# META Kitchens - Your Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Advice.



## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 5, 2021)

Alright KKF, you people have so much experience and knowledge, how's about a thread for all those little (or big) things that just take the kitchen experience up a notch? In another thread the value of bench scrapers and even hands free soap dispensers was brought up and I thought it was good stuff.

So what ya got?

I'll start with:

- Deli containers: These things are freaking awesome and I wish I would've bought them 30 years ago!!! For me, they were a real game changer. I purged soooooo much crap after I got used to having these guys around. Yeah, I still have some different styles, shapes and sizes of storage containers but deli containers probably carry 90% of the load these days. From thumb tacks to the grandkid's crayons to mise en place to freezing red sauce, these things do it all. The only brand I've ever tried is DuraHome (I get the multi-size packs) and am quite pleased. I've had people scoff at my adoration of them because they are plastic but I can tell ya, for me, they have massively reduced my plastic usage. I don't use nearly the number of bags and plastic wrap I used to. I love 'em and our fridge always has some in there with some kind of leftovers and the freezer houses several of them full of soups, stock, etc. All the lids fit, they stack no matter the depth, just so much nicer.

- The Earlywood Large Flat Saute Spatula. I use the hell out of mine. It took me a while to get into a groove with mine but before long I found myself reaching for it over and over and now it is a freakin' staple tool. You can use both ends for different tasks but truth be told, I primarily just use the spatula end but I use it a lot! As the name implies, a great saute tool that's light, handy, and effective. whether it's just stirring ingredients to scraping pans it covers the tasks well. From smearing butter on French bread loaves to pan sauces, this tool can do it. This along with a fish spatula and tongs are my most used utensils.

- Mind your berries! If you're like me, you like berries and often find yourself buying them in the grocery store. And all too often they start to go bad pretty quickly. Well, when you get home from the store, dump them into some cold water and add a tablespoon or so of distilled white vinegar, swish them around, and let them sit for 30-60seconds. Then give them a good rinse in cold water. The vinegar helps kill surface mold and really does prolong the life of them. Let them dry thoroughly and put them in, say a deli container, with a folded paper towel in the bottom and on top and you'll get more life out of them. And no, they won't taste like vinegar. If you find you're not using them fast enough, toss them in the freezer. Great for making quick compotes or sauces.

Again, what ya got KKF? Tools to techniques, what are those tips that are cool to know?


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## M1k3 (Nov 5, 2021)

+1 on deli cups, but, the heavy duty ones.

Slicing a bunch of cherry tomatoes? Place them between 2 deli cup lids or the bottoms of 2 plates with small ridges. 

Mise en place. Oui Chef!


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 5, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> +1 on deli cups, but, the heavy duty ones.
> 
> Slicing a bunch of cherry tomatoes? Place them between 2 deli cup lids or the bottoms of 2 plates with small ridges.
> 
> Mise en place. Oui Chef!



Got a brand for the heavy duty ones?


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## M1k3 (Nov 5, 2021)

HumbleHomeCook said:


> Got a brand for the heavy duty ones?


I believe it was DuraHome? 

Sunset brand sucks, FYI.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 5, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> I believe it was DuraHome?
> 
> Sunset brand sucks, FYI.



Cool. Those are the ones I use and I have found they hold up well.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 5, 2021)

@M1k3 , I have a pile of brand new DuraHome containers and lids sitting on the table. A few of ours have warped from the microwave or the lid or two has peeled some, but this is over years, but mostly, we just find ourselves using them so much we're running out of available ones. So, I ordered another pack.

While they're fully dish washer safe, we don't have one of those fancy gadgets and I'm the dish washer. Man, it takes a while to get them all done!


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## MarcelNL (Nov 6, 2021)

We recently moved to glass deli containers, the lid is still a plastic clip on thingy. We're trying to avoid plastic (and dishwashing plastic) where we can.

Organizing our slightly ridiculous spice collection in various sizes Bormioli jam jars with stickers on the lid that now sit in trays we keep in a repurposed Ikea book cabinet


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## Lars (Nov 6, 2021)

I keep a small container next to my cutting board for scraps and such. Makes working tidy a lot easier..


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 6, 2021)

MarcelNL said:


> We recently moved to glass deli containers, the lid is still a plastic clip on thingy. We're trying to avoid plastic (and dishwashing plastic) where we can.
> 
> Organizing our slightly ridiculous spice collection in various sizes Bormioli jam jars with stickers on the lid that now sit in trays we keep in a repurposed Ikea book cabinet



I recently attacked our spices as well. So happy with the results!


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 6, 2021)

Squeeze bottles rock.






Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar, and Balsamic Vinegar


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## sansho (Nov 6, 2021)

yep. i was thinking squeeze bottles too.

i love the ones by oxo.









OXO Chef's Squeeze Bottles - 6 ounces


Pour, drizzle, dress, or plate precisely




www.oxo.com





they come in different bottle and nozzle sizes. can explain more if anyone's interested.

but one of the things i really like is they're pretty airtight and leak proof (even if you squeeze on the bottle). a tip though: idk why, but some of them aren't leak proof as-received. all they need is a little tweak to the cap "spring". push it down for a few seconds like in this pic. you should only have to do it once. the cap should properly seat on the nozzle and be leak proof for good.


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## sansho (Nov 6, 2021)

i started keeping corn starch in a squeeze bottle. got the idea from an amazon review. if you cook asian food or just like a dash of cornstarch here and there to thicken things, it's great. 

really convenient and cuts down on the mess. cornstarch is messy af. i don't bother making a slurry. i just give the pan a few poofs with the bottle (each poof in a different spot) and stir it in. works fine.

i was skeptical at first about how well it would dispense powder, but it actually does work. i'm guessing it wouldn't if you pack the bottle completely full though.


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## ian (Nov 6, 2021)

sansho said:


> i started keeping corn starch in a squeeze bottle.


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## daveb (Nov 7, 2021)

I'm a big fan of deli containers and the squeeze bottles mentioned above. 

Pro tip: The tops on squeeze bottles are about worthless. Built in will break off, the little red ones will be lost faster than a saya pin. For storage or transport I remove the top, put some film (saran wrap stuff) over top of bottle and then replace the top. No film? Put a glove over the top.

Other things from the pro side that I use at home include Cambros - 2qt round holds a pound of coffee beans perfectly, 4 qt square lined with a grocery store bag is a small trash receptacle, all kinds of other storage. And gloves - a box of gloves lives on top of my refridge, almost feel nekid in the kitchen without them.


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## mc2442 (Nov 7, 2021)

I use squeeze bottles for cooking (avocado oil) and the white vinegar & water mix to wipe down my cutting board. Mine don't have caps and the only annoying thing is that the vinegar/water mix seems to act as a trap for gnats/fruit flies. I started keeping a scrap of paper towel over it. I am sure the vinegar kills anything negative, but once you go over a couple it is just not right having them swirling in there.


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## sansho (Nov 7, 2021)

mc2442 said:


> I use squeeze bottles for cooking (avocado oil) and the white vinegar & water mix to wipe down my cutting board. Mine don't have caps and the only annoying thing is that the vinegar/water mix seems to act as a trap for gnats/fruit flies. I started keeping a scrap of paper towel over it. I am sure the vinegar kills anything negative, but once you go over a couple it is just not right having them swirling in there.



imo:

put your vinegars in something vaportight
buy or diy a funnel trap for fruit flies and charge it with vinegar. also add a TINY drop of soap to break the surface tension so they drown better. make sure the funnel hole (ingress point) isn't too big or else it's also an egress point. the funnel slope should also be relatively steep. some flies will always get out, but it's a probability game. you want to have the ratio of ingress:egress be as high as possible. it may need to be periodically recharged as the AcOH concentration drops (it's volatile). before doing this, microwave the trap for 10s or whatever to kill the flies inside so they don't escape when you open it.
optionally, eliminate their source from your kitchen. easier said than done if you like fruit  . also, sometimes you have no control over it if you're in an apartment that's close to a dumpster or something.


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## sansho (Nov 7, 2021)

daveb said:


> Pro tip: The tops on squeeze bottles are about worthless. Built in will break off, the little red ones will be lost faster than a saya pin. For storage or transport I remove the top, put some film (saran wrap stuff) over top of bottle and then replace the top. No film? Put a glove over the top.



try one of those oxo bottles. ime it solves all of those problems. only problem is they're significantly more expensive. worth it to me however. at least consider trying them for your most frequently used bottles or a bottle you travel with.


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## daveb (Nov 7, 2021)

Have tried them. Nah. I buy bottles 12 at a time, cut the tips per application and discard when they get nasty.


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## sansho (Nov 7, 2021)

if you need a lot of them, it's harder to justify. i only have/need 5 or so.

was it just the price that you didn't like?


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## mc2442 (Nov 7, 2021)

I ordered a few of the OXO ones and will see how the caps hold up.

I have fruit fly traps out (which do work), but they always seem to love the bottle of vinegar/water as well. Not talking a huge amount of gnats, but there always seem to be a few around. I always have some fruit and tomatoes out.


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## Jovidah (Nov 7, 2021)

In completely random order some of the things I do that aren't the most ubiqutous:

-The best tool to deglaze a pan and scrub all the fond off the bottom is a dishwashing brush; works way better than any spatula or whatever. Just make sure it's a recognizably different one from your normal dishwashing one that you only use for deglazing.

-Silicone spatulas and spoonulas are IMO the best for stirring just about anything in pans, especially when it's liquidish.

-Scissors work fairly well for cutting flatbreads and are a decent alternative to a pizza cutter if you don't have one.

-For pouring flour and other powders (usually to thicken sauces) I use big shakers - the kind that are normally used with powdered sugar or at big frying shops to salt fries. Works well enough that I can usually just dunk it straight in without getting lumps.

-For oils and other liquids like soy sauce, I usually throw them in proper glass bottles that I put pouring spouts into - the kind that are normally used for booze. You could probably push those into plastic bottles as well if you insisted. Gives you a lot more control than simply pouring from bottles, and it looks a lot better than squeeze bottles. 

More food related:
-Already done by some here: dry brining. Unpackage whatever meat you're intending to use the day before, salt liberally on both sides, and place on a rack in the fridge. The result is a homogenous seasoning as the salt disperses in the product, the outside dries out resulting in much better and easier browning, and generally the meat comes out much better. It's the biggest improvement you can do to your meat with the least amount of effort, and gives better results than simply salting an hour before.

-My favorite way to prepare a whole bird (guineafowl, chicken, duck), is not trussed or spatchcocked, but completely deboned Pepin-style the way he preps it for a galantine. Not a lot of work; do it the night before, dry brine it on a rack (or season / marinade however you want) and then you can prep it any way you want, but the main advantage is that you have pretty much even flat boneless slab of meat, for which even panfrying in generous fat works surprisingly well.

-Any fats that had meat in them and didn't get overheated beyond smoking point should never be discarded like a lot of 'instructors' and recipes insist; there's a ton of flavor in it. Usually I throw it in with whatever I'm frying my potatoes in but you could add it to just about anything. Same applies to meat trimmings... usually I brown it all in the oven before turning it into stock, but any fat that comes out of it gets preserved.

I'll probably come up with some more useless tips when my brain stops being foggy...


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## sansho (Nov 7, 2021)

i love deli containers but have never bought them. i just have an assorted collection of the nicer / heavier duty looking ones from when i order takeout. they are mostly compatible with each other in terms of stacking and lids.

however, i wanna buy some new ones in a few sizes. DuraHome came up here. where do you buy DuraHome? amazon?

any of you guys ever try the ChoiceHD brand from webstaurant store? microwave/dishwasher/freezer safe. seems heavy duty from the pics.



https://www.webstaurantstore.com/779/deli-take-out-containers.html?filter=shape:round&vendor=ChoiceHD



i wonder how that compares to DuraHome or other brands.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 7, 2021)

sansho said:


> i love deli containers but have never bought them. i just have an assorted collection of the nicer / heavier duty looking ones from when i order takeout. they are mostly compatible with each other in terms of stacking and lids.
> 
> however, i wanna buy some new ones in a few sizes. DuraHome came up here. where do you buy DuraHome? amazon?
> 
> ...


 
I do get the DuraHome on Amazon. They were recommended to me by a chef online and the multi-sized pack was easy to find so that's what I bought. I got my first set two or three years ago and most are still doing pretty well. Heating liquids pretty hot and then putting the lid on will start to warp them over time. Think microwaving soup and then putting the lid on to carry it back to your desk.


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## M1k3 (Nov 7, 2021)

sansho said:


> i love deli containers but have never bought them. i just have an assorted collection of the nicer / heavier duty looking ones from when i order takeout. they are mostly compatible with each other in terms of stacking and lids.
> 
> however, i wanna buy some new ones in a few sizes. DuraHome came up here. where do you buy DuraHome? amazon?
> 
> ...


ChoiceHD I've used some of their other products. They seemed pretty sturdy.


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## MowgFace (Nov 7, 2021)

sansho said:


> i started keeping corn starch in a squeeze bottle. got the idea from an amazon review. if you cook asian food or just like a dash of cornstarch here and there to thicken things, it's great.
> 
> really convenient and cuts down on the mess. cornstarch is messy af. i don't bother making a slurry. i just give the pan a few poofs with the bottle (each poof in a different spot) and stir it in. works fine.
> 
> ...



…Recipe calls for 1.5 poofs of Cornstarch


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## rickbern (Nov 7, 2021)

I don’t like deli containers. I only keep Rubbermaid plastic containers with red tops. They’re pretty cheap to buy the forty piece set, they last about fifty times longer so they dramatically reduce plastic waste and they’re square so they fit in the freezer more efficiently.


Amazon.com


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## rmrf (Nov 7, 2021)

I like deli containers for prep and mason jars for leftovers particularly if you have food with liquid. For soups, stews, or beans, heat the food at least to a vigorous simmer and pour in the jars. Flip upside down for 30 minutes and place in the fridge after they cool enough. It will extend the lifespan of leftovers significantly (like 5x...) because you're basically doing a super ****** canning job. Keep in mind that you should not can like this. If there isn't a lot of sugar and/or acid, you need to pressure can to make your preserves shelf stable.

Regarding fruit flies, the easiest lure I've found for fruit flies is my sourdough starter. I put the discard in a tin can destined for the trash and cover it loosely with plastic wrap. The flies make their way into the can every 24 hours and you can trap and kill them with the plastic wrap. Make sure to not let them fester though because then you'll get baby fruit flies which defeats the purpose. The best thing is that if you have a daily feeding schedule, you get a fruit fly trap for free!


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## sumis (Nov 8, 2021)

Jovidah said:


> -For oils and other liquids like soy sauce, I usually throw them in proper glass bottles that I put pouring spouts into - the kind that are normally used for booze. You could probably push those into plastic bottles as well if you insisted. Gives you a lot more control than simply pouring from bottles, and it looks a lot better than squeeze bottles.



this i do as well. 
glass with spouts for oils and and stuff in room temp.
squeeze bottles for salsas, sauces and dressings i keep in the fridge.

.


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## Michi (Nov 9, 2021)

This is an original Zyliss chopper that is at least 35 years old. Way back then, I used it to chop onions. For a while. Until I figured out that it takes no longer to do that with a knife, and then there is one fewer thing to clean up 

The one thing I still use it for is chopping nuts. It's great for that because the nuts don't go flying all over the place, and I can chop them as coarse or as fine as I like in a few seconds. I'm told that the current models of the Zyliss chopper are not as good as the original one, so I'm planning to hang onto this one until, one day, it gives up its ghost. Hopefully that'll be after I'm dead


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## e30Birdy (Nov 9, 2021)

Michi said:


> This is an original Zyliss chopper that is at least 35 years old. Way back then, I used it to chop onions. For a while. Until I figured out that it takes no longer to do that with a knife, and then there is one fewer thing to clean up
> 
> The one thing I still use it for is chopping nuts. It's great for that because the nuts don't go flying all over the place, and I can chop them as coarse or as fine as I like in a few seconds. I'm told that the current models of the Zyliss chopper are not as good as the original one, so I'm planning to hang onto this one until, one day, it gives up its ghost. Hopefully that'll be after I'm dead
> View attachment 151105



I was just talking about these to my better half as I remember chopping onions for my mom when I was a kiddo back in the day.


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## rickbern (Nov 9, 2021)

Michi said:


> This is an original Zyliss chopper that is at least 35 years old. Way back then, I used it to chop onions. For a while. Until I figured out that it takes no longer to do that with a knife, and then there is one fewer thing to clean up
> 
> The one thing I still use it for is chopping nuts. It's great for that because the nuts don't go flying all over the place, and I can chop them as coarse or as fine as I like in a few seconds. I'm told that the current models of the Zyliss chopper are not as good as the original one, so I'm planning to hang onto this one until, one day, it gives up its ghost. Hopefully that'll be after I'm dead
> View attachment 151105


I end up chopping a lot of dried fruits, nuts and chicken livers for Passover every year. Love my wooden bowl and curved knife (uluu) for that. Super useful, doubles for bread basket the rest of the year.


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## chefwp (Nov 9, 2021)

Squeeze bottles, so handy, such a complete pain to clean if they had oil in them... I haven't found the bottle brush that makes this easy, yet.

One thing I've used over the years way more than I thought I would, *stainless steel steam table inserts*.
-I have two large (2-3 gallon?) ones I use to cool down stocks, stainless steel is pretty conductive to temp transfer (the opposite of insulated) so plopping them into a cooler full of ice and putting small ice paddles in them will cool the stock down very fast.
-I have a couple small ones (1.5-2 quart?) that see much more action. I find they are the perfect thing to whip cream in with a hand mixer. They are a perfect match for my small immersion blender to blend my red sauce, soups, or whatever. I have a regular blender, but the insert/immersion combo cleans up so much easier, and when I'm done, it is already in a short term storage container.

*Sizzler platters *- I use these all the time when I start meat on the range, I'l move it to a sizzler platter before putting it in the oven to continue cooking while I use the first pan to deglaze and start a sauce. These are also great things to use in a toaster oven, they are just the right size.

One thing I notice when I cook in other people's kitchens is that many are missing what I consider a fundamental tool of cooking, some nice *heavy-duty stainless steel tongs. * I'm not saying most people don't have tongs, only that the ones they have are flimsy and I hate them!


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## Jovidah (Nov 14, 2021)

More a food tip than a gear tip... but as someone who always used a fair amount of ham cubes and bacon cubes (excuse me, _lardons), _I found that cutting my own from bigger chunks of cooked ham and bacon is both a way to save money _and _get higher quality at the same time; pretty much all the pre-cut cubelets here are just filled with water and junk... it's much easier to buy quality if you just buy a whole cooked ham or chunk of bacon (as long as you read the labels).

If you really want to be decadent... I found that replacing bacon / pancetta with cubes of coppa di parma works quite well...


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## MarcelNL (Nov 14, 2021)

I recently bought some smoked organic pig cheek, it's as if it comes from a completely different planet.


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## Jovidah (Nov 14, 2021)

I came home from the store yesterday with guanciale, pancetta _and_ coppa di parma. I think it's time for some serious carbonara experimentation...


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## Michi (Nov 14, 2021)

Guanciale is where it's at…


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## Jovidah (Nov 14, 2021)

My plan is to just try all the combinations. Never hurts to try right?  Using coppa as ersatz bacon also turned out to be quite a pleasant upgrade. It's going to be my first time eating guanciale ever; could never find it in the past. My expectation is that it's the pancetta that's most redundant between the three.


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## Michi (Nov 14, 2021)

Guanciale is about taste, but even more about texture. Pancetta won’t even get a look-in…

I bet you’ll like the guanciale.


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## coxhaus (Nov 14, 2021)

I have never had Guanciale nor heard of it except on this forum. It sounds good.

When it comes to storage containers, we like Pyrex round glass containers with lids. They can go straight from the refirg to the microwave. For cleanup they go in the dishwasher with no less for wear.


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## MarcelNL (Nov 14, 2021)

we're going to try some stainless steel for storage in the fridge and freezer, glass is a bit bulky and prone to accidents with kids in the house.


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## MarcelNL (Nov 14, 2021)

Jovidah said:


> My plan is to just try all the combinations. Never hurts to try right?  Using coppa as ersatz bacon also turned out to be quite a pleasant upgrade. It's going to be my first time eating guanciale ever; could never find it in the past. My expectation is that it's the pancetta that's most redundant between the three.


While you're at it do give Amatriciana with Bucatini a try!


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## boomchakabowwow (Nov 28, 2021)

Lars said:


> I keep a small container next to my cutting board for scraps and such. Makes working tidy a lot easier..


I do the same thing. Helps me get stuff to the compost bin, and it’s so convenient to have it “right there”. I use a hotel steamer pot. It goes in the dishwasher occasionally. It’s bombproof.


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## Jovidah (Nov 28, 2021)

I have one of those stand-alone garbage bins and I just move the entire bin next to me...


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## Michi (Nov 29, 2021)

Large empty Chinese food container serves as my temporary garbage bin next to the cutting board.


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## sansho (Nov 29, 2021)

i put my cutting board on an overhang and bring my garbage bin just under it. scrape scraps directly into garbage with knife spine.


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## MarcelNL (Nov 30, 2021)

Well, Ikea supplied us with stainless steel food storage containers to replace the glass that was replacing the plastic 
So now they stack without taking tons of space and I'm no longer afraid of shattering a glass container against the workspace edge....(it's been known to happen)

Dirt cheap too, and they seem sturdy enough to survive many cycles)


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## coxhaus (Nov 30, 2021)

Stainless sounds good but I like being able to look into the container and see what's in there. With stainless you have to pull it out and look inside.
And when I am snooping in my refig with lots of containers it is too much trouble.

Here is our vegie and coffee scrap bin. No meat products go in it. We make it into compost for the garden. I have a compost bin in the garden that we dump it in.


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## MarcelNL (Nov 30, 2021)

agree, yet the plastic lids allow some see through, and we have developed a habit of labeling whatever goes in the freezer


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## boomchakabowwow (Nov 30, 2021)

sansho said:


> i put my cutting board on an overhang and bring my garbage bin just under it. scrape scraps directly into garbage with knife spine.


My favorite method _, but we are mandated to compost everything. _


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## Jovidah (Nov 30, 2021)

sansho said:


> i put my cutting board on an overhang and bring my garbage bin just under it. scrape scraps directly into garbage with knife spine.


Same... either that, or peel stuff straight above the bin.



boomchakabowwow said:


> My favorite method _, but we are mandated to compost everything. _


I'd happily seperate it out to a green bin or compost, but I have an appartment without a balcony. I'm _not_ willing to put up with the amount of live fauna that would crop up from having a seperate bin for it that would only get picked up every few weeks...


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## Jovidah (Feb 9, 2022)

Jovidah said:


> I came home from the store yesterday with guanciale, pancetta _and_ coppa di parma. I think it's time for some serious carbonara experimentation...


Figured I'd post a follow-up after my vigorous experimentation - all in the name of science of course. Pancetta was arguably the least interesting of the bunch, and the most like 'normal bacon'. I also found little benefit to adding all three; it just doesn't bring that much more to the table.
Personally I actually prefer a version with just coppa over a version with just guanciale, although this might have something to do with my guanciale being extremely fatty, to the point that it was at least 75% white vs 25% red. 

My winner though was a mix 50/50 guanciale / coppa. 

Even on their own both are really good at elevating anything you put them in (not just carbonara), but for me having both just dials it up to 11.
Either of them is noticably better than just using your average bacon.


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## coxhaus (Feb 10, 2022)

boomchakabowwow said:


> My favorite method _, but we are mandated to compost everything. _


I don't compost meat as I will have animals in my garden digging out the meat and fat scraps. And I really don't want to teach animals to eat in my garden. I have trouble with racoons taking the lid off my trash can and digging trash out all over the yard especially when the wind blows.


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## Whit3Nitro (Feb 10, 2022)

Wide plastic dough scraper. Use it for; scooping up food, Scraping liquid and scraps off my board when cleaning, Crumb down my table. Scraping bits of dried food from the dining table the kids have left - you can chisel away with it, Scraping food off the side of my blade. 10 a penny on Amazon, man I love a good scraper.


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## Jovidah (Feb 15, 2022)

Actually forgot to add this, but on the topic of guanciale... it goes _really_ well in risottos (so does coppa for that matter).
Even just the most rudimentary basic risotto of just guanciale + rice + good stock is already quite a treat. The guanciale really elevates it. I'd actually be more inclined to buy more guanciale for the risotto than for the carbonara.
Just make sure to cut the cubes on the smaller side for risotto (can get chewy otherwise and they 'blend' in better).


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## M1k3 (Feb 16, 2022)

Before starting rice, but, wanting a crispy prosciutto or whatever meat topping, crisp up the meat in the pan you'll be making the risotto in. Then start your rice in the leftover flavor.


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## Jovidah (Feb 16, 2022)

Not just from the prosciutto. I render down and reuse pretty much any animal fats and trimmings that would otherwise end up in the bin. Leave no flavor behind!


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## sansho (Oct 16, 2022)

using one of those handheld frothing tools as a lightweight immersion blender... never seen that one before. interesting.


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## mengwong (Oct 16, 2022)

What do you use for labeling things? I’ve been pretty happy with this little Niimbot. Thermal stickers in many sizes.



https://a.co/d/j2oqoez


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## HumbleHomeCook (Oct 16, 2022)

mengwong said:


> What do you use for labeling things? I’ve been pretty happy with this little Niimbot. Thermal stickers in many sizes.
> 
> 
> 
> https://a.co/d/j2oqoez



I don't actually do a lot of labeling outside of temporary stuff and for that I use masking tape.


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## daveb (Oct 16, 2022)

Blue tape and sharpie. Not sure what civilians use....


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## HumbleHomeCook (Oct 16, 2022)

daveb said:


> Blue tape and sharpie. Not sure what civilians use....



Yep.


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## coxhaus (Oct 16, 2022)

me too. Blue tape and sharpie.


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## BillHanna (Oct 16, 2022)

coxhaus said:


> me too. Blue tape and sharpie.
> 
> View attachment 203575


PMing my address /jk


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## HumbleHomeCook (Oct 16, 2022)

I really dig these wraps:









Reusable Beeswax Food Wrap | Shop All Sizes | Abeego®


Welcome to the future of food wrap. Store avocados, keep bread, cover bowls and extend the life of food to the very last bite. Starter sets, gifts, and more.




abeego.com





They work really well and I find them often actually easier than plastic wrap. The wife loves them and she won't mess much with inconvenience.


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## mengwong (Oct 17, 2022)

So this is kitchen-adjacent … but none of us are getting any younger … and with the holiday season coming, heart attack risk is up 5% …

After CPR training, I picked up a couple of defibrillators. One is a Zoll AED Plus which many consider the gold standard. The other is a mini which lives in my EDC backpack. Because seconds count …




If you're going to be entertaining elderly guests … and live more than 2 minutes away from ambulance response… and don't want to be known as the guy whose turkey killed grandpa … it might be worth considering … though at that price, I know … we're talking two, maybe three Denkas …

The Zoll takes ten batteries, but IIRC after I put in the 7th or 8th battery, the device booted up and started charging capacitors without even waiting for the others. So that's what safety engineering looks like in life-critical applications … I was seriously impressed.

Edit: apparently the latest model is the AED 3, which has, you guessed it, wifi.


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## Michi (Oct 17, 2022)

mengwong said:


> If you're going to be entertaining elderly guests … and live more than 2 minutes away from ambulance response… and don't want to be known as the guy whose turkey killed grandpa … it might be worth considering …


If I die of a heart attack in my kitchen, I will have died a happy man


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## HumbleHomeCook (Oct 17, 2022)

Michi said:


> If I die of a heart attack in my kitchen, I will have died a happy man



No doubt crying out for someone to keep feeding the sourdough starter!


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## Jovidah (Oct 18, 2022)

In a similar vein though... how many people actually have a firefighting implement in their kitchen? Be it a fire extinguisher or a fireblanket...


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## HumbleHomeCook (Oct 18, 2022)

Jovidah said:


> In a similar vein though... how many people actually have a firefighting implement in their kitchen? Be it a fire extinguisher or a fireblanket...



I do, but going one further, I realized I hadn't checked it in a long time and yep, it was dead. So have to remember that as well.


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## Jovidah (Oct 18, 2022)

That's the advantage of blankets... they don't go out of date.


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## NotAddictedYet (Oct 18, 2022)

Michi said:


> If I die of a heart attack in my kitchen, I will have died a happy man


must be those delicious sausage you keep making


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## mengwong (Oct 26, 2022)

There's a sale on the Thermapen IR combo – I previously paid $139, currently $101.









Thermapen® IR


Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.




www.thermoworks.com


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## DavidScubadiver (Oct 26, 2022)

I’ve got a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. 
And, I use a pizza cutter to cut up pancakes and waffles for my son. Way faster than using a knife and does not tear the waffle.


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## Cliff (Oct 26, 2022)

Big yes to deli containers, sizzle platters, blue tape/sharpie
Gray Kunz spoons, GIR spoonulas
I use 1/4 hotel pans for countertop trash (and other stuff; e.g. I keep my JNS 800 perma-soaked in one). They're more compact than Cambros, for those in tight quarters.


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## M1k3 (Oct 26, 2022)

1/4 hotel pans? You mean 1/3?


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## Cliff (Oct 26, 2022)

M1k3 said:


> 1/4 hotel pans? You mean 1/3?


Yep, my bad


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## daveb (Oct 26, 2022)

I've got about 8 quarter pans - not sure they've ever been used... Cooks give the halves hell though.


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## boomchakabowwow (Oct 28, 2022)

Jovidah said:


> In a similar vein though... how many people actually have a firefighting implement in their kitchen? Be it a fire extinguisher or a fireblanket...


I have two. one under the sink, and one just outside the kitchen in the garage. the garage is an old school Halon one I got from work.


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## MowgFace (Oct 28, 2022)

I also have 2 in the kitchen, and 1 in the garage as a backup.

Never owned one till i owned a home, I figure they will all expire and get replaced, but rather replace an extinguisher rather than 1/3 of the house lol


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## HumbleHomeCook (Nov 11, 2022)

Chef's Presses are awesome:









Product — Chef's Press LLC







www.thechefspress.com





Can also be found through some knife vendors such as Bernal Cutlery as well .


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## MarcelNL (Nov 13, 2022)

HumbleHomeCook said:


> Chef's Presses are awesome:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


After seeing an episode of Burdain in Italy explaining a duck press I initially wondered how many Chef's this press will contain..


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## mengwong (Nov 13, 2022)

When a sous-chef becomes a vide-chef


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## pleue (Nov 13, 2022)

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grip-...1668358613&sprefix=meat+pounde,aps,139&sr=8-4 

Flat meat pounders are massively better than anything with a hammer handle or teeth. I like an old antique brass one. Parchment makes the best separator for making things like schnitzel and Milanesa. 

Black light helps you pick crab shells out of crab meat.

Microplaning your citrus by holding your citrus moving your micro plane like you’re peeling it is way more efficient and captures your zest in the backside of the micro plane.

A properly sized melon baller makes quince coring during prep way more enjoyable.

Marrow spoons make pepper cleaning way more enjoyable.

Folding back a tab in your label tape makes everyone’s life easier. 

Milwaukee sharpies are leaps and bounds better than regular sharpies.

Sealing your rice pot with a sheet or two of foil between the lid and pot keeps the moisture in and makes better rice.

Everyone should own a suribachi. 

Copper scrubbies work best to clean the brown oil residue on the outside of stainless pots that builds up from gas stoves. They work great on enamel pots too (don’t scratch them.) make sure they’re 100% copper.

Good vinegar (have sherry vinegar in your home if you cook western foods) makes your food taste like someone more skilled cooked it.

Winesaver helps keep testy ferments from growing mold.

Weigh down ferments with brine in plastic bags. Conforms to your product well inside your vessel, if you have a leak you’re at the same percentage as your ferment. Or ferment in vacuum seal bags and burp them.

Water on top of leftover guacamole seals it and keeps it from browning. Again, winesaver does that too. Or finish your damn guacamole.


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## M1k3 (Nov 22, 2022)

pleue said:


> Microplaning your citrus by holding your citrus moving your micro plane like you’re peeling it is way more efficient and captures your zest in the backside of the micro plane.


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## M1k3 (Dec 10, 2022)




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## blokey (Dec 10, 2022)

pleue said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Grip-EZ-Stainless-Steel-Pounder/dp/B00004UE7C/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3F2V3A4ANO735&keywords=meat+pounder&qid=1668358613&sprefix=meat+pounde,aps,139&sr=8-4
> 
> Flat meat pounders are massively better than anything with a hammer handle or teeth. I like an old antique brass one. Parchment makes the best separator for making things like schnitzel and Milanesa.


That's huge tamper, what size basket does it use?


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## HumbleHomeCook (Dec 11, 2022)

Cheap pot holders make nice pan separators.


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