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Chamber vacs generate a vacuum then seal the bag within before releasing back to atmospheric pressure. Food savers suck most of the air out of specially designed bags then seal them to not let air back inside. Similar end result if you’re just doing things like coffee beans. Chamber vacs become a lot more important when incorporating liquids for things such as rapid marinades, vacuum infusions, pasta rehydration or vacuum compressing fruit. I primarily got one for storing the wild game I butcher but once you have one you find all sorts of fun and interesting poo poo to do with them. You can whip up last minute oleo saccharums in only a few minuets.
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Dec 28, 2021 18:07
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Is there any eco-friendly way to use a vacuum sealer on a regular basis? I'm trying to cut down on plastic waste.
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Dec 28, 2021 19:08
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annova claims to be developing biodegradable bags  other that that, there are reusable bags which use the vacuum sealer's hose attachment. I have no idea how well they work
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Dec 28, 2021 19:15
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Mason jar attachment for applicable sized things? For water bath cooking I use the reusable silicon bags. If I can't get all the air out it still usually cooks fine, sometimes I throw silverware in there to weigh it down.
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Dec 28, 2021 20:21
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I don't feel great about the waste so it would be nice if there was a solution, but using a vacuum sealer + bags takes up so much less freezer space and is so much more convenient than other methods of storing stuff I don't think I can go back to anything else now. I've been gradually upping the quantities when I make everything so I can start freezing multiple extra portions and it's so nice to have a whole selection of stuff I can just defrost if I'm feeling lazy.
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Dec 28, 2021 20:26
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Subjunctive posted:What do chamber vacs do differently in terms of sealing from foodsavers? foodsavers pump the air out of the bag. chamber vacs pump the air out of the chamber around the bag and then seal it and let the atmospheric pressure crush it. you know how you can get the air out of sous-vide bags by dunking them underwater? Chamber vac is That But In A Controlled Chamber With An Industrial Seal Bar.
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Dec 28, 2021 20:29
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Paul MaudDib posted:foodsavers pump the air out of the bag. chamber vacs pump the air out of the chamber around the bag and then seal it and let the atmospheric pressure crush it. Yeah, I understand the difference in evacuation, but it sounded like you were having a problem with the seal, not the handling of the contents. I don’t quite understand how chamber vacuums displace air from the bag like water pressure does, but I’ll find a video on YouTube or something. I thought they just created a vacuum in a structured container (rather than a mere unstructured bag) and then sealed off the contents before air can return to the evacuated space (including the parts enclosed by the bag).
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Dec 29, 2021 04:33
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Subjunctive posted:Yeah, I understand the difference in evacuation, but it sounded like you were having a problem with the seal, not the handling of the contents. they don't displace air "from the bag", they reduce the atmospheric pressure in the whole chamber and the thing comes to an equilibrium, then it seals the bag at that lower pressure equilibrium. have you ever brought a bag of chips or an empty bottle onto an airplane before? noticed how the bag or bottle swells up in size when you're mid flight, and if you open & close a bottle mid flight then it will be depressed and partially crushed when you land? that's the same thing as a vacuum chamber sealer
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Dec 29, 2021 04:54
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Any recommendations for a quality compact mortar and pestle? Mainly for crushing spices or making small batches of pesto or garlic/ginger paste when I don't want to dig my big granite motherfucker from the back of the cabinet. I was thinking of something like this but if anyone has one they really like, I'd be curious.
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Dec 29, 2021 06:01
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fart simpson posted:they don't displace air "from the bag", they reduce the atmospheric pressure in the whole chamber and the thing comes to an equilibrium, then it seals the bag at that lower pressure equilibrium. have you ever brought a bag of chips or an empty bottle onto an airplane before? noticed how the bag or bottle swells up in size when you're mid flight, and if you open & close a bottle mid flight then it will be depressed and partially crushed when you land? that's the same thing as a vacuum chamber sealer That’s what I thought, until Paul made the analogy to submerging a ziploc. Thank you!
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Dec 29, 2021 06:21
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Subjunctive posted:That’s what I thought, until Paul made the analogy to submerging a ziploc. Thank you! well, submerging a ziploc is also basically the same thing!
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Dec 29, 2021 06:23
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fart simpson posted:well, submerging a ziploc is also basically the same thing! I guess? When you submerge a ziploc, the pressure differential causes compression of the bag, which pushes the air out. AIUI in a chamber vac the air is evacuated equally inside and outside the bag, and there isn’t a pressure differential applied to the bag until the vacuum is released and atmospheric pressure reaches the newly-sealed package. I really gotta find some elementary-school animation of this or something.
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Dec 29, 2021 06:38
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Subjunctive posted:I guess? When you submerge a ziploc, the pressure differential causes compression of the bag, which pushes the air out. AIUI in a chamber vac the air is evacuated equally inside and outside the bag, and there isn’t a pressure differential applied to the bag until the vacuum is released and atmospheric pressure reaches the newly-sealed package. Chamber machines are essentially vacuum pots with a seal bar inside of them. They make a truly low-pressure environment, to the point that you have to watch your liquids because at room or sometimes even fridge temps they will boil very easily. This condition will even remove the air from within the items inside, which is handy for infusing liquids into porous solids or rapid cooling breads. tonedef131 fucked around with this message at 16:16 on Dec 29, 2021 |
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Dec 29, 2021 16:14
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Why would I want to use an instant-read thermometer instead of a leave-in? Won't the leave-in be more useful in the oven, for instance, by telling me right when a roast comes to temperature?
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Dec 31, 2021 17:12
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Why would I want to use an instant-read thermometer instead of a leave-in? Won't the leave-in be more useful in the oven, for instance, by telling me right when a roast comes to temperature? Because leave in ones take longer to stabilize. If you use one to check a steak it takes a while versus an instant.
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Dec 31, 2021 17:43
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With an instant read thermometer you can get multiple readings from different areas quickly. A remote probe is indeed nice to have for a roast, but you'll only know the temp in one specific spot. E.g. when I roast a chicken, I aim for ~150F in the breast but ~170F in the thigh.
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Dec 31, 2021 17:46
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You want both for different uses. You don't have to get the super high-end ones, the ones that are like $12-20 are fine.
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Dec 31, 2021 17:50
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i like nice words
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I already have a dot, but find myself using the ThermaPen constantly, and realized this is probably a dumb decision in may cases.
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Dec 31, 2021 18:11
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A leave in can actually read falsely high in the oven can't it? Since metal would be conducting heat into the center Probably not an issue but part of the magic of cooking is poking stuff with my thermapen
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Dec 31, 2021 19:07
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I bought my wife a 7 qt Staub for Christmas. It's beautiful and just feels fancy when making a soup. I'm going to try a curry sometime soon.
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Dec 31, 2021 19:15
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SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:A leave in can actually read falsely high in the oven can't it? Since metal would be conducting heat into the center No, the temperature is measured at the tip of the probe and the housing can’t exceed the temperature of the meat around it because that’s not how heat transfer works. Usually I use a leave-in probe in one place and spot check others with the instant read, but it’s especially helpful when you have six chicken thighs you want to check.
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Jan 1, 2022 05:45
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Lawnie posted:No, the temperature is measured at the tip of the probe and the housing can’t exceed the temperature of the meat around it because that’s not how heat transfer works. Usually I use a leave-in probe in one place and spot check others with the instant read, but it’s especially helpful when you have six chicken thighs you want to check. The probe conducts heat into the meat around the probe. Because the meat resists changing temperature, that is the change in temp in the meat is not instantaneous, the area around the probe increases in temp faster than areas farther away. So, the probe does actually accurately measure the temp meat at its tip but the temp of the meat around the probe is a bit higher than areas a little further away. In my experience this is usually pretty negligible though. A degree or two at most which you can correct for by spot checking with an instant read.
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Jan 1, 2022 16:12
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Murgos posted:The probe conducts heat into the meat around the probe. I have never heard of this and I’m still very suspect that the probe tip is 2 degrees out of equilibrium with the meat surrounding it. Maybe I’m wrong but I just dont think that’s how heat works.
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Jan 1, 2022 16:42
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Lawnie posted:I have never heard of this and I’m still very suspect that the probe tip is 2 degrees out of equilibrium with the meat surrounding it. Maybe I’m wrong but I just dont think that’s how heat works. I think you are misunderstanding him. The meat around the probe isn’t a different temperature than the probe, it’s a different temperature than the meat that is farther away from the probe, because the probe itself is less resistant to temperature change and conducts some additional heat to the meat that surrounds it
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Jan 1, 2022 19:41
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To build an intuition for physics it's good to A) look for analogues and B) consider the extreme case. For A, it's like the tines holding a rotisserie or a kebab skewer. The former is low and slow and the latter is much quicker, and in both cases it doesn't hurt the end result. For B) consider instead a hot railroad spike in a small steak. There would be heat conducting in through the spike for sure. Even in that extreme case though the meat would heat faster from the outside than from the railroad tie since the only heat that can conduct through the tie is the heat it collects through its external surface area, which is much smaller than the surface area of the meat itself. E: I'm only addressing the "overcooks the inside of the meat" question, not the "accurately measures highest internal meat temp" question. I definitely agree with those who say use the probe for "getting close" and also instant for the last 10 degrees. BrianBoitano fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Jan 1, 2022 |
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Jan 1, 2022 22:22
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Brother Tadger posted:I think you are misunderstanding him. The meat around the probe isn’t a different temperature than the probe, it’s a different temperature than the meat that is farther away from the probe, because the probe itself is less resistant to temperature change and conducts some additional heat to the meat that surrounds it Yeah I was misunderstanding them before. I don’t think this hypothesis is true though, either.
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Jan 2, 2022 02:18
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BrianBoitano posted:For B) consider instead a hot railroad spike in a small steak. There would be heat conducting in through the spike for sure. Even in that extreme case though the meat would heat faster from the outside than from the railroad tie since the only heat that can conduct through the tie is the heat it collects through its external surface area, which is much smaller than the surface area of the meat itself. Metal will transfer heat more efficiently than steak will though. They have baking nails that make baked potatoes cook slightly faster, without much surface area exposed outside of the potato. And if you roast veggies on a sheet tray in an oven, the parts of the veggies touching the tray brown more. Although the tray also has way more surface area to collect heat, so there's that. Maybe the solution is a thin probe mostly coated in an insulator like silicone, with the only exposed metal being on the very tip.
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Jan 2, 2022 09:51
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I've been reading reviews and I think I'm gonna go with the Vacmaster VP200. Air cooled will be fine, I'm not gonna be slamming it for 50 bags in a row, and the chamber on the VP200 is quite deep - 4.7" is almost as deep as the high-end models that cost 2.5x as much. That was a big part of what I didn't like about some of the cheaper third-party models , some of them have chambers that are only like 3" deep which is a bit shallow. The big concession on the the VP200 is power, the VP210 (and the VP215 oil-cooled/etc) are 2.5x as powerful as the VP200. They both can supposedly pull the same amount of mercury so I think that just translates into the VP210 and above pulling a vacuum faster, but the VP200 also allows you to run cycles for twice as long, so I'm not really sure that matters unless you're really worried about throughput/cycle time. The "press down to start" lid on the cheaper models is a little janky, the lockbar functionality on the higher models would be nice. Other than that I think I can live with the compromises. KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Is there any eco-friendly way to use a vacuum sealer on a regular basis? I'm trying to cut down on plastic waste. the bags are polyethylene (it's like a six-pack ring) so you can put them in with the grocery bag return. Food contamination in the plastic mixture is obviously a problem so you absolutely must clean them before recycling. That said, grocery bags and similar are very low-grade plastic and there’s not much that can be done with it besides more grocery bags, so given all the caveats I get if that’s not satisfactory, but as a general statement you can recycle the bags. You can also cut the bag long enough that you can get a couple uses out of it. Again, just wash it out and then re-use. Not sure I’m down with that given that sous vide is potentially a great incubator for bacteria but it’s an option too. Paul MaudDib fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Jan 3, 2022 |
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Jan 2, 2022 10:18
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Does anyone have experience using a Breville Polyscience Control Freak induction cooktop? I'm super interested in the idea of it, but I want to know more about the practical experience and benefits of using one from someone who has one. In theory, the ability to precisely control heat has a ton of interesting cooking applications.
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Jan 3, 2022 00:04
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I own one and have used it for a lot of fun and interesting things! It's amazing. You can temper chocolate (Even white chocolate!) right in a stainless pan.
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Jan 3, 2022 00:25
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Work gave me an Amazon gift card, I was hoping to buy an enameled Le Creuset dutch oven. What size should I be picking up? I usually like to cook enough for 4 people. 5 1/2 qt a good size?
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Jan 3, 2022 00:55
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obi_ant posted:Work gave me an Amazon gift card, I was hoping to buy an enameled Le Creuset dutch oven. What size should I be picking up? I usually like to cook enough for 4 people. 5 1/2 qt a good size? That’s the most useful size but I don’t recommend buying a valuable thing that’s easy to counterfeit on amazon
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Jan 3, 2022 01:10
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obi_ant posted:Work gave me an Amazon gift card, I was hoping to buy an enameled Le Creuset dutch oven. What size should I be picking up? I usually like to cook enough for 4 people. 5 1/2 qt a good size? I don't want to sound like a hyperbole machine but how big is your oven? I would say go as big as you think you can fit in the oven, store, be able to wash, etc. I have a 7.3qt and I cook for 2-4, it's nice having the extra room. It's stuff like doing a roast on top of veg where your protein is sitting elevated, you can't put the lid on if your dutch oven is too small. I actually use some cheap amazon basics one and it's been phenomenal for me. 
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Jan 3, 2022 01:12
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I have 7.25 and I also wouldn't recommend a smaller size. You can always put less stuff in if you aren't making that much but you don't want to get a small one and not have enough room in it.
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Jan 3, 2022 01:26
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My smaller Le Creuset is 5.5qt and it’s great for most things. I use the big dog for stuff like making 10lb of bolognese.
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Jan 3, 2022 03:44
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Definitely get the 7qt size if it's the only one you're going to have, or if you like cooking with the intent of making leftovers bound for the freezer.
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Jan 3, 2022 06:06
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I'm tired of buying pepper grinders and having them break. So I'm looking around online and the most highly recommended seem to be Puegot brand mills but they're $50-75! Thats high in my mind, BUT if it'll literally last me 30 years or so than I am OK with that. Does anyone have any experience with them? Worth the extra money?
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Jan 6, 2022 02:15
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I can’t speak to what is worth your money, but I’ve had my Peugeot for 15 years of multiple-times-a-day use (including some truly stupid heroics for brisket rub before I got a spice grinder) and it is still completely perfect AFAICT.
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Jan 6, 2022 02:51
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I'm tired of buying pepper grinders and having them break. Remember also you'll need the matching salt mill so it's 2x the cost (or you look ridiculous with mismatched mills). The parts that do the grinding will last forever but I've already noticed the little black ring around the metal top cap is starting to come off (the salt mill has a white ring), I've had mine for a few years.
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Jan 6, 2022 03:39
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VelociBacon posted:Remember also you'll need the matching salt mill so it's 2x the cost (or you look ridiculous with mismatched mills). The parts that do the grinding will last forever but I've already noticed the little black ring around the metal top cap is starting to come off (the salt mill has a white ring), I've had mine for a few years. Or use a salt pig. I like mine
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Jan 6, 2022 03:42
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