Showing posts with label indoor bbq grill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indoor bbq grill. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Kuuma® The Original and Charcoal BBQ Food Tray Accessory
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Jamie Oliver by T-fal C942SA64 Nonstick Hard Anodized Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator 10-Piece Cookware
I seasoned the pans as directed, then I used the square grill pan for frying up some pork chops (something my other set of T-fal excels at). I couldn't believe how badly those chops stuck to the pan! Even after soaking the pan in hot, soapy water for an hour, I still had to use a lot of elbow grease to get it clean! It wasn't a matter of cooking it wrong either... The first time, I cooked them exactly the same as I do with my other pans. The second time, I used a much lower temperature (thinking that I may have accidentally cooked at too high a temperature the first time). Even using the lowest temperature, the chops still stuck!
After a little research, I think I've figured out why. T-fal has two different manufacturers produce their pans. My previous set (the D913SC64) is made in France. This Jamie Oliver set is made in China, and it shows. T-fal, I'm disappointed. The only thing "unique" about this set is the Thermo-Spot heat indicator, which lets you know when your pan is heated up by turning solid red. That's a fine feature, though I don't find it terribly important-how hard is it to just wait a minute? I guess if you're in a rush and need to know right away, it's cool.
But I have several issues with this set:
1. NOT dishwasher safe. The manual says all their other sets are dishwasher safe, EXCEPT the hard anodized exterior sets. This is not made clear on the packaging.
2. Nonstick doesn't work well. Like another reviewer, I first tried cooking eggs in the small pan. They stuck like crazy! It specifically tells you not to use cooking spray or oil because it can mess up the pans, but there's no way I could go without it. I even took a photo because I couldn't believe what a mess it was to get these eggs out of the pan. I've had much better nonstick pans before.
3. Thinner than I'm used to. The pots and pans are weighty-they don't feel cheap-but they must be thinner or more conductive on the bottom than my usual pans because I had major trouble cooking pancakes... I have a gas range, and even on a low setting, the pancakes burned on the outside very fast, yet were liquid on the inside. Even after several rounds, I couldn't get the pancakes to cook right. I'll keep trying with thinner pancakes and an even lower setting.
5. Cannot be used under the broiler because of the rubberized handles.
6. The "large" saute pan is really just medium-sized... that's the one I used for pancakes, and I could really just cook one large pancake at a time. It would not suffice for a real dinner for more than one person. You'd still need to buy a separate large saute pan for everyday use.
It's an attractive set, it feels good in the hand, and it's nice to have three lids with the set, but I can't recommend it in good conscience because of the above issues. Some of the reviews so far have not been particularly favorable, and I understand the concerns of those folk. Nonetheless, I've been thoroughly delighted with the set, which is impressive in appearance, has a decent, if not "Calphalonic" weight to each of the pieces, and stack easily in a small space (I have them on the top rack of a smallish baker's rack).
The pans conduct heat nicely and (surprisingly) evenly. I have not had any of the issues others have mentioned with things like releasing an egg from the pan, though I must admit, I use a bit of butter (always) and not cooking sprays (ever) for my eggs (or anything else personal preference). I live alone, but entertain frequently and I've had no issue with the size of the pans, though I tend to make multiple courses of smaller amounts.
The only issue I've had with this set is that I generally make my sauces in a skillet (rather than a saucepan) and the shallowness of the pans makes serving the sauce directly from the pan a bit clumsy and unnecessarily messy and when eating alone, don't feel I should have to pour the sauce from a pan into a serving vessel merely to get it onto my plate. A quick wipe up of the stove and that's remedied, but a bit more depth to the skillets would have been nice. Perhaps in the next incarnation with the next celebrity chef! I received far more than I expected and am so delighted about this T-fal Set. At first glance I thought this is just another set of cookware and began reading the instructions. Do this and do that so you can begin using this pot or skillet. No bid deal but a bit more work than most new sets require. I started with a small sauce pan and worked my way up to the big pot along with the skillets and honestly this is one fine set no matter how you might want to classify it.
Put the raw food in, cook for a while and it's over. Clean up is a white tornado of speed. The pots and all are lightweight and tough. The little center Thermo-heat spot is there and it appears to be effective but I am too much of a novice to be an expert. The sauce pans heat quickly but when using they do not scorch nor burn the contents. Being able to see the food cook with the glass tops is another plus and makes the process just that much more enjoyable. After using all pieces I have had zero defects or problems and highly recommend this set for the amateur or the professional.I was looking for an Anodized set because of what people say about it (twice as strong as stainless steel, professional look, etc) and I went to the stores to find myself one but they were very expensive. I could not believe I found this set on Amazon at this price. I have had T-fal product before and the non-stick is great. And I also love Jamie Oliver and what he stands for so I thought the combination of both T-fal and Jamie would be a winner.
No doubt about it, this set is awesome.
The non-stick inside is second to none and nothing sticks and sooooo easy to clean.
The outside is very pretty and should last me a lifetime.
The handles are made of a soft rubbery material like silicone so they are super comfortable to grip and it also means your pans can go in the oven at a higher temperature than my old pans with plastic handles.
The 2 fry pans and the grill pan have the red dot in the middle which tells you when your pan is at the right temperature to start cooking. I had never really used it on my old T-fal pans but I thought I would give it a shot with these new ones. It actually does make a difference. If you heat your pan (with no oil) until the dot turns solid red and then you pour in a little bit of oil your food will actually take less time to cook and will cook at the right temperature. It's a cool little feature I will be using more often.
Overall.......... a great set of pots and pans and it has all the pieces you really need to do most of your regular everyday cooking at home. The beautiful grill pan is a plus. Such a nice pan.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Charcoal Companion Cedar Single Serving Wood Grilling Planks, Set of 4
Saturday, March 22, 2014
GE JGB810SETSS 30" Stainless Steel Gas Sealed Burner Range - Convection
This range meets the specs, but is not great. My complaints about the range revolve mostly around the layout.
The burners can not be moved around, the largest is in the front right corner, the smallest is behind it in the right rear. These are the burners I use 95% of the time, and it is unpleasant to have to reach over or around a large stock-pot of boiling water to stir a much smaller simmering saucepan. It is also a safety issue. The two largest burners are in the front, which means I frequently have large pots on the front edge of the stove, the center of largest burner is only 5-1/2" from the front edge of the burner grate, less than 7" from front of range. I have children, and this is dangerous. My last cooktop issue is that the range burners were designed for a restaurant, not for a family of 4. Even the smallest burner sends the gas flames out around all but the widest pots and pans. The large burner is ridiculously sized, even with my 16 qt stock pot the handles get heated by the flames coming out and wrapping up the sides. (The water is still cool, so it isn't from the contents.) I would like the larger burners in the back, and the size of the flame pattern to be much smaller. Ideally, the burners would be interchangeable, so the owner could decide how they preferred them. The griddle is nice, although, with a 30" range, it can't possibly be wide enough. It would be nice if the edge was about twice as tall, to prevent small food items from being inadvertently pushed off the griddle.
The only issues I have with the oven revolve around the control. The only time the temperature is accurate is when the oven is heating up. Once it reaches the set temperature, the displayed temperature never changes, even if I leave the door open. That's just lying. It's accurate to 1 degree, so tell it like it is.
My last gripe is with the kitchen timer. It is very user unfriendly. It only displays minutes until you have less than 60 seconds to go. Then it counts down the seconds. It works, but it is counter-intuitive. I have to think when switching between the microwave and the range, since I am used to entering and seeing the seconds. It is also annoying, looking at 2 minutes, and not knowing if that is 2:59 or 2:01. I will accept that this is a minor complaint, but it is indicative of the engineering of this range. Good ideas, unwieldy execution.
The surface is not as easy to clean as one would think, but it is far easier than my previous range. One has to remove the griddle (quite heavy, and frequently still hot) before one can remove either the left or right burner grates. The burner tops tend to get stained and are not dishwasher safe, and the stainless surface gets burned-on food stains quite easily, which are very difficult to remove. Even with the burners and grates completely removed, the surface is not flat, and the igniters poke up, so you can't just wipe it clean, but instead have to work around the obstacles.
So, with all these gripes, you would think I hate it, but I don't. I like it a lot. It makes cooking much easier than with my old 1980's range, and quicker. The oven cooks evenly and consistently. I use the griddle constantly (if it was wider and had more of a lip, I'd use it instead of my frying pan.) I wouldn't buy this model again, but I would look for something very similar. This design is 85% of perfect for the price range. The last 15% is fine-tuning the layout, controls, and materials.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Adcraft SG-813 Double Commercial Cast Iron Sandwich Grill
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer
There are multiple ways to display it, hang it from the shelves in your oven, place it on the bottom of your oven. it's very stable, doesn't fall over, mostly because of it's 4 inch length.
BUT... as with all things in the oven, this will become splattered with grease, and harder to read, and you'll want to wash it....DON'T!
any type of cleaning, be it abrasive , or chemical, such as Simple Green, will erase the temperature markings... and make it useless.The temperature markings on this thermometer are not protected! Over time the markings get occluded by grease and if you try to wash the grease off the markings come with it. This means the thermometer has a short life span for people who rely on the markings for anything (which granted is not everyone). Last time I buy an oven thermometer in which the markings don't sit behind a glass face!.
Buy Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer Now
I bought one of these at the recommendation of a well-known cooking magazine (in which they tested it along with a very advanced temperature sensor), and it took top honors amongst a dozen other models. I've found it to be extremely helpful, easy to read, and a very stable design. Others I have used have proven far to easy to knock over!Read Best Reviews of Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer Here
Ok... oven not seeming to be hot enough... bought an oven thermometer at Kroger's.. not expensive. Well, that purchase didn't seem to heat up as much as the oven..Went to William and Sonoma and bought the Taylor 503, much more expensive. So it should really be good, right? That thermometer seemed to be so, so slow in reaction. And thanks to the position of my oven light.. I couldn't even read it.
Went to Amazon and got an overnight delivery of the Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer. ( don't add all of this up...three thermometers.. it's ridiculous)Bottom line... this one was perfect for me. As far as complaints of grease and cleaning and losing lettering?? I take it out before I put the item in to bake. (Hint..use tongs to remove it as it is HOT. If you use mitts or hot pads.. I guarantee you.. you will drop it.)
Want Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer Discount?
I just received my Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer. I wanted an accurate thermometer to check/verify various temperature settings in our 36" Wolf Gas oven.The thermometer itself is simple and appears to be high quality. Upon checking the thermometer out further I noticed that the glass thermometer rod slides back and forth, left and right, on the stainless steel holder, thus accuracy goes right out the window perhaps by as much as + or 15 degrees. What I did to correct this was hold the blue bulb end of the thermometer in boiling water and made adjustments until the blue line and the metal scale on the thermometer were aligned exactly at 212 degrees F (the boiling point of water). Next, without moving the glass rod, I locked it in place on the stainless steel scale with small dabs of high temp gasket cement on each end where the small rivets and holding bands are located.
Taylor Products: If you are reading this please make a note that the Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer has a manufacturing/design defect. The Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer with shipping was fairly expensive. The customer should not be expected to have to calibrate and then cement the glass tube to prevent sliding or back and forth movement in this type of thermometer.
If this thermometer came calibrated +/.5 degrees and locked in I'd given it 5 stars.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
T-fal A113SC84 Family Cooking Nonstick Interior and Experior Oven Safe Dishwasher Safe 12-Piece Coo
I recently picked up a few new T-fal pieces and really like the new glass lids that are included with this one. Maybe I'm a nosy cook, but being able to see inside is a huge advantage.
The pans are are practical sizes, and the set gives you almost everything you need for a kitchen. The one pan this set is missing is a Saute or Chicken pan, but those are hard to find I had to buy mine separately. However, until I found one (T-fal, of course), I used the deeper pot.
The key to using T-fal is to make sure you never heat it on anything other than a medium flame. A higher temperature will cause the T-fal to burn and you will slowly erode its ability to be nonstick. Also, if you use a dishwasher, you will need to season it again after using it a few times. The dishwashing soap will also cause your exterior to lose its gloss, although it won't impact the nonstick nature.
Also, while it is possible to use metal implements on it, it can get scratched over time, so I recommend wood or plastic.I got these as a gift for myself and I am really enjoying them. I've only had them for a month, but I use them every day for everything from making crepes and pancakes to stew and steaming broccoli. They do fine in the dishwasher. And heat up nicely on the stove (haven't tried them in the oven). I am quite enjoying this set.I've had these pots and pans for a month now. The non-stick is great. I use them every day. Would buy againI love all of these! the handles are securely attached, the non stick is actually non stick. They are really just great and i am elated that i found them on sale.I have always liked T-Fal. This set is lighter than what I'm used to. But still nice. Cooks well, even. Easy to clean.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Weber 6610 Original Tongs
Pros:
-Good steel
-Comfortable handle
-Ability to lock closed is nice
Cons:
-Spring steel to hold tongs open is unimpressive. After just a month or so of use they are already starting to stick closed
-Both grips curve inward. This is to improve the tongs' grip which would be perfect for fry pan tongs if all you were moving were chicken pieces you can grip anywhere but on a grill you need at least one of those to be flat so they can slide under food that you want to pick up. If you want to move a few racks of ribs, for instance, you will probably need to lift them with a spatula so you can grip them with these tongs. A better considered design for grilling would have one side flat so you could slide under food then grip them
These are not bad tongs but it's such a simple tool that not being thought makes it hard to like them, and at $13 on their own or $25-$30 for the set starting to stick closed after a short amount of time makes me feel they're not a great overall value either. Still, there are points to like so overall I think they're just OK, no more no less.
Feel free to leave a comment with any questions. I hope this is Helpful!I bought this item to let me move around hot briquettes after I dump them out of my Weber Starter Chimney. They are long enough to reach the briquettes while keeping my hand far enough away so as not to feel the intense heat of these little buggers! These tongs are also handy to move around goodies I am cooking. The only thing I would like to have had on these is a locking close button. They have quite a wide opening and storing them is not as convenient as it might be if they could be locked in the closed position. They came with these clear plastic restraining bands, but they were not intended for regular use. They're only to keep these tongs closed so they fit nicely in the box. Outside of the no close issue, they do what they're intended and are long enough to keep you safely away from the heat of the briquettes.
Buy Weber 6610 Original Tongs Now
Can we say No more roasted forearm!!!My husband gets to keep his arm hair since he isn't holding is arm over the grill for long periods of time.Keeps your hand out of heat. Love the long reach and it also cleans up easily. Enjoy using it very much.ES UN UTENSILLO MUY PRACTICO Y DEL TAMAÑO IDEAL PARA NO QUEMARSE EN LA PARRILLA. TAMBIEN ES FACIL DE GUARDAR. LO RECOMIENDO
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Music City Metals 15102 Stainless Steel Burner Head Replacement for Select Charmglow and Sunbeam Ga
I would buy again from this merchant.....and grills meat :-P
Replacement of the broken burner was easy, the stainless steel version looks long lasting to me.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
GrillPro 98170 Fajita Pan
Buy GrillPro 98170 Fajita Pan Now
Bought this for my husband for christmas and i twas one of the best presents he said he's ever gotten. We use them on the grill all the time to make fajitias and chicken and veggies. Easy clean up and cooks meats evenly. Love it!!Great product for the price. I enjoy using the fajita set, not just fajitas, but for other sizzling type recipes. Would highly recommend this product.So we ordered like 2 pans and these came in totally legit. the only thing I would knock points off for is the fact that it didn't come with the food already in it. Would write more about how sweet these things are, but I'm far too busy enjoying fajitas! Get Some!Tuesday, June 25, 2013
King Kooker SI5 5-Inch Deep Fry Thermometer
Buy King Kooker SI5 5-Inch Deep Fry Thermometer Now
Since the Fry Daddy has no adjustable thermostat and since some of my fried foods were cooking too quickly on the outside and remaining uncooked inside, I decided to buy a thermometer and decided upon this one. (Amazon reviews are so helpful.) I wish the stem were longer it's supposed to be at least two inches in the oil and it made it less than an inch. Also, the angle at which is rests when it's clipped to the edge of the fryer (I like the fact that it has a clip.) makes it stand away from the side which interfered with the utensil I used to remove the fried food.Read Best Reviews of King Kooker SI5 5-Inch Deep Fry Thermometer Here
I've only used this when frying fish/fries/hushpuppies, and it was a great help. I haven't tested the product for accuracy, but it worked perfectly for helping me to regulate the temperature of the oil. Last time I cooked, we were cooking for several people and hand two pots of oil and only one of these... the pot without the thermometer was much more of a hassle trying to regulate the oil temperate and resulted in some burned food.Highly recommend this for frying!
One note, for best functionality, attach to the pot with the integrated clip and just leave on the pot. At first we tried to share between the two pots, but it takes approx 30 seconds for the reading to level off... so not very practical for more than one pot. At this great price, just buy two!king kooker s15 5 inch deep fry thermometer is good temperature wise. checked it with another thermometer i have and there was a 2 degree difference which to me is meaning less.
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