Or a Carbon Steel skillet as JP mentions is his favorite in one of his videos. Heck, I bet either could have made a great omelette in an oval enameled dutch oven, or a plastic 6 gallon bucket, or in a . . . you take my point.

What Julia uses in her videos should be understood in context. She always had plenty of copper on the wall and mentioned that they were the best for many tasks, but she never used them in the videos. Similarly, she shows the status pan in the beginning of the omelette video and proceeds to use the teflon. Her show was geared toward the home cook, who would not have had copper or a status pan. She used on the show what the home cook would have had in her/his cupboard.

[EDITED to say that I see you have communicated this same notion below.]

I actually bought the Z4010--the 10" WearEver with the CeramiGuard non-stick coating. Without being fanatical about it, I've generally avoided aluminum and non-stick coatings, but the carbon steel just wasn't doing it for me for omelettes and scrambled egg meals. So I decided to go with the Vollrath. I called both companies (Vollrath and Ram). They confirmed that the Vollrath is indeed made here and the Ram is made in China. I didn't ask about the alloy in the end, because I decided on the non-stick (so the alloy didn't matter to me). I just received the pan this week, and it turned out a batch of beautiful ramp omelettes tonight! I'm pleased, and I have the impression that the CeramiGuard coating should last longer than most non-stick linings out there.

I can see it for a frittata, but I don't know how it would work for a French style (thin) omelette.

I didn't buy the ram--I went with a Vollrath because it is made in the US. And, I figured that if I was looking at a 12" or 14" pan, that 5.5mm could make a huge difference, but at 10" across, 3+mm was plenty conductivity for omelettes.

I love doing grilled cheese in mine, but every time the cheese melts out of the sandwich, the seasoning comes off where the cheese hits the pan!

That Vivaldi II seems like a spectacular machine. I honestly can't ever come up with a reason to change machines (I'm using an Anita), but the only reason I wouldn't pick a Vivaldi II would be to go the fully manual (spring) lever route with an Elektra Micro Casa A Leva S1C.

Do you mean, why are the traditional Hinoki Sushi boards so thick or why are we we recommending 2"+ for an end grain board generally?

I cannot speak to the former, although I suspect it's (1) because it's basically just half a tree cut top to bottom, laid on its side, and flattened so as not to wobble, and (2) to allow for periodic smoothing on the cutting surface and still last for years.

Regarding the latter, my experience is that thinner boards are more prone to warping and to joint failure than thicker boards. Every board I've ever owned that were 1.5" and thinner, eventually warped, split, or suffered joint failure. I've not seen any such problems with my 2" or 4" boards.

To reply to the OP directly, unless you believe that Hinoki offers you something that you cannot get from Mahogany, Maple, Walnut, or Cherry, I'd go to The Boardsmith and get a thicker board for 1/2 the price. Or check out this guys boards: http://www.brooklynbutcherblocks.com/ If I really wanted a hinoki board, I'd look for a less expensive option elsewhere.

In the end, a 1.5" board is not very thick, especially when you add a groove. I can't believe it will hold up as well as a thicker board made out of one material in a solid brickwork pattern. And Kramer doesn't make these boards either--he just stamps his name on them, so I don't think they are worth it.

My personal take is that, if I wasn't terribly concerned about the money, Nils over at Brooklyn Butcher Block makes some of the prettiest boards I've seen. But The Boardsmith makes boards that are functionally the same for a fantastic price. I've had my 12"x18"x2" Maple board from him for a while now, and I love it. And I think it cost about $115 delivered.

I understand the "worth it" argument from this perspective (master bladesmith/custom made), but guys like Carter and Takeda are every bit the master bladesmiths, and their knives are just as custom, and their knives are 1/20th to 1/10th the price of Kramer's. I suspect that Kramer's knives do not necessarily cut better or balance better in the hand that those of other master bladesmiths, so in this sense the value of his knives is attached primarily to his 'celebrity status' as a bladesmith (and maybe, to a lesser extent, to the blade as art.)

Last I checked, a thousand doesn't even get you close. This is pretty typical, and it's for only an 8":

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bob-Kramer-8-...

His 10" knives can sell for upward of $10k.

Since there is good info in abundance here and elswhere, I'll offer my experience: Using Black Cat ground in a Mazzer Mini, I get fantastic 1.5-2 ounce ristretto double shots that leave the Quickmill Anita's portafilter as pure crema that settles out to a lovely thick head of crema in short order.

I'd think what you want is a machine that will pull back-to-back double shots (I'm not aware of any machines offering quad-shot portafilters.)

I think you should pick based primarily on what machine you want to interact with. Yes, you will need a quality grinder and espresso machine, but you can pull great shots with a decent single boiler with a pump, an HX, double boiler, or fully manual machine. Each will present its own unique learning curve, but since you know what you want in your cup, your path to it will be easier. I think far too many folks assume that they can buy a decent machine, plug it in, and it makes great espresso without any input, practice, tweaking, or understanding on their part.

Why are you calling this a brazier instead of a saute pan?

My understanding is that a Saute is a one-handled, straight sided, pan with a wall-height equal to about 1/4 of the diameter. Whereas a Rondeau is a two-handled, straight sided pan, with a wall-height equal to about 1/3 of the diameter, and comes with a lid. And "Brazier" is most commonly just another term applied to a Rondeau. What the OP is discussing here is a hotel or restaurant grade tall saute--one-handled, straight-sided, and closer to 1/3 it diameter tall than 1/4, but without a lid.

There is no reason to question that weight. Heck, my 11" saute (of similar proportions to the one discussed here) is north of 11 pounds. A 16" saute should require almost twice as much copper as an 11" of the same thickness and proportions

And some of those have sold for very reasonable prices. I would have expected higher bids out of some of them.

I use 8 ounce mason jars laid on their sides in a drawer. It works really well, and I can access about 50 spices without shuffling or digging. Once you have all your jars labeled and in order, it's really simple. When you stock up on a spice, you just dump it into the correct jar. It takes seconds.

My brief, generalized, reply is that if you want it for sauces that require whisking, you will do best with a sauciere shape that is stainless-lined. I've had both (Stainless-lined Falk Sauciere and Mauviel Tin-lined Windsors), and my personal preference for most common uses is the Windsor. In fact, my single most used in my entire batterie is a 3 qt tin-lined windsor with a lollipop lid. So, if you want it for whisked sauces, go for the stainless-lined saucier, but if you want it for more general purposes, I happen to like and recommend the windsor.

Edited to add:

Keep in mind that we are really talking about very minor differences here and either would likely be fine. Also, check out this site for new, reasonably priced, windsors: http://www.buycoppercookware.com/spla...

Some even like the multi-colored discoloration. My daughter looked at my 3 QT Windsor the other day and exclaimed, "Dad, it looks like a rainbow! Can we keep it that way?" I had to explain that one of the many cool things about using copper cookware is how it constantly changes and progress through so many phases before we polish it back to bright and shiny. I guess it's all in the perspective of the viewer.

I missed that part, sorry. I'd look for one that isn't non-stick in that case.

Basically, you need a quasi-sealed system of a sort to hold the steam and maintain the temp, so anything that raises the insert is no good, because it will allow steam to escape up the outside of the insert and out of the system. You could put something in the bottom of the insert to raise the insert's contents, thereby allowing you to add more water. I would stick with something non-barrier like--i.e. not a bowl or a plate, but maybe a handful of clean golf ball sized rocks. But, all this fixes what may not be a problem. How much space is there between the bottom of the insert and the bottom of the pot? If you have 3/4" like Tim, try this. Place a 1/2" or 5/8" of water in the pot, put in the insert and lid the system. Bring it to a boil and time how long it takes for the water to boil almost dry. I'm guessing you'll have more steaming time than you'd expect.

I really think that you will do best with a Nordic Ware Cast Aluminum Enameled Dutch Oven like this: http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Tra...

I've not tried them--for now I'm sticking with Cast Iron or Copper, but if weight ever becomes an issue, I'll probably try either an old uncoated oven like Kaleo suggests or a modern enameled aluminum oven. I do own several cast aluminum Nordic Ware baking items (Bundt and Popover pans) and I am very impressed with the quality. The price also seems very good. And if you are concerned about stuff being made abroad, this one's made here in the US.

I hope this helps!

What Bigjim68 said--it's a dovetailed pot. As to age, others would know better than me, but I'd think that dovetailing like that would be indicative of 19th century or very early 20th century manufacture. Also, if you have a photo of the handle at the rivets, it could provide some clues as to the country of origin. British and French pans of this era had somewhat distinct stylings.

JudiAU,

Thanks for your perspective on this. Let me ask you specifically: Assuming I've purchased a pig that was slaughtered, butchered, wrapped, and frozen for me, which I then went and picked up in a bunch of coolers and transported to my freezer. What cuts would you think are appropriate for home-curing? Belly? Jowl? Back fat? Anything else? And what would you think I shouldn't try in addition to the ham?

Thanks!

Jeremy

Bump, anyone? (I hope it's ok to do that!)

Hi,

I've recently purchased a pig and I'm starting to learn the basics of curing. My first stab at it is making guanciale from a jowl. Ruhlman's book instructs me to hang it in a "cool dry place." For those of you with more experience in such things, are we talking about hanging it from the ceiling of my 60-62 degree basement/storage unit or from a rack in the fridge in the 30's? I'm guessing that the ideal is somewhere in between, but is 60 degrees too warm? if so, should I use the fridge and let it hang longer? (It's been four days in the cure in the fridge, so I'm probably 2-4 days from hanging it.)

Regarding curing ham. I wasn't thinking too much about curing the ham when I had the pig processed, so I had the fresh hams cut up and packaged in 5 lb roasts, but most curing recipes call for the whole ham. Can I still cure a ham that has been processed like this. If so, it would be great in that I could try several styles of ham and different curing techniques and not worry about losing a whole ham if it doesn't work!

On a final note, bacon, salt pork, lardo, and maybe pancetta are on the menu for the near future, so if you have advice on any of those, I'd sure appreciate it!

Thanks so much--I appreciate any help!

Jeremy

Hi,

I'm thinking of picking up an LC Terrine for multi-purpose use: pate, bread, meatloaf, roasting pears/apples, etc. To that end, I've been watching ebay, and I have a few questions that I'm hoping my fellow Chowhounders can help me with.

First, the ECI Terrines seem to come in two sizes--28 and 32. Which is the more versatile size?

Second, I regularly see three generations of pans, and I'm curious what the age/vintage progression is. The first type has a non-enameled bottom ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Le-Creuset-Cast-Iron-White-Enamel-Pate-Terrine-w-Lid-28-France-/160977799451?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257b06491b&nma=true&si=9hUgTGIvOvmtf%252F%252B5zwNC%252FYkE380%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 ). The second has an enameled bottom with the size imprinted ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Le-Creuset-32-Flame-Orange-Handles-Terrine-13-3-4-w-Lid-RARE-FIND-/230939655904?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c5137ee0 ). The third has an enameled bottom and no size printed ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Le-Cr... ). Which is the oldest, and which is the newest? I'm not a collector or anything, I'm just curious how "vintage" some of these "vintage" pans are!

Thanks,

Jeremy

Yes, you could polish the scratches out (as Kaleo describes or by sending it out), but, since copper cookware is built to last for generations or centuries, I'd view these marks as the first in this pan's story. Face it--there's no way this pan can get used and not marked up, especially as decades go by. I have a handful of copper pans now, and not one is pristine. My very favorites all have scratches, dings, or small dents, and one even has what I would describe as a fairly substantial gouge. It's all part of their history and part of their beauty.

Agreed. I guess this little rabbit trail demonstrates how we can craft a desired conclusion simply by limiting our sample!

DuffyH,

If you are only considering people who actually consider both carbon steel and stainless steel, then I'm sure you are correct. But for every one person who takes the time to consider carbon steel as an option there have to be 100 who, without considering any other option, go purchase an All-Clad frying pan, simply because it is an All-Clad. [Please don't read this as being down on All-Clad.]

Think about the number of frying pans on the shelf at Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table. Yet, in Boston at least, I've never seen a carbon steel frying pan at Williams-Sonoma, and our local SLT carried the Lodge carbon steel for only a few months before giving up and dumping them at clearance prices. I don't believe that the failure of carbon steel to sell with greater frequency has anything to do with people intentionally choosing the convenience of stainless. I'd bet it has a lot more to do with folk just assuming that any pan with a [brand x] label is the best and buying [brand x's] fry pan without consideration of any other options.

Just my take.

Hi Kaleo,

You may have missed the most frequently occurring reason: They just have to have an [insert brand name] frying pan.

Jeremy

You are absolutely right Chem, and I acknowledge that fully. But he wrote an article about a set of functional characteristics and concluded by advising consumers to select the best pan by choosing what they like based on a list of priorities that have nothing to do with the function. Maybe it was just bad wording, but taken alone the advice is poor, and as an editorial matter it is a terrible closing statement for the article it concludes.

I know there is a lot of the "that shouldn't happen" sentiment here, but I have never, and I really mean never, used a tri-ply (or more-ply) pan that didn't warp with use. You have multiple materials with differing coefficients of linear expansion being heated from one side and cooled from one side (like when ingredients are added to the pan) and over time it will cause warping. The advice never to place a hot pan in cold water is good, but it won't prevent the eventual warping. I, for one, believe it to be inevitable. Your best bet is to get single material (or simply coated single material) pans if warping is a major concern.