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I'm not super impressed with Cuisinart's MCP cookware personally. I have a 12" pan that warped after less than a dozen uses. When it heats up it wobbles from side to side and is pretty much unusable on a flat range. A similar thing happened to a Calphalon tri-ply skillet I had before the MCP skillet. I have to wonder am I just doing something horrible to my skillets? I do frequently deglaze the inside of the pans with water right after cooking to help with the cleanup. I can't imagine deglazing would warp the bottom though. At this point I just use my nonstick skillet (big 1/2" thick or so aluminum disk) or cast iron pan since there's no way they'll ever warp. mod sassinator fucked around with this message at 05:35 on May 13, 2012 |
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May 13, 2012 05:32
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mindphlux posted:I've used a 10 inch frying pan from this set http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-77-10-Stainless-10-Piece-Cookware/dp/B00008CM68 as my most heavily used item for like the last 10 years, and it has never warped. throw it out of a 600 degree oven into a sink of cold water no problem. I don't know what the MCP line is, but chef's classic is what its all about. well on the cheap end of things anyways. That actually doesn't look too bad, thanks! I think disc bottom cookware is probably the best for glass top ranges. I'll gladly give up cooking things on the edges (seriously, how often do you have a pan that full anyways) for a perfectly flat bottom. From what I read even All Clad pans can warp and not sit flat on glass ranges--no way I'm going to spend $120+ to risk it. quote:Are the pans still super hot when you drop the water in them? If so, wait till they cool down a bit, this may be the source of your warping. They're hot but not super hot--I rarely cook on full high heat. The water will boil quickly but not instantly vaporize. If you let it cool down too much it won't really deglaze and be a pain to cleanup.
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May 13, 2012 20:38
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The Victorinox paring knife is great and cheap enough that you can have a couple for various tasks. I have one I just use for opening packages. http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-4-Inch-Paring/dp/B005LRYE36/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338525820&sr=8-2
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Jun 1, 2012 05:50
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Bunnita posted:My grandmother has a ceramic cooktop which means flat bottomed pans. She's looking to get a new set, are there brands that do flat bottom better than others? Hands down the best pan for my flat top stove is this Farberware Millenium nonstick 12" one. The base is super thick and heavy, like 1/2" or so of aluminum so it sits perfectly flat and heats evenly. I use this pan for almost everything and am never disappointed. You can buy a glass lid for it too.
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Jun 3, 2012 01:51
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In my experience probe thermometers will just break in normal use. I think I've gone through at least 3 of them now. IMHO buy the cheapest one you can find and expect it to be disposable.
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Jun 7, 2012 17:51
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It's pretty impressive how quickly the thermapen reacts. You can breathe on the probe and see the temperature rise.
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Jun 16, 2012 04:29
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Burger Crime posted:I am purchasing a starter set and saw this back on page 4. Is there anything beyond this list that is considered absolutely necessary for pots/pans or any general recommendations on anything i will definitely need? I have a knife set and utensils(whisk,spatula,etc) A 9x13 Pyrex baking dish--you can use it for roasting chicken, pork, meat, etc and making casseroles. Some metal mixing bowls of various sizes for prep. I like a large gentle slope bowl for tossing things together like salads and dressing. Nice garlic press (I have a Zyliss that Cooks Illustrated liked). Everything uses garlic and it's a pain to mince IMHO. Some small bowls for prep, like these Pyrex ones. I use these constantly--they can hold spices and ingredients, or are great for microwaving small stuff like butter. I have 8 and sometimes run out when doing big stuff.
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Jun 24, 2012 20:07
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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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You can't really see how things cook with glass since they fog up with steam and condensation.
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Aug 1, 2012 03:53
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Yeah MAPP is what I want to try for searing after sous vide, Modernist Cuisine recommends it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_tgxzXmpKQ
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Oct 5, 2012 07:43
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Get a rubber mallet from Home Depot or Harbor Freight for a great chicken breast flattener. If you really want to flatten them get a big dead blow hammer. 
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Oct 10, 2012 03:28
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I've given up on tri-ply cookware for my smooth top electric range. Two Calphalon tri-ply pans have warped badly enough to wobble around and suck at transferring heat. I treated them really well and never shocked them thermally, but smooth ranges are pretty unforgiving and cookware has to be perfectly flat. The only stuff that works well for me is super thick aluminum disc cookware (Farberware Millenium is really nice), or cast iron.
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Oct 30, 2012 23:05
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Just picked up this nice MAPP Pro/propylene torch from Lowes: http://www.lowes.com/pd_315346-13877-2880514_4294772355__?productId=3512409&Ntt=torch&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dtorch&facetInfo= It's normally $49.99, but on clearance down to $29.99 or even less at some stores. If you need a good torch for the kitchen this is a good one. I like the shape more than the vertical propane torches--those are a pain to tilt down low for searing stuff in my experience. I also like that it has a small cylinder of gas instead of a giant unweidly tank like my previous torch.
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Jan 7, 2013 02:19
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ChetReckless posted:Anyone own Modernist Cuisine at Home? I find myself with some Amazon gift cards that would bring the price down to $40 out of pocket. I got this book for Christmas and it is absolutely amazing. It's huge, weighing in around 10 lbs and ~16"x20", but the massive size is worth it for the incredible photography. The paper and ink quality is ridiculously good too--thumbing through the book feels almost like looking at an old encyclopedia. As far as content, I've tried a few recipes and they're great so far. Be warned you pretty much need a pressure cooker and sous vide setup (although even a cheap setup like a cooler and hot water works for most stuff) for most of the recipes. The other odd thing is that the book isn't really laid out like a traditional cookbook with sections for appetizers, meat, poultry, etc.--it's more laid out around techniques and dishes, like whole chapters on burgers or macaroni and cheese. Another really nice touch is the book comes with a small spiral bound book with just the recipes--great for keeping the main book from getting dirty in your kitchen (and in reality the main book is just too big for use in the kitchen). For $40 this is a no brainer purchase, if nothing else just for the amazing pictures. edit: Get a kitchen scale or two also, the recipes are really made to be done with weight instead of volume (although there are volumes there as an approximation). mod sassinator fucked around with this message at 04:53 on Jan 8, 2013 |
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Jan 8, 2013 04:50
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Wow if anyone is looking for a pressure cooker that's a good value, check out the Fagor Duo 8 quart model. Cooks Illustrated rated it their best value, and after cooking a meal with it I'm really impressed. Previously I had a 6 quart Presto pressure cooker that was terrible about scorching food. This one has a huge aluminum disc base and is a bit wider so it's much better at distributing heat. I'm impressed and will definitely be getting a lot more use out of this cooker.
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Jan 12, 2013 08:36
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Slimchandi posted:What should I be looking for in a stovetop pressure cooker? Any brand recommendations for the UK? I'm super happy with this Fagor Duo 8qt: http://www.amazon.com/Fagor-8-Quart-Stainless-Steel-Pressure-Steamer/dp/B00023D9RG I had a cheap lovely 6 qt. cooker and it was terrible at scorching food. The Fagor cooker has a huge aluminum disc base so it distributes heat really well, and the 8 qt. size is much more useful than 6 qt. It also makes a great second large pot for cooking pasta and other stuff without the lid on. Cook's Illustrated rated this the second best pressure cooker, and best value overall, second only to a $270 Fissler cooker.
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Jan 20, 2013 23:25
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My only problem with slow cookers is that you really have to plan things out and start cooking early in the day. You can't wait until 5pm and decide what you want to have for dinner since it takes a good 3-4 hours of cooking. If you're going for simple, check out single skillet recipes like these. Get a nice heavy oven safe 12" skillet with lid (if you only have room for one go for a nonstick, but if you have space get a cast iron skillet too). I would hold off on getting a slow cooker at first unless you really start getting into braises, stews, etc. A small rice cooker with steamer basket is great though. I use mine to cook rice and steam chicken & vegetables at the same time. You can even make soups and ramen noodles in it since its just a bowl that boils water.
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Mar 3, 2013 08:30
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Whatever you do, if you're planning your kitchen from scratch make sure to have a range hood that vents outside. Avoid above the range microwave units too--if you mount them too high they're a pain to use the microwave, and if too low they don't vent well. Also keep the refrigerator, range, and sink all within a clear triangle so you can easily move between them. I'm not sure what your budget is, but if you don't want to spend a ton Ikea makes really nice cabinets for the price. Granite tiles (big 12x12 ones) make a great countertop for not too much money too. If you shop around at tile stores you might find good tiles on clearance--I found mine for $5/sq foot so my whole countertop and backsplash was about $1k installed (a steal for granite). If you're doing a tile counter go for epoxy grout so it won't get stained and cleans easily. Tile is great for the floor too since you don't need to worry about it getting wet (although don't pick a tile that gets really slippery when wet). Darker grout is probably a smart idea unless you want to be cleaning all the time. If you bake a lot, a double oven is probably a smart idea. If your budget allows convection would be nice too. Stick with electric stoves instead of gas (gas is a wet heat that isn't as good for baking). I've never used an Advantium oven but I'd be a little leery that it's a jack of all trades and master of none. I think one of the selling points of the Advantium was that you could put in frozen food and it would thaw it with the microwave and then heat with the oven--sounds pretty gimmicky since thawing in the microwave sucks and you probably want to season, sear, etc. before heating in the oven. For a range, gas or induction would be ideal. I've stuck with Consumer Report's picks for best appliances and have never been let down yet. Don't forget to plan for plumbing to the refrigerator to use an ice maker.
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Mar 12, 2013 05:58
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Also it's 2+ horsepower which is probably 2-3x more than even your garbage disposal.
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Mar 31, 2013 23:57
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Weber is a solid choice, I don't know anyone that has regretted getting one. Whatever you get, make sure it has nice heavy grates that will hold and transfer heat well.
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Apr 16, 2013 06:19
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Another microplane to avoid is one without a handle like this: http://www.amazon.com/Microplane-40001-Stainless-Steel-Zester/dp/B00004S7V7/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1367014040&sr=8-5&keywords=microplane I can't stand mine because I can't get a good grip on it without worrying that I'm going to grate my palm.
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Apr 26, 2013 23:09
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Noticed a couple nice kitchen things on clearance at Target. In the kitchen area on an endcap usually there's some pizza related stuff that's being clearanced. There's a metal pizza peel that looks a little small, but I found a nice ceramic oil bottle and glass spice shaker for cheap: Oil bottle is about $12 marked down to a little over $3. The spice shaker is marked down to $0.88. If there are a lot of oil bottles, check the seals on the top to find one that fits snugly--a few I found were kind of loose.
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May 19, 2013 20:06
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Scott Bakula posted:Is there a good guide anywhere I can use for temps for cooking? I might finally start giving deep frying a go now I can measure the temperature of the oil For steak and beef, if you pull it off around 135 and let it rest it will rise to a nice pinkish medium rare.
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May 21, 2013 04:18
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A food processor works as a decent grinder too.
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May 23, 2013 19:40
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Something else to consider is getting a small non-induction hot plate/burner and using that with a big pressure canner: http://www.walmart.com/ip/12188086?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227001308891&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=30061997350&wl4=&wl5=pla&veh=sem I'd be careful about making sure the canner fits on it though and doesn't tip off of it or overflow it too much.
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May 27, 2013 21:49
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Fisticuffs posted:No, I don't dislike cutting vegetables. Prep work is actually one of my favorite parts of cooking. I enjoy focusing on making even cuts while enjoying a CD and a(number of) drink(s). It's just that I'm slow to the point where I don't feel like I have time to cook every night, and I'd like to move closer to that. Prep things like diced/sliced onions, celery, carrots, etc. the night before and keep them in a container in the fridge. I've never been happy with food processors for dicing veggies too. They're great for doing a large quantity of stuff, but the quality of the dice is usually not that great. You'll get big hunks of veggies mixed with a fine mince--you have to constantly pulse and scrape down the sides too. For just a few vegetables a kitchen knife really is the fastest way to do it in my experience. edit: A good v-slicer or mandoline might be worth looking into though. They are seriously a joy to use and will slice things super quickly. Be careful with your fingers when using one! This OXO one is nice: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-V-Blade-Mandoline-Slicer/dp/B001THGPDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371527993&sr=8-1&keywords=oxo+mandoline mod sassinator fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Jun 18, 2013 |
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Jun 18, 2013 04:58
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2-2.5 qt pots will be pretty small, even for cooking just for yourself. I would look at something in the 3-4 qt range. I have a 4 qt straight sided sauce pan I use for small quantities of pasta all the time and it works great. Stick blenders are nice for blending stuff in a pot, but really don't replace a countertop blender or food processor. You can't crush ice and make smoothies with one for example. What are you planning to use it for?
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Jun 24, 2013 16:16
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I would get a small propane grill for outside. It's pretty nice to just press a button and have fire sometimes. You can even put in a small aluminum pan of wood chips soaked in water to get smokey flavor.
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Jul 4, 2013 21:55
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I wouldn't buy a big set--you'll get one or two big useful pieces and a lot of smaller less useful pieces that will just take up cabinet space. If I had to start over, here's my short list of must have cookware with rough costs--this is what I use 99% of the time in my kitchen: 12" stainless skillet - $120 12" cast iron skillet - $20 12" nonstick skillet - $50 8" nonstick skillet - $10 4 qt. sauce pan - $80 6-7 qt. enameled cast iron dutch oven - $250 8 qt. pressure cooker - $200 Get nonstick stuff from a restaurant supply store since it's cheap and will need to be replaced every few years. That's still about $250 shy of $1000 so there's room to buy a decent chefs knife, lots of OXO gadgets (can opener, spatulas, strainer, etc.), and maybe a Thermapen thermometer too.
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Jul 8, 2013 19:42
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Karb posted:I have a pretty nice cutting board, chef's knife, and nonstick pan already, but I'll look into just buying a few pieces and a cast iron as mod sassinator suggested. I see that you said 12" stainless steel skillet, though. Do you think copper/aluminum core would be wasted on me, or was that just to keep the cost down? I haven't cooked with copper core stuff but from what I understand it's not a big difference in everyday cooking. Go for a nice clad stainless steel cookware--that's stainless on the outside with a core of aluminum on the inside. Pure aluminum or anodized aluminum is nice too because it heats up quickly and evenly, but it's usually a bigger pain to clean (most can't go in the dishwasher). You mentioned cooking on electric ranges--if you're cooking on a smooth top range that isn't induction, I would look into cookware with a big aluminum disc on the bottom. I have a smooth electric range and have unfortunately found any clad stainless cookware will warp over time and end up wobbling & not making good contact with the smooth top. On gas or even induction it's fine because the cookware doesn't have to touch the surface for best heat transfer, but on a smooth electric it sucks because you get worse heat transfer and stuff takes longer to heat, cooks unevenly, etc. I've found aluminum disc cookware is usually very thick and less likely to warp. For example this Farberware disc bottom skillet has been a workhorse in my kitchen for almost 10 years now and cooks fantastically on my smooth top electric range: http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Millennium-Stainless-Nonstick-Skillet/dp/B000U60464 In general look for something with a thick and heavy bottom. IMHO the best 12" skillets should just about be uncomfortable to lift because they're so dense.
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Jul 8, 2013 21:53
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I also have that Costco scale and am happy with it. I have a cheap smaller digital scale from Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-pocket-scale-93543.html ) if I need more accurate measurements when doing crazy molecular gastronomy type recipes.
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Aug 2, 2013 04:52
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Josh Lyman posted:Forgive my ignorance, but couldn't you do sous-vide cooking with a slow cooker? It's more of a pain--you need a temp controller, and ideally something to circulate the water like an aquarium pump that's pumping air through silicon tubing with holes in it (to make bubbles). An all in one unit like this is way more convenient.
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Aug 8, 2013 03:39
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morcant posted:I'm in the market for a stand mixer, and was wondering if anyone has experience getting Refurbished things from Overstock.com. I'm looking at a KitchenAid Pro 600 for $280, where the brand new one is $400. The difference in price is my new food processor and maybe a nice dinner out, so I'm a little torn. I bought a refurb KitchenAid mixer about 7 years ago from Amazon and haven't had any problems. I don't use mine that often, maybe once every few months, but it's held up well and looks brand new.
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Aug 8, 2013 20:56
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I usually brine my chicken so it can go up to 170ish and still be moist. I do this more out of laziness since it's usually a pain to get a big, lumpy breast to cook evenly.
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Aug 9, 2013 05:38
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I'd try calling Costco too--I bet they have a customer support number that fields random questions like that all day.
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Aug 13, 2013 02:24
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How long do fuzzy logic cookers take to cook rice? I've heard even for white rice they can take 40-50 minutes or more. I'm not sure it's worth so much time just for a few cups of rice.
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Sep 4, 2013 02:49
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I own a thermapen and nearly $100 is starting to get silly for a thermometer IMHO. Mine is a refurb I bought for $60 a few years ago and even then it felt a little overpriced. Getting a fast reading is nice, but I'd personally go for something cheap if I had to buy again.
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Sep 9, 2013 21:05
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dakana posted:So we're getting ready to register for our wedding and are trying to figure out what we want. I have the pasta roller/cutter, citrus juicer, and meat grinder attachments and have used them each only once or twice. They work well but are a pain to setup and clean up so they're rarely used. Of them the pasta roller is probably the most useful, but making fresh pasta is kind of a pain in the rear end (but worth it--although when I crave fresh pasta I just go to a nice Italian restaurant).
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Oct 6, 2013 19:16
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I bet that 17" pan would make a great pan pizza. No way I would use something that big on the stove though--it probably takes up two burners at least.
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Oct 8, 2013 18:30
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LTBS posted:I can't find it in the last 30 pages or so.. For a pressure cooker don't get the cheapest one you can find. You want one with a thick, solid bottom that distributes heat well so there aren't hot spots. A good base will also help keep the heat from dropping and losing pressure. I had a cheap T-Fal pressure cooker that would scorch the hell out of food and required a ton of fiddling with temp to keep at the right pressure. I upgraded to the Fagor model Cook's Illustrated recommends and love it--this is the model: http://www.amazon.com/Fagor-8-Quart...pressure+cooker Now I use my pressure cooker all the time, and as a bonus the pot works as a great stockpot.
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Oct 9, 2013 19:29
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