On Sun 15 Mar 2009 04:02:08p, Mark Thorson told us...

> You can see it he
>
> http://www.gourmet.com/food/2009/02/...he-way-we-cook
> ?slide=1#showHeader

Personally, I would hardly call many, if any, of these choices
"revolutionary", but some certainly added convenience to the
kitchen/cooking environment.

1. Non-stick coating... In general, if you have decent cookware, non-
stick coatings don't provide a huge advantage except, perhaps, for cooking
eggs. While it's true that things don't stick to most of them, with good
cookware and proper cooking techniques, foods don't stick to many cooking
services. Where they can be a distinct advantage is in very thin cheap
cookware which is prone to burning and sticking food.

2. Air conditioning... Because my dad was an HVAC engineer, I never lived
in a home that didn't have air conditioning. Many people would agree that
it provides a comfortable and consistent living environment. Unless you
live in a climate where temperatures and/or humidity soar in the summer, I
don't see that it provides a huge advantage to cooking. Living in Arizona,
however, it's an essential that I could/would absolutely not live without,
cooking included.

3. Timers... I don't own, need, or want any external stand-alone timers,
but if my appliances (range, microwaves, toaster ovens, etc.), didn't have
their own timers I would consider them essential for many things,
especially baking, roasting, etc.

4. Chimney starter... Since I haven't used charcoal in 35 years, it
certainly isn't an essential to me. For those who do use charcoal, there
are numerous easy ways to start a charcoal fire. Perhaps those who use
these find thm easier, less messy, and more convenient than other methods.

5. Plastic wrap... Originally developed as an improvement over waxed
paper, it is an essential in my kitchen. It performs better for most uses,
although both waxed paper and parchment paper have unique uses where
plastic wrap cannot be substituted.

6. Television... Julia Child, in particular, started a cooking
revolutioin that brought good food and good cooking techniques to the
masses. Other television cooks have frequently made positive offerings as
well.

7. Vacuum sealers... I don't own one and probably wouldn't use it much if
I did. I can understand what many people feel the advantages may be, but
they're unimportant to me. A heavy weight plastic bag and soda straw
suffice for my needs.

8. Dishwashers... An absolute essential in my kitchen. I would most
likely cook infrequently if I had to clean up after myself. I grew up with
one in every house we lived in, and it was my first purchase in the first
apartment I rented that didn't have one. I know dishwashers are
subjective, though, as many proclaim to enjoy washing dishes by hand.

9. Silpat... I bought a sheet once and threw it out after a couple of
uses. Just another damned thing to clean. Parchment is just as effective,
IMO, and I'd rather dispose of it rather than clean it.

10. Refrigerators (and/or freezers)... A total revolution to the kitchen
and cooking. Before refrigerators, most home cooks had to shop almost
daily to provide fresh food for the table. Refrigerators also spawned many
dishes that simply weren't possible with ice boxes or "nothing" to keep
food at low storage or frozen temperatures.

11. Overnight freight... An absolute and total waste of money, IMO. The
cost of overnight freight today almost always is greater than the item
being shipped. I can't think of anything I need that badly to warrant
such a cost.

12. The Internet... As much as I love owning cookbooks, the ease of
locating a huge assortment of recipes on the Internet has no comparison.
For those who cannot afford to build a substantial library of cookbooks,
searching the Internet for recipes and/or sharing them with others, saves
hours of laborious searching through libraries or enquiring about them from
others.

13. Food procesors... An absolute essential among my kitchen appliances.
I owned the first model offered in the US, the Robot-Coupe. I couldn't
believe how much time it saved in food prep. There are probably a number
of dishes I make that I wouldn't bother with if I didn't have a food
processor. My orignal Robot-Coupe was replaced after a decade with a
Cuisinart and a Hamilton Beach. The Robot-Coupe was replaced because of a
broken workbowl which, at the time, couldn't be replaced. The brand is of
such high quality, I would buy an imported Robot-Coupe if I could afford
today's prices.

14. Gas grills... My decided preference over charcoal. I prefer it's
almost instant heat, convenience, temperature accuracy, lack of mess, etc.
The model I own has a drawer to hold wood chips to add a smoke flavor.

15. Microplane graters... A true advance over ordinary grater,
particularly for certain food itemks. Yet, ordinary graters also have
advantages over microplanes. I wouldn't part with either.

16. Blenders... Blenders have been around a lot longer than most people
realize. Although entire cookbooks have been written for their use, IMO
there are a few basic uses that nothing else can duplicate, not even food
processors.

17. Slow cookers... Like the Robot Coupe, the original Crock-Pot was an
early addition to my kitchen. I later replaced it with a similar model
with a removable crock, then later added a larger oval-shaped model. I
have tried many recipes either designed for or adapted for the slow cooker.
In the vast majority of cases, I found the final product inferior to the
original cooking method. I can't believe that so many people use them
numerous times a week to put a dinner on the table.

18. Tupperware... Years ago I bought a rather large collection of
Tupperware pieces. I don't have many any longer, as I really prefer
storing in the old-style glass refrigerator containers. I do like the
cheap, disposable plastic containers for storing food in the freezer,
however. Tupperware, as a brand, seems terrifically overpriced.

19. Microwaves... Like the Robot Coupe and the Crock-Pot, a first
generation microwave was an early addtion to my kitchen. An Amana, it came
with a large hard-bound cookbook with some decent and some very contrived
recipes. Newer technology has made them a better cooking medium, although
I have to say that I almost never cook a "meal" in the microwave. It is
usually used to reheat, defrost, or an interim step in a recipe.

20. Weber Grill... Never owned one. Grew up with a huge wood-fired brick
and stone barbecue in the back yard. It produced great food, but I
wouldn't trade it for a gas grill. The main advantage of a Weber kettle or
similar grill is its portability.

--
Wayne Boatwright

"One man's meat is another man's poison"
- Oswald Dykes, English writer, 1709.