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Food We need to talk about cooking and food prep tools and utensils.

Discussion in 'Tilted Food' started by Borla, Mar 10, 2012.

  1. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    I might like serrated edges for certain cutting tasks, but the Henkels EverSharps just seems to grab & tear more than they actually cut. And the tips of two of the knives broke off.

    The 14" non-stick frying pan that came in our set of Member's Mark anodized cookware set eventually started sticking and it warped, the center of the pan kept getting higher & higher. I replaced it with a Bakers & Chefs 14" non-stick pan, about $30.00, so far so good.
     
  2. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Please recommend a good sharpening steel or a ceramic one. I'm looking for something to put a really good edge on the slicing knives, but not the razor sharp edge that wears off after a couple of cuts.

    At BB&B we saw a ceramic one that was infused with diamond 'dust' at BB&B. In theory it sounded good, but I'm not dropping that kind of $$ on someting that doesn't work any better than good steel.

    Background--We bought a partial set of kitchen knives (the details are posted somewhere here). They are labelled Great Blades Carver Hall, molybdenum steel*, Japan. They're not five star quality, but not bad. They do need a really good sharpening. I tried the misc steels & sharpeners that we have, but haven't yet gotten what I would call a good edge.
    * The stainless steel alloy seems exceptionally hard.
     
  3. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I have this one, and I like it: Amazon.com: Wusthof Precision Edge 2 Stage Knife Sharpener: Kitchen & Dining It keeps the knife in the correct position to sharpen.

    My in-laws have one of the electric Chef's Choice sharpeners, and my FIL uses it to sharpen their knives.

    I would not recommend honing your knives any other way; they need to be held at the correct angle. Either get something that does that for you, or take them to a pro. It's $4-7 here for a professional sharpening.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  4. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    We have a Pampered Chef twin ceramic sharpener, which doesn't impress me.

    While going through our kitchen crap, we found a Chef's Choice Manual Diamond Hone 450 that belonged to her parents. It appears to be very similar to the Wusthof; I'll report back after giving a workout.
     
  5. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    I love my Ergo Chef CRIMSON 7" Nakiri knife. It's amazing. I've not had to do anything to it yet and I've had it since November. And it's beautiful.
    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 3
  6. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    That is one sexy knife!
     
  7. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Y'all have heard the jokes about guys not needing/heeding instructions? I decided to check the box/papers for instructions on how to use the Chef's Choice Manual Diamond Hone 450. Now that I'm using it properly, I'm happy with the edges that I'm getting.

    The 'harder' blades on the Great Blades Carver Hall (molybdenum steel, Japan) knives are much sharper now, but will need some more attention. The previous owner(s) let them get seriously dull. And the instructions included how to shaprpen thickers knives, i.e. the meat cleaver.

    The 'softer' blades on the Lifetime Old Homestead (stainless, Japan) knives that we got as a wedding present 27 years ago sharpened up very nicely.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------
    Another thing we "rediscovered" while sorting out the kitchen cabinets--A spare set of Henkels EverSharp Pro knives that we received when my in-laws downsized. I now need to figure out a way to convert the ones with slightly serrated edges into proper slicing knives. Like we really need a third set of slicing knives (my wife thinks that I'm losing even more of my mind :confused: ).
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Well, the crack in the cermaic crock got worse and yesterday the crock cracked into three pieces (I mentioned this in the what's for dinner thread). I've contacted Rival thru wwwcrockpot.com. I received an automated ackowledgement email; I'll post a f/u when I hear something more detailed.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  9. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Crock-Pot update.

    After the first email, they asked for some additional ino, which I provided.

    They next told me about a replacement crock that I could order (and pay for) but it was out of stock.

    I replied that I was disappointed in the quality of their product and service, and that I might as well get a replacement that wouldn't be a Sunbeam product.

    They replied that they would send a complete unit as one-time courtesy with no warranty, which I accepted. I thanked them for their generous offer, and mentioned that a replacement crock only would've been fine.

    I researched the replacement unit offered, and found that it had many bad reviews because it cooked too hot regardless of the temp selected.

    I contacted them again, mentioning the bad reviews and the temperature problems. I'm waiting to hear back from them.

    If the crock in the replacement unit will work in our "old" Crock-Pot, I'm good with it. If not, a Slow Cooker that won't slow cook isn't much good (which I mentioned in my last email).

    A link to the replacement being offered; check all of the reviews.

    Crock-PotĀ® Countdown Digital Slow Cooker with Little DipperĀ® Food Warmer, Silver at Crock-Pot.com.
     
  10. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    I have this pretty little thing...

    [​IMG]

    Still in the box. Oops.
     
  11. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Yours doesn't appear to be "programable," but it's still very useful if you're going to be home, or return home in time, to turn it down or off.

    We like coming home to having the main dish already cooked.
     
  12. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    Perhaps why it's still in the box. The one I use is crockpot brand. I have bad luck with the lids. They just shatter on me. :(
     
  13. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Crock-Pot update.

    I think they're getting a little testy. From the most recent email:
    "...If the unit had a design flaw, we would have a recall on it, which we do not. Most consumers who complain of the cooking temperatures either do not have enough liquid in the unit during use, (which should be one half to three fourths) or they are comparing current units to much older units. Current models go by FDA increased temperatures from 2009...."

    I guess we'll find out how well it works, or doesn't.
     
  14. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    What ultimately happened?
     
  15. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    The Crock-Pot & Mini Warming Pot arrived, but we haven't yet tested either. Things started going to shit on the weekend we were going use the large one, and haven't gotten much better over the past 8-9 days. We wanted to be home to keep an eye on it because of the "it cooks too hot" comments in the product reviews (link in previous post).

    Three things I immediately noticed. The lid fits looser than the lid on the old one. There are two small vent holes in the lid, none in the old lid. There are four small notches in the lip of the actual crock (more venting???), none in the old crock.

    I tested the crock & lids for interchangability, in case the new does indeed cook too hot. It seems that the new crock sits just fine in the old housing, & the lids interchange.
     
  16. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Mine has steam vents. I think that's pretty normal these days. It still keeps a good amount of steam in.
     
  17. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    Are you referring to this guy when you say Mini warming crock pot?

    [​IMG]
     
  18. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    I always make sure I have a broad selection of pots, pans & utensils
    It's this variety that allows me options when I'm cooking...which typically tends to be improv.
    They aren't the fanciest...typically very functional and durable.
    They're going to get worn no matter what you get...so I make sure they work efficiently.

    If I'm truly going to invest in something, usually it is in a piece of machinery.
    Coffee Maker
    Burr Mill
    Deep Fryer
    Modular Grill
    Blender
    Toaster/Oven

    Something that I'll use again & again...for a variety of dishes.
    I'm actually very picky where I'll spend my money on these.

    For example, the thing I just picked up on the fly at William-Sonoma, while I was just pondering
    was a little wine aerator ($20)
    Small, practical, inexpensive...something I'll use repeatedly and with pleasure.

    I'd say the best compliment I get is if my mother, who's a grand chef,
    sees a tool that I'm using and decides to specifically go get it.
    To me, this means I'm on the right track.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2014
  19. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    What kind of wine aerator didja get? I have the Aermate. So far, so good.
     
  20. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    For all kinds of great and quick sandwiches and wraps, I love my panini press.