Legit kitchen appliances & accessories

[52-80 19379]

51 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

how long's the probe on the combustion?  seems rather short.  for my briskets i probe through the sides and it doesn't look like it'd hit the middle.

Insert vertically and itll go through the center, and capture other temps along that profile too  

The reason long probes go sideways into big roasts is to shield the probe body from flareups and excess heat exposure. With this one you dont have to (the “handle” is ceramic).

besides thermapen my remote probe is a cheapo ikea wired one. Working around the wire is kinda annoying, and it has no communication so i cant monitor the backyard cook from the couch. 

 

[gsoda3 3358]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

Insert vertically and itll go through the center, and capture other temps along that profile too  

The reason long probes go sideways into big roasts is to shield the probe body from flareups and excess heat exposure. With this one you dont have to (the “handle” is ceramic).

besides thermapen my remote probe is a cheapo ikea wired one. Working around the wire is kinda annoying, and it has no communication so i cant monitor the backyard cook from the couch. 

 

that's a good point, if it's taking temps from 8 sensors it doesn't matter if it's going in horizontally or vertically.

[jimmyjazz 46969]

4 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

it doesn't matter if it's going in horizontally or vertically.

[dcbc 14641]

I was looking back through this thread and saw that I'd posted a picture of my Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel pan on my induction cooktop.  The problem being, the pan looked gross.  Over time, I've learned that you really have to hit these things with the chainmail scrubber when  you have anything stick on a little bit, followed by a quick maintenance seasoning.  I got after it with some barkeepers friend to get back to bare metal and reseasoned it.  I've cooked on it quite a bit since then, and it's better than ever.  I've got three of these (8.5", 10" (for omelettes), and 11-7/8" (pictured below)).  Highly recommend them.  Just heat them up slowly if you have induction because if you hit them too hard, they can warp.  The newer ones have a slight upward indention to prevent this.  Mine are the older models and are just fine.

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by dcbc

[Armybrat 41316]

Mrs. Brat still uses her grandpa’s cast iron skillet that is pre-1910…

 

[dcbc 14641]

Got some good kit in October.  I got a fat separator, which was great for turkey drippings.  I also got a Food Mill.  First one was All-Clad, but it was surprisingly shitty, albeit a substantial piece of equipment. Sold it on ebay and got the OXO I wanted in the first place.

[jimmyjazz 46969]

OXO's marketing/branding makes their stuff look shitty to me, but they're consistently good products.

[huge 3824]

32 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

OXO's marketing/branding makes their stuff look shitty to me, but they're consistently good products.

This is where I am.  Unless I see or read about something specific and I seek it out, I tend to end up with OXO and if I want to "upgrade" later I can.

 

 

[dcbc 14641]

The problem with the All-Clad mill was a consistently weak spring across products, including mine.  So it wouldn't push things through well.  The OXO was the Food Lab recommendation.  But as a gift, the giver sought an upgrade, which ultimately wasn't an upgrade, despite its being a hefty piece of kit.

Edited November 22, 2023 by dcbc

[Okie State 3887]

All-Clad is like some other brands where the main product they make is quality and a lot of the rest is just cashing in on the name.

[ohchaucer 1444]

All-Clad is like some other brands where the main product they make is quality and a lot of the rest is just cashing in on the name.

::KitchenAid has entered the chat…

[gsoda3 3358]

12 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

OXO's marketing/branding makes their stuff look shitty to me, but they're consistently good products.

 

11 hours ago, huge said:

This is where I am.  Unless I see or read about something specific and I seek it out, I tend to end up with OXO and if I want to "upgrade" later I can.

 

 

their stuff works but what we like most about them is their customer service.  one of the best out there along with discount tire and weber.

[dcbc 14641]

8 hours ago, gsoda3 said:

 

their stuff works but what we like most about them is their customer service.  one of the best out there along with discount tire and weber.

And Lodge, speaking as someone who got his 8 year old Dutch Oven replaced due to a chip on the interior surface for free a few months back.

Edited November 22, 2023 by dcbc

[Chopper 17429]

The pepper cannon is 20% off at amazon right now. It's incredible.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09T7BWJNP/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://mannkitchen.com/products/the-original-pepper-cannon-pepper-mill

 

 

[NoName 17105]

11 minutes ago, Chopper said:

The pepper cannon is 20% off at amazon right now. It's incredible.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09T7BWJNP/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://mannkitchen.com/products/the-original-pepper-cannon-pepper-mill

 

 

i fucking love pepper but will never pay that much for a pepper grinder even though everyone says it's the best.

i just need one thats like half as good.

edit: i forgot what i want is the unicorn magnum or magnum plus. its exactly what i want just in and out of stock

http://www.unicornmills.org/magnum-plus.html

Edited November 22, 2023 by NoName

[Chopper 17429]

1 hour ago, NoName said:

i fucking love pepper but will never pay that much for a pepper grinder even though everyone says it's the best.

I hear ya. Just thought I'd mention the black friday sale going on rn. In my experience with it, the price seems worth it due to range of the grind and the speed. Also the quality materials (anodyzed aluminum, no plastic) used to construct it make me feel like this is the last pepper grinder I'll ever have/want to buy. Also an attached base cup was non-negotiable and the Mann has a nice deep one

[dcbc 14641]

2 hours ago, NoName said:

i fucking love pepper but will never pay that much for a pepper grinder even though everyone says it's the best.

i just need one thats like half as good.

edit: i forgot what i want is the unicorn magnum or magnum plus. its exactly what i want just in and out of stock

http://www.unicornmills.org/magnum-plus.html

 

For nostagic purposes, I bought an old-style, hand-crank, burr coffee grinders for my grinder.  Two rotations give you roughly a tablespoon of course-ground pepper.  I think it was $75 20 years ago..  Like I said, I got it for nostalgic purposes, but damn if it isn't the best grind.

 

It's basically this

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by dcbc

[Jkwellborn 7006]

I looked at an old house a few years back and they had a wall mounted pepper grinder like what you posted. I started to try and buy it from the lady.

[ChickenSandwich 9918]

Recommend me a knife block under $500.  Full package, separates, starter pieces, whatever..

[thunderlounge 8318]

https://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-2023115-Contemporary-Self-sharpening-Technology/dp/B06Y12JQWZ/
 

 

I have this one, and have for a good while. 
 

Plenty good enough for general home use. No complaints for $300.

[Okie State 3887]

If I had it to do over I'd just get a few Wüsthof Classics and an in-drawer block. We have a whole set of Classics and they're nice, but we don't really need them all. I also recently got the in-drawer block and prefer it over taking up counter space.

[jimmyjazz 46969]

35 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Recommend me a knife block under $500.  Full package, separates, starter pieces, whatever..

I'm a big fan of Mercer knives.  Made for professional chefs.  They are reasonably priced -- you can get an 8" chef's knife for as little as $21 or so, up to ~ $45.  Forget the block, buy plastic storage guards and keep them in your drawer, or maybe get a wall-mounted magnet bar.  (That's my next get, if I can figure out where to put it.)

Edited December 7, 2023 by jimmyjazz

[dcbc 14641]

18 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm a big fan of Mercer knives.  Made for professional chefs.  They are reasonably priced -- you can get an 8" chef's knife for as little as $21 or so, up to ~ $45.  Forget the block, buy plastic storage guards and keep them in your drawer, or maybe get a wall-mounted magnet bar.  (That's my next get, if I can figure out where to put it.)

Separates for sure.  8" Chef's knife that feels comfortable in your hand.  Paring knife.  Boning knife.  Bread knife.  and/or 12" slicer.  Honing steel.  Kitchen shears. Something to keep the knives sharp. 

 

Good, thick, wooden cutting board is nice add on.  No glass or bamboo. 

 

To that, if want to mix things up, you can add things like a nice, heavy, inexpensive cleaver, Asian, high carbon Chef's knife,  a peeler, and a microplane.  But the above should do you.  It's 90% chef's knife, really.

 

They have some blocks with the magents in them (and more space for the knives).  We have a wedding gift knife block set that is for family and guests, which I try to keep reasonably sharp and may use if it's just a quick task.  I have my own roll of decent knives, which I use, but is kept in a cabinet.  It beats having to bird dog my family or anyone else who wants to beat up on the available kitchen knives.  

 

I've tried to make something like this work on paper, but no luck size-wise.

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by dcbc

[Da Fino 2820]

1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Recommend me a knife block under $500.  Full package, separates, starter pieces, whatever..

Mixed set of Victorinox Forschner that fit your needs. You can even get some of them with wood handles. I keep mine in a drawer with a divider insert. I hone regularly then get them sharpened at a farmers market when needed. 

[VABuckeye 2481]

I have a Japanese set for slicing (Shun), and German set for chopping (Zwilling) and my Yoshihiro for just showing off.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by VABuckeye

[burns_312 356]

Bubba

[locodos 5582]

On 11/22/2023 at 4:21 PM, Chopper said:

The pepper cannon is 20% off at amazon right now. It's incredible.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09T7BWJNP/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://mannkitchen.com/products/the-original-pepper-cannon-pepper-mill

 

 

pfffffttttt

I got mine in Constantinople Istanbul Turkey Türkiye for like $5.   Grind by hand and it makes a shit ton of pepper fast.   Chuck it up in your drill and stand back!

You can get them in the US for probably $35 or so

 

[Baboontyme 2875]

I'm going to go back through this thread tonight. My kitchen is finally coming together after 5 months of being torn apart. I have a working sink, countertops and so much cabinet, drawer, and pantry space I don't know what to do, and that is a beautiful thing. I would love to see some pics of the above referenced knife drawer organizers, as well as any other kind of shelf/drawer/cabinet organizers people like. 

I'm also leaning heavily towards throwing away every single shitty pot and pan that we have minus my cast iron skillet and just starting fresh with a basic set. I think there are some recs above but feel free to post any other thoughts. 

[Okie State 3887]

I'm going to go back through this thread tonight. My kitchen is finally coming together after 5 months of being torn apart. I have a working sink, countertops and so much cabinet, drawer, and pantry space I don't know what to do, and that is a beautiful thing. I would love to see some pics of the above referenced knife drawer organizers, as well as any other kind of shelf/drawer/cabinet organizers people like. 
I'm also leaning heavily towards throwing away every single shitty pot and pan that we have minus my cast iron skillet and just starting fresh with a basic set. I think there are some recs above but feel free to post any other thoughts. 

Aforementioned drawer knife block. Williams Sonoma in walnut. Wüsthof Classic knives. Holds fifteen. I have six steak, one paring, small and large utility, santoku, bread , two cheese, one tomato, one chef.

I made drawer organizers and they're great. You can find similar online. Highly recommended.

We also have these pan dividers above our wall oven and they're handy.

A spice drawer is nice too. Ours doesn't have the fancy labels on the bottles yet.

I'd buy a few AllClad D3 stainless pans and call it a day. We also have some Staub enameled cast iron and DeBuyer carbon steel. We own zero non-stick and don't miss it at all.

[ChickenSandwich 9918]

18 hours ago, Okie State said:

Aforementioned drawer knife block. Williams Sonoma in walnut. Wüsthof Classic knives. Holds fifteen. I have six steak, one paring, small and large utility, santoku, bread , two cheese, one tomato, one chef.

I made drawer organizers and they're great. You can find similar online. Highly recommended.

We also have these pan dividers above our wall oven and they're handy.

A spice drawer is nice too. Ours doesn't have the fancy labels on the bottles yet.

I'd buy a few AllClad D3 stainless pans and call it a day. We also have some Staub enameled cast iron and DeBuyer carbon steel. We own zero non-stick and don't miss it at all.


 

How many slots on the knife holder?

[Sam Lin 3590]

I've tried about every knife holder on the market, and the Wusthof wood in a drawer are what I settled on. 

[Okie State 3887]

How many slots on the knife holder?

This one holds 15. They have a smaller version that holds 7.

[MontereyMX 922]

19 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

I've tried about every knife holder on the market, and the Wusthof wood in a drawer are what I settled on. 

what are those little red gumbi looking figures 

[Texzilla58 4778]

I think the best value in knives are Victorinox Fibrox. Consistently top rated for value/quality ratio. Swiss steel, Swiss made, nothing from China. Extremely well balanced, low maintenance. Can even go in the dishwasher. I have a 8” chef, 6” chef, 7” santoku, boning knife, slicer, shears, paring, and steak knives. They also make a $10 veg peeler that looks very unassuming that is the best I’ve ever used.

Also a big fan of the in drawer knife block if you have the room.

[Baboontyme 2875]

22 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

I've tried about every knife holder on the market, and the Wusthof wood in a drawer are what I settled on. 

I ordered this. Thanks. I only have quality BBQ knives at this point, I will have to start building the collection.

I am definitely not surly pampered chef elite. I have been looking at cookware. I could handle the maintenance on something like carbon steel. I floated it to the wife and explained if we go that route it's not something where she can go make scrambled eggs and then put it in the sink to soak for 3 days and she looked at me like I was an alien. I'm now looking at nonstick. Probably more our speed to be honest. Anyone have any opinions on Swiss Diamond?

[Jkwellborn 7006]

I think the best value in knives are Victorinox Fibrox. Consistently top rated for value/quality ratio. Swiss steel, Swiss made, nothing from China. Extremely well balanced, low maintenance. Can even go in the dishwasher. I have a 8” chef, 6” chef, 7” santoku, boning knife, slicer, shears, paring, and steak knives. They also make a $10 veg peeler that looks very unassuming that is the best I’ve ever used.

Also a big fan of the in drawer knife block if you have the room.

I’ve got a couple of victorinox knives. I really like them. Use them a lot when I am smoking stuff. They have been good to hold an edge.

[Chewbacca 7827]

I'm going to go back through this thread tonight. My kitchen is finally coming together after 5 months of being torn apart. I have a working sink, countertops and so much cabinet, drawer, and pantry space I don't know what to do, and that is a beautiful thing. I would love to see some pics of the above referenced knife drawer organizers, as well as any other kind of shelf/drawer/cabinet organizers people like. 
I'm also leaning heavily towards throwing away every single shitty pot and pan that we have minus my cast iron skillet and just starting fresh with a basic set. I think there are some recs above but feel free to post any other thoughts. 

All Clad stainless steel for pots and pans. They will outlast you. But don't buy a big set. A couple sauce pans and a skillet.

[dcbc 14641]

17 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

All Clad stainless steel for pots and pans. They will outlast you. But don't buy a big set. A couple sauce pans and a skillet.

Obviously, if you have the money for All-Clad, go for it.  But if you're on a budget, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro or French Classic (pretty much the same, but made in France versus China), is excellent stainless cookware for far less than All-Clad.

 

I started with a 13-piece set of the French Classic, and added several larger pieces.  It definitely passes the test of being heavy duty enough to bludgeon someone to death, and I have no doubt it will last a lifetime.  I don't see a huge difference between its quality versus the All-Clad D3 cookware I've used. 

Edited December 11, 2023 by dcbc

[Sam Lin 3590]

12 hours ago, MontereyMXmuthafucka said:

what are those little red gumbi looking figures 

Little silicone props to hold pot lids partially open. More a gimmick gift than anything.

 

The Victorinox white handled kitchen knives get top ratings all the time, and are staple in any commercial kitchen. They're cheap, and go on sale frequently. That said, I hate them for home use. Too light, shitty balance, grips feel like shit. They're intended to be a commercial workhorse product and that's exactly what they are. I've given away each one I've tried, and I've tried many.

 

For a bargain knife, I'd recommend Yaxell and Enso, both are no-name brands that manufacture in Japan using good steel. The Yaxell Mon for $70 has been quite a pleasant surprise, nice fit and finish, and the metal holds an edge really well. You can see from my pic I have zero brand loyalty, and crap knives get given away quickly - those two brands have held their spots in the drawer against a fair number of more expensive knives.

[dcbc 14641]

On 12/8/2023 at 6:58 PM, Baboontyme said:

I'm going to go back through this thread tonight. My kitchen is finally coming together after 5 months of being torn apart. I have a working sink, countertops and so much cabinet, drawer, and pantry space I don't know what to do, and that is a beautiful thing. I would love to see some pics of the above referenced knife drawer organizers, as well as any other kind of shelf/drawer/cabinet organizers people like. 

I'm also leaning heavily towards throwing away every single shitty pot and pan that we have minus my cast iron skillet and just starting fresh with a basic set. I think there are some recs above but feel free to post any other thoughts. 

Carbon steel for a lighter Cast Iron alternative.  I've been happy with Matfer Bourgeat.  But there are other good brands.

[dcbc 14641]

20 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

I’ve got a couple of victorinox knives. I really like them. Use them a lot when I am smoking stuff. They have been good to hold an edge.

I've got the rosewood version of their chef's knife and paring knife.  Apart from the stink from the handles (took a bit to rid of it), they are good knives.

Edited December 11, 2023 by dcbc

[jimmyjazz 46969]

17 minutes ago, Sam Lin said:

For a bargain knife, I'd recommend Yaxell and Enso, 

Have you tried the Mercers?  I get mine at Ace Mart Restaurant Supply in Austin, but I haven't shot them out against other similarly priced brands.  They're definitely better than the Henckels "wedding set" we got, and surely cost less per blade.

[Sam Lin 3590]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

Carbon steel for a lighter Cast Iron alternative.  I've been happy with Matfer Bourgeat.  But there are other good brands.

I have a bunch of DeBuyer carbon steel, really like it.

[dcbc 14641]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Have you tried the Mercers?  I get mine at Ace Mart Restaurant Supply in Austin, but I haven't shot them out against other similarly priced brands.  They're definitely better than the Henckels "wedding set" we got, and surely cost less per blade.

Serious eats put them up there with Victorinox for similar quality knives, but for a lower price.

[NoName 17105]

20 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

floated it to the wife and explained if we go that route it's not something where she can go make scrambled eggs and then put it in the sink to soak for 3 days and she looked at me like I was an alien. I'm now looking at nonstick. Probably more our speed to be honest. Anyone have any opinions on Swiss Diamond?

i've purchased a ton of nonsticks over the last 20 years and will probably never spend more than this on one, which was slightly less expensive wherever i bought it - the ninja foodi

 cultflav (great tiktok follow btw) did a huge roundup and a lot of their issues with what's on the market match up with mine (hate the tramontina and oxo nonsticks) - this is what they liked/recommended and it's awesome.

yes, it's a ninja product but it's easily the best nonstick i have ever owned. i like that it's more of a flat bottom vs rounded sides. i like the surface vs the tramontina and whatever else i have in my cabinet at the moment.

https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-C30026Z-NeverStick-Premium-Hard-Anodized/dp/B089TP28P3

they love this insane Hestan nonstick thats crazy expensive but here is their comparison/review of those two side by side. IIRC they say that the hestan one is incredible but its also like $200 (on sale at the moment if anyone cares lol)

here is their total review of all 16

really and truly, just buy her her own nonstick haha

[52-80 19379]

On 12/9/2023 at 1:58 AM, Baboontyme said:

I'm also leaning heavily towards throwing away every single shitty pot and pan that we have minus my cast iron skillet and just starting fresh with a basic set. I think there are some recs above but feel free to post any other thoughts. 

For a core set get the costco 12 piece all-clad d3 set. Its not inexpensive…but you wont ever need to replace any of those pieces again. 
 

then add on specialty stuff on as-needed basis  

 

[dcbc 14641]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

For a core set get the costco 12 piece all-clad d3 set. Its not inexpensive…but you wont ever need to replace any of those pieces again. 
 

then add on specialty stuff on as-needed basis  

 

At $549, that's actually a far better price than I was expecting so see.

Edited December 11, 2023 by dcbc

[52-80 19379]

40 minutes ago, dcbc said:

At $549, that's actually a far better price than I was expecting so see.

Under 100 for each cooking vessel is cheaper than the individual stuff ive bought and theyre all useful

[dcbc 14641]

57 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Under 100 for each cooking vessel is cheaper than the individual stuff ive bought and theyre all useful

I don't usually have much use for an 8" stainless fry pan, but it also includes the 12", which isn't something I often have seen in sets.

[Chewbacca 7827]

15 hours ago, dcbc said:

Obviously, if you have the money for All-Clad, go for it.  But if you're on a budget, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro or French Classic (pretty much the same, but made in France versus China), is excellent stainless cookware for far less than All-Clad.

 

I started with a 13-piece set of the French Classic, and added several larger pieces.  It definitely passes the test of being heavy duty enough to bludgeon someone to death, and I have no doubt it will last a lifetime.  I don't see a huge difference between its quality versus the All-Clad D3 cookware I've used. 

All Clad regularly sells seconds if the regular prices are too much.  I've picked up some pieces this way.  Le Crueset does as well at their factory outlet stores.

 

There's a seconds sale going on right now for the next 4 days.

https://homeandcooksales.com/

Edited December 11, 2023 by Chewbacca