Next few toys

I bought beakers thinking I would use them frequently but I turn to small mixing bowls more often than not, specifically the second smallest model that ikea sells is cheap and fairly durable and has become my go to these days. For liquid applications I stock up on plastic quart containers which are pretty much amazing as far as all-purpose kitchen prep containers.

I just got a nesco dehydrator and I've used it once so far but it seems to function well and wasn't all that expensive ($65 I think).

Thanks Brendan! Keep'm comin. Kitchen prep items are a definite list I need to grow so will take all these suggestions I can get. Am looking at http://www.lequip.com/catalog.php?ctgy=Dehydrators (reasonably priced) but am also considering excalibur so the nesco feedback is excellent.

The lequip one was the one I had my eye on but it didn't fit my amazon gift card budget at the time, I would go with the lequip though due to the rectangular trays as opposed to circles.

DiggingDogFarm_65362

I've had Nesco dehydrators for many years....the work great in terms of drying but sometimes the grates are a real pain in the butt to clean.

If it's in the budget, I recommend staying away from plastic grates and going with stainless steel.

Both LEM and The SausageMaker sells dehydrators with stainless racks.

In terms of juicers, I've had a Champion Commercial (masticating), an Acme (centrifigal) and a Porkert manual wheatgrass juicer since back in the mid-80's.

The Champion is a good juicer, but I prefer the Acme for hard fruits and veggies because of better yield.

sebastian_palmigiani_21610

Thanks and keep hem coming please. :-) Believe it or not the toughest piece I'm having a difficult time pulling the trigger on is the sharpening stones. I'm a home cook and the knifes (shun and miyabi) seem to be holding up well. This I would easily go through chefsteps, just mentally battling on if I would use them that often? How often are the home chefs using their whetstones?

i purchased the Kuvings NS-9450 Silent Upright Masticating Juicer. go with a masticator! they are more effective at extracting the juice. i like that it is upright.

@Metachef - am considering the http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Commercial-Juicer-in-Black/dp/B000E4C53M/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_48?ie=UTF8&refRID=1W3NYJGTQS31FTNZH9ZM as well. Haven't heard of the Kuvings, thanks!! Will add it to the consideration list (there sure are allot of juicers)/

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Todd: I invested in some whetstones recently and it's made quite a difference. While I have a set of softer German knives (Wusthof), my main knife - the one I reach for first - is a Global G2. Over the years the factory edge had dulled significantly and the whetstones allowed me to restore it to a much better state. I still can't quite shave with it but I'm confident that as my technique improves, so will my edge. I also picked up a ceramic hone from MAC so that I can maintain my edges in between sharpenings; the hone from my Wusthof set wasn't hard enough to correct the edge on my Global knives, but a few swipes on the MAC's ceramic realigns the edges quickly. You can't fully restore a dull edge with it (at least not like you can with stones) but it does a great job of keeping sharp blades sharp. As a home cook, you don't really need to break out the whetstones that often... every few months will probably suffice. But if you don't have a good sharpening system then you're doing yourself - and your knives - a disservice.

@Brandon-Thanks, if you hear a gunshot, it's b/c I just pulled the trigger ;-). So far some great tips all and thanks! One thing I haven't seen any feedback on are the deep pans for the sous vide polycarbonate tank, so any tips there would be appreciated as well.

@Todd - I'll second all the recommendations above. Also, think about a good fish spatula and a couple of pairs of fine tongs. If you don't already have a good digital thermometer, that should go to the top of the list. You can get a Thermapen here at the CS store. Same goes for a good scale ...

@Jack - Thanks!! Have 2 thermapens, 3 good thongs of different lengths and a fish spatula. :-) I'll add the infrad red thermometer to the list maybe. But probably further down (for now...:-)..). Thanks again and keep'm coming (maybe chefsteps should keep a list JMHO). :-)

did I really just write thongs instead of tongs? Might have to change the title of this thread. :-)

As for the pans that fit in the polycarb boxes you will be looking for all shapes and sizes of these: http://www.webstaurantstore.com/3165/stainless-steel-steam-table-food-pans-and-accessories.html

Thanks Brendan! Now feeling a bit dumb :-) Have ordered from webstaurant previously and didn't even think of them (duh!) this is perfect. Thanks again!

ha ha, saw that but decided to just let it pass ...

@Brendan, how are you using those pans?

I personally just use small ones for prep and storage but @todd was asking about them so I linked them. You will see people using them inside of a circulator setup as a sort of bain marie though

Oh gotcha, thanks

Matthew_Snyder_68770

Second on the recommendation for the plastic deli food containers. They can be used for food storage, mise en place, prep, etc. 8-, 12- and 16-oz sizes are, for me, the most convenient and useful, and you can get three dozen (with lids) for like $15 or less. I'm okay with round shapes, but you can get them in square form as well.

@Mathew Snyder, thanks!! I actually have a case of 36 sitting beside me that just arrived. :-)

reub_50398

@Jack Mayer If you're ordering steam table inserts, may want to get some false bottoms to for drainage. Not much added cost or space to store and it increases their utility.

@Brandan Lee - Surprised you don't use your beakers as much as you thought you would. Any idea as to why? Fwiw, I've had the opposite reaction with mine - I reach for them first when I'm working with liquids these days.

ttpoker

@Brendan Lee‌ I would advise against the L'Equip. This was the dehydrator I purchased, but I find the results to be less than stellar. If I can do it again I would get the Excalibur.

@reub, thanks for the advice.

@Todd_S - where did you order your deli containers? I like the ability to get 3 dozen instead of 250! I tried to order from Webrestaurantstore.com but the shipping was going to be exorbitant, like over $50!

@Jack-Mayer - at amazon of course http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007V2V0IQ/ref=pe_385040_30332200_pe_309540_26725410_item
:-)

anthony_34093

@jack mayer recommendations on affordable fine tongs?

@adig - here you go:

Fluval Flora Stainless Steel Planting Tongs - 10.63-inches and

SE - Tweezers Set - Serrated Tips, 3 Pc

I have heard from many that the lower end (read consumer grade) excaliber's are pretty cheaply built and overpriced and not worth it unless you are willing to shell out the big bucks on the high end models. AFAIK the l'equip is the model that Jose andres uses in all of his demo videos and I've seen good reviews about it, why didn't you like it @in the cards?

@reub i think I just prefer metal and plastic overall. I can stack a bunch of quart containers and small mixing bowls and grab them as needed, I have to actively search out my beakers and for the cost i didn't find it worth it overall.

crimsonfancy

@matthew snyder . Where can I find square deli containers?
I had no idea they were available?

ttpoker

@Brendan Lee Inconsistency and lack of horizontal real estate due to the center exhaust.