On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:54:16 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 06:06:49 -0700, sf > wrote:
> >
> >>On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 08:44:33 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>> The other thing for me was my grinder/grater.
> >>
> >>I have one where you put the cheese in a basket and then twirl a
> >>handle to rotate a drum. That's sitting in a drawer somewhere too.
> >>Never use it.
> >
>
> Mine is electric and I can mince/grind meat (3 sizes of plates) etc. If I
> change the attachments (of which there are 4) I can grate all kinds of
> things. I use it regularly because I won't buy ready ground meats etc. I
> like to know what is in my food.

Oh, THAT! I bought them after you recommended them, but always forget
to use it. In fact, I forgot I even had them.

--

sf

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 06:42:50 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

> I have a Vitamix and I don't find it hard to clean at all. As soon as you're done using it, squirt a little bit of dish detergent and fill halfway with water then turn it on. It'll clean itself. Take it to the sink for a final hot water rinse, run a dishcloth around the inside and it's done.

I did that and crud was still stuck around/under the blade. I prefer
a blade I can remove and clean with a brush.

--

sf

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 11:05:29 -0400, The Cook >
wrote:

> Look for a Simac if you are in the market for a great ice cream
> maker. If you want to put the bowl and ingredients in the freezer to
> cool it off a bit you can but it processes it just fine going from
> kitchen counter to maker. That means that all I have to make sure of
> are the ingredients.

That's a very reasonable price for a model with a built in compressor!
Thanks for the tip. I'm putting it on my Amazon wish list.


--

sf

On 27/06/2015 6:55 AM, sf wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:24:14 -0600, graham > wrote:
>
>> On 26/06/2015 8:51 AM, Kalmia wrote:
>>> What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
>>>
>>> Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
>>> Bread machine
>>>
>> My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
>> Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
>> I wish I had bought Miele.
>> Graham
>
> I love my Bosch dishwasher, which is getting to be older than the
> hills now. DD has a current model Bosch that's super quiet and it's
> not even the most expensive one, but I prefer the design of the bottom
> rack on mine so I'm not tempted to replace mine yet.
>
> Not sure what you mean by a poor oven design.
The placement of the thermostat. In bake or roast mode, the temperature
swings are huge - +/- 50F!! In convection mode, which I now use all the
time, it stays on temp. Furthermore, there is no indicator to tell you
that the oven has reached the set temp. The door hinges are weak and
I've had to have them replaced.
It was the first Bosch oven made (in Italy) to US dimensions. I bought
it on reputation as I did the DW.
Graham

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 12:24:30 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

> On 6/27/2015 10:18 AM, wrote:
>
> >>
> >> I have one where you put the cheese in a basket and then twirl a
> >> handle to rotate a drum. That's sitting in a drawer somewhere too.
> >> Never use it.
> >
> > I had one of those for parmesan so you could grate it over the top of
> > the spaghetti on your plate. Wasn't tough enough to handle much
> > parmesan, the handle broke off.
> >
>
> I'll nominate ours for "worth the money" Had it for a few years and
> many pounds of cheese. We use it frequently, on pasta, some veggies,
> scrambled eggs, salad, etc.

Your hands are probably bigger than mine. I said "screw it" and buy
grated cheese in bulk from the Italian deli now.

--

sf

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 09:43:44 -0700, sf > wrote:

> On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 11:05:29 -0400, The Cook >
> wrote:
>
> > Look for a Simac if you are in the market for a great ice cream
> > maker. If you want to put the bowl and ingredients in the freezer to
> > cool it off a bit you can but it processes it just fine going from
> > kitchen counter to maker. That means that all I have to make sure of
> > are the ingredients.
>
> That's a very reasonable price for a model with a built in compressor!
> Thanks for the tip. I'm putting it on my Amazon wish list.

Of course I went back and couldn't find the site with the $150 model
and it's not on Amazon. All the other sites are 2-3 times more and we
don't eat enough ice cream anymore to justify the cost.

--

sf

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 10:44:46 -0600, graham > wrote:

> On 27/06/2015 6:55 AM, sf wrote:
> > On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:24:14 -0600, graham > wrote:
> >
> >> On 26/06/2015 8:51 AM, Kalmia wrote:
> >>> What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
> >>>
> >>> Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
> >>> Bread machine
> >>>
> >> My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
> >> Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
> >> I wish I had bought Miele.
> >> Graham
> >
> > I love my Bosch dishwasher, which is getting to be older than the
> > hills now. DD has a current model Bosch that's super quiet and it's
> > not even the most expensive one, but I prefer the design of the bottom
> > rack on mine so I'm not tempted to replace mine yet.
> >
> > Not sure what you mean by a poor oven design.
> The placement of the thermostat. In bake or roast mode, the temperature
> swings are huge - +/- 50F!!

Sounds like you need a new thermostat. I had to replace mine a few
years ago, so it happens. My pizza tiles live in one oven and my
pizza stone lives in the other, so they help keep the temperature even
too.

> In convection mode, which I now use all the
> time, it stays on temp. Furthermore, there is no indicator to tell you
> that the oven has reached the set temp. The door hinges are weak and
> I've had to have them replaced.

Too bad! I've never thought twice about hinges.

> It was the first Bosch oven made (in Italy) to US dimensions. I bought
> it on reputation as I did the DW.

That's probably the problem. My cooktop is the first or near first
generation of that particular Kitchenaid. 5-6 years later, I can see
the improvements they've made since then because my DD bought a KA
range in the same quality category last year.

--

sf

"sf" > wrote in message
news
> On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:54:16 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 06:06:49 -0700, sf > wrote:
>> >
>> >>On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 08:44:33 +0100, "Ophelia" >
>> >>wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> The other thing for me was my grinder/grater.
>> >>
>> >>I have one where you put the cheese in a basket and then twirl a
>> >>handle to rotate a drum. That's sitting in a drawer somewhere too.
>> >>Never use it.
>> >
>>
>> Mine is electric and I can mince/grind meat (3 sizes of plates) etc. If
>> I
>> change the attachments (of which there are 4) I can grate all kinds of
>> things. I use it regularly because I won't buy ready ground meats etc.
>> I
>> like to know what is in my food.
>
> Oh, THAT! I bought them after you recommended them, but always forget
> to use it. In fact, I forgot I even had them.

You have an electric grinder/grater and you forgot you had it??? Mine in on
the counter top and I use it regularly.


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 18:20:08 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>
>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> news
> > On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:54:16 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 06:06:49 -0700, sf > wrote:
> >> >
> >> >>On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 08:44:33 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> >> >>wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>> The other thing for me was my grinder/grater.
> >> >>
> >> >>I have one where you put the cheese in a basket and then twirl a
> >> >>handle to rotate a drum. That's sitting in a drawer somewhere too.
> >> >>Never use it.
> >> >
> >>
> >> Mine is electric and I can mince/grind meat (3 sizes of plates) etc. If
> >> I
> >> change the attachments (of which there are 4) I can grate all kinds of
> >> things. I use it regularly because I won't buy ready ground meats etc.
> >> I
> >> like to know what is in my food.
> >
> > Oh, THAT! I bought them after you recommended them, but always forget
> > to use it. In fact, I forgot I even had them.
>
> You have an electric grinder/grater and you forgot you had it??? Mine in on
> the counter top and I use it regularly.

I bought the Kitchenaid accessory set of 3 for cheese (and vegetables)
grating. It's not a meat grinder, but - yes, I completely forgot. My
bad!


--

sf

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:46:11 +0100, Janet > wrote:

>In article >,
says...
>>
>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 17:27:21 -0400, Doris Night
>> > wrote:
>>
snip
>> >
>> >Digital food scale. I couldn't do without it for baking.
>> >
>> >Doris
>>
>> I'll agree with that statement.
>> Janet US
>
> Yebbut, it had to be something we "balked at the price". My electric
>kettle and digital scale are invaluable tools but neither carry a price
>that made me think twice before buying.
>
> Janet UK
>
> O.K. then, my bannetons. Very pricey and I tried to work around by using bread baskets and collanders, but in the end it was the bannetons.

Janet US

On 27/06/2015 12:40 PM, Janet B wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:46:11 +0100, Janet > wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> says...
>>>
>>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 17:27:21 -0400, Doris Night
>>> > wrote:
>>>
> snip
>>>>
>>>> Digital food scale. I couldn't do without it for baking.
>>>>
>>>> Doris
>>>
>>> I'll agree with that statement.
>>> Janet US
>>
>> Yebbut, it had to be something we "balked at the price". My electric
>> kettle and digital scale are invaluable tools but neither carry a price
>> that made me think twice before buying.
>>
>> Janet UK
>>
>> O.K. then, my bannetons. Very pricey and I tried to work around by using bread baskets and collanders, but in the end it was the bannetons.
>
> Janet US
>
I have a couple of brotforms and several cheapish bannetons. However,
I'm thinking of getting a couple of proper, professional French
bannetons. The cloth liner is thick and coarse and is sewn in place. But
they are pricey!
Graham

--

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 12:54:25 -0600, graham > wrote:

>On 27/06/2015 12:40 PM, Janet B wrote:
>> On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:46:11 +0100, Janet > wrote:
>>
>>> In article >,
>>> says...
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 17:27:21 -0400, Doris Night
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>> snip
>>>>>
>>>>> Digital food scale. I couldn't do without it for baking.
>>>>>
>>>>> Doris
>>>>
>>>> I'll agree with that statement.
>>>> Janet US
>>>
>>> Yebbut, it had to be something we "balked at the price". My electric
>>> kettle and digital scale are invaluable tools but neither carry a price
>>> that made me think twice before buying.
>>>
>>> Janet UK
>>>
>>> O.K. then, my bannetons. Very pricey and I tried to work around by using bread baskets and collanders, but in the end it was the bannetons.
>>
>> Janet US
>>
>I have a couple of brotforms and several cheapish bannetons. However,
>I'm thinking of getting a couple of proper, professional French
>bannetons. The cloth liner is thick and coarse and is sewn in place. But
>they are pricey!
>Graham

Yes they are!
Janet US

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:46:11 +0100, Janet > wrote:

>In article >,
says...
>>
>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 17:27:21 -0400, Doris Night
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 12:21:07 -0500, Mark Storkamp
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >>In article >,
>> >> Kalmia > wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has
>> >>> turned out to be a great tool?
>> >>>
>> >>> Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
>> >>> Bread machine
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >><http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Varia...ic-Gooseneck/d
>> >>p/B005YR0F40/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1435338972&sr=8-13&keywords=electric
>> >>+water+kettle>
>> >>
>> >>Electric kettle.
>> >>
>> >>Use it every day. 208° for tea, 200° for coffee or 105° to proof yeast
>> >>for bread or pizza crust.
>> >>
>> >>Great spout for pouring over coffee grounds.
>> >
>> >Digital food scale. I couldn't do without it for baking.
>> >
>> >Doris
>>
>> I'll agree with that statement.
>> Janet US
>
> Yebbut, it had to be something we "balked at the price". My electric
>kettle and digital scale are invaluable tools but neither carry a price
>that made me think twice before buying.

I've had mine for about 12 years, and it was expensive enough when I
got it that I had to think about it for a while. Around $99, IIRC.

Doris

On 2015-06-27, Janet > wrote:

> Yebbut, it had to be something we "balked at the price".

I balked at paying half-price for my Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker and
one-third-off for my Le Cruset "big orange", but I'm glad I splurged.
Since I've move to the CO Rockies, both are now invaluble.

nb

On Friday, June 26, 2015 at 4:53:00 PM UTC-4, l not -l wrote:
> Any and everything OXO that I have bought.

I'll second that. I love my Oxo salad spinner, can opener and veggie peeler. Not that they were bank-breakers, tho. But they do the job and haven't broken yet.

On Friday, June 26, 2015 at 7:41:35 PM UTC-4, Je�us wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 07:51:53 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
> > wrote:
>
> >What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
> >
> >Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
> > Bread machine
>
> The one item I have that probably fits that description is my Rancilio
> Silvia espresso machine... although IMO is excellent value for money
> and not all that expensive (probably around AUD$1200 now at a guess).
>
> I bought mine second hand, but the quality is such that even after
> making at least two double lattes each morning for the past 7 years,
> it has never missed a beat.


Wow - do the arith plz - what would the total be for 7 yrs. worth of double lattes run? I never go to those kind of places, so I have no idea what your break even point was on teh machine. Of course, gotta factor in ingreeds..........

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 07:09:59 -0300, wrote:

>On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 09:55:23 +1000, Jeßus
> wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:12:08 -0300, wrote:
>>
>>>I love my black kitchen sink, it was double the price of any of the
>>>others and I pondered it a bit then decided it would be stupid not to,
>>>I would always regret anything else. It is manufactured from granite
>>>that has been ground up and treated. Nothing shows on it or the
>>>black tap, not red wine or anything. I have even dropped a big pan in
>>>it and it didn't even chip.
>>
>>That sounds interesting, I don't suppose you can take a pic for us or
>>have a link? Tnx.
>
>I will do so - later - must leave puter and go and get groceries while
>it is quiet.

Thanks again for the pic Ms Borgia.

>Canada Day coming up next Wednesday so it will be murder
>later on.

Note to self - never shop in a Canadian supermarket.

On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 16:45:41 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
> wrote:

>On Friday, June 26, 2015 at 7:41:35 PM UTC-4, Je�us wrote:
>> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 07:51:53 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
>> >
>> >Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
>> > Bread machine
>>
>> The one item I have that probably fits that description is my Rancilio
>> Silvia espresso machine... although IMO is excellent value for money
>> and not all that expensive (probably around AUD$1200 now at a guess).
>>
>> I bought mine second hand, but the quality is such that even after
>> making at least two double lattes each morning for the past 7 years,
>> it has never missed a beat.
>
>
>Wow - do the arith plz - what would the total be for 7 yrs. worth of double lattes run?

Well lessee... 2 lattes x 365 x 7 = 5110 double lattes

The real figure is actually higher than that because for most of those
seven years I had three doubles per day (I'm happy with just two these
days).


>I never go to those kind of places, so I have no idea what your break even point
>was on teh machine. Of course, gotta factor in ingreeds..........

I paid $500 for the machine (second hand), the beans I currently get
are around $25 per KG. Oh, and I have a good grinder too, which from
memory cost around $300. The cost is irrelevant to me anyway, since
coffee is one of those things I truly enjoy, and there are no cafes
anywhere near here - not that I would want to have to go to a cafe
anyhow each morning.

Roughly speaking, a latte in Tasmania costs around $4.50 (I think), no
idea what they would charge for a double latte but let's say $6.
6 x 5110 = $30660... YE GODS... <boggle>

On Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:24:14 -0600, graham > wrote:

>On 26/06/2015 8:51 AM, Kalmia wrote:
>> What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
>>
>> Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
>> Bread machine
>>
>My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
>Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
>I wish I had bought Miele.
>Graham


Local dealer stopped selling Bosch dishwashers. He said they are good
machine when they work, but too many service calls under warranty.

On 2015-06-28 8:43 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

>> My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
>> Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
>> I wish I had bought Miele.
>> Graham
>
>
> Local dealer stopped selling Bosch dishwashers. He said they are good
> machine when they work, but too many service calls under warranty.
>


It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 08:54:17 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> On 2015-06-28 8:43 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> >> My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
> >> Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
> >> I wish I had bought Miele.
> >> Graham
> >
> >
> > Local dealer stopped selling Bosch dishwashers. He said they are good
> > machine when they work, but too many service calls under warranty.
> >
>
>
> It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
> dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
> based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.

DD didn't go with Wolf or Viking for the same reason. Sure, they star
in show kitchens - but those people don't cook so reliability doesn't
matter. My friend bought a NYC apartment a year ago that was decked
out in Viking (maybe it's Wolf) appliances and one of those two drawer
Fisher Paykel dishwashers. She hates the dishwasher drawers because
they are too small for her dishes and the wash cycle takes hours to
complete. The other appliances are crap too. She said she got a
recall type notice about the refrigerator door and called the
repairman immediately. He said the door hinge was about to give way
and there was a real possibility it could have broken off and fallen
on her foot. Can you imagine? Ugh!

--

sf

On Friday, June 26, 2015 at 8:17:13 AM UTC-7, Janet wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
> >
> > What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
> >
> > Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
> > Bread machine
>
> The first kitchen tool I ever bought, in 1966, which was a stainless
> steel cheesegrater. It cost 7/6 old money (in UK, before
> decimalisation). That was 40 pence UK new money, or 63 cents US.
>
> I was a student, struggling with my conscience; could I really afford
> to splurge a quarter of the weekly rent, on a cheesegrater? I passed
> that shop window cheesegrater every day for weeks until I finally
> weakened and bought it.
>
> It was a great grater but after only 45 years of frequent use, it
> went blunt so I had to buy a new one.
>

I was just thinking, that the Microplane grater was ridiculously
expensive for what it was. But it grates hard cheese in no time at all,
cleans up easily, and takes up next to no room.

On 2015-06-28, Dave Smith > wrote:

> It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
> dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
> based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.

They're all junk, now. It's called planned obsolescence. We were
playing with it, but the Japanese showed us how to perfect it.

Even a simple garden hoe is now junk. Went to my local True Value and
all their garden hoes used only two itty-bitty spot welds to hold the
blade to the right-angle arm. Went next door to the Tractor Supply
and their garden hoes had a full arc weld bead. Granted, it was a
crappy Chinese weld, but it hadda be better than the wimpy Chinese
spot welds. I hope.

nb

On 6/28/2015 8:54 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2015-06-28 8:43 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>>> My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
>>> Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
>>> I wish I had bought Miele.
>>> Graham
>>
>>
>> Local dealer stopped selling Bosch dishwashers. He said they are good
>> machine when they work, but too many service calls under warranty.
>>
>
>
> It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
> dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
> based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.
>

Supposedly, Maytag is on the upswing. The had some bad years about a
dozen yeas ago.

On Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 6:06:57 AM UTC-7, sf wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 08:44:33 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
> > The other thing for me was my grinder/grater.
>
> I have one where you put the cheese in a basket and then twirl a
> handle to rotate a drum. That's sitting in a drawer somewhere too.
> Never use it.
>

It works on nutmeats, too, if you ever want to bake a coffeecake.
Remember flourless chocolate cakes?

On 6/28/2015 9:10 AM, sf wrote:


> My friend bought a NYC apartment a year ago that was decked
> out in Viking (maybe it's Wolf) appliances and one of those two drawer
> Fisher Paykel dishwashers. She hates the dishwasher drawers because
> they are too small for her dishes and the wash cycle takes hours to
> complete.

The drawer DW looks like it would be practical for doing small loads,
but I've not heard much good about them.

All the higher efficiency DW have a long cycle. We bought a new KA
about a year ago. It has a 1 hour cycle, but the full cycle takes about
4 hours. That is usually not a problem for us as it is started in the
evening and won't be touched until the next day. Does a fantastic job on
the dishes though

On 6/28/2015 10:15 AM, notbob wrote:

> They're all junk, now. It's called planned obsolescence. We were
> playing with it, but the Japanese showed us how to perfect it.
>
> Even a simple garden hoe is now junk. Went to my local True Value and
> all their garden hoes used only two itty-bitty spot welds to hold the
> blade to the right-angle arm. Went next door to the Tractor Supply
> and their garden hoes had a full arc weld bead. Granted, it was a
> crappy Chinese weld, but it hadda be better than the wimpy Chinese
> spot welds. I hope.
>
> nb
>

Seems like the majority of people are concerned about price over quality
The younger generation does not plan to have anything last more than a
year or two.

Getting harder to find the better quality tools and appliances.

spamtrap wrote:
>Janet wrote:
>> tweeny wrote:
>> >
>> > What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
>> >
>> > Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
>> > Bread machine
>>
>> The first kitchen tool I ever bought, in 1966, which was a stainless
>> steel cheesegrater. It cost 7/6 old money (in UK, before
>> decimalisation). That was 40 pence UK new money, or 63 cents US.
>>
>> I was a student, struggling with my conscience; could I really afford
>> to splurge a quarter of the weekly rent, on a cheesegrater? I passed
>> that shop window cheesegrater every day for weeks until I finally
>> weakened and bought it.
>>
>> It was a great grater but after only 45 years of frequent use, it
>> went blunt so I had to buy a new one.
>
>I was just thinking, that the Microplane grater was ridiculously
>expensive for what it was. But it grates hard cheese in no time at all,
>cleans up easily, and takes up next to no room.

The problem I found with microplanes is that they don't grate, they
shave, and shave so finely that they turn hard cheese into powdery
snow.... I much prefer grated cheese, not powdered cheese. After many
tries at grating various foods (it won't zest citrus well either, does
a lousy job on garlic, and turns ginger root into ginger slime) I
comandeered my microplane for pedicures, does a fantastic job of
removing calluses and smooths feet wonderfully well... after every
shower I spread a towel on the floor while sitting on the edge of my
bed and have at my foot bottoms with that microplane. Then massage in
a generous amount of Udderly Smooth foot cream, excellent products at
fair prices: http://udderlysmooth.com/
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=udderly%20smooth

On 2015-06-28 10:15 AM, notbob wrote:
> On 2015-06-28, Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
>> dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
>> based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.
>
> They're all junk, now. It's called planned obsolescence. We were
> playing with it, but the Japanese showed us how to perfect it.


They did? I remember when "made in Japan" was synonymous" to "crap",
cheaply made trinkets usually made is thin, low quality stamped metal
assembled with tabs bent through slots. When Japanese cars first hit
the North American market they were the cheapest models they had to
offer. People were moderately impressed, knowing they had paid rock
bottom prices but got something more reliable and longer lasting than
they had expected. Then the Japanese raised the bar, offering higher
quality cars with luxury accessories.

I have had vehicles from most of the NA auto companies... except
Dodge/Chrysler, but had lots of experience with them in the fleet at
work. I got shafted by all of them. Now I drive buy Japanese cars. I
currently have a Honda and a Toyota. I have also had Mazdas. I might
have bought another Mazda but Ford bought a big share of the company and
I was worried that they would have dropped the Mazda products to the
Ford level.

Cameras, stereos and other electronics.... high quality and reasonable
prices. They tend to last. Of course, with the rapid advances in
technology many of the products become obsolete, but that is only in
comparison to the newer products, unlike the planned obsolescence of NA
cars and appliances which are made with cheap material so they break
down after a few years and it is cheaper to replace than to repair.

The Japanese forced NA auto makers to improve their products and make
them last longer.

FWIW.... one of the guys in my kayak club has a mini van. He was telling
me how much he liked it and how well it has lasted. It is a 1998 model
and has over 400,000. The body looks great and it runs beautifully. I
was amazed because, though I had seen it many times, been in it, loaded
boats on top of it, something told me it was a Dodge. It turned out to
be a Toyota.



>
> Even a simple garden hoe is now junk. Went to my local True Value and
> all their garden hoes used only two itty-bitty spot welds to hold the
> blade to the right-angle arm. Went next door to the Tractor Supply
> and their garden hoes had a full arc weld bead. Granted, it was a
> crappy Chinese weld, but it hadda be better than the wimpy Chinese
> spot welds. I hope.
>

Chinese???? I know there are jokes about them, but they are different
from the Japanese.

On 2015-06-28, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

> Supposedly, Maytag is on the upswing. The had some bad years about a
> dozen yeas ago.

"They had some bad years"??? Donchya mean their customers had some
bad years?

My late mom's Maytag refrigerator lost a fan motor after only 7 yrs.
Our HOA is going thru Maytag "stinkomatic" commercial washers n'
dryers like bad chewing gum. While Maytag (now owned by Whirlpool)
attempted to become a World player, it closed most of its own plants
and used Amana and other acquired plants to make its lower quality
products. Still, it was the customer that payed for Maytag's
stumble.

nb

On 2015-06-28 10:25 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

>> It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
>> dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
>> based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.
>>
>
> Supposedly, Maytag is on the upswing. The had some bad years about a
> dozen yeas ago.


Does this mean there is a chance of me getting a replacement for the
butter keeper shelf on my Maytag fridge. It fit so badly that the shelf
kept falling out and the clear cover broke about 6 months after we got
it. Even though it was a relatively new model we were unable to get a
replacement for it.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 08:54:17 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 2015-06-28 8:43 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>>> My Bosch oven is poorly designed and the
>>> Bosch dishwasher became very noisy after the warranty expired.
>>> I wish I had bought Miele.
>>> Graham
>>
>>
>> Local dealer stopped selling Bosch dishwashers. He said they are good
>> machine when they work, but too many service calls under warranty.
>>
>
>
>It's a shame that so many brands once considered to be reliable have
>dropped their standards. I had bought a number of Maytag appliances
>based on previous high ratings. I was seriously disappointed in them.

I bought a top of the line Maytag dishwasher, with all the bells and
whistles, and a stainless steel liner. For an extra $29.95 I had an
authorized Maytag tech do the installation. He suggested all new
hoses at a modest price, I think like $25. He tested and made some
adjustments to the machine, and shimmed it so it was perfectly level.
This was ten years ago and I've no problems... but I must admit I only
use it about 2-3 times a month... I prefer to wash so many things by
hand that I may as well handwash the few dishes each day too. About
the only times I use the dishwasher is when I have company. I think
buying major appliances no matter the brand is really a crap shoot,
and many people abuse their applinces too, certain people seem to have
problems with all mechanicals.

On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 8:23:13 AM UTC-5, wrote:
>
> I was just thinking, that the Microplane grater was ridiculously
> expensive for what it was. But it grates hard cheese in no time at all,
> cleans up easily, and takes up next to no room.
>
>
They're great for garlic, lemon/orange zest, and nutmeg, too.

Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> The problem I found with microplanes is that they don't grate, they
> shave, and shave so finely that they turn hard cheese into powdery
> snow.... I much prefer grated cheese, not powdered cheese. After many
> tries at grating various foods (it won't zest citrus well either, does
> a lousy job on garlic, and turns ginger root into ginger slime)

I agree with you. My grater works fine for hard cheese and citrus
zest, and ginger. I always smash my garlic cloves then mince.

The microplanes work well for nutmeg, etc though but I rarely use it
and always buy powdered so....no issue there.

G.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 10:43:14 -0400, Brooklyn1
> wrote:

>spamtrap wrote:
>>Janet wrote:
>>> tweeny wrote:
>>> >
>>> > What item(s) do you own which you balked at, price seeming high, but has turned out to be a great tool?
>>> >
>>> > Me: Rubbermaid high heat rubber spatula.
>>> > Bread machine
>>>
>>> The first kitchen tool I ever bought, in 1966, which was a stainless
>>> steel cheesegrater. It cost 7/6 old money (in UK, before
>>> decimalisation). That was 40 pence UK new money, or 63 cents US.
>>>
>>> I was a student, struggling with my conscience; could I really afford
>>> to splurge a quarter of the weekly rent, on a cheesegrater? I passed
>>> that shop window cheesegrater every day for weeks until I finally
>>> weakened and bought it.
>>>
>>> It was a great grater but after only 45 years of frequent use, it
>>> went blunt so I had to buy a new one.
>>
>>I was just thinking, that the Microplane grater was ridiculously
>>expensive for what it was. But it grates hard cheese in no time at all,
>>cleans up easily, and takes up next to no room.
>
>The problem I found with microplanes is that they don't grate, they
>shave, and shave so finely that they turn hard cheese into powdery
>snow.... I much prefer grated cheese, not powdered cheese. After many
>tries at grating various foods (it won't zest citrus well either, does
>a lousy job on garlic, and turns ginger root into ginger slime) I
>comandeered my microplane for pedicures, does a fantastic job of
>removing calluses and smooths feet wonderfully well... after every
>shower I spread a towel on the floor while sitting on the edge of my
>bed and have at my foot bottoms with that microplane. Then massage in
>a generous amount of Udderly Smooth foot cream, excellent products at
>fair prices: http://udderlysmooth.com/
>http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=udderly%20smooth
>
They come in at least 3 hole sizes.
http://tinyurl.com/p77gasy
Here's how to use them
Janet US

On 2015-06-28, Janet B > wrote:

> They come in at least 3 hole sizes.

Regardless, they still are insanely overpriced and were never meant
for food. They were originally created as "wood rasps" and bondo
filler putty shavers. They are pricey cuz they use "photo etch"
technology to create the very sharp holes. They have since moved into
pedicure markets, etc. I have one. Haven't used it in years.

nb

On 2015-06-28, Janet B > wrote:

> Here's how to use them

Sorry. I don't Bing.

nb

On 6/28/2015 7:10 AM, sf wrote:
> My friend bought a NYC apartment a year ago that was decked
> out in Viking (maybe it's Wolf) appliances and one of those two drawer
> Fisher Paykel dishwashers. She hates the dishwasher drawers because
> they are too small for her dishes and the wash cycle takes hours to
> complete.


Think about it.

Who on earth would think Nee Zooland could engineer and sell a proper
dishwasher?

It's suitable for rinsing cockles only.

On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:15:16 AM UTC-5, notbob wrote:
>
>
> Regardless, they still are insanely overpriced and were never meant
> for food.
>
That's true, and maybe y o u don't find them useful but others
of us do. I bought mine at BB&B and used one of their $5 off
coupons and I felt that made it a reasonable purchase.
>
> I have one. Haven't used it in years.
>
> nb
>
>
Your loss.

On 6/28/2015 8:37 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> The younger generation does not plan to have anything last more than a
> year or two.


They're going to love that in AI.