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mindphlux posted:I'll tell you what icecream maker *not* to get, and that's that loving dumb cuisinart one that cost like $50 or $75 and has the metal freezer bowl thing that sucks a goddamn dick. It's essentially this freezer bowl mounted on top of a $7 motor with a whole lot of plastic parts and it's so loving lovely. I too found this ice cream maker worthless for somewhat different reasons. In my case, the bowl froze stuff too well. With the motor running, cream would freeze to the wall instantly when poured in. The scrapers, being flimsy plastic, simply bow inward over the icy walls without actually scraping anything off. More and more cream freezes on the walls and the scrapers get pushed/bent inwards further. Once this happens, the plastic scrapers are permanently ruined as they will no longer touch the sides of the bowl. I've had this happen 3 times. First time we thought it was a fluke, so we returned it for a replacement. The second time we thought it may have been due to the fact we were making a "light" ice cream that would freeze quicker. After it happened a third time, we said "gently caress it" and got our money back.
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Aug 27, 2014 03:00
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granpa yum posted:Any recommendations for a cheap fridge? Mine died tonight and I need to replace it asap but am currently broke. Don't care about fancy features but would like at least 20 cubic feet and if possible freezer on bottom but not if it's gonna cost 900 bucks. Sorry if nobody got back to you. Just go to Sears and buy the cheapest Kenmore on the floor. Or better yet if they have an outlet near you they'll have the old floor models for substantially less. Still solidly built stuff, the Kenmores, and the same goes for the industrial rental unit quality Whirlpools and Maytags. They don't look like $5000 display pieces, but they keep your food cold.
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Aug 27, 2014 04:35
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Crockpots? Something in the 4.5 Qt range, preferably.
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Aug 27, 2014 04:40
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Tiny Brontosaurus posted:Not picking on you, just an ongoing point of curiosity: Why didn't you use the word "gave" there? Would the sentence sound odd to you if "gave" were in there instead? Are there contexts where you say "gave" and not "gifted" or vice versa? I have this theory that people are starting to use "gifted" for givers they have less personal relationships with, like corporations and acquaintances. language is fun - where are you from originally? I say gifted to acknowledge that it was a gift of a new unit. (which was relevant given how quickly the thing failed on me) you'd say you were 'given a gift' if someone gave you a box with an appliance in it, whereas if your neighbor bob had an old beaten up icecream maker and provided it to you, you'd say yeah 'bob gave me his old icecream maker' rather than 'bob gave me a gift, his old icecream maker!' even if the unit was in pretty good shape, I'd say 'bob gave me his icecream maker' rather than 'bob gave me a gift, it was an icecream maker' if the thing wasn't new. not to detract from the usefulness of used goods - they just aren't typically "gifts" per se. more favors, or acts of kindness, if that makes sense. less pomp and circumstance.
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Aug 27, 2014 05:58
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1redflag posted:Crockpots? Something in the 4.5 Qt range, preferably. I'm of the opinion that any old cheap POS $20 crockpot will do the job
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Aug 27, 2014 06:05
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Steve Yun posted:I'm of the opinion that any old cheap POS $20 crockpot will do the job That's been my experience. The temperature probe and the fancy programming on the $80 model looked like good ideas at the time, but the drat thing ends up doing exactly the same job as the el cheapo did for years before it died.
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Aug 27, 2014 07:07
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The solution is, as with most things rugged and reliable of old, to PID that motherfucker into the new century.
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Aug 27, 2014 18:17
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I have a question that's more about which type of frying pan to get. If this isn't the right thread for that let me know and I'll move to question to the right place. I need a better non-stick pan, since the one I have now is garbage. T-fal seems to be the standard recommendation, but I'm not sure which model to get. I'm deciding between these two: 12 inch skillet http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GWG0T2/  10 in pan with lid http://www.amazon.com/T-fal-Professional-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B004VJMT78  Main uses will be egg dishes, pancakes and that kind of thing. Nothing too fancy. It seems like the 12 inch skillet is the most versatile shape, but I already have a 12 inch stainless skillet. The one with the lid seems better if I want to do quick steaming of vegetables, but it's 10 inches and has the steeper curved sides. Any advice? I'm just now getting back into cooking routinely for myself, since my new kitchen can support it.
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Aug 27, 2014 19:18
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I have that 12" skillet and it warped really quickly. It's like an island in the center and makes eggs/pancakes/liquid things annoying.
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Aug 27, 2014 19:25
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Caddrel posted:Main uses will be egg dishes, pancakes and that kind of thing. Nothing too fancy. quote:It seems like the 12 inch skillet is the most versatile shape, but I already have a 12 inch stainless skillet. The one with the lid seems better if I want to do quick steaming of vegetables, but it's 10 inches and has the steeper curved sides. I would get the 12 inch since your main use will be eggs and pancakes, which don't do well on stainless. If you're going to steam vegetables, I'd get a stainless pot, one in which you can put a steamer basket without worrying about the steamer scraping the non-stick layer off.
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Aug 27, 2014 19:27
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Caddrel posted:I have a question that's more about which type of frying pan to get. If this isn't the right thread for that let me know and I'll move to question to the right place. Buy these http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Contemporary-Nonstick-12-Inch-Omelet/dp/B000ND1WMO/ref=pd_tcs_subst_k_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1N6HKMGX8VQ21WH72FQW 12" is on the big side unless you use 4 eggs or load a ton of stuff in omeletes
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Aug 27, 2014 19:44
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Bob Morales posted:Buy these These are available at Bed Bath Beyond for $50/pair, and with one of those 20% off coupons it gets knocked down to $40
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Aug 27, 2014 19:47
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Bob Morales posted:Buy these Yup, they're pretty nice. Where I live they have a never-ending supply of these at Marshall's/TJMax for around $35. I've been using these for basically all my cooking for 5 years and they work great. They look/feel way nicer (and they are) than pretty much any other non-stick pans I've seen.
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Aug 27, 2014 19:51
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 Help me goons, you're my only hope. My spice collection is a bloody mess and I want to move everything into the same type of container (maybe two sizes to accommodate different rates of use). Any suggestions? Going for a nice aesthetic and longterm storage, here...
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Aug 27, 2014 19:57
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plotskee posted:
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Aug 27, 2014 20:14
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Looks like there's a lot of loose spices in bags as well as packets of stuff behind them too.
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Aug 27, 2014 20:15
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plotskee posted:
Mason jars are uniform sizes, available everywhere and are 100% airtight unlike most spice jars. Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 20:18
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...CWHEVYZRTM3C4KW
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Aug 27, 2014 20:26
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mindphlux posted:language is fun - where are you from originally? Iiiinteresting. I still think this is a neologism (and I hate it  ), but it's very interesting that you're reserving a word for a special level of giving. I'm from NYC but I live in LA now. Here in LA I almost always hear people say "gifted" in the sense of like "gifting suite" or "each of our clients will be gifted a free sample," aka garbagey marketing language. Personally I don't reserve a linguistic distinction between things given as gifts and things simply given. Our friends gave us wedding presents, our neighbor gave us a spare recycling bin, my husband's homebrew beer gave me a headache. Domesticity  Nouns being verbed is a really fascinating trend of modern language. Especially when, as you describe here, the old word suddenly feels insufficient for some reason. If you don't want to continue the derail that's probably wise, but I am curious why you don't trust that the difference between a present and a non-present will be clear in context. Tiny Brontosaurus fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 20:44
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plotskee posted:
Flat-topped glass jars like these. You can get shaker tops for them, and if you think your spice collection will stay a certain size, you can even buy them with a rack. Or I use these Penzeys jars which are nice because you can get different sizes while still having a uniform look. Good if you use whole-leaf spices and things like that.
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Aug 27, 2014 20:50
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The question then becomes what do you do with a few dozen Penzey's jars? That's where I am.
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Aug 27, 2014 22:37
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i like nice words
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Anne Whateley posted:The question then becomes what do you do with a few dozen Penzey's jars? That's where I am.  The plastic lids on Penzey Jars cracked on me several times. Good riddance.
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Aug 27, 2014 22:51
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plotskee posted:
Simply get a load of equally sized jars. I use screw top marmelade jars. Shake top is overrated, with tumeric, cumin, gara masla etc. I just take a pinch with my fingers... Like these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_i=507846 Hopper fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Aug 27, 2014 |
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Aug 27, 2014 23:20
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Same question, what do you do once you have a million matching jars? It just looks prettier, it isn't easier to dig through.Steve Yun posted:
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Aug 28, 2014 01:41
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Anne Whateley posted:Same question, what do you do once you have a million matching jars? It just looks prettier, it isn't easier to dig through. I have mine in a couple of really minimal metal racks like this one, right within reaching distance of the stove.
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Aug 28, 2014 04:27
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Tiny Brontosaurus posted:Iiiinteresting. I still think this is a neologism (and I hate it The answer probably can be found in my location - living in the south there are... social mores... that you really have to pay attention to. gift giving is one of them. Someone would most likely be pretty insulted if you gave them a 'used' gift at a gift giving occasion. homemade gifts are fine, but secondhand is downright rude. It's some cattiness that seems pretty normal and justified to me, but I grew up in the thick of it.
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Aug 28, 2014 07:03
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Thanks for the spice jar suggestions! There is a lot of loose stuff in the back in bags, and quite a few things I've been holding off on restocking until I have some good airtight containers. I move a lot and am trying to put together as portable a kitchen as possible, but only cook for one so go through spices fairly slowly. Most spice jars seem cheaply made and not reliably airtight. The Penzey jars are the most attractive to me out of the suggestions, is the seal on them reasonable? (if I could find suitably sized mason jars for everyday use I would go that route as well).
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Aug 28, 2014 15:25
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I don't know if they're literally airtight, but the seal seems good to me. My cabinet is right above my sink, so a few times I've dropped a jar into a pot of water, but the contents didn't get damp at all.Tiny Brontosaurus posted:I have mine in a couple of really minimal metal racks like this one, right within reaching distance of the stove. 
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Aug 28, 2014 15:50
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Anne Whateley posted:B-but light and heat If you're not using the spices quickly enough that he light/heat degredation don't matter, you won't notice the quality loss. Besides I bet you've got spices in there that are well over a year old and, frankly, something something snobbery. Just use the spice racks that make you happy and make you use spices more often. If you don't use spices because you don't know you have them, you're worse off than if they're preserved slightly worse.
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Aug 28, 2014 17:21
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Anne Whateley posted:I don't know if they're literally airtight, but the seal seems good to me. My cabinet is right above my sink, so a few times I've dropped a jar into a pot of water, but the contents didn't get damp at all. It's on another wall! And yeah, something something snobbery! Also south-dude I didn't say I gave people used gifts 
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Aug 28, 2014 17:36
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Anne Whateley posted:Same question, what do you do once you have a million matching jars? It just looks prettier, it isn't easier to dig through. You glue neodymium magnets to them and stick them to the biggest magnetic slab in your kitchen.  The jars are from Specialty Bottle.
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Aug 28, 2014 17:46
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Only the sides of my fridge are magnetic. 
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Aug 28, 2014 17:48
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This is GWS and this is the product recommendation thread. If there's one place for ridiculously min-maxing everything from spice storage to pot lids . . .
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Aug 28, 2014 18:37
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Anne Whateley posted:Same question, what do you do once you have a million matching jars? It just looks prettier, it isn't easier to dig through. Anyway, when I see plotskee's ten spice jars I'm just thinking that I have more than ten kinds of dry rub. And about as many different kinds of pickling mixes. I don't even know how many kinds of chili powder, and that ain't even counting all the dried peppers from the garden (in gallon ziplocks, mostly). Or the giant cambro full of Korean pepper. I mean poo poo I've got three kinds of salt (table, and two sizes of kosher). Point being that what works as a nice and tidy arrangement when you've got a couple of different spices goes absolutely to loving poo poo the more you accumulate.
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Aug 28, 2014 19:36
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SubG posted:Yeah, I actually prefer having things in different types of containers, just so it's easier to lay hands on poo poo. And I guess I don't feel like a bunch of little identical jars is exactly the aesthetic ideal anyway. Actually for things I keep in large quantities (spice mixes, salts, etc.) I use flat stackable plastic tubs like this. 3 of them stacked are the exact height and depth of my cabinet shelves, and there's plenty of room to maneuver a scoop or measuring cup or just reach in and grab a handful. plotskee posted:The Penzey jars are the most attractive to me out of the suggestions, is the seal on them reasonable? (if I could find suitably sized mason jars for everyday use I would go that route as well). Missed this but the seal is great, yeah. I dropped one into a pot of boiling stock once and the spice inside was no worse for wear. Which is good, because I don't think I would have enjoyed ginger-flavored soup. Tiny Brontosaurus fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Aug 28, 2014 |
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Aug 28, 2014 20:29
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Tiny Brontosaurus posted:Actually for things I keep in large quantities (spice mixes, salts, etc.) I use flat stackable plastic tubs like this. 3 of them stacked are the exact height and depth of my cabinet shelves, and there's plenty of room to maneuver a scoop or measuring cup or just reach in and grab a handful.
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Aug 28, 2014 21:01
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SubG posted:At around that size I use 2 quart cambros, which stack with 4 quart cambros (which are big enough to hold around 5 pounds of most dry goods, e.g. a bag of flour). For smaller stuff that's too big for `standard' spice jars I use 16 oz/half quart delitainers (which stack, are cheap, and I always loving have some). Yeah we have tons of those too, but mostly in the pantry. For my kitchen itself I prefer stuff that fits perfectly in the storage space we have. The dry goods cabinet is a smooth wall of labeled, compartmentalized storage like a space ship, which I love.
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Aug 28, 2014 21:05
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Recommend a pair of kitchen shears? The one I have, cheap Target Chefmate ones, broke in their plastic handle while I was cutting some plastic. These are #1 on Amazon but they don't come apart for ease of cleaning: http://www.amazon.com/Kitchenaid-Classic-Shears-With-Black/dp/B0050U240O/
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Aug 29, 2014 00:31
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Josh Lyman posted:Recommend a pair of kitchen shears? The one I have, cheap Target Chefmate ones, broke in their plastic handle while I was cutting some plastic. I just moved into a new place and the last tenant left behind a pair of Henckels kitchen shears that come apart. They are AWESOME!
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Aug 29, 2014 01:24
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mich posted:I have that and it works pretty well provided that you have a surface that it will suction to. I've used it to make falafel so it will do exactly that. Grinding meat on the coarse grind works well and definitely make sure to coarse grind it first if you plan to use the fine grind plate. Grinding chickpeas is even easier as you might imagine. I ended up buying that grinder, and it definitely powered through the chickpeas pretty easily. I'm currently baking them and the texture came out pretty good - somewhat tender, but with distinct chickpea bits. Much better than what inspired me to get it in the first place: mushy, uniform falafels. Ugh. I'm looking forward to eating more falafels than any sane man should. I'm also going to experiment with other beans and see how it goes.
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Aug 29, 2014 01:49
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