(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best colandes & food strainers

There's been a post recently on one of the skin care subs about someone meeting a scientist who worked on the Nip/fab glycolic acid products who said it was formulated to be too weak to do any damage in case of lawsuits, so maybe give up with that brand. Look into other brands tho- Amazon is actually really great for having a whole bunch of skincare stuff in one place with budget friendly and cheaper yet multibuy options. I'm linking mainly to Amazon in this post too, so just a heads up.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that your skin is dehydrated and sensitive from all the harsh products you've tried, so let's try something different. Your acne may well be hormonal though, you should talk to your GP about getting your levels checked.

Face wash wise, I'd recommend you start with either Cetaphil gentle cleanser, or Eucerin Sensitive Skin Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. Both of these are super gentle and won't strip your skin or make your face feel tight after washing.

Use a microfibre or muslin cloth to cleanse with, they're cheap and great gentle physical exfoliators. Be gentle, you really don't need to scrub hard, just gentle circles.

For a budget friendly and honestly fantastic face mask that's known for clearing skin and giving glowy complexions, ignore the overpriced hype of Aztec Healing Clay and buy a bag of calcium bentonite clay (which is all that is in Aztec healing clay btw) and a bottle of apple cider vinegar - mix about a tbsp of the clay with enough vinegar to make it foamy and use it twice a week. You can use this on body acne too- I use it on my back and bum about once a month.

You're going to want an AHA/BHA you can use Niacinamide daily and or The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 30ml, 10-Minute Exfoliating Facial twice a week. Leave a few days between using this and the calcium bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar mask tho. There are loads of AHA BHA products on the market but The Ordinary has fantastic reviews and is what is says on the label- percentages and everything, which to me puts it head and shoulders above many other products in the same price range. You can mix your own AHA/BHA's for far cheaper but it's a little trickier than the super easy recipe for hyaluronic acid serum in the next paragraph.

Now this stuff isn't necessary but it has a pretty huge and immediate impact on how your skin looks and feels. Making your own hyaluronic acid serum (this stuff forces moisture into the skin and moisturised skin is far less prone to irritation and spots) is super easy. Buy the powder, some glycerin and a preservative and make your own, there's a great website with instructions here. Trust me when I say you will save a shit load of money with this. You will also see results fast. If you want to buy/try first tho, I'd recommend The Ordinary. I keep my hyaluronic acid and AHA/BHA bottles in the fridge, it probably does little to extend the life span of the products but it feels super nice to put on cold serums (and sheet masks!).

Now, to moisturiser. I've heard great things about YES to Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Balancing Moisturizer for dealing with acne prone skin, also about Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Crème Light Moisturising Care and Vichy Normaderm Anti-Blemish Care you get a free cleanser that's supposed to be quite good with that link too btw.

Suncream is really, super fucking important- I use Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+/PA++++ and cannot reccomend it enough- it neither smells like suncream nor feels like it and it looks nice and kinda satin matte on my face too. Any suncream is better than none tho- just make sure you wash it all off at the end of the day.

I know that all together the stuff in these links comes to a bit of money but these products will last you bloody ages for the most part and they're super well reviewed and mostly unlikely to do much damage to you or further break you out.

Wonderful, good luck with the move!!

Things like this which save space but are much needed (especially for cheap eats like pasta!) are great. You can run out of kitchen space very easily, so saving space is great. Also, check out poundland - I'm pretty sure they sell these, and positive they sell lots of other nice little kitchen bits and pieces.

I see everyone is covering the really essential stuff - I totally second that. You'll only realise you don't have a can opener/corkscrew/potato masher/spatula when you need one!

EVERY house needs these - fairly sure they're compulsory by law.

For jazzing up your cooking, or to achieve the same and also have some living things sharing the space with you, fresh!

I'm trying to think of purely useful stuff - if you're living on your own, tupperware is a must! Otherwise you'll find yourself wasting tons of food!

Hope the move goes well :)

I don't have time to make sure it's comprehensive and everything but I can throw some stuff together real quick:


Knives

You really only need 2, a chef's knife and serrated knife. A pairing knife is occasionally useful but rarely necessary. If you really like sharp knives, buy a whetstone and learn to sharpen, cheap knives can get just as sharp as expensive ones.

• https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Update-International-KP-05-German-Offset/dp/B0029SMITC/
  
• If you want a pairing knife, just buy an ultra cheap one, it's not something that really needs to be sharp
  
• Here's a cheap and decent whetstone if you want to learn to sharpen knives. Def recommend doing that, there's a million Youtube vids about it, not that hard really https://www.amazon.com/Sharpening-Whetstone-Non-Slip-Sharpener-Waterstone/dp/B074YJRL7T
  
  ​
  
  Pots and Pans
  
  You need four or five things here. I'd say your mainly looking for a large saute pan, a stock pot, and a sauce pan. If you cook eggs you can grab a non-stick saute pan too. Don't use non stick pans for things that don't stick to pans. They wear out fast and they're garbage when they lose their coating. Oh and a sheet pan.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Finish-Aluminum-Frying-Commercial/dp/B002AGY7OW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=aluminum+saute+pan&qid=1563996953&s=home-garden&sr=1-3
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Standard-12-Quart-Stainless-Stockpot/dp/B01M7RNBZA/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-719-16-Classic-Stainless-Saucepan/dp/B00008CM69/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=sauce+pot&qid=1563997129&s=home-garden&sr=1-3
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Standard-02569-Nonstick-Anodized/dp/B079ZLDG14/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-36831-Commercial/dp/B009LA10OA/
  
  ​
  
  Other Shit
  
  
• Possibly the most useful cooking thing ever https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Products-FG1962000000-Silicone/dp/B0000CFO2S
  
• Cheese grater, garlic press, zester all in one https://www.amazon.com/Microplane-40020-Classic-Zester-Grater/dp/B00004S7V8
  
• A wooden spoon, like any wooden spoon
  
• A spoon with holes in it, you probably have one already
  
• A sturdy metal spatula, like this https://www.amazon.com/Winco-TN719-Hamburger-Turner-6-Inch/dp/B001VZAKGM (fucking lol at calling that a "harmburger turner")
  
• Any type of cutting board is fine as it long as it's not glass or marble or something (those are probably the best example of conning rich people with an actively horrible product)
  
• This is better than any colander out there and has other uses too https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-34127-Perforations/dp/B009LLIJCA
  
• Some kitchen scissors, any are fine but these are nice https://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-51-0621-Unlimited-6-25-Inch/dp/B0009XYW9
  
• Any knife steel, a cheap one like this is fine https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Knife-Sharpening-Rod/dp/B07J1TZ4DK/
  
• A ladle and a whisk, you probably already have them
  
• A cheap immersion blender is a great alternative to ridiculously expensive food processors/blenders
  
  ​
  
  This is just suggestions if you don't have the stuff already, I think the real bottom line is that the stuff you already have is likely fine, and being a good cook is about knowledge and technique and putting effort into tasty food for people you care about, not gear.

Definitely start with cupcakes! That way you can work on perfecting the base flavor and texture of the cake before worrying about decorating a whole cake. I don't think that starting from scratch is beyond grasp for a beginner.

Having a digital kitchen scale would be very beneficial. It might seem confusing at first, especially in the USA when most people are used to measuring cups. But, since you haven't baked much before, you might as well start with a scale! It will make a big difference in giving you consistent results. I like using Sally's website, as she lists ingredient measurements in grams as well as cups. Plus, they all taste good so it's a good place to browse for your recipes.

Apart from a scale, you're going to need some other basic utensils and equipment. A metal whisk, a rubber spatula, a metal mixing bowl, a hand mixer, a sifter and disposable decorating bags, and a few larger piping tips (1M and 2D) for decorating. With those items, you'll be able to make most cupcakes.


I make this chocolate cake often and it's really good and relatively simple. It's pretty flexible in terms of it's hard to mess up. I forgot to add the sugar once and had to mix it in last minute and it still came out perfect! Just read through the recipe several times before you start. That way you have a general idea of what you have to do before beginning.

First, you'll need to bring your cold items to room temperature. That way, everything will mix together better. Don't skip this part! It's important.. For the eggs, run them under hot water for 10 minutes. For dairy, microwave for 30 seconds at half power, give it a mix, and repeat until room temp. It's okay if the sour cream gets liquidy.

Basically, sift together all the dry ingredients and the sugar (sugar usually isn't a "dry" ingredient) in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until well combine.

Add your wet ingredients (oil, buttermilk, eggs, etc.) to your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, sugar, leavening, etc.) and then add in the boiling water. Whisk it until it forms into a nice and smooth consistency. Be sure not to over mix at this point or your cake will be dense and tough. So, once it looks smooth it's ready!

Bake for 16 minutes at 350F (for cupcakes). Set a timer! They'll be done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean/with a few, fine crumbs.


I like my chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I find it to be more forgiving than buttercream to make and I personally think it tastes better.

I wish you luck! And if you have any questions, I don't mind helping~

The microplane fine grater is one of my favorite tools. Finely grated lemon zest makes so many things super delicious. It's good for grating a little cinnamon or nutmeg into a baking project as well.

I use my fine sieve frequently for baking as well, like when I have to strain pastry cream to help it cool down or get the seeds out of raspberries.

Another favorite baking "gadget" is the cake strip - it prevents the cake from puffing up in the middle. Otherwise you have to cut off a fair sized chunk in order to stack it in layers.

My ultimate baking cookbook is Tartine bakery's - they are great at explaining complicated techniques and everything turns out fantastic.

In my experience the quality of your cold brew is also highly dependent on your filtering system. I use the Hario mizudashi because it has a very fine filter and produces extremely clean cold brew. I prefer the cold brew from the Mizudashi even with lower quality beans to simply submerging coffee in water and filtering it later. I use a 10:1 ratio in the Mizudashi and I like drinking it at that strength. 4:1 is meant to be diluted by half, so keep that in mind.

If you're making cold brew by simply submerging it in water and filtering it later, I'd recommend putting the coffee in something like this and seeing if you like it better. However it's still possible to make good cold brew without doing this, just make sure you leave all the sludge at the bottom and filter out the good stuff. A siphon like this which is commonly used for home brewing beer could be the perfect tool.

EDIT: as far as beans go, try making cold brew with the cheapest possible option if you have a low budget. Some grocery store coffee will work just fine as long as it's made well. Cold brew is perhaps the most forgiving method of coffee brewing.

I'll just go ahead and list a few of the things I use on a regular basis.

Koriko shakers are awesome. They look cool and function amazingly. Good investments. End of story.
http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/Koriko-set-of-2-Weighted-Tins-large-and-sma-p/sha_korikoxxxx_0028_set.htm

I prefer using a julep strainer over a hawthorne strainer, it works fine for me when I'm not muddling things into the drink I don't want served.
http://amzn.com/B001VZAMPQ
http://amzn.com/B000H7VF64

Get speed pourers. Even if you don't plan on free-pouring, they're nice to have a more standardized pouring speed so you can pour out of an entirely full bottle without worrying about spilling too much.
http://amzn.com/B002J8RRAM

A cheap bar spoon is an awful experience. A decent bar spoon is fine. An overpriced barspoon is (generally) just overpriced metal. However, the Tanqueray spoons and the Standard Spoon on kickstarter are actually pretty nice quality stuff. But that said, almost everyone I've met likes the regular old bar spoon.
http://amzn.com/B000VQOP5O
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/workofmyhands/standard-spoon-for-craft-cocktails

Have a jigger on hand, even if you free pour. Just for when you have nicer ingredients and want to try out a drink with them and would rather have the proportions right than have to revive the drink.
http://amzn.com/B00080B07Y

I make a lot of bitters myself or super small batch infusions, so having a set of mason jars on hand has been extremely helpful.

I use cheapo squirt bottles ( http://amzn.com/B007OM9W2E ) to store simple syrup or other infused simple syrup.

If you get super into infusions and stuff like that, I've heard a lot of good things about the iSi system; I have a friend with one, he absolutely loves his. I have to admit, it takes a lot of work and patience out of infusion. As well as whipped cream, or carbonating things, or what have you... now I might want to get one.

These two items are somewhat paired (at least for me) -- a water filter and an ice tray. For ice, I'm talking like the Tovolo King Size ice trays. Water filter -- doesn't matter, as long as it filters from what I can tell.
http://amzn.com/B00395FHRO

Something that's nice to have on hand so you can double-strain is a fine-mesh strainer. Can be harder to find on the cheap though, I ended up breaking down and going to a Bed Bath & Beyond for mine since everything on Amazon was fairly expensive the thrift shops near me didn't have one.

Get nice glassware. I remember when I was younger and someone demonstrated the importance of having nice glass when tasting wine. The same thing applies. This isn't exactly bar-tools, but it's critical to your cocktail experience. Drinking out of cheap glasses, or the wrong glasses, will really hurt the presentation and your perception of the cocktail. In essence, t's important to take pride in both how you make the cocktail and how you serve the cocktail.

That's all I got for now.

Sure, I spent a year making all kinds of extracts and tinctures and reading endless forum discussions about it. There is a great technique called the Quick Wash Ethanol Extraction Technique. QWEET. There are other methods that work, too, but this one is my stand-by now. Feel free to ask if anything is unclear.

Anyway, you basically use 190 proof grain alcohol chilled to 0 degrees F in a freezer. You then decarboxylate your crumbled plant material for an hour at 240 degrees F in your oven, then freeze it, too.

In my recent batch I had a couple ounces of Charlotte's Web flower, so I crumbled that into a half gallon mason jar after the decarbing process, then put it into the freezer, too.

So you end up with two things in your freezer at zero degrees:

• 1 bottle with 500 or more ml of grain ethanol. A fifth is 750 ml.
  
  
• 1 half gallon mason jar containing 60 grams (2 oz) of crumbled decarboxylated cannabis
  
  You should also have another 2 jars to collect the filtered extraction. They can be quart jars.
  
  After things have chilled to temp, the process goes like this:
  
  

1. Bring out the frozen jar of cannabis and the bottle of chilled ethanol. Have the second and third jar ready. You now pour the ethanol into the jar with the cannabis until it is just covered, no more. Just enough for it to slosh a bit. You slosh it around in that jar for one minute. Some people don't even do it for a full minute, but I do.
   
   
2. This slurry is then quickly poured through a small kitchen strainer into the clean empty jar. This is just a pre-filter to remove most of the plant material. Let the ethanol drain out of the material, then discard the spent cannabis.
   
   
3. The third empty mason jar is now covered by one of those personal coffee filter holders, with a [quality unbleached coffee filter] (https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Care-Unbleached-Filters/dp/B005P0FTYM/ref=pd_sim_79_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B005P0FTYM&pd_rd_r=6a4bbfb5-cf5c-11e8-ab44-9143b7b890b1&pd_rd_w=AdTtr&pd_rd_wg=mHLjJ&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=Q31XVYZ0VWC9SAXJVC0F&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=Q31XVYZ0VWC9SAXJVC0F) in it. Start pouring. This takes a while, so you pour an amount in and wait for it to drain, then add more, etcetera. Eventually it has all been filtered and is in the third jar.
   
   After that you can do a few things. It is technically already a tincture, but you can evaporate off some alcohol to concentrate it more. You can also turn it into thick oil or dabbing material by pouring it into a clear pyrex baking dish and letting all of the alcohol evaporate. The longer it sits the thicker it gets. You then use a razor to scrape it up.
   
   For a truly ideal tincture I will evaporate off all of the alcohol as described, because frankly alcohol tinctures DO taste like shit. I scrape up the thickened oil and then dissolve it into 60 ml (two ounces) of MCT oil. It easily dissolves with just a bit of heat and stays that way, and there is very little taste at all. Now it can be used sublingually for maximum absorption. You can even get all fancy and add flavors. 2 or 3 drops of this oil-based flavoring is ideal.

I soak mine overnight, rinse them before using. They seem to blend better that way.

I also push mine through a nut milk bag I purchased on Amazon. It was pretty inexpensive and came in a two pack. I find this one to be the best I've used, especially compared to metal sieves or cheese clothes. I also use it for my juice, I run everything through it. I'll link you below to that particular bag...it's called Go Nuts :)

​

Good luck!! I also find that cashews soaked overnight make a pretty darn good milk as well.

​

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WFU80KA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

haha

I didnt follow a specific recipe, but heres basically what I did:

• 5 good size ripe tomatoes
  
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
  
• 2 T good extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 small can tomato paste
  
• 1/2C dark brown sugar
  
• 2 T dark molasses
  
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  
• salt/pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 can chipotle in adobo sauce
  
• 1/2 t paprika
  
• 2 t minced garlic
  
• 1/2 t cumin
  
• pinch of clove
  
• 1/2 t mustard flour
  
• 1/2 t cinnamon
  
  Peel and seed the tomatoes, dice
  
  dice the onion
  
  heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan
  
  saute onion with garlic until soft and aromatic
  
  add spices, cook another minute
  
  add all the other ingredients, and simmer for an hour or two (until everything is soft and tender), adding water to keep it from drying out too much
  
  blend in small batches until smooth
  
  OPTIONAL BUT AWESOME: run through a chinois (fine mesh strainer, like this one. You can use a small ladle to help push it through, just pour into the chinois, and then put the ladle in and pump it up and down. this will make it velvet smooth, and remove any seed chunks, etc.
  
  return to stove, and simmer until it's as thick as you want
  
  I canned it using pint mason jars, in two jars so it would last
  
  the longer it sits, the better it tastes
  
  you can use less chipotle if you dont like things spicy (this is almost a hot sauce on its own)
  

People press bacon at home? I thought that was just at diners to make it cook fast on the flat top.

You may think I'm crazy, but I cook pounds of bacon all at once in a cast skillet. Literally I've cooked 5lbs of bacon at once in a 12" chicken fryer. Takes way less time that frying 4 strips at a time when you're feeding 20 people.

So if you don't have a bacon grease saver, get one. I suggest this one

Start with a cold pan, add in bacon grease, more than you'd think, at minimum 4-5 tablespoons for 1 lb of bacon. Maybe up to half a cup for several pounds of bacon. Then add your bacon, pull apart in strips and just lay it in the pan. Turn the heat on to medium and let it start warming up. When you hear it start sizzling a little bit, grab some tongs and move the bacon around. This warming up slowly is letting the fat render from the bacon which makes for overall more crispy bacon. It will start looking cooked like boiled ham, this is when the water is cooking out, turn the heat up just a bit.

Keep stirring and fluffing the bacon with the tongs, once the bacon grease renders out you'll notice you now have like half an inch or more of grease. This is good. You are now deep frying bacon in bacon grease.

As that keeps working get your plate ready. Cover a large plate or a sheet pan with two layers of paper towels. When the bacon is starting to look almost done, start pulling it out. It will cook up a little more out of the pan. Some will get done before the others so you may pull a few, then wait, then pull a few more. Or they may all be done at once, it just depends.

If you can, pull the strips out one at a time and lay them out flat. It'll still be very floppy, that's fine. Once you get done getting all the bacon out they'll all have crisped up and be nice and straight and mostly flat. And you'll have cooked it in half the time it would have taken you to cook it 4 strips at a time.

Then, you make gravy, but that's a story for another time.

http://12bottlebar.com/

Go to that site, which is sadly no longer active, but the back log is great. Find recipes that basically use the stuff you have, and start working your way through it. Read the articles.

Or, they have a book, which is worth buying.

You will likely not be needing that blender, at least not very often. I find most blended drinks are more work than what they're worth on a small scale.

Otherwise, you just need a shaker and a pint glass for stirred drinks. You also might want to purchase a Hawthorne Strainer, a jigger, and possibly a mesh strainer.

I could list out 50 drinks that basically just use the spirits you have plus some juices/sugar, but I'd just be listing the stuff that's on 12 Bottle Bars site.

I won't do a ton, but here's an example of one rabbit hole: First, make a Gimlet, if you like it, then try a Fitzgerald, if you like it, then make a Bee's Knees. If you like that, then make a Gold Rush...

You get the idea.

Amazon. I buy bags of soy beans then to make your own soy milk you just need a blender and something to strain the milk through. That's it!

I make just over a litre from each batch then I use a bit to make some tofu. You just need some of your soy milk then some lemon juice or something. I have a tofu press also from amazon but you can do it with cheese cloth or a tea towel.

In an ideal situation where you had some funds to put into getting all the things you would need in the future and the ingredients for a first batch of homemade soy milk and tofu this would be a start:

• Soy beans
  
• Nut Milk Bag
  
• Milk Bottle
  
  
• Tofu Press
  
• Cheese Cloth
  
  I have pretty much that setup and It has saved me money in the long run and the stuff you make tastes far better than store bought.

It does! Zingermans molasses is made just up the road from me and is wonderful with biscuits. The Loveless Cafe mild chow chow follows a classic Southern recipe and probably her grandmother made something similar, but putting by food for winter isn't done at home so much now. Bacon grease is the life blood of most Southern cooking, though most folks now do not have a mason jar set aside for it; add a [bacon grease container].
(https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Catcher-Container-Stainless-Strainer/dp/B013U3F6E8) to your basket/stocking/gift. I like odd numbers of items and like my suggestions a lot, but they seem a little light for a Christmas to remember, so I would add a BBQ rub from my hometown: Rendezous; the sauce is also excellent, BTW. Then top it all off with a coupon for dinner out somewhere nice/interesting/well reviewed. The overall message would be "I love your cooking and the fact that you do it for me, but also recognize that it is a lot of work and deserves a break from time to time". HTH

If money is no object a copper pot for making jams and jellies is lovely. Something similar to this.

If you live in a hot environment it's nice to have a propane stove for canning outdoors in the Summer.

This food mill/strainer is great for making tomato juice and sauce.

http://www.amazon.com/Victorio-VKP250-Strainer-Sauce-Maker/dp/B001I7FP54/ref=sr_1_1

If you don't have a dedicated water bath canner that comes with a jar basket, finding a stainless steel rack that fits into the pot you plan on using is also a very useful thing to have. It elevates the jars off the bottom.

A steam juicer is also a nice piece of equipment.

A conical food press is also useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Mirro-9605000A-Canning-Accessories-Wooden/dp/B00002N5ZQ/ref=sr_1_12?

A good metal ladle that portions food in 1/2 or 1 cup measures makes things easier.

Cloth jelly bags are useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-615-Jelly-Strainer-Piece/dp/B001FBEHFC/ref=sr_1_1

A canning lid rack can be useful, I like mine but most don't use them.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-605-Canning-Lid-Rack/dp/B0000CF39X/ref=sr_1_8

Tattler lids are always useful since you can reuse them.

http://www.amazon.com/Tattler-Reusable-Regular-Size-Canning/dp/B0051PDXCQ/ref=sr_1_3

I use something like that from Amazon. Here’s an awesome tip for you. Rather than putting the grounds in the strainer, I just add it directly into the mason jar and let it sit over night without inserting the cylinder strainer. Then when it’s done cold brewing, I insert the strainer to filter out the big particles and then put this flip top cap on it to pour over into a separate container while using a nut mesh bag to get the finer particles.

Fliptop cap for mason: Drink, Pour, Store! Wide Mouth Mason Jar Flip Cap Lid by County Line Kitchen with Airtight, Leak-Proof Seal and Innovative Flip Cap (WIDE MOUTH, Blue, 1 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776YQTLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tV.CDbG70SRQF

Nut bag mesh strainer:
2-PACK Best Nut Milk Bag - Restaurant Commercial Grade by GoNuts - Cheesecloth Strainer Filter For the Best Almond Milk, Cold Brew Coffee, Tea, Juicing, Yogurt, Tofu - BPA-Free Nylon 12"x10" Fine Mesh - Durable Washable Reusable - FREE Recipe E-book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WFU80KA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-X.CDbF4N6DW3

I highly recommend any of the Jokari brand kitchen tools. It looks like only a few of them are available on .ca, but they are all portion control tools. Very, very useful.

Here, here, and here are some that I found on .ca site.

You could also go with something like a diet and fitness journal.

I kind of need one of these. My laptop keeps overheating and shutting itself down which freaks me out because it took two jobs and an entire summer to scrape the money together for this one.

I recently moved into a new place which only has a really tiny one of these so it's completely useless if I want to make pasta.

This is sort of a want item but I really want to learn how to do nice eye make up and things like that and obviously being able to keep the eyeshadow on would be a help.

Goodbye Eleven and thanks for the contest <3

So... I was at a Ramen Restaurant the other day and was hit with some inspiration. They use things like this, to boil noodles in and take them out easily. Does anyone use this method for hops? Seems like a cheap effective way to remove hops before transfer etc.

your process looks pretty good, i have the 15gal ss brewtech and i would get it without the thermo. you are just going to cause problems with the bag. another thing i would get is a giant whisk for mashing and creating whirlpools/oxegenating

also i use this giant colander on top of my 15 gal brewtech kettle to rest the bag in and squeeze with some silicone gloves. the gloves are a must with BIAB.

i used to use a hop bag but ever since going away from it i have found my beers have gained some hop character they were lacking before.

also make sure you are treating your water for chlorine with campden tablets before brewing, and if you want to go one step further you can build your water up from scratch. i fill up 2 6 gallon containers at the windmill express for .25c a gal and add gypsum, cacl, epsom etc from there.

Do you love pretty brass? If so, get the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler, separator, and magnet.

Make sure it's this separator: https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Media-Separator/dp/B01B6S8JUC

I reuse my oil multiple times - usally I get 4-5 uses out of it before it starts turning dark. Higher smoke point oils will last longer. I like peanut oil. Buy it at a restauraunt supply like Smart Food Service though, it's marked up too much in grocery stores.

These oil filters work out to $0.25 each and are perfect for straining the oil using a chinoise.

I agree with grerab, you definitely want to start small and build it up. Nothing feels worse than buying an expensive liqueur that is a "required" bottle for a bar only to find out that you don't enjoy any drinks that use it. That said, it's pretty safe to have a nice high quality bottle each of whiskey (bourbon or rye), gin, and rum.

I'm a "buy once, cry once" kind of person when it comes to tools. You can find some lovely vintage cocktail coupes at antique stores for a reasonable price that will add a lot of character to your bar. I also like the quality of the basic tools available from Cocktail Kingdom, if a touch overpriced.

Again, to echo grerab, I would also suggest a long-handled bar spoon, Boston shaker set, hawthorn strainer, and one of these jiggers. If you find you like a lot of drinks with citrus and want to forego the citrus juicer, I would suggest at least picking up a cheap tea strainer to catch all of the bits from your fingers.

I'm not affiliated with this author in any ways, but I always suggest Dave Stolte's website and book to anyone getting started.

The recipe was:

• 8 honey crisp - 4.5lbs
  
• 10 pink lady - 3.5lbs
  
• 10 Red Delicious - 5.5lbs
  
• 10 fuji - 5lbs
  
• 10 Gala - 3.5lbs
  
  Cored the apples, and cut them into wedges with one of these, then put them in a 20 quart pot. Filled the pot halfway up with clean water, and turned the heat to high with the lid on. My wife threw in about a tablespoon of cinnamon and a half tablespoon of allspice into a jelly strainer bag, and left it in the middle of the pot. After about an hour we turned the heat down to keep the water at a simmer, then a half hour later the apples were pretty much completely steamed, so we removed the lid and started mashing them with a potato masher. After that we drained the liquid into a separate 10 quart pot through a large strainer. That part took quite a while, and eventualy we were putting ladles of apple mush into a separate smaller strainer and using the back of the ladle to press the juices through while the pulp got mostly caught by the larger strainer. The apple mush went into yet another pot, and turned into apple sauce. After all was said and done, we had just about a gallon of really good cider. To ferment, we used a packet of montrachet yeast, a teaspoon of diammonium phosphate, a quarter teaspoon of tannin, a teaspoon of fermax yeast nutrient, and a half teaspoon of pectic enzyme. It's fermenting in a Carlo Rossi jug.

^^ exactly

I use
https://www.amazon.com/Oggi-Stainless-Removable-Strainer-1-Quart/dp/B00JZO3A1I

to keep all that lovely grease. great for adding flavor and fat to anything else you make

After hating the cooler mash tun for reasons of space and cleaning, I returned to BIAB. Having struggled with pulleys and considering having a stellar BIAB filter made, I found this:Tablecraft (713) 13 qt Stainless Steel Footed Colander https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W7U6H4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_mD37Sad5QILQO. Cheap and easy. Yank the grain bag, pop the colander on the kettle, and start heating to mash temp. Saves time on lautering, and can heat while it drains. Easy to press a bit out without worrying about bending anything.

Maybe it's obvious, but I thought I'd share.

Recipe today was an evolution of my Focal Banger clone (since I'm lucky to have some to compare), with a more new school NEIPA treatment: 11# Pearl, 2#GNO, .5# flaked barley, acid malt and 1.5# sugar. Chloride heavy water and Notty.

My wife got me a noodle basket for Christmas one year. They’re pretty inexpensive and they work great!

https://www.amazon.com/Helens-Asian-Kitchen-Stainless-Dumpling/dp/B01DF4L2DG/ref=asc_df_B01DF4L2DG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194812759407&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16209950707552490855&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017242&hvtargid=pla-313840840969&psc=1

Line cook here... If you can find a restaurant supply store (or one online) you might be better off in the long term seeking out something like this: www.amazon.com/Matfer-17360-Exoglass-Bouillon-Strainer/dp/B00069ZUXW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1

Its basically a conical sieve with a superfine mesh that will be good enough to strain stocks, filter cooking oil, amongst many other random uses.

My start-up costs for making my own bitters:

[Strainer] (http://www.amazon.com/CIA-Masters-Collection-4-Inch-Strainer/dp/B000HV9HQ0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406127430&sr=8-2&keywords=small+fine+mesh+strainer) : ~$13

Metal Funnel: ~$5

["Infusion Jars"] (http://www.target.com/p/canning-jar-set-ball/-/A-14898081#prodSlot=medium_1_14&term=mason+jar): ~$9

Dispensing Bottles: ~$15 for an infinite supply of dropper bottles

[Labels] (http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-ScotchBlue-0-94-in-x-60-yds-Painter-s-Tape-2090-24J/100085823): ~$4

The total came to about $46 so I suppose $50 for everything I purchased (although in much smaller quantities) plus the ingredients to test run a couple of recipes (their aromatic and citrus bitters) isn't bad at all.

Although, if you want to have multiple infusions/recipes going at once I suggest buying your jars and bottles in bulk as it will save you some cash in the long run. As others have said, buy Parson's book as it will help you get some ideas for bitters recipes.

I'll add a mexican elbow to the must haves. Also, the guy apparently likes Old Fashioneds, a stirred cocktail, so I'll add a mixing glass as well. That also puts a bar spoon in the must haves. :)

Edit: You'll need a julep strainer for the mixing glass.

I got one of these and a magnet.
https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Media-Separator/dp/B01B6S8JUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483812316&sr=8-1&keywords=frankford+arsenal+media+separator

You can usually find them a little cheaper from time to time. It works pretty well and one of the sides has a screen in it so you can rinse the media. Worth the $$ in my opinion.

Oh girl, I know this struggle! I recommend pushing the broth through a cheesecloth-lined wire mesh sieve (as it sounds like you've been doing), into as tall and thin a container as you have that will hold it. Refrigerate it for a few hours - long enough for the grit to sink to the bottom. Pour it off through the sieve one more time; stop pouring about an inch above the grit layer and what you have decanted should end up pretty clear.

There are strainers specifically designed for noodles. Just place the noodles in the basket, submerge in boiling water and use chopsticks to stir the noodles. You can hang it on the side of the pot until its ready. This is ideal for single servings and quicker cooking noodles.

It's an old-fashioned technique but I have something like this and keep it in the refrigerator.

Works well.

Something like this might be good for you guys.

I use this in a large glass jug. Works perfectly.

I didn't buy one for the same reason. I ended up finding this, though, and it's a perfect alternative for me: https://www.amazon.com/Kleynhuis-Yogurt-Strainer-Ultra-Fine-Micron/dp/B07868DR5D?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Ha, I had to look up the spelling a while back because we used it in conversation, but had no reason to write it down!

And Pita + oil is the go to lunch/snack, but when those extras are available and I have time, I love to pile them on. And I have definitely used old shirts to strain (and coffee filters, etc). This is the bag I mentioned earlier: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001D1SD3G

I make yogurt twice a week and love this bag

Kleynhuis Greek Yogurt Strainer Pouch, Ultra-Fine 100 Micron Nylon (16"X9") https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07868DR5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0A80Db0K36NHP

Here's how I've gotten the best results:

1. Use 99% ISO
   
   2.Freeze everything. Take an empty freezer, put your trim in large mason jars about 1/3rd full, put a pack of non-bleached coffee filters in there and your wire mesh strainer and about 10 short wide mouth mason jars with their lids.
   
   
2. Be Patient, wait a day for everything to really freeze.
   
   
3. Put on latex gloves and then a pair of cloth gloves. The latex is for the iso, the cloth is to insulate the jars from the heat coming off your hands.
   
   5.Pour the ISO into the trim jars until the jars are 1/2 full
   
   
4. Shake for 30 seconds
   
   
5. Pour out the whole thing into another mason jar just with the wire strainer at first.
   
   
6. Pre-make like 6 short wide mouth mason jars with coffee filters: take out he disc in the lid and make a basin in the coffee filter with one hand and screw the outside of the lid on with your other hand.
   
   
7. Run the strained iso into the coffee filters, move from one to the next when your coffee filter basin fills up, you can move quick in between and then come back around because the first one was draining when you were filling up the other 5. You want to move quick to minimize heat transfer from your hands into the jars.
   
   
8. Pour all the one-time filtered iso into one jar, repeat step 9. I've found that I don't get much if I do it 3 times so I only do it twice, but you can go 3 and get a little bit more shit out of there.
   
   
9. Make a water bath with 2 pyrex dishes. Float one in water, then pour your strained ISO into that. Put this on an electric skillet next to a window. Face a fan toward the window so all your evaporating iso blows outside.
   
   
10. While the oil is still a liquid, transfer it to parchment paper (someone correct me if it's wax paper)
    
    
11. get out a heat gun and blow the liquid around the paper until you see it start to boil. That initial boiling is the iso coming out, but immediately after that the thc starts to vaporize. You should barely smell the smell of vaped weed.
    
    14.use a razor blade or other scraping tools to move around the wax and purge it
    
    
12. set it on a metal surface, like a washing machine, and use a dabbing tool to roll your qwiso off the partment paper.
    
    I've gotten great pull-and-snap oil out of this method, and if you overdo the heat gun you can get straight shatter.
    
    

Normally we would strain out the larger stuff with one of these China Caps (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000J3ZYCC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1372365592&sr=8-1&pi=SL75) then pass it through a Chinois (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00069ZUXW/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1372365228&sr=8-2&pi=SL75) to get out the fine imperfections. Skim the top while simmering too!

I like to use an almond butter bag to make the straining easier. Basically a large teabag filled with coffee in a large container of water.

I kind of like the Stainless Steel one better (5 stars too), and it's cheaper too:
GreaseKeeper

Yeah, so I did the first fermentation as normal (scoby, tea, sugar). After that was done (7 days for this one), I took out the pellicle and starter liquid for the next batch (which I started in another vessel). Using the same vessel I had just brewed in, I added the pumpkin and spices. I covered it with a cloth just the same way you do for a first fermentation. I let it ferment with the flavorings for 3 more days. Then I used a super fine filter (a greek yogurt strainer bag actually, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kleynhuis-Yogurt-Strainer-Ultra-Fine-Micron/dp/B07868DR5D) to strain everything into a separate container. Then I funneled it into the bottles. I just did that last part today, so I'm not sure how the carbonation will turn out, but I was seeing lots of carbonation bubbles in the brew before I strained it, and I do see some tiny ones already after a couple hours, so I'm guessing those will continue to build over the next few days. I plan to let them sit at room temperature for about three days or so. This is all new to me, too! I think I'm a little less concerned about the carbonation and more about it getting too sour, as this is essentially adding three extra days to what I normally would have done (going straight from F1 to bottling F2 with flavorings). We'll see!

Do you mean what you use to make nut milks?

Most people use something like this.

Np.something like this

3-1/4-Inch Very Fine Mesh Strainer

If you can't find one downtown, there's always amazon

https://www.amazon.ca/Oggi-Stainless-Removable-Strainer-1-Quart/dp/B00JZO3A1I/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1482992249&sr=1-1-fkmr2&keywords=bacon+grease+strainer

> Frankford Arsenal Media Separator

https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Media-Separator/dp/B01B6S8JUC

Why don't you get the media separator? It saves you tons of time picking out the brass from the SS media.

https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Media-Separator/dp/B01B6S8JUC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486052075&sr=8-2&keywords=frankford+arsenal+media+separator

NAH, if she’s cooking, she gets to make the decisions.

Alternatively, cook both pastas at the same time using the same pot. Boom, problem solved.