Food We need to talk about cooking and food prep tools and utensils.

I might like serrated edges for certain cutting tasks, but the Henkels EverSharps just seems to grab & tear more than they actually cut. And the tips of two of the knives broke off.

The 14" non-stick frying pan that came in our set of Member's Mark anodized cookware set eventually started sticking and it warped, the center of the pan kept getting higher & higher. I replaced it with a Bakers & Chefs 14" non-stick pan, about $30.00, so far so good.

 

Please recommend a good sharpening steel or a ceramic one. I'm looking for something to put a really good edge on the slicing knives, but not the razor sharp edge that wears off after a couple of cuts.

At BB&B we saw a ceramic one that was infused with diamond 'dust' at BB&B. In theory it sounded good, but I'm not dropping that kind of $$ on someting that doesn't work any better than good steel.

Background--We bought a partial set of kitchen knives (the details are posted somewhere here). They are labelled Great Blades Carver Hall, molybdenum steel*, Japan. They're not five star quality, but not bad. They do need a really good sharpening. I tried the misc steels & sharpeners that we have, but haven't yet gotten what I would call a good edge.
* The stainless steel alloy seems exceptionally hard.

 

We have a Pampered Chef twin ceramic sharpener, which doesn't impress me.

While going through our kitchen crap, we found a Chef's Choice Manual Diamond Hone 450 that belonged to her parents. It appears to be very similar to the Wusthof; I'll report back after giving a workout.

 

I love my Ergo Chef CRIMSON 7" Nakiri knife. It's amazing. I've not had to do anything to it yet and I've had it since November. And it's beautiful.

 

That is one sexy knife!

 

Y'all have heard the jokes about guys not needing/heeding instructions? I decided to check the box/papers for instructions on how to use the Chef's Choice Manual Diamond Hone 450. Now that I'm using it properly, I'm happy with the edges that I'm getting.

The 'harder' blades on the Great Blades Carver Hall (molybdenum steel, Japan) knives are much sharper now, but will need some more attention. The previous owner(s) let them get seriously dull. And the instructions included how to shaprpen thickers knives, i.e. the meat cleaver.

The 'softer' blades on the Lifetime Old Homestead (stainless, Japan) knives that we got as a wedding present 27 years ago sharpened up very nicely.

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Another thing we "rediscovered" while sorting out the kitchen cabinets--A spare set of Henkels EverSharp Pro knives that we received when my in-laws downsized. I now need to figure out a way to convert the ones with slightly serrated edges into proper slicing knives. Like we really need a third set of slicing knives (my wife thinks that I'm losing even more of my mind ).

 

Well, the crack in the cermaic crock got worse and yesterday the crock cracked into three pieces (I mentioned this in the what's for dinner thread). I've contacted Rival thru wwwcrockpot.com. I received an automated ackowledgement email; I'll post a f/u when I hear something more detailed.

 

Crock-Pot update.

After the first email, they asked for some additional ino, which I provided.

They next told me about a replacement crock that I could order (and pay for) but it was out of stock.

I replied that I was disappointed in the quality of their product and service, and that I might as well get a replacement that wouldn't be a Sunbeam product.

They replied that they would send a complete unit as one-time courtesy with no warranty, which I accepted. I thanked them for their generous offer, and mentioned that a replacement crock only would've been fine.

I researched the replacement unit offered, and found that it had many bad reviews because it cooked too hot regardless of the temp selected.

I contacted them again, mentioning the bad reviews and the temperature problems. I'm waiting to hear back from them.

If the crock in the replacement unit will work in our "old" Crock-Pot, I'm good with it. If not, a Slow Cooker that won't slow cook isn't much good (which I mentioned in my last email).

A link to the replacement being offered; check all of the reviews.

Crock-Pot® Countdown Digital Slow Cooker with Little Dipper® Food Warmer, Silver at Crock-Pot.com.

 

I have this pretty little thing...



Still in the box. Oops.

 

Yours doesn't appear to be "programable," but it's still very useful if you're going to be home, or return home in time, to turn it down or off.

We like coming home to having the main dish already cooked.

 

Perhaps why it's still in the box. The one I use is crockpot brand. I have bad luck with the lids. They just shatter on me.

 

Crock-Pot update.

I think they're getting a little testy. From the most recent email:
"...If the unit had a design flaw, we would have a recall on it, which we do not. Most consumers who complain of the cooking temperatures either do not have enough liquid in the unit during use, (which should be one half to three fourths) or they are comparing current units to much older units. Current models go by FDA increased temperatures from 2009...."

I guess we'll find out how well it works, or doesn't.

 

The Crock-Pot & Mini Warming Pot arrived, but we haven't yet tested either. Things started going to shit on the weekend we were going use the large one, and haven't gotten much better over the past 8-9 days. We wanted to be home to keep an eye on it because of the "it cooks too hot" comments in the product reviews (link in previous post).

Three things I immediately noticed. The lid fits looser than the lid on the old one. There are two small vent holes in the lid, none in the old lid. There are four small notches in the lip of the actual crock (more venting???), none in the old crock.

I tested the crock & lids for interchangability, in case the new does indeed cook too hot. It seems that the new crock sits just fine in the old housing, & the lids interchange.

 

Are you referring to this guy when you say Mini warming crock pot?

 

What kind of wine aerator didja get? I have the Aermate. So far, so good.

 

For all kinds of great and quick sandwiches and wraps, I love my panini press.