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New Paragon Smart Cooking System?

murray.sean.d

I came across this when browsing Indiegogo, and was hoping to get some opinions. It seems as though this is an upgrade to the original Paragon system, though to be honest I don't know anything about the original, so I'm not sure exactly what is being updated. I wouldn't need it for sous vide (I have a Joule!), though for things like deep frying I could see it being very useful. The campaign only has a few hours left, so would love some thoughts to help me make up my mind on whether it's worth dropping $250-$300 on.

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Brandon_Byrd_40557

The thing with deep frying is that temperature control isn't nearly as important as recovery time. Dave Arnold over at Cooking Issues mentioned this when discussing the Polyscience Control Freak (which is like a super-duper version of the Paragon). I don't really see the need for precise temperature control in "stovetop" cookware -- there are very few applications where this sort of thing matters. One thing I'm deeply skeptical about is their claim that the temperature-sensing mat can control the temperature of cookware to within 5 degrees. Induction units produce notoriously uneven heat directly over the induction coil. Even if you use high-quality cookware, there will be huge variance in temperature on the surface of the pan, and a big hot spot directly over the coil. If there's a particular application that you think this thing would be useful for (like, maybe, homebrewing) then maybe go for it. But it strikes me as totally unnecessary.

HammeredChef_DEFINITELY_does_NOT_work_at_22134

I love my Paragon and have bought the new one with the mat....HOWEVER, deep frying is just not its thing (at least the old one) it will reach and hold the temp really close but as Brandon said it does struggle to recover some... if you are using a big pot and cooking for two it is ok....it is great for the perfect simmer/not boil. tempering chocolate and holding precise temp...it does a really nice job....AND I will tell you you can NEVER have enough SV equipment ...I have 3 Joules and still use the paragon for SV occasionally

Brandon_Byrd_40557

The main thing their promo video talks about is how you don't know the temperature of your pan when using conventional cooktops. Rather than investing $250-300 in a Paragon, you could instead pick up a handheld infrared thermometer for $30 that will let you measure pan temperature on any cooktop (and with any pan, regardless of if it's induction compatible).

I'd also note that most of the pans they use in the video are on the small side, and I suspect that this is because they're small enough to cover the entire induction coil. When pans get bigger than the induction coil (which is usually only five or so inches wide) the heat gets extremely uneven, as I mentioned in my previous post. To visualize this, here's an image of a cast iron pan boiling water using the Vollrath Mirage Pro, which is generally regarded as the best portable induction burner under $1000 that runs on 120V power.

As you can see, only the part directly above the induction coil gets hot enough to directly boil water. And this is on a comparatively excellent $500 commercial unit. Admittedly, cast iron is a poor conductor of heat, but you get similar results using excellent pan like my 12" All Clad stainless skillet.

High end induction cooktops get around this problem by either using large induction coils or by using a bunch of small coils that can sense when there is a pan above them, and so heat the entire surface. But you're not going to get either of these with the Paragon.

If you need even, constant heat for liquids, a circulator is the best bet. And if you're doing something like a braise or stew that you can't directly circulate, an oven set to 200F (plus or minus) will deliver passable results -- especially since these applications don't inherently depend on precise temperature control.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Good to hear some feedback from an actual user. I've been dubious about the benefits of induction and precise temperature control, even on the high end units like the Polyscience, but am glad to know that it's found a place in your kitchen. I would add that if you're independently in the market for an induction burner, the new Paragon system seems to be a good option since it offers more precise control compared to other units in its price range.

murray.sean.d

It sounds like the Paragon isn't the best option for deep drying, which is the main thing I was interested in using it for. That being said, does anyone have any good recommendations for a deep frying setup? I have an electric stovetop, so precise heat control is more difficult than if I had a gas stove.

robmcquarrie

What was Dave's take on the Control Freak? I'm thinking of buying one and one of the reasons was for deep frying.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Precise heat control isn't necessary (or especially desirable) for deep frying. The main thing is that when you add food to the oil, the temperature is going to drop considerably and you need to be able to pump energy back in to make up the gap. Having deep fried using a pot with induction, gas, and electric burners, my take is that it simply doesn't matter what technology you're using. What matters is how many BTUs the burner can crank out. Using a higher-mass pot can help stave off the temp drop; I use either a 4 or 8 quart cast iron dutch oven. It's also important not to fry too much in one batch, since more food will produce a bigger temperature drop. Use a thermometer to monitor oil temperature; after you add food, crank your burner -- of whatever kind -- to compensate for the lower temp, and back off the heat once you're back up to temp.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Dave had positive comments about it, but when asked about deep frying he didn't think the temp control would be super helpful. I believe there was talk about different algorithms for temp control; more aggressive algorithms would quickly compensate for temperature dips at the risk of overshooting the final temp before the power level throttled down. Less aggressive programs would recover more slowly, but wouldn't go over. I believe that these things are programmable -- or are, in principle, programmable on the CF. But regardless of the algorithm, Dave's take was that for frying, precise temperature control shouldn't be a priority. What matters is having the power to quickly recover when the temperature drops. The Control Freak should have you covered there though. And if you really care about precise temp control, it has you covered there too. Whether that's necessary for deep frying is another matter.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

I'll add that in an earlier thread on the Control Freak, @pepe_74356 mentioned that he has a Paragon and likes using it for deep frying. Having no experience with any of these units, my comments shouldn't be regarded as the final word on how useful these devices are. But I'm not convinced they offer anything special for frying that justifies paying $300 -- or $1800 -- for them... especially when you can get a deep frying/candy thermometer for $10 and just use your existing stovetop. Sure, there will be a bit of babysitting... but you'll probably be standing over your fryer anyway, so having to adjust the temperature once or twice doesn't strike me as especially burdensome or stressful.

robmcquarrie

Thanks.

pepealberola

Yes, I agree with the limitations in terms of temperature recovery. For small batches, and using a lot of oil, it works really well, and reduces the attention you need to pay to the upper temperature limits. I would not buy it only for deep frying, but it is nice you can do it, besides the normal sous vide.