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ThreeFish posted:I saw a few people ask about mandolines and thought I'd recommend the one I bought off Amazon a few months ago. I don't mean to be a prick - the one you like is probably okay for home use. But any restaurant I've been in uses nothing but the Benriners without a second thought.
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May 19, 2012 04:15
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SubG posted:I don't mean to be a prick, but have you ever actually tried a Borner mandoline?
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May 19, 2012 14:32
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Chef De Cuisinart posted:You haven't met our dishwashers. Those are the only mandolines they haven't figured out how to ruin. And even then, they're trying. Bits of carrot stuck in the julienne blades? RAM THIS HERE SCRAPER INTO THE BLADE.
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May 21, 2012 23:31
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Occasionally (rarely) you can find polyscience professionals on eBay for about 450 to 500 bucks. Obviously the Nomiku's not out yet, but I can't imagine it being quality enough to not make the extra money worth it for the polyscience pro. It's a really, really, really nice piece of equipment.
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Jul 13, 2012 17:51
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Well thats really why I haven't done it yet. With a sv supreme, I'd have a countertop appliance, not a giant piece of lab gear. I think I would use it more. I could always keep the big one around for long cook stuff. Most things don't need the degree of precision offered by a real ic.
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Jul 17, 2012 00:22
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Chef De Cuisinart posted:I don't know if anyone had considered this, but we sv our short ribs at work in a hotbox. Set hotbox to 160F, toss vac bagged ribs into rondeaux with water, finished in 24 hours.
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Jul 17, 2012 14:29
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.Z. posted:Why is there such a large price difference between the Nomiku and a PolySci? I just find for a notoriously finnicky piece of equipment, I'd rather pay 50-70% extra for the unit available now that's universally praised. It'll take a while before we know if there are any problems with the Nomiku. And it looks silly. But I'm not a normal home cook and I kind of fetishize toughness and weight on my kitchen equipment.
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Jul 17, 2012 19:39
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It's total heresy I guess but has anyone used diamond swiss nonstick? I was cooking at someone else's house and I cooked two chickens under a brick in two pans and holy poo poo. No sticking, no nothing, beautiful golden brown. At first I was disappointed because I wanted to make a pan sauce but a.) I was already making a gravy from the bones and poo poo so I didn't really need it and b.) this meant that the flavor stayed on the chickens. So I used to be all "non-stick sucks" but this really turned me around. It would probably kick rear end for fish cooked/basted whole as well. I mean there are a lot of sites that are dubious of this but drat it worked well. So I don't know, if I just use it for fragile proteins cooked whole it seems kind of useful. I know plenty of restaurants use non-stick oval pans for sole meuniere, for example.
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Jul 25, 2012 20:48
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Steve Yun posted:DuPont has a monopoly on the teflon used in nonstick pans, but rather than just resting on their laurels they continue to come up with improved teflon formulations. Cheaper teflon pans use the older formulas, more expensive teflon pans use newer formulations. It's possible Swiss Diamond uses one of the newer formulas. Calphalon Unison pans also use one of the newer formulas and it's impressively slippery. Basically, nonstick is good for applications where you're not going to be tempted to use metal utensils, you won't need to deglaze, you won't need to get it super hot, and sticking is an issue. This is pretty much just large fragile proteins and eggs for me.
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Jul 25, 2012 20:59
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OK. I'll say it. I don't understand woks on a burner made for normal pans. I don't understand what you gain vs. a flat-bottom pan when you're not working with magma.
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Aug 2, 2012 04:24
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SubG posted:You mean a wok versus a fry pan? Or a traditional wok versus a flat-bottomed wok? Because a wok behaves very differently from a fry pan---thinner, so it's more responsive to temperature changes, sloped so you've got a temperature gradient up the sides, more volume inside the same radius, and so on. I guess my question is - can you really get results in a wok on a normal range that you can't get out of two flat-bottomed pans?
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Aug 2, 2012 22:10
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SubG posted:By `normal range' do you mean an electric range? Because I agree that a round-bottom wok doesn't make sense on an electric range. But with a gas range, even one lacking a dedicated wok burner (or other high-output burner) I think you'll get better results out of removing the spider and using a wok ring compared to what you'd get out of using a flat-bottom wok. Or at least on my particular gas range. On the full sized burners (that is, not on the smaller warming burner) the bottom of the wok rests just slightly over the hob, and flames hit the sides from just above the bottom to well up the side of the pan. Assuming that the burner output is more or less constant and that the wok's efficiency at absorbing it is also more or less constant, then this by itself would result in a more regular cooking surface than applying the heat only to bottom surface (resting on the burner) of a flat-bottom wok. I've been putting the round wok directly on the spider but maybe I'll look into getting a ring. I haven't been getting a great char/caramelization on meat that I cook with my wok but I may be doing too much at a time as well. I had come to the conclusion that if you're using round-bottom you really need the absurd molten heats that proper wok burners generate, and that with a lower amount of heat you'll need much more time so you'll do better to use a normal flat-bottomed pan so that you can give the meat time to caramelize on each side. But if this has really been working - wok/ring on a normal gas range - then maybe I need to rethink that. No Wave fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Aug 2, 2012 |
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Aug 2, 2012 23:31
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geetee posted:Is there any benefit, other than aesthetics, to be had by using a grill pan like below over a flat surfaced one for steaks? The Tinfoil Price posted:I've worked with Wusthof and Global knives as well, and the Victorinox is ALMOST as good for a tenth of the price.
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Aug 6, 2012 22:57
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Whatever you get though be aware that your copper pans may not work with induction... I know that the main-line Mauviel stuff doesn't, but they also make some induction-friendly models (I don't know how that works). EDIT: Whoops, logical fallacy already said it. My b. For registry stuff I'd be a lot more interested in getting some really cool limoges china. The dining room is for pretty and that's a great registry money-sink. No Wave fucked around with this message at 04:17 on Nov 1, 2012 |
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Nov 1, 2012 04:15
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MisterOblivious posted:Please explain to me how cooking a roast in a dutch oven and then reheating it the next day is "superior" because I'm just not seeing it.
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Dec 14, 2012 15:03
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SubG posted:If you're planning on needing a shitload of them, you can just go to your nearest restaurant supply store and buy a bunch of plastic containers in pint, quart, or whatever sizes for a couple cents a pop. 1.) chef's knife 2.) cutting board 3.) wooden spoon 4.) side towel 5.) thermapen 6.) microplane 7.) take out containers 8.) pressure cooker 9.) induction stovetop 10.) paring knife It's hard to emphasize how rad it is to have a bounty of those containers, especially because you can feel okay throwing them out if they get stained or something.
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Feb 21, 2013 14:34
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"go home" meaning, toast your sandwich in a pan on your stovetop
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Feb 23, 2013 14:04
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LTBS posted:You can also grab one of the cast iron grill pans if you really want the grill marks. Plus the grill pan is good for everything else instead of just sandwiches.
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Feb 25, 2013 22:35
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Unless you're going to Vitamix levels of blending (purees/soups ground so finely that you can't distinguish the particulate matter on your palette) you might as well use a stick blender. But if you do ever upgrade, butternut squash is never the same... not to mention the glory that is celery root.
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Mar 2, 2013 03:46
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I have the VitaPrep 3 and it is one of the nicest things you will own, period. When you handle it you will understand where the money went and you'll realize that it really can't be done the same cheaper. That being said it is stupid money and if finances are at all an issue it's stupid to put yourself in jeopardy for a blender.
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Mar 6, 2013 23:02
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I would agree except that I use a microwave every day... to warm my plates  (but yes, vitamix is to blenders as thermapen is to instant-read thermometers... but 2x)
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Mar 7, 2013 02:18
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TheQuietWilds posted:Where does the point of diminishing returns hit with a double boiler? I mean, I hate buying stuff that is obvious crap, but there seems like a huge gap in options between a 15 dollar piece of junk and a $300 Mauviel. I don't need to melt chocolate THAT much. Any recommendations on a reasonably priced double boiler? If you really feel you need one, though, there's no reason not to go crappy (though if you're using induction be careful that it's compatible)- the heat distribution of the metal does not loving matter. Think of it like a stockpot.
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Mar 16, 2013 16:14
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It's a pity because if someone could make a tiny sous-vizzle for slow-poaching 2-3 eggs at a time it would be sick.
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Mar 19, 2013 17:13
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bingbangbong posted:If you're going to make all this crazy poo poo just get a Cuisinart with a big heavy motor. It'll be more versatile and come in well below $400.
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Mar 30, 2013 19:38
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mediaphage posted:Here's a good comparison: http://joyofblending.com/which-vitamix-to-buy/
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Apr 3, 2013 18:45
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mediaphage posted:It's not odd at all. Those are the models that Vitamix sells to consumers, despite the 'pro' branding. Vita Preps have worse warranties, generally, since they're expected to get far more, and harder, use.
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Apr 3, 2013 19:26
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Mr Executive posted:My wife makes smoothies for breakfast everyday and we usually make some frozen drinks on weekends with occasional other cooking-related use of the blender throughout the week. I was starting to consider getting a Blendtect/Vitamix, but needing to stop/stir/scrape might be a dealbreaker.
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Apr 5, 2013 18:44
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Shere posted:I'm looking for a blender specifically for the purposes of making daily protein smoothies, the idea being that I only want a single serving and I don't want to have to messy up a giant pitcher every day for just that. I saw this at Bed Bath and Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17588915 and I like the idea of having multiple cups that I can just take and go, no need to even transfer the contents and plenty of clean cups so I don't have to worry about immediate cleanup if I do use a different container. I was wondering if anyone had experience with this or had any other recommendations to give. Plus your smoothies will be much more smooth in something like a ninja.
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May 6, 2013 14:27
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This works great for me: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A7S636/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Unless you're really into the looks there's no reason to get a standing press. Make sure you are using it the right way!!! I am almost positive that the majority of these in the country are used on fruit facing the wrong direction (cut side up instead of down)
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Jun 19, 2013 16:09
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Are you guys sure you're doing it right? Like this:  40 limes shouldn't be a problem, but again you know your needs better than I do.
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Jun 19, 2013 16:53
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Cuisinart multiclad is great - not copper core, but eh, whatever. My parents' house had All-Clad and I don't miss it at all. I do, however, miss the gas range terribly.
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Jun 23, 2013 17:03
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Gilgameshback posted:I have a mix of Cuisinart multiclad and All-Clad and I don't notice much of a difference in cooking. The Cuisinart is much easier to clean for some reason. angor posted:Looking for two recommendations. That saucier pan is probably the tenth pan you should be buying, if not later. (I'm omitting non-stick from the list as you seem to be full up!) This is the one to use for risottos: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP...e+pan+multiclad Here's a good order for a lonely person: 1.) 12" fry pan (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP...lticlad+12-inch) 2.) 4 quart sauce pan (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP...quart+multiclad) 3.) 12" cast-iron (LODGE) 4.) 2 quart sauce pan (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP...cepan+multiclad) 5.) 6+ quart pressure cooker 6.) 5 1/2 quart saute pan (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP...e+pan+multiclad 7.) Dutch oven (I'm stupid so I got an oval staub. Realistically this is a stupid thing but I got it for nostalgic reasons and for cool oval braises) 8.) roasting pan w/ rack 9.) big cheap stockpot (MAYBE, I'm lazy so i'd probably use it for lobsters more often than stock and I'd just use the pressure cooker to make all the stock I need) 10.) that saucy pan thing, but lets face it you don't really need it Really, the edges are cool for hollandaise or chocolate or whatever but largely unnecessary as most pots these days don't have very sharp edges anyways. No Wave fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Jun 24, 2013 |
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Jun 24, 2013 18:23
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If thermomix was available in the US I'm sure there would be terrabytes dedicated to thermomix hax...Fo3 posted:Just buy the Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro cookware set from amazon USA for about $270. http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MCP...t+multiclad+pro Especially because you'd be better off using the pressure cooker you should own in lieu of the stockpot for most uses (I mean, why have two pots that can hold the same quantity of liquid), 2 and 4 quart are slightly better sizes than 1.5 and 3 quart for saucepans, 8" fry pan is kind of pointless... etc. etc. Getting a 2 quart saucepan, 4 quart saucepan, 12-inch skillet, and 5 1/2 quart saute pan seems more expensive, in that it costs roughly the same as this entire set, but in terms of surface area it comes out even and the pieces are frankly more useful. You'll want a 6 quart pressure cooker anyways (which often come with steamer inserts), a dutch oven to handle your braises (the lodge cast-irons are cheap as gently caress), and a 10" nonstick for eggz, so I don't really see you being down anything. I bought an 8" non-stick t-fal and it was so small it was ridiculous. You could fit, like, one jumbo egg sunnyside up. Returned it even though I only got, like, $10 back after shipping. No Wave fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Jun 24, 2013 |
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Jun 24, 2013 19:48
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Also - just put in an order for the moritaka 240mm gyuto, dojo paring knife (thanks SubJesus), an edge faux, a 320 shapton glass stone and a 1000 shapton glass stone (thanks deimos). a.) Should I get higher-grit stones as well? b.) What kind of bevel should I be looking to put on the Moritaka and Dojo/what angle am I shooting for? I'm probably going to gently caress around on the stones with my fibrox boner and fillet de sole and stick with the factory edge on the Moritaka for a few months at least, but I'm curious about how to progress. c.) How often does the hand american borosilicate come back in stock? Or is there a honer that is sufficient for these two knives that makes more sense? Thanks!
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Jun 24, 2013 20:05
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My plan going forward is: get .5 micron green paste get balsa strop get whatever honing rod chefknivestogo recommends Then, for the knives, I will: sharpen using only the 1000 grit at the angle/bevel that chefknivestogo tells me the knives already have (I'm assuming there's no need to reprofile them) strop after sharpening hone before/after usage Is that about correct? For some reason sharpening in particular is something that I have a lot of trouble learning/making intuitive. I really, really appreciate the help because I've honestly gone crazy for weeks before because there are so many different techniques and I didn't know how to get started.
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Jun 24, 2013 23:21
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GrAviTy84 posted:For Japanese knives, do not hone before/after each use. They don't need it. You will only need to touch up the edges every month or so, if that. Honing every use is more for softer steels that need to be trued. Unfortunately my current honing rod is a diamond steel that I got for my wicked sick German knives five years ago (whoops) Will I get happy performance if I just take the edgepro out and use the 1000 grit stone every other month or so? Seems like an easy way to save a hundred bux for now until it bugs me. I would like this to be unapologetically sharp, though.
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Jun 24, 2013 23:36
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SubG posted:Depends on what you're used to. I expect a sharp knife to cut a tomato under its own weight and and for there to be little feeling of resistance when push cutting. Without stropping regularly I just don't get that, even if the edge is otherwise sharp enough to actually do the task. I don't know that everyone has that sort of expectation from their cutlery, or if most people would consider the additional performance worth the effort. But I definitely think even very hard steels get a lot out of routine stropping. If it's over, like, ten dollars nm - i'm looking for something basically free to gently caress around with before I get the real deal.
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Jun 25, 2013 00:10
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In your case, I think you'd get the most use out of the 5 1/2 quart saute pan - if you need a pan to boil pasta in you can get a cheapy in Bahrain. I may be overthinking this, but I think vegetarians often have to make a greater volume of food and require more surface area. I know I need all 12" whenever I make brussel sprouts, peppers, onions, heck anything that's not a solid piece of meat. Plus, it is undoubtedly the optimal pan for risotto.
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Jun 25, 2013 00:53
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Also, the usual sharpening confusion is coming on for me. I'm having difficulty understanding (I'm not saying this sarcastically, I mean I'm having trouble interpreting the info) why sharpening over 1k would be overkill but stropping wouldn't be - it seems like for most edges you have to progressively build up to finer grits, but going straight from 1k to stropping seems to render that unnecessary (my understanding being that stropping is the equivalent of something like a 60k grit). Also - most sources seem to say that going from 1k to 5k is totally possible and fine - meaning that, especially if I'm using the edge pro, what would be the advantage of using the 2k at all when I can go straight to 5k? It seems like for my own sanity - as long as I'm learning the edge pro system - I'd do well getting a ceramic rod for routine honing, and a 1k and 5k stone to get me to wicked sharpness. Basically, I can't understand how a 5k is overkill but stropping, which is the equivalent of a finer grit, isn't... Again, I'm not trying to contradict anyone's experience, I'm just trying to figure out a framework that makes sense to me. EDIT: Didn't see SubG's post above - will see the results I get with the 1k and a leather belt before laying down any more scratch. Am probably most interested in a honing rod next because I am lazy. The chefknifetogo person recommended that I get a mac black ceramic rod, but I'll probably hold out for the borosilicate... so 1k and leather belt for now. No Wave fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Jun 25, 2013 |
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Jun 25, 2013 01:54
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Wow - that is great. I feel so much better, finally. So it looks like something we've been missing from our discussion is the distinction between slicing and push-cutting - slicing benefits from a slightly rougher edge, and push-cutting from an extremely polished one. So I'll probably optimize my fish filleting knife and my deboner for slicing, ie, I won't go past the fine grit stone, and I'll just hone them afterwards. I'll sharpen them to 15 degrees, single bevel. I'll get my CCK cleaver extremely polished (maybe pick up another stone later, maybe just strop it for a while), as I'm more likely to use it for push-cutting motions, and I'll probably sharpen it to 20 degrees as the metal is a little softer. My paring knife would be better geared towards push-cutting, as well, but I'll probably go with 15 degrees because the metal is harder and can take it. I'll probably treat my chef's knife (the Moritaka gyuto) the same as the fish knife and deboner, though maybe with some stropping afterwards. With the option later to put on a 20 degree double bevel. It's finally coming together! Thanks deimos. If this edge faux thing works out I'll be gifting my dad with a nice used chef's choice 110 system soon. However, it does seem that a honing rod would be useful, and that ceramic will do just fine for my purposes. No Wave fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Jun 25, 2013 |
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Jun 25, 2013 21:18
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