The GWS product recommendation thread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The GWS product recommendation thread

mystes: May 31, 2006

MacDeuce posted:

- Rice Cooker (can this be as efficient using my pressure cooker or am I better off getting a cheap Rice Cooker too?)

I currently use an (electric) pressure cooker as a rice cooker and I am very satisfied. The result isn't as good as a fancy Japanese rice cooker (it can't get the rice quite to the same perfectly fluffy consistency), but it only takes about 15 minutes total (including getting up to pressure), so I'm willing to overlook this.

I don't think there's any reason to get a separate, cheap rice cooker. Given that you already have a pressure cooker I would only suggest getting a rice cooker at all if you want a fancy Zojirushi (or Panasonic, etc.) one because you are extremely particular about getting perfect Japanese-style rice and possibly plan to cook rice every day using the timer (in which case the longer cooking time is irrelevant).

mystes fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Mar 10, 2012

# ¿ Mar 10, 2012 01:41

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 12:03

mystes: May 31, 2006

Wroughtirony posted:

Nope. Using a fork gently to scramble eggs scratched up the middle of the pan, and that spot now sticks. My old-rear end Walmart non-stick has held up better and longer. I might have just gotten a bad pan- that's the only hard anodized piece I own- but it's definitely hosed up. I can post a pic if anyone is really interested.

I think most anodized aluminum cookware that you can buy currently, at least in terms of consumer products, has some sort of non-stick coating that can probably be scraped off. I believe you can also eventually scrape off the actual anodized coating but this will take much, much longer.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2012 02:34

mystes: May 31, 2006

Bellakitty posted:

Does anyone have a recommendation for a French press that I could put at my desk at work? I've been looking at them, but haven't ever used one (my manager uses his at the next cubicle every day) so I have no clue what I am looking for. I drink one cup of coffee every morning, but hate the taste of the stuff in the break-room at work, so I wanted to bring in my own coffee. The only problem with that is, I don't want to make a full pot of coffee in the break-room on my dime (I work for a major University, there are hundreds of people on my floor alone). I appreciate the office providing coffee, I just want to have something that tastes better.

Would something like this work for my purposes?

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Kenya-12-Ounce-Coffee-Press/dp/B000YYQCOU/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&qid=1333673760&sr=8-28

You may want to get a slightly bigger one. The grounds absorb some water so if you want to fill a mug a 12 oz press probably won't be quite enough. 16-17 ounces will be better.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2012 02:57

mystes: May 31, 2006

Pigasus posted:

If you really want a french press, why not a french press that is also a travel mug? I've seen someone use it and she claims that it is a great product for coffee and tea.

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Double-Wall-16-Ounce-Thermal-Plastic/dp/B004EEZLIY/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1333684740&sr=1-5

I have this and don't really recommend it. You wouldn't really want to use it as a mug because the liquid remains in contact with the grounds until poured off, so it's effectively just useful as a french press, rather than a mug. However, the plunger is not great (if you're not careful grounds can get through around the edges of the soft gasket on the outside so you have to be extra careful to make sure all the grounds have sunk properly before pushing it down) so it's sort of a pain to use. In my opinion you're better off getting a normal french press.

Aside from unusual designs like this one, french presses seem to be pretty much all the same, so just get whatever one you like.

mystes fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Apr 7, 2012

# ¿ Apr 7, 2012 14:50

mystes: May 31, 2006

skipdogg posted:

Can anyone recommend a dishwasher safe, nonstick cookware set?

Isn't anything nonstick going to have a coating that won't be dishwasher safe?

# ¿ May 21, 2012 18:44

mystes: May 31, 2006

Steve Yun posted:

If you hate the taste of brown rice but want to eat healthier and hate the additional cook times, here is the answer to your prayers. It's brown rice that tastes pretty close to white and cooks the same as white.

If that's the product I'm thinking of, isn't it not actually brown rice at all (the part with the fiber is removed or something)?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2012 11:24

mystes: May 31, 2006

Steve Yun posted:

1 cup of uncooked brown rice typically has 6.5g of fiber, this one has 4g.

If it's treated in some way, like pre-steamed or something, I wouldn't be surprised.

I can't find a source now (this may just be based off of reading the package when I saw it in a supermarket after a coworker told me about it) but I think rather than being precooked it has part of the rice removed, so it's actually somewhere between white rice and brown rice. If it has most of the fiber whatever they remove can't be that significant, though, so it's probably a reasonable compromise.

(I just remember thinking it was sort of funny that a product called something like "healthy brown rice" was not a complete whole grain unlike normal brown rice.)

mystes fucked around with this message at 11:42 on Jul 6, 2012

# ¿ Jul 6, 2012 11:38

mystes: May 31, 2006

Fo3 posted:

MAPP gas is severely toxic, as it contains methylacetylene, one breath of that causes instant lose of consciousness and death shortly after. Not because of asphyxiation, but methyl acetylene will shut down your nervous system.
If propane isn't hot enough I'd switch to MAPP Pro as that doesn't have methyl acetylene.

That sounds pretty scary (I'm amazed that anyone would even be willing to work with stuff like that!), but according to wikipedia, stuff currently sold as "MAPP" in the US is actually a substitute, so hopefully this is what people are using.

mystes fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Oct 10, 2012

# ¿ Oct 10, 2012 03:27

mystes: May 31, 2006

Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:

I have both of those and haven't noticed a difference.

The plastic ones work fine, until you push too hard and snap them. Luckily they make ones that are all metal ("microplane professional").

# ¿ Apr 26, 2013 22:16

mystes: May 31, 2006

various cheeses posted:

Someone recommend me a good rice cooker. Are they all created more or less equal?

Assuming by "good" you mean >$100 and are looking at stuff like Zoujirushi, Panasonic, or Sanyo, yeah they are all pretty much the same with the exception of some crazy features on the really expensive ones that you probably won't actually use.

Otherwise there is some difference in functionality between a cheap rice cooker (which is basically just like putting a pot on the stove and turning it on) and the fancier ones (which are smart enough to know when to stop cooking the rice and keep it warm, which isn't essential but is really useful if you eat rice with most meals).

# ¿ Jun 5, 2013 15:19

mystes: May 31, 2006

Also, don't do oatmeal in a pressure cooker. Maybe consider reading the manual before using potentially dangerous culinary devices in future.

# ¿ Jan 5, 2014 20:04

mystes: May 31, 2006

Mr Executive posted:

Hmmm, ok, let me see if my pressure cooker manual has any information about oats. Oh my, what is this? Does the manual actually list oats in the cooking time chart?

I better call Presto and let them know that mystes says oats shouldn't be cooked in a pressure cooker. Maybe you should consider being less of an ignorant dick when somebody asks an honest question.

Weird. The manual for my pressure cooker said this:

# ¿ Jan 6, 2014 02:29

mystes: May 31, 2006

mindphlux posted:

I realize the surface area of the pan... doesn't progress linearly [with respect to diameter], but it's just what you do to cook an omelet goddamnit.

A monumental contribution to mathematics, right here in the GWS product recommendation thread.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2014 19:23

mystes: May 31, 2006

Zenzirouj posted:

This: http://www.amazon.com/Fagor-670040230-Stainless-Steel-6-Quart-Multi-Cooker/dp/B001A62O1G is what I have and has worked really well for my purposes. Which are cooking for myself on a fairly regular basis. I probably use it a couple of times a month, mostly just for the rice cooker function, but the pressure cooker and slow cooker have also served me well. If anything it's bigger than I really need.

I have this and recommend it as well.

I've never actually used the slow cooker mode, though, because pressure cooking gets similar results so much more conveniently.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2014 15:57

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 12:03

mystes: May 31, 2006

People in this thread refusing to believe there could possibly be something wrong with Daily Forecast's refurb Vitamix is making more more inclined to believe that Vitamix is some sort of weird cult or something.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2015 18:44

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The GWS product recommendation thread