|
sokatoah posted:Talk to me about spice grinders. Is it worth grinding from whole when you only need half a tsp of whatever spice? Are freshly ground spices that much better than what you buy pre-ground off the shelf? I don't use a spice grinder though (not counting pepper mills for various kinds of peppercorn), just a mortar and pestle. What kind of spices do you use the most/have you asking the question?
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2020 23:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 12, 2024 19:35 |
|
|
Yes and yes. I've been using the same $15 coffee grinder for the last 10 years.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2020 23:22
|
|
|
SubG posted:a mortar and pestle What’s your cleaning strategy here? I have a molcajete that I use when I need to do more than fits in the tiny m&p we have, and have been grinding dry rice in it to clean out residual oil, but I’d love a better way.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2020 23:30
|
|
|
Happiness Commando posted:Yes and yes. I've been using the same $15 coffee grinder for the last 10 years. Yeah, absolutely. Obviously a mortar's a good replacement (or a molcajete, which are great for dry grinding) but for some tougher spices a cheapo electric grinder will powder it a lot faster.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2020 23:33
|
|
|
Subjunctive posted:What’s your cleaning strategy here? I have a molcajete that I use when I need to do more than fits in the tiny m&p we have, and have been grinding dry rice in it to clean out residual oil, but I’d love a better way. I've got a granite m&p and it takes a little more finesse for some stuff (small, hard, bouncy poo poo like peppercorns are easier to grind in a rough molcajete than a smooth m&p) but you just have to wipe it down to clean it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2020 23:38
|
|
|
OK, cool. My kid still likes grinding rice in it, so I can have her do it for a while at least. We have a small marble-maybe one where the pestle exactly fills the mortar and I hate it, why would someone do that?
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2020 23:55
|
|
|
Couldn't find a kitchen appliances thread, so I figured I'd ask here: I'm moving into a new house soon and am probably going to replace stove, fridge, and microwave. I would like to get all the same brand but unfortunately the best stove appears to be Samsung; fridge, LG; and microwave, GE. Does it matter that much if they match brands if I'm going to have black stainless for all of them? The dishwasher appears pretty new so probably doesn't need replacing. I would also take recommendations on full-sized slide in stoves, 36 inch wide French door fridges, and 400 CFM ventilating over-the-range microwaves, budget of around $3500-$4000 for all three. Probably willing to wait until Black Friday to buy if sales are that good, and I might get an extra discount for buying a TV of the same brand as one of the appliances, too.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 00:09
|
|
|
sokatoah posted:Talk to me about spice grinders. Is it worth grinding from whole when you only need half a tsp of whatever spice? Are freshly ground spices that much better than what you buy pre-ground off the shelf? I haven't tried this but there are pill crushers that screw together and easily crush tablets into fine powder, I've considered trying one on spices when I need just a few.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 00:30
|
|
|
I use a mortar and pestle and almost always buy whole spices. They seem to last longer
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 00:33
|
|
|
The moment you smell a fresh ground spice like cumin, compared to what youd buy pre-ground, you'll be glad you got a spice grinder.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 02:05
|
|
|
My favorite is the big wiff after grinding peppers
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 02:07
|
|
|
Fresh ground cumin is incredible but I'll also pop in to say I once accidentally bought tellicherry black pepper and was completely aghast at my grocery store receipt but it's 100% worth it for the smell alone when you grind it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 04:11
|
|
|
Lawnie posted:Couldn't find a kitchen appliances thread, so I figured I'd ask here: I'm moving into a new house soon and am probably going to replace stove, fridge, and microwave. I would like to get all the same brand but unfortunately the best stove appears to be Samsung; fridge, LG; and microwave, GE. Does it matter that much if they match brands if I'm going to have black stainless for all of them? The dishwasher appears pretty new so probably doesn't need replacing. I would also take recommendations on full-sized slide in stoves, 36 inch wide French door fridges, and 400 CFM ventilating over-the-range microwaves, budget of around $3500-$4000 for all three. Probably willing to wait until Black Friday to buy if sales are that good, and I might get an extra discount for buying a TV of the same brand as one of the appliances, too. All 3 of those brands make lovely appliances with a few sparkly features. You will probably be replacing at least one of then within 5 years and all 3 within a decade.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 04:30
|
|
|
Freshly ground tastes fresher than preground, and unground spices stay good about twice as long in the cupboard
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 04:53
|
|
|
The only recommendation I have is to get one of those Panasonic microwaves that doesn’t do on/off cycling but actually lowers the microwave output.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 04:56
|
|
|
Yeah, I’m never going back to cycling power levels.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 04:58
|
|
|
I found some 5-10 year old spices in various jars tucked away in a dark cabinet in my parents' kitchen. Do you think they're still good?
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 05:36
|
|
|
No.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 05:36
|
|
|
therobit posted:All 3 of those brands make lovely appliances with a few sparkly features. You will probably be replacing at least one of then within 5 years and all 3 within a decade. Thanks, which of the “affordable” luxury brands do you recommend then, or are you suggesting some other big box store brand that I’m not thinking of?
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 06:28
|
|
|
I had a GE dual fuel range that’s going on 15 years now without a hiccup. Only thing I ever had to do was replace an element that cracked, probably from something cold spilling on it while it was hot. LG French door fridge was awesome as well. Samsung washer/dryer just worked without issues. The brand I’ve witnessed get cheaper and cheaper over the years (from a manufacturing standpoint) is Whirlpool. Never again.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 13:07
|
|
|
The salt might be fine
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 13:43
|
|
|
Mraagvpeine posted:I found some 5-10 year old spices in various jars tucked away in a dark cabinet in my parents' kitchen. Do you think they're still good? depends on what spice and your definition of 'good' If all you mean is 'will I survive eating it and will it still at least weakly spice my food' then in some cases yeah.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 13:43
|
|
|
Don't throw away the paprika. Your mom probably got that from her mom, where it was used in moderation to add color to deviled eggs. It's a family heirloom.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 14:22
|
|
|
The nice thing about Whirlpool and similar brands is they are super easy to repair. My Whirlpool refrigerator only has about half a dozen parts and they are all easily accessible. My Kenmore dryer has a motor and belt, and little else that can break. And all the parts can be bought locally. I could keep it going for lifetimes. Brands like Samsung and LG are difficult and expensive (and sometimes impossible) to repair, and are no more reliable, but they are efficient and look cool. My Bosch dishwasher has been reliable.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 19:53
|
|
|
wormil posted:The nice thing about Whirlpool and similar brands is they are super easy to repair. My Whirlpool refrigerator only has about half a dozen parts and they are all easily accessible. My Kenmore dryer has a motor and belt, and little else that can break. And all the parts can be bought locally. I could keep it going for lifetimes. Brands like Samsung and LG are difficult and expensive (and sometimes impossible) to repair, and are no more reliable, but they are efficient and look cool. My Bosch dishwasher has been reliable. My company has dozens of their refrigerators which have rusted through from the inside. Not a lot you can do to repair those. The washers and dryers, the control panel and cpu are all one unit, that costs 80% of the a new washer. So when the display goes out or a button stops working, and it will, you're drat near replacing the whole thing. My bosch dishwasher was fantastic. My electrolux dishwasher was beautiful but total crap, mechanically and functionally.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 20:05
|
|
|
When it comes to buying home appliances, there is only one criteria that you should be concerned about: What charming jingle does it play when its preheated/cycle is finished/door is left open?
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 20:06
|
|
|
I got a bud who works whirlpool. It seems they're hurting a good bit because Samsung is selling at a loss.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 20:36
|
|
|
I have a Bosch dishwasher and really recommend it because even their lower end ones are nice and they really aren't that expensive. Aside from that yeah I have a Samsung refrigerator which is fine and a Frigidaire gas range which has also been fine. Scholtz posted:When it comes to buying home appliances, there is only one criteria that you should be concerned about : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3vWVynL9Q4
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 20:42
|
|
|
Lawnie posted:brand matching My samsung fridge is five years old and going strong. That said given the chance, I'd be brand-matching with Bosch for everything, they know what they're doing with ovens and dishwashers.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2020 20:46
|
|
|
Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:My company has dozens of their refrigerators which have rusted through from the inside. Not a lot you can do to repair those. The washers and dryers, the control panel and cpu are all one unit, that costs 80% of the a new washer. So when the display goes out or a button stops working, and it will, you're drat near replacing the whole thing. Curiously it was the repair guy who totaled my fridge and got me a refund from Samsung that recommended Whirlpool because they are easy and cheap to repair. Apparently the Samsung has almost no repairable parts because they are sealed inside and are no more reliable for it, according to him. The Whirlpool has broken a couple times and I was able to buy the parts locally and fix it myself following YouTube videos. When the Samsung broke it took weeks just to get an appt, and weeks between appts, we went through 2 repairmen over a 4 month period with no fridge. The Whirlpool has hot and cold spots, is less efficient and less efficiently arranged but living without one taught me a lesson. I'll stick with repairable.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2020 00:17
|
|
|
Lawnie posted:Thanks, which of the “affordable” luxury brands do you recommend then, or are you suggesting some other big box store brand that I’m not thinking of? Bosh has an 800 series French door with extra refer drawer refrigerator around the 3k mark that has separate condensers and compressors for the freezer and fridge. That used to only be a thing on SubZero and it means you won't have to choose between freezing the stuff at the back of the fridge and having the ice cream melt in the freezer. Plus neither is working as hard so they should last longer. Bosch also makes some of the best dishwashers. I hear they also make a great range but I went with a Bertazoni for my range because I really wanted an Italian dual fuel range and my parents have one that I've used and like that has only needed service once in 10 years. I just put down a deposit on a half Bosh, half Bertazoni kitchen after months of researching brands. Kitchen Aid is also supposed to be a really solid brand. Frigidaire professional line is alright as well from what I can determine. After that you get into the higher end brands that cost more. You can get good open box and scratch and dent buys from local appliance stores as well. There is a home ownership thread in BFC where appliances come up a lot., you should check it out. DO NOT BUY KENMORE. They were always rebadged stuff from other manufacturers but they used to be decent to great rebadged stuff. Now they are poo poo. I remember taking a 53 year old ponk Lady Kenmore washer and dryer set out of an old couple's house back in the oughts that still worked and installing a new Kenmore set. I bet they wish they'd kept the old one because the new one is probably toast by now.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 04:44
|
|
|
wormil posted:The nice thing about Whirlpool and similar brands is they are super easy to repair. My Whirlpool refrigerator only has about half a dozen parts and they are all easily accessible. My Kenmore dryer has a motor and belt, and little else that can break. And all the parts can be bought locally. I could keep it going for lifetimes. Brands like Samsung and LG are difficult and expensive (and sometimes impossible) to repair, and are no more reliable, but they are efficient and look cool. My Bosch dishwasher has been reliable. i had a whirlpool fridge that had a problem with the de-icing system, which resulted in a very very very very slow leak that caused well over 10k in insurance damage for new carpets, drying the house out and whatnot
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 05:18
|
|
|
weird question. so the badass person that can put up with my poo poo and i are eloping in a few days. cooking keeps us occupied in the middle of this shitstorm. any suggestions need to be PTFE free (i have an african grey parrot) -- but we're running out of things on our registry. we just asked for a few new cookie sheets, a few new pans and i threw a Sodastream in there since i have an addiction to soda when i'm not shoulders deep in alcoholism. also have a cast iron griddle on the way. blender. things like that. so here's the question: if you had numerous friends that are hitting you up for a registry (we didn't publish it on social media because we're in the middle of a ... like a third of my friends don't have a job) link and cooking is keeping you sane -- what would you ask for? i get that it's specific based on how you cook but if there were a single thing you could suggest, what would it be?
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 06:33
|
|
|
Rhetoric-o-Tron posted:weird question. Baking bread seems to be the quarantine thing to do, so maybe a stand mixer? Sous vide? Instant pot? Outside of that, a really good set of knives if you don't have them is the only thing I can really say for sure you need (not that you need those other things but they are fun gadgets to have and are incredibly useful). Maybe more cast iron stuff as non-stick cookware? And, I try to plug this whenever I can, for the love of god buy a fire extinguisher, they are cheap and often overlooked, so add it to the registry if you must!
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 06:41
|
|
|
Rhetoric-o-Tron posted:weird question. Congrats goon! Here's some poo poo:
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 06:47
|
|
|
swickles posted:Baking bread seems to be the quarantine thing to do, so maybe a stand mixer? Sous vide? Instant pot? Outside of that, a really good set of knives if you don't have them is the only thing I can really say for sure you need (not that you need those other things but they are fun gadgets to have and are incredibly useful). Maybe more cast iron stuff as non-stick cookware? And, I try to plug this whenever I can, for the love of god buy a fire extinguisher, they are cheap and often overlooked, so add it to the registry if you must! VelociBacon posted:Congrats goon! Here's some poo poo: Absolutely appreciated.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 06:55
|
|
|
magnetic knife strip to hang the knives on the wall Food processor Pressure cooker Large, like 15"+ cast iron skillet More spatulas All clad saute or fry pan 6+qt enameled dutch oven
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 07:15
|
|
|
I agree with the above. I also keep around some kinda lovely knives for guests that go in the dishwasher. PureKomachi by Kai Cutlery. They are colorful and durable and not too expensive. IN addition to the 15" cast iron pan, a 12" cast iron pan, an 8" cast iron pan, and a 12" carbon steel pan. If you have a gas stove, a wok ring and carbon steel wok. Since you will hopefully have some iron pans, a bunch of thin cheap spatulas because they work the best! A great big stainless steel stock pot. Ceramic crocks for pickling and/or sourdough If you are into bread, a brotform proofing basket. Metal tongs from a restaurant supply store. You can never have too many sets of tongs and this is a hill I will die on. a good thermometer like a thermapen or similar toaster oven Wine so you can sauce the chef.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 07:34
|
|
|
What's the carbon steel pan for? I have a 12" cast iron, an all clad stainless saute pan, and a carbon steel wok. Does the carbon steel pan do anything better/different that's not covered by those?
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 07:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 12, 2024 19:35 |
|
|
Lighter and easier to handle, still takes a seasoning, doesn't hold the heat as long which in some instances can be a plus but usually not awesome. It's just another tool for when you don't want the weight and thermal properties of cast iron so like probably not. It's just something that would be nice to have and not too expensive.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2020 07:52
|
|