Legit kitchen appliances & accessories

[otisdog 365]

On 9/13/2020 at 12:29 PM, ROFL BOX said:

Should I simply spend the $ 200 for a Breville & get it over with
 

Currently $40 off @ Bed Bath & Beyond through 9/28

[BabaYaga 15218]

On 6/7/2020 at 4:53 PM, MirrOlure said:

Indoors or outdoors (and I was a skeptic) this is the best and most effective gadget I’ve been given....like, ever:

You haven't lived until you are hammered on the back porch, drinking whiskey, nurturing a brisket, watching CFB, and shooting flies off dog turds with extreme prejudice....

[ROFL BOX 6647]

34 minutes ago, otisdog said:

Currently $40 off @ Bed Bath & Beyond through 9/28

Saw that.  .0001" away from pulling the trigger... have been hoping someone in here has actually purchased one of the "as seen on TeeVee" things & could report in, tell us how uh-may-zing it is, etc.

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

On 9/14/2020 at 2:26 PM, riloh05 said:

any of you assholes have one of these- la cornue range? pros/cons...i will hang up and listen.

We installed a La Cornue range a few years ago on a project.  It was a really, really well made appliance.  That thing seemingly weighed more than a battleship.  To the point of @Landomatic, they need to be the focal point of a kitchen, otherwise they may potentially detract from the aesthetics.  In this case, we did a double glass-front SubZero fridge, and the range was flanked by stone columns in the center of the kitchen with a big island.  Definite focal point and it made sense in the design.

From a functionality standpoint, this particular client was a major foodie and loved to cook, so it made sense to her.  If you love to cook, can make it the show piece of the kitchen and have the coin, go for it.  Otherwise, go with Wolf or Viking.

Sidebar... That same client gave me her 30 year old Viking range.  Needed a new igniter for the oven, and I had to convert it from NG to propane, but it's freaking awesome.  Though the new Viking stuff is fine, the pre-acquisition products are incredibly well built.  The appliance guy I use came to do the conversion and said those old Viking ranges are some of the best built products he works with.  

[Kilgorehorn 308]

On 9/13/2020 at 2:29 PM, ROFL BOX said:

Should I simply spend the $ 200 for a Breville & get it over with?

You won't regret buying the Breville. They are great. We have two because we had one in the house and one in the motorhome before we sold it.  No chance we were going to let the Breville go with the motorhome.

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Sidebar... That same client gave me her 30 year old Viking range.  Needed a new igniter for the oven, and I had to convert it from NG to propane, but it's freaking awesome.  Though the new Viking stuff is fine, the pre-acquisition products are incredibly well built.  The appliance guy I use came to do the conversion and said those old Viking ranges are some of the best built products he works with.  

Yeah I’m sure none of them are what they used to be.  I can definitely confirm that is the case with Wolf / Sub Zero.  We’re on house number 3 with them since 2013.  And just in the last 7 years it’s all slipped considerably.

[dcbc 14442]

As long as we're talking about cook tops, for those of you who are gas installation challenged like I am ($4k to run a line in my case), consider team induction.  Better than gas in every way except for the fact that you can't beat the shit out of it like a cast iron gas cook top grate.  Kept the scratches off of it with the heavier steel/iron pans with silicone baking rounds (since the HOBs are not putting off heat).  Pretty regular with the Ceramabrite (wax) applications.  Looks like new after a year.

Edited April 10, 2021 by dcbc

[After irth 1243]

56 minutes ago, dcbc said:

As long as we're talking about cook tops, for those of you who are gas installation challenged like I am ($4k to run a line in my case), consider team induction.  Better than gas in every way except for the fact that you can't beat the shit out of it like a cast iron gas cook top grate.  Kept the scratches off of it with the heavier steel/iron pans with silicone backing rounds (since the HOBs are not putting off heat).  Pretty regular with the Ceramabrite (wax) applications.  Looks like new after a year.

Silicone backing rounds. Elaborate, please?

[dcbc 14442]

5 minutes ago, After irth said:

Silicone backing rounds. Elaborate, please?

Something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Silpat-Round-Cake-Liner-Orange/dp/B07CT91V28/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=silicone+nonstick+baking+sheet"+round&qid=1600470010&sr=8-8

Put it under the pan.  Induction HOB heats pan, but doesn't melt silicone because it's magnetic and stuff.

Edited September 18, 2020 by dcbc

[NeverMarryAStripper 21784]

Has anyone tried the Breville 3 in 1 Combi Wave air fryer, convection oven, and microwave?

[After irth 1243]

1 minute ago, dcbc said:

Something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Silpat-Round-Cake-Liner-Orange/dp/B07CT91V28/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=silicone+nonstick+baking+sheet"+round&qid=1600470010&sr=8-8

And these go on top of the burner?  And then the pan when you’re cooking?  And it all works?

Fascinating. 

[52-80 19114]

Induction works by magnet, not direct heat

 

Sometimes when I cook splattery stuff, I just put sheets of newspaper on the cooktop, and the pan will heat through that

 

Still much prefer a gas burner but c'est la vie

[dcbc 14442]

20 hours ago, After irth said:

And these go on top of the burner?  And then the pan when you’re cooking?  And it all works?

Fascinating. 

Yeah.  They're cheap and work well. Tea towel works well.  Pretty much anything thin seems to work. 

Edited September 19, 2020 by dcbc

[Okie State 3789]

Yeah I’m sure none of them are what they used to be.  I can definitely confirm that is the case with Wolf / Sub Zero.  We’re on house number 3 with them since 2013.  And just in the last 7 years it’s all slipped considerably.

Say more about the slip in quality, specifically on Sub-Zero as this is relevant to my interests.

[PorscheGuy 127]

Highly recommend.  Bought it two weeks ago and its a game changer.  K-Cups and Nespresso pods in one machine.  Only available through Walmart.  I don't know why other manufacturers did not offer this before other then the fact you had to buy two machines instead of just one.  

 

[PorscheGuy 127]

On 9/18/2020 at 8:54 PM, Okie State said:

On 9/18/2020 at 4:36 PM, Landomatic said:

Yeah I’m sure none of them are what they used to be.  I can definitely confirm that is the case with Wolf / Sub Zero.  We’re on house number 3 with them since 2013.  And just in the last 7 years it’s all slipped considerably.

Say more about the slip in quality, specifically on Sub-Zero as this is relevant to my interests.

I cannot speak from direct experience of owning a sub zero.  However, I was in the industry for a long time and over the past few years I heard repeatedly from appliance companies and kitchen dealers that Sub Zero quality was tanking.  They would always joke you needed to buy two, so you would always have one working.  Appliance guys hate to work on them too.  Lots of potential issues pulling them out of the built in cabinetry to work on them.  If they offer an extended warranty, it would probably be a good idea to consider it.  

[NoName 16335]

On 9/18/2020 at 3:00 PM, ROFL BOX said:

Saw that.  .0001" away from pulling the trigger... have been hoping someone in here has actually purchased one of the "as seen on TeeVee" things & could report in, tell us how uh-may-zing it is, etc.

we have the Smart Oven Air Fryer (basically a 13 in 1 which includes an air fryer) and I can't recommend it enough

https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/ovens/bov900.html

The Air Fryer alone is fantastic but when you add in that you can toast more than 2 thinks at a time, its a fantastic broiler, it frees you up to cook/roast 2x things at once, it heats up faster/cools down faster than the regular oven (important in Texas) and it something that we have sold a ton of just from people seeing it in use.

seriously, just do it if you think you will use it at all.

[Okie State 3789]

I cannot speak from direct experience of owning a sub zero.  However, I was in the industry for a long time and over the past few years I heard repeatedly from appliance companies and kitchen dealers that Sub Zero quality was tanking.  They would always joke you needed to buy two, so you would always have one working.  Appliance guys hate to work on them too.  Lots of potential issues pulling them out of the built in cabinetry to work on them.  If they offer an extended warranty, it would probably be a good idea to consider it.  

The only reason I'd buy one is for reliability so if that's slipping then it would be a non-starter for me. I know the older ones could last decades if they were maintained. 

 

Maybe I can find an old one in good shape.

[Enchubben 5509]

Moved into a new home and am loving the GE profile line appliances.  The dishwasher and double oven are both wifi enabled which is really cool to sync up with Alexa.

[gsoda3 3238]

On 9/18/2020 at 4:57 PM, dcbc said:

silicone backing rounds (since the HOBs are not putting off heat).  

i had no idea.  that's awesome, thanks.  

 

[Landomatic 3813]

On 9/18/2020 at 8:54 PM, Okie State said:

Say more about the slip in quality, specifically on Sub-Zero as this is relevant to my interests.

Honestly, it's nothing really specific.  Just overall everything has gotten cheaper feeling.  Lighter weight, flimsier components, just little shit like that.  Price doesn't feel like it matches up.  And the last stuff we had just felt higher quality.

And there are a couple things that I really can't understand why they did the way they did.  For example, the wine fridge beeps when you leave the door open too long.  Not a huge deal, but it feels like it kicks on when it's been open for like 10 seconds.  And it's loud and incessant.  Annoying as hell.  Microwave does the same thing.  Incessant beeping to remind you that your food is ready until you open the door.

Also, we bought one of the new dishwashers they make now, called Cove.  The sales people all raved about it and this thing was supposed to be a life changer.  Well, it kind of is because it cleans really really well.  However, the damn thing is tiny.  They apparently had to shrink the useable space down so much to accommodate whatever kind of jet engine they put on it that it fills up way too quick.  Feels like we're running it constantly.

[dcbc 14442]

39 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Honestly, it's nothing really specific.  Just overall everything has gotten cheaper feeling.  Lighter weight, flimsier components, just little shit like that.  Price doesn't feel like it matches up.  And the last stuff we had just felt higher quality.

And there are a couple things that I really can't understand why they did the way they did.  For example, the wine fridge beeps when you leave the door open too long.  Not a huge deal, but it feels like it kicks on when it's been open for like 10 seconds.  And it's loud and incessant.  Annoying as hell.  Microwave does the same thing.  Incessant beeping to remind you that your food is ready until you open the door.

Also, we bought one of the new dishwashers they make now, called Cove.  The sales people all raved about it and this thing was supposed to be a life changer.  Well, it kind of is because it cleans really really well.  However, the damn thing is tiny.  They apparently had to shrink the useable space down so much to accommodate whatever kind of jet engine they put on it that it fills up way too quick.  Feels like we're running it constantly.

The shortened longevity seems like it's across the board brandwise.  I've got a GE fridge we bought in 2001 still going strong in our garage, and the "nicer" GE that replaced it didn't last 8 years and had numerous repairs during that time.  Same thing with the front loader washer dryers.  Meanwhile, my mom has a Maytag washer from 1978 that's still going.

[wood 11192]

SIAP: Bosch Dishwashers. Quieter than any other dishwasher I've ever seen, & clean better than any I've seen, too. Hardly ever even know it's on. Our old one sounded like a fucking freight train.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21784]

14 minutes ago, dcbc said:

The shortened longevity seems like it's across the board brandwise.  I've got a GE fridge we bought in 2001 still going strong in our garage, and the "nicer" GE that replaced it didn't last 8 years and had numerous repairs during that time.  Same thing with the front loader washer dryers.  Meanwhile, my mom has a Maytag washer from 1978 that's still going.

 

[PorscheGuy 127]

19 minutes ago, wood said:

SIAP: Bosch Dishwashers. Quieter than any other dishwasher I've ever seen, & clean better than any I've seen, too. Hardly ever even know it's on. Our old one sounded like a fucking freight train.

Agree.

[Landomatic 3813]

29 minutes ago, PorscheGuy said:

Agree.

I'll third that.  We had a Bosch dishwasher at our last house before we got this Cove thing and the Bosch was WAAAAAY better.

[otisdog 365]

9 hours ago, Okie State said:

The only reason I'd buy one is for reliability so if that's slipping then it would be a non-starter for me. I know the older ones could last decades if they were maintained. 

 

Maybe I can find an old one in good shape.

I had my old one (18 years) totally rebuilt 4 years ago, was about $3,500 for everything, both compressors, by the local authorized service dealer. Repairman keep saying how I was doing the right thing, the new ones are all computerized, very hard to find the problem etc.. I'm happy - 3.5 versus 15.5 $K was an easy swallow.

[Okie State 3789]

I had my old one (18 years) totally rebuilt 4 years ago, was about $3,500 for everything, both compressors, by the local authorized service dealer. Repairman keep saying how I was doing the right thing, the new ones are all computerized, very hard to find the problem etc.. I'm happy - 3.5 versus 15.5 $K was an easy swallow.

This is something I'd consider. Find an old one and have it refurbished. I like simple things that can be fixed and will last.

[hornbri 1378]

10 hours ago, NoName said:

we have the Smart Oven Air Fryer (basically a 13 in 1 which includes an air fryer) and I can't recommend it enough

https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/ovens/bov900.html

The Air Fryer alone is fantastic but when you add in that you can toast more than 2 thinks at a time, its a fantastic broiler, it frees you up to cook/roast 2x things at once, it heats up faster/cools down faster than the regular oven (important in Texas) and it something that we have sold a ton of just from people seeing it in use.

seriously, just do it if you think you will use it at all.

Have the same one, it is really great. Have also convinced several friends to buy one and they all love it. 

[Okie State 3789]

Anybody have any experience with the True residential line of refrigerators? I know their commercial line is pretty much in every restaurant. They're expensive as hell though.

 

 

[elfenix 34199]

Also, we have a countertop ice maker because the water where we are is shit (Hill Country well) & pour bottled water (1½ or 2 gal. jugs) to make the ice.
 
Works like a champ & has already paid for itself vs. buying bagged ice.
 
Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk
 
 
 
 

Is an RO filter an option? You'd be saving on bottled water, at least

[dcbc 14442]

29 minutes ago, Okie State said:

Anybody have any experience with the True residential line of refrigerators? I know their commercial line is pretty much in every restaurant. They're expensive as hell though.

 

 

That was always top of the line when it came to kegerators.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Ended up with this - a friend had it unused, gave it to us.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[52-80 19114]

silicone ice trays are so, so money. 

they come in all sizes and the large ones are particularly good for storing home made stock.  much easier to pop out cubes of frozen stock than to thaw out an entire  jar

[Anastasis 23403]

19 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

silicone ice trays are so, so money. 

they come in all sizes and the large ones are particularly good for storing home made stock.  much easier to pop out cubes of frozen stock than to thaw out an entire  jar

yep, also pesto, pizza sauce, big cubes for the brown drank, etc. 

[workswithseed 2045]

Just bought myself a Boos Block table for more kitchen space, as you can see all the clutter behind me.

[workswithseed 2045]

Finally got a good drill to make the table extra useable.

 

[Asithappens 974]

Not really a gadget, but if you like coffee this is a reasonably priced semi-automatic coffee/espresso machine. It's good. I've had mine for just over a year now, and a friend has had his for 8 years. 

 

It's a Gaggia Brera, if i can post a pic....

Edited January 8, 2021 by Asithappens

[Anastasis 23403]

32 minutes ago, Asithappens said:

Not really a gadget, but if you like coffee this is a reasonably priced semi-automatic coffee/espresso machine. It's good. I've had mine for just over a year now, and a friend has had his for 8 years. 

 

It's a Gaggia Brera, if i can post a pic....

we just added a philips superauto, which is in the same family as the gaggia and the saecos and have been quite pleased.

 

Only real issue has been making sure that we dial down to non-oily medium roast beans. Wife education involved here. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21784]

On 12/1/2020 at 3:55 PM, workswithseed said:

Just bought myself a Boos Block table for more kitchen space, as you can see all the clutter behind me.

Your kitchen looks like a strippers bathroom when she's taking a selfie

[workswithseed 2045]

5 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

Your kitchen looks like a strippers bathroom when she's taking a selfie

How did you know I was a stripper! I stopped after getting the table

[dcbc 14442]

13 hours ago, Asithappens said:

Not really a gadget, but if you like coffee this is a reasonably priced semi-automatic coffee/espresso machine. It's good. I've had mine for just over a year now, and a friend has had his for 8 years. 

 

It's a Gaggia Brera, if i can post a pic....

I've had one for years.  Good little workhorse.

[dcbc 14442]

13 hours ago, Anastasis said:

we just added a philips superauto, which is in the same family as the gaggia and the saecos and have been quite pleased.

 

Only real issue has been making sure that we dial down to non-oily medium roast beans. Wife education involved here. 

That's critical.  I used some oily beans a couple of times and had to have the grinder repaired under warranty.

I now use the Lavazza Super Crema espresso beans, and it's been smooth sailing.

[riloh05 107]

Any Experiences with La Cornue? La Cornue CornuFé Gloss Black 110 Range | Williams Sonoma (williams-sonoma.com)

 

I am really enjoying the shit outta this- grillgun | su-vgun | grillblazer.com – GrillBlazer

[Asithappens 974]

On 1/7/2021 at 9:34 PM, Anastasis said:

we just added a philips superauto, which is in the same family as the gaggia and the saecos and have been quite pleased.

 

Only real issue has been making sure that we dial down to non-oily medium roast beans. Wife education involved here. 

Yeah, dark roast is no bueno. 

[bigshark88 388]

I am in need of new kitchen knives and steak knives.  I would like to get a block to hold them all but I keep having (knife dork) friends tell me that the knives from block sets are crap.  I'd like to keep the whole shooting match under $500 if possible.  This is for a family kitchen from which two young kids get fed daily.  We do some "fancy cooking" but were are generally not foodies.  I am kind of a knife dork in that I use and collect high-end pocket knives and fillet knives.  Mrs. Bigshark has no interest in knives generally .  Otherwise we need good, honest hardware.  Any recommendations?  

Edited April 9, 2021 by bigshark88

[dcbc 14442]

52 minutes ago, bigshark88 said:

I am in need of new kitchen knives and steak knives.  I would like to get a block to hold them all but I keep having (knife dork) friends tell me that the knives from block sets are crap.  I'd like to keep the whole shooting match under $500 if possible.  This is for a family kitchen from which two young kids get fed daily.  We do some "fancy cooking" but were are generally not foodies.  I am kind of a knife dork in that I use and collect high-end pocket knives and fillet knives.  Mrs. Bigshark has no interest in knives generally .  Otherwise we need good, honest hardware.  Any recommendations?  

Check these threads out:

 

 

[52-80 19114]

starting to OXO everything in the kitchen with some mitts/pot holders, wine stoppers + wine preservers + pizza wheel + bottles/pourers

[Mo Horn 8808]

On 4/9/2021 at 2:02 PM, bigshark88 said:

I am in need of new kitchen knives and steak knives.  I would like to get a block to hold them all but I keep having (knife dork) friends tell me that the knives from block sets are crap.  I'd like to keep the whole shooting match under $500 if possible.  This is for a family kitchen from which two young kids get fed daily.  We do some "fancy cooking" but were are generally not foodies.  I am kind of a knife dork in that I use and collect high-end pocket knives and fillet knives.  Mrs. Bigshark has no interest in knives generally .  Otherwise we need good, honest hardware.  Any recommendations?  

Regardless of what knives you get, don't use a block. It will ruin your knives. Magnetic holder is what you want. I found one at the hardware store that has magnets on both sides, and it's on the side of my refrigerator, although a wall mounted one is good. 

[bigshark88 388]

The block is necessary as it's part of kitchen decor/organization. That's a realm controlled by Mrs Bigshark. I got this set and it's really filled the bill well:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSBOCTS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_12FPZ0S4F596H3E5D5VT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

One trifle I have is the steak knives are serrated which I don't love. Everything was sharp as hell out of the box. Other than steak knife serrations, they're highly recommended for an honest, working family kitchen.