Showing posts with label charcoal grill accessories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charcoal grill accessories. Show all posts

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Bayou Classics Cast Iron Wok

Bayou Classic 7437 12-1/2-Inch Cast Iron Wokonce it is properly seasoned I use it all the time. As it is cast iron it holds the heat, great for frying with a small amount of oil. scrambled eggs , stir fries. chicken wings etc. With its flat bottom it is stable and safe on a gas range. I am single I can easily make a small amount of food with just a little hot oil, or a feast for 4-5 people. The magic is in the cast iron and how it holds the heat and the round bottom that is ideal for stir frying, Seasoned cast iron and blue steel pans are indestructible, wonderfully non stick and cheap . I find other so called non stick pans worthless for browning, frying, they don't keep their non stick properties for very long and are grossly over priced. Hope this helps, Steve in Cleveland

I bought this for my dad for Father's day. He is such a sucker for cast iron...it is actually ALL he cooks with! He had a friend with a cast iron wok and he had expressed his envy many times, so I thought this would be a nice gift. He loves how evenly it cooks and how little oil he needs when cooking. He has continually thanked me since! Awesome product!

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I've wanted a cast iron wok that would work without a ring on an electric stove for years. After I managed to permanently damage the last non-stick one I had in less than 3 uses, I decided to get online and after much searching decided on this one. One concern that I had was size, most woks I was looking at were too large for my stove. Turns out this one has a larger profile than I thought it would, due to the handle. It also takes several minutes to warm up in part due to the heavy base. It also must been seasoned first. But once I got it seasoned, figured out that letting it heat up while I chopped the veggies and meat was the most efficient way to go, and that while it was something of a space hog on my small stove it really didn't matter after all, I was a happy wok user. Best part? Being heavy duty cast iron means it will never get heat damaged! I am only sorry I didn't get this sooner, it would have saved me the 40+ bucks I wasted on the one I got from the fancy cookware store that lasted less than a week before the non-stick coating started to peel off.

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I bought this a couple of months ago, and I have used it extensively. If taken care of properly, it should last quite a while. I have found that it works best if you heat it on the stove for 10-15 minutes before adding anything to it. Once it is hot, it stays hot. I have made several servings of stir-fry in one long cooking session, and the last one cooked just as well as the first.

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This wok is a nice size, very solid but not too heavy for cast iron. I find that the two handles make the wok quite manageable. The edges are somewhat rough, if not even sharp in certain areas. It did not arrive pre-seasoned as did some other cast iron pieces (of a different brand) that I have recently purchased.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Earthstone International 750SHB004 Starter Kit for Grills

Earthstone International 750SHB004 Starter Kit for GrillsThis grillstone in its holder works great at cleaning the grill. Gets inbetween the grill rack and scrapes off burnt-on gunk. I highly recommend it.

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Friday, July 18, 2014

Pancake Puffs Aebleskiver Pan

Pancake Puffs Aebleskiver PanOkay, so we had seen the Pancake Puff on TV and thought that it looked fun. I ended up getting one for Christmas. My thoughts:

1. It's a lot smaller than I expected. Each puff is about the size of a large marshmellow. When they kept showing them full of stuff I thought they were larger. Turns out they are perfect toddler size.

2. They cook really quickly, which is great.

3. It takes a little bit to get used to flipping with the little sticks, but it's easy to catch on.

Overall, a fun product.

This item works well with plain pancakes. However, the pan is much smaller than it looks on tv or in the ad. The puffs come out very small and it takes a very long time to cook them as you must keep the heat low with cast iron. I tried the brownie puff recipe that is included in the kit and they did not come out at all. The puffs are also very difficult to turn in the pan to cook the other side. They are fun and yummy once they are done, but somewhat difficult to make.

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I bought my wife the Pancake Puff for Christmas, and she was very happy to get it. The first thing we noticed as we started using it was that it is not non-stick as they claim. You have to keep using butter or some kind of non-stick spray with each batch, or they'll be impossible to turn over. Also, be mindful of how hot you turn it up, or they'll keep coming out bad. My last criticism has to do with the flipping sticks they're barely usable. They've got to come up with some sort of specialized flipping tool for these things. The sticks are really nothing more than kabob skewers.

All criticism aside, once you get used to some of the trickier aspects of it, making and eating pancake puffs is really fun. Kind of like most pancakes, the first few are not pretty, and barely edible. After that, they look good, they taste great, and they're just fun. Now my wife is looking forward to trying out cornbread puffs, brownie puffs, and lots of other puff craziness.

When making pancake puffs, we use butter to grease the pan (so no butter on the finished puffs) then we shake some powdered sugar on top and drizzle them with syrup. Mom, Dad, and the kids gobble them up very quickly. My only wish is that they were faster to make, so we could have more right away when we're done with the first batch.

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Pancake Puffs with Free Bonus Gifts

I purchased this at BB&B today. It was a surprise for my daughter who LOVES pancakes and has seen the infomercial. She was very excited. I was nervous but decided to try it out. We used Aunt Jemima Original pancake mix which requires egg, oil and milk (I used original almond milk to replace cows milk). I added about 1/2 cup of blueberries and about 1 tsp ground flax. I have a glass top stove and was careful when placing the pan down. I set temp to medium and let it heat up a bit before brushing with veg oil. I always cook regular pancakes over melted butter (smart balance). I used about 1 1/2 tsp total for the puff pan and reloaded with each batch. This does two things; keeps it from sticking and makes it have that yummy crispy shell. They were FANTASTIC!!!! My children didn't even ask for syrup and I didn't need to add butter since I did that at the beginning (the pancakes soak up the melted butter, yummy!). We used two of the flipping sticks when turning the puffs. It made for a smooth flip. My puffs came out completely round but I guess that might differ depending on the batter used. I am thinking that we will need 2 of these pans to speed things up when cooking for a larger crowd. One pan was fine for the 3 of us. Also, I noticed that the first batch did not get cold as fast as traditional pancakes do. This is nice because you can actually cook enough for the entire family and then sit down to eat with them instead of everyone eating separately to insure a warm meal. I am totally happy with this product for the reason I purchased it, pancakes. I am going to try other recipes soon. I am thinking that this might be a good egg cooker if the temp is just right. We will see.

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I am a dad at home with my kids during the day. I bought the set at a local outlet for 19.99. The first thing we made is the pancake puffs. I used bisquick pancake mix. they were great.

Now I think there is a trick to it soo I will lay out what I do.

First heat the pan. I use a medium heat on our flat top range. I actually set the dial to 4 so its just below medium.

I then mix the batter. I cut a small piece of butter and put it in the middle well and spread it with the included brush into the other wells. the butter should melt fast and make some hissing sounds. You know your pan is hot enough then. I use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to ladle the batter into the pan wells. I use another spoon to wipe the excess batter of my ladle spoon. I fill each well just a little more then half. After about 2 minutes, the batter rises and small bubbles start to set on the surface. I use the wooden sticks to turn them. I use 2, one in each hand. one stick pushes one side down and the other stick kind on gets under the other side and guides it to flip. Then in about 2 more minutes their done.

It works.

The trick is to preheat the pan and dont touch the heat. If you dont let it heat you migh turn it up to high and the first batch will be ok but the next might burn. Also butter the wells for each batch. I use the same heat setting for everything I make with this pan.

I also made the crab cakes but I used tuna instead of crab meat and a thomas english muffin instead of bread and it was vey good. and a great way to get my kids to eat tuna.

We also made blueberry muffin puffs from pillsberry blueberry muffin mix.

The only thing that did not work is brownies from a box mix. I think brownies take to long to cook that they burn on the outside before the center is done enough.

Monday, May 12, 2014

RESTAURANT STYLE SOLID SPATULA

RESTAURANT STYLE SOLID SPATULAOk for occasional use. Loose rivets caused by flimsy steel. I tightened the rivets in a press. The wood on the handle is a little narrower than the steel.

We purchased this spatula to use to cook and chop steak for Philly Cheese steaks. It works just great! The spatula has a nice weight to it. Not too heavy, not to light. This spatula is also great to use on the grill. Due to the length of the spatula you do not get burnt trying to flip the burgers and chicken breasts on the grill. You can also flip two at a time. I think this will last for years. It was well worth the money.

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While this item has the ideal heft and dimensions I needed, the workmanship isn't as tight as I expected. The handle is a bit loose which makes all the difference when using kitchen utensils. I give it a fair rating. Make sure you find one tightly constructed for full user satisfaction.

Read Best Reviews of RESTAURANT STYLE SOLID SPATULA Here

I received this spatula in record time and it has met my expectations in every way. It is well constructed, built to last a lifetime, and is a great value for the serious chef.

It is made of a heavy duty steel that will withstand the roughest use. I don't expect to ever need a replacement.

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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Charcoal Companion Single Head Scrubber Grill Brush with Refill, long handle

Charcoal Companion Single Head Scrubber Grill Brush with Refill, long handleAfter reading several news stories about the bristles from traditional wire brushes causing emergency room visits, we decided to try this design.

The Good

+ There are no wire bristles to end up lodged in your intestines necessitating a trip to the emergency room.

The Bad

+ The scrubbing pad is covered by the attachment mechanism. You lose most of the center of the pad, leaving only the outer edge to actually clean your grill.

+ The scrubbing pad does not work very well. The grill stayed dirty after repeated scrubbing. The top service of the grate was clean-ish, but the sides could not be reached by the pad.

Conclusion

We went back to a traditional wire brush. We scrub with that, then use long tongs to wipe the grate down with a damp paper towel. It adds an extra step, but it takes less time than a trip to the emergency room.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Silicone Scraper, High Heat

Winco Heat Resistant 10 1/2' Silicone ScraperThese are well made and much heavier than the cheaper varieties found in the grocery store. The fact that they are heat resistant makes them more versatile as well. The only negative is that they are quite pricey.

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Emeril Cast Iron 10-Inch Square Grill Pan

Emeril Cast Iron 10-Inch Square Grill PanThis grill pan made my turkey burgers taste as though I had grilled them outdoors.

I have been looking for an alternative to the lightweight grill pans (which end up losing their coating and subsequently start sticking) and my George Foreman grill (which is an older model and so frustrating to clean because of the non-removable grills) and decided to try Emeril's grill pan. I just finished my first experiment with it....simple grilled chicken breasts.....and I have to say I am thrilled with the pan. I have a ceramic cooktop and the grill heated up very nicely so that when I put the chicken breasts into the pan, they immediately started to sizzle. The chicken did not stick at all and came out beautifully with perfect grill marks on each side. I am still letting it cool off since it retains its heat for a long time, so can't report on the cleaning process, but it says to wash with hot water only and a stiff brush. The only downside is the weight of the pan, but that's to be expected from any cast iron pan. In my younger days it wouldn't have mattered but I have to use two hands to lift the pan comfortably...not a big deal!

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We live out in the extreme desert and in the summer months I can't barbecue outside. I bought this for use inside for steaks other grilled foods and I am very pleased with my purchase.

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This pan works fine-I sear on top of stove and finish in oven.

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This cast iron grilling-cooking pan is terrific! Received it as a bonus gift and love it. In our home, we've cooked with cast iron all of our lives and this is THE BEST cast iron skillet I've used.

Pros: Wavy grill bottom to pan that creates grill marks using indoor heat source and creates more surface for other dishes--just cooked cornbread dressing in the pan and it browned dressing nicely

Great price at ~$28

Cleans up easily--it was no problem to clean the first time, although I did "season it" before first use

You can authentically shout "BANG" when you cook!

Cons: Very heavy skillet which is bulky to handle and clean

Dense, so the heating time is longer that thinner cast iron skillets and may take longer overall for your recipe to cook

Monday, September 16, 2013

Cuisinart WAF-100 4-Slice Belgian Waffle Maker

Cuisinart WAF-100 4-Slice Belgian Waffle MakerWe love waffles and used a Black and Decker "American" waffle maker (smaller pockets than a Belgian waffle-maker) for years, but the plates got too hard to clean and the waffles started to stick. We decided to switch to a Belgian waffle maker and this is the model we decided on.

First the good. This waffle maker holds a lot of batter nearly two cups. In one batch, I can make a pretty filling waffle for each member of my family. No more arguing over who gets the first batch. It is also very well built and has a great non-stick coating on the irons. I also like the audible alert telling you when it's done and the fact that the cord wraps around the base and the unit can be stored vertically.

Now for the bad. I have yet to get this to make evenly cooked waffles. It always produces a waffle with a dark over-cooked circle on the bottom with the corners and entire top side completely under-cooked. I resorted to cooking it half way, opening it, flipping the half cooked waffle over and closing the lid again. This helped, but resulted in a few burned fingertips. I would be very hesitant to recommend this model.

Finally, a tip: If you've never tried a true Belgian waffle made with yeast, do yourself a favor, search for a yeast-based waffle recipe and make some. They're not much harder to make and you'll never go back to baking powder ones again!

I was skeptical about purchasing this waffle maker from other reviews online but I am glad I did. This is the best waffle maker!! I used a box of Krusteaz waffle mix and followed the directions on the box, set the waffle maker on 3, sprayed some PAM on the waffle maker, pour 1/2 cup of waffle batter in each slot and when it beeped I opened to find a big Belgian waffle slices cooked to perfection! There was no issue with spill overs, the color was a nice golden brown and it was fluffy, had a nice crisp but still soft, topped with fresh strawberries, syrup and whipped cream and we've got the best Belgian waffles right at home! It came right off the machine with no sticking or mess and the clean up was nothing as I only had to wipe it down with a paper towel after it cooled down. I absolutely love this waffle maker and would recommend to anyone. The unit did not get too hot to handle and the handle stayed nice and cool. It was so fun cooking up the waffles that before I knew it I went through a whole box! The great thing is you can make these ahead, freeze them and when you want a waffle just heat up in a toaster. No more frozen Eggo Waffles for me as I now have fresh homemade waffles right at my fingers anytime I feel like it. And the money I am saving because Eggo Waffles can get pretty expensive!

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I love this waffle iron! I have had no problems with run-overs when following the recipe. I do spray it with Pam the first waffle each time I use it. It is nice that it has the beeper to let you know when they are done. I found it accurate -we use it on 3 and it works great. Although it will store on end, it is much too tall for my cupboard. It locks closed for cooking and storage and opens easily. It takes too long to cook up a batch to feed my crew to use daily but we really broke it in over the holidays and had no problems or complaints. The recipes that come with it are great but are not "light & fluffy" recipes. I used it for my regular Belgian waffle recipe that comes out "light & fluffy" and it worked great with none of the usual spill overs. I highly recommend it!

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I hate this waffle iron. And, yes, I've tried several recipes in it. First, it's true that the waffles cook unevely. The bottoms brown nicely, but the tops are pale in places and nearly burnt in others, even if the batter spills out the sides. A setting of 3 is too pale, and 3.5 burns the edges. Second, it's almost impossible to fill the iron evenly. The batter may spill out in spots, while the waffles have "holes" in others. Third, the waffles are much too dense to classify as Belgian waffles. They also lack outer crispiness. They are simply thicker regular waffles. Belgian waffles should be light and airy, yet crisp on the outside. Fourth, these waffles don't have the loft (thick pockets) of a Belgian waffle. They are thicker than a regular waffle, but not nearly as thick as a Belgian waffle. I am sooo disappointed and wish I had kept the packaging and my receipt. I've only had it four months and can't justify buying a new one yet, but I will buy a new one before the year is out and donate this one. I can't wait to enjoy waffles again.

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11/8/10 My husband has been nostalgic about when his mother used to make him waffles as a boy. So after searching and reading reviews for days, I decided to buy him this waffle maker for his birthday. The options that I like (some options I like in theory....if they worked) that it can stand upright when being stored to take up less space, cool-touch handle, the ready light/audible beep, and the ability to make 4 waffles at once.

We used it twice and are sending it back for a replacement....I'm hoping this first one was defective and the next one we get will work fine. Even after reading the instruction booklet first, here're the problems we had:

The plates are supposed to be non-stick, but they aren't.

The ready light/audible beep was not accurate.

There was spill-over even when using the recommended amount of batter.

We made two batches, trying one with cooking spray and one without. We poured the recommended amount of batter in and it spilled over probably a third cup while it was baking. We put the browning gauge on level 3 (right in the middle) for starters, but it took about 8 minutes for the ready light/beep to signal (when the booklet says up to 6 minutes on level 5). When it signaled it was ready, we went to open the lid and we could not get it to open. It was shut solid. When we were finally able to get it open, the batter had hardened on both the top and bottom plates that it wasn't even edible, in fact we didn't have the ability to remove it from the plates because it stuck so badly. We spent 2 hours trying to remove the hardened, stuck batter. This was also made difficult because the plates aren't removable and you don't want to use anything but cloths or paper towels so to not damage it. Once it was cleaned out, we tried a second batch on level 2 and still got a similar result. Although we used less batter and did not have the overflow again, we still could not remove the hardened batter from the plates.

We'll try it again once we receive the replacement, and I'll update the review.

12/17/10 Update

Tried out the replacement and still very disappointed. Returned the item and we will not buy a Cuisinart waffle maker again.

To try to eliminate the sticking issue, we "seasoned" the griddle plates first. To season we very generously greased (with canola oil) every nook of the heating plates, let sit for 10 or so minutes, greased again, and then shut the lid and turned the maker on (level 1) until it heated up and beeped (acted as though it was cooking a waffle even though we were just seasoning). After the plates had cooled, we wiped out the browned oil, and re-greased with fresh oil. After the maker was heated and beeped when ready, we used less batter (made from scratch) than what the booklet suggested so to not get spill-over and set it on level 1. We did not have spill over or sticking. But the waffles were not fully cooked when the beep went off. We left them in a little longer to cook, but they were not cooking evenly and came out very soft. We tried a second batch on level 2 and got the same result. Level 3 made the waffles too brown, but still soft. This maker does not produce an evenly cooked waffle that is crisp on outside, chewy/soft on inside. Was a waste of time for us with way too much effort involved.

Friday, July 26, 2013

The Sharper Image Super Wave Oven Grilling Accessories

The Sharper Image Super Wave Oven Grilling AccessoriesI really like my sharper image accessories. They really help with cooking just about anything in the super wave. I have been using my super wave at least 3 times a week since we got it and I have been trying all kinds of foods. The two racks that come with the oven just don't work for some foods. You really need this accessory kit to get the most out of your super wave.

used the broiler pan one time to broil a steak and the non stick started to come off. this was the first time using this pan and I am not going to use it any more. This is a waste of money when you can only use it one time and then have to stop using it for fear of getting the non stick coating in your food.

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Excited to get the accessories. Now small peices of food don't slip thru to the bottom of the bowl. I have not used all of the pieces , but the mesh pan and the lid holder was something I really wanted and needed.

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These accessories are nice additions to the Super Wave Oven. I really like the oven I just wish it were larger so I could cook dishes in larger quantities especially steak. I especially like the rack for holding the top of the oven when I take the lid off since it is hot and sort of cumbersome. I don't cook much and I'm not a very good cook but my husband and I both like the results I'm getting cooking with the super wave oven and the accessory kit is helping with my experiments

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I can't review all the accessories because I've only used the heating element cover holder which is slightly cheap in construction (seems a little flimsy minus one star). Other than that it does what I wanted hold the cover.

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