Questions on selecting, maintaining, and using cooking tools and equipment.
1
vote
0answers
27 views
Cheap ebay ceramic peelers, worth it?
On ebay there are 2-3 usd ceramic peelers, are they worth it? Right now i have a simple, knife like peeler with a hole in the middle which i hate and i'd like to change.
I'm talking about these:
3
votes
2answers
90 views
Lifetime of French press filter
I'm thinking about buying a French press for making coffee. I'm just not sure what is the lifetime of the filter? Can I use it for years or do I have to get a new filter from time to time?
3
votes
0answers
41 views
Resource for combining flavors [duplicate]
I'm wondering if there is some online resource that compiles different flavors and their combinations.
I'm imagining some site that I could search one tag or several, say "orange" and "cake", and ...
2
votes
1answer
124 views
Safety of Calphalon pots and pans
I hear so many thoughts on Calphalon hard anodized pots and pans. Are these safe to use?
3
votes
1answer
146 views
How to turn froth into juice?
When I make juice from vegetables and leafy greens about 1/4 of what comes out of the juicer is froth.
Is it possible to mix this froth back into the juice rather than throwing it away? That would ...
2
votes
2answers
245 views
Why have all of my quality pans started smoking at once?
Okay, I have a situation here that is blowing my mind and hopefully someone here can help me. The other night, I attempted to cook a burger on the stove. Smoke was coming up (eventually pouring up) ...
-1
votes
2answers
141 views
How does the heat energy from the sun cook an egg within 5 minutes?
I read a book recently, and the book has an experiment that allows you to cook an egg with solar energy within 5 minutes, I was amazed! I tried it myself too and it did work, and the egg tastes nice ...
2
votes
5answers
189 views
Any cheap ways to clean restaurant stainless steel fridge?
so I know they have antibacterial solution to clean, but what can I say its expensive. Currently we use water+soap solution but its not working well. I am looking to clean the inside of ...
12
votes
2answers
398 views
What is each side of a 4-sided grater for?
We own a standard 4-sided grater, but only ever use the side with large holes.
What do the other sides do, and what kind of recipes are they for?
We have:
Medium holes with a cutting edge on ...
4
votes
3answers
298 views
Is it safe to use a propane torch bought at a Hardware store?
I've come across recipes that involve the use of a Butane or Propane torch. Is it safe to use a propane torch bought at the Hardware store, or is there something different about the torches and/or ...
2
votes
2answers
220 views
Mystery cookbook
My mother left me a cookbook that is the most amazing one I have ever seen. It is approx 1700 pages, the last pages are missing on my copy. I remember the cover, which is long gone, was green. It is ...
0
votes
3answers
125 views
My cooking pot keeps smoking
The cooking pot just keeps smoking when I put it on the element and I don't understand why because I used it on my moms stove before without any trouble. But when I put the temperature to MAX it ...
2
votes
3answers
144 views
Pepper mill - which color and length?
I've decided to get myself a pepper mill and it'll be a manual Zassenhaus but I'm not sure about the length and color. I'm thinking about 18 or 24 cm but I guess it simply comes down to what you feel ...
1
vote
2answers
211 views
How can I clean these brown iron stains in my pot?
I use a big aluminium pot to boil water. I think the water contains iron because after 4-6 months, the inside of the pot is full of brown stains. The colour is just like ferric. There are lots of ...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
Baking Turkey Meatloaf with/out glass cover
I am baking 2.5lbs of turkey meatloaf with a mixture of sauteed onions and red bell-peppers. There are no set recipes for cooking a meatloaf of this size so I basically doubled some of the ...
6
votes
3answers
144 views
What features should I look for in a fireplace grill?
I recently moved into a new apartment that is equipped with a wood burning fireplace.
I am very excited about this, not only because burning wood on a cool day makes the world seem simpler and ...
1
vote
1answer
118 views
How do price and quality relate in blenders?
I've seen blenders for anywhere from $20* to $2,000, and I must say, the variety of marketing-speak has my brain in a tizzy. In plain english, what are the major price levels in blenders (general ...
2
votes
2answers
169 views
What's the difference between serving from a ceramic plate and metal plate?
What's the difference between serving from a ceramic plate and metal plate?
I think the ceramic plate lasts longer, but suppose the metal one is in good condition for a long time.
0
votes
0answers
87 views
Kenwood Gourmet compatible attachments
Does anyone know if the PF range of Kenwood Gourmet attachments are compatible across the FP range?
I have a PF 303 and want to know if attachments supplied with other PF models will fit.
6
votes
3answers
558 views
How to use a honey dipper?
I have a honey dipper I thought would be worth making use of. It does great at not dripping honey as I take it out of the jar. However getting the honey out of the dipper is another matter. I've tried ...
7
votes
2answers
183 views
Does the airflow pattern in a hot air popcorn popper matter? / What should I look for in a popper?
I'm interested in purchasing a hot-air popcorn popper. I grew up with a Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper, which holds the unpopped corn in a metal cup with angled slots for air on the sides (so that the corn ...
8
votes
2answers
654 views
Does water boil faster with the lid on?
When bringing water to a boil from cold water, what effect does a lid have on the time to boil? Does it increase or decrease the time? How much? Why?
1
vote
1answer
168 views
What kind of food should be stored in a refrigerator's “snack pan” drawer?
(This may be a silly question, but I'll ask anyway since I am curious about this.)
We have an older fridge and it has a drawer labeled "snack pan." I'm not sure how to understand "snack" here.
...
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votes
1answer
105 views
What to eat for people with hay fever or sinus infection [closed]
Can anyone recommend me some things I can eat when I constantly have sinus infection and can't seem to find anything that would help me minimize the effects.
I am not looking for medication as I ...
1
vote
3answers
186 views
How should I clean this mess at the bottom of my wok?
I've been using my wok for about a year now, and recently it's developed a kind of patina around the bottom of the cooking surface.
I've tried to follow the care instructions as best I can, taking ...
1
vote
1answer
218 views
How do I plan a meal without a stove or oven? [closed]
I have to cook a meal for my whole office (around 18 people); it's sort of a thing where everyone has to cook a meal at some point.
I would be able to find something myself but we don't have a stove ...
-1
votes
1answer
106 views
Mixer that last longer than 2 years? [closed]
My KitchenAid Professional Series 600 stand mixer broke down last night while mixing 5 cups of flour and some eggs to make dough for pasta (using the KitchenAid roller/cutter attachments). The dough ...
0
votes
2answers
152 views
Help buying a copper pan
I heard that the best frying pans for steak are copper. Most are way too expensive but these are cheap in comparison. For example, this is three times the price - both with a 2mm gauge, although the ...
4
votes
2answers
148 views
Alternative to Food Grade Silicone
I recently bought a new meat grinder and they recommend washing it with hot water, drying it completely, and spraying a food grade silicone to prevent the stainless steel parts from rusting. Can I ...
7
votes
1answer
249 views
Are N2O and CO2 chargers interchangeable for culinary purposes?
Cream whippers seem to use N2O chargers.
Soda siphons seem to use CO2 chargers.
But both chargers appear to be physically identical. The MyPressi espresso device, which uses chargers to force water ...
1
vote
2answers
188 views
Using sous-vide oven to make stock or soup (no bags)
I have a sous-vide supreme water oven. I was wondering if I could use it to slow cook large amounts of soup or to make beef stock by slow cooking. The idea is to have the soup or stock directly into ...
0
votes
0answers
35 views
Misto sprayer set-up [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to clean a clogged Misto oil sprayer/spritzer?
My new Misto sprayer doesn't pump. The white spray top that seems like it should release the accumulated pressure and ...
6
votes
2answers
182 views
How do I prepare arabic coffee in a stone Dallah?
I purchased a lovely stone Dallah from Jordan.
.
The first and obvious question is: is it safe to prepare coffee in?
However, once that question is answered, the pot certainly looks functional. ...
8
votes
5answers
369 views
How effective are modern home refrigerators at keeping other foods cool when hot food is introduced to the space?
In the comments to this answer, there is some discussion as to whether putting significant mass of hot food into a refrigerator will unacceptably warm the other food already inside.
Elsewhere on ...
10
votes
1answer
472 views
Is there evidence that adding salt to water prior to boiling can damage a stainless steel pan?
In the context of boiling water for pasta or other purposes, all over the Internet the advise is oft-repeated that salt should not be added to the water when it is cold in order to prevent damage to ...
-2
votes
2answers
241 views
must I toast bread over a flame or are HOT toasters still made somewhere? [closed]
I am tired of waiting and getting only dehydrated bread with a hint of color.
Toasters these days just don't get hot enough! My sister has the family GE model we grew up with and having toast at her ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Are Damascus steel kitchen knives worth it?
Many manufacturers currently offer kitchen knives with Damascus steel blades at a premium.
Besides looking cool do such knifes have any better characteristics compared to simply good forged stainless ...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
What kind of domestic use machine is needed for preparing Brown Rice from Paddy?
The brown rice is extremely expensive here so I was wondering if it is possible to get some machine for converting Paddy into Brown rice at home?
What prerequisites need to be fulfilled for the ...
3
votes
4answers
197 views
Grinding melted latex off a pizza stone?
My fiance and I got a pizza stone for christmas, and are still learning how to use it. Tonight we accidentally used a potholder which had silk-screened designs on it, and almost immediately the white ...
4
votes
3answers
118 views
How to clean ice from ice cream maker bowl without thawing?
I made a sorbet using a bad recipe (too watery) and I had a 3 mm thick layer of solid ice form around the walls of the ice cream maker bowl. The plastic spatula can't break it and the user's manual ...
3
votes
1answer
266 views
What is the modern alternative to sieving soup recipes?
In soup recipes of Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking, the reader is often instructed to sieve to puree food multiple times with increasingly finer mesh. I suspect that such a sieve is rare ...
3
votes
3answers
455 views
Wood for a cutting board, will sanding make it food safe?
I would like to make a cutting board from some hardwood I have. I'm pretty sure it has been imported, so I think it might have been fumigated or treated for insects/pests at some point. I've tried ...
4
votes
1answer
141 views
What's optimal hardness for a kitchen knife blade?
Many knife manufacturers provide the hardness value for the knife blade in the specifications - like 53HRC or 57 HRC.
What's the optimal hardness for kitchen knives? Do I always prefer the ones with ...
4
votes
1answer
64 views
Is there a compressed gas device designed specifically for creating infusions?
This answer about creating infusions suggests using a compressed gas siphon to quickly infuse liquids with flavours from 'fragile' herbs.
The manufacturer of the popular iSi compressed gas siphons ...
5
votes
2answers
314 views
How much CO2 does it take to carbonate water using a household Soda Siphon?
A soda siphon seems to be the de facto device for carbonating water at home.
A search of reviews and comments on the consumption and cost of CO2 yields the following results:
70 cents or one ...
7
votes
4answers
483 views
Why would I prefer carbon steel (rust prone) kitchen knife?
I've seen this question and obviously carbon steel (not stainless) knives look quite bad without extra care (picture from the linked to question)
Now my question is - why face the trouble? Why ...
7
votes
3answers
289 views
How to clean and maintain cast iron lids
I have a number of cast iron lids that fit skillets, dutch ovens, etc. Most have the little cone-shaped spikes on the underside to collect and return moisture to the food.
I have no issues cleaning ...
0
votes
1answer
105 views
What is the best utensil kit for the cost? [closed]
Ideally I would like a set to build a kitchen around. Knives and the most vital and commonly used utensils. The best kit relative to it's price, and not leaving out important things like varied ...
4
votes
2answers
407 views
Cleaning a tea pot
I have read somewhere (don't remember where, long time ago) that tea enthusiasts clean their tea pots only with water and without soap. Additionally they only rinse it and don't use a scrub to remove ...
-1
votes
2answers
78 views
Cleaning oil sprayer pump [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to clean a clogged Misto oil sprayer/spritzer?
The pump on my Misto oil sprayer is locked in the down position. I cannot loosen it. I have soaked it in hot water. ...
