Pressure Cooker, Chamber Vac, Sous Vide Unit....

[JCHine]

For shelf temperature safe you need to kill the spores as well as the pathogen which requires a higher temp...might be a bit paranoid but then again, never made myself sick.

[Lukas]

I have the WMF which I love, my mom's lasted 20 years, the main advantage is that with the same lid you can use pots with different sizes. http://www.amazon.com/WMF-Perfect-St...ressure+cooker

[Zwiefel]

Before making the decision on which sous vide machine to purchase do some investigation about the advantages of stirred versus unstirred baths. For me the stirred bath with variable capacity, portability (great for holiday rentals) and the ability to cook from frozen is a big advantage that offsets the noise.

KR for canning - they get to approximately 121C at 2 bars (maximum) which should in theory kill botulism/Staphylococcus aureus spores. But they are pretty small so yields are low.

I'm thinking I'll get the dork food unit to test the waters--so to speak--before I drop $$ on the polyscience....which will also buy me time to save up. That will also allow me to have 2 choices in the future or to loan the dork food unit to people I think i can convert

I think my first link was incorrect, I think that one that I have is the 8q:
http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...ef=pd_sbs_k_10

I think that the 7.4 is the most popular, but looked at them side by side and like the 8q more for a few reasons:
-more compact handle actually made it better space-wise for storage
-big enough to fit a few cans in
-I didn't have a good quality, big stock pot, and now I don't need to buy one
-easily accommodates a large chicken, rack+ of ribs, etc...
-theres a method of cooking rice where you put the rice in a bowl with water, then put a small amount of water in the PC then put the bowl in the PC. The 8q accommodates my large pyrex bowl (that makes plenty of rice for 1-4 people) well.
-I'm a bit of a safety nut when it comes to things that can explode and shoot super-heated plasma and metal all over, and while the KR does have the best valve / safety design, you still need to make sure that the contents never touch the lid / valves. There's a max fill line, but you also have to think about cooking certain things (like beans) that can bubble / foam up, so the extra margin in size is also a margin in peace of mind for me.


the next size up (10 I believe) is really huge.

So you think the .6Q makes a significant functional difference? wouldnt the lack of a handle on the 8Q make it more difficult to use for skillet type cooking before turning on the pressure?

My message was something little else.
I meant, the priciest eq does not mean best or most useful.
Water is an amazing substance it never is unstirred.

I see...definitely agree with you there. money is not a substitute for sweat eh? I earn a decent living and have learned the hard way that buying the best equipment (not the most expensive) is usually cheaper in the long run. That's what I was seeking here. Or at least a stepping stone to "best."

If you haven't made a commitment yet....a few years back I did the same search for PC's...the Magefesa and Kuhn-Rikon were essentially 'ranked' as equals, with a big two thumbs up for the documentation that came with the KR vs. a big two thumbs up for the $$ value in the Magefesa. I have the Magefesa Supercooker which is a pressure cooker & pressure fryer (most PC's are NOT), and I've had no problems or complaints.

hmmm..."pressure fryer?" Isn't that how KFC started out? what makes something a pressure fryer? Why couldn't you do that with any PC?

I'm itching to hit the "purchase" button....I think the Dork food is a given....open question is the PC....the vac chamber will have to wait for the next bonus....or longer.

The Magefesa prices seem to vary a lot on Amazon...some of them were very close to the KR prices....other seem steeply discounted...why the huge difference?

[Zwiefel]

Looking at the KR units...prices also seem to vary widely:

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...ressure+cooker

versus

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...ressure+cooker

Also, any recommendations on an induction plate?

[Dardeau]

The Vollrath induction burners I've used make a really horrible, high pitched noise that actually made me physically nauseous once. A really tough inexpensive induction burner is the one that Update makes. You won't really be able to sear with it, but the temp control is good enough to make cheese. I've found them useful for consommé, or anything else you set and, mostly, forget.

[bieniek]

http://www.kochwerkstatt.de/epages/6...cts/8209590411

22cm wide. you would be surprised how little food can be prepped in such a size

or

http://www.kochwerkstatt.de/epages/6...cts/0007174814

Plus pressure can reach 1 bar above atmospheric. And that gives 121 celsius.

Honestly Z, Im not here to preach, my first post was after o.7 L vodka, so take it with a grain of salt, but in all honesty, I had the new small polyscience "portable" in side by side comparison and it took like 30 minutes to heat 15L of water to 85 degrees.
Yeah, its portable, but try to heat 30-40 litres and it would prolly crap itself, plus it makes noise and plus it takes space on the side of the pot [ which is a bit if you think 18L pot] Plus it costs more than double to SVM.

It looks ugly but makes no noise and boy its fast.

Would reccomend you buying thermometer too. Very usefull tool.

I have the cheapest available vacuum machine but am using the chamber vac at work most often - which is most convenient.

[mikemac]

Not just prices!
Since both are "sold & shipped by Amazon" I'd give credence to the different shipping weights (13 lbs vs 9 lbs.) and product dimensions
My guess is these are two different lines, with the less expensive one being more of a 'home version'...looking at the KR website, both are listed with separate item numbers, and the heavier and more expensive one is listed as the 'family style'. It specs out as wider, and more squat. My guess would be the extra weight and $$'s can be attributed to the tri-ply base.

Looking at the KR units...prices also seem to vary widely:

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...ressure+cooker

versus

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...ressure+cooker

Also, any recommendations on an induction plate?

[Mucho Bocho]

Danny, This is the unit have and its wonderful and I paid at least $100 more than its listed. Also, This PC is from their Hotel line. Commercial grade, dam bullet proof. It will give you the best of both worlds. Useful size even for stocks. I made one yesterday. You can buy the 1/2 pint jars to do pressure-roast vegetables.

What I really like about it is it has a waffle texture to the bottom that facilitates browing/maillard too.

I've had it for ten years maybe, never regretted getting a larger one.

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...=hotel+braiser

[Zwiefel]

Danny, This is the unit have and its wonderful and I paid at least $100 more than its listed. Also, This PC is from their Hotel line. Commercial grade, dam bullet proof. It will give you the best of both worlds. Useful size even for stocks. I made one yesterday. You can buy the 1/2 pint jars to do pressure-roast vegetables.

What I really like about it is it has a waffle texture to the bottom that facilitates browing/maillard too.

I've had it for ten years maybe, never regretted getting a larger one.

http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Dur...=hotel+braiser

Looks like you have the 5q version of the 8q I was looking at...Think I'm going to go with that.

I saw a number of different induction plates on Amazon as well. Prices seem to range from $50 to $200. They seem to come in 1300 and 1800 watts...I'm assuming 1800 is better. No idea what criteria are important beyond that.

Here's a couple I found that looked good:

http://www.amazon.com/BergHOFF-Singl...ction+cook+top

(1600W, 10 power level settings, up to 450F in 30* increments)

and

http://www.amazon.com/1800-Watt-Port...ction+cook+top

[Mucho Bocho]

Danny, This is the one I have. I don't have any experience with any other one. Still gets great reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/1800-Watt-Port...duction+burton

This is the site that I bought mine from. They're selling the Hotel Style braiser for $420. OUCH. Between you and me, I just don't think you'll get your ROI on this pot for a long long time. The 5QT is $270? Like I said I do stock in it all the time, can make at least 3 QTS per load too.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/kuhn_rikon.aspx