Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Non food Related => Topic started by: hughver on January 16, 2021, 02:14:34 PM
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I've been doing 90% or more of the cooking in our household since I retired in 1995. For the most part, I've really enjoyed it but the part that gets tiresome is the prep, chopping, slicing, etc. I can't tell you how many different gadgets, both powered and manual, that I've bought over the years trying to reduce the labor while still maintaining the desired consistency/quality. So far, nothing has adequately duplicated doing it by hand. Anybody have a good method/gadget for reducing the effort? ???
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Good question...
Mandolin slicers work well.
I have a chopper that you just pound away on it with the palm of your hand.
Then you have the downside, you have to clean them.
So is it worth it for small amounts? ? ? Up to the individual I guess.
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For the most part, all manual here. It's just the two of us and not pressed for time... A food processor would be nice at times.. All of the mechanical devices consume space and time..It's surprising what a
set of good, well maintained knives will do.
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I still use a knife.
Tried the gadgets but cleaning is just as time consuming.
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Plus my wife helps cut and chop also
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I also have lots of time, but the amount of time that I am able to be on my feet is limited by physical problems, to 5-10 minute. 02ebz06, I've had the traditional stainless steel Mandolin for a long time and use it for some applications, just today, I bought the "Safe Slice" plastic version but have not tried it yet. The pounding sounds interesting.
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The pounding sounds interesting.
You still have to clean it, but the nice thing is, it comes apart and makes it easy to clean.
EDIT: The blade rotates each time you push down on the top.
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I have standing and walking issues also. I usually just sit down at the table and chop up what I need, usually with just knife. I will chop extra onions and keep in a lock n lock. I will do peppers also at times if I know I will be using them in a day or two at the most, they don't keep well once cut up.
We have gone to salad mix in a bag usually.
I have a few things I will use for specific things like making homemade potato chips, or something that I want uniformity or close to it. I like my mandolin but hate cleaning it. I have one of two of the choppers pictured above also and they work great for some things. I use my apple peeler at times but I use the apple cutter you place on top and just push down and cores and slices the apple. It saves a lot of time when I make applesauce.
I usually only cook for 2 so it isn't a lot of prep work.
Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
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Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
Wouldn't the apple peeler work ?
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bought this to shred blocks of smoked cheese but havent tried it yet
looks like it slices veggies too
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H96RQDK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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My wife uses something like this and then just throws it in the dishwasher
https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Chopper-Blade-Vegetable-Fruit-Cheese-Onion-Chopper-Dicer-Kitchen/dp/B07SVBY6BH/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1397UZRP9SVS4&dchild=1&keywords=hand+chopper+for+vegetables&qid=1610832833&s=home-garden&sprefix=hand+ch%2Cgarden%2C177&sr=1-5
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I have a rather large Cuisinart food processor. Marcia told me that I wouldn't like it when I bought it. She was right—it's too violent. It sort of explodes whatever I put in there into slices. It's drudgery to clean and I don't like handling the blades.
I might like a mandoline. I somewhat like the knife work for most slicing and dicing but I sometimes use a slicer for paper thin cuts. I choose a dicer—that I just slam closed on, say, an onion—for large projects.
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Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
Wouldn't the apple peeler work ?
I tried it but it wasn't as easy as doing them by hand. I have not tried the cordless drill and the vegetable peeler yet, I just see peeling flying everywhere.
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I've tried mandolin slicers and food processors and for the most part they are more trouble than they are worth. And as it turns out, having good sharp knives and slicing things up is really my favorite part of cooking.
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I certainly agree with you. Prepping IMO takes most of the time and effort in cooking. Like you I have also been making 99.9 percent of the meals since retired. Now that said I do not use a lot of different utensils when prepping as I rely on just a few knives and occasionally a mandolin. Now what really makes the tediousness go away is loud music (genre) changes depending on my moods. Then a great glass of wine or two and most importantly my dancing. You ought to see my moves they are out of this world at least that is what my 7 year old granddaughter says.
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It would be nice to have all the prep done for us like on the cooking shows on TV
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I wish I knew what happened to the RonCo Veg-O-Matic my mom had. It sliced. It diced. And was very hard for a 10 year old to use as I recall.
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Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
Wouldn't the apple peeler work ?
I tried it but it wasn't as easy as doing them by hand. I have not tried the cordless drill and the vegetable peeler yet, I just see peeling flying everywhere.
When you mentioned drill, I got to thinking about just a rasp to scrape the skin off.
Which also got me to thinking about googling.
Google "electric potato peeler". There are many on amazon.
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02ebz06, That's not the one that I bought, I've had the one like that for years. The one that I just bought is like this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KVV3F9W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You push with one hand and pound with the other.
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02ebz06, That's not the one that I bought, I've had the one like that for years. The one that I just bought is like this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KVV3F9W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You push with one hand and pound with the other.
Ahhh, yours does slice and dice.
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I certainly agree with you. Prepping IMO takes most of the time and effort in cooking. Like you I have also been making 99.9 percent of the meals since retired. Now that said I do not use a lot of different utensils when prepping as I rely on just a few knives and occasionally a mandolin. Now what really makes the tediousness go away is loud music (genre) changes depending on my moods. Then a great glass of wine or two and most importantly my dancing. You ought to see my moves they are out of this world at least that is what my 7 year old granddaughter says.
I too enjoy music except for one thing, I'm also almost totally deaf, even with my hearing aids, music does not sound the same any more. :(
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When Marcia did all of the cooking (she hated it) I considered that my job was to taste-test the wine, select the music and dance for her entertainment. She disappears now that I'm the chief cook. So I cook, taste-test, select and dance alone. It's pretty much the same experience.
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So I cook, taste-test, select and dance alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU&list=PLLmxOXjDIqNywuw26qTSlFVfzLdO6tZSj&index=112
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I have not read all the responses, so if I am being redundant, just ignore. Can you list some examples of what you are prepping? How often during the week do you use this stuff? How much can be prepped in advance? Is it things that will last 3, 5, 7,10 days?
...while still maintaining the desired consistency/quality. So far, nothing has adequately duplicated doing it by hand. Anybody have a good method/gadget for reducing the effort? ???
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" How often during the week do you use this stuff? " Virtually every day, occasionally twice a day. "How much can be prepped in advance?" I suppose that some things could be cut up in advance but a lot of my activity is for salads which, IMO, are better freshly chopped. Things that I prepare most often are onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, carrots and potatoes. However, there are a lot of other things, herbs, nuts, ginger, zest, etc., depending on the meal that I'm preparing. "Is it things that will last 3, 5, 7,10 days?" Again IMO, very few things would remain viable/usable for more than a day or two.
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I have standing and walking issues also. I usually just sit down at the table and chop up what I need, usually with just knife. I will chop extra onions and keep in a lock n lock. I will do peppers also at times if I know I will be using them in a day or two at the most, they don't keep well once cut up.
We have gone to salad mix in a bag usually.
I have a few things I will use for specific things like making homemade potato chips, or something that I want uniformity or close to it. I like my mandolin but hate cleaning it. I have one of two of the choppers pictured above also and they work great for some things. I use my apple peeler at times but I use the apple cutter you place on top and just push down and cores and slices the apple. It saves a lot of time when I make applesauce.
I usually only cook for 2 so it isn't a lot of prep work.
Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
Why do you peel potatoes?
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Sounds like there is no one gadget that would fill your needs. Something like the Veg-o-matic would be great for the majority of the vegetables. Not sure there is a way to make it easier!
(https://i.imgur.com/nQ76lydh.jpg)
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I have one of these which work on a similar concept. https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Austria-Chopper-Vegetable-Container/dp/B08N9Q24M9/ref=asc_df_B08N9Q24M9/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475856513254&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3742153565469830028&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030067&hvtargid=pla-1041483665733&psc=1
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Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
Wouldn't the apple peeler work ?
I tried it but it wasn't as easy as doing them by hand. I have not tried the cordless drill and the vegetable peeler yet, I just see peeling flying everywhere.
When you mentioned drill, I got to thinking about just a rasp to scrape the skin off.
Which also got me to thinking about googling.
Google "electric potato peeler". There are many on amazon.
I don't peel potatoes. All the nutrients are in the outer 1/8". All the rest is just starch. :)
I tried it but it wasn't as easy as doing them by hand. I have not tried the cordless drill and the vegetable peeler yet, I just see peeling flying everywhere.
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my wife has something similar to hughver
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Use a knife, since I chopped off the end of my right thumb (sewed it back on) on Christmas day 2019. That was done with the Harp style potato slicer. Feel more at home with a knife than a gadget. (PS. the potatoes were still very tasty).
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I have standing and walking issues also. I usually just sit down at the table and chop up what I need, usually with just knife. I will chop extra onions and keep in a lock n lock. I will do peppers also at times if I know I will be using them in a day or two at the most, they don't keep well once cut up.
We have gone to salad mix in a bag usually.
I have a few things I will use for specific things like making homemade potato chips, or something that I want uniformity or close to it. I like my mandolin but hate cleaning it. I have one of two of the choppers pictured above also and they work great for some things. I use my apple peeler at times but I use the apple cutter you place on top and just push down and cores and slices the apple. It saves a lot of time when I make applesauce.
I usually only cook for 2 so it isn't a lot of prep work.
Find me an easy and quick way to peel Taters and I would be grateful.
Why do you peel potatoes?
Well, the people I usually cook for won't eat the peeling even if doing mashed. Me I wouldn't peel for myself, I love a good baked potato. Potato salad same thing peelings mean it won't get eaten.
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I have a chopper similar to what 02ebz06 from Pampered Chef., I use it mostly for minced onions and chopping nuts. It opens up and washes in dishwasher. I have a manual mandolin I use for slicing potatoes, cucumbers, etc. when I doing a few and want even slices. It as well is dishwasher safe. I have a little electric chopper like a really mini food processor I use for things like chimichurri sauce. I also have the large Cuisinart Food Processoe I’ve only used a few times because of all the cleanup. It does work well for homemade blizzards though. I would use it more if cooking bigger batches.
However, the majority of what I do is still done with a knife.
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For shredding and grating large amounts, we use the King Kutter. Also slices some fruits and veggies very well. Clean up takes less than a minute. I got ours on Ebay for about $40.