Geekchef

[Lateralus]

Following on from the disco board, I thought it's probably worth a thread on kitchenware, as it's topic that pops up often enough, but is rather different from the excellent recipes that have recently graced the geekfood thread.

In terms of knives, I have a Global GS-3 which is what I use for most things that need a bit of slicing and dicing. Mrs Lat also bought me a 11cm Global Utility knife which is great for slightly more fiddly things, and for some reason is also a bit sharper than the GS-3. Both knives are very easy to keep sharp with a Minosharp sharpener, which is pretty much designed for Global knives, and is great for people who have never quite got the hang of sharpening steels. I also have a mild fear of whetstones ever since the day the pub I worked in bought a global one, and I dropped and broke it on the very first day. Chef was not impressed.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of Globals, but as Berk has pointed out, they're not for everyone. They're also not for everything, and when I need a knife that is slightly stronger (for cutting poultry in half etc), I also have a 6" Kitchen Devil Professional Cook's knife which I must say I've been very impressed with. Can't keep it as sharp as the Globals, but it's certainly been very impressive and had lots of use over the few years I've had it.

For boards, I have an endgrain wooden chopping board (not one of these, but similar) which I use for all veg, and a couple of cheap plastic ones that I use for meat and fish.

For future purchases, I'll probably get an 8" Global G2, and possibly a flexible knife of some kind too, but that's further down the list. However, for most purposes, the knives I have already are pretty good. In response to Jew's original question about knife sets - I wouldn't bother. You won't need all of the knives in the set, so it's better to decide what you need and buy separately, or you'll end up with a £40 palette knife that you never use.

This thread could be useful for discussions about pans and other useful things for the kitchen, but unfortunately I haven't got time to go into that now. However, I would like a decent non-stick frying pan (preferably with a lid), an oven-proof pan, and a good wok, so if anyone has particular suggestions, suggest away.

Kitchenware wank over.

Good grief, the number of links in that shows I must be in essay-writing mode and looking to reference every point I make. Speaking of which, I should get back to that.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

ooh, good plan, have a crossrepost

As my parents have fucked off on holiday, I have awesome kitchen to trash for a week

So, have some items of chefwank™ strangely useful things that you really don't need, but make life a bit easier (especially if you're anything like me and maintain a healthy level of drunk)

oh, and they only cost a few quid each, which is fucking awesome.


Squeeze Sauce Bottles - 8 & 36oz good for oil, and other things.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitteny_berk/2638382217/" title="DSCF5543 by Kitteny Berk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/263 ... 0090_m.jpg" width="240" height="237" alt="DSCF5543"></a>

Dough & Bowl scrapers - Good for getting stuff off of boards, and out of bowls

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitteny_berk/2638382731/" title="DSCF5538 by Kitteny Berk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/263 ... afe5_m.jpg" width="240" height="173" alt="DSCF5538"></a>

Sifter - Like a shotgun for flour

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitteny_berk/2638382405/" title="DSCF5540 by Kitteny Berk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/263 ... 9e9d_m.jpg" width="240" height="189" alt="DSCF5540"></a>

Rubbermaid Containers - Items of +20 holding, I use mine for marinading, holding dough and anything else handy

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitteny_berk/2639213200/" title="DSCF5545 by Kitteny Berk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/263 ... fc49_m.jpg" width="240" height="187" alt="DSCF5545"></a>

as far as non stick frying pans go, I really like These, I had to replace my first one after about 2 years of heavy use, about 4-5mm alu, fairly heavy, coating is pretty resilient but obviously, non stick happy weaponry is needed. unfortunately they don't come with a lid, either way, I bet you can pick a big lid up separately somewhere.

[No1Jew]

Cheers for this thread Lat. I'm sure our mothers would be proud to know we don't just discuss games and geeking in general.

When I mentioned knife set I was thinking more allong the lines of a smaller set e.g. a 3 piece like this G-23540/BD 3 Piece Knife Set but I will have a feel of them first in my local cookware shop.

Now all we need a message icon relating topics to cooking and food stuffs !

[Lateralus]

Oh, and my favourite bit of kit in the kitchen, my Gaggia Cubika. Non of this nespresso coffee pod nonsense. A proper coffee machine for making proper coffee. I also have a burr grinder for grinding my own beans, which helps too.

Right then, time for a coffee and an essay.

[Lateralus]

Cheers for this thread Lat. I'm sure our mothers would be proud to know we don't just discuss games and geeking in general.

When I mentioned knife set I was thinking more allong the lines of a smaller set e.g. a 3 piece like this G-23540/BD 3 Piece Knife Set but I will have a feel of them first in my local cookware shop.

Now all we need a message icon relating topics to cooking and food stuffs !

Well the pictures aren't loading up on that page for me, but from the words, that looks like a pretty good deal to me. Those 3 knives should cover most of your needs, and I'd recommend buying a minosharp sharpener too.

Oh - one other essential for knives - a knife block or similar for storage. Keeping them in a drawer will at best lead to them becoming chipped and damaged, and at worst you'll lose a finger. Don't buy a Global knife block as they're fucking stupidly expensive, but I've always preferred blocks to magnetic racks. You should be able to get something decent from a good cookware shop in whatever your nearest town is. I think I got mine from John Lewis and it's great.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

Funnily enough, I much prefer a magnetic rack to a block, blocks IMO are a bit prone to collecting crap and moisture.

And agreed on the minosharp things, most handy.

Also, a 3 knife set should have a good range of weaponry to get started, but you might find you get better value by shopping around or just picking a few suitable knives for your usual jobs.

[HereComesPete]

My knives live in a drawer with two balloon whisks, a long handle rubberised spatula, a sharpening block and two lil nipper mousetraps (unset) in the kitchen, all the other shit stuff is in a different drawer.

Lat, if you want that kitchen devil sharper, change the angle of attack when sharpening, it's higher carbon and lower density allows for a shit load of sharp, but it's harder to attain and harder to keep. A steel is perfect for keeping the edge, a few swishes and it's back to where you ground it.

Jew - like Lat said, don't bother with the set, the smaller knives are unjustifiably expensive, you'll only use them for a couple minutes each week, and the money spent on them could go toward a top notch main knife from wusthof, i.o shen or even a couple of globals if you like them after you try them.

Of course the final choice is yours, and no doubt since you decided you were going to shell out the money has been burning in your pocket.

editz - forgot boards!

I have a white and a red hygiplas for cooking, then a non-stick edged board for general sammich/snack making and a small white board as a sideboard if my other boards get too full of stuff when cooking, I'm exceedingly messy when making fud because I'm used to having people clean up after me. Like KV.

[spoodie]

This thread is useful. I needed some ideas for proper, ie. non-Tescos bought, kitchenware.

[FatherJack]

Global G4 knife and chopping block. From Tesco.

[spoodie]

Global G4 knife and chopping block. From Tesco.

My local Tescos are rubbish then. I'm going ask for a good knife for Xmas, Internet bought presumably.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

Global G4 knife and chopping block. From Tesco.

Can I eat that meat? no need to cook it or anything, just the meat will be fine.

Also, It does seem odd to me that you use wood for meat.

I suppose the ability to sand and refinish the wood is a bonus, but I'd much rather use a fast wooden board for veg. I find most of my meat cutting is more slow and precise, so I don't mind using a slower low density board for it.

That and wood can be absorbent, so meat juice into that, not so great, obviously, a minimal risk if it's well finished and oiled, but

I also consider plastic cutting boards disposable, £3-6 for something that lasts a few months then goes to board heaven doesn't bother me, pretty sure they're recyclable too.

Just thinking out loud mostly, but I'm interested in why you've gone in the direction you have.


Back on topic;

<a href="http://www.nisbets.co.uk/products/produ ... Brand=">No slip mat</a> is cunting awesome, stops your boards moving around, pretty handy.

Also, anyone know of a really good coffee/spice grinder? I'm after something with blades fairly low to the bottom for maximum kicking the crap out of small spicy type things.

My local Tescos are rubbish then. I'm going ask for a good knife for Xmas, Internet bought presumably.

I just reckon FJ has an unreasonably awesome Tescos.

[HereComesPete]

I was thinking that the board was from tesco, as opposed to the knife. Possibly I'm wrong however.

If the meat is ready to be worked it shouldn't be bleeding much at all and if your knife is sharp enough the board should be barely scored/marked any way.

Unless the wood is totally untreated it should pose no problem, and if it's even half decent then it'll be high density stuff that's not too absorbent anyway. In fact wood for meat is imo better than plastic, cutting into plastic leaves stuff sealed in because it closes as the knife, leaving the board needing a scrub/scrape, wood doesn't seal over the same way, so it's easier to clean. If it's cheap and skinny it's shit for everything except as a cheeseboard.

As for those slip mats, use a damp tea towel, just as good, and can be used to wipe spills off oven tops when the cutting is done.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

I was thinking that the board was from tesco, as opposed to the knife. Possibly I'm wrong however.

If the meat is ready to be worked it shouldn't be bleeding much at all and if your knife is sharp enough the board should be barely scored/marked any way.

Unless the wood is totally untreated it should pose no problem, and if it's even half decent then it'll be high density stuff that's not too absorbent anyway. In fact wood for meat is imo better than plastic, cutting into plastic leaves stuff sealed in because it closes as the knife, leaving the board needing a scrub/scrape, wood doesn't seal over the same way, so it's easier to clean. If it's cheap and skinny it's shit for everything except as a cheeseboard.

As for those slip mats, use a damp tea towel, just as good, and can be used to wipe spills off oven tops when the cutting is done.

Probably right on the wood vs plastic thing, still, I like wood for veg, and throw my plastic boards away once they're shitty, so unlikely to be much in it really.

Damp tea towels work fine, but the no slip mat is just a bit easier.

[Sheriff Fatman]

snip

Pretty much all of this. I've almost always used wood, plastic just feels wrong, somehow. Also, a damp towel/J-Cloth is fine to stop board slippage.

[FatherJack]

The knife was off the internet, but we have Awesome Tescos
A was the biggest in Europe when it was built, C is nearly as big but has a bigger electronics section, B is moderate-sized but near my Mum's, quieter and where I got the board and D is right next to the University and caters to it's large Asian student population, so has sriracha and other interesting foods.

Rugby, Warwick and Banbury are reasonably close, too and have pretty good ones, especially Banbury. I like discovering new ones, but tend to avoid Birmingham or Leicester, as there are always unpleasant places to get lost when you don't know a city. The one in Bangor is good, but I only go there once a year.

I just prefer the wood - it looks better in the kitchen (I use a bamboo one for veg) and I like how it feels. Plastic ones look grotty quite quickly, but I don't mind using them.

[cashy]

Does nobody else use glass cutting boards? I find them pretty bitching all-rounders, easy to clean and near impossible to mark.
Added bonus: They often come with pictures printed on the underside of the glass. Every kitchen needs more kitten space.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

Does nobody else use glass cutting boards? I find them pretty bitching all-rounders, easy to clean and near impossible to mark.
Added bonus: They often come with pictures printed on the underside of the glass. Every kitchen needs more kitten space.

no, because glass is too hard for knives, ruins them.

[HereComesPete]

no, because glass is too hard for knives, ruins them.

And offer ample opportunity to gouge and slice really deep because they offer very little control at speed.

[buzzmong]

Tesco locations

Yeah, but...Coventry?!
Although the one up by the showcase is bloody massive, I've never been in, I've not felt the need to get lost after watching a film.

Warwick 24 hour Tesco is good though.

Carry on.

[FatherJack]

Yeah, but...Coventry?!

Well, I live there. I've yet to find many better ones in a 35-mile radius and at least A and C (the showcase one) are in unpopulated areas and have swift escape vectors to civilisation. If anyone else has awesome supermarkets near them, I'd be interested in checking them out, maybe visiting, as long no congestion charge would be accrued. I think the Asda at Fosse Park is the biggest supermarket I've encountered - I went there at the weekend, but the full car park put me off going in.