"I'm not really comfortable saying either of those words."
December 10, 2015 12:58 PM Subscribe
Rollie!
I have this famous unitasker and although it may unitask, it is a godsend when you've got a tree full of apples that you want to sauce or dehydrate.
Additionally we got our used somewhere a dozen years ago and it still works great. But I suspect Alton knows better than to go after motherhood and apple pie unitaskers.
posted by GuyZero at 1:09 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have this famous unitasker and although it may unitask, it is a godsend when you've got a tree full of apples that you want to sauce or dehydrate.
Additionally we got our used somewhere a dozen years ago and it still works great. But I suspect Alton knows better than to go after motherhood and apple pie unitaskers.
posted by GuyZero at 1:09 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
And yet he hosts the television equivalent of a unitasker.
YOU SHAT YOUR GIFT AWAY, ALTON!
What? Cutthroat Kitchen is great! It's the Mario Party of cooking shows! (To steal how it was sold to me.) It is a delight.
And it's actually pretty fascinating to see how these cooks deal with stuff like being told they have to use rock candy instead of sugar or that they're not allowed to use salt or that they have to have a potato masher duct taped to their hands. They usually still come up with something edible!
posted by JDHarper at 1:12 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
YOU SHAT YOUR GIFT AWAY, ALTON!
What? Cutthroat Kitchen is great! It's the Mario Party of cooking shows! (To steal how it was sold to me.) It is a delight.
And it's actually pretty fascinating to see how these cooks deal with stuff like being told they have to use rock candy instead of sugar or that they're not allowed to use salt or that they have to have a potato masher duct taped to their hands. They usually still come up with something edible!
posted by JDHarper at 1:12 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
The bagel slicer is the best unitasker you can own.
posted by cazoo at 1:13 PM on December 10, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by cazoo at 1:13 PM on December 10, 2015 [9 favorites]
So. One day my wife brought home a tremendous zucchini from work (more on zucchinuses in our house). I saw it on the kitchen counter when I got home. I asked what the deal was.
She began the story, "So you know the Vegetti?" I said that I'd heard of it and that the name sounded somewhat rude, but that I didn't know what it did. She explained it to me and then told me that one of her coworkers had gone to a farmers' market at lunchtime and bought some produce. When she got back to work she told everybody, "Look at the size of this zucchini! I bet it won't even fit in my Vegetti!"
At this point I laughed for about five minutes. Tears streamed from my eyes. Every time I stopped I started again. I teetered on the edge of asphyxiation.
Anyway, the zuke was too big for this lady's Vegetti, so my wife took it instead, and now we talk about what will and will not fit into Vegettis all the time.
posted by uncleozzy at 1:16 PM on December 10, 2015 [215 favorites]
She began the story, "So you know the Vegetti?" I said that I'd heard of it and that the name sounded somewhat rude, but that I didn't know what it did. She explained it to me and then told me that one of her coworkers had gone to a farmers' market at lunchtime and bought some produce. When she got back to work she told everybody, "Look at the size of this zucchini! I bet it won't even fit in my Vegetti!"
At this point I laughed for about five minutes. Tears streamed from my eyes. Every time I stopped I started again. I teetered on the edge of asphyxiation.
Anyway, the zuke was too big for this lady's Vegetti, so my wife took it instead, and now we talk about what will and will not fit into Vegettis all the time.
posted by uncleozzy at 1:16 PM on December 10, 2015 [215 favorites]
The bagel slicer is the best unitasker you can own.
Are you talking the ones that are just guides for a real knife, or the ones with blades? Because I've never met a bladed one that doesn't just smush your bagel.
posted by mayonnaises at 1:18 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Are you talking the ones that are just guides for a real knife, or the ones with blades? Because I've never met a bladed one that doesn't just smush your bagel.
posted by mayonnaises at 1:18 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
The bagel slicer is the best unitasker you can own.
That's an oddly specific thing to call a serrated bread knife.
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:20 PM on December 10, 2015 [49 favorites]
That's an oddly specific thing to call a serrated bread knife.
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:20 PM on December 10, 2015 [49 favorites]
Rollie adds that little extra twist of horror to useless gadgetry.
posted by emjaybee at 1:22 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 1:22 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Alton Brown reviews Amazon's dumbest kitchen gadgets
posted by Evilspork (8 comments total) [!]
Best eponysterical ever.
posted by pointystick at 1:33 PM on December 10, 2015 [24 favorites]
posted by Evilspork (8 comments total) [!]
Best eponysterical ever.
posted by pointystick at 1:33 PM on December 10, 2015 [24 favorites]
Oh Alton. Coffee maker and toaster are both unitaskers, yet belong in most kitchens. Rice cooker? Unitasker. In spite of some guy claiming to make a cake in one once.
Moral of the story? Never take advice from anyone wearing a yoghurt eating/happy salad eater/suburban soccer mom hoodie and a tie.
posted by Keith Talent at 1:37 PM on December 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
Moral of the story? Never take advice from anyone wearing a yoghurt eating/happy salad eater/suburban soccer mom hoodie and a tie.
posted by Keith Talent at 1:37 PM on December 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
Everything is a multitasker, with enough imagination.
posted by ckape at 1:40 PM on December 10, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by ckape at 1:40 PM on December 10, 2015 [9 favorites]
alton dont act like your fork dont extend
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
the hoodie was awful wasn't it?
(can't you use drip coffee makers to do something related to drugs? i'm sure there's some reason why you're supposed to be scared of them in motels.)
posted by andrewcooke at 1:46 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
(can't you use drip coffee makers to do something related to drugs? i'm sure there's some reason why you're supposed to be scared of them in motels.)
posted by andrewcooke at 1:46 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ok I need the bear claws. And a whole roast pig on a spit.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:46 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:46 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I mean we could skip the bear claws who's up for pig on a spit.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:47 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:47 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
Rice cooker? Unitasker.
Don't some Rice Cookers double as deep fryers?
posted by drezdn at 1:48 PM on December 10, 2015
Don't some Rice Cookers double as deep fryers?
posted by drezdn at 1:48 PM on December 10, 2015
I have this famous unitaskerYou're selling it short. For one thing, it peels and slices, and right in the name, it tells you that it can handle apples and potatoes. That's, like, a quadratasker (tetratasker?)
posted by adamrice at 1:49 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
I've always wanted one of those serpentine brownie pans that provide all edge and corner pieces but could never justify it because there's always someone else around who likes middle pieces as much as I like corner pieces. But honestly, if I had one of those magic pans it would mean that I would make a batch of brownies to eat all by myself.
It never occurred to me to bake brownies in a muffin tin. Mind blown. I'm making brownies tonight and will probably eat the entire batch. Thanks Alton Brown, you fucker.
posted by peeedro at 1:49 PM on December 10, 2015 [50 favorites]
It never occurred to me to bake brownies in a muffin tin. Mind blown. I'm making brownies tonight and will probably eat the entire batch. Thanks Alton Brown, you fucker.
posted by peeedro at 1:49 PM on December 10, 2015 [50 favorites]
I've never heard of a rice cooker that was also a deep fryer, but we use ours to steam stuff as well as make rice.
posted by RustyBrooks at 1:50 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by RustyBrooks at 1:50 PM on December 10, 2015
Even the waffle-maker, which sure sounds like a unitasker, isn't. (By MeFi's own veggieboy, available at a MeFi Mall near you)
posted by zachlipton at 1:51 PM on December 10, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 1:51 PM on December 10, 2015 [11 favorites]
MetaFilter: Thanks Alton Brown, you fucker.
posted by ArmandoAkimbo at 1:52 PM on December 10, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by ArmandoAkimbo at 1:52 PM on December 10, 2015 [15 favorites]
I have a Baker's Edge pan, I have used it to make many a brownie, and I am NOT ASHAMED.
posted by instead of three wishes at 1:54 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by instead of three wishes at 1:54 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
My boyfriend and I both own this unitasker, and it is unequivocally awesome. (And he's fairly obsessive about having a minimalist kitchen, wicked knife skills, etc)
Perfectly diced (*ahem* brunoised) garlic. Every time. With virtually no effort. Perfect for stir-frys, and generally making toasted garlic to put in things. (You're not dicing garlic with a garlic press like a barbarian, are you???)
Cleanup isn't too bad either.
He doesn't own a rice cooker, but I do. It's also worth the investment if you make rice reasonably often, and don't feel like watching over it.
It's simple, is used to prepare a versatile and frequently-consumed staple, and produces a superior product with substantially less effort [This seems to be the rule of thumb for when it's okay to have a unitasker]. Most restaurants and rice-eating cultures swear by them, which should tell you all you need to know.
posted by schmod at 1:54 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Perfectly diced (*ahem* brunoised) garlic. Every time. With virtually no effort. Perfect for stir-frys, and generally making toasted garlic to put in things. (You're not dicing garlic with a garlic press like a barbarian, are you???)
Cleanup isn't too bad either.
He doesn't own a rice cooker, but I do. It's also worth the investment if you make rice reasonably often, and don't feel like watching over it.
It's simple, is used to prepare a versatile and frequently-consumed staple, and produces a superior product with substantially less effort [This seems to be the rule of thumb for when it's okay to have a unitasker]. Most restaurants and rice-eating cultures swear by them, which should tell you all you need to know.
posted by schmod at 1:54 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
1. The vegetti is basically a murder machine for fingers. Get a rotato style machine instead (injoke!).
2. Alton Brown is the Mario Party of being a crabulent old. He's wearing a cardigan like he was a balding Morrissey: You don't know what's in the coin box, but you know he's going to hate it.
posted by boo_radley at 1:56 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
2. Alton Brown is the Mario Party of being a crabulent old. He's wearing a cardigan like he was a balding Morrissey: You don't know what's in the coin box, but you know he's going to hate it.
posted by boo_radley at 1:56 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
can't you use drip coffee makers to do something related to drugs
Meth. But you're not really using it as an extraction device, just a hot plate and possibly as an alternative to a filter set-up, depending on the route used.
posted by bonehead at 1:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Meth. But you're not really using it as an extraction device, just a hot plate and possibly as an alternative to a filter set-up, depending on the route used.
posted by bonehead at 1:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thing has been far more useful in our kitchen than the rice cooker it replaced. It's mostly displaced the slowcooker too.
posted by bonehead at 2:00 PM on December 10, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by bonehead at 2:00 PM on December 10, 2015 [7 favorites]
Rice cooker? Unitasker.
Yes and no. You can put other things into a rice cooker. Yes, the cooker does one thing. But the outcome has far, far more variety than what's normally considered a unitasker, like a specialized egg peeler.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:00 PM on December 10, 2015
Yes and no. You can put other things into a rice cooker. Yes, the cooker does one thing. But the outcome has far, far more variety than what's normally considered a unitasker, like a specialized egg peeler.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:00 PM on December 10, 2015
I had not met Alton Brown before, and I like his shtick, but when I went looking for more, I see he also advertises brands of kitchen knives.
Which, ok. Is he basically a comedian, or does he actually do pukka reviews? Because reviewing stuff while being paid by the competition is a bit... not ok.
posted by Devonian at 2:02 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Which, ok. Is he basically a comedian, or does he actually do pukka reviews? Because reviewing stuff while being paid by the competition is a bit... not ok.
posted by Devonian at 2:02 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
You know those rotating peelers?
Use a drill with a half-inch spade bit and a regular peeler.
posted by Seamus at 2:03 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Use a drill with a half-inch spade bit and a regular peeler.
posted by Seamus at 2:03 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
> He's wearing a cardigan like he was a balding Morrissey
Cardigans have buttons. With the zipper and stand-up collar, I'd call what he's wearing a "track jacket".
I care about this more than I care about stupid kitchen gadgets.
posted by cardioid at 2:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Cardigans have buttons. With the zipper and stand-up collar, I'd call what he's wearing a "track jacket".
I care about this more than I care about stupid kitchen gadgets.
posted by cardioid at 2:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
I have this famous unitasker and although it may unitask, it is a godsend when you've got a tree full of apples that you want to sauce or dehydrate.
Glove and Boots agree! (Also: Rollie!)
posted by Sys Rq at 2:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Glove and Boots agree! (Also: Rollie!)
posted by Sys Rq at 2:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Instant pots are rad as hell.
posted by boo_radley at 2:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by boo_radley at 2:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Holy crap, I gotta get those wolverine claws.
* schink *
posted by numaner at 2:11 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
* schink *
posted by numaner at 2:11 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
A rice cooker isn't unitasker unless you also consider a frying pan that is only used for eggs is also a unitasker.
(Hint: rice cookers make things hot. This means it can be used to turn ingredients that are cold into food that is hot. This is a processes commonly known as 'cooking' to many.)
On a different note: Good Eats was a bit hit-or-miss for me, but in this video, Alton Brown proves he's definitely still got it. (Where 'it' can do only one thing, takes up limited kitchen space, is hideously expensive, and yet I still want one.)
posted by fragmede at 2:12 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
(Hint: rice cookers make things hot. This means it can be used to turn ingredients that are cold into food that is hot. This is a processes commonly known as 'cooking' to many.)
On a different note: Good Eats was a bit hit-or-miss for me, but in this video, Alton Brown proves he's definitely still got it. (Where 'it' can do only one thing, takes up limited kitchen space, is hideously expensive, and yet I still want one.)
posted by fragmede at 2:12 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think the problem with the unitasker advice is that most people miss the message - the utility of something in your kitchen is directly proportional to how often you use it. Most unitasker gadgets become clutter because they are used so infrequently. But if there's a task that you find yourself doing repeatedly, or that is so onerous without specialized tools, then the tool can be warranted.
posted by NoxAeternum at 2:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by NoxAeternum at 2:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [17 favorites]
I try to avoid unitaskers. But the Pizzazz "rotating oven" is vastly superior to using an actual oven to cook frozen pizzas. And great in the summer if you don't want to heat up the house. I have tried other stuff on it, and it does a decent job on them. I think we have probably make like a 1000 pizzas over the years on it, and it keeps chugging/rotating along. (and it has a timer for the heating elements, so it is sort of set it and everything will not be burnt if you forget it)
posted by jeribus at 2:16 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by jeribus at 2:16 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Rice cooker? Unitasker.
Don't say that out loud, or the ghost of Roger Ebert will haunt your kitchen just to tell you that you are wrong.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:18 PM on December 10, 2015 [22 favorites]
Don't say that out loud, or the ghost of Roger Ebert will haunt your kitchen just to tell you that you are wrong.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:18 PM on December 10, 2015 [22 favorites]
I have this famous unitasker and although it may unitask, it is a godsend when you've got a tree full of apples that you want to sauce or dehydrate.
This definitely becomes a completely necessary tool when you have more apple trees on the property than people living in the house.
posted by pemberkins at 2:18 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
This definitely becomes a completely necessary tool when you have more apple trees on the property than people living in the house.
posted by pemberkins at 2:18 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Roger Ebert: No, I am not putting you on the Rice Diet. Eat what you like. I am thinking of you, student in your dorm room. You, solitary writer, artist, musician, potter, plumber, builder, hermit. You, parents with kids. You, night watchman. You, obsessed computer programmer or weary web-worker. You, lovers who like to cook together but don't want to put anything in the oven. You, in the witness protection program. You, nutritional wingnut. You, in a wheelchair.
And you, serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. You, person on a small budget who wants healthy food. You, shut-in. You, recovering campaign worker. You, movie critic at Sundance. You, sex worker waiting for the phone to ring. You, factory worker sick of frozen meals. You, people in Werner Herzog's documentary about life at the South Pole. You, early riser skipping breakfast. You, teenager home alone. You, rabbi, pastor, priest....
Fine, Roger, we'll vote you for President! But first we'll need to call this something other than "the Pot."
posted by AndrewInDC at 2:21 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
And you, serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. You, person on a small budget who wants healthy food. You, shut-in. You, recovering campaign worker. You, movie critic at Sundance. You, sex worker waiting for the phone to ring. You, factory worker sick of frozen meals. You, people in Werner Herzog's documentary about life at the South Pole. You, early riser skipping breakfast. You, teenager home alone. You, rabbi, pastor, priest....
Fine, Roger, we'll vote you for President! But first we'll need to call this something other than "the Pot."
posted by AndrewInDC at 2:21 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
peeedro: "I've always wanted one of those serpentine brownie pans that provide all edge and corner pieces but could never justify it because there's always someone else around who likes middle pieces as much as I like corner pieces. But honestly, if I had one of those magic pans it would mean that I would make a batch of brownies to eat all by myself.
It never occurred to me to bake brownies in a muffin tin. Mind blown. I'm making brownies tonight and will probably eat the entire batch. Thanks Alton Brown, you fucker."
You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits.
posted by double block and bleed at 2:22 PM on December 10, 2015 [18 favorites]
It never occurred to me to bake brownies in a muffin tin. Mind blown. I'm making brownies tonight and will probably eat the entire batch. Thanks Alton Brown, you fucker."
You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits.
posted by double block and bleed at 2:22 PM on December 10, 2015 [18 favorites]
Everything is a multitasker, with enough imagination.
To quote a colleague of mine, "There's a hammer in every tool."
posted by mollymayhem at 2:24 PM on December 10, 2015 [45 favorites]
To quote a colleague of mine, "There's a hammer in every tool."
posted by mollymayhem at 2:24 PM on December 10, 2015 [45 favorites]
Because reviewing stuff while being paid by the competition is a bit... not ok.
I wouldn't really call these reviews.
posted by ODiV at 2:25 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't really call these reviews.
posted by ODiV at 2:25 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
while I have a unitool tenderizing mallet, I find it's not as satisfying as punching the meat with own my horrible hands. (See also, the tearing apart of most chicken carcasses)
posted by The Whelk at 2:27 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 2:27 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits.
posted by double block and bleed at 7:22 on December 11
oh NO
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:39 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by double block and bleed at 7:22 on December 11
oh NO
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:39 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
But yeah, even as I loooove kitchen gadgets, I recently went through a necessary purge.
In the end, popular demand made me buy a new toaster. It turns out that while I never used it, someone else did. Apart from that, I could probably cut down even more.
posted by mumimor at 2:42 PM on December 10, 2015
In the end, popular demand made me buy a new toaster. It turns out that while I never used it, someone else did. Apart from that, I could probably cut down even more.
posted by mumimor at 2:42 PM on December 10, 2015
Oh Alton. Coffee maker and toaster are both unitaskers, yet belong in most kitchens. Rice cooker? Unitasker. In spite of some guy claiming to make a cake in one once.
Rice cookers are also awesome for cooking any other grains or oats or quinoa or polenta or lentils or whatever. Hell, you can even combine them.
I used to use the drip coffee makers, but nowadays my multitasking electric kettle makes all the coffee or tea or anything else with hot water I could ever want.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rice cookers are also awesome for cooking any other grains or oats or quinoa or polenta or lentils or whatever. Hell, you can even combine them.
I used to use the drip coffee makers, but nowadays my multitasking electric kettle makes all the coffee or tea or anything else with hot water I could ever want.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
> Fine, Roger, we'll vote you for President!
Roger has, so very unfortunately, left the building. Also, greater credit is due to Roger, who completed his cookbook despite having lost his sense of taste and a substantial amount of his mouth.
> You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits.
Was a cooking blog, and became a book: Will it Waffle?
(Spoiler: Yes, it will.)
posted by Sunburnt at 2:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
Roger has, so very unfortunately, left the building. Also, greater credit is due to Roger, who completed his cookbook despite having lost his sense of taste and a substantial amount of his mouth.
> You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits.
Was a cooking blog, and became a book: Will it Waffle?
(Spoiler: Yes, it will.)
posted by Sunburnt at 2:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
double block and bleed: "You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits"
Smoke and possibly fire in your kitchen
posted by boo_radley at 2:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Smoke and possibly fire in your kitchen
posted by boo_radley at 2:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I must imagine that Brown's railing against unitaskers is tongue-in-cheek. After all, Brown himself argued that a special deep fry handle for deep frying a turkey is not a unitool because it can also hold your roll of paper towels.
By this logic, an apple peeler is perfect for holding a toilet paper roll! (Not to mention slicing and coring particularly firm pears, although I haven't quite mastered peeling them in this device yet).
posted by muddgirl at 2:45 PM on December 10, 2015
By this logic, an apple peeler is perfect for holding a toilet paper roll! (Not to mention slicing and coring particularly firm pears, although I haven't quite mastered peeling them in this device yet).
posted by muddgirl at 2:45 PM on December 10, 2015
I mean we could skip the bear claws who's up for pig on a spit.
Well, it's better than spit on a pig.
posted by eriko at 2:50 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Well, it's better than spit on a pig.
posted by eriko at 2:50 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh Alton. Coffee maker and toaster are both unitaskers, yet belong in most kitchens.
toaster → toaster oven
can you heat up horrible little frozen bagel pizzas in a toaster?
no
no you cannot
posted by indubitable at 2:59 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
toaster → toaster oven
can you heat up horrible little frozen bagel pizzas in a toaster?
no
no you cannot
posted by indubitable at 2:59 PM on December 10, 2015 [8 favorites]
can you heat up horrible little frozen bagel pizzas in a toaster?
How are toaster ovens with regular bagels and toast (versus a toaster)? I've never had one and have been curious.
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:08 PM on December 10, 2015
How are toaster ovens with regular bagels and toast (versus a toaster)? I've never had one and have been curious.
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:08 PM on December 10, 2015
I try to avoid unitaskers. But the Pizzazz "rotating oven" is vastly superior to using an actual oven to cook frozen pizzas.
It's 2015, why aren't you rehydrating pizzas like the rest of us?
posted by entropicamericana at 3:10 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
It's 2015, why aren't you rehydrating pizzas like the rest of us?
posted by entropicamericana at 3:10 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
adamrice: "
But can it core a apple?
posted by symbioid at 3:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have this famous unitaskerYou're selling it short. For one thing, it peels and slices, and right in the name, it tells you that it can handle apples and potatoes. That's, like, a quadratasker (tetratasker?)"
But can it core a apple?
posted by symbioid at 3:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
In times of duress, I've laid the wide-slice office toaster on its side and inserted pizza slices that way.
Also, what is the diametric opposite of brownie-batter-in-waffle-iron if I want all fudgey center and flaky top, and minimal crusty bits? Like the equivalent of sphere ice cubes.
posted by a halcyon day at 3:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
Also, what is the diametric opposite of brownie-batter-in-waffle-iron if I want all fudgey center and flaky top, and minimal crusty bits? Like the equivalent of sphere ice cubes.
posted by a halcyon day at 3:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
"Uni"task is relative to the boundaries of your dimensional imagination.
Now hush and eat your bananaghetti.
posted by Tevin at 3:16 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Now hush and eat your bananaghetti.
posted by Tevin at 3:16 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
> How are toaster ovens with regular bagels and toast (versus a toaster)? I've never had one and have been curious.
I made the switch a couple years ago. Toaster oven makes great toast! It comes with a pan grill-surface and drip-tray under that which is fine for broiling, but you remove those when you make toast so you can get the top and bottom element exposed to the bread.
I also use it for nearly every reheating job in the world as long as I'm not reheating a liquid.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:17 PM on December 10, 2015
I made the switch a couple years ago. Toaster oven makes great toast! It comes with a pan grill-surface and drip-tray under that which is fine for broiling, but you remove those when you make toast so you can get the top and bottom element exposed to the bread.
I also use it for nearly every reheating job in the world as long as I'm not reheating a liquid.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:17 PM on December 10, 2015
Brownie sous vide, I think, a halcyon day.
posted by notyou at 3:19 PM on December 10, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by notyou at 3:19 PM on December 10, 2015 [11 favorites]
I don't get the brownie pan that makes more edges. The good part of brownies is the soft middle not the burnt edges.
That Rollie egg thing....Hilarious, perhaps could have its own porn movie.
posted by mermayd at 3:20 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
That Rollie egg thing....Hilarious, perhaps could have its own porn movie.
posted by mermayd at 3:20 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Still trying to fathom all these people who like the nasty hard edges of the brownie versus the soft, fudgy middle... *headshakes*
posted by Aleyn at 3:23 PM on December 10, 2015 [19 favorites]
posted by Aleyn at 3:23 PM on December 10, 2015 [19 favorites]
My gf's ex-roommate is a unitasker addict, and bought a crepe pan against my gf's strenuous objections a couple years ago. When Alex moved out, she still hadn't used it. When we pranked her house a few months ago, it was still unused. Some day, her new roommate will empty that cabinet to clean it and discover the chicken haiku we stuck in it, and we will once again mock Sharon for having bought a crepe pan.
posted by restless_nomad at 3:28 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 3:28 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Me: "Whoa, you can cook brownies in a waffle iron!"
Bathroom scale: "FUCK YOU."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:35 PM on December 10, 2015 [10 favorites]
Bathroom scale: "FUCK YOU."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:35 PM on December 10, 2015 [10 favorites]
I love my vegetti. But yeah, never realized the way that I pronounce it makes it sound like a whole nother type of unitasker.
posted by 912 Greens at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by 912 Greens at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2015
I make grilled cheese on my crepe pan. And sometimes crepes.
posted by ODiV at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by ODiV at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Also, what is the diametric opposite of brownie-batter-in-waffle-iron if I want all fudgey center and flaky top, and minimal crusty bits?
Why not just eat the raw dough with a spoon?
posted by emjaybee at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Why not just eat the raw dough with a spoon?
posted by emjaybee at 3:36 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
I love my vegetti. But yeah, never realized the way that I pronounce it makes it sound like a whole nother type of unitasker.
Technically, that's not a unitasker either. ;D
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [7 favorites]
Technically, that's not a unitasker either. ;D
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [7 favorites]
* schink *
Please. Every true Marvel fan knows that Wolvie's claws go snikt.
posted by scalefree at 3:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Please. Every true Marvel fan knows that Wolvie's claws go snikt.
posted by scalefree at 3:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Brownies in a muffin pan? Hmmmm. *looks thoughtful*
My parents had a go with the veggetti, or something akin to same. The problem was not the veggetti, but the all-too-obvious fact that zucchini pretending to be noodles remain zucchini pretending to be noodles.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:01 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
My parents had a go with the veggetti, or something akin to same. The problem was not the veggetti, but the all-too-obvious fact that zucchini pretending to be noodles remain zucchini pretending to be noodles.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:01 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
can you heat up horrible little frozen bagel pizzas in a toaster?
You can if you lay it on its side.
There's one caveat though - and the answer may surprise you!
posted by sidereal at 4:07 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
You can if you lay it on its side.
There's one caveat though - and the answer may surprise you!
posted by sidereal at 4:07 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Instant Pot is the latest 3rd Generation Programmable Pressure Cooker designed by Canadians with the objectives of being Safe, Convenient and Dependable.I was on the fence about this but "designed by Canadians"? Tell me more!
posted by scalefree at 4:10 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have one of those breakfast sandwich makers.... and I kind of love it.
(Not as much as my quesadilla maker, obviously.)
posted by ph00dz at 4:12 PM on December 10, 2015
(Not as much as my quesadilla maker, obviously.)
posted by ph00dz at 4:12 PM on December 10, 2015
That Rollie egg thing....Hilarious, perhaps could have its own porn movie.
As long as it doesn't have to perform at breakfast - which, as demonstrated, it doesn't seem to want to do.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:16 PM on December 10, 2015
As long as it doesn't have to perform at breakfast - which, as demonstrated, it doesn't seem to want to do.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:16 PM on December 10, 2015
He's wearing a cardigan like he was a balding Morrissey
Despite not really comprehending this I find it to be genius.
posted by kenko at 4:22 PM on December 10, 2015
Despite not really comprehending this I find it to be genius.
posted by kenko at 4:22 PM on December 10, 2015
Yeah, I dunno. Sometimes you just gotta be a vessel
posted by boo_radley at 4:29 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by boo_radley at 4:29 PM on December 10, 2015
We have a set of those claws, gifted to us (along with a wireless digital thermometer) by my brother-in-law after we got a meat smoker. Suckers will reduce an eight-pound pork butt to sandwich-ready shreds in a couple of minutes. They are sharp, they are easy to grip, and they work infinitely faster and easier than a pair of forks.
Plus, the Wolverine thing.
posted by OHSnap at 4:40 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Plus, the Wolverine thing.
posted by OHSnap at 4:40 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Why not just eat the raw dough with a spoon?
I do! But it's not hot, nor is the surface flaky like the top of brownies. The flaky/gooey transition zone is my target.
There's one caveat though - and the answer may surprise you!
Estimating the ejection range and placing my plate there is a feature, not a bug.
posted by a halcyon day at 4:46 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
I do! But it's not hot, nor is the surface flaky like the top of brownies. The flaky/gooey transition zone is my target.
There's one caveat though - and the answer may surprise you!
Estimating the ejection range and placing my plate there is a feature, not a bug.
posted by a halcyon day at 4:46 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
An old college pal of mine used to cook his brownies inside a chocolate chip cookie crust, which left the brownie all soft and gooey while the crust got crispy. It was pretty ingenious.
posted by muddgirl at 4:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by muddgirl at 4:57 PM on December 10, 2015 [11 favorites]
I own an aebelskiver pan.
posted by Ruki at 4:59 PM on December 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 4:59 PM on December 10, 2015 [5 favorites]
Seamus, you are not alone. My cordless drill and my dremel get as much use in the kitchen as they do in the shop. I got some weird looks when I went shopping for an egg whisk with a 1/4" collet in hand.
I already use an orbital sander clamped business side up in a vise as a vibrating table to get air bubbles out of plaster and epoxy mixes. I am looking for a legitimate culinary use, I'd love to have my vise permanently mounted on the prep table.
One can also 'sous vide' in the autoclave and make deliciously gooey and safe soft boiled eggs in an incubator. Sometimes I've cooked soups and brewed coffee on a programmable hot plate with magnetic agitator. I miss hanging with the biologists at the lab.
posted by Doroteo Arango II at 5:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [12 favorites]
I already use an orbital sander clamped business side up in a vise as a vibrating table to get air bubbles out of plaster and epoxy mixes. I am looking for a legitimate culinary use, I'd love to have my vise permanently mounted on the prep table.
One can also 'sous vide' in the autoclave and make deliciously gooey and safe soft boiled eggs in an incubator. Sometimes I've cooked soups and brewed coffee on a programmable hot plate with magnetic agitator. I miss hanging with the biologists at the lab.
posted by Doroteo Arango II at 5:05 PM on December 10, 2015 [12 favorites]
You should try cooking brownie batter in a waffle iron if you like the crispy bits.
I'll be in my bunk.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:37 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'll be in my bunk.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:37 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
An old college pal of mine used to cook his brownies inside a chocolate chip cookie crust, which left the brownie all soft and gooey while the crust got crispy. It was pretty ingenious.
That is genius. I know what I'll be trying next time I make brownies. :9
posted by Aleyn at 6:21 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
That is genius. I know what I'll be trying next time I make brownies. :9
posted by Aleyn at 6:21 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, what is the diametric opposite of brownie-batter-in-waffle-iron if I want all fudgey center and flaky top, and minimal crusty bits?
Bake them in a water bath?
posted by fermezporte at 6:35 PM on December 10, 2015
Bake them in a water bath?
posted by fermezporte at 6:35 PM on December 10, 2015
I, too, have a Pizzazz rotary oven and it is good for all manner of flat deliciousness.
I'm increasingly a fanatic for the toaster oven, considering I live solo and deserve hot, delectable meals. In fact, just this morning, I made a little video demonstrating my shower soufflés. When you don't want to run the entire oven to make a great meal, the humble toaster oven can be exceptionally useful and versatile. Plus, it's like having the E-Z Bake Oven I coveted in my youth, but with more je ne sais quoi and couth.
posted by sonascope at 6:55 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
I'm increasingly a fanatic for the toaster oven, considering I live solo and deserve hot, delectable meals. In fact, just this morning, I made a little video demonstrating my shower soufflés. When you don't want to run the entire oven to make a great meal, the humble toaster oven can be exceptionally useful and versatile. Plus, it's like having the E-Z Bake Oven I coveted in my youth, but with more je ne sais quoi and couth.
posted by sonascope at 6:55 PM on December 10, 2015 [6 favorites]
A rice cooker isn't unitasker unless you also consider a frying pan that is only used for eggs is also a unitasker.
I would indeed consider a frying pan reserved only for eggs to be a unitasker, and a very odd unitasker at that. A frying pan is the ultimate multitasker.
By this logic, an apple peeler is perfect for holding a toilet paper roll! (Not to mention slicing and coring particularly firm pears, although I haven't quite mastered peeling them in this device yet).
Long ago I read a description of hemorrhoid surgery that relied on comparisons to apple corers, so I would get nervous in a bathroom that featured peelers, corers, or other slicing devices.
make deliciously gooey and safe soft boiled eggs in an incubator.
Surely that violates some moral law of food preparation. The egg is sitting there feeling safe and cosseted in the incubator, only to find out it is being cooked?
posted by Dip Flash at 7:42 PM on December 10, 2015
I would indeed consider a frying pan reserved only for eggs to be a unitasker, and a very odd unitasker at that. A frying pan is the ultimate multitasker.
By this logic, an apple peeler is perfect for holding a toilet paper roll! (Not to mention slicing and coring particularly firm pears, although I haven't quite mastered peeling them in this device yet).
Long ago I read a description of hemorrhoid surgery that relied on comparisons to apple corers, so I would get nervous in a bathroom that featured peelers, corers, or other slicing devices.
make deliciously gooey and safe soft boiled eggs in an incubator.
Surely that violates some moral law of food preparation. The egg is sitting there feeling safe and cosseted in the incubator, only to find out it is being cooked?
posted by Dip Flash at 7:42 PM on December 10, 2015
I made a little video demonstrating my shower soufflés.
The soufflé looks delicious but the shower scene was disappointing.
posted by bendy at 7:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
The soufflé looks delicious but the shower scene was disappointing.
posted by bendy at 7:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Dip Flash, what the hell kind of bathrooms are you going to?
posted by emjaybee at 7:46 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by emjaybee at 7:46 PM on December 10, 2015
Next he should review fictional gadgets, like the funcooker.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:54 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by Hardcore Poser at 7:54 PM on December 10, 2015
Plus, it's like having the E-Z Bake Oven I coveted in my youth, but with more je ne sais quoi
"actual heat"?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:03 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
"actual heat"?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:03 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Dip Flash, what the hell kind of bathrooms are you going to?
Hopefully never the kind where "an apple peeler is perfect for holding a toilet paper roll ."
posted by Dip Flash at 8:03 PM on December 10, 2015
Hopefully never the kind where "an apple peeler is perfect for holding a toilet paper roll ."
posted by Dip Flash at 8:03 PM on December 10, 2015
I own an aebelskiver pan.
While some might think of this as a unitasker, however this pan can be used to make tako yaki. It's the absolute opposite end of the culinary universe from an aebelskiver, but soooooo good.
posted by furnace.heart at 8:11 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
While some might think of this as a unitasker, however this pan can be used to make tako yaki. It's the absolute opposite end of the culinary universe from an aebelskiver, but soooooo good.
posted by furnace.heart at 8:11 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
To quote a colleague of mine, "There's a hammer in every tool."
posted by mollymayhem
As a stage electrician, we say "everything is a hammer until you plug it in."
posted by nevercalm at 8:25 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mollymayhem
As a stage electrician, we say "everything is a hammer until you plug it in."
posted by nevercalm at 8:25 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was on the fence about this but "designed by Canadians"? Tell me more!
The Rollie was obviously designed by David Cronenberg, so maybe something along those lines?
posted by Sys Rq at 8:33 PM on December 10, 2015 [7 favorites]
The Rollie was obviously designed by David Cronenberg, so maybe something along those lines?
posted by Sys Rq at 8:33 PM on December 10, 2015 [7 favorites]
I use my Baker's Edge pan (I have the larger one) to make lasagna and macaroni and cheese and my family thinks I'm a goddamn wizard.
I also have a tomato shark and while I do use it to core tomatoes, I more often use it to de-seed cucumbers, because we love cucumbers but the seeds make SOME OF US (looking at you, Mr. padraigin) a bit tooty. I'd use a teaspoon to do the job but someone put a tomato shark in my stocking one year and quite frankly it does the job better.
I'm fine with unitaskers and pretty great at making them into multi-taskers and I am a very, very good cook and I am kind of over Alton Brown, honestly.
posted by padraigin at 8:59 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
I also have a tomato shark and while I do use it to core tomatoes, I more often use it to de-seed cucumbers, because we love cucumbers but the seeds make SOME OF US (looking at you, Mr. padraigin) a bit tooty. I'd use a teaspoon to do the job but someone put a tomato shark in my stocking one year and quite frankly it does the job better.
I'm fine with unitaskers and pretty great at making them into multi-taskers and I am a very, very good cook and I am kind of over Alton Brown, honestly.
posted by padraigin at 8:59 PM on December 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
I have a commercial Garland I bought used at auction, and I adore the thing but the oven is laughably huge. So I use an oversize toaster oven for baking small things like batches of brownies or pies, when I don't want to heat the kitchen up too much. The new toaster ovens are really efficient little kitchen miracle tools, I don't know how I lived without one for so long.
One day last summer, it was so hot I hauled the toaster oven outside & plugged it in next to the BBQ to cook an apple pie. This pie turned out magnificently - perfectly brown domed crust, caramelized sugar on top, fuck it was beautiful and I was inordinately proud of it. I pulled it out and set it on the shelf on the side of the BBQ just as my neighbour walked by... he thought I'd just produced that marvel of a pie on the BBQ itself, and for a long time he was convinced that I was some sort of magical BBQ pastry witch.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 9:13 PM on December 10, 2015 [20 favorites]
One day last summer, it was so hot I hauled the toaster oven outside & plugged it in next to the BBQ to cook an apple pie. This pie turned out magnificently - perfectly brown domed crust, caramelized sugar on top, fuck it was beautiful and I was inordinately proud of it. I pulled it out and set it on the shelf on the side of the BBQ just as my neighbour walked by... he thought I'd just produced that marvel of a pie on the BBQ itself, and for a long time he was convinced that I was some sort of magical BBQ pastry witch.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 9:13 PM on December 10, 2015 [20 favorites]
> I pulled it out and set it on the shelf on the side of the BBQ just as my neighbour walked by... he thought I'd just produced that marvel of a pie on the BBQ itself, and for a long time he was convinced that I was some sort of magical BBQ pastry witch.
Possibly your neighbor was a MeFite?
posted by Sunburnt at 9:19 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Possibly your neighbor was a MeFite?
posted by Sunburnt at 9:19 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Rollie was obviously designed by David Cronenberg
That damn thing reminds me too much of the whale probe from Star Trek IV for me to even consider buying and using it.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:19 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
That damn thing reminds me too much of the whale probe from Star Trek IV for me to even consider buying and using it.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:19 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
My favorite "Unitasker" is a sharpened metal disc, fastened on an axis, with a handle. I usually just refer to it as my pizza slicer. I've tried using it for other things like slicing apple pie or flipping eggs but it doesn't seem to do the job very well. But, goddamnit, nothing else quite works as well as that device when it comes time to divvy up the 'za!
posted by TDavis at 9:52 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by TDavis at 9:52 PM on December 10, 2015
A stove is a unitasker, all it does is heat things up.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 10:14 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
But, goddamnit, nothing else quite works as well as that device when it comes time to divvy up the 'za!
Except for the big rocker knife dealies they use in pizza places, that don't slide the toppings across the pizza. Or just a big knife, used the same way.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:20 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Except for the big rocker knife dealies they use in pizza places, that don't slide the toppings across the pizza. Or just a big knife, used the same way.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:20 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
So-called "pizza cutters" are actually fantastic herb cutters.
posted by you could feel the sky at 10:22 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by you could feel the sky at 10:22 PM on December 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
Kitchen shears (aka scissors) are incredibly useful and can replace the hoary old pizza cutter but you know what? Fuck it. It doesn't take up that much space, it can also be used to slice up other small things like herbs or quesadillas or grilled cheeses for the kiddos
posted by Doleful Creature at 11:21 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by Doleful Creature at 11:21 PM on December 10, 2015
magical BBQ pastry witch
This should totally replace manic pixie dream girls.
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:54 PM on December 10, 2015 [14 favorites]
This should totally replace manic pixie dream girls.
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:54 PM on December 10, 2015 [14 favorites]
I wish I were a fly on the wall in the rooms these ideas were birthed ("who wouldn't need this, Linda?! I was called, I have to bring the strawberry slicer to the world"). Weird too to think of objects like this being taken up in regular use in particular families' kitchens, and little kids taking them for granted, and growing up and forgetting them and filling their kitchens with the gadgets they prefer, and one day finding themselves suddenly deeply missing a beat-up Moulinex.
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:46 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:46 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Alton Brown does a really good job explaining the science of cooking, but he should lay off the jokes because he's really not funny at all. Also, Alton Brown is a jerk. Long, but worth it. (But kind old news).
posted by zardoz at 2:59 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by zardoz at 2:59 AM on December 11, 2015
> I would indeed consider a frying pan reserved only for eggs to be a unitasker, and a very odd unitasker at that.
But I love my tamagoyaki pan! I only use it to cook eggs, more specifically, to make tamagoyaki, and although you can make it in a regular round frying pan I find it's a lot easier to use the rectangular tamagoyaki pan.
posted by needled at 4:34 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
But I love my tamagoyaki pan! I only use it to cook eggs, more specifically, to make tamagoyaki, and although you can make it in a regular round frying pan I find it's a lot easier to use the rectangular tamagoyaki pan.
posted by needled at 4:34 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have tons of unitaskers in the kitchen. Dedicated carbon steel crepe, omelette and oval fish pans, two ebelskiver pans, a torchio (aka bigolaro) as well as a pasta roller machine, a späetzle maker, a flexible fish knife, and so on.
My rule of thumb is that a unitasker has to do something that I want to do at least a couple of times a year, and it has to be either the only practical way to do that thing or categorically better than other ways.
posted by slkinsey at 4:40 AM on December 11, 2015
My rule of thumb is that a unitasker has to do something that I want to do at least a couple of times a year, and it has to be either the only practical way to do that thing or categorically better than other ways.
posted by slkinsey at 4:40 AM on December 11, 2015
The reason to have a pan reserved for eggs only is that eggs (and soft utensils) put very little wear and tear on the cooking surface. Wear and tear on the cooking surface make the pan sticky. Eggs are very prone to sticking. Therefore a pan with minimal surface wear is good for making omelettes, etc. with a pristine surface that slide out of the pan. You can also get a pan with specialized geometries that faciltate making, say, a three-egg French omelette. I have a carbon steel omelette pan that I use to make French omelettes for Mrs. slkinsey a couple times a week on the regular. Would buy again.
posted by slkinsey at 4:47 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by slkinsey at 4:47 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have some PTFE frying pans that were gifted to me several years ago that I really only use for cooking eggs. I baby those things: soft plastic cooking utensils only, sponge wash in the sink, store stacked but separated by a generous layer of paper towels. I would get annoyed sometimes when a little streak here or there was left over when I cooked scrambled eggs, but then I visited my parents not too long ago and cooked scrambled eggs in a PTFE pan and THE ENTIRE BOTTOM WAS COATED when I was done, I had to soak it just to start scraping everything off. So the fussy kid-gloves treatment is actually right for once.
posted by indubitable at 5:11 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by indubitable at 5:11 AM on December 11, 2015
So ... uh ... you guys know that Alton Brown's statement about unitaskers is intentionally hyperbolic, for effect? Right?
Right?
I mean, seriously people, he did a cooking show that ran for 14 seasons that was focused on teaching people how to cook. One of the biggest traps that novices fall into is believing that if they want to make [FOOD ITEM], they need to buy [SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT SOLD BY SHADY PEOPLE]. About 95% of the time, that's simply not the case. It is not surprising that he felt the need to reiterate this.
For god's sake, we live in a world where people will, with a straight face, sell you an appliance that functions solely as a quesadilla maker -- as if any pan with a heat source isn't already a quesadilla maker in potentia. Cut the guy a little slack for wanting his audience to understand that general purpose tools are almost always the better option, even if in some rare cases you may actually need a specialized tool.
posted by tocts at 5:19 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Right?
I mean, seriously people, he did a cooking show that ran for 14 seasons that was focused on teaching people how to cook. One of the biggest traps that novices fall into is believing that if they want to make [FOOD ITEM], they need to buy [SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT SOLD BY SHADY PEOPLE]. About 95% of the time, that's simply not the case. It is not surprising that he felt the need to reiterate this.
For god's sake, we live in a world where people will, with a straight face, sell you an appliance that functions solely as a quesadilla maker -- as if any pan with a heat source isn't already a quesadilla maker in potentia. Cut the guy a little slack for wanting his audience to understand that general purpose tools are almost always the better option, even if in some rare cases you may actually need a specialized tool.
posted by tocts at 5:19 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile, the Rollie (a.k.a. Vertical Egg Cooker, as it shows up on Cutthroat Kitchen), is the stuff of nightmares. Once you see that egg log pop out of it, you can never unsee it.
posted by tocts at 5:20 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by tocts at 5:20 AM on December 11, 2015
Eh, Alton Brown peaked when he was doing R.E.M. videos.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:06 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Chrysostom at 6:06 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rice cooker? Unitasker.
You do know you are supposed to put more than one grain in at a time right?
posted by srboisvert at 6:50 AM on December 11, 2015 [9 favorites]
You do know you are supposed to put more than one grain in at a time right?
posted by srboisvert at 6:50 AM on December 11, 2015 [9 favorites]
Alton Brown reviews Amazon's dumbest kitchen gadgets [previously]
posted by Evilspork at 3:58 PM - 115 comments (2 new) +
I just got here after 18 hours or so. Clearly, I'm missing something!
posted by Melismata at 7:26 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by Evilspork at 3:58 PM - 115 comments (2 new) +
I just got here after 18 hours or so. Clearly, I'm missing something!
posted by Melismata at 7:26 AM on December 11, 2015
Sys Rq: Glove and Boots agree!
Holy crap. HOW can it be that I was not aware of these before? I can see I have a lot of binge-watching ahead.
posted by slkinsey at 8:14 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Holy crap. HOW can it be that I was not aware of these before? I can see I have a lot of binge-watching ahead.
posted by slkinsey at 8:14 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
Is a food processor a unitasker if I ONLY use it to make pie crust dough? Since it's the only thing I make that's worth the 6 separate dirty dishes it creates?
posted by muddgirl at 8:34 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by muddgirl at 8:34 AM on December 11, 2015
indubitable: "I have some PTFE frying pans that were gifted to me several years ago that I really only use for cooking eggs."
Is this your Pan To Fry Eggs?
posted by boo_radley at 8:38 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Is this your Pan To Fry Eggs?
posted by boo_radley at 8:38 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
you guys know that Alton Brown's statement about unitaskers is intentionally hyperbolic, for effect? Right?
Comfortable dualities are the only allowed categories on the internet. Peas and Carrots MUST NEVER TOUCH.
posted by bonehead at 9:05 AM on December 11, 2015
Comfortable dualities are the only allowed categories on the internet. Peas and Carrots MUST NEVER TOUCH.
posted by bonehead at 9:05 AM on December 11, 2015
tbh you can make pie crust dough with a bowl, a couple of knives, and your fingers. it's not that hard, you just need to keep things cold (so the fat stays in little chunks, afaik).
posted by andrewcooke at 9:07 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by andrewcooke at 9:07 AM on December 11, 2015
Yeah, I know that cold butter can be cut in by hand, as has been done for hundreds of years prior to the advent of food processors.
posted by muddgirl at 9:24 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by muddgirl at 9:24 AM on December 11, 2015
That's why I asked if my food processor is a Unitasker, since I use it only to do basically one task that I *could* do by hand anyway.
posted by muddgirl at 9:25 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by muddgirl at 9:25 AM on December 11, 2015
I think it still qualifies as a multitasker, since it could be used for other tasks were you so inclined. :)
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:31 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:31 AM on December 11, 2015
Freeze your butter and use a cheese grater. Not only do you get small bits of solid butter, but now your cheese grater is no longer a unitasker!
posted by Sunburnt at 9:49 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Sunburnt at 9:49 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
i'm not (only) saying it can be done. i am saying it is actually quite easy to do. and i was trying to do so in a nice way to encourage you to try. but go ahead and be offended. unitasker owner.
posted by andrewcooke at 9:53 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by andrewcooke at 9:53 AM on December 11, 2015
My mother has had a food processor for thirty years and I don't think she's ever used it for anything but coleslaw.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:10 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 10:10 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I use mine to make my cabinets look full.
posted by drezdn at 10:47 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by drezdn at 10:47 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
I can also vouch for using a cheese grater with frozen butter.
A friend recommended this for pie crust and the results are amazing.
posted by Tarumba at 11:30 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
A friend recommended this for pie crust and the results are amazing.
posted by Tarumba at 11:30 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
Long ago I read a description of hemorrhoid surgery that relied on comparisons to apple corers
*closes laptop*
posted by sidereal at 11:50 AM on December 11, 2015 [9 favorites]
*closes laptop*
posted by sidereal at 11:50 AM on December 11, 2015 [9 favorites]
I make crepes on my cast-iron comal.
But we call them flat pancakes still, because . . . kids.
My pizza cutter? That cuts quesadillas into wedges and a pan of marshmallows into individual little blocks of sweetness. That's just this week.
My tomato shark is more often used to hull strawberries or scoop out seeds from chiles.
A unitasker is only a unitasker if you only use it for one task. The point is correct that Brown is just letting people know that making something doesn't require a specific tool if you have something else that can do the job. Some of those aren't unitaskers so much as crap-ass designs that are sold on late-night TV to the sleep-deprived.
posted by Seamus at 12:05 PM on December 11, 2015
But we call them flat pancakes still, because . . . kids.
My pizza cutter? That cuts quesadillas into wedges and a pan of marshmallows into individual little blocks of sweetness. That's just this week.
My tomato shark is more often used to hull strawberries or scoop out seeds from chiles.
A unitasker is only a unitasker if you only use it for one task. The point is correct that Brown is just letting people know that making something doesn't require a specific tool if you have something else that can do the job. Some of those aren't unitaskers so much as crap-ass designs that are sold on late-night TV to the sleep-deprived.
posted by Seamus at 12:05 PM on December 11, 2015
Along similar lines, Rhik Samadder has an occasional column on the Grauniad, in which he reviews kitchen gadgets, often of the unitasker variety (link).
He's even done a review of something very similar to the egg-extruding Rollie (link). Best line, under "redeeming features":
"It’s quite space-efficient, being so dense with evil."
It's a good series, if you're into gently scathing reviews.
posted by The Outsider at 6:57 PM on December 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
He's even done a review of something very similar to the egg-extruding Rollie (link). Best line, under "redeeming features":
"It’s quite space-efficient, being so dense with evil."
It's a good series, if you're into gently scathing reviews.
posted by The Outsider at 6:57 PM on December 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'll have you know that my Ronco Turnip Twaddler slices, dices, mooshes, AND splooshes.
posted by kyrademon at 7:53 AM on December 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by kyrademon at 7:53 AM on December 12, 2015 [4 favorites]
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YOU SHAT YOUR GIFT AWAY, ALTON!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 1:02 PM on December 10, 2015 [14 favorites]