Anyone in Europe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt?

[foodnoobie]

I've been trying to become a better cook and learn more about cooking and recipes and basically everyone swears by Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.
It's less salty than other salts so more forgiving, melts fast and it's very cheap. $12 for 3 lbs.
I've only cooked with (finishing) sea salt so far, because i wasn't aware of the different kinds. And the sea salt cost $3.50 for 100 grams. Or a $47.50 for 3lbs.
Therefore it's not a good salt to use for cooking especially not for making pasta water.

But i can't find Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt anywhere. There's only 1 store in my country who sells it but it's been out of stock since forever so i'm not sure if it will ever come back.
I'm not fond of ordering it from amazon because you can never really guarantee the authenticity or quality with a no refund policy since it's a food item.
Does anyone here who lives in Europe uses it? If so, where do you order it?
Thank you.

 

[Gshep91]

Amazon?

 

[MarcelNL]

less salty? What's in it? I 've heard many tales of salt soandso being less salty but in the end when you see the ingredient list it's 99.x % NaCl

Diamond Crystal® kosher salt was developed over 130 years ago using a craft evaporation process that creates unique hollow, multifaceted salt crystals. Unlike other kosher salts, Diamond Crystal® does not use additives nor mechanical compaction and it’s still crafted in the same facility it was originally crafted. It even contains 53% less sodium by volume compared to table salt

Since Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt is a staple in many culinary schools, high-profile chefs and cookbook authors are faithful users. The craft crystal shape influences so many of its functional properties, including seasoning control, adherence to food surfaces, a flavor burst when used topically, and its naturally lower in sodium.

• Your Favorite Restaurant’s Authentic Kosher Salt
• Crafted Crystals for Perfect Seasoning Without Over-Salting
• Clean Taste with 53% less sodium by volume compared to table salt
• No Additives

Pure NaCl but with air, so you could use maldon flakes or Guearande flakes, or less plain salt.

I'm using coarse seasalt for past water, regular salt or maldon/guearande flakes for topping and sometimes black or pink Himalaya salt forthe optical effect

 

[Jovidah]

I'd say forget about this. The specific mention of 'specific brands' of salt in American cooking instructions (whether it's Diamond Crystal, Morton or something else) is a result of the American fetish for using volumetric measurements. Since the structure of salt affects its volume for a given weight you get this problem where they have to push you into a certain brand of salt, even though they're all the same (refined sodiumchloride).
So all the white salts are the same from a flavor and nutritional perspective, and it's a waste of time and money to hunt down specific brands.

The description Marcel gives is quite remniscent of other 'fancy' white salts like Maldon, where chemically they are the same as plain table salt, just structurally different due to the manufacturing process.

If you do want a different less harsh flavor profile, try unrefined salts, like the French grey salt (sel gris / sel de guerande). At wholesalers those cost like 2-3 euros per kilo, the only downside is you need a salt mill for it because it comes in rather coarse grains. But for salting pasta water and such I just throw it straight in anyway.

 

[Jovidah]

And just as a minor sidenote... though there's some level of personal preference involved, the general rule of thumb for 'salt content in final product' is about 1-2% by weight.
But there's personal preference plays a role here; some might actually prefer <1%, some lean more towards the high end.

 

[M1k3]

Salt is salt (unless smoked or has lots of other minerals). Just measure by weight. And if you're looking for salt that easily dissolves, use snack/popcorn salt.

 

[sansho]

Kosher salt is a complete troll

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/unpopular-opinions.48161/post-956443

 

[Dan-]

Eh the reason American kosher salt recommendations lean toward Diamond Crystal is that there are only two readily available and reasonably priced salts here. It has nothing to do with weird measurement preferences. The other brand we have, Morton, is coarse and large grained. It’s good for pickling, but it’s also the most likely to pit your pot.

We don’t have access to cheap sel gris (jealous).

 

[sansho]

.

 

[MarcelNL]

Eh the reason American kosher salt recommendations lean toward Diamond Crystal is that there are only two readily available and reasonably priced salts here. It has nothing to do with weird measurement preferences. The other brand we have, Morton, is coarse and large grained. It’s good for pickling, but it’s also the most likely to pit your pot.

We don’t have access to cheap sel gris (jealous).

I would imagine that there are plenty of places where someone could make a killer US based 'grey' salt....only need some real estate in an undisturbed lagune and plenty of sunshine.

 

[Bear]

I would imagine that there are plenty of places where someone could make a killer US based 'grey' salt....only need some real estate in an undisturbed lagune and plenty of sunshine.

And no flesh eating bacteria.

 

[WCV]

If you buy Celtic Sea Salt direct from the manufacturer in bulk, price isn’t too bad. You can get coarse grey for things like pasta water, stews, etc. I like the fine ground for table or things that need to dissolve quicker.

https://www.celticseasalt.com/original-salts/light-grey/

 

[MarcelNL]

I just happened to find 'organic seasalt' and seasalt 'containing by far the least Sodium'.....I must get into this business, hilarious amount of baseless and unsubstantiated claims...

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

http://www.redrocker.com/redheads/user/sammyhagar/blog/sammys-sea-salts

 

[picturepoet]

Unfortunately, unlike rock salt, sea salt is now contaminated with sometimes very high concentrations of microplastics

 

[Boynutman]

To help complicate things!

https://www.eater.com/23916586/whats-the-difference-kosher-salt-baking-salt-diamond-crystal-morton

 

[MarcelNL]

Unfortunately, unlike rock salt, sea salt is now contaminated with sometimes very high concentrations of microplastics

can you add numbers to that statement please?
Sometimes very high may be completely irrelevant, or not...

 

[MarcelNL]

To help complicate things!

https://www.eater.com/23916586/whats-the-difference-kosher-salt-baking-salt-diamond-crystal-morton

what confusion can a weight based recipe cause?

 

[picturepoet]

can you add numbers to that statement please?
Sometimes very high may be completely irrelevant, or not...

https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/news230721

 

[btbyrd]

less salty? What's in it? I 've heard many tales of salt soandso being less salty but in the end when you see the ingredient list it's 99.x % NaCl

Diamond Crystal® kosher salt was developed over 130 years ago using a craft evaporation process that creates unique hollow, multifaceted salt crystals. Unlike other kosher salts, Diamond Crystal® does not use additives nor mechanical compaction and it’s still crafted in the same facility it was originally crafted. It even contains 53% less sodium by volume compared to table salt

Since Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt is a staple in many culinary schools, high-profile chefs and cookbook authors are faithful users. The craft crystal shape influences so many of its functional properties, including seasoning control, adherence to food surfaces, a flavor burst when used topically, and its naturally lower in sodium.

• Your Favorite Restaurant’s Authentic Kosher Salt
• Crafted Crystals for Perfect Seasoning Without Over-Salting
• Clean Taste with 53% less sodium by volume compared to table salt
• No Additives

Pure NaCl but with air, so you could use maldon flakes or Guearande flakes, or less plain salt.

I'm using coarse seasalt for past water, regular salt or maldon/guearande flakes for topping and sometimes black or pink Himalaya salt forthe optical effect

It's less salty by volume because it is less dense. This is explained in the passage that you quoted that it has 53% less sodium by volume than table salt. Because it's fluffier than other salts, it is easier to dose out and sprinkle evenly without overseasoning. That's the reason it's preferred by chefs; it's the best thing for dosing salt with a big pinch. The small crystal size also makes it dissolve faster in water than Morton's kosher salt. I don't know what that stuff is supposed to be used for, but DC is better for just about everything.

All salt is (basically) equally salty by weight. Salts vary tremendously when measured by volume. The NYTimes had an article on this in which the author measured out a cup of salt from several major brands and then weighed them. Here were the results:

"Morton’s kosher: 250 grams (8 3/4 ounces)

Diamond Crystal kosher: 135 grams (4 3/4 ounces)

Table salt: 300 grams (10 5/8 ounces)

Coarse sea salt: 210 grams (7 3/8 ounces)

Maldon sea salt: 120 grams (4 1/4 ounces)

It is the first three figures that we need to pay attention to, because those are the salts we’re most likely to use in our cooking and baking. We learn from them that a tablespoon of Morton’s kosher salt is the equivalent of 1.85 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal — just half a teaspoon shy of 2 tablespoons. We learn that a tablespoon of table salt can be replaced by 2 1/4 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 1/4 tablespoons of Morton’s."

That's not a minor variance. Diamond Crystal is almost half the density of Morton's kosher salt. Table salt is more than twice as dense as DC. This is why I roll my eyes whenever I encounter a recipe that calls for a specific volumetric quantity of salt but doesn't specify the brand. Depending on which product you use, you could be using twice as much.

 

[MarcelNL]

It's less salty by volume because it is less dense. This is explained in the passage that you quoted that it has 53% less sodium by volume than table salt. Because it's fluffier than other salts, it is easier to dose out and sprinkle evenly without overseasoning. That's the reason it's preferred by chefs; it's the best thing for dosing salt with a big pinch. The small crystal size also makes it dissolve faster in water than Morton's kosher salt. I don't know what that stuff is supposed to be used for, but DC is better for just about everything.

All salt is (basically) equally salty by weight. Salts vary tremendously when measured by volume. The NYTimes had an article on this in which the author measured out a cup of salt from several major brands and then weighed them. Here were the results:





That's not a minor variance. Diamond Crystal is almost half the density of Morton's kosher salt. Table salt is more than twice as dense as DC. This is why I roll my eyes whenever I encounter a recipe that calls for a specific volumetric quantity of salt but doesn't specify the brand. Depending on which product you use, you could be using twice as much.

exactly my point!

the article on microplastics is food for thought IMO!
Basically rock salt is sea salt but it predates us so it will not contain any microplastics unless added in production.

 

[mgardiner]

Salt is salt (unless smoked or has lots of other minerals). Just measure by weight. And if you're looking for salt that easily dissolves, use snack/popcorn salt.

I disagree. The dissolvability makes a huge difference between different salts.

 

[MarcelNL]

I disagree. The dissolvability makes a huge difference between different salts.

can you elaborate how that can be ? most likely due to specific density NOT because NaCl is more dissolvable than NaCl, the big grains of sea salt I'm using for my pasta water dissolve slower than the ultra fine table salt or the larger thin flakes but that is due to shape.

 

[M1k3]

I disagree. The dissolvability makes a huge difference between different salts.

That's a difference in the size of the crystals. Popcorn/snack/pickling/powdered salt is what you want, when you want it to dissolve quickly and easily.

 

[DitmasPork]

Kosher salt is a kitchen essential for me when cooking. Almost as essential as a good knife.

I’ve used kosher salt since the 80s, almost can’t do without it when cooking—will typically go out to buy a box if cooking in another kitchen that doesn’t have it. Have even stashed a little bag of it in the suitcase when traveling to a cooking destination.

For me, there’re several things I love about kosher salt—the preciseness of kosher salt, a very user-friendly size/texture/saltiness/feel of grain, easy to evenly sprinkle over proteins, a big pinch for soups, and knowing how much salt I’m picking up with a pinch (more so then with fine salt)—tastes good—and finally, it’s inexpensive, common.

Kosher salt is the only salt I keep out in the kitchen, due to its versatility—whether salting pasta water, making kimchi, sprinkling over a tomato salad or seasoning a steak.

I’ve a massive salt collection in the cupboard—maybe a Hawaiian thing, but salt is not an uncommon gift there—from hand harvested Hawaiian to upscale French varieties, but kosher is my daily driver. Call it comfort zone, familiarity, preference.

Maldon and French Fleur de sel are fantastic, pricey, a luxury—do love using them, but no room on the counter to keep them out.

 

[Michi]

I use cooking salt for day-to-day dishes. It's the same thing as Morton's (same grain size), but has some anti-caking agent mixed in. I prefer it for the tactile aspect. When I grab a pinch, I know how much salt I'm adding.

For pickling, I use kosher salt without additives. Salt without additives is hard to find Down Under—the kosher salt thing never caught on here, presumably because the Australian Jewish community is fairly small. Cheese salt is the alternative: pure salt without additives, so that makes a good salt for pickling.

I keep Maldon salt at hand, plus a few others (rosemary salt, chicken salt, popcorn salt, chili salt, French purple salt, Indian black salt, smoked salt, celery salt). But these are all finishing salts that get used only occasionally.

 

[MarcelNL]

I totally get the 'familiarity' aspect of sticking to one type of salt.

what is (or better once was) kosher or not about salt anyway? (forgive my ignorance)

 

[Michi]

Kosher may not mean that it actually "kosher" salt (in the Jewish sense). Originally, it was called kosher salt because it is suitable for koshering (salting and curing meat).

https://www.thekitchn.com/kosher-sa...-called-kosher-ingredient-intelligence-219665
What makes it tick (for me) is that there are no additives. That means it's great for pickling and curing.

 

[MarcelNL]

Thanks, makes sense now! Additives as in Iodine or anti lumping agents, I don't think I've ever seen other additives than those and the obvious spices and smoke etc ?

 

[Michi]

Thanks, makes sense now! Additives as in Iodine or anti lumping agents, I don't think I've ever seen other additives than those and the obvious spices and smoke etc ?

Me neither. Iodine and anti-caking agent are the only additives I've ever come across. Iodine is truly optional if you live near the sea. You get enough just from breathing the air. Otherwise, the iodine is a really good idea.

When I was a child, growing up in Bavaria, it was very common to see old people (mostly women, but men as well) with giant goiters. I'm talking grapefruit size here.

Bavaria is land-locked and, back then, most salt was mined in places such as Bad Reichenhall instead of getting it from evaporating sea water. Ever since salt has been iodised, goiter is essentially an unknown disease in Bavaria.

Now, shall we talk about fluoride and essential juices?