Archive for the ‘Appliances Etc.’ Category

SousVide Supreme SVK00001 Water Oven

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

Pros: Produces AMAZING food
Cons: A little awkward to empty and requires some arm strength; expensive
Rating: 5 out of 5

Also posted on Epinions.com.

 

My husband and I love to cook. So I got him a copy of the book set “Modernist Cuisine at Home” for the holidays, and he got me a few of the gadgets that go with it, like the Sous Vide SVK-00001 Supreme Water Oven. I know, it seems like overkill—it seems like an expensive one-use item that’ll just take up needed counterspace. And yet, it’s totally worth it if you love to cook.

First of all, if you don’t know whether it would be worth it for you, then I encourage you to try one of the water bath recipes that doesn’t require an appliance (there are a few that go for a short enough period of time at a low enough temperature that you can do them with stuff you probably already have at home)—such as How to Cook Salmon Sous Vide in Your Kitchen Sink. Try it. If you don’t think the resulting salmon is THAT MUCH better than other preparations, then the SousVide Supreme probably won’t be worth it for you. When we tried it, we made one salmon fillet with the water bath/finish on the stove method, and made one using another standard cooking method. The difference was far greater than I’d imagined. The salmon was the perfect just-done temperature throughout; there was no dryness whatsoever; the flavor was divine; the texture was buttery-flaky; and the step of finishing it off in a pan of butter and seasonings gave it just the right touch of flavor and surface texture.

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Calphalon No Peek Waffle Maker

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Pros: Non-stick, sturdy, easy to clean, large capacity, nice chime, indicator light
Cons: None
Rating: 5 out of 5

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Rival Hot Air Popcorn Popper, White

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

Pros: It does, in fact, pop popcorn; butter-warming cup on the top
Cons: It only pops a minimal amount of the popcorn you put into it; potentially dangerous to curious young onlookers
Rating: 2 out of 5

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Senseo Coffee Maker Model HD7810, EcoPad refillable pod, and Douwe Egberts Medium Roast Coffee

Monday, October 2nd, 2006

Pros: Very convenient; quick and easy to operate and clean
Cons: A tad expensive; the Douwe Egberts coffee is exceptionally bitter, acidic, and caffeinated; the water reservoir is a little clumsy to fill; slightly messy
Rating: 3 out of 5
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Zojirushi Home Bakery Traditional Bread Maker

Monday, July 17th, 2006

Pros: Huge loaves of bread; easy operation; comes with lots of recipes
Cons: Opening it disables the “add things” beep; flimsy non-stick coating; not entirely durable
Rating: 3 out of 5
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Zojirushi NRC-10 5-cup Rice Cooker

Monday, July 17th, 2006

Pros: Extremely simple; takes the guesswork out of when odd rice blends are done; has lasted well
Cons: Can’t add anything to the rice if you want to leave it on “keep warm”; non-dishwasher-safe
Rating: 4 out of 5
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Krups ProChef Premium 6-slice Toaster Oven

Monday, July 17th, 2006

Pros: Easy-clean interior; easily removable crumb tray; versatility; decent amount of space; has lasted well so far
Cons: Don’t turn both timers on at once or the auto shut-off will be disabled; not spaced for six slices
Rating: 4 out of 5
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Krups Pro Aroma 12-cup Coffee Maker (Model 452)

Monday, July 17th, 2006

Pros: Good coffee; gold-tone filter
Cons: If you pour too fast it spills; not entirely durable
Rating: 3 out of 5
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Krups La Glaciere 1.5 quart Ice Cream Maker

Monday, July 17th, 2006

Pros: Easy, quick
Cons: Requires advance planning; slightly difficult to put together; not amazingly durable
Rating: 3 out of 5
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KitchenAid Heavy Duty 5 qt Stand Mixer

Sunday, July 16th, 2006

Pros: Power, capacity, hands-free use, amazing customer service
Cons: Expensive, blade doesn’t reach bottom, ours eventually died (after 7 years, mind you…)
Rating: 4 out of 5
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