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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 17, 2021 23:50:54 GMT
Five months! Maybe they were distracted by activities in the board room ~ finance.yahoo.com/news/conair-corporation-acquired-american-securities-164300420.htmlI guess when you get the new coffee maker we can expect to see midnight posts from you, as you start drinking more and more and more coffee. Mich, I don't know if I posted about this already, but my son recently posted a disaster of his own making on fb. He attempted to make hard boiled eggs in the microwave. He posted a picture of exploded egg inside a glass measuring cup in the microwave, egg on the floor of the microwave, egg on the door of the microwave, and more egg on the stove below and drooling down from there. The many responses included several from women friends of his showing pictures of their cute little egg cookers & comments like, "I use this every day!" Setting aside the fact that my own flesh and blood who has a responsible job & who knows how to cook decided to blow up his kitchen, I concentrated on the glowing remarks about the egg cooker, which I had already been looking at with an eye to buying one. I had wanted the one that makes 14 eggs at one time, but the reviews on the double-decker models weren't as good. Also, I remembered that I hate the way hard-boiled eggs make the fridge smell, so I'd be better off making fewer at a time. This is the egg-zact model I bought: www.amazon.ca/DASH-Express-Electric-Cooker-Aqua/dp/B07ZRYC3GL?th=1Maybe you can find it at a better price. That Amazon Canada price is $10 usd more than the same item on Amazon US.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 18, 2021 0:13:57 GMT
Bixa as soon as I searched the name, it came up that it is available at our Wal-mart! Since our store has finally reopened, I will ask my husband to stop in to look and see if one is on the shelf on his way home from work next week, he would be in and out of the store by before 9:00 a.m.
I have heard of people making their eggs in the microwave but I have never tried to myself, your son had quite the experience though but like you said from that you found this device. Has your son bought one as well?
I agree about your thoughts on the 14 egg model.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2021 1:01:40 GMT
Oh goody! I'll bet the Walmart has a better price.
Mich, I don't know if he got an egg cooker. He does have one of those monster 99-in-one instant pots, which apparently can be used for cooking eggs.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 18, 2021 1:49:23 GMT
He does have one of those monster 99-in-one instant pots I am not brave enough for those instant pots and I have never used a pressure cooker either. I always pictured myself having an accident with a pressure cooker.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2021 2:51:37 GMT
Ha! I got my first (& the only one I've ever had) in my mid-fifties. I guess we all have our mothers to thank for the fear that the pressure cooker will blow up the house or something.
The instant pots are supposedly safer, but they are HUGE. Really, the main thing to remember with a regular pressure cooker is to not leave it unattended. You don't have to stand over the stove, but if you're pressure cooking something for 20 minutes, say, you want to be near enough so you can hear it hissing & run to turn it off if it makes any other kind of noise.
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Post by patricklondon on Jun 18, 2021 5:46:38 GMT
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Post by bjd on Jun 18, 2021 7:08:31 GMT
The French seemed to like pressure cookers a lot and my in-laws gave us one when we were first married. I almost never used it because I prefer to check on stuff as it cooks. My father-in-law used to boil potatoes and carrots together in a pressure cooker and they were always over-cooked.
I haven't bought any kitchen gadgets in years and since I don't have anywhere to put them, am not tempted.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2021 21:05:42 GMT
My mother had one of theseOne day my father tried making pease pudding (dried yellow peas cooked to a mush) in it. He opened it before letting the pressure off..... They should still make pressure cookers look like the kind Patrick's mother had, because the very sight of it constitutes a warning. Patrick, was your father hurt? Bjd, years ago (1970) I had a neighbor from Odessa, Texas who was quite the good ol' girl. One day she mentioned she was going to cook something or other for supper & her husband immediately said, "Don't make it in the pressure cooker!" She went in the house & I commented that was not something anyone would likely put in a pressure cooker. He said, "You'd think so, but once I brought home some beautiful steaks. I went off to shower while she made supper. When I came to the table I found the steaks all gray and falling apart from having been cooked in the pressure cooker." I like it for long-cooking stuff, because it shortens the time so much & the flavor is great. Oddly, it's also good for steaming green beans. Obviously that's not something that takes much time the regular way, but for some reason they consistently come out better from the pressure cooker.
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Post by patricklondon on Jun 19, 2021 5:21:58 GMT
Patrick, was your father hurt? My mother had some cutting things to say, certainly... I have to say, I wasn't particularly keen on the stews that were made in the thing. But that might have been the choice of ingredients, seasoning, whatever.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 20, 2021 4:55:03 GMT
Pressure cooker makes a really tender pot roast, and you can add the potatoes and carrots near the end to keep them from getting too mushy.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 28, 2021 23:31:50 GMT
Okay, some questions: Who has a bread machine? Who routinely uses that bread machine? Do I want a bread machine? The reason I am asking is because I can either eat Orowheat multi-grain as the one grocery store brand without stuff like corn syrup in it, or I can buy artesanal bread locally. The second option sounds like the obvious choice, doesn't it? But what is produced in the two good bakeries here has a thick, crunchy, often overcooked crust over a stretchy, overly soft interior. I'm tired of sawing off crusts in order to wind up with an irregularly shaped patch of soft bread that makes a disappointing sandwich, thus the Orowheat -- which is not available at my local market. I don't eat tons of bread, but I do very much like the occasional sandwich. I'm looking at the Cuisinart CBK-110 Compact model. That link is from the US site, but the reason this one interests me is because I can get it directly from Amazon Mexico -- a major consideration should I need to return it. So ~ input, please!
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Post by bjd on Oct 29, 2021 6:30:46 GMT
Bread machines were quite the fad in France about 20 years ago. Given the number I saw on sale on a second-hand site, I can only assume that people didn't really use them enough to keep them. Not long ago, our neighbour said she managed to make good brioches in hers but stopped because she was putting on weight. We also visited friends who used a machine but I found the bread's consistency rather unpleasant -- rather like supermarket bread, if you understand what I mean.
Anyway, it's easy to get good bread in France and I don't ever see them on sale anywhere these days.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 29, 2021 16:30:56 GMT
We also visited friends who used a machine but I found the bread's consistency rather unpleasant -- rather like supermarket bread, if you understand what I mean. Yes, I know exactly what you mean and that has been one of my hesitations in acquiring a bread maker. I read somewhere that bread machines tend to turn out a bland, puffy loaf. Certainly many of the pictures in breadmaker ads feature what looks to be a soft white loaf, although others promise a very acceptable French bread. It's reading stuff like this that keeps me on the fence. (I did learn the word "disbenefits" in the comments on that article. Is that a real word?) I should have mentioned that one appeal of a bread machine for me would be not having to use the oven. Stoves here feature ovens which are woefully under-insulated, meaning excessive consumption of gas when baking.
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Post by onlyMark on Oct 31, 2021 12:24:57 GMT
Went to live in the Philippines with three growing kids. Found the only bread there had too much sugar in it so bought a bread maker (and a slow cooker). Made good white or half and half bread but not good wholemeal etc bread. Nice rectangular easy cut shape and far better than the local stuff but yes, could be seen as likened to mass produced white bread in the UK but still better. Moved to Germany where it was pointless using it. Far better everything in the bakeries. Took it to Egypt and Jordan where it had plenty of use as even though we loved Arabic bread, getting anything but that was a bit of a pain. Even the big Carrefour in Cairo only had a limited supply.
Lost vital parts of it in the move away from Jordan somehow (plus broke the pot from the slow cooker) so chucked it away. Had a sabbatical in Spain where I made my own as normal in the (gas) oven as the electric supply in the house wasn't up to much anyway, though we could get reasonable bread from the supermarkets if we searched a bit. In Zambia thought of buying another but we didn't have the kids with us full time then plus there was a travelling German baker who would deliver and the supermarkets did have some quite good stuff. In Bosnia I've bought a multi-cooker that has a lot of bells and whistles, is supposed to make bread as well but I tried that just the once and had to finish the loaf off in the oven - so will use it for all the other things it can do.
Pros - nice to dump stuff in it and leave it. Can have a timer so starts up in the night and you awaken to a drooling mouth and the smell of freshly baked bread to get up to. Good for convenience but takes a bit of experimentation with to get it how an individual likes it. Cons - never makes what you can make better in the oven - sometimes though I'd set it up to just do everything bar cook it, i.e. mix, knead, rise, proof twice etc, especially with heavier/wholemeal type doughs, then cook it as normal in the oven - sometimes the machine seemed to 'steam' the dough rather than a dry heat - and with some types of bread that is ok, with others, not so much. The 'paddle' in the bottom that mixes, stays there during cooking so you can end up with a big hole in one end when you remove the loaf.
Conclusion - makes good bread within limitations and initial experimentation. Not so good for heavier breads and can fail to brown the loaf off properly, or at least to make a crispy, crunchy crust (depending on the machine and settings though). A lot depends anyway on the quality of the ingredients bought as you'll never, as expected, make artisan bread from cheap supermarket flour and stuff. Not surprised making brioche turns out good (never did it) but if you want a crunchy baguette shaped baguette, they are the wrong shape and probably won't get the crust quite as expected.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 31, 2021 14:30:54 GMT
Wow, that is impressive experience with breadmaking. It makes me regret not eating more bread, which unfortunately does not attract me even though I have nothing against it. This month I bought a baguette and a half, which was the most in the last year. I will admit that I also buy whole wheat sandwich bread from time to time to make BLTs and such, but sometimes the loaf of 12 slices must be thrown away when the last part begins to turn green.
When I had to house my mother for a year, I went down to the bakery every morning at 6:50 am to get a baguette for breakfast and often I would buy a second one after work for dinner, and they were always excellent. So I do wonder why I do not want to eat bread spontaneously.
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Post by onlyMark on Oct 31, 2021 15:05:24 GMT
Bread, and the avoidance of its calories, play a big part in our life as both of us could easily go to restaurant and forgo a meal we ordered when it has good bread.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 31, 2021 15:43:31 GMT
Bread, and the avoidance of its calories, play a big part in our life as both of us could easily go to restaurant and forgo a meal we ordered when it has good bread. Me too.
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Post by patricklondon on Oct 31, 2021 16:10:25 GMT
I will admit that I also buy whole wheat sandwich bread from time to time to make BLTs and such, but sometimes the loaf of 12 slices must be thrown away when the last part begins to turn green. I buy a sliced wholemeal loaf and freeze it, so that I can toast the odd slice as and when. But I'm no gourmet (can you tell?)
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Post by lagatta on Nov 1, 2021 16:15:26 GMT
A close friend is a partner in an organic boulangerie - all sorts of whole grains but also good baguettes. He doesn't hesitate to slice and freeze parts of the heavier breads.
Only Mark, I love some Moroccan bread, but it is very different from Egyptian and Levantine bread.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 15, 2021 11:43:27 GMT
I inherited a bread machine from my mother who was given it by my brother. I think mom made one loaf and it was too much bother. I thought yippee I can make loaf after loaf but when I got cocky and didnt measure the ingredients oneday, the bread rose up and cooked onto the lid... It now sleeps quietly in a kitchen cupboard, right at the back. BUT, I am going to revive it. Simply because our supermarket no longer bakes the brown bread we like. The new stuff on offer is too soft and spongy. Lets see how long my breadmaking lasts....a week?
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Post by kerouac2 on Mar 13, 2022 12:16:26 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 1, 2022 6:15:12 GMT
I just came across something remarkable & have to share it. Finding a place for it initially had me stumped, but then I realized that it is certainly a worthy kitchen tool, if perhaps not precisely a kitchen gadget. Anyway ~~ www.justtherecipe.com/It gets rid of everything except the written recipe in any of those tediously blabby blogs & suchlike. The video in the link won't work for me (I have a lot of ad blockers), so here is the lowdown from youtube:
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 1, 2022 21:01:17 GMT
I miss my strawberry huller. My husband threw it away. He didn't think I needed a strawberry huller, he threw away my butter curler and melon baller too.....and my sugar tongs. Admittedly I rarely use any of these things but it's nice to know I have them... The best kitchen gadget I've bought recently is my Kitchen Aid mini chopper...it's red. I use it most days.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 1, 2022 21:03:31 GMT
I inherited my Daddy's breadmaker but I like to make bread..so aside from the initial excitement of playing with it...I never use it.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jul 2, 2022 8:15:52 GMT
I miss my strawberry huller. My husband threw it away. He didn't think I needed a strawberry huller, he threw away my butter curler and melon baller too.....and my sugar tongs. Admittedly I rarely use any of these things but it's nice to know I have them... The best kitchen gadget I've bought recently is my Kitchen Aid mini chopper...it's red. I use it most days. If I threw anything out without permission most of my fingers would be missing by now..
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 2, 2022 11:16:50 GMT
45 years of marriage and he has yet to realise that him moving, breaking, throwing away or LOOKING AT anything in the kitchen or craft room is just as bad as me going into his man shed and removing or breaking his guitars, keyboards, sound equipment or tools...
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Post by casimira on Jul 2, 2022 19:06:12 GMT
I so wish I had the foresight to have packed our kitchen gadgets in a more orderly manner so that I could access them easier. As a consequence, I have had to duplicate some gadgets because I have no clue as to their current location. Much of it had to do with how many people were involved in packing up everything and what storage place they are located. It is so frustrating and indicates just how much we take for granted. In the meantime, improvising has been amusing and actually fun in its own way if you knew just how my husband and I interact with each other in a very small space and all the challenges involved. Something we can look back on and laugh about and there have been many.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 2, 2022 19:41:05 GMT
In our building with just 7 apartments, there is a little shelf on the ground floor where we sometimes leave little items that are of no use to us but which might be useful to somebody else. A few months ago I picked up a potato slicer for making chips. I understand why it was abandoned, because it doesn't work very well. The grid would need to be sharper (and more dangerous) and the only potatoes that fit in the frame are "medium small." Nevertheless I still use it from time to time.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 3, 2022 23:04:30 GMT
Has anyone else here succumbed to the lure of the Instant Pot? I had no interest in them since they're essentially glorified pressure cookers & I already have a pressure cooker. The only attention I ever paid was to notice that it seemed as though every single recipe online included instructions for making it in the Instant Pot.
And then a bit fat sale popped up, so I checked with my son and with my sister. My son has one of those Nutri- or Ninja versions and my sister uses the classic Instant Pot. Both of them burbled on about the joys of this gadget, so I finally succumbed & got one too.
Oh my gosh, little round steamy thing ~ where have you been all my life? Now I can cook more quickly without having to hover over anything in the kitchen and less mess is made.
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Post by Rita on Dec 4, 2022 11:34:37 GMT
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