. :shobon:

I don't feel that they're gimmicky. I use the wad o' towel method as well, but for instances where I'd rather be safe than sorry, I've never had an issue with them being unwieldy or difficult to remove. It takes just as much time for me to put them on as it does to bunch up a kitchen towel. I like the gloves a lot better than oven mitts; I feel like you have more dexterity.

# ? May 3, 2014 23:00

EvilElmo: May 10, 2009

Is there a great cookbook for beginners? I'm looking for something like a textbook for learning how to cook. Photos, techniques, tips and recipes to help practice. Does such a thing exist?

Prefer in metric measurements.

# ? May 4, 2014 06:02

Dacap: Jul 8, 2008; I've been involved in a number of cults, both as a leader and a follower.

You have more fun as a follower. But you make more money as a leader.

EvilElmo posted:

Is there a great cookbook for beginners? I'm looking for something like a textbook for learning how to cook. Photos, techniques, tips and recipes to help practice. Does such a thing exist?

Prefer in metric measurements.

How to Cook Everything

http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Everythi...cook+everything

# ? May 4, 2014 06:03

Jarmak: Jan 24, 2005

TychoCelchuuu posted:

I have a feeling I'm the only one on earth who's neurotic about towels. Maybe I just have lovely kitchen towels (I think a better way of describing them is "threadbare rags") but by the time I bunch them up enough to be fairly certain I won't burn myself, they're too unwieldy and small. Certainly if I want to grasp my cast iron pan that's been sitting in a 450 degree oven for an hour and shake it around a bit, I feel like I want something like an oven mitt to make sure I can have a more secure grip (that pan is heavy even without food in it!). So maybe the solution is just buying nicer towels, but even then it still always feels unwieldy when I use a towel - don't parts of it flop onto whatever you're holding, or hang down too much and touch the heating element in the oven, or get caught on something, or get wet and then cause you to burn yourself?

I guess the way to rephrase my question is that if I'm already a fuddy duddy who uses normal oven mitts to touch most hot things (at least, most hot things in the oven), is a glove going to work, or are they just expensive oven mitts? Although looking at the prices for oven mitts those seem pretty bad too and I'm not sure I want to stalk garage sales until I can find some cheap ones.

I have a set of silicone pads that hang from the back splash I use for this (on of them is actually a silicone half-mit but usually I just grab whatever I can reach easiest cause they all work just as good)

Also having only read the OP and the last two pages I'm suprised that gyutos are considered such an off-beat choice, I was under the impression they were the undisputed kings of the high end category. Got this for the wife a couple Christmas's ago and its amazing (if pricey) http://www.chefknivestogo.com/kohd27gywcuc.html , almost as hard has the top end White #2 knives (it rates a HRC of 61, down from an HRC of 62-65 for most of the best carbon steel knives) but is vastly more stain and corrosion resistant so its far more practical as an every day knife.

Anyone have much experience with the Wusthof Classic Ikons? Was thinking of getting this: http://www.chefsarsenal.com/wusthof-classic-ikon-studio-knife-block-set-9595.html to replace my lovely old beater knives, mostly to be used as at-the-ready utility knives and for things I might consider to be a bit too abusive for the more brittle/expensive gyuto. Was aiming to not spend too much cause the goal is to eventually have a full set of the Konosuke knives over the years, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on knives that will eventually be replaced.

# ? May 4, 2014 12:31

Chef De Cuisinart: Oct 31, 2010; Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.

Jarmak posted:

I have a set of silicone pads that hang from the back splash I use for this (on of them is actually a silicone half-mit but usually I just grab whatever I can reach easiest cause they all work just as good)

Also having only read the OP and the last two pages I'm suprised that gyutos are considered such an off-beat choice, I was under the impression they were the undisputed kings of the high end category. Got this for the wife a couple Christmas's ago and its amazing (if pricey) http://www.chefknivestogo.com/kohd27gywcuc.html , almost as hard has the top end White #2 knives (it rates a HRC of 61, down from an HRC of 62-65 for most of the best carbon steel knives) but is vastly more stain and corrosion resistant so its far more practical as an every day knife.

Anyone have much experience with the Wusthof Classic Ikons? Was thinking of getting this: http://www.chefsarsenal.com/wusthof-classic-ikon-studio-knife-block-set-9595.html to replace my lovely old beater knives, mostly to be used as at-the-ready utility knives and for things I might consider to be a bit too abusive for the more brittle/expensive gyuto. Was aiming to not spend too much cause the goal is to eventually have a full set of the Konosuke knives over the years, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on knives that will eventually be replaced.

Go check the knife thread. German knives suck, long live Hanzo steel! :chef:

# ? May 4, 2014 13:11

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

Well, the op is really old and was written back before the knife nerds convinced everyone about how good Japanese knives are. On top of that, many products in the op no longer exist or are supplanted by better, newer products. Might be time for an update. Or maybe even a new thread?

Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 15:02 on May 4, 2014

# ? May 4, 2014 14:44

plotskee: Mar 10, 2010; Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

I'm shopping for a wedding, going to split a cookware purchase with someone. This is on the registry: Calphalon Hard Anodized 8 Piece Set - I've waded through 50 pages of this thread, with the recommendation seeming to be the nicer Cusinart pans. These seem a little cheap to be good, but do any goons have experience with them? And also, you can use metal utensils on hard anodized pans, yeah?

# ? May 5, 2014 18:45

Comic: Feb 24, 2008; Mad Comic Stylings

Can anyone recommend a fine grater? Something like you'd use for zesting or nutmeg?

# ? May 5, 2014 18:49

nwin: Feb 25, 2002; make's u think

Comic posted:

Can anyone recommend a fine grater? Something like you'd use for zesting or nutmeg?

Microplane.

# ? May 5, 2014 18:52

Bob Morales: Aug 18, 2006; ~~Just wear the fucking mask, Bob~~

I don't care how many people I probably infected with COVID-19 while refusing to wear a mask, my comfort is far more important than the health and safety of everyone around me!

plotskee posted:

I'm shopping for a wedding, going to split a cookware purchase with someone. This is on the registry: Calphalon Hard Anodized 8 Piece Set - I've waded through 50 pages of this thread, with the recommendation seeming to be the nicer Cusinart pans. These seem a little cheap to be good, but do any goons have experience with them? And also, you can use metal utensils on hard anodized pans, yeah?

I have what's probably an older model of those omelet pans (no rubber grips on mine) and they are fantastic.

# ? May 5, 2014 18:52

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

plotskee posted:

I'm shopping for a wedding, going to split a cookware purchase with someone. This is on the registry: Calphalon Hard Anodized 8 Piece Set - I've waded through 50 pages of this thread, with the recommendation seeming to be the nicer Cusinart pans. These seem a little cheap to be good, but do any goons have experience with them? And also, you can use metal utensils on hard anodized pans, yeah?

Can't use metal utensils, the anodized aluminum is on the outside, the inside is teflon.

Keep in mind also that non-sticks will generally fall apart after a few years.

The price seems fine, it's Calphalon's mainstream/affordable line.

What Cuisinart set were you looking at?

# ? May 5, 2014 19:05

Flash Gordon Ramsay: Sep 28, 2004; Grimey Drawer

nwin posted:

Microplane.

This, a thousand times over. I use it for nutmeg, zest, parm, ginger, and sometimes garlic.

# ? May 5, 2014 19:29

Comic: Feb 24, 2008; Mad Comic Stylings

nwin posted:

Microplane.

So, one of these? I just want to verify.

# ? May 5, 2014 19:46

Flash Gordon Ramsay: Sep 28, 2004; Grimey Drawer

Comic posted:

So, one of these? I just want to verify.

Yep. They also have one that's wider but shorter. I have both and use the wide one more, but either will get the job done just fine.

# ? May 5, 2014 19:49

plotskee: Mar 10, 2010; Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Steve Yun posted:

Can't use metal utensils, the anodized aluminum is on the outside, the inside is teflon.

Keep in mind also that non-sticks will generally fall apart after a few years.

The price seems fine, it's Calphalon's mainstream/affordable line.

What Cuisinart set were you looking at?

This one, which looks acceptable and I love cooking with stainless. Everyone talks about the multiclad pro, though, is this a decent set?

# ? May 5, 2014 20:18

nwin: Feb 25, 2002; make's u think

plotskee posted:

This one, which looks acceptable and I love cooking with stainless. Everyone talks about the multiclad pro, though, is this a decent set?

I have that one...had it for the last 5 years or so and it's been great. Keep in mind that the only pots/pans I used before that were the non-stick sets you could pick up at target/walmart.

I use the sautee pan the most probably, and it does really well.

I still use some hard anodized pans for eggs, etc, but these work just fine for most everything. I would say that the 8 and 12" pans seem a bit thin, but that would be my only complaint.

# ? May 5, 2014 20:30

Steve Yun: Aug 7, 2003; I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.; Soiled Meat

plotskee posted:

This one, which looks acceptable and I love cooking with stainless. Everyone talks about the multiclad pro, though, is this a decent set?

Multiclad/tri-ply is slightly better, but that's a solid set for $150 and will last almost forever, unlike the non-sticks

# ? May 5, 2014 20:46

Tiny Brontosaurus: Aug 1, 2013; by Lowtax

I'm looking for something kitcheny to throw into a gift basket for a friend just getting into serious cooking. What's the most useful hand tool you guys like that's in about the 20-30 range?

# ? May 5, 2014 22:46

deimos: Nov 30, 2006; Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!

Tiny Brontosaurus posted:

I'm looking for something kitcheny to throw into a gift basket for a friend just getting into serious cooking. What's the most useful hand tool you guys like that's in about the 20-30 range?

Benriner Mandoline and Kevlar Glove (might bump up the total to $35 since you might not have time to wait for a special/hunt around).

# ? May 5, 2014 23:07

GigaFool: Oct 22, 2001

Tiny Brontosaurus posted:

I'm looking for something kitcheny to throw into a gift basket for a friend just getting into serious cooking. What's the most useful hand tool you guys like that's in about the 20-30 range?

Most of these are under 20-30 so you could get more than one:

Microplane
Tongs (the Oxo's with hard silicone tips are pretty good for all-purpose home use)
Thin stainless spatulas (one rigid, one flexible)
High-temp silicone spatulas
Wood stirring spoons
Strainers of varying mesh sizes
Stainless whisks
Titanium kitchen shears (ones that come apart for cleaning are best)
Mortar and pestle

# ? May 6, 2014 00:08

.Z.: Jan 12, 2008

Edit: ^^^ He beat me to some of this stuff

deimos posted:

Benriner Mandoline and Kevlar Glove (might bump up the total to $35 since you might not have time to wait for a special/hunt around).

If you bump the total to $35, the Kuhn Rikon epicurean garlic press and kershaw taskmaster kitchen shears are in range.

For things in the original 20-30 range:
-Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peelers are cheap and nice.
-Microplane graters both the home and professional version. (I prefer the professional ones as they are all metal)
-All silicone spatulas like the GIR
-Norpro vertical chicken roaster
-Oxo adjustable measuring cups
-prep bowls/ramekins
-I could keep going :p

# ? May 6, 2014 00:09

Chef De Cuisinart: Oct 31, 2010; Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.

A pair of all steel locking tong with a good spring. Tongs are my go-to utensil. Decent peeler, maybe a single 8in carbon steel pan, there's a ton of stuff in that range.

# ? May 6, 2014 01:26

mod sassinator: Dec 13, 2006; I came here to Kick Ass and Chew Bubblegum,
and I'm All out of Ass

I use the heck out of the perfect beaker. Less often used but super handy to have is this adjustable measuring cup for sticky stuff like peanut butter or honey.

# ? May 6, 2014 09:25

deimos: Nov 30, 2006; Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!

mod sassinator posted:

I use the heck out of the perfect beaker. Less often used but super handy to have is this adjustable measuring cup for sticky stuff like peanut butter or honey.

As Muad'Brown taught us.

# ? May 6, 2014 12:18

Comic: Feb 24, 2008; Mad Comic Stylings

I'm not really a fan of those latter measuring cups. I bought some for my mother, and she loves them, but I feel like I still have to get in there and scrape stuff off with a spatula, and cleaning them you have to be aware of the rubber stopper and stuff... Needless to say I don't feel the need to buy one for myself. May pick up that beaker thing if I need a new measuring cup of the sort in the future I guess.

# ? May 6, 2014 12:35

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 21:13

Flash Gordon Ramsay: Sep 28, 2004; Grimey Drawer

I'm not sure what you mean by having to get in there and scrape stuff off. The only thing you should have to scrape is the bottom of the cup. You collapse the measuring cup into your work bowl or whatever which pushes everything out, and then one pass over the bottom of it and all your ingredient is in your work bowl.

I only use them for messy or sticky ingredients but they are godsend for those things.

# ? May 6, 2014 12:45

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