cutipie721's Profile
Le Creuset Cookware on Viking Induction Range
I use Staub and LC on my Miele cooktop _all_the_time_.
Reusable Parchment Paper - Williams Sonoma
Yea, exactly what I'm thinking, that it's just an oven liner.
WMF Perfect Plus 8.5qt + 4.5qt pressure cooker set - $199, free shipping with AMEX
https://secure.us.venteprivee.com/ExternalLinks/PSL.ashx?cypher=E9H3FfJVBwRZbG8U9Uo2SQ%3D%3D
Does anyone have an opinion on WMF cookware?
The silicone rim looks and feels very solid. I have silicone spatulas that are way more than 5 years old and they're still going strong and I use them almost everyday. Fingers crossed the lid will not break down in less than that amount of time :-)
Does anyone have an opinion on WMF cookware?
Thanks :-) I look forward to using it more often.
Does anyone have an opinion on WMF cookware?
I just received the taller stock pot.
http://www.amazon.com/WMF-Function-Pasta-Stock-9-Quart/dp/B0052CGI0M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334533639&sr=8-2
It's heavy and beautiful. The lid is very nice. No sputtering. No steam coming out from the lid while simmering. Since the rim is made of plastic (or silicone?), it retains some smell of food.
Mexican (and other) in Lowell
Hope it's not too late.
Try Casa Blanca in Billerica right off exit 29.
I haven't been around there for almost a year now. I remember pretty decent food over there and I'll definitely visit again when I'm in the area.
Stove Top - How hot?
I was learning to make an Indian flat bread from a very nice lady at my home some time ago. Ideally I would need open fire, but we only had an induction cooktop and a cast iron griddle. The point is to cook the bread for as little time as possible - pretty much 10s on each side. I remember keeping the burner on boost for at least 10-15mins before it overheated. It was so hot around the stove and I felt like my face was also being cooked.
As a reference, there are 9 + boost settings on my burners. Meat gets burnt after 2 mins on 7.
Max Burton induction cooktop design defect(s)
I need a little bit of clarification - did it take 10 seconds or 10 minutes for the oil to reach 600F.
Max Burton induction cooktop design defect(s)
I bet you still haven't gotten yourself a hot plate. You think there's a voodoo spell that makes you love it? I respect those who have tried it and then say no thank you.
Recently I have to leave my induction cooktop for an extended period of time. I have to learn to use an electric stove, again. Is it possible - absolutely. Is my quality of life going down at the same time - yes.
I used to be able to make myself a cup of tea in under a min. Now I have to resort to using a microwave.
Making soup is particularly painful. Not only I have to deal with the slower heating time, I also have to deal with the slower cooling time. After the pot of water is brought to a boil and then I switch it to low, I have to be there to monitor it to make sure that it doesn't boil over for the next 10mins because it takes forever to reach the right temperature.
Remedy? Pre-heat another burner! What a great way to save energy and to get yourself seared by accident on the now-empty burner that was on high just moments ago.
If I have less things to juggle, I can make dinner more efficiently and effortlessly. Let alone the fact that I have more cleanup to do because I can't put a liner underneath my pot now.
You must be a genius to be able to do so many things at the same time. To be honest with you I have been overwhelmed by the extra time-management effort and work just to put dinner together. Well, I'm deeply cursed by induction and I bought myself a MB hotplate to tie me over! When I'm back home I can use the MB to cook smelly food outside.
I also don't understand your problem with the sensor. I assume you're talking about the temperature sensor? I don't have that on my full-on cooktop (doesn't look like it'll be available on the shiny zoneless either). I think it's there only for portable units. If IR guns can't measure the temperature accurately of a shiny object, what realistic targets do we have here from a
I saw the video of the Thermador cooktop (which is available this coming July), and it doesn't look all THAT bad. I haven't seen the flight-simulator video that you saw, but since that unit not available in the US yet, I don't really care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5VkYAFrPNk
The reason I brought up my appliance store is, as you probably know why, that multiple times you've argued "even the sellers (the folks at your local appliances store) hate it and they are not willing to provide customer service on the units." I hope this settles that. Of course, I can't change the way your people feel about induction, but as a future reference, not all mom-and-pop sellers hate them and hence should not be generalized.
Max Burton induction cooktop design defect(s)
You're saying induction is "over-hyped" because of the "returns". I assume this data came from your local appliance store.
I have came across an extremely reputable appliances store. I don't know how well this fact that I provide will register with you, but as an amusement for the rest, I've talked with the sales people over there and they are very excited about the new zoneless induction cooktop that is arriving this July. I've subscribed to their email newsletter and they've been pushing induction.
They love induction.
http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/59003/Induction-vs-Pro-Cooking
AND they provide their own extended warranty.
http://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/80422/Are-Appliance-Extended-Warranties-Worth-It
Just providing statistics. ;-)
Fish maw for Chinese soup
Good ones are supposed to be big and thick. Deeper yellow means they've been aged longer, supposed to be better (in what ways, i don't know).
They should also be free from...
white spots - problems during drying
black spots - dried blood spots
green/brown spots - bad fish butchering, gall bladder juice got on the fish maw
I'm pretty sure the ones sold at my local Chinatown are being bleached with chemicals. They all look too.... spotless.
People put lots of focus on the mouthfeel and whether it melts as quickly during cooking. I'm not sure if there's any additional health benefits by getting the more expensive kind if you're only after the collagen.
Fish maw for Chinese soup
I've never dealt with fried ones. High quality fish maws don't usually get fried. People believe it should be al dente and thick when served. Good ones have better mouthfeel. There are restaurants that serve fish maw "steaks", which is basically braised fish maw served in a steak form.
http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/23/1/1/630910/1.html
However, these qualities may contradict to what you want as the end result. It can get confusing to explain each application. It starts by identifying whether the fish maw came from a male or female fish.....
There are also a few basic key things that you need to look out for when you pick the non-fried varieties. Maybe in another response if you're interested.
As for me, I only go after the collagen it provides. All varieties of fish maw are good. Every variety will shine with proper cooking method.
Anyway, what you have here is going to act like a sponge. It does not require any prolong cooking to make it edible. I've only seen people using it in quick soups, like egg-drop soup. Certain not any soups that require hours and hours of simmering. I think they work better in plated food. They don't (should not) have a pronounced taste, they definitely need some help from sauces, but at the same time they can provide some umami punch in the background.
Here's one of my favorite dimsum items that could be made into a dish:
Equal amount of...
soaked and squeezed-dried fried fish maw
chicken thigh meat
soaked and squeezed-dried shitake mushroom
Seasoning: soy sauce, ginger, s&white pepper, rice wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce (highly recommended but optional)
Mix everything, spread out in a deep plate, sprinkle a little bit of goji berries on top (optional but highly recommended), and steam until chicken's cooked through (10-15mins?).
As seen here: http://18boot.blogspot.com/2012/01/chili-secrets-richmond-hill.html
Fish maw for Chinese soup
Did you get one that's fried or not?
Fried ones look like styrofoam.
Multipots
Assuming they're all the same, Williams-Sonoma says it's only cladded at the bottom (not cladded all the way up to the lip) and made in China.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-perforated-multipot-12-quart/
This could be a good alternative to pasta insert.
http://www.amazon.com/WMF-Function-Pasta-Stock-9-Quart/dp/B0052CGI0M/
I personally hate pasta inserts. I've read reviews of people getting hurt by boiling water because they either pulled the insert out too quickly or the holes being too small and water just splashed all over the place.......
Looking for BBQ skewers with rack that is NOT made in China
http://fantes.com/barbecue.html
Can heavy cream be replaced with reduced fat in a bisque without losing texture or flavor?
I actually don't like the fat-free + cornstarch idea myself. I made creme anglaise with milk + cornstarch and I hated it. The rest of the ingredients became way too prominent - too sugary, too eggy, vanilla was a little too assertive.
I looked at the recipe. Wow, the only liquid called for was HnH and HC! and to further thicken it with rice??? I think it's waaaaaay to heavy for my taste. It reminds me of an Indian dessert. I will not hesitate replacing half of the HC with shrimp or seafood stock. In fact, I probably would go with 3 cups of stock + 1 cup HC + 2 cups of HnH. But maybe the whole point of this Irish shrimp bisque is the richness.....
Here's a link to Ina's shrimp bisque. 4 cups of stock and 2 cups of HnH
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/shrimp-bisque-recipe/index.html
Let us know how it goes!
Food mill recommendation?
Here's a page with great food mill info and choices. I've bought things from this store and they respond to emails quickly if you have any questions.
http://fantes.com/food-mills.html
Simulating the effect of a steam oven
If you have a pan with a domed lid, why not try steaming on the stove with a rack in the pan?
If you need to steam bigger things, well, I have been thinking about getting a covered roaster that looks like this for a while.
http://www.amazon.com/Granite-Ware-18-Inch-Covered-Roaster/
I usually have the opportunity to steam a whole fish once or twice a year that is too big for any of the pans I have, and I regret not having one of those in hand.
China made cookware not healthy ?
People make their own opinions from what they read and hear. Nothing is fail-proof. While the quality of Chinese made products are definitely questionable - corrosive dry wall, tainted human and dog food, lead paint in toys, etc, we also hear about exploding French breast implants and salmonella tainted meat and veggies in this country.
You decide for yourself who you want to trust more.
I look very thoroughly before I make any purchase. Many times I am able to find EU or US made products costing the same, if not less, than their made in China cousins. Why not help out our economy then?
Questions For EXPERIENCED Induction Users...
Mine's a Miele 30" bought in 2010.
I'm not sure if the cold spot affected any of my daily cooking, although it did create an uncured spot in your wok. No stove sold for home use today gives you 100% coverage. So even if it's possible, maybe someone has a prototype ready hiding in the secret closet, going after excellence aside, what incentives do companies have to mass produce it, especially when the price is going to be more than what it already is?
http://www.mieleusa.com/images/mieleusa/gallery/622/Exp_Thumbnail_KM_5840.jpg
I don't have any extensive experience with a regular glass cooktop. Do you think regular ceramic electric cooktops somehow heat things up more evenly? Can it be because pans are not being heated up as quickly? In other words, longer pre-heating times make hot/cold spots less significant?
Well, I went to stay at an apartment over this past weekend, which I'll be spending a few months over there very soon. There's a ceramic electric range for use. I tried cooking a few meals while I was there. Man, that was brutal. I ordered an induction hotplate without a blink.
Questions For EXPERIENCED Induction Users...
I have a built in cooktop.
It's interesting to see that you use 3 for cast iron and 6/7 for stainless steel. I have a cast iron griddle and I think it takes a lot longer to heat up. Once I get the pan, cast iron or ss, to be hot enough, I keep it at 6 if I want to brown meat.
I do have cold spots on my cooktop. Here's a photo I took earlier.
http://www.chow.com/uploads/1/2/0/537021_photo-1.jpg?20120228231306
To be honest with you I hate curing / seasoning pans at home on the stovetop. I tried it once, never again. My whole kitchen smelled afterwards. My throat was hurting for a few days. Ugh.
Once I invited an Indian family over for dinner, more like an Indian cooking class for me. The wife wanted to show me how to make chapati. No open fire? No problem. She thought a cast iron griddle should work just as well. She basically wanted to lay the dough on the pan for 10s, flip, and cook for another 10s and done. Hence the pan had to be kept at pizza oven temperature. We put the burner on boost for like 15mins and the cooktop overheated. Oh man I felt like being cooked by standing there as well as well. Fortunately only one burner complained and we could use the other ones to finish cooking.
HAs anyone tried Revol Revolution ceramic oven ?
Is it important to you that it's induction compatible? If not, then you might want to look at Emile Henry as well.
RR was released only last year I believe. I got the smallest one. Not much I can say to be honest - it's not broken yet LOL. I'd be browning stuff and pour wine that came straight out from the fridge - pass. Putting cubes of frozen stock into the pot with a little simmering liquid at the bottom - pass. Whether it will last for another 10 years - I don't know.
I love love love the lid handle, it was never hot. The induction film at the bottom of the pot is now slightly discolored though.
I bought it because it's lightweight, dishwasher safe, induction compatible.
EH on the other hand is a lot cheaper. My mom has one and she seems to love it. Some people here said theirs started to develop cracks after a while.
Help finding Stainless Steel pans from Japan or Finland.
My local HomeGoods has Fissler (made in Germany) and an unknown brand made in Italy. Lots of things were under $50. Some All-Clads as well but they're not that cheap. You might want to venture there and try your luck.
Cuisinart's French classic is made in France, available at some Bed Bath and Beyond stores.
If you have a restaurant supply store near by, you may find some Vollrath stuff made in the USA. They're pretty affordable as well.
Good luck.
What Cookware to get?
Maybe there's a WS outlet near you.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/customer-service/outlet-store-list.html
During holiday season and sales, I managed to get a D5 9" French skillet for $30 something and a Copper-core 12" for $90 from the outlet. Not bad ;-)
Some members here get their All-Clad irregular from http://www.cookwarenmore.com/. I don't have any experience with it, but people here seem to be happy with it.
Help finding Stainless Steel pans from Japan or Finland.
Regalware is made in USA and their stuff is relatively affordable.
Here's a list of retailers who have them.
http://www.regalware.com/where-to-buy/american-kitchen-tri-ply-by-regal-ware/
Here's an online store that sells it, so you can give it a quick look
http://www.metrokitchen.com/category/american-kitchen-triply-cookware
I am starting to really dislike chicken
I haven't bought regular supermarket chickens for a loooooong time.
There are pasture-raised chickens available at WholeFoods, and that's what I buy nowadays. I'm on the waiting list of a meat CSA close-by. Their chickens are also pasture raised.
11+ Quart Rondeau with a Domed Lid
How about covered roasters?
http://www.amazon.com/Granite-Ware-18-Inch-Covered-Roaster/dp/B000050AVC/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1329784782&sr=1-2
Why don't more Americans use induction?
Although I've heard of induction cooking since I was a kid, my experience with the technology was limited to hot plates. I only heard of induction being made into a major household appliance less than 10 years ago. Many people that I know of, like me, are aware of the hot plates, but are skeptical about using them to fix meals, or are not even aware of induction cooking appliances because it's not something that the keep up with, like the latest iPad.
There were multiple occasions where the guests would ask me why I chose electric vs gas. I told them it's induction and it's nothing like electric, but they gave me that "whatever" look. I wouldn't be surprised that many people out there assume it's just another radiant/ceramic crap look-alike.
Give it some time. If it's really awesome, people WILL pick up on it.
