(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best kitchen & dining accessories
We found 80,890 Reddit comments discussing the best kitchen & dining accessories. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 28,519 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
41. Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker | Bluetooth | 800W (Discontinued)
- Enova precision cooker Bluetooth - perfect to cook within Bluetooth range from the Enova app or from the device manually. Serves up to 8 people. Fits on any pot. Adjustable clamp.
- Cook like a Pro - the Enova precision cooker allows anyone to cook a restaurant quality meal at home. Our sous vide Circulator is the perfect kitchen appliance for hands-off cooking of vegetables, meat and much more with consistent control and precision. We're so confident in our product Enova backs it with a 2-year warranty
- Perfect results, every time - Precision cooking enables you to produce results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method. No dry edges and no rare centers. Juices and flavors donāt escape. Food comes out perfectly moist and tender. Continuous temperature control provides reliable and consistent results every time. Perfect for vegetables, meat, fruit, cheese and much more.
- Smart device control & cooking notifications - our temperature cooker is can be controlled remotely with smart devices, allowing you to escape from the kitchen while you cook. Simply download the Enova app to easily monitor, adjust or control the device from your iPhone and Android or other smart devices. The precision cooker also provides you cooking notifications while you're out of the kitchen so you'll know when your food is ready. The precision cooker's blue tooth connection allows you to control the device up to 30 feet away.
- Easy to use - simply attach the precision cooker to any pot, add water, drop in desired food in a sealed bag or glass jar. Start cooking with the touch of a button on the device. The sous vide cooker's timer and precise temperature control allow you to step away and relax while your food cooks perfectly. No additional equipment needed.
- Get creative with 1, 000+ recipes - choose from sous vide guides and recipes created for home cooks of every skill level by award-winning chefs, With simple directions to walk through each recipe with ease. All available free of charge. Great for beginner and veteran chefs!
- Simple to clean - the precision cooker's detachable stainless steel skirt and disks are dishwasher safe making this kitchen appliance easy to clean and maintain.
Features:
Specs:
Color | blue |
Height | 2.75 Inches |
Length | 14.75 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 2.5 Pounds |
Width | 2.75 Inches |
42. Hario Ceramic Coffee Dripper, Size 02, White
- Classic Ceramic Dripper: Specially designed to produce an evenly brewed cup of coffee. Durable Japanese ceramic retains heat to help ensure retain temperature throughout the brewing cycle. Minimalist look to suit any kitchen design or style
- Pour Over Excellence: Specialty cone shape and unique spiral ridges allow for deeper layering of the coffee grounds, producing a deep, rich umami flavor
- Pour Control: The V60 features a single large hole, improving pour flow and providing users the ultimate freedom-- Pour water quickly for a light flavor or slower for a rich, deep taste. Better accentuates coffees with floral or fruit flavor notes
- Traditional Meets Modern: Our ceramic drippers are made from Arita-yaki, a traditional style of Japanese ceramics with a rich 400-year history. Each Hario pour over dripper is handmade by a local craftsperson in Japan
- Product Details: Size 1; 1-2 cup brewing capacity. W119ĆD100 ĆH82mm. Red color
Features:
Specs:
Color | White |
Height | 4 Inches |
Length | 4.7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Size 02 |
Weight | 1.07 Pounds |
Width | 5.5 Inches |
43. FORLIFE Brew-in-Mug Extra-Fine Tea Infuser with Lid
- Dishwasher safe
- Made from lead-free material
- Do not put on flame or heating element
- Let boiling water settle about 15-20-second before pouring
- Use baking soda dissolved in warm water to clean tea stain as needed
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 3.25 Inches |
Length | 4.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 0.25 Pounds |
Width | 3.62 Inches |
44. Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 Non-Contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer Temperature Gun -58ā~1022ā (-50āļ½550ā), Yellow and Black
- NOT FOR HUMAN: The instant read thermometer can't measure the internal temperature of an object; The readings from it are inanimate objects, and the measured temperature for humans or animals will not be correct; Class 2 laser, optical power 0.5-0.9Mw
- BETTER ACCURACY: 12:1 D:S, this temperature gauge can accurately measure targets at greater distances compared to most other thermometers; For best accuracy, the distance between the thermometer and object of measurement should approximately be 14.17 in
- TARGET QUICKER: Measure surface temperature ranging from -58ā to 1022ā/-50ā to 550ā, and unit switching ā/ā. A built in laser gives you the precision to hone in on the exact meat cooking, griddles, pools, refrigerators, and any you want to measure
- ADDED FUNCTIONS: The LCD screen of the infrared thermometer is backlit, also has an auto-off function to extend the battery life, and features a low battery indicator so you never accidentally run out of juice (battery included)
- VERSATILE USES: With Infrared technology, the temperature gun can measure the temperatures above boiling points and below freezing points; Use it for cooking, pizza ovens, griddles, BBQ grills; A/C, refrigerators, pools; candy&soap making, etc
Features:
Specs:
Color | Yellow |
Height | 1.57 Inches |
Length | 6.1 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | -58 to 1022ā |
Weight | 0.29982867632 Pounds |
Width | 3.1 Inches |
45. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet With Assist Handle, 10.25", Black
One Lodge Pre-Seasoned 10.25 Inch Cast Iron SkilletAssist handle for better controlUnparalleled heat retention and even heatingPre-seasoned with 100% natural vegetable oilUse to sear, sautƩ, bake, broil, braise, fry, or grillUse in the oven, on the stove, on the grill, or over a campfireGreat for i...
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2 Inches |
Length | 16.12 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 10.25-Inch |
Weight | 5.35 Pounds |
Width | 10.68 Inches |
46. AWS Series Digital Pocket Weight Scale 1kg x 0.1g, (Black), AWS-1KG-BLK
- Portable Scale: This digital food scale measures 5" x 3" x 0.8", so it's the perfect size for measuring on the go. Use it to measure food, coffee, spices, or medication.
- Durable & Compact: This mini kitchen scale is perfect for travel and can fit in your bag. Plus, it easily converts between grams, ounces, troy ounces, pennyweights.
- LCD Screen: The digital scale's backlit LCD Screen makes numbers viewable and easy to read ā even in dim lighting. Thanks to high-precision sensors, you'll get an accurate measurement every time.
- Built-in Cover: Keep your electronic food scale safe with the built-in durable cover. It will keep your scale looking like new and protect it from scratches, bumps, and everyday wear and tear.
- Stainless Steel: Our digital kitchen scale has a stainless-steel surface that's easy to clean. Place your items directly onto the Stainless Steel or place them in a tray or container for measuring.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 3.88 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 1000G x 0.1G |
Weight | 0.03 Pounds |
Width | 5.75 Inches |
47. De'Longhi EC155 15 Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker,Black
- EVERY CUP TO YOUR LIKING: 15-bar professional pressure assures quality results every time, and adjustable controls allow you to make modifications for your personal taste preferences.
- BREW LIKE A PRO: Whatever your preference ā single or double espresso, cappuccino or latte ā the machine brews authentic barista-quality beverages just like you enjoy at your favorite coffeehouse.Input power (W): 1050
- YOUR FOAM, YOUR WAY: A manual frother mixes steam and milk to create a rich, creamy froth for evenly textured drinks ā just the way you like them.
- ONE ESPRESSO SHOT OR TWO. The three-in-one filter holder, included with the unit, has filters for one espresso shot, two shots, and one for an easy-serve espresso pod ā whatever your preference.
- NO WAITING BETWEEN CUPS: The Advanced Cappuccino System maintains the optimal temperature so you can brew cup after cup instantly.
- SLEEK SPACE-SAVING DESIGN: With a sleek profile, compact design and narrow footprint, the EC155 fits beautifully on a kitchen countertop ā without taking up too much space.
- CONVENIENT WATER TANK: The water tank is simple to remove, refill and reattach, and the water level is easily visible to eliminate the guesswork.
- EASY TO CLEAN: Removable water tank and drip tray make for easy cleanup, and the parts are dishwasher safe.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 15 Inches |
Length | 19.3 Inches |
Size | 1 |
Weight | 6.6800065386 Pounds |
Width | 12.2 Inches |
48. Cuisinart CSB-75BC Smart Stick 200 Watt 2 Speed Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome
- 2 speeds (low and high) for all your blending tasks. BPA free
- 200 watt motor handles more blending tasks
- Stick design reaches into pots, pitchers, and bowls to extend blending options, Dishwasher-safe blending shaft and beaker make cleanup effortless
- Ergonomically designed grip offers comfortable hold and more control while blending. When mixing liquids, especially hot liquids, use a tall container or make small quantities at a time to reduce spillage and splattering
- To operate: press and hold the Lock/Unlock button located on the top of the hand blender before holding High/Low speed options
- Limited 3-year warranty
- NOTE: Check instruction video available before use
- 2 speeds (low and high) for all your blending tasks
- Stick design reaches into pots, pitchers and bowls to extend blending options
- Ergonomically designed grip offers comfortable hold and more control while blending
- Operates with a one-touch control for easy, one-touch blending
- Dishwasher-safe blending shaft and beaker make cleanup effortless
Features:
Specs:
Color | Brushed Chrome |
Height | 15.75 Inches |
Length | 4.8 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 2017 |
Weight | 2.2 Pounds |
Width | 4.8 Inches |
49. Etekcity Food Scale, Digital Kitchen Weight Grams and Ounces for Baking and Cooking, Small, Stainless Steel
- Accurate Measurement: Weigh up to 5 kg / 11 lb precisely in 1 g / 0.05 oz increments.
- Unit Conversion: Select your preferred units, oz / lbāoz / flāoz / g /mL to follow recipes more conveniently.
- Tare Function: Use the tare function to remove container weight from the final measurement of your food.
- LCD Display: Easily read measurements on the backlit LCD display.
- Quality Material: Measure food, small items, and liquids with confidence on the 304 food-grade, stainless steel platform.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Stainless Steel |
Height | 0.6 Inches |
Length | 7.3 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2020 |
Size | Medium |
Weight | 0.44 Pounds |
Width | 5.7 Inches |
50. Bialetti Express Moka Pot, 6 -Cup, Aluminum Silver
- Made in Italy: it is Made in Italy and its quality is enhanced by the patented safety valve which makes it easy to clean and its ergonomic handle, available in many sizes and suitable for gas, electric and induction (with the Bialetti induction adapter plate)
- How to prepare the coffee: fill the boiler up to the safety valve, fill the filter up with ground coffee without pressing, close the moka pot and place it on the stovetop, as soon as Moka Express starts to gurgle, turn the fire off and coffee will be ready
- One size for each need: Moka Express sizes are measured in Espresso Cups, coffee can be enjoyed in Espresso Cups or in larger containers
- Cleaning instructions: The Bialetti Moka Express must only be rinsed with clean water after use, with no detergents, the product is not to be washed with a dishwasher as it will be irremediably damaged and the taste of coffee altered
- Sustainability: using Bialetti Moka Express is a 100% sustainable way of preparing your coffee, as it produces no waste, is cleaned without detergents and with little maintenance it will last a lifetime
Features:
Specs:
Color | Aluminum Silver |
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 4 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | May 2006 |
Size | 6 -Cup |
Weight | 1.7196056436 Pounds |
Width | 4 Inches |
51. AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker - Makes 1-3 Cups of Delicious Coffee without Bitterness per Press
- Popular with coffee enthusiasts worldwide, the patented AeroPress is a new kind of coffee press that uses a rapid, total immersion brewing process to make smooth, delicious, full flavored coffee without bitterness and with low acidity.
- Good-bye French Press! The rapid brewing AeroPress avoids the bitterness and high acidity created by the long steep time required by the French press. Plus, the AeroPress paper Microfilter eliminates grit and means clean up takes seconds.
- Makes 1 to 3 cups of American coffee per pressing in about a minute, and unlike a French press, it can also brew espresso style coffee for use in lattes, cappuccinos and other espresso based drinks.
- Perfect for home kitchen use, the AeroPress is lightweight, compact, portable and durable, making it also ideal for traveling, camping, backpacking, boating and more!
- Includes the AeroPress press, funnel, scoop, stirrer, 350 microfilters and a filter holder. Phthalate free and BPA free. Mug not included. Assembled measurements: 9 1/2" h X 4" w X 4" d
Features:
Specs:
Color | Gray |
Height | 11.5 Inches |
Length | 5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Height: 11.5" |
Weight | 0.83114272774 Pounds |
Width | 5 Inches |
52. Porlex Jp-30 Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder, Silver
Ceramic conical burrs with wide range can grind from powder to french pressMade in osaka, japan30 gram capacityStainless steel, static free body47mm diameter and stands 178mm tall
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 1.8897637776 Inches |
Length | 1.8897637776 Inches |
Weight | 0.1543235834 Pounds |
Width | 7.5984251891 Inches |
53. Whirley-Pop Popper Kit - Nylon Gears - Silver - 1 Real Theater All Inclusive Popping Kit
- PERFECT POPCORN IN 3 MINUTES: The Original Silver Whirley Pop Stovepop Popcorn Popper takes the guesswork out of creating delicious, perfectly cooked popcorn. This popcorn popper makes up to 6 quarts of flawless popcorn in just 3 minutes, plus itās backed by a 25-year warranty.
- NO BURNT POPCORN: The patented stirring system in this stovetop popcorn popper prevents burning so you always have perfectly cooked popcorn. It works by moving every kernel until it pops ā up to 42 times its original size!
- EASY CLEAN UP: Once youāre done popping your popcorn, you donāt have to worry about a big cleanup! This silver, sturdy aluminum popcorn popper comes with a stay-cool wooden handle and a nylon stirring system ā just wipe with a paper towel and store for later use.
- DELICIOUS POPPING KIT INCLUDED: This Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper comes with a real theatre popping kit for delicious and quick movie theater popcorn from the comfort of your home. The movie theater popcorn kit includes fresh popping corn, our secret buttery salt and gourmet popping oil.
- MOVIE NIGHT AT HOME: You no longer have to head to the theater for authentic movie theater popcorn ā enjoy it in just 3 minutes at home on your comfy couch!
Features:
Specs:
Color | Gray |
Height | 9.5 Inches |
Length | 16.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Popper Pack |
Weight | 2.15 Pounds |
Width | 8 Inches |
54. Victorinox 8 Inch Swiss Classic Chef's Knife
- Multipurpose chef's knife designed for chopping, mincing, slicing, and dicing with razor sharp, laser-tested, tapered knife edge, which is ground to form an exacting angle, to hold a sharp edge longer and ensure maximum cutting performance and durability
- Contemporary handle inspired by our Fibrox Pro line is textured, ergonomic, and slip-resistant and is paired with lightweight European steel for a perfectly balanced design
- āRecommendedā by a leading gourmet consumer magazine that features unbiased ratings and reviews of cookware and kitchen equipment
- The same blade used by professionals with a handle that suits the needs of home chefs
- Expertly crafted in Switzerland since 1884; designed for professionals who use knives all day, every day; lifetime warranty against defects in material and workmanship
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 0.787 inches |
Length | 13.583 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | April 2021 |
Size | 8" Chef's |
Weight | 0.39903669422 pounds |
Width | 2.205 inches |
55. NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray
- EVEN HEAT DISTRIBUTION: 600 watts of drying power provides even heat distribution; consistent drying that is four times faster than other food dehydrators
- ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE CONTROL: The adjustable temperature control (95Ā°F -160Ā°F) gives you the flexibility to achieve the best results when drying different foods that need varying temperature settings
- EXPANDABLE TO 12 TRAYS: Comes with five (13 1/2ā³ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once with no tray rotation needed; additional trays sold separately
- EXPANDABLE TO 12 TRAYS: Comes with five (13 1/2ā³ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once with no tray rotation needed; additional trays sold separately
- ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: (2) Fruit Roll Sheet, (2) Clean-A-Screens, a sample of Jerky Seasoning & Cure, and (1) Care & Use Guide
- MADE IN THE USA: Proudly made in the USA of global and domestic components. Only the powerhead of this item is imported from China. The rest of the product is 100% made and assembled in the USA
Features:
Specs:
Color | Gray |
Height | 13.87 Inches |
Length | 13.75 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | For Snacks, Fruit, Beef Jerky |
Weight | 7.75 Pounds |
Width | 22.13 Inches |
56. Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S-A 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker with Digital Timer, Stainless Steel
- 6 quart Cook & Carry Slow Cooker serves 7 plus people
- Digital countdown control lets you program cook times anywhere from 30 minutes up to 20 hours; shifts to Warm setting automatically once cook time completes
- Easy to use locking lid featuring lid gasket provides extra seal for less mess on the go
- All Crock Pot Slow Cooker removable stone inserts (without lid) may be used safely in the microwave and the oven set up to 400 degree F; If you own another slow cooker brand, please refer to your ownerās manual for specific crockery cooking medium tolerances
- Works on 240 Watts at 120V A.C; and 60Hz
Features:
Specs:
Color | Stainless Steel |
Height | 11.4 Inches |
Length | 10.4 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2020 |
Size | 6-Quart |
Weight | 13.5 Pounds |
Width | 16.5 Inches |
57. OXO Good Grips 11 Pound Food Scale with Pull-Out Display, Stainless Steel
- 11 lb capacity Scale measures ingredients in 1/8 oz (US) and 1 g (metric) increments for remarkable precision
- Zero function allows you to tare Scale before adding additional ingredients, ensuring accurate measurements for every recipe
- Easy to read display features large digital numbers with optional backlight, and a convenient meter shows how much of the Scaleās 11 lb capacity remains
- Innovative Display pulls away from base to prevent shadowing from large plates or bowls, thin profile allows for easy storage; Removable stainless steel platform can be hand washed
- Cord free design makes for a no fuss setup, 4 AAA batteries included
- A Cook's Illustrated winner
Features:
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 2.12 Inches |
Length | 11.25 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 11 Pound Scale |
Weight | 1 Pounds |
Width | 8.6 Inches |
58. JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder with Adjustable Setting - Conical Burr Mill & Brushed Stainless Steel Whole Bean Burr Coffee Grinder for Aeropress, Drip Coffee, Espresso, French Press, Turkish Brew
BUILT-IN ADJUSTABLE GRIND SELECTOR - with over 18 click settings ensures you have 100% precision & control over the coarseness of your coffee beans making for the perfect grind to start your day.CONVENIENT & EASY TO USE: Our removable hand crank mechanism consistently eliminates over 90% of the nois...
Specs:
Color | Stainless Steel |
Height | 7.5 Inches |
Length | 1.8 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 0.5875 Pounds |
Width | 1.8 Inches |
59. Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater, Black
- Ultra Sharp Made in USA blades: Microplane uses photo-etched technology to make ultra sharp grating blades right here in America! BPA free plastic handle.
- Zest Citrus: The blade is designed with a specific tooth set that takes the flavorful rind directly off the citrus fruit, while leaving behind the bitter white pith. Zest adds flavor to vinaigrettes, stir fries, salads, and baked goods!
- Grate Cheese: Grate parmesan into fluffy mounds that melt quickly and look beautiful when treating yourself of family to rustic bowls of pasta. Sprinkle fresh parmesan over eggs, salads, or any dish for a burst of flavor.
- Surgical Grade Stainless Steel: this material stays rust-free and maintains sharpness over time. True stainless steel is magnetic, so this item can be hung on your magnetic knife strip.
- Dishwasher Safe: The tool is easy to clean, simply rinse immediately after use. Use a kitchen brush on the underside of the blade to clean out tough to reach particles. The zester/grater can also be placed in the dishwasher.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 12 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater |
Weight | 0.5 Pounds |
Width | 1.31 Inches |
60. Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee and Tea Maker, 34 Ounce, Black
- Add coarsely grounded Coffee. Add hot water. Wait 4 minutes. Plunge.
- No paper filters or plastic capsules required.
- Base and handle made of BPA-free polypropylene. Carafe made of German heat-resistant borosilicate glass. Plunger made of stainless steel
- 34 oz. capacity.
- Dishwasher safe.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 9.3 Inches |
Length | 4.2 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 34 oz |
Weight | 1 Pounds |
Width | 5.2 Inches |
š Reddit experts on kitchen & dining accessories
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where kitchen & dining accessories are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Well this is gonna get kinda long and will only scratch the surface but I'll break down the pros and cons of some of the most popular entry-level gear in as un-confusing of a way as I can. First up, let's look at grinders.
First off, you want a burr grinder, particularly a conical burr grinder because those blender-y blade grinders they sell at wal-mart for $5 don't get any kind of a consistent grind. Varying sizes in a grind means varying levels of extraction in the cup and that means off flavors. Because burr grinders are more expensive, hand crank conical burr grinders are commonly recommended to beginners because of their lower price point compared to similar quality electrics. They're cheap and work well but do have some drawbacks beyond the extra effort involved in grinding. First, most of them don't have actual grind settings and you adjust the grind size by twisting a wheel until it looks as fine/coarse as you want it to. If you use different brew methods and switch grind size a lot, this can be a bit of a pain. Second, most hand grinders aren't ideal for french press because of the way the burrs are stabilized; they'll give fantastic fine/medium grinds but the coarse grind is a tad inconsistent. That said, I use a hand grinder for french press all the time and am relatively happy with the results. A few common ones are:
The Hario Skerton. I personally have one and love it. As I said, not perfect for french press but it's a durable daily driver that never lets me down and can do an espresso grind damn near as well as a $300 baratza
The hario mini is essentially the same grinder in a different, smaller package. Perfect for travel
The porlex JP-30 is a tad more expensive but has grind settings that, while unmarked, do "click" into place making adjusting grind coarseness a bit easier
If you wanted to go the electric route, I've seen refurbished Baratza encore grinders for around $100. This will give you a mediocre espresso grind but a perfect and much easier drip and french press grind
Next up: preparation methods
French presses use a metal mesh filter, which gives you all of the oils in the cup and lets a tiny bit of really fine coffee solids through, which gives the cup a rich, full-bodied, velvety character They're also very easy to use as there's pretty much one accepted way to brew in them. And here's Philly's own Todd Carmichael demonstrating it. As far as which one to buy, they're all pretty much the same: a glass tube with a stick in it and some mesh on the end of the stick. I like my sterlingpro a lot but the bodum chambord is hugely popular and looks just as nice. Even a cheapo will do the job just as well, though, even if it doesn't look as nice.
pourovers do essentially the same thing as a drip coffee machine just with a lot more input from you, which is good because all but the most ludicrously expensive drip machines are very inconsistent and don't work as well as just doing it your own damn self. With a pourover, you're going to use a kettle or measuring cup with a spout to pour the water over the grounds in a set amount of time (3-4 minutes depending on the grind size) and usually in a very specific manner. Because these use a paper filter, there are no oils or insoluble solids in the cup so the coffee is clearer, tastes cleaner and usually a bit brighter than french press coffee. Popular models include the Hario v60 which is one of the more finicky models. If you decide on one of these, be sure to use a gooseneck kettle like Mr. Carmichael was using in the french press video above. Slightly more forgiving are the kalita wave and the melitta both of which would work fine with a normal kettle so long as it has some type of pour spout. If you want something with very thick filters, so as to produce a very clear cup, and also looks very nice, the chemex is a beautiful thing that produces great coffee, has a built-in carafe, and can make more than one cup at a time. Really more of a replacement for a large-volume drip machine than most pourovers.
The Aeropress is an absurdly popular, extremely versatile, and very well priced coffee brewer which is essentially a huge syringe with a paper filter instead of a needle. There's a thousand recipes online with different ways to use it, all of which produce a different cup.
Also worth noting is that you may want a kettle with temperature control, coffee should be brewed at 195-205F, so knowing what temp your water is helps reduce a lot of the headaches of cooling off boiled water for a vague amount of time. This bonavita is a little on the pricey side but has temp control and a gooseneck, which is always useful
I was actually starting to draft a little cooking ideas post like this. This is just what I found value in and will ramble because I haven't really edited it down at all. So if anyone reads it and has notes please let me know, it's fairly directionless at the moment. It is also from the perspective of and aimed towards young single people but not exclusive to. I am also well aware a lot of you folks are good cooks or at least have a functional kitchen and I in no way want it to sound like I'm more knowledgeable than anyone with an hour to watch youtube videos.
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TL:DR Make sure your skills are on point before getting convenience tools as you might not need them, a cast iron or good stainless steel skillet and a good couple of knives can do most things in a kitchen, plan meals before you shop to avoid wastefulness.
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This post is big, flawed, and broken into two main sections. One is purely skills based, stuff you can totally do for free and can start doing right this moment. That's a big part of minimalism for me, gaining skills and getting good at some things rather than owning and being okay at a ton of things. The second section is more of a buy guide, again all from my experience.
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First off is to focus less on the equipment and more on the technique. Fundamentally, knife skills, understanding of cook times, heat, and technique, creativity and planning are some terms I like. In addition I have thoughts on tools and ingredients
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First, learn your knife, do drills, practice good form constantly. When I started in a fast-food-y sandwich shop when I was 16, the manager (who was a line cook for years) suggested I practice things like chopping a carrot as thinly as possible, or celery, or breaking down onion and garlic. Then I got to work with the prep team (which was cool because they taught me Spanish) to learn basic stuff like sauces and cooking meats. The result is a few years later, I have a decent knife. Not as good as a legit cook or anything but enough that I can confidently use a sharp knife to do anything a home cook would ever need to.
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Cook times. It's way less intimidating to work on food when you know "okay my chicken will take this long, oven takes this long, rice needs this much time", and so on. From a minimalist perspective, this will help you cut down on some tools such as a plug-in type grill, rice cookers, stuff that times or cooks food for you. Learning how to use heat also really improves the versatility of something as simple as a cast iron pan. Technique will allow you to make staple dishes or at least be able to take a guess at how to prepare just about anything, and the most valuable tip for that is look up how to make individual components of dishes rather than just recipes over and over. This becomes relevant in the next portion as well.
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Creativity. As some people are mentioning, "aspirational groceries" cause clutter and waste in the form of garbage and money. Creativity helps solve this when paired with planning. When shopping, I found it valuable to plan out meals for the week. Buy what you need, make a note of what isn't used, and refine. That's planning. Creativity is ending up with some random ingredients and Macgyvering it together so you don't waste or overspend. That is made much easier by having solid cooking techniques so you have a bit of a starting off point for creativity.
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Now into the stuff. I personally think a couple things are fundamental. Babish from YouTube has a great List . First off, get a good 7" to 8" Chef knife. I use a Gyuto but that's more because I impulse bought one when I first moved out and had all the money in the world from not having any expenses and was talked into it by a very nice saleswoman at the knife shop in town. Wusthof is a great name in knives and if you can get a hold of an 8" one of those, a bread knife, and maybe a pairing knife (I don't really use mine much but some people do) you will be able to do most things. I'd avoid buying a knife set just because you're more than likely paying for an extra 3 or so knives you won't use, and they're cheap for a reason. But to each their own, it is very convenient to have the steak knives, honing rod, and scissors that most of them include. No judgement here. Plus they're really really affordable.
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Now as to everything else, I'm not as researched. I think a good cast iron skillet is fantastic from a minimalist perspective as you can do most things that you'd really ever need to do on it, from frying to saute to some baking. Kent Rollins is first off a joy to watch but more importantly uses very limited tools. He does have his specialized "bertha" stove but for the most part it's just him with either open fires or a hot stove cooking in cast iron pans and dutch ovens. If you want to know more, I'd just watch the babish video above, he talks more about why he has what he has, such as this expensive but amazing set of pots and pans. Off the top of my head: baking sheets, a large cutting board, a meat thermometer (safety), measuring cups and spoons, box grater (or one coarse grater and one microplane grater), spatulas, tongs, etc.
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Like I said this is mostly ranting, and I'm going to research and trim it down for the future, but these are my thoughts at the moment.
You and I are probably similar. I had never cooked before spontaneously deciding I was going to cook all of my own food from scratch on my 37th birthday. I also spent HOURS slaving away on often so-so dishes and felt discouraged. I pushed through that initial 2-3 month window of crappiness and now I'm 2.5 years into cooking 6 days a week and it's been life changing. That said, I still don't LIKE cooking, but I don't mind it, and I love the feeling that I finally know what I should be eating.
I think it was J. Kenzi Lopez Alt who said that good food is the result of:
Good recipes: I can't believe there's 41 comments and no one's mentioned Budget Bytes. She is the queen of pragmatic, low cost, fast-enough, from-scratch, healthy weeknight dinners. For your first couple of months of cooking try focusing on just her recipes. They're beginner friendly and very well written.
At least until you develop the sense of what makes recipes good, avoid YouTube, gif recipes, Pintrest, and the obnoxious blogs full of too-well-staged-photos. They're interested in views and shares, not cooking.
Here's some other sites that produce consistently good food:
Here's some confidence building fantastic recipes:
Good Ingredients: In the beginning I found that cooking was often way more expensive than I'd ever imagined. That was in part because I hadn't built up much of a pantry (oils, vinegars, spices, other condiments), but the main reason was because I was shopping a supermarket. For both cost and quality reasons, each week try finding a new market in your area. In particular, look for ethnic markets frequented by people of the biggest ethnic culture in your area. The asian, mexican, and middle eastern markets in my area have better quality food for quite seriously 50-75% less than a supermarket. The closest supermarket charged $7/lb for prepackaged ground beef. The mexican place nearby charges $3/lb for ground beef they grind themselves.
Speaking of ethnic markets, try to find an ethnic market with a dry goods section where you can scoop out as much of an ingredient as you want into bags for cheap.
If you live in a metropolitan area find a Penzeys. They sell spices that are much higher quality than a supermarket for about 25-50% less than supermarket prices.
You're going to need tons of chicken broth. Until you inevitably start making your own large batches in a pressure cooker a year from now, stick with Better Than Bouillon(https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BTB_Package_8oz_Roasted_Chicken_Base-2017.png). It's cheaper and better than the crap you get from a can or carton.
Good Equipment: The most important thing is a sharp knife. Here's the $27 knife everyone usually recommends. Even if you already have a knife, it's probably dull if it's not new and you haven't sharpened it; get it sharpened or buy a new one for now. Learn to hone it before or after each use.
Go to a kitchen supply store, Smart & Final, or Amazon and get a couple of 1/4 sheet trays ($4?), ten or so bar towels ($1 each), and a prep bin ($4) so that your prep area looks like this. Also get a bench scraper ($5). The 1/4 sheet trays keep your ingredients organized and ready to go. The prep bin saves you from having to keep a trash can nearby and keeps things tidy. The bench scraper is a time-saving godsend for moving stuff around. A proper prep station alone will probably cut your cooking times by 10-20%.
Good Technique: Once you have an organized prep station and you get your workflow down, the biggest time saver is going to be knife skills. Onions & garlic will be your most commonly chopped items, so watch several videos and make sure that each time you chop one of those it's meaningful practice. To avoid cutting yourself: get a sharp knife, while cutting always consider what would happen if your knife slips, and every time something awkward/unusual happens, take a small pause before you continue cutting.
The art of home cooking by recipe really comes down to heat management. Get an infrared thermometer for $20, they're incredibly valuable when starting out. For the vast majority of sauteing, turn your pan to medium high (just guess) and measure your pan with that thermometer until it's around 300 then pour in whatever oil you're using. Keep checking them temp with the thermometer until that oil is around 330-360 then toss in your meat or vegetables. If you wait a few seconds, slide the food out of the middle of the pan, and check the temp again you'll see it's in low 200's because the food saps the heat out of the pan. Your goal is to keep that heat in the 300's. Note that as the food heats up the pan will get hotter quicker, so as you're learning keep monitoring that pan and get used to the sounds it's making so eventually you'll manage heat through sound & instinct.
The last thing is: use more salt. If you're cooking a recipe that looked great, and got great reviews, and it doesn't seem like you made any big mistakes yet it's still bland, it's because you didn't add enough salt 100% of the time. It took me a while to realize that when I add salt to a dish someone else has made, they had already put a good amount of salt in it. So when salting a dish that makes four portions, you're not going to just shake in some salt from a shaker, you're going to pour in a teaspoon or more.
Yo bro, I got you!
First Rolling Papers
Second thing for sure is Filters
Now you need a grinder and there's a lot of good ones out there, this is the one I went with a few years back and I still use it all of the time, plus it came with a pollen press but... It's a bit pricey!
I'm gonna give you the rest of my typical setup that are less used by others and just the "little things"
*Get yourself a magnifying glass man. One of my all time favorite activities while I'm high with friends or even by myself is to just check out this dank skunk beautiful in front of me y'know? I went a step further and just recently bought a full on microscope.
Alright so that's the basic shiznit my man. On a side note I'd recommend just giving vaporizers a try if you have the resources. I just recently made the switch to a PAX2 from a grav water pipe. Let me tell you the transition has been beautiful. Anyways, I hope this was helpful. Toke care, pal.
TL;DR warning
Are you willing to invest in some tools? Do you like Five Guys? (skinny burgers) The fastest burger procedure that I know of is Kenji's Ultra-Smash technique, which makes a pair of thin patties in no time. Takes about a minute per burger (two patties with cheese). Details here:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/03/the-food-lab-maximize-flavor-by-ultra-smashin.html
You can also do a regular smash burger, which is thicker (McDonalds-thin), but takes longer (~1.5 minutes per side, about 3 minutes total per burger):
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/09/the-burger-lab-smashed-burgers-vs-smashing-burgers.html
The advantage of the ultra-smash is that it's super quick & you can toss a piece of cheese to melt between two patties, so you can pump out a ton of burgers in no time. You will need a few tools, namely:
It's not rocket science, but getting a proper setup will let you have a workflow that makes cooking for a crowd a breeze. I have a big extended family, so I cook in bulk a lot, but I also use this for just my immediate family because it's so fast to get setup. There is an up-front investment required, but everything you'll buy will pretty much last forever, so it's worth it if you like to eat burgers!
So the first two things you need are a metal cooking surface & a heat source that can pump out a lot of heat. I don't recommend a regular grill because they simply don't get hot enough; you need 600 to 700F to do this. You can either do a compact setup (a 2-burger surface with a single burner) or invest in a quality flat-top setup (more expensive, but lets you do more burgers at once). The ideal surface to do this on is a Baking Steel, which is very expensive. There are knockoffs for cheaper, but I like BS because they have a Griddle version with grooves to catch the grease:
http://www.bakingsteel.com/
You can also do it with cast iron. Lodge has a griddle for $25:
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LDP3-Double-Reversible-Griddle/dp/B002CMLTXG
If I'm just doing a single regular smash burger at a time, I use a 12" cast-iron pan. $28:
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Cast-Iron-Skillet-L10SK3ASHH41B-12-Inch/dp/B00G2XGC88/
If you do get into cast-iron, read up on this seasoning procedure (i.e. the way to keep it smooth & slippery without Teflon). It's a bit of a pain, but it's worth learning because anything you buy in cast-iron can be handed down to your kids because it lasts forever:
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
You will want a heavy smashing tool as well. I have this massive 2.5-pound cast-iron press. It fits inside the 12" pan above (but not the 10"). $13:
http://www.amazon.com/Update-International-Heavy-Weight-Hamburger-Commercial/dp/B002LDDKZ6
If you plan on doing ultra-smash burgers, you'll need a scraper. This is the one Kenji recommends, but you can probably find something locally: (Home Depot or Lowes)
http://www.amazon.com/Plextool-Wall-Paper-Stripper/dp/B00AU6GQLQ/
Anyway, getting back to the cooking part: you'll need a hi-temp burner. I like Bayou Burners, they sell them on Amazon. I have an SP10: ($50)
http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP10-High-Pressure-Outdoor/dp/B000291GBQ
I use that with my 12" cast-iron pan for when I'm just doing a few burgers for the family. 15 minutes = 5 burgers. You can also slap a flat surface like a cast-iron griddle or Baking Steel on that puppy. Also comes in a square version (not sure how the BTU's compare). I also have some KAB4 burners that I use with my Baking Steel, among other things. More expensive, but larger shell & burner: (more even heat over the cooking surface)
http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-KAB4-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0009JXYQY/
For cooking more at a time, you can get a cooktop. Blackstone has a 36" cooktop available, but it doesn't get very hot (don't get me wrong, it's an awesome tool, but I've had trouble breaking 500F on mine, which means you're not cooking 1-minute burgers on it, plus the heating is kind of uneven, so you have to work in the hot spots for faster cook times). Also comes in a slightly smaller 28" version (but it's only like $50 less, so it makes more sense to get the full-sized version because you get so much more cooking area). The nice thing with this setup is that for $299 (or a bit less if you shop around at places like Cabela's), you can cook like 20 burgers at a time, it's absolutely insane! I make epic breakfasts on it. Plus it folds up for transport, which is really handy. We use it for all of our family events & holidays:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DYN0438
A better version is from Tejas Smokers. They make camping stove carts that have burners built-in & have griddles available separately. They get super hot, downside is the cost: you can easily spend $700 on a nice setup.
https://tejassmokers.com/Camp-Stove-Carts/23
Oh yeah, Blackstone did just come out with a compact outdoor griddle which can run off those little one-pound green tanks if you want. They go for around $99 ($79 if you have an Ace Hardware near you). I have not tried this, but it gets good reviews. I'd be curious to see what kind of temperatures it can achieve:
http://www.amazon.com/Blackstone-Portable-Griddle-Outdoors-Camping/dp/B0195MZHBK
So that's a basic introduction to the cooktops: you need some kind of decently-sized metal surface, a hi-temp burner, a smashing tool, and optionally (but recommended) a scraper. You will also want to get a strong, high-quality spatula. A good one is $32:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/equipment-the-due-buoi-wide-spatula-my-new-fa.html
Available here:
http://www.duebuoi.it/x/uk_usd/catalog/p/spatulas~805-16x10.html
If you opt for cast-iron, get an infrared temperature gun (doesn't work too well on shiny metal surfaces like steel tho). $17:
http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G/
A cheap digital kitchen scale is useful too, for measuring out the proper amount of meat. $14:
http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Kitchen-Capacity-Stylish/dp/B003E7AZQA/
This collection of tools ensures that you have the proper workflow: a metal surface to cook on, the ability to bring the surface to a high temperature (and know what that temperature is for precise control), the ability to weigh your meat so you can pre-measure out what you need, the ability to smash the burger down, and also to properly scrape it off. Again, it's not rocket science, but if you have a wussy grill or a crappy surface or weak smashing/scraping tools, you're gonna have a bad time. You just need the right setup to pump burgers out fast!
So on to prep. For ultra-smash, you do a pair of 2-ounce ground beef balls. In the tutorial above, they use a mix of meat for 25% fat. I just grab some regular 80/20 ground plus some salt & pepper. For regular smash burgers, do a single 4-ounce ball (optionally 5 ounces...useful if you have a big cooktop for a bunch of burgers at one time & are only doing a single patty per burger). The nice thing is, there's no special prep required for the meat, so you can make all of your burger balls ahead of time. If you have 10 people & are doing ultra-smash, let's say half of them get 2 burgers, so 15 burgers total, or thirty 2oz balls. If you have 20 people & are doing regular smash, again with half getting an extra burger, that's 30 burgers total or thirty 4 or 5oz balls. So that takes care of prep...adjust as needed. If you're feeding mostly dudes, you'll want to add more seconds (and thirds) to the equation.
There are a variety of buns you can get. Crap buns will make for a crap burger. See if you can find potato buns or brioche buns. Those are pretty soft. Buns aren't overly hard to make, but I have yet to find a decent recipe that takes under 40 minutes, so I usually only doing fancy home-baked buns for my family rather than a crowd. Buying 5 or 10 pounds of ground beef & making smash balls out of them will take you all of ten minutes, but making buns can take forever. Here's a good recipe if you want to try it out tho:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/07/light-brioche-burger-buns/
Or this, if you wanna get crazy:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/05/fresh-cemita-rolls-mexican-sandwich-burger-bun-bread-food-lab-recipe.html
Or this one, nom nom nom:
http://amazingribs.com/recipes/breads/brioche_hamburger_buns.html
But eh, just hit up Sam's/Coscto/BJ's and buy some hamburger buns in bulk, problem solved. Or find a local bakery that has good rolls. There's a good shootout of buns here:
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/04/the-burger-lab-whats-the-best-bun-for-my-burger-taste-test.html
(continued)
Impress yourself! Because you are worth it, and you deserve a nice dinner. Make a very simple roast chicken; much easier than you'd expect. You can often find a chicken (at least where I am) for about a dollar a pound, and you'll get a few dinners out of it. Can save the bones to make soup or stock if you like, but for now...
I am a fan of two recipes, but there are 10,000 variations. Neither of these call for butter or oil, or anything exotic. So, it's basically just you and the bird. Roasting pan or cast iron, some way to raise the bird up (roasting rack, or one of those silicon trivets will do it, too), salt, pepper are the themes between both. The second recipe is slightly fancier and also calls for a lemon and some rosemary. You can use dried rosemary.
---this recipe is simply badass in its simplicity and its ease. Literally bird + salt + pepper + heat.
bird, lemon, salt, rosemary, black pepper, a lemon.
---Zest the lemon if you have a zester. If you find yourself with a spare $10ish lying around, get a microplane. If you don't, don't worry about it. Cut the (maybe naked) lemon in half. Squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the bird. Get the zest onto the bird if you have it. Rub with some salt. Throw some rosemary on there. Get some rosemary and salt inside the bird, and put the lemon halves inside, starting breast side down. Put on roasting rack, 350 for... whatever the package recommends based on weight. I would hit the bird with some black pepper. Maybe throw a little garlic inside the bird. Not critical.
---I also tend to put in about 2 cups of liquid into the roasting pan -- usually 2 or 3 to one water to white wine, but if you don't have white wine (I buy cheap white and cheap rose for cooking) it's fine. I tend to flip the bird (haaaaaaaaa) after an hour or so. This is a much slower method.
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Other thoughts:
--the bigger grocery stores sell like bulk tins of black pepper. These are often only a couple of dollars, and many times are the cheapest way to get it. If it gets a little weak, use a little more.
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I hope this helps. PM if you like. I know depression and anxiety all too well, and not wanting to cook is common with that -- and just makes you feel worse.
Well, there are a lot of ways to do it, depending on your budget. It's pretty simple if you buy the right equipment, but "the right equipment" is expensive and improvising is fiddly.
I'd recommend looking this site over some, they have a lot of introductory guides and such. /r/roasting is also an awesome sub in general.
The biggest issue with home roasting is that the beans need to move continuously, for the entire roast, or else they get burned. There are some ways to do this with improvised equipment though:
-Using an air (popcorn) popper. Assuming you have the right model, it does get hot enough to roast coffee, and the beans are light enough to blow around in the interior chamber nonstop. It gets pretty messy though, and you don't have much control. You also can't do huge batches of coffee all at once.
You should have a dedicated popper just for coffee, since you don't want the different oils mixing. Also, some poppers aren't powerful enough, and many modern ones have safety features that'll automatically shut off before it gets hot enough. Some people have fun with disabling those features and/or modding their poppers to give them more control.
"The Poppery II" is a commonly-suggested model for air roasting like this. They don't make them anymore, but they were made like tanks and so you can often find them in thrift stores.
This is a good, cheap, intro way to do it, though the lack of control is annoying. The flavor develops in part based on how long it's kept at each temperature point, and an air popper gives you very few options for adjusting temperature.
Alternatively,
-Using a stovetop popcorn roaster, like this. It has a handle that allows you to stir the coffee continuously, and it can work pretty well. The main drawback is monitoring/nailing the temperature, which is tricky. It's easier with a gas stove.
There are other methods as well, like using a heat gun, but I've never tried them and can't comment. I should also point out that everything I've just explained is a fire hazard, as is coffee roasting in general - the beans need to get quite hot, and they give off a thin, paperlike substance called chaff. I've never had a fire, but it's something you need to be aware of and plan for accordingly.
-If all of that sounds like too much of a hassle, you can just buy an actual coffee roaster. They make it way easier, and you can generally roast much larger batches at once. Sadly, they tend to be pretty expensive.
I'd recommend this one, which is actually on the very inexpensive end for a roaster. It's good quality though, and I've had one for over 1.5 years now without issue. Also note that the site I linked includes 8 pounds of free coffee when you buy from them, and (at least when I bought mine) they charge the same price for the unit as everyone else. So that's nice.
I really like roasting my own coffee. It can be a pain at times, but it means I always have fresh-roasted coffee available. Unless you buy from a local roaster, you've probably never had fresh coffee before. Whole bean coffee goes stale in like a week, and grocery store coffee is much older than a week. Pre-ground coffee goes stale in like minutes or hours.
They cover the stale taste up by burning the shit out of their beans, and so almost everything you see in a grocery store is only 1-2 stages removed from being charcoal. This page shows you what the beans look like at every stage, and you can see how "french roast" actually means "burnt to hell."
Man, long post! At any rate, roasting your own coffee can be quite nice. Green coffee beans run around $4-6/pound normally and you can sometimes find it for even cheaper. At least where I live, even burnt grocery store coffee is often much more expensive than that. So you're paying less for better quality -- as long as you don't mind improvising, or a big up-front investment.
Edited tl;dr: It's a good way to save money and get better coffee, though it can be either annoying or require a big upfront investment. This page has a lot of good introductory info on the whole process.
What price range are you talking about? Here's some gifts divided into categories and price:
Lord of the Rings (Does she like LotR?):
Games:
Other:
These are my main suggestions, for everything else there's Think Geek. But really, browse this site.
^^Moved ^^from ^^your ^^original ^^comment ^^to ^^the ^^thread, ^^as ^^was ^^original ^^intended ^^location.
There are some very affordable burr grinders out there, and it's worth the investment. You'll use it pretty much everyday. Hand grinders can be very cheap, and work great. Hario Skerton is a popular choice (I've seen it around for cheaper, but this is at least what's on amazon). Plenty of options, all varying in price. There's a pretty decent burr grinder from Kona I've used before, which I got for like $20.
But manual grinding can take some time. And if you're like me, and you want some quick coffee in the morning, then it's worth investing in an electric. There are some pretty decent electric burr grinders out there. You really don't have to pay a fortune. Here are a few cheap options:
Capresso Infinity
Bodum Bistro
Baratza Encore
But you can get far snobbier than just grind...
What kind of water are you using? Hopefully filtered, not tap. And definitely not distilled, since you want some of those minerals for flavor. Now, if you want to get even fancier, try using these mineral packets. I think each packet mixes in with 1 gallon of distilled water. I haven't tried it myself (I just use a brita) but I've heard good things. The quality of water makes a huge difference. This was the first "eureka" moment for me, when I moved from tap to filtered.
Next, how are you making your coffee? There are some great, cheap equipment out there. In this sub, here are some pretty cheap and popular choices:
Aeropress
Chemex
Pour-over
French press
We're getting pretty deep in the rabbit hole, right? Not yet! How about measuring the weight of the coffee? Consistency is important. You need the same, proper coffee-to-water ratio for the best cup. You can find people debating over the best scales, some costing hundreds. I'd just get a cheap one if I were you. You can find some decent cheap ones from like $10 to $30. If you want the best bang for your buck, look into American Weigh Scales.
I guess I can mention temperature of water as well. You can get thermometers or even electric kettles with built-in thermometers (like this). I think temperature matters so much more for tea than coffee, but it's something you need to keep in mind for coffee as well.
Here's probably the most important thing, in my opinion: where are you getting your coffee? What is the roast date? Unless you're buying your coffee directly from the roaster, you're probably not buying freshly roasted beans. It makes a world of difference. Try finding a local roaster and getting your beans from them, freshly roasted.
I'm sure there's plenty of other ways you can splurge money on coffee, but I'll let you figure it out!
(edited to fix the links)
I was in a similar place to you, I had been lifting, but just sort of doing stuff I learned in high school football. Uncontrolled diet. Then my wife and I started talking seriously about having a kid and I realize I needed to turn it around. Especially at 35, I'll be in my 50s when my son is a teenager, I need to be able to keep up with him.
Biggest thing: get your diet under control. Almost all contemporary studies show that exercise has almost no impact on your waistline. It's all about calories in (and calories out, but one hour of working out for me burns about 300 calories, which is about one slice of pizza from 7-11. It's way easier to not eat that slice of pizza).
I personally used MyFitnessPal, but any calorie tracker that has the food you eat regularly in its database will do. The app will guide you after you tell it the basics: how much you weight, how many pounds per week you want to move and your level of activity. I'd also recommend a food scale so you can actually portion out your food properly. I personally used an Etekcity, but honestly anything accurate will work.
After that, find an exercise routine you will do. Not the most efficient one. Not the one that supposed adds the most muscle mass or burns the most fat. The best exercise routine is the one you will actually do. If you find it too much of a chore and easy to talk yourself out of, you'll never do it. For me, it was heavy powerlifting. So I started really program lifting, not just going through some routines from a high school football coach that I half remember.
I started on Stronglifts 5x5, which I would recommend for any lifting beginner because it's only five exercises, less than hour a day only three days a week. The maker of the program has super in depth form guides and a ridiculously easy to use app to track your progress that automatically tells you what weight to use as you progress. That said, I wasn't that much of a novice, and wish I had found Greyskull LP a little earlier on. I switched to Greyskull after about six months on Stronglifts. I prefer Greyskull because there is less emphasis on leg routines and the AMAP sets are fun. But Greyskull dines't have a snazzy app or very detailed how to guides, so while it is a linear program designed for noob gains, if you're not at least a little proficient in lifting, it might be too difficult to figure out. I used the iOS app Strong and customized it for Greyskull because of the lack of official app.
Now I'm on 5-3-1, which I am really, really enjoying. But it is really slow, I wouldn't recommend it to beginners just because you can progress so fast as a noob lifter. A linear program like Greyskull or Stronglifts is better. I've heard good things about Starting Strength as well, but can't personally vouch for it.
I went from a 215 lbs guy at 5'8" with a body fat percentage I don't even want to think about to 165 lbs with calculated 1RMs in the 1,000 lbs club in a year and a half. The weight came off stupid fast with MyFitnessPal, I shed twenty pounds in two months no problem because I honestly didn't realize how much garbage I was shoveling into me. Now I'm tracking my protein intake and shedding more fat as I pack on the muscle, I'm down to 12% body fat and feel really good. My kid is only 14 months old right now, but he already walks over three miles a day and it feels good that I can keep up with him, bend down, pick him up, wrestle, and just play around. It's worth it.
You can do it. I have a career, I am the primary caretaker on my dude (because I work from home) and I still hit the gym four times a week and just keep using MyFitnessPal to track that protein. If I can do it, anyone can. Good luck!
I know you said no to utensils, but I think these are possible exceptions:
Microplane grater - Best grater ever. Amazing for garlic, ginger, hard spices, cheese, citrus zest, chocolate shavings, etc. etc. I have one, and would be happy to have another just because they're so useful.
Victorinox tomato/steak/utility knife - This knife is marketed in three different ways because they're just so damn handy. I'd just go for whichever is cheapest, they're all the same. Incredible knife for little jobs that always seems supernaturally sharp. Cuts cleanly through even the ripest tomatoes, sails through thick-skinned limes, dices ginger like no other, slices garlic paper-thin, neat and tidy (and un-squished) sushi rolls, bagels, etc. etc. I have 3 and would be happy to have another. I've given plenty of these as gifts and they're always appreciated.
Silicone spatula/spoonula - Pretty much every other cooking utensil has grown dusty and unused since I got my silicone spoonula. More heat-resistant than plastic or wooden alternatives, so nothing bad happens when you leave it resting on the pan. Insanely easy to clean. Amazing for getting every last bit of sauce/icing/batter/etc. Best thing ever for cooking omelets or scrambled eggs. I wash mine immediately after use every time because I know I'll be using it again soon. I would happily replace every wooden spoon and plastic spatula in my kitchen with one of these. Then I'd have 6, and I would be very happy.
SilPats. Best thing to put on your baking sheet, ever. Also provides a great work-surface for sticky doughs/batters, melted chocolate, caramel, etc. You don't really need multiples of these I suppose, but I certainly wouldn't complain.
My favorite thing about coffee as a "hobby" is that, like some have said, it's a hobby that isn't just a waste of money. Fresh beans are a huge 1st step, they really just have tons of flavors that change almost as you work through the bag, and sometimes I feel like the first sip of a french press is different than the middle, etc. For me the different methods I use just work better for different beans, I'm still figuring that out myself. I prefer to french press african beans, pour over on more typically "harsh" beans, and I'm still dialing in aeropress, but I feel like it takes a lot out of the coffee so it seems to work best if I'm like "hmm I'm not sure I like this bean", aeropress... oh nevermind it's great.
You could buy:
Good grinder ~$140
Scale $15
Kettle $25
And three interesting and different types of brewers:
Aeropress ~$30
V60 ~$20
French Press ~$20
That's all the gear for now, you're SET until you become a crazy coffee nut, but for me 90% of the coffee I make is in one of those 3 methods. I have a moka pot, and they're cool too. But that's $250 for gear, and you could probably save a bit with different grinder options but plan to drop the biggest amount of that.
Add in $20 for some high quality beans (S&W is great and their reddit discount is on this page somewhere) and you're around $270 to be brewing great coffee a few different ways. Now you have 4+ different coffees, 3 ways to make it, and the equipment to make sure you're doing it "right".
Okay that's a lot and I hate this "if you buy a cup of coffee a day" crap, but let's just say you drink work swill most of the time, but get a cup of coffee out 3x a week. At $3/cup maybe you tip a quarter each time, you pay off this stuff in 6 months and these things pretty much last forever.
The point is, yes, some of the costs of entry (specifically the grinder) can be a little daunting, and sometimes we get carried away, but overall, the cost of making great coffee at home is significantly less than going out. You're actually getting BETTER coffee too, trying different ways to make it, and enjoying yourself. Wow, okay rambling there. Good luck!
Fair enough.
So as a premise, I'm going to give you the /r/cooking answer (which I'd argue is the 'right' answer,) but a lot (most?) people in the US use a non stick for just about everything. Then again, most people cook bad food, so...
Anyway:
>for things like eggs, bacon, burgers etc
So right there I'd stop you and say that a true non-stick (either a Teflon pan or anodized / ceramic) is really best just for things like eggs, melty cheese, etc. Some people (rightfully) claim that eggs can be cooked in a really well seasoned cast-iron; they sort of can, but you have to use so much grease I argue it's more shallow frying than anything else. Properly cooking eggs in a true non-stick pan, like a Teflon coated pan, requires zero butter / cooking spray, etc. You actually shouldn't use it.
For things like burgers, bacon, etc, most of us would argue for either stainless steel (my preference) or cast iron. Cast iron (CI from now on) has some advantages, mainly relating to heat retention for giving awesome sears (like on a steak.) Stainless Steel (SS) can also do that pretty darn well, but not quite as well as CI. SS has the advantage of being more 'reactive;' If you turn the heat up or down, the pan reacts much faster than CI. CI is a diesel truck, SS is a Chevy 2500.
Neither SS or CI 'stick' when 1) properly heated and 2) properly used. Most people just don't know how to properly cook with those types of pans. Start here, and watch this vid on how to properly heat a SS pan. If you do that (and it's actually super easy once you've done it a few times,) you're 80% of the way there. So then your pan is hot, and you put in some oil (I prefer canola.) From then, your meat (like chicken breast, bacon, burgers, steak) goes in the pan and you don't touch it! If you put it in, and then 30 seconds later get all grabby-pokey-lifty, you're going to get really grumpy that that idiot on the internet convinced you to use SS, because it's going to be very stuck to the pan. If you're patient, and simply wait, the meat will get a perfect sear, and release on it's own in about 3-4:00. From there, give it a flip and repeat.
Here's where the advantages of stainless really shine: So after you've seared both sides (let's say of your chicken) you pop the whole pan in the oven for about 13 minutes or so to finish cooking the meat to the desired temp. Then you pull the pan out of the oven, pull the meat out to rest, and then deglaze your pan, toss in some chopped shallot or onion and garlic and maybe mushrooms, let it reduce aminute or two, holy crap get ready to blow the minds of anyone you're cooking for. Drizzle the sauce over your now sliced chicken, BAM.
So that was a bit of a divergent answer, but I felt it was important. When evaluating cookwear, it's not so much just a matter of 'Can this pan cook things,' it's more a matter of 'How do you use your cookwear to get the results you want.
If what you want is a properly good non-stick pan for eggs and cheesy stuff and omelettes, buy this. That'll last 2-3 years if you treat it well (ONLY wash with a washcloth, non-stick safe utensils, etc) For all your other stuff, I'd suggest a tri-ply stainless steel pan, like this or if it's in your budget, All Clad really sets the standard. This guy in 10 or 12" is pretty much the default CI pan for most people.
Feel free to ask questions. As for the pans you mentioned: I've seen really, really mixed reviews on them. I've never cooked with them, but I've handled them and they seem extremely light and thin (that means hotspots, inconsistent heating, and crazy fast reactivity (temps varyingw ildly up and down.) They seem to be jack of all trades masters of none, and I'd personally pass.
Okay. Welcome to the wonderful world of chemistry and fire that results in yummy! Hopefully this is going to be a nice, little primer for the absolute essentials for a working kitchen.
The equipment you absolutely must have:
A 10" skillet. Thick-bottomed (the thin ones just warp and get unusable)
An 8" skillet. Sometimes you've gotta cook two things at once.
A quart pot, with lid. A second one is a smart idea, but it can wait.
A spatula.
A wooden spoon.
A liquid measuring cup. I'd get a 2-cup one first, and a 4-cup one later.
Measuring cups. Don't try to get away with measuring liquids with your dry cups. It always ends in tears.
Measuring spoons.
The New Best Recipe. It's like The Joy of Cooking, except more comprehensive, based on the chemical science of food, and half the price. Also, the recipes are frickin' DYNAMITE.
A quality 8" chef's knife. This is a great first knife, and will last you many happy years. I know the 6" one is cheaper. Trust me--you'll be glad for the bigger knife in the long run.
TWO cutting boards of a reasonable size. Mark one as being for raw meat only.
A pair of tongs.
A vegetable peeler
Your basic cooking staples that go into making more or less everything:
Salt.
Pepper
Garlic powder. NOT Garlic salt.
Chili powder
Oil. Olive Oil tastes better, but Canola is more forgiving to learn on.
A cheap-ass bottle of Cabernet. Some of your food's chemical compounds are alcohol-soluble, but not water-soluble. A little cheap booze will liberate them.
Onions
Canned tomatoes. I go with diced. No salt added is a plus.
Flour. All purpose is good.
Sugar
Eggs
Rice
Milk
Boneless/Skinless chicken. Breasts or thighs, your choice.
Chicken stock. The granulated or powdered stuff keeps well and is easier to work with than the cubes.
So, I'll get to a starter recipe in a minute, but before I do, I want to talk about a couple of kitchen axioms before we get there. Follow these guidelines across the board and you'll have an easy time of things.
Read the whole recipe before you start cooking. Always! Every time! Seriously! You'll fuck it up otherwise!
When you're cooking on the stove, if you think you're at the right temperature, decrease the heat. The most basic screw-up is cooking your food at too high a heat.
Never, ever, ever cut raw meat on the same cutting board as anything else. You'll make yourself and others sick.
Do your prep work before you start to actually cook. That means cut your veggies, measure your spices and liquids, and so forth.
Keep your knife razor-sharp. Most kitchen injuries come as a result of dull knives. If it feels like you have to work to cut something, your knife needs to be steeled (don't worry about it for now) or sharpened.
Clean your gear as soon as you're done eating.
The chef's knife NEVER goes in the dishwasher. Dish detergent will screw up your blade.
And now, a recipe to get you started: Parmesan Chicken Risotto.
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, thawed and patted dry with paper towels.
2 Tablespoons of oil
3/4 Cup of rice
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of cooking wine
1/2 cup of SHREDDED Parmesan. The grated stuff doesn't work quite right.
1 onion, diced fine.
2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
A carrot, peeled and chopped fine.
1 teaspoon of dried thyme. You can skip this if you really have to, but it's better with.
Salt & pepper, to taste.
Step 1: Put a tablespoon of oil in a quart pot and turn your stovetop to medium-high (a 7, at most). When the oil looks kind of shimmery, but isn't smoking, put the chicken breast in. Let it sit and cook for about 6 minutes. Flip it over with a pair of tongs, and give it another 6 minutes. Take it out and set it aside for now.
Step 2: Turn the heat down to medium-low (like, 3 or 4) and take the pot off of the heat. Let the pot cool down some, then add the other tablespoon of rice. Once it's warmed up, add in your onions and garlic powder, and stir to combine well. Once the sizzling sound has died down, put the pot back on your burner and cook for 8 minutes. If the onion starts to brown at all, take it off the heat and let it cool down. You're looking for translucent white onions with no browning at all. (BTW: This is called sweating, and it's a fundamental cooking technique. Learn it and practice it, because it's the key to almost any dish you cook with onions, celery, peppers, garlic, and a wide variety of other vegetables.)
Step 3: Add in the thyme, carrot, and the rice, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Scrape up the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan that's leftover from the chicken. It's tasty. Cook the rice for about 3 minutes, stirring very frequently, but not all the time.
Step 4: Add the brother and wine, and stir to make sure that no rice is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Lid the pot, bring to a slow boil over slightly higher heat (4, or 5 at the most), and set a timer for 10 minutes. Stir it three times during the 10 minutes.
Step 5: Put the chicken breast on top of the cooking rice, put the lid back on, and set the timer for 15 minutes. Stir it four times during this period. Move the chicken around as needed.
Step 6: Take the pot off the heat, remove the chicken, and stir the Parmesan into the rice. Take two forks and shred the chicken, then put that into the rice. Let it sit for a couple of minutes for the cheese to melt and everything to come down from scaldingly-hot to pleasantly warm.
Step 7: Eat.
I'll throw my vote in for a sharpening stone. If he doesn't already have a nice sharpening set, maybe consider getting him something like a nice diamond sharpening stone; I've seen them for $50 or less.
Tools are always nice. Here are some suggestions to think about:
~ microplane grater
~ Japanese mandolines can be fun to have around.
~ Fish spatulas can be a handy tool.
~ Does he have a good quality peeler? Everyone has a "normal" peeler, but I like to have a good quality horizontal peeler, like one of these, to use sometimes.
~ Does he do a lot of baking? If so, maybe some silicone baking mats for his baking sheets, or maybe some parchment paper.
~ Does he like to use fresh citrus juice very much? Does he have a citrus reamer?
~ Does he like to use fresh garlic? Maybe a garlic press?
~ Silicone spatulas?
~ Does he have a pepper grinder for fresh ground pepper?
~ Does he have a set of mise en place bowls or something to use to keep his stuff organized when he's working?
~ Does he have a scale? You can find plenty of options for home-use digital scales that can weigh up to 11 or 12 pounds, and use either pounds, or grams (if he's doing anything metric.)
~ Something like a good quality cast iron pan can be a lifetime investment, because if they're well cared for, he'll be able to pass it on to his grandkids someday.
~ A dutch oven will always be useful to serious home cooks. The enameled cast iron type are very popular, but they come in many different sizes and shapes, so keep that in mind when picking one out.
~ Knives are always nice. Paring knife, utility knife, serrated slicer, etc.
Those are just a few suggestions that popped into mind. Good luck, I hope you find something nice for him.
Broke college student here, I'm also a barista that's use to having amazing, freshly roasted coffee. So far, no one has lied. AMAZING espresso IS expensive. But can you make a latte as well as your local cafe? With a little practice, time and money, yes.
My current home setup consists of a Delonghi EC155, this is a true espresso machine, it's not steam powered and with a little modification and practice makes good espresso. Modification wise the only thing I'd recommend is depressurizing the portafilter basket, which is easy. If you ever want a better machine but don't want to spend the money you can modify it even more. They're vary popular machines and can be modified to pull amazing shots. They go anywhere from 70-130, however, occasionally things get repacked or the packaging gets damaged in the warehouse. They'll offer them at a hefty discount, I just got mine "reboxed" from amazon for 47 dollars, wait a few days and one will come up. If you use your student email you can get Amazon Prime for free, take advantage of that.
http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Maker/dp/B000F49XXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396498476&sr=8-1&keywords=delonghi+ec155
I also got this tamper, works well, it's a little light for my tastes but for home use it's fine. The EC155 has a 52mm basket, if having a 50mm tamper bothers you then pay the extra few bucks for a 52mm tamper. Personally doesn't bother me, and it was only 7 bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/Espresso-Tamper-Sizes-Alloy-Coffee/dp/B0001XRNEM/ref=pd_bxgy_k_text_z
Here's a milk frothing cup, you'll need it to properly froth milk. You can poorly froth milk in a microwave but why do that when you can spend an extra 8 dollars and do it properly? I personally got mine for a dollar from a thrift store.
http://www.amazon.com/Update-International-EP-12-Stainless-Frothing/dp/B000MR6I9I/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_y
I got one of these grinders years ago for around 20 dollars. I've seen them used, repackaged, and refurbished for about that much. Wait around and a deal will come up. You can also get a Hario Mini and a number of other hand grinders. But this one does just fine. Now out of the box it won't grind fine enough for espresso, however, with about 20 minutes worth of work you can shim it and it'll grind perfectly for espresso. It's not hard and anyone can do it with a screw driver and some tin foil.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1396498766&sr=1-1&keywords=cuisinart+grinder
At this point if you're willing to wait for a deal on the EC155 you've only spent 107 dollars. Even less if you're willing to wait on a deal for the burr grinder as well. If you want AMAZING coffee you can spend another 27 dollars and get an Aeropress, or wait for a deal and get it for 20 dollars. It will make a coffee concentrate which will taste "okay" for a latte.
At this point, I cannot recommend going to your local coffee houses and asking if you can buy green beans. They typically sell green coffee for 5-8 dollars a pound. You can roast your own coffee with a skillet and a whisk, or a popcorn popper, there are hundreds of ways to do it cheaply and it easy. You'll save money and you'll be drinking tastier coffee.
Don't let these people get you down, good espresso doesn't have to be expensive. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Sturdy step stool ($40) - not the rickety tubular kitchen chair ones, I mean one where you can stand on the top. a Buy it for Life item, not inexpensive, but safe. https://www.amazon.com/Louisville-Ladder-AS3002-6966014-2-Foot/dp/B00182TWL2
Leatherman multi tool (around $50), which i keep in the junk bowl because I can never find a screwdriver fast enough. Pricey new, less expensive when you buy it second hand or in a pawn shop. they don't really break, but you do have to clean and oil them once a year. https://www.amazon.com/LEATHERMAN-Wingman-Multitool-Stainless-Steel/dp/B005DI0XM4/
Cordless drill (under $50), mine basically has the screw driver bit in it 90% of the time. the rest of the time I drill lots of pilot holes. pay attention to the battery... if you can get one with a battery that is shared by other tools in the line, then it is easily replaceable and if you buy another tool in that line you can swap batteries. I like to have 1 battery in the charger and one in the device. https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Cordless-Driver-BDCDD12C/dp/B0111N8L7I/
Spirit, bubble or torpedo level. (under $10) the Hanging kit usually contains just the wires and hooks, but you need a small spirit level for hanging pictures and shelves evenly. doesn't matter the brand they all work the same https://www.amazon.com/WilFiks-Leveling-Resistant-Different-Visibility/dp/B07M62GJYP/
Small tool boxes vary in quality. I don't know if this is for you or someone else. But don't buy anything unless it's a NAME BRAND, cheap metal tools bend and can break with too much torque. Even the Stanley line that Walmart sells isn't fabulous, but it's better than a nameless brand. I don't like SETS of tools, but you need to start someplace, buy GOOD tools one at a time, I love finding $$$ tools at thrift stores. https://www.amazon.com/STANLEY-94-248-Piece-Homeowners-Tool/dp/B000UHMITE/(i bought a cheap socket set 4 years ago to replace my stolen ones and they already have rust)
Bucket organizer. (around $15) If you buy a SET of tools, take the plastic blow molded container and put it in the recycling. You will never bother putting the tools back in and when you get more tools they won't fit. Bucket Organizers are pockets that fit around a 5 gallon bucket. You shove your tools into the pockets and everything else in the middle. And keep it in the bottom of your closet and carry it to where you need the tools. https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-Boss-10030-Bucketeer-BTO/dp/B00GK4TOWK
Tack Hammer. (under $15) You won't need a big 22 oz hammer, but a smaller 16 oz one with a normal handled and then a Tack hammer, these have a narrow head and sometimes are magnetic and hold the nail in place. Tack hammers are easier to use for hanging things exactly where you want them. https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-54-304-5-Ounce-Magnetic-Hammer/dp/B00002X1XD
Stud finder.(under $20) uses a battery, and lets you know where the studs are behind drywall. BEST PURCHASE EVER. https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Stud-Finder-Wall-Detector/dp/B07VLDTVFQ/ any brand will work fine.
Digital Infared Thermometer (under $20) Non-contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer Temperature Gun - ALSO BEST PURCHASE EVER... works in the kitchen for food and oven temp, fridge temp, and for locating drafts and cold spots around doors and windows. https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-Contact-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G
Toilet Plunger - the sort with the extra bit on the end. https://www.amazon.com/Get-Bats-Out-Plunger-Bathroom/dp/B00ODD5MD0 you do NOT want to be waiting around for someone to unblock your toilet. It may be disgusting but scoop out some of what's in the toilet before you start plunging, it's less disgusting than having to mop it off the floor. You want the plunger that makes a seal around the bottom.
BUCKET. (under $10) mine is constantly in use, i keep it in the tub and toss wet things into it. I have gone through EVERY TYPE on offer...I was so sick of plastic buckets, that warped and stained, where the handles ripped out. But the BEST and cheapest one I have ever found is a flat back duraflex bucket for watering horses. Not kidding. Made of a hard polyethylene these things are designed to be flung around and stepped on by 2000 lb animals. https://www.amazon.com/LITTLE-GIANT-Flat-Back-Dura-Flex-Plastic/dp/B000HHLHPS/ these are cheap if you buy them in a feed store, but even with the shipping on Amazon it is WELL WORTH the money. You will need a bucket when you empty the back of the toilet tank to change the flushing flapper or gasket, and you will need it when you empty the commode itself, if you have to change out the wax seal underneath.
Blanket hangers. (6 for $27) yeah this is obscure, but when I moved I lost a LOT of storage space. These saved my sanity. I use them to hang up quilts and sleeping bags in the back of the closet OFF SEASON. I also use them to hang blankets, sheets curtains and stuff once they come out of the laundry aren't quite dry. I didn't even know there was such a thing before now I wouldn't give them up. https://www.amazon.com/Stock-Your-Home-Comforter-Organization/dp/B00EUG51JU
Flashlight. ($30-50) I've written about these before. Until I bought a GOOD one, I had no idea how bad the others were. Cheap flashlights are great to have scattered about in the cellar, or in the junk drawer. but if you really want TO SEE, get a great flashlight. I gifted myself one for christmas one year and I love it. It hangs by the door and if I am going to be out very late or the weather is bad, I shove it in my bag. It will also illuminate Well past the end of the porch and into the yard if I hear a noise. https://www.amazon.com/Pelican-Carded-SabreLite-Flashlight-Yellow/dp/B01CKAIYV4 any very good brand will do, but I found Maglites to be dangerously useless.
Congrats on starting the process to learn to cook! What are some simple dishes you and your dad find tasty that you would like to learn to cook? I would start there. Get one of them nailed this week, another one next week, double up the following week. The first meals I learned to prepare were: grilled cheese sandwich with a fried egg, sheet pan roasted chicken thighs with potatoes and Greek seasoning, spaghetti with a sauce made from balsamic roasted roma tomatoes and red peppers, eggplant parmesan, chili con carne (this one is great because it lasts for days), blended soups with crusty bread and salad. If you'd like any of these simple recipes, message me and I'll DM them.
If you and your dad enjoy salads, learning the art of the simple salad is a great trick to add more veggies into your life. Learn to make a simple vinaigrette as the bottled stuff is trash. My fav is fresh lemon juice, fresh chopped garlic, a big pinch of of salt, good olive oil, a drop of maple syrup (you can sub a pinch of sugar) and a bit of mustard. Shake up in a mason jar with a lid (you can use an old pickle jar or anything else.) You can play with the ratios to your liking but usually it's 1/3 acid to 2/3 oil. Buy a box of salad greens and dress with your homemade dressing (which can keep in the fridge for a while in mason jar.) Add additional veggies and other toppings later like croutons and cheese, but honestly I just prefer dressed greens as a side to all my meals.
One trick is to get a sheet pan and some foil if you don't have one in your house. You can make a variety of healthy dishes and cleanup is a breeze. Here is a link for some quick and easy sheet pan recipes.
Another trick: get a large box of kosher salt and never look back. Use that to season while cooking and season finish dishes. Table salt is terrible. Last trick: taste as you go. Never wait until right before serving to taste your meal. This helps you season and also helps you learn seasoning skills as you go.
I would also say at the beginning, it's fine to use partially prepared foods as a starting off place. For example, in college I would buy pre-cooked pizza crust and add my own toppings (sauce, mozzarella, veggies). I would also buy pre-made pasta sauce and add to it by sauteeing first onions, then other veg like peppers and summer squash and then tossing it with pasta I cooked and parmesan on top (don't get the stuff in the green can, get a block of good parm and a microplane grater). A good one to try this with is jarred sundried tomato pesto (pro-tip! With all of your pasta, reserve some of your pasta water and splash it back in at the end spoonful by spoonful, makes a creamy and unified sauce.)
Here is a list from Bon Appetit for meals everyone should know how to cook. Most are quite simple.
Not sure if you'd also like to prepare lunch and breakfast, but for lunch, simple sandwiches are easy and healthy: get a loaf of bread, condiments you like, deli meat, sliced cheese, and various veg like lettuce/tomatoes. For breakfast, scrambled eggs on toast, oatmeal, and pancakes (use a mix at first) are a great place to start.
To answer your question, the strength of your coffee is mostly influenced by how much coffee you're using versus how much water. For a strong cup with your Keurig, go with the setting with the smallest amount of water. The Keurig is by no means the "best" method to make coffee, but it will make coffee. If you decide to get a manual brewer (French press, Aeropress, Kalita Wave, etc.) the brew time has some leeway, but I'd recommend just using more coffee than trying to push the recommended brew time too far. Coffee can/should be strong without being bitter, and keeping the water and coffee together too long will create bitterness.
What follows is everything you need to know about making great coffee. Warning, this may be overwhelming:
and 2) Those are your best bet. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, you can get an automatic blade grinder if you might have an issue with manual grinding/don't want to drop a lot of money. I will mention that darker roasts are easier to grind manually so there's less worry for your wrist. The problem with blade grinders is you get a bunch of differently sized bits, which makes it more difficult to get consistency and figure out a grind size/brew time you like.I would recommend a French press (1 2 3 4) or Aeropress for someone just getting into coffee. They're much more forgiving than pour-over methods, meaning you're less likely to make a bitter cup. They each have their own drawbacks, too. An Aeropress is easier to clean up, but can only make one cup at a time. A French press takes more time to clean, but can make about 3 cups at a time. (By cups I mean a standard 12-ounce mug.) Definitely get a grinder, too (see above). A scale (1 and 2) is optional but recommended. For beans, seek out a local roaster/coffee shop, but there are tons of online options available, too.
Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes crazy) world of coffee!
If cost is a factor, definitely consider getting a dehydrator. I have this one.
The case:
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.
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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.
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Other Shit
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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.
Different surfaces for different things.
One decent nonstick pan is great to have for things like eggs, but isn't great at high heat applications like searing meat. You'll never build a good fond in nonstick, and having pots lined with nonstick coating is just unnecessary. A couple of pans -- a larger one for cooking fish or day-to-day "I'm just browning some ground beef" kind of stuff, and a smaller one for fried eggs or whatever -- will be plenty. You don't want to spend too much on a nonstick pan, though, because by their nature their lifespan is limited.
One cast iron pan is great to have because it's great at really high-heat applications, but can also be used for any number of other things -- you can sear a roast in it, you can bake a deep-dish pizza in it, or brown off some chicken and then braise it in the same pan. It can become pretty nonstick over time, with the right care, but that's a long-term process. Cast iron is heavy, though, and requires different care than other pans (it's not difficult to take care of, just... different. You can't chuck it in the dishwasher and walk away.)
For an all-purpose workhorse, look for stainless steel. It's good in a wide range of applications, and can do almost anything reasonably well. It's a little more prone to sticking (which is a good thing in many cases), but it's also durable enough that you can scour the fuck out of it on those occasions when you need to.
More important than the surface of a pan, IMHO, is the base. Avoid anything with a thin base; over time, it'll warp, and that creates hotspots and wobbles that make cooking a pain in the ass. You want pans that have a pretty thick base. If you can get something that has a layer of aluminum sandwiched in, that's great. Aluminum conducts heat better than steel, so pans will get hot faster with some aluminum included. You don't really want to cook directly on aluminum, though, so something with steel and aluminum layers in the base is ideal.
You're probably not going to find one single set that covers absolutely everything; I'd advise one base set of stainless steel, and then a few add-ons as time/money allows. I know Cuisinart does a pretty nice set of tri-ply stainless steel pots and pans that runs under $200, and goes on sale for even less regularly. Add a T-fal nonstick pan or two, and one good Lodge cast iron skillet, and you'd be well-equipped for most things.
If you're in Salt Lake, there are a lot of good coffee shops up there! My favorites are Publik, Coffee Garden, and Raw Bean Coffee. All three of those shops have some very good coffee. Google is your best friend, if you do some searching you'll come across a lot of super good coffee shops.
I haven't personally tried any local beans, but I know Publik has some great stuff. As far as making your own coffee - I'm partial to the Hario V60, but a French Press or Aeropress are also great. If you want something that makes more coffee, you could pick up a chemex. I've owned all four of those, they're fairly simple and they all make great coffee. I personally use a hand burr grinder that cost $24, here's a link for you. It's nothing super special, but it works for what I use it for. You probably wouldn't want to use it for espresso, but I find that it works great for pourover/french press coffee. The grind is a little inconsistent, but I've still been able to get great results.
As far as ordering beans, I always go through Happy Mug. I've ordered a lot through them, and their stuff has never let me down. Their prices are great, and they have $3 flat rate shipping that takes 2-3 days to get to me. I usually order 3 half-pound bags at a time, those will last me about a month personally. I haven't really branched out past Happy Mug because I've been so happy with what I've received from them, but I know there are plenty of other places to buy from. If you do some searching on this sub you can find a lot of info about online vendors.
When I'm overwhelmed I find it best to break up a big task and do small things one at a time. These are a lot of valid questions, but some of them you might not need to worry about just yet. Maybe some steps like this will help:
You do not need to cut out things like fast food, chocolate, homemade meals, etc., cold turkey unless you really want to. I haven't, though. I still eat sushi, pizza, sub sandwiches, etc., just not nearly as often and most of the time I make it fit into my 1500 calorie/day budget. You just need to make sure you're logging everything accurately (most calorie apps have a recipe function that helps you with homemade food). And then most of the time you make it so that those foods do not put you over your calorie allotment for the day by making your other meals smaller, or something like that.
Cheat days help some, hinder others. The thing you need to remember is that this is a process, there is sometimes experimentation. You can try cheat days or meals; if you find they're not working for you for some reason, don't have them as often or at all. There is not a deadline, so if something sets you back a little that's okay, you can just get back on track and adjust.
Take a deep breath! You can do this! Post in the daily Q&A threads if you have any questions! And don't forget to celebrate your victories in the SV/NSV daily thread. We are here to help!
Yay! I'm so excited that you're getting your own place! That's such a good feeling!
/u/Pinalope4Real and /u/dnd1980
Startup an excel spreadsheet and make a budget for yourself. I find that once I have a budget setup I pay even more attention to my money and figure out new ways to save. I have helped my roommate and my boyfriend setup a budget. :o)
The meat market can save you sooo much money and make you more conscious about the items you are buying and motivate you to cook more.
Crockpots are awesome and help you save time during the week. I know you work from home, but ready-made food throughout the week is awesome!
The Magic Bullet or Nutribullet are both great to have in the home for smoothies! Of course you can blend other items in the cups as well.
I have this Himalayan Salt Lamp and I love it. I also have this Himalayan Salt Candle Holder....actually everything I'm linking you is something that I own and love, something I have experience with, or a similar model (the crock pot was a random model) lol
Oh and this tea because it's delicious.
Alright, others are helping you out with recipes, but let's talk about something a bit more important to your question: How the hell do I cook?
Cooking is all about two things: Prepping and time management. Time management being the hardest thing for people to do. We get distracted by kids, our phones, the television/internet/etc., and we lose focus. Sometimes we get so absorbed in other things we forget that shit is heating up and might be burning! Teach yourself time management by not getting too distracted or by using a timer. Also use your nose. Not only is your nose extremely important to detecting flavour (e.g. the citrusy taste of lemon. Taste is done by the tongue and would embody the sour taste of the lemon), it's also a good indicator that something is burning! Make sure you remain close to the kitchen at all possible times.
Also don't just focus on making one thing! Use your time wisely! It's time management, after all! Get yourself your main course and make some sides too. Use the time that you're browning some onions or boiling pasta noodles to work on prepping and making something else as well. It'll keep you focused in the kitchen and not distract you from the stove.
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Invest in a sharp knife, if your current knives suck. You can find some pretty good knives for really cheap, too! Here's a chef's knife for about $30. Also you don't need three thousand different knives. The best options to get are:
Chef's knife
Serrated knife (for cutting bread and soft items)
Paring knife
The paring knife is like what would happen if a scalpel and a chef's knife got drunk, had some fun, and ended up spawning a child. It can be used to cut smaller objects if using your chef's knife is too difficult for some tasks, or for making intricate details for food when it comes to plating.
On the matter of knives, let's talk about cutting. Do your knife skills suck? That's quite alright, you're still learning! First of all, when you hold the knife, wrap your pinky, ring, and middle finger around the handle of the knife. Take your index finger and thumb and grip the blade of the knife (note: the blade is the large, flat body of the knife. The edge is the cutting portion. Don't touch that!). When it comes to cutting, you want to lift the knife up from the back, keeping the tip of the knife on the cutting board. Then, push forwards and downwards to make a cut. For visual support, check out this: How to use a chef's knife
Also important, like in the video, is making your hand a "claw". Do not have your fingers extended, curl them up to resemble a claw! The reason being that when the knife gets close your fingers, the flat top of the fingers will help keep the knife straight. Also if you were to slip, you'll only knick some of your skin instead of cutting off part of your finger(s) and having to be rushed to the hospital.
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What about cutting onions and stuff?
No problemo, let's get a few more videos in here to help you out!
Basic Knife Skills (Note: They also go into depth about the three knives I told you about, so you know I'm not yanking your chain)
How to dice an onion
How to dice and julienne (for just about everything else, like potatoes and stuff).
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If you've got anymore cooking related questions, feel free to ask me! Also /r/cooking and /r/AskCulinary are great sources. I'm sure plenty of people will be willing to add in and help out as well.
Oh, and if you're really worried about the claw technique and stuff (because it can make objects, especially round and slippery objects like onions, difficult to keep a static hold of), you can invest in a finger guard. Happy cooking!
For knives, the same rules apply. With even more emphasis in the safety aspect of it. A lot of people think that with sharper knives, you'll cut yourself more while cooking, but the truth is the exact opposite. Since the cook should let the knife do the cutting. If you're using strength, your knife is either dull or bad. Which is why you should buy good knives (and an okay whetstone) learn how to hone them and do so every 3 uses (I personally sharpen my knives before using and after washing).
Some people will tell you to buy Shun, others will tell you to buy Miyabi or Yaxell (personal favorite). But you don't need these, these are overkill and most chefs don't even use them on a professional kitchen (they might do so in events, but in a normal kitchen you wouldn't want to wear such an expensive knife)
So, all in all you could either go the cheaper way and buy Victorinox, which is a GOOD knife, nothing amazing about it, but reliable and that will get the job done. Also, it is very easy to sharpen.
If you want the mid-range price I'd say either Global, Henckels(If you chose Henckels, choose the forged, not the standard piece) or WĆ¼sthof. I like all three, all of them will last you upwards to 20 years if you properly maintain and wash them buy hand (very important, a great deal of the damage done to knifes is while washing).
A good knife is a companion for the rest of your life in the kitchen. And these three are the best for heavy and professional use. Though the more expensive ones cut better, the wear on them is not worth it for a professional cook.
And lastly, don't buy a kit with 8 to 12 knifes. You won't use that. That is a piece of decoration, on which you'd be wasting money. You only NEED 1 good knife. It is best to have two or three, but no more.
Start with one, I think the best model to start off is the Chef's 8 inch. In either brand. If you enjoy it, go ahead to the chef's 8 inch and the utility and that's it!
Also, don't rule out Victorinox if you're just getting started, they make very good knifes for starters, and you don't need to worry much when sharpening them, since they sell a tool which can re-cut its edge to the proper shape, so if you mess up, you can actually "Reset to factory settings"
I'll link here the 8 inch chefs of the knifes I mentioned. You might find them small at first but even I rarely need to take out my 10inch or the 12 inch.
Global: https://amzn.com/B00005OL44
Henckels (forged): https://amzn.com/B00004RFKS
WĆ¼sthof: https://amzn.com/B00009ZK08
Victorinox (weirdly, the bettex one [Fibrox] was 4 cents cheaper then the most basic. I am linking both, but i don't know if you can "reset" the blade of the better one)
Victorinox Fibrox: https://amzn.com/B008M5U1C2
Victorinox basic: https://amzn.com/B0061SWV8Y
Victorinox tool (this is not a sharpener, this literally CUTS the blade back into shape): https://amzn.com/B001X5A998
Honestly, the easiest way to start is probably an Aeropress and a decent kettle. Get a gooseneck early, then you won't have to buy a second kettle later if you decide to start playing with pour-overs. If you want to make boiling water a little more passive, get an electric one. I have this one and it works like a charm.
Another cheap starter option for brewing is the V60 and its various clones. The original is plastic, but this one is ceramic and only $20. It takes some practice to get pour-overs just right, but it's worth it. And for $20, it's not a bad way to give it a shot or just to have in your collection.
Grinders are a whole discussion. I have a Baratza Encore that I really like. It's easy to maintain and Baratza's support was pretty good to me when I needed them. If you want to go a little cheaper, you might consider a Skerton or Mini Mill.
For beans, have fun. There are a ton of places to get decent beans, and part of the fun is finding new places. There are a number of redditors that roast and will probably sell beans to you if you like. (Including me!) I would suggest some, but I actually skipped this part and went straight to roasting.
EDIT: Oh, and good luck. You're opening a door to a rabbit hole, now.
I can't say enough about how awesome [seltzer bottles] are. I picked up a couple vintage ones from ebay that I use. There are a ton of ways you can go, but making variations on simple syrups is a great approach. A basic simple syrup is equal parts (volume wise) sugar and water. You put it on the stove until it first starts to bubble and then kill the heat. At this point you can add herbs and let them steep for an hour or so and then strain the syrup and press on the herbs. I've had great success with mint, basil, thyme and lavender. You can also use citrus zest; I find a microplane to be essential for this. Ginger is also great for a simple syrup and I use the microplane for this as well.
Another great technique is muddling. You take some fruit and/or herbs and muddle them together. I prefer a plain wooden muddler with flat ends.
Here are some recipes; you have to experiment with quantities, but here are the ingredients:
Basil cranberry soda: cranberry juice, seltzer water and basil simple syrup.
Peach and basil soda: muddle peaches with basil, add seltzer water and basil simple syrup.
Blueberry and thyme soda: for this I puree the blueberries and run it through a strainer and then add thyme simple syrup and seltzer water.
Strawberry and mint soda: For this I chop and macerate both the strawberries and mint (add some sugar to the chopped strawberries and let them sit; it vastly improves the texture and flavor of the strawberries) and then puree it. I've also done this with cardamom instead of mint with the addition of orange zest gathered with a microplane. You then puree this and seltzer water.
Chai soda: I infuse a simple syrup with cardamom, ginger, black tea, cloves, nutmeg and smashed cinnamon sticks. I use four times the amount of black tea I would use to brew a cup of tea. Add seltzer water and you are good to go; a little whole milk can be a great addtion as well. A basic recipe follows:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
8 bags of lipton tea opened and the tea is then emptied
6 cardamom pods; crushed with a spoon
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon of cloves
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks; crushed into dime size pieces
Watermelon mint soda: Purreed watermelon, mint simple syrup and seltzer water.
Peach ginger soda: Macerate the peaches, puree them, add ginger simple syrup and seltzer water.
Blueberry lavender soda: Pureed and strained blueberries, lavender simple syrup and seltzer water.
There are a ton of ways you can go with this sort of thing. Sometimes some fresh lemon or lime juice can help balance the acidity. Have fun. Enjoy the fruit that is in season. Create your own fun drinks. Cheers.
If I were to build my kitchen from scratch, it would be pretty much what I have today w/out having to go through all the old, cheap stuff that I wound up buying getting rid of because it was low quality and wore out or broke or didn't work as well as it should have. So as follows:
All Clad Stainless:
Cast iron:
Enameled dutch oven (Staub):
Various Appliances:
Knives:
Other misc stuff:
Bakeware:
Fun things to have if you think you'll use them:
These are the things that I have right now that I'd get from the start if I were starting over from scratch. I have other stuff, but it's been gathered over time and I'm sure I've left out a few things, since I'm kind of working off the top of my head. Oh yeah, like a good set of storage stuff (Rubbermaid or similar) and a garlic press ... and ... and ... :)
> if I were to use this, would the metal mesh screen capture all particles, even the finely ground ones?
Steel will let some fines through, but the mesh is a lot tighter than on my French press... The fines have never been enough to bother me, basically large enough to see, but small enough that I don't feel then when drinking.
The main difference between paper filters and steel ones is the oils. With paper you get a cleaner cup, the flavors pop a little more. With steel you get more of the oils, and it is a richer cup similar to French pressed coffee.
>how much can I make in one press?
Basically a small cup. Personally I think it's strong enough that you can easily top of a large mug with hot water and still have a good cup of coffee... Definitely still stronger than a basic drip pot makes.
>mostly going to be coffee and water, don't even know what other kinds to make, really. (yet)
Coffee and water are pretty much the appropriate ingredients. Really is a matter of trying different beans, different grinds, different steep times.
>is this a chore for daily coffee making, or is the flavor worth the extra hassle?
For me it's worth the hassle on the weekends. Personally I prefer my Moka pot on weekdays before work, but that's actually more effort (though I cheat and use pre-ground coffee.)
It's definitely not set it and forget it, but it definitely makes better coffee. It is more effort, but if you've got an extra few minutes in the morning is a much better way to start your day. For me it's the difference between "I need coffee" and "I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my morning coffee".
Quick edit: I did use my Aeropress every day until this last Christmas when I got the Moka pot. The Moka pot makes coffee that resembles espresso. The Aeropress makes very strong coffee that doesn't really resembles espresso. Different device, different purpose.
Disclaimer: I have received so many canisters of fruit-flavored teas that I'll never ever drink - and I am an adventurous eater, I'll try just about anything once - that it has reeeally turned me against the idea of gifted tea unless you're totally certain the recipient will like it. If you must give someone tea, I'm also very strongly anti-sampler. One very nice tea is usually a better gift than four alright teas.
This is the situation that gift certificates were made for. Someone else suggested Adagio. If it seems too impersonal, combine it with a nice mug or a nice strainer for loose-leaf teas, like this one.
If she's not an adventurous person, that's okay and you're not going to turn her into one by buying her teas she might not want to try as a gift. If you really want to pick something instead of getting a gift certificate, remember that it's supposed to be a gift and not a chore, so get her stuff that you know she'll like. If you really really really want to get her a tea instead of a gift certificate, instead of getting her a sampler of new and different stuff, get her one or two things that she already enjoys, but a higher quality product than she'd ordinarily buy for herself. The one tea gift I've received that I actually drank all of was from somebody who knew that I loved jasmine green tea, so he got me...jasmine green tea. It was awesome.
If you know that she likes black tea and fruit-flavored teas, I bet she would appreciate a really nice earl grey, for instance, or maybe an oolong tea.
The answer to your question is really dependent on budget. A quick perusal through the sub will show you that the Aeropress is a popular option because it is one of the least expensive ways to get a solid cup of coffee.
If you have some cash to part with, it might be worth looking at setting yourself up with a pourover setup - I'd probably suggest the v60. You would need the v60, the hario buono, and you'd probably want a scale to weigh coffee (there are a LOT of options, many cheaper than what I've linked). You would also need to get a reasonably good grinder - check out the sidebar for a list of grinders. Yes, it's a lot of capital to get started, but the coffee is fantastic and the equipment is very durable. This equipment, properly cared for, could potentially outlast you in many cases.
There's also the standard drip coffee maker, but from my experience if you go that route you ought to just invest in the cheapest one. The quality coffee from most drip machines is pretty similar. A better question is what grinder to get - that will improve your brew quality across all methods. Again, sidebar has great advice, but a really popular grinder here is the[ Baratza Encore] (http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459250167&sr=8-1&keywords=baratza+encore+coffee+grinder) which you can sometimes find on their refurb page for discounted prices.
No matter what you choose - good luck and happy caffienation
The troupe of food you eat is very important.
Get rid of all flour and sugar and processed products.
Eating only whole foods- mainly plant based is shown to be the best for health and weight loss. Beans make you feel full. The calorie counts on beans is inaccurate due to fibre making a lot of the bean undigestible- true calorie count is estimated to be 2/3rds that is shown.
High fibre foods encourage gut bacteria that helps you lose weight. Itās good to eat quality organic meat but eat it sparingly. We really are not made to eat a lot of animal meat and dairy is definitely not at all necessary or advisable.
Having a good kitchen food scale really helps. Buy this oxo one it is expensive but fantastic. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJMTNA
If you are still on Prozac you may no longer need it when you replace the dairy and bread calories with highly nutrient dense foods like more greens and veggies and beans. Studies are showing that gut bacteria have a huge influence on mood. Seratonin is produced by the kind that loves fibre. So eating high fibre food will increase the number of good āhappy-makingā bacteria.
http://m.caltech.edu/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495
Itās interesting to note that pharmaceuticals always have an effect on our microbiome. The very drug you take to feel better could be killing the awesome bacteria that naturally produces the seratonin that will make you feel better. Who would have imagined that the right food is actually the antidepressant we need!
Bialetti - stove top espresso maker - you'll never need to buy an expensive coffee maker ever again.
Leuchterm 1917 journal for my bullet journal
6in Ruler to go with my journal - fits in the back pocket perfectly
Huhuhero Color Pen Set also to go with my journal -- has every color you'll need and has a really nice thickness. I use a finer tipped Staedtler for writing but these pens are perfect for titles and decorating and under $6 can't be beat
Customizable dog tag
Ahava Dead Sea Bath Salts - for a luxurious bath that won't dry you out
Ramekins for all of your baking needs. It's also fantastic to use for cooking (holding onto spices, separating eggs, etc.) and for serving dips.
Dog Toy Basket - adorable, holds a ton of toys, and looks really chic in my apartment.
Salt and Pepper Mill Grinders - pretty and functional
Bath Overflow Cover - get your water higher for a more satisfying bath
Bath Spa Pillow
Grippy Stand - the BEST stand for any size tablet.. I have two of them they're so good
Hotel Spa Cotton Towel 4 Pack - smallish bath towel with so many uses. I leave then by the front door to wipe the pup's paws.
Popin Cookin 9 Pack - the MOST FUN you'll ever have 9 times over
Tons and tons and tons of books - look under the "available for less money" links for "used" paperback versions that will make them super affordable and they usually come nearly brand new!
I'd go for an aeropress. It's what got myself, and later on my girlfriend, into coffee, and it's pretty cheap. It will make a strong, small batch of coffee each time, somewhere between an espresso and a french press (in my opinion).
I'm guessing the macchiatos your fiance is talking about is the Starbucks variety. Macchiatos are supposed to be an espresso shot with very little milk added.
Anyway, continuing on the assumption that the drink she likes is 1-2 shots of espresso and a mug of foamed milk (and flavoring), I would start by making a copy of that at home with the aeropress.
The way I did that is I'd warm up a mug of milk while I'm boiling the water, and use a handheld frother to froth the heated milk. (This won't create the same caliber of foamed milk as you'd get from an espresso machine/steamer but I'm guessing you don't want to drop the cash on one quite yet)... Once the milk is frothed and the water is heated I'd add freshly ground beans(important that they're fresh!) to to the aeropress, and then water, and brew the coffee right into the mug of frothed milk.
At this point you have a pretty close replica to a latte. Since you are newcomers to coffee, you might want to add some sort of flavoring to it. I rarely do, but when I did, I'd just add a little vanilla extract and sugar.
Tips:
You're going to want to grind your beans at home. Buying preground beans almost guarantees they're going to be stale.
Gear:
Beans: (Places I've tried)
Mugs:
If you have any questions, or if I'm wrong about something let me know! I think this is all for now.
AeroPress, for sure. Here is probably the cheapest setup you can do, and still get the best flavour/experience.
Aerobie AeroPress + Able DISK Fine - $40 (I strongly suggest the DISK Fine over paper filters, but the AeroPress does come with a bunch of filters.)
Pocket Scale - $7
Carafe - $7 (so you press straight into this, and measure yield, as most mugs will not fit on the scale; also great for serving two)
Hario Slim burr grinder - $34 (if you'd rather go electric, the Bodum Bistro burr is a great buy and can be had for $120 new or under $100 used/refurbished)
Bonavita Gooseneck kettle - $50 (You do not need a gooseneck for the AeroPress, but you do for any type of pour over, so why not?)
Good luck, and have fun! Give my video a gander to see how to prepare with the AeroPress. It is fun! Almost as fun as an espresso machine. Ha! Yeah, right! But definitely worth the small coin.
First of all, your mother was wrong for doing that and it's really common in raisedbynarcissists homes, though I'm not sure that she is a narc...because this is only one small example and could be applicable to non-narcs. That being said, it's never too late to learn how to cook. I was in the same boat as you were and was really frustrated by youtube videos because they taught things from a perspective of already knowing cooking basics and I didn't even know that much.
I'd strongly recommend this cookbook because it teaches you the basics to the basics. It actually shows you how to cut veggies properly and what brands to buy based on testing and gives it's reasoning and logic as to why. The recipes are easy to follow with lots of pictures and clear instructions and always come out as restaurant quality (for the record, I got this book in December 2018 and 2019 was the first time I ever cooked in my life) and have been able to make quite a few showstopping recipes (I started out by setting aside one day to try a new recipe, for example, I would decide ahead of time what I was making each Sunday which was when I would cook from this book as I have a full-time job and a child). So it depends on you how much time you have but honestly, one recipe a week has taught me so much about cooking in general.
I can't express how good the food is. My fully British bf loves Indian food (has all his life, of course) and we made a Chicken Tikki Masala from this book..he told me he's had this made gourmet at his favorite restaurants and that there was no way it would turn out as well for us (we were cooking together and he was trying to convince me to deviate from the actual instructions) unless he added stuff. I stood firm and told him that he had to try it their way first and to just try it before trying to change it...it ended up being so good that both of us now have a new favorite Chicken Tikki Masala recipe lol.
I'd also recommend a small scale if you don't already have one because it makes it much easier to cook meats if you actually cut them down to the right size. For example, if it say's 6-8 ounce chicken breasts, I buy chicken breasts and cut off all of the fat until it's close to 6-8 (usually closer to 8.5 but close enough). Because then when the recipe says cook 4 minutes on each side, you can literally follow that exactly and it should come out perfectly every time. Hope that helps but please let me know if you have more questions/anything else that I can help with! I linked the one we use but it's up to you, of course.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Cooking-Two-Cookbook-Everything/dp/1936493837/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=cooking+for+2&qid=1563201487&s=gateway&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multifunction-Stainless-Batteries-Included/dp/B0113UZJE2/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=small+scale&qid=1563201838&s=gateway&sr=8-7
Do you have an ALDIs store where you live? If so, you can quite easily eat decently on a budget. If not, then try and look around online for the cheapest store which sells items I am about to mention. I wouldn't go with the Dollar Store/Dollar General as they have higher prices usually. If you have a dented food store, commonly ran by Mennonites, you can save some decent money on food. Make sure to check the dates. I ran across an item before where it was 2 years past expiry.
Do you have a rice cooker by chance? You can pick up an awesome one on Amazon for $30 and it will more than pay for itself. You can also find a decent slow cooker for $50. Once you have these two items, you will never go back to Ramen and Mac.
The trick is to cook once for several days. If you are like me and work 10 hour days, you are pooped out and just want to crash, so having time to cook is rare. You can cook in bulk ahead of time and save time, money, and eat healthier. That $1.50 box of Mac and Cheese can be replaced by a bag of rice and some I currently only have to feed myself and I do it for between $100 and $150 per month on average. This includes things I don't mention here. I don't coupon, but I do watch for sales. I don't know what your budget is or what your dollar store carries, but here are some of the items I eat and what I do.
Chicken is a very healthy and affordable protein you can buy to use in many items. I normally buy boneless, skinless breasts or thighs when they are around $1.29 to $1.99 a pound at whatever nearby store. I will buy about 4 packages of them and break them down into meal-sized servings and freeze for later use. The reason I don't go with bone-in chicken because the price difference of boneless makes up for the loss of meat from the weight of the bone and the time spent picking it off when using a slow cooker. However, it is more of your own preference. You can find drumsticks and thighs with the bone for as little as $0.59 per pound.
Once you have chicken, you can do lots of things. I like to bake it and then slap on some Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce for a few minutes towards the end. You can always saute it with vegetables and make a stir-fry. You can throw it in the slow cooker and make some amazing dumplings while you sleep or at work. You can throw it in a bowl with some rice and a vegetable and cook plenty of meals in advanced. Example.
Lentils and rice are a very good and cheap option as well. A one pound bag is like a dollar and easily covers four meals for a single person. You can make lentils into soup, make and mix with some other protein, or eat with a little bit of salt. Rice can be used in many things. I like making this recipe (with half of the cilantro) and eat it with baked chicken.
You can often find pork butt roast on sale for as low as $1.19 per pound. I buy a 5/10 pound roast and split it into 2.5 pound portions to later slow cook. I normally throw some vegetables (carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions, etc) at the bottom of the slow cooker, then throw the slab of meat on top, throw a can of root beer or Dr. Pepper in, and then leave it on to cook when I go to bed/work. Here is what it would look like before I throw it on, but I don't have any after pictures. You can either slice it up, make into stew, or pull it apart and make BBQ sandwiches. This will feed me for several days.
I work night shift, so I don't have a normal breakfast. Even days I wake up in the morning, I still don't. What I do eat is protein bars which I found a recipe for off of Reddit. I think they were about $0.40 a piece after factoring in all of the ingredients. I eat one for breakfast each night on the way to work and have one spare just in case I end up working through lunch.
I came across this Reddit post awhile back. It is really simple to do and cheap. You can mix it up and switch out the vegetable or replace the chicken with beef, and add rice to make each meal more filling. Here is the aftermath of my last round of making these.
I would write more, but I have been called into work to deal with an emergency. I hope these helped you or at least gave you an idea of items you can do.
ooh ooh finally something I can give insight on. I am a hot chocolate lover as well.
I would buy an immersion/hand blender. Here is an amazon link to the one I use and its awesome. The hand blender will blend mexican hot chocolate and chocolate bars into milk you heat in the microwave or blend right in a pot and froth it nicely. Try to use a big glass jar. Don't add chocolate to a pan that is on the burner, if you burn the chocolate it tastes really bad and you don't need that much heat to blend chocolate.
amazon link
When you heat milk it needs to be hotter than you can drink because when you use the hand blender it will cool it down. Also be careful with it boiling over.
I'm Hispanic so I was accustomed to Abuelita and Ibarra and I realized over time the flavor changed, recently I looked at the ingredients and they were made cheaper. You have to be careful with some Mexican groceries because they will substitute cheap ingredients.
I suggest Tazo hot chocolate if you want that Mexican Style Hot Chocolate, they sell them at whole foods or at their website but their shipping is ridiculous.
Another hot chocolate I like is called Wicked Hot Chocolate
here is the link to the website
Godiva serves hot chocolate and I love it from there.
What I do normally though is buy a huge quality bar of chocolate like at Trader Joes and chop it and put it in a jar. I dust it with some cocoa powder so it won't melt to the jar. If you ever see a good flavored chocolate bar get it and use it in hot chocolate. Remember to look at the ingredients and make sure it has cacao butter not palm oil substitute. Also be careful when buying things with "flavor" in the end. Like Cinnamon "flavor" means there is no cinnamon in it, just something with that flavor.
For sweeteners I prefer raw sugar or maple syrup. But normal sugar is fine. I like to add sugar and keep tasting and add more as I go in teaspoons. I've found 1 Tablespoon of sugar to 3 Tablespoons of chopped Chocolate to be my favorite. If you measure the milk, chocolate and sugar and have the measurements down you can make them really quick.
Also I like to add a pinch of sea salt to finish the chocolate. And I also eat it with Hawaiian bread, when you dip the Hawaiian bread in the chocolate it coats it and is delicious.
From each list?
This was fun! I never really thought about what my highest priority ones were.
If you'd use a tortilla press, then you'll probably get a lot of use out of a citrus squeezer. I feel like the lever kind gets you the most juice, and the orange ones do lemon and limes just as well.
Microplane -- great for citrus zests, spices, ginger and garlic. I like to have one with slightly bigger holes for cheese as well --- the microplane makes really fine, fluffy cheese that basically disappears when it melts, and sometimes that's not what you want.
Seconding a cast iron skillet --- great for so many things, searing steak, frying chicken, bacon, stews.
Tongs --- tongs, a spatula and a wooden spoon and you can basically cook anything
Fine mesh strainer --- can use for pasta or whatnot, but it's also great for things like gravy or pan sauces where you want plup to get through but no chunks of stuff
probe thermometer --- super handy for meats.
Nice to have: Coffee grinder. Awesome for spices --- you can buy whole spices, which keep their flavor much longer and are way cheaper. The difference between, say, cumin from a jar and cumin seeds you toast and grind fresh --- it's ridiculous. Mortar and pestle, same deal --- there's some kinds of sauces, like mole or Thai curries, that you get much better flavor when you use a mortar and pestle. You can usually get them pretty cheap at Asian or Latin American groceries.
These are primarily lunch and dinner, though I may eat an extra one throughout the day. For me, and usually it's personal preference and how risky/not picky you are, these usually keep about 5 or 6 days in the fridge. I've had them on the 7th day and while they don't smell super great right out of the fridge, after they're heated up in a microwave they smell fine.
I've also froze some and then will thaw those out after the 5th day so I have a few more days worth. They aren't nearly as tasty than when they're fresh but this is more about nutrition and fuel over taste.
My advice to you is get a crockpot and a rice cooker and then learn to cook and bake. You can make a lot of bulk meal style items in the oven as well you just need to be prepared to spend around 4ish hours on a Sunday or when ever so you can get this all prepped and sorted for the week. It may seem like a lot of time but it's so much easier to stick to a clean diet when your meals are sitting there ready to heat and eat.
This crockpot ( http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL610-S-Programmable-Carry-Cooker/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=lp_289940_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1451329826&sr=1-1 ) is very similar to the one I have. Having a programmable crockpot that you can just set to forget is the best and makes everything much easier. You can throw in your ingredients set for how ever many hours it requires, then it's done by the time you get home.
For recipes check out /r/slowcooking , the sidebar has some great limited ingredient recipes.
Don't forget to pick up a few different types of spices, don't be afraid to experiment with some smaller portions then just scale up if you like what you've made. I really just like to wing it for the most part and usually everything turns out alright.
As for a rice cooker the one I have now is crap, rice is constantly burnt at the bottom and it spews rice gunk everywhere, so I'm looking at getting a different one. I'm not sure which I'm going to get but probably one of the higher end ones to avoid the mess cheaper ones seem to cause.
Hope this helps answer some of your questions, I recommend browsing and exploring this sub as well as /r/slowcooking /r/EatCheapAndHealthy & /r/fitmeals start getting ideas and get out there and experiment!
If you're looking for more info on general nutrition, fitness and wellness check out the /r/Fitness FAQ in the sidebar and browse around /r/nutrition
I am far from the most knowledgeable person in the world on knives, but I do read about them quite a bit. Knives are probably the one of the most fundamental tools in a kitchen. The difference that a sharp knife can make when cooking is astronomical. A sharp knife is far safer than a dull knife will be, because it will cut smoothly, and will go pretty much exactly where you point it.
As For the dimples, they will assist you when cutting large pieces of meat, by reducing the amount of meat that sticks to the blade. It will not make much of a difference with garlic, potatoes, and etc.
These are some high quality knives, and they are pretty as fuck as well. They will last you a long ass time.
One thing to take into consideration with chef knives, santoku, and such, you need to try them out before you buy them. Go to a local Williams-Sonoma, or another store that has high quality knives on display, and ask if you can try it. You need to make sure that when you make your cutting motion, that your knuckles will not slam into the board. I have used some very nice Shun knives, that when I would get into my cutting rhythm, I would start punching the cutting board. This is annoying as all fuck, and I couldnāt imagine dealing with this every time I went to prep a meal.
There is also the fact of sharpening. You are about to throw some good money down on a knife, that you want to last you for a long time. You need to learn how to sharpening, which isnāt that hard, or you need to go find yourself a shop that will do it for you. This is probably one of the best guides to sharpening a knife.
As for what you should buy to sharpen your knife:
Washing: DO NOT WASH IN YOUR DISHWASHER, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. If you want to keep this knife for a long time, you need to wash it by hand, with a sponge. The agitation of the water will dull your blades, the prolonged exposure to steam and heat will damage the handles, and holy fuck it will demolish a carbon blade. Seriously, wash it by hand, and if you are truly knife crazy oil it up.
Cutting Board: Do not use a thin plastic cutting board. Get a nice thick plastic one, a Sani Tuff, or go and get a decent quality wooden cutting board. You gotta keep that board well oiled, and do not place it in the dishwasher. Again, there are entire websites devoted to taking care of a cutting board.
HERE THERE BE OPINIONS:
I really dislike Globals, they use a steel known as chromova 18. It is a stainless steel, harder than the Euro style, but softer than the Japanese style. I draw my dislike for it from that. Theyāre pricey, forged knives, that use a softer steel. They kind of mark a midway point beween Zwilling and Tojiro DP, yet cost more than both in some instances. I also really hate the handles.
If you do not have a lot of experience with knives, then I highly suggest you get yourself a Victorinox 8" chef knife. They are great knives, and will last you a decent amount of time. It will run you 25 dollars, and is worth every penny. This one would work great, and would let you try out a sharp knife, that is made of a good material. Ignore the fact that it says dishwasher safe.
If you have any more questions, please ask away. Also, sorry about the giant wall of text, I am not sure how to format this any better.
Two things that I use all the time that I don't see mentioned:
Stovetop Smoker. With all the meat I cook, being able to smoke it gives it a whole new depth of flavors without adding any carbs and makes even simple dishes special. Very inexpensive too once you buy the initial smoker. I bough a bunch of different types of wood chips and they've lasted me about half a year now. Even in my small apartment there's hardly any smoke leak (although I do crimp foil around the edges to help keep it in) and I've never set off the smoke detector with it. If you do have an big outdoor smoker this one is nice for doing smaller portions or if the weather's not great outside. Highly recommend it if you like smoked foods.
Vacuum sealer is the other item I use all the time. I like buying certain staples from Costco in bulk (chicken/beef/pork/etc) and being able to portion it out and freeze it has helped cut down on the cost of keto a lot. It's also useful as a good timesaver or to keep food fresh for longer even if you don't freeze it. For example, I often only use about a quarter of an onion in a lot of recipes, but I'll chop the whole thing and seal the rest so it stays fresh for the next few days. I'll then take however much onion I need out the next day and re-seal the bag.
I don't have a brand I recommend over another, I personally have a Rival that I got for Christmas. A lot of people really like Foodsavers and I see them at Costco all the time. They can be inexpensive (~$40) for a basic one or more costly if you want extra features like canning or automatic sealing or different speeds. I do recommend not using whatever brand of bags they tell you to use however. What I do is buy cheap bulk bags such as these and use them instead. Zero problems with them and much cheaper than the brand name ones. I do keep a roll of 'cut your own' around in case I need something bigger, but I find for about 90% of what I do the smaller bulk bags work fine.
If you keep an eye out on meat sales and buy in bulk or buy a lot of meat that's about to expire for cheap, I think the vacuum sealer will pretty quickly pay for itself.
And tossing it out there, one item that's not necessary but in the 'nice to have' category is the immersion blender. Great for thickening soups since we don't add cornstarch or other traditional thickeners, and it's nice for other things like making your own mayonnaise. I also use it for making my own marinara sauce - mine has zucchini and cheese blended in. Again, not necessary and you can probably use a regular blender for this, but the immersion blender is really nice and convenient.
Get a "Brew in a bag" bag, if you want to do BIAB. They're resilient and worth the extra money. You won't find them on Amazon.
If you want to start going to all grain you can buy a large Coleman / Igloo cooler (60 quart is what I use, can do up to 10 gallon batches). Ball valve and fittings, some pipe tape too. Don't forget a pulley to help get the bag out of the cooler!
You can get a flask, stir bar, and everything else you need to start making yeast starters.
Grab a large spoon and/or a flask wisk to help mashing.
Amazon also sells immersion chillers to help with the post boil. I bought mine for $50 and I think it's the 25' one. Works like a charm for 5 gallon batches.
Get a good pair of insulated gloves for your brew day!
Amazon also sells thermometers to help track mash temperatures. I have this one and this one. They're both great. An IR thermometer is great to have for yeast starters too...but definitely not needed. Would put that at the bottom of my purchase list.
Oh! A sterile siphon is also awesome. Bought that from Amazon too.
And so I don't keep rambling, Homebrewfinds as a good list of filler stuff from Amazon. Things like campden tablets, hop bags, pieces to make hop spiders....etc. http://www.homebrewfinds.com/homebrewing-related-amazon-fillers
Since you think your taste buds are out of whack, I'd say try a bunch of sampler sets. Some tea is scary expensive but it doesn't have to be! Online vendors will provide the best value for your $$$ but if you have a good teashop near you with friendly staff you may be able to show you some cool stuff. The samples given at teavana tend to be tea with a bunch of other shit added to it you won't get a good idea of what actual tastes like unless you get lucky and find a person who's really into it.
Many vendors have tasting sets. I have a soft-spot for upton because they've been around for so long. Their low/mid tier teas are good. Their "premium" teas aren't so premium IMHO. However I quite liked this sampler. It is a bit expensive. Honestly I think other people will provide better recommendations.
Also for brewing tea, a good thing to start with a simple brew basket like this. Put leaves in, dunk in water.
Alright, I'll lay out two set ups for two different price points.
Cheap Set Up
Hario Skerton This is the most basic entry level grinder possible, grinds enough for one person pretty easily, and gets "good enough results for a poor college student
Aeropress You can make full cups of coffee or pseudo-espresso that you can mix with milk for a pseudo, its easy to clean, and probably the most forgiving coffee making tool.
And then any kettle and any scale. Look for cheap on both, were going for cheap here, and were not doing rocket science, should be another 25-30 total for both of these, which lands you just under $100 total for this set up. You don't need to bother roasting beans yourselves, and if you're in a college town theres probably a local roaster around that you can get good quality roasted beans from and be happy with. For cold brew just throw grounds and water in jar in you fridge for a day in a 8:1 ratio, then strain the goop the next day for a solid cold brew concentrate
The pricier beginner college set up
Baratza Encore. If you can afford this, then get it. The things great, does everything but espresso grind really well, and because its not manual its doesn't take that long and it doesn't require any real effort on your part. I love mine, but the $140 price tag could be steep (I wouldn't have bought it when I was in college, I was poor as shit).
Brew Methods: I still recommend at least an Aeropress, but pair it with a 1LFrench press too for when you want to make a lot of coffee at once, or coffee for friends. you can also make cold brew in a French press instead of a jar, and you can use it to strain it out. Also, if you really want to make the closest thing to espresso that you can without blowing $300 dollars, get a 3-cup moka pot. You can find a cheap one at your Ross or Home Goods equivalent.
For kettle, you can get a variable temp one if you want to spend the money, people recommend the Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck but I still just use my cheap 15 dollar kettle and am doing fine.
As far as scales go, I still just say find a cheap scale that works well enough.
Bits and Bobs
Hand held Milk Frother for frother hot milk for lattes. Sounds like something you would like.
I love coffee so much. Where I used to live, I liked this local coffee house (The Mudhouse, Springfield, MO) that served lukewarm americanos for me, which is a double espresso shot in water. puts hair on your chest if you leave it black like i do!(not saying i have a hairy chest, just being dramatic). They'd sell chocolate covered espresso beans that sustained me during my associates degree/long nights out at rock shows. Tasted like M&Ms, but with coffee grounds instead of chocolate on the inside (wait, what?).
Best coffee I've ever had was Turkish coffee at a Mediterranean cafe here in STL. Came in a tiny metal stovetop pot with a long handle at the top, with shot-glass sized cups on the side. It was thick, and earthy, and matte (hit the tongue and stayed), as it's a thick coffee, so you drink a bit of the finely broken-up grounds. Amazing rush, almost a detoxifying effect.
now I brew dunkin donuts hazelnut in my 12-cup pot at home. I need to get a french press. I have an aeropress, too, just never used it. I will now, though. Coffee shops are lovely, but I love brewing my own pot, for the aromatherapeutic effect in the early AM hours.
i'm a purist, as well. always black. always :)
Here are some of my favorite tools:
Before I start, I should note that one of the things that probably attracted you to the Bialetti is the fact that you can just put the coffee in and press a button and your coffee will be ready. I tend to geek out, as do a lot of us on /r/coffee, about coffee and spend a lot of time on the process, but that isn't for everybody. So I don't have any good time-saver recommendations, sorry to say. That said...
I'm not familiar with that De'Longhi but I do have some other ideas in the price range you're looking at.
I've actually never used an Aeropress (I know, I know... sorry everyone), but they're very popular here, not to mention inexpensive. A lot of people get mini hand coffee grinders that can actually fit in the Aeropress for storage. Again I'm not too familiar with those, but I think this is supposed to be a good one. So you should be able to get the Aeropress and a hand grinder for less than $90. Then all you need is a source of hot water.
Pourover is another option, and there's all sorts of different types, some of which have their own proprietary filters. It can be overwhelming. But again the equipment is generally cheap. Prima Coffee has a nice breakdown of some of the more popular cones. A lot of these can also be found on Amazon. The thing with pourovers though, is that for better control, you'd want a gooseneck kettle. But again, I think you can get a cone, some filters, a kettle and a hand grinder for around the $90.
Now this is a conversation I can get in on.
Let's begin with my stainless steel measuring cups. I bake a lot so these are so useful. The 1/8 cup comes in so much more use than I ever imagined it would. And they're just so much nicer than plastic ones. I want to get a set of stainless steel measuring spoons but haven't yet.
Next, I would probably say my French Press. Coffee is important, and my French Press makes some delicious coffee.
I absolutely love this skillet. Works like magic.
I also recommend this 3 tier cooling rack to everyone. It's so useful and stores so well.
In the fall/winter I use my crock pot a whole lot. I also find having large mason jars to be useful for storing food, though I also have this tupperware.
Finally, my KitchenAid stand mixer. Self explanatory. It's fucking awesome. I just want to spend every waking moment putting it to good use and baking everything under the sun.
Let's do it in the kitchen.
You're an adult now, just cook. It can be tough cooking for just one person
becausebut it's doable.Learn some basic, cheap recipes and get comfortable eating leftovers.
Here's one for you:
Hamburger Gravy
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (get the cheap stuff 75%/25%, you're a poor student)
1 1/2 cup white rice (uncooked)
1 family size can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, (low sodium is healthier but doesn't taste as good).
Cooking
I cook my rice in an Instant Pot, it's very fast, easy, and requires no supervision. Takes about 10-13 minutes depending on how much rice I'm making. I used to have an amazing Zojirushi Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker that was the most amazing thing ever, but an ex-girlfriend stole it, so... Use the Instant Pot, it's cheaper and faster anyway.
Rice cookers and Instant Pots typically come with a cup for measuring rice which actually measures about 3/4 of a cup, and the inside of the cooking vessels have graduated measuring lines showing you how much liquid to add for the amount of dry rice you're cooking.
Put the two "cups" of rice (1.5 cups actual measure) into the Instant Pot and fill it with water to the "2" line. Close it up and make sure the pressure valve is closed (I've failed to properly cook my rice too often because I am dumb and don't check this). Once everything is set, just hit the "rice" button.
While the rice is cooking put the soup in a sauce pan along with a can full of milk, any milk works but I prefer whole milk myself. Put the sauce pan on the stove, medium low and stir frequently.
Now that the rice is cooking and the soup is warming put the ground beef in a skillet. I like a good [cast iron skillet] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006JSUA/) myself, they're cheap and indestructible, and because of the heat transfer properties of iron they tend to cook foods evenly without burning.
Cook the beef on medium high until it's browned, then drain all the water/grease out into a Tupperware container, do not pour grease down the drain! you can seriously make life hell for yourself and your neighbors if you do.
Add the beef to the soup, increase the heat to medium/medium-high and continue to stir frequently. You want the soup hot enough to bubble a bit, but not a full boil.
By now the rice should be just about done. Let the pressure out, take the lid off, wait a few seconds for the steam to abate then, with a large plastic spoon (you don't want to scratch the bottom of the Instant Pot), "fluff" the rice, just scoop and turn the rice in place, loosening it up, and letting more steam out.
To serve, scoop some rice on a plate, ladle some soup onto the rice, season with a touch of black pepper, and eat.
The rice is enough for 2-4 servings depending on your appetite, while the gravy is enough for maybe twice that. Typically it would be enough for two dinners for me, a 6'4", 225 pound man) and my girlfriend who is pretty petite.
Cost:
Beef: get the cheap stuff, depending where you go and the quality you get, this can be between $2-$5/lb. If your super poor, get a 10 pound tube of ground beef at Smart and Final for like $25, then break it up into 1 pound portions and freeze, otherwise it's about $5/pound most places. So let's say $5.
Rice: the cheapest food on Earth, and it's healthy too! You should probably plan on this being about $1/pound. Get a 10 or 25 pound bag and you'll be set for at least a quarter. Pro-tip: rice goes with literally everything. Add it to all of your meals for some good, clean carbs. Pair it with smaller portions of what you'd normally eat to get the same caloric intake but healthier and cheaper. Anyway the rice in this recipe has a marginal cost of maybe $0.15.
Soup: I think Ralph's usually has the family size can of Cream of Mushroom soup for $2-$3.
So, all in for one person, you could probably make at least 5-6 servings for $8, and it takes maybe 15 minutes to cook.
Store the rice and gravy separately in Tupperware in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Mix together in a bowl and b reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes for leftovers. I prefer to make fresh rice each day, but making one larger batch then reheating it works as well.
Alternatives
There you go, cheap, quick, not totally unhealthy home cooking.
I took this review from Amazon for when I purchased my first moka. This is the only way I ever use my moka and it is delectable!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/B000CNY6UK/RAK1DGKYEF0GQ/ref=mw_dp_cr?cursor=1&qid=1408335688&sort=rd&sr=8-5
Aeropress! People all over RAoA have been raving about these contraptions as apparently they make very good coffee. I don't actually drink coffee, but I want it for my boyfriend. He loves coffee but never really gets to try anything beyond instant. I think this would make him very happy, which in turn would make me giddy with joy! A whole new world of coffee would be available to him! And then people can buy him coffee for christmas rather than a gajillion bottles of aftershave.
Elephant Barber! Also I know things can work out more expensive on co.uk so even a gift card towards it would be awesome (I'm planning on getting it sometime anyway =p)
About me? I like making things! Fimo is my current thing and make things like Pokemon , feather earrings or kitty earrings =)
Personally, I'd skip the very expensive Excalibur units at this time. Stick with a cheaper and more basic ones at first to see if it's something you'll continue to do over time.
I have only had 1 dehydrator; the Nesco FD-75. I bought it about 1.5 years ago and I absolutely love it. It comes with 5 trays but can be expanded to 12 trays. I bought 2 extra trays because I need 7 trays to make a 5lb (beginning weight) jerky batch. I use is probably twice a month for jerky, dried fruits, or to dehydrate meals for backpacking. I think the biggest surprise was a backpacking Ratatouille. I made this for backpacking but I've used it more for pot lucks and dips for guests.
It has a temperature control but not a timer which, for me, isn't an issue. If I need a timer then I use one of these timers because I already have 3 of them for other uses. Clean up is easy since the heating and fan are on top. Everything below can be either hand washed or go through the dishwasher.
The best thing about this unit is the price; less than $70. This made it a reasonable investment at the time so I could see if I would use the dehydrator like I planned. I didn't want to spend a couple of hundred dollars for something and end up not using it. So far I've used this dehydrator for about 20 months and it looks like it's going to last for a while longer. I haven't had the first issue.
Totally! I love talking about gear.
Grinders:
Scale - Hario Drip Scale w/ Timer - It's black, measures to the tenth of a gram, the first one I bought is slow and it struggles to keep up with measuring my water grams...then I bought another a year later and it's much faster so I'd say if you get one that seems sluggish / slow, return it it's like they added a new CPU or something later in the life of the machine.
Aeropress sometimes....it's the fastest way to make coffee with really easy clean-up. For the event I'm just gonna brew 2 batches on everything except espresso (since I don't want to tote that thing in the office). I hope it turns people on to better coffee.
I bought a dehydrator from Amazon, not the best but not the worst. I usually get the flavored Great Value bacons like peppered or maple smoked. Or you can make your own "sauce" to leave it in overnight...but a lot of the recipes I've found on the internet are pretty sugary. Sometimes I'll add garlic salt or what not. Then, I cook it on a draining pan in the oven. Afterwards I toss it in my dehydrator. It's definitely a trial and error process. But it's nice to bring it with me on hikes or road trips.
Thanks for the heads up on the burgers; I hadn't thought about fillers... I need to retrain my brain to see outside the nutrition box. I usually just crunch numbers and see if it fits. I haven't been to KFC in forever, so I will swing by and taste the non-breaded varieties. And buffets are also a great choice since they are usually close to interstate exits. Thanks for the tips!
a laser thermometer, great! Kind of nerdy, but totally useful for getting your coffee and lunch heated up to just the right temperature.
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I got one for Christmas a few years ago, I love that thing! How hot does my TV run? Laser thermometer, How hot is my coffee? Laser thermometer. How hot is the guinea pig, laser thermometer, how hot is the wall when it's 95 degrees out? Laser thermometer....plus, it's less than $20
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I also like Plato and the color green. my favorite equation is E=mc2 but I'm still sure they will love the laser thermometer :)
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https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-Contact-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=laser+thermometer&qid=1562544242&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
Not at the grocery store, and not at Charfucks. Ya gotta order it, ya herd? I gets mine from PT's Coffee in Topeka, but that's because it's close to me. Also because they won Best Coffee in 2009. If you're really interested, this is a great place to start. Any of these coffees will be good and fresh. Also, you need a burr grinder and a decent brewing method. The simplest one, which I use, is a conical-shaped glass or ceramic thing that you set right on top of your cup, made by Hario. You just put the coffee grounds in the filter and then pour boiling water over the grounds, and it drips right into your cup. Here it is in Amazon. Have fun!
I just posted this comment elsewhere, I have had a good experience with this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-Snackmaster-Food-Dehydrator-FD-75A/dp/B0090WOCN0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418357260&sr=8-1&keywords=nesco+snackmaster
It can be used to many so many different cool snacks, and the best part is that YOU made them!
it works very well for making beef jerky. It dries evenly.
If anyone is interested, heres a quick list of useful things:
1.) The beef jerky you make should cost about 35% of store bought beef jerky.
2.) Use large freezer bags to marinade the beef jerky.
3.) Try to time your day out when you make jerky, put the jerky in marinade overnight and then right when you get home put it into the dehydrator, that way you can stay up a little bit late if it takes too long, or take it out when it's ready so it doesn't overdehydrate and get brittle. You don't want to be away from home with it running in the dehydrator, because sometimes it will go quicker and then it may get overdried. It seems like it would take a LOT for that to happen though, a few hours past the correct time.
4.) Make sure to cut the meat across the grain, it will be super tough if you cut it with the grain. My best results are having the meat cut at 1/2 inch thick, across the grain, with "eye round roast" beef.
5.) Make sure to clean the dehydrator well when you are done. Be careful that you don't deform or melt the plastic trays in the dishwasher.
6.) Follow this recipe for jerky, it worked great for me http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Docs-Best-Beef-Jerky/
Check out a Moka Pot. Here's a video as well. Not particularly light but makes a fantastic cup of coffee!!
Also, here's guide for Cuban coffee which I haven't tried but plan on this weekend.
I've also only ever used instant coffee but I'm taking an overnight trip in two weekends and am going to try my moka pot out on that trip.
Good luck!
Edit: If you like strong, concentrated coffee drink it straight as brewed. The video suggests adding some hot water but I drink mine straight from the pot and extra strong :)
A Sous Vide cooker will decarb for your perfectly every time as well, and will have a million other uses in the kitchen as well.
Anova Sous Vide Cooker
Case (Optional but nice)
Reuseable Vacuum Bag Kit
So for a couple bucks less than a "unitasker," you can decarb perfectly as cited by Drama_Derp's link; You can take that decarb and do a perfect butter immersion with the same device, and you'll also be able to make perfectly cooked steaks, salmon, vegetables, perfectly poached eggs right out of the shell, etc.
Serious Eats has a lot of great material for Sous Vide cooking if you wanna browse how much more you could do on top of decarbing with the same device. :)
If you're a regular backpacker, a dehydrator is a worthwhile purchase. My personal favorite is homemade, dehydrated chili but it's also nice to dehydrate a bunch of veggies to have on-hand to beef up ramen (I get nice stuff from an international grocer) or couscous for impromptu trips. Bagels with avocado or cream cheese packets are great for breakfast and I also like granola and instant milk. I love salty snacks and pretzels (especially peanut-butter filled ones) are bae. Fresh fruit and avocados are pretty much always worth the weight, although on longer trips I may dehydrate my fruit instead.
I have a little temperature gun. I'm constantly measuring the ambient temp, water temp, and dough temp. I don't have any formulas but I think it helps develop a feel for how temperature affects the process. For example this time of year my kitchen is typically 65-68 degrees which is pretty cold for room temp, so I decided to put my dough in the oven with the light on (about 75 degrees) between folds for the bulk fermentation. I think that helped.
I think the best advice, though, is not to fret over it too much! It's a lot like yoga, you just have to let go and enjoy your own journey. Embrace the ebb and flow of gradually improving with practice. There are so many variables to play with and no perfect loaf.
This is not a straightforward answer. Sorry.
It really depends on what you want to get out of the cup:
I personally use a V60. The others are all fantastic, you really can't go wrong.
I have a few ideas for you. I love this thing it's great for slicing and shredding almost anything. and cleanup is a breeze it goes right into the dishwasher
https://www.amazon.com/Presto-Professional-SaladShooter-Electric-Shredder/dp/B0000Z6JJG/ref=sr_1_1?
​
I Love this thing I have had it for about 5 years now and it purees better than my large Ninja blender. this is the one I have
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=sr_1_5?
One with more accessories is not much more
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-79-Smart-Blender-Stainless/dp/B00AN9UJ68/ref=sr_1_4?
​
Sorry can't help with the baking or bread. but I am sure someone else will help with that part! Good Luck! I hope you find some great stuff!
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I couldn't tell you if it is BIFL yet, but I just bought a cuisinart immersion blender. It works great. The blending portion is super easy to clean, and I believe it is dishwasher safe. The design is really comfortable and easy to use.
Check I out, it's not too expensive:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ARQVM5O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1395250389&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40
Random ramblings:
I recommend IKEA. Most of their stuff is decent quality, and very good for the price. Don't try for the cheapest they have; go a bit up in price. As an example, their SLITBAR Chef's Knife ($50) is made in VG-10, one of the best steels there is. I believe this knife is better than the one I have, which cost me about $250.
Consider non-stick skillets to be semi-disposable. I've stopped buying expensive non-stick skillets; I've tried the absolute top end, and even when I really baby it, it stops working in a year or two. Non-stick pans I've not had the same problem with - I bought some nice TEFAL ones (not the "professional" ones, one step up from that, I unfortunately can't remember the names), and they've so far lasted for over five years.
For cast iron pans, I've not found a difference in quality - anything I've bought has lasted a long time.
For mixing bowls, I recommend getting a bunch of cheap metal ones. I got ten bowls at two euro each about five years ago; one of them has gotten discolored, apart from that they're working fine still. Having lots works wonders. In the US, these are easy to buy at Vietnamese stores.
For plastic stuff, it's hard. IKEA has it, but it's sometimes expensive. I've had some luck with cheap stuff, but you have to look at it really carefully. Quality don't really go with price, but the very cheapest stuff is usually crap. A simple rule of thumb is to go to a cheap place, then look at what the cheapest you can buy is, and then buy something that costs twice that (at the same place). This will usually get you good quality; buying something that costs 10x more somewhere else don't give you any guarantee.
Thermometers are all over the map; go for a digital one, and read reviews. And you DO want a thermometer - it makes all kinds of things easier.
The chef's way of filling a kitchen is buying relatively cheap stuff, and having lots of it. I've copied that - for everything I care about, I buy ten of it. Things usually stack, so they don't take that much space, and having ten of everything means I can work without having to try to wash things in the middle.
You don't want "any" single use tools; they take space, and are a waste. I've got only two single use tools: I've got a garlic press and a WhirleyPop. The former is because it is way faster; the latter is because it is the only way I've found to make Kettle Corn without burning it.
For appliances, garage sales can be great. I paid $20 for my high end KitchenAid (battered but perfectly functional); and I only paid $20 because I didn't have the conscience to take it for the $10 they suggested.
Minimize the stuff you get at first; it's so easy to get lots of stuff, but most of it you hardly ever use.
Honest opinion, the most important thing to good coffee is freshly roasted and freshly ground beans.
Get a good grinder and a nice pack of fresh beans (not from a grocery store) find a local coffee shop if you can or order online. Even in a cheap coffee maker this will make a huge difference.
With that in mind here are my recommendations:
Okay I'm really not sure which is a deeper rabbit hole, coffee or tea...
For coffee, before you buy any gear, I'd recommend going to a few good local roasters. Try some pourover, try a latte, a cappuccino, and some espresso. I like a of the above, no sugar necessary. Don't worry about buying coffee gear until you figure out what you like, or if you like it at all.
For tea, buy a decent infuser. I prefer something like this:
FORLIFE Brew-in-Mug Extra-Fine Tea Infuser with Lid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sU.CAb9N3FK95
Fits in any mug, gives the tea plenty of space to expand.
There are tons of varieties of tea. Tons. The ones I'd consider must try are probably: oolong, genmai, Jasmine green tea, Earl grey, chai, white tea, and some standard black tea.
My usual rule of thumb for tea is if I'm going to be putting milk in it (black, Earl grey, chai) tea bags are fine. If I'm not putting anything in it, I try for loose tea. Not all loose tea is created equal, and some bagged tea is pretty good though. Ymmv.
Good luck, and happy sipping!
Welcome to loose-leaf tea, I hope you find it as amazing as I do!
It looks like thatās a blend of Indian black teas. If so, I canāt recommend these mesh strainers enough! I brew all of my Indian teas in them. Theyāre super easy to use and they fit directly into most mugs. Great for brewing one cup at a time. They also allow more room for the leaves to expand than most mesh strainers, which Iāve found to make a big difference. Plus they come in all different colors so you can collect them all :)
TL;DR: Use fresh-roasted beans from a local roaster, grind them yourself with a burr grinder, use filtered water, and don't cheap out on the brewing equipment.
First of all: /r/Coffee
Now that that's out of the way: What's your goal? Are you just disappointed in how your home-made coffee turns out, and want it to be more like the coffee shop experience?
First, let's talk about the coffee itself, before you add anything to your cup. A good cup of coffee, regardless of whether your goal is just a black cup of joe or a fancy espresso drink, absolutely requires good beans, a good grinder, good water, and a proper brew.
Beans:
-
Ok, obviously, right? Garbage in, garbage out. The problem is that most of what's out there is closer to "garbage" than it is to "great." Beans should be used within a couple of weeks of when they were roasted. That's not snobbery, that's just a fact - roasted beans lose a considerable amount of flavor after the first few weeks, and most of what you'll buy in the grocery store is already weeks old, maybe even months old. Go find a local coffee roaster and buy beans from them. My local roaster charges the same as (or less than) Starbucks for a pound, and the coffee is considerably better.
Grinder:
-
Do not buy pre-ground beans. That bit about using coffee within a couple weeks of roasting? Once you grind it, that drops a lot. You should grind your coffee right before you brew it. However, I would rather use a burr grinder at the time of purchase than use a blade grinder at home. Those will turn some of the beans into fine powder (which will make your coffee bitter), some into big chunks (which will be bland and flavorless). A consistent grind is important, and you can get one from a burr grinder. Use one scoop of grounds per "cup" of coffee (cup is in quote marks because a "cup" of coffee is 6oz, whereas the unit of measure "one cup" is 8oz - your drip maker's carafe should measure by 6oz cups).
Water:
-
Coffee is more than 99% water. It stands to reason that shitty water makes shitty coffee. If your tap water has any flavor to it, use filtered or bottled water. If you use tap water, use only cold water. Or, get a coffee maker with a built-in filter and change it on schedule.
Brewing:
-
Your equipment really matters. The flavors in a coffee bean come out best at right around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take 5 degrees. A colder brew comes out weak, and a hotter brew extracts nasty bitter flavors. Do you suppose a $20 Mr. Coffee brewer achieves the correct temperature and maintains it for the entire brew cycle every time? It probably doesn't. This is even more important with espresso, where pressure is just as important as temperature. Cheap espresso machines rarely give a quality brew. ("Cheap" for an espresso machine, btw, is generally under $400.)
Now What?
-
So, those are the basics. And if you follow them well, you might even find you don't need to add milk or sugar to your cup. Of course, you can - some of the flavors in coffee aren't soluble in water, but they are soluble in fat, so a bit of non-skim milk can actually bring those flavors out.
As for how much cream/sugar to add, well... it's "to taste," as a rule. Taste it black first. Too bold? Add milk. Too bitter? Add sugar. Just a little at a time.
Espresso Drinks
-
Espresso-based drinks (generally anything French or Italian-sounding: espresso, cappuccino, americano, cafe latte, cafe au lait, etc) are tough to make at home, because a good electric espresso machine is expensive, and a good manual one can be even more expensive and much harder to use.
A good compromise is a Moka pot. What it makes is not technically espresso (per the Italian Espresso National Institute), but is very nearly the same. They're generally used stovetop, but electric ones are available.
Once you have your espresso, turning it into something else (cappuccino, americano, whatever) is generally about adding ratios of milk, milk foam, and other ingredients. The milk is heated or turned to foam using steam. Espresso machines generally have the steam wand you need in order to do this. A moka pot will not. You can get a standalone milk frother - some just whip air into it like a hand mixer (though much smaller), others actually use steam (but of course are more expensive).
Use this as a guide to building your espresso drinks.
So what equipment do I use, then?
-
It always bugs me when people give general advice but won't give specifics. So here's what I use at home:
And there you go - that's how to make coffee that's as good as, or better than, coffee shop coffee at home. I know the giant wall of text makes it seem like a lot but really it comes down to the TL;DR at the top.
>I thought about a pour over, but I don't really know what I'm getting myself into
Honestly, not that much. It's pretty straight forward. A Chemex produces a fantastic cup, and would only really require you get a gooseneck kettle. Ditto if you go the v60 route. Bonavita has a couple, either temperature controlled or not. Other wise Hario kettle would also work.
Regardless, take a look here at Brew Methods. It has summaries on a variety of brew methods, from chemex to other. May give you some ideas.
>I don't want to spend a ton of money,
Depends on what "a ton of money" is to you, but:
> would a chemex be a better investment?
Yes, imho. Buy a cheap gram scale, a gooseneck kettle, and a chemex/v60. You'll be very pleased with the results.
I've got a pretty high quality dorm setup that is approved. Here are your options:
Option 1:
Hario ETL Certified Kettle
Hario V60
Filters
Hario Skim Grinder
Total: $119
Option 2:
Aeropress
Proctor-Silex Water Kettle
Hario Skim Grinder
Total: $66
Currently, I'm using the first setup. The v60 is a great pourover method. You'll be having the best coffee on campus. However, since it requires the gooseneck kettle it runs a greater price. Last year, I had option. The aeropress is a kick-ass coffee maker, and you can get by with the way cheaper water heater since pour method has no factor on the brew. Either way, you'd have the small hand grinder which is cheap, easy to clean, and does a fantastic job.
Either of these will make a solid cup, better than anything you'll find in a keurig.
Happy birthday! hope you have a wonderful day! a gift day at that!
I would love love LOVE to have This to help me portion out specific ingredients when it comes to my job at the bakery or when I'm trying to eat healthier and portion my meals!
Welcome to the coffee world! It can be fun acquiring a taste for it and exploring what you like. Since this is important for your diet I recommend gaining a better understanding of coffee to the point where you can enjoy it vs. starting out with crappy coffee.
Visit some local shops and taste variety of drip coffees. They'll range from $2-3 for a 12oz cup. If you don't know what you're ordering there's no shame in asking the baristas about coffee. If they're good they'll be thrilled to talk coffee with you. I'm also happy to tell you my favorite shops across the valley.
There are many different brew methods that influence the flavor and amount of coffee you can make. Since you're new I recommend using an auto drip machine to keep things easy. I began this way, moved to french press and now use the Aeropress and love it. Start simple and get more complex as you go if you would like.
Here are some items you'll need to start:
- Coffee machine
- Coffee grinder
- Bag of beans
Check amazon and read reviews for your coffee machine. There are quite a few out there. As for your grinder I recommend getting what's called a burr grinder. It gives your beans a better grind which will affect the taste/flavor. There are hand grinders, auto grinders, etc. I use this one from Amazon because I wanted one I could camp/travel with.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013R3Q7B2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Beans are going to vary. I recommend buying whole bean and grinding yourself just before brewing so they stay fresh longer. Store them in an airtight container. You can buy beans locally, online, from the grocery store, coffee shops, etc. I'm fussy and don't recommend purchasing generic beans from Starbucks, folgers, grocery stores, etc. Harmons Grocery sells great local beans sometimes at a discount. My favorite local roaster is La Barba Coffee. They cost a bit more but the flavor is great. They also have a bag punch card you can pick up from their Downtown SLC or Draper store. Daily Rise is a little cheaper and also local.
Watch youtube videos on grinding and brewing and go from there. If you dislike black coffee you can always add milk, flavored creamer, sugar, honey, etc.
We can help you out a little better if you had some sort of budget. When I was 13 I got about $5-10 a week from my parents but I knew others that received more or even nothing at all. I'll try to aim for what a typical intro to coffee setup would look like.
So with any method you use the first and most important step is the beans. They should ideally be whole bean and roasted semi-recently (a couple days to weeks ago). This is going to be a reoccurring purchase for you/your parents depending on how often you drink coffee. Price could be anywhere from $7/lb to $15/lb.
Setup 1: You can buy the $8 reusable keurig pod and grind your own coffee. With this method you could get away with using a regular bladed grinder probably. Or you can step it up a bit and buy $25 this hand grinder that gets recommended on here a lot. I have it, it worked pretty well when I was first getting into coffee. You just grinder your beans, fill the pod, and use as normal. Cost for parts: $8-$34
Setup 2: If you get the same $25 hand grinder you can then get either a $24 french press (give a more oily cup, there will always be particulates in your mug, you can also make ~8 cups of coffee with this method) or you can go with the very often recommended, and my current favorite way to make a quick cup, the $26 aeropress. This only makes 1-2 cups at a time but it's hard to make a bad cup with it. Cost of parts: ~$50
You should look of reviews for both the french press and aeropress methods on here or online to figure out what meets your needs better. If these are still to expensive then you can try goodwills or garage sells.
Honestly that looks great. The capresso infinity grinder is great and that looks like what is used in the grinder. You'd be very happy with that setup. My recommendation for having them separate is Baratza has WONDERFUL customer support for repairs or small parts orders. Also, if you ever decided to brew a different method you can. From extremely coarse to near fine for espresso. The grinder on that all in one only looks like it has a few different variables and the grind for a pour over and for a drip is not the same. Its a pretty significant change in taste just by grind size or even brew temperature. I fully nerd out and use a thermometer for my water. Brewing at near boiling versus 200F makes a massive difference.
(LONG POST) I also recently transitioned to hardcore coffee drinking, and I found that it is only a modest investment to get some seriously good cups. Perhaps you should try pour-over brewing, which I switched to from French Pressing - imo you get a lot higher flavor clarity. The industry standard was the Hario V60, which is kind of tricky to use, but I as with many have switched to the Kalita Wave, which is especially forgiving for novices. Keep in mind that the Wave I linked is a smaller size, so it can be a bit finicky for a good pour method, but it is a major score compared to other Kalitas I found across the web. Filters are a bit pricey with the Kalita though, so the V60 is better moneywise but again tricky to achieve consistency. A good scale can be found for about $15-20, which is essential to getting the correct ratios. As others have said, a Mini Mill is possibly the most important investment, but I HIGHLY recommend modding it to get high consistency (I used a rubber band for this.... it will all make sense with the link). For pourovers, some will tell you a specialized kettle is a must for pour control, but I fare just fine with a ceramic tea kettle https://imgur.com/uIWppVj . Anyways, cheers to entering coffee! :D
Loose leaf is really worth it with green tea, to start out with.
My favorite type of green tea is Japanese. O cha has some great stuff. Sencha is your basic Japanese green tea, don't worry so much about the other types unless you want to make a hobby of it. It is very strong, highly caffeinated stuff, which also means you have to be careful; don't brew it in boiling water or for more than two minutes, or it will take the roof of your mouth off.
China also produces some excellent green teas. I'd go to Silk Road Teas for that. Chinese tea is much more forgiving. It's pretty common to dump a scoop of leaves into a thermos and then just keep topping it up with more water all day. More subtle brewing techniques will let you play with flavor more, of course. Dragonwell is the most common everyday Chinese green, and it's easy to brew and drink, so it might be good for a beginner. Silk Road also does nice sample sets!
Many beginners also like Adagio. They're good at easing you into the world of tea, and sell a lot of teaware if you don't have any equipment yet. In-mug infusers are a fantastic approach if you don't feel like spending gobs of cash on decorative teapots, Amazon is also a good source there.
Green is only one category of tea, of course. Black is great stuff, oolong and white if you get interested in the complex flavors, and if you want a powerful hit of caffeine, try the pu erh. It's an acquired taste, but boy will it keep you awake.
ETA: Mug infusers that are in stock. They come in colors, but you'll have to look yourself. Also fill your own tea bags for the weak of heart who insist on tea bags.
directed at /u/QuantumCatBox but I'm going to 'reply' to this comment to keep things in the same thread.
> weight loss
I've found lately that I get better results with 2000 calories of people chow (DIY soylent) then I get with 1500 calories of soylent and allowing myself to eat other stuff. If you can stick with a lower calorie recipe then you'll have even better results but if you're anything like me (and sounds like you are =) you may want to try that. I created a low cal version of People Chow (maybe even the one you referenced, I be faymous!) in order to have it be 3 500 calorie meals and did that for a few months but my weight loss plateaued and I even gained 2 pounds over the last 3 months because I was letting myself eat stuff at dinner and ended up exceeding 2000 calories often (and likely exceeding 3000 some days). So I'm back on mostly just people chow, 4 meals a day, and anything extra I eat I'm doing that same amount extra on the elliptical (which takes forever and is highly inefficient - 30 minutes for a stupid slice of pizza).
> accessories
You might have already seen it but peoples like you are exactly why I made http://www.thebairs.net/2014/06/mixing-up-soylent-ingredients-for-7-days-at-a-time/ I'm using roughly the same stuff /u/SparklingLimeade mentioned and much of it is stuff you find around the house except the scale that I got from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SC3LLS/ and the cheese puffs containers I got from Sams Club.
> serving size
Here's another one for you http://www.thebairs.net/2014/07/mixing-up-a-meal-of-diy-soylent-video/ it all may seem daunting at first but it's really not
> startup costs
If you are looking at my recipe(s) then one caveat: I've looked for the least expensive per gram ingredients, that generally means buying major quantities like a $100 bag of protein. Like Sparkling said, there are smaller bags/bottles of many of the things. Hard Rhino sells a 500g bag of whey protein isolate that would last 9 days with most recipes.
One other option is that many of the more popular recipes do have people selling pre-mixed "weeks". I'm really not trying to be a shill (because I do sell my own recipe pre-mixed) but when I started out I wanted a way to see if it would work for me without all the startup costs and wish the option would have been available then. /u/axcho sells a bunch of variants on his site and I've got several permutations on mine. Both of us publish our recipes so you can make them yourself if you want though.
If you are looking at teas from unusual origins, say the country of Georgia, try what-cha.com.
if you are looking mainly at Chinese teas, Yunnan sourcing and teavivre are good places to start.
you can get some wonderful Taiwanese teas at Beautiful Taiwan Tea, and they have a very reasonable threshold for free shipping. You can also go to Yunnan sourcing's Taiwanese sister site taiwanoolongs.com
If you want to go down the rabbit hole that is Puerh, try out white2tea (they also have some gorgeously yummy black teas and oolongs) as well as the aforementioned Yunnan sourcing.
yunomi is a decent place to go to for Japanese teas, but since it is a marketplace type website, you would have to do some hunting (and Japanese teas are not my speciality, so I will leave much of that to other users.)
for flavored teas- there's really a plethora of places to get those, but the one that I have found with the best tasting flavored teas of the bunch is New Mexico tea company. This is just personal opinion, some people like Adagio better (and I do love Adagio's chestnut tea as well as a few others, so don't take that as a strike against Adagio).
I would stay away from most mall-type stores like Teavana because a lot of their teas are more cheap filler ingredients and less tea, just to cover up the low quality of their teas.
On the subject of tools, seeing as you are a coffee guy, might I suggest a hario teapot? A gaiwan would be the next step in going towards the gong fu style of tea. A very basic 100ml gaiwan would cost you less than 5 bucks + shipping. (shipping is expensive from here, so I would suggest getting more than one item).
For very basic tea drinking there are always in mug basket infusers.
Or you could always go grandpa style, where you just toss your leaves in a mug and refil the water whenever it gets low.
Obligatory /r/tea plug.
what-cha.com is fantastic! Great selection and good prices.
Use 1 tsp (5g) of tea leaves, and you can steep them multiple times (up to 3-5 depending on the tea you use), so 50g of tea is quite the value. You can also try samplers of more "exotic" tea if you want to try them out.
I highly recommend Yunnan black tea, tastes like chocolate and caramel black tea without all the watery fillers and flavorings. :D It also doesn't get bitter if left steeping for a minute or two longer than you intended.
I also just tried a sample of their Kenyan Flowery Orange Pekoe black tea recently, and it's basically a higher grade of the regular black tea you get in stores. Less astringency, more delicious juicy flavor.
I use this type of strainer and it works great in all sorts of mugs.
Hope this helps!
I like dark roasts, and prefer African coffee beans if I get a choice in it, they have a nice deep and spicy flavor. I get them as whole roasted beans from a coffee shop in town, which roasts them fresh every couple of days. If you are looking to get into it, you can just search for coffee roasters in your area, and if there really aren't any I'd look for roasters who sell single origin beans online. In a pinch, Starbuck's single origin beans are good too, just really expensive for what they are.
I use a hand mill grinder, a gooseneck kettle, and a Chemex coffee maker and filters. It sounds like a lot, but all that together is still cheaper than a decent drip machine. You grind the beans with the grinder (I use 3 heaping tbps of grounds), bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute (letting it come down just a little in temp keeps the coffee from being acidic, the gooseneck also helps with that). Pour a little on the grounds in the filter, and let it sit for about 30 seconds wet to bloom. Then pour the rest and just let it drip through.
The chemex makes the smoothest, best tasting coffee I've ever had, and I've tried quite a few different methods. If you like it stronger, a french press might be better for you.
Stuff:
Chemex Coffee Maker
Filters
Hand Mill Grinder
Goose Neck Kettle
I have made banana ice cream with an immersion blender plenty of times! You can make pesto in it but I prefer a mortar and pestle, You can make pico in it, but I generally think pico gets ruined if you use any sort of blending/processing. If you want easy clean up, I'd get an immersion blender- it's great for soups and blending directly on the stove top! Theres a cup you can use to make the banana ice cream. If you want to do bigger batches, I'd get a cheap processor - great for making things like hummus, grating cheese and veggies, dough, etc.
This is the $45 processor I have and I like it.
This is the $30 immersion blender I have and also like.
The general consensus here seems to be to aim for a Gaggia machine as the absolute minimum. Preferably a Gaggia Classic (~$388).
I've heard people recommend the lower priced Gaggia New Baby (~$300) to try out espresso and to help decide whether "to get a real espresso machine".
A step up from that, the recommendation seems to be the Crossland CC1, but that's in the $600+ range.
To save some money, you might do better finding a used machine or see if they're on sale at different sites.
If you want to go cheaper than that, people have recommended the MyPressi ($170), but I have not seen that in stock anywhere recently. There's some buzz regarding the MiniPresso (Preorder at $39), but that won't be out until 2015. So there won't be any reviews regarding it for a while.
As for grinder, if you're looking for cheap, you might have to make do with a hand grinder, either Hario Skerton (~$35) or Mini (~$26) or Porlex (~$43). The cheapest acceptable electric grinder seems to be the Baratza Preciso at $300.
This is the information I've gathered anyway. I don't have any personal experience with an espresso machine, but I hope this helps. If you decide to go with something, post your experience and help some people out.
Personally, I'm thinking of saving up for the CC1 and Vario (~$1000) combo...
Keep in mind that there's a huge difference between box graters! Most graters are stamped metals, meaning that it's made with machine that takes flat sheets of metal and punches out the teeth so they stand out at an angle. This is your typical grater that you find everywhere.
Unfortunately, the teeth aren't very sharp as a result, and grating something with this grater will ultimately tear, not slice, your food.
What you want is a grater where the teeth have been etched. This process involves chemically photo-etching the surface of the metal into a triangle shape, like that of a knife edge, before the teeth are punched out. It was pioneered in the 1970s, I believe, by a company called Microplane. The result is a grater with super sharp teeth that last many, many years of use.
Microplane makes really good graters. I have this handheld microplane, and this zester. Both great and will easily deliver lots of grater cheese without much muscle power. I use the wider microplane to grate directly over dishes. One of its benefits is that you can rest it on the table, at a slight angle, and use a pushing motion to grate. This requires less muscle power than pushing the cheese down the side of a box grater.
For grating larger amounts of cheese ahead of time, I use this amazing Cuisiart box grater, which also has etched teeth. The Wirecutter has been naming it the best grater for years, simply because it is superb.
A pro-tip: If you're not tall, put the box grater on a chair or something lower than your average countertop. You want to be pushing down. If you put a box grater on a countertop, your arm will have less leverage.
Some people like cranked rotating gadgets. I don't like them, for a couple of reasons. First, these things usually have multiple parts that need to be cleaned ā a friend uses one that has three parts (drum, handle and the lever that closes down on the cheese to push it down). It's finicky to clean, and I hate cleaning it.
The second reason is that the action of turning the rotating handle while simultaneously forcing the cheese down is just not good physics ā you have one force pushing down and the other pushing laterally. The only way to get good traction is to rest the thing on a table. You can also get table-mounted nut-grinder types of gadgets, but they need to be clamped to a tabletop or similarly sturdy surface.
Finally: Blenders can grate cheese. I don't know about small personal blenders like Nutribullet, but a higher-powered one like a Ninja can certainly grate soft and hard cheeses really well.
Hope this helps, thanks for the contest!
You said you live at home, so you can't control all the food; that's fine. You can still do it, it'll just take some more willpower!
I echo everyone on meal planning. Every Sunday I make my lunches for the week (black bean soup this week), and I usually have the same breakfast (overnight oats) everyday (except this week I made a loaf of lemon blueberry poppyseed oat bread, yum!). Invest in a food scale (you can get a great one for under $30; here's mine) and take an hour or two on the weekends to plan meals. This way you don't have to worry about overeating or what your days are going to be like. This should help stop the anxious fasting. You do all the work at once and then have breakfast/lunch everyday ready for you.
As for snacks, do you get a say in what snacks are "yours?" I freaking love potato chips and would get a bag every week. Once i started getting more serious about making a change, I started getting the reduced fat kind. Then I tried pop chips. Now I don't eat so many chips at all, and I have reduced my snacking. Just gradually make healthier choices until it's not too hard to say, "I don't need chips today." I also keep cookie dough in the freezer, the kind that are individual cookies? So if i want a cookie i have to wait about thirty minutes for the oven to preheat and the cookies to cook. This also saves me from just reaching in the pantry.
I've got plenty of gluten free recipes if you are interested! My husband isn't gluten free, but he doesn't complain. Most of my recipes just use regular ingredients so it's not like you miss gluten. Also I prefer recipes with lots of protein to keep me full longer.
Lemon Poppyseed Oat Bread (8 slices) Adapted by reducing honey to 3 tbsp, Poppyseeds to 2 tbsp, used 2% Fage greek yogurt, and added 1.5 pints of blueberries. (237 kcal, 35.3 Carbs, 6.1 Fat, 11 Protein)
Overnight Oats
I was using Bob's Red Mill Muesli, but now I'm making my own blend with oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and coconut. You can tailor it to what you like! Mix together and let sit overnight; I usually eat it with diced apples.
1/4 cup Muesli (or your own mix)
80 ml Coconut/almond milk (I use Califia Farms)
60 grams Fage 2% Greek Yogurt
1/2 tbsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
(278 kcal, 27 Carbs, 11 Fat, 19 Protein)
Here's the soup I have in the slow cooker now! (5 servings)
I used chicken broth instead of veggie broth, so it's not vegan. I'm still debating about cooking some lean ground turkey to add in, but i'll decide after it's done! (305 kcal, 65.5 carbs, 2.1 Fat, 21.7 Protein)
Hope these help a bit!
*Edited links
I'm with you (recently started drinking coffee after leaving Mormonism and spouse not excited about having a coffee maker in the kitchen). We just visited my wife's friend while on vacation and she made me a cafe au lait that was delicious and easy to make without expensive equipment. In fact, I'm about to invest in the following two things:
It takes a few minutes but that is part of the fun.
In fact I came here looking for advice from experienced coffee drinkers. I know this combination is great for making strong coffee or a latte, but can I easily water down the coffee to make coffee well suited for a thermos? i.e. Can I use a Bialetti to make something more comparable to brewed coffee?
My honest opinion: If you can read, you can cook. Literally. Basic cooking is simply reading instructions and following them. Once your comfortable with how things taste together, timing, and what spices taste like, then you can move on to more advanced dishes.
I think a fun part of learning to cook is gearing up. Since most people here will give you a grocery list, I'll give you a list of helpful items that I use daily.
The knife if a bit on the pricey side, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it. You only need 1 and as long as you hand wash and dry regularly, it can last forever. Sharp knives won't cut you as often as a dull knife that sometimes slips.
I assume you have basic dishware and silverware, so I've only included common cooking items.
Hope this helps! I'll update if I can think of anything else you'll need.
I have a couple of small, yet invaluable, kitchen tools that I couldn't do without. You can put together a great cornucopia of kitchen tools for her.
This is great for turning, mixing, flipping, serving, etc.
This goes well beyond cheese. This is great for grating ginger, garlic, etc.
Such a great time saver.
The silicon tip allows you to use it for high temperatures and the flexibility is key when you're scraping a mixture out of a bowl. Speaking of bowls...
You sound like a winner. Let us know how it goes.
Honestly it'd probably be more fun and educational to put together your own sample pack. An infuser can be had anywhere, the two popular ones around here are Forlife and Finium. Then a vendor like Upton Tea has tons and tons of affordable samples as well as a huge catalogue. You could get a cross-sample selection of the tea world, like a traditional english blend, a chinese black, chinese and japanese greens, a roasted and a green oolong, and a white tea. Then from there you can refine your taste and figure out what you gravitate towards!
Mainly why I recommend starting with straight teas if you intend to really get into tea, is if you start with a collection of blends, you don't really know if you're tasting the tea itself or the other ingredients in it. Unflavored tea already varies wildly in flavor from light and vegetal, to sweet, fruity, and floral, to deep and earthy.
(Another popular alternative to infusers would be a gaiwan set, though that's a little more advanced as a vessel for gongfu brewing.)
You could make a sourdough starter. It'll take about 1-2 weeks so hopefully if you start now it'll be ready once you need it. You can follow these directions: https://www.theperfectloaf.com/7-easy-steps-making-incredible-sourdough-starter-scratch/ That starter has a higher percentage of water than FWSY's, but you can just switch to the feeding method in the book once the starter becomes active.
You could also make sure you have all the supplies necessary. At a minimum you'll want:
Nice to haves:
Note that he has a section in the book on equipment, so you could wait to read that before spending money, but all the items linked above have worked well for me.
First of all, if you want to get into loose leaf tea, you're going to want to get something to brew it in. The simplest to use and clean is a French Press. But getting into loose leaf doesn't mean you have to forsake bagged tea all together, I still use both.
As far as finding a tea you like, you should start with bagged tea just because it's cheaper. You need to get familiar with the tastes of black, green, white, herbal, etc teas. Once you get a feel for the different tastes, get yourself acquainted with a nearby tea shop. There's not much of that by me, but at least I have a Teavana.(Good teas, but way overpriced). A lot of times they'll have different teas you can sample or at the very least smell.
The best way to buy quality tea without bleeding your wallet is probably through Amazon. You can buy it in bulk (generally 8oz+) for pennies on the dollar.
I don't have much experience with mixing teas with alcohol, but I know that Earl Grey goes well with scotch/whiskey. And I bet that a spiced rum would go wonderfully with a hot milk chai. Actually I think I'll try that out once I get home from class.
Here are some other favorite teas of mine, I'd recommend them all if they adhere to your personal tastes.
Dragonwell Green This is my favorite tea of all time, but it's not for everyone. Very earthy.
Raspberry Riot Lemon Mate (Mate/Herbal)
Bourbon Street Vanilla (Rooibos)
Honey Lemon Ginseng (Green/White)
Constant Comment (Black)
Earl Grey (Black)
Honey Vanilla Chamomile
Are you looking for convenience and the ability to make a lot of coffee at once, or do you want to get the best cup of coffee you can for the money, even it's just one cup at a time and you have to do a little work?
If it's the former, then a basic coffee machine is your only option based on your budget. If it's the latter, then I think an Aeropress is the way to go. I'd recommend it over a pourover cone + filters (like the Melitta or V60) because it's going to be easier to consistently produce a good cup of coffee without a scale and gooseneck kettle.
You could also get a French Press which isn't much work, but a scale would be a good idea. Fortunately you have room for both in your budget. For example:
https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Press-Coffee/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543210385&sr=1-8&keywords=french+press
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Kitchen-Scale-Food-Multifunction/dp/B01JTDG084/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543210468&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchen+scale
$25 total, and you don't really need to invest in anything else. A coffee grinder would be ideal, but that won't work with your budget.
EDIT: On second thought, I think this is your best bet!
You also have to consider how much you're willing to spend on coffee. Freshly-roasted beans are going to be a lot more expensive than something like Folger's; anywhere from $8-9/lb at the cheapest to $20+/lb. If your budget doesn't allow for that then I don't think it makes a lot of sense to go the pourover/French Press/Aeropress route, as they won't enhance low quality coffee very much.
I will have to do so! Thank you so much for your help - I am not super experienced with Chinese teas but hopefully I'll be able to taste whether it's the quality it claims. (But, I'm not picky so I'll probably enjoy it regardless). I'll have to open up the tins and see.
Do you have a recommendation on brewing style? I normally brew Western-style with a stainless steel tea infuser - do you think this method would be good for this type of tea? I don't have access to a gaiwan set or anything like that, although if it's really superior I could be convinced to buy something....
You should check out ceramic manual hand grinders! Basically a small, inexpensive, low investment, quick way to ensure fresh coffee!
I have a Beratza Encore now but I used a hand grinder for 18 months before I got it. The little hand grinders are honestly pretty amazing.
Brb with a link.
I am back.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517587258&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hand+grinder+coffee&dpPl=1&dpID=31OfOtErjNL&ref=plSrch
That looks like a good starter green tea. I'm not sure how happy you'll be with "Mister tea" though. It doesn't leave a whole lot of room for the tea to expand, and that gunpowder green definitely will. The basket for your contigo mug looks pretty good. You may want to look in to a basket type infuser for normal mugs, as well. This ForLife infuser and this Finum basket are both pretty popular around here.
Welcome to the world of tea. Cheers!
I really appreciate what you're trying to do here, but unless this or something like it gets stickied (and even then) newcomers will still probably just post whatever inane, redundant question they came to ask in the first place without bothering to look. Serious props for the effort, though.
That being said, add in a link for the porlex, a list of local roasters, and maybe drop the sections where you give your own recommendations, as some of them are slightly contentious within the community.
Some of your text content here is not really as simple as it should be to be accessible to newcomers, such as when you say "gooseneck is best" they're not going to have a clue what you're talking about.
Your section on pourovers is woefully lacking. I would move the discussion of a gooseneck kettle to this section-especially with regards to the v60, as it's really not going to help nearly as much with other brew methods.
Wherever you mention espresso, there should be a strong disclaimer to not expect excellence (or even good/very good results) until you invest >$600 in your setup (cheapest good/decent grinder and machine combo I can think of is Gaggia Classic+Preciso).
I would also leave out the suggestion for "no cream or sugar". Coffee is really a deeply personal experience. If you are trying to tell people what (not) to put in it, or how to enjoy it, they won't listen. In my eyes, the main purpose of this sub and the coffee enthusiast's prerogative in general is to offer help and advice to those who seek it, ie those striving for improvement, aka DADT.
Definitely a good start, though. I'll revisit this when I have more time to see what else I come up with.
Before you go out and buy a lot of tea, only to find out it's not to your liking, explore your options a bit by trying out sampler packs.
A bunch of good samplers where linked to over here, but that's mostly for straight unblended teas.
I hardly drink flavoured teas myself, so I can't really give you any good recommendations on that, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
Adagio carries a lot of samplers, many of them containing fruity tea blends, so you might want to check that out.
If you don't have anything to steep your loose leaf in, I recommend picking up an infuser basket that allows you to brew directly in your cup/mug. If you end up liking hot tea, you can always invest in teapots and whatnot later. (And so begin the hopeless teaware addiction many of us suffer from!)
This, and this should do well. Avoid smaller infusers such as this, as your leaf needs the room to expand and interact with the water while steeping. A cramped infuser will not allow your leaf to do so, and may lead to an inferior brew.
> I think I will start with some fruity tea, is it acceptable to put honey/sugar into that?
It's your tea, you're free to drink it however you like it best. I do recommend steering away from your usual preferences every now and then to experiment a bit. There's a lot of different flavours to be found in straight tea, and it'd be a shame not to give it a shot. If you like it better with sweetener though, by all means drink it with sweetener.
> I had some tea bags but wasnt a huge fan, not very strong of a taste, would loose leaf tea be better?
You betcha!
A loosely filled level teaspoon is ~ 2g, a tightly packed level teaspoon is ~ 3g. Hope this helps... but yeah, get a scale.
I love this one that I got off Amazon; it can take a small regular weight bowl without damage, the platform is big enough to use (about 2" square), and the lid folds all the way back and lies flat so that it doesn't interfere with what you're doing. I used calibrating weights to test it when it arrived and found it was perfectly accurate already. Best of all it's $9.95 with Prime shipping, if you're signed up for Prime.
And that's not the only one; there are plenty of good sub-gram scales out there, usually cheap (<$20). No reason not to have a scale if you've tried kratom and feel like you'll be kratoming for a while.
Oh oh I love coffee! Some cool products to check out on the cheap:
Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder: It's a hand crank grinder, but it's a burr grinder so it produces a more consistent grind which in turn produces a better cup of coffee.
Chemex 3-Cup Classic Glass Coffee Maker: Not as cheap as the french press, but since it uses a paper filter so there isn't as much sediment in the cup. I find that I prefer it over the french press.
Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker: Classic french press.
Optional:
Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale: Scales are helpful in getting a consistent cup every time. You can measure out the water and coffee and dial in the perfect ratio.
Also check out Pinewood Roaster's coffee. I think they're on Franklin and 11th in the same building as Alpha Omega. Grab a bag of Ethiopian Beriti and enjoy!
The best thing I got when I started cooking was a slow cooker
They are simple and very VERY forgiving.
You can just rinse the chicken off, throw it in with all the other ingredients, and then let it do it's thank for about 8 hours. The chicken will just fall apart and dinner will be ready, and left over are amazing as well.
It will help you get a sense of how much you eat versus how much you make and you can play with spices and additions. It's fun!
I almost missed it! I've got a few upgrade from my last post! Here is my gear.
From left to right:
What's next you ask? Well with my neck paycheck, I'm buying the following:
Any recommendations for other gear? Specifically, scale recs?
Edit: Added Amazon links for anyone interested.
As a person with a newly diagnosed kid, I can agree that everything is super overwhelming in the beginning and help from friends is welcome. The thing we needed most was the space to learn about our new life, and someone to just talk to about everything. Seems contradictory, but I would reach out with no expectations and wait to hear back.
In terms of more tangible things, you could pitch in to hire a temporary cleaning service, even if only once during the 1st couple weeks. or help buy some of the items they will need such as a quality digital food scale, Frio insuling cooling case, or books. The two books I've found to be the most helpful are Think Like a Pancreas, and Sugar Surfing.
Also the JuiceBox Podcast is really wonderful, and I highly recommend it.
Ditch the infrared bulb. It messes with their sleep. And I would get a timer for your basking lamp and uvb - I got a cheap $5 one that they had at target for Christmas lights but you can find them on Amazon too. For me it's a lot easier having his lights going on and off automatically than having to remember to switch them on and off everyday. What kind of substrate are you using? Do you have a basking rock under the basking lamp? You should and you should also get an infrared thermometer to make sure the basking rock is at the proper temp. I think it's 105-110 for juveniles and 100-105 for adults but I could be off a bit. That part is important though for digestion. What size crickets are you offering? They should be no bigger than the space between your beardie's eyes. If your beardie is at least 16" you can also try super worms. My beardie is 8 months old and it took a lot of veggie buying before I found the two leafy greens he likes best - collard and turnip greens. He also hates it if I try to add fruit or veggie toppings he just wants the leaves. He eats more veggies when I just give him leaves. Oh! What kind of substrate are you using? Tile is recommended in here and works really well.
ETA links - thermometer https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DMI632G/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487564979&amp;sr=1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65
Timer - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P76URH8/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487564997&amp;sr=8-6&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=outlet+timer&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41oJZwx0ioL&amp;ref=plSrch
I bought this guy as a cheap machine a while back. Twice the price as your Mr. Coffee.
http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Maker/dp/B000F49XXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347649968&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=delonghi+ec155
Delonghi EC155. It was an okay machine at first, espresso okay with its pressurized basket and steamed okay milk with its little plastic attachment. I bought a non pressurized basket and changed the steam wand out along with chopping off the bottom where the basket goes.
NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE especially with the new basket. It made okay espresso before with fake crema but NOW IT DOES IT FOR REALS.
Also my grinder wasn't cutting it much anymore (bodum burr grinder) so I just hooked up my power drill to my kyocera hand grinder and that works like a charm until I can afford a better grinder
Edit: For anybody interested in the new basket it is this basket: (MP68) La Pavoni Europiccola/Professional - Millennium Model Double Shot Basket
Also steam wand is (R_1054) Rancilio Silvia Steam Wand I don't recommend if you are not mechanically inclined, I had to basically take apart the entire unit to swap it out.... but the pressure now is AMAZING.
Ok I think if you want to take your cooking game to the next level start with this. Learn how to use cast iron and cherish it. It might seem hard at first but it's actually really easy. Will last you years if properly taken care of.
If you want to just cook to survive, and have a pan that is easy to clean and not worry about too much, get this. And to be honest this is pricy for a non-stick pan. I would go to your nearest Walmart and get a non-stick pan for 20 bucks or something.
Well then! Back in High School, I was in the Marching band. Additionally, I was also in Jazz band as a drummer / percussionist. One of my most favorite moments was when the band director (also a drummer / percussionist) let me bring my drumset to a football game. Needless to say, this pissed off the drumline (not that I really cared) and the "drum line instructor." I loved playing my set in front of the crowd at games :).
I wish you the Most wonderful time at school and good luck with year 3! I think everyone needs one of these at school. Or anywhere really :P
Thank you for the contest!
Your steam machine makes moka style coffee, more akin to that you would get from a Bialetti than an espresso machine. It produces coffee by pushing water at moderate pressure of 1-2 bar through your coffee grounds.
An espresso machine pushes water through coffee at 9-11 bar - a much higher pressure which produces a drink which has an entirely different extraction profile and character.
To make decent espresso coffee takes a high quality grinder, able to grind finely, uniformly and with a lot of control, which on its own typically costs around 3-4 times your budget for entry level options, and an espresso machine capable of controlling pressure and temperature of the water flow at a similar level that costs much the same. Sadly, $100 is not a realistic budget to achieve this.
If you want to learn more about what distinguishes espresso machines from one another and why they cost what they do, read this; if - in time - you decide you want to start to explore espresso making at home, this post may help you plan out the most cost effective way to do so.
In the meantime, there is nothing wrong with making and enjoying great moka-style coffee - aim to maximise the quality of what comes out of your steam machine by using the best quality beans you can find, and - ideally - by investing in a grinder to grind your beans fresh before using them. A small hand-grinder like the Hario Mini-Mill is a great reasonably affordable option to start with.
I have no idea what you ate, but what you are describing is now easily achievable with sous vide. For chicken beer cooler sous vide works until you decide you want a rig. A few years ago I decided to get an Anova and am glad I did. In the summer I use it about once a month; in the winter about once a week; around the holidays, it never gets put away. The cooking style is totally different, so I recommend a slow start with things like the beer cooler method to see if the results are the ones you like, but if you do, the timing freedom for busy folks is a game changer.
Malcolm, I'm happy that you're happy :)
Just so we're on the same page, you're using Caputo 00 pizzeria flour,, right? 65% water is a little high for Caputo. For your next bake, go with this:
100% flour
62% water
3% oil
1% diastatic malt
2% salt
.3% instant yeast
1% sugar
Your yeast should be 3.2g per teaspoon. Your malt is 14g per tablespoon (3 teaspoons). You'll need to check the packaging of your salt to check it's density. If it's a fairly standard fine grain salt, it should be around 13g per tablespoon, but definitely check for greater precision. How are your excel skills? A spreadsheet can be enormously helpful for these kinds of conversions and for scaling a recipe up/down.
And don't forget... photos :) Right now, I'm just helping you reach a somewhat generic really good pizza realm. To hit Glascow more precisely, I'm going to need to see photos of the underside of the dough (right before stretching) and of the finished pie.
I copied my reply to another post but still holds up
I borrowed a dehydrator from a friend and it had an on/off switch and that was it. I had no idea how warm the thing got or anything. I tried dehydrating a few different things with it but the results always varied and sometimes cooked/burned more than dehydrated. So I would definitely recommend one with adjustable temperatures.
One temp definitely doesn't fit all purposes. I ended up getting a Nesco off Amazon. I got this one. It's a little pricy than a thrifted one but I haven't regretted it and have made perfectly dehydrated mushrooms, fruit leather, and herbs. I still want to try an onion (outdoors!) and jerky.
You could try out Harney's sachets (they're shaped like a small pyramid, and filled with loose leaf, so it's kind of like drinking loose. Its much better quality than what is put in teabags, and the sachet provides the leaves room to expand). I don't know where you're located, but they're pretty far reaching (I'm in NZ and they're in several stores here... which is definitely saying something), or you could order online;
https://www.harney.com/irish-breakfast-tea.html
*Edited to add; if you did want to look at an infuser, I think these are incredibly fantastic and super low hassle;
http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8
You just pop them on your mug, scoop in the tea, pour hot water, take out when done. Boom! re-useable metal teabag!
hi there - not a coffee drinker, but my friends love this. French Press also my friend took it camping with her so I think its definitely able to be brought hiking, backpacking, nuclear holocaust! :)
You can cook them in shell. Set the water bath to 170f, drop eggs directly into water. Remove after 14min or so, and you have perfect poached eggs. Crack to serve.
Sous Vide is slow cooking done perfect. It will give you an exact result, each time. Its consistent, which is a rare feat in most cooking, and makes amazing dishes. Chef steps has some great tutorials and recipes.
I use the Anova in a 10Qt soup pot. Works great. Note that the price does drop to about $130 at times, so if you want to save a bit of money, wait it out. If you want to save a lot of money, you can DIY a sous vide cooker yourself.
Ok. There's been some great advice in this thread and I don't want to step on anyone's toes. But I went through a similar process when I wanted to stop drinking shit coffee a couple years ago, and this is my current setup.
The Grinder. You want a conical burr grinder. You can do this without breaking the bank: I got a Breville for less than $100 and it kicks ass. Grinds like a boss, whisper quiet, and it looks like a robot.
But why, you ask, should you splurge on the grinder? You could get a little Krups grinder for $15. And that would be great -- if all you wanted, ever, was to drink french pressed or drip coffee. But if you ever want to make espresso, then you need a conical burr grinder. And it sounds like you are going to want to do some experimenting.
The Brewer. My personal thing is this: I don't brew coffee through anything that plugs in. There's just no reason to.
Get yourself a kettle for your stove - I like this one, because you can see that there's nothing growing inside. And you avoid the mineral-y crust that you would have to scrape off of an electric kettle.
Use filtered water. It makes a difference.
Get yourself a simple drip cone or, if you want to be a little fancier, a Chemex carafe. You put a filter in the top, you grind the beans, you put the beans in the filter, you pour hot water over the top of it. The beans get thoroughly steeped and you end up with an even, smooth coffee with little to no bitterness.
Because you've saved so much money on coffee makers, splurge a bit. Get yourself a French press for when you want something with more oomph. And get yourself a little Italian stovetop espresso maker. You put fine espresso grinds in the top, you put water in the bottom, you put the whole thing on the stove - voilĆ .
There. If you wanted all this shit to plug into the wall you would have spent $1000. But you can get all of this for less than $200.
The Beans. Here's the dirty little secret about coffee beans: freshness matters more than brand. You could get the finest quality beans shipped to you from halfway across the country if you like - but they're going to be stale by the time they get to you.
Here's what you do instead: find a cafe that roasts their own beans and buy from their cafe. They'll have been roasted within the last few weeks. The beans will have this great oily sheen to them - that's how you know they're good. Buy them one package at a time and keep them in an airtight canister. And for christ's sakes, never freeze coffee beans.
There you go! With this setup you can make almost any type of coffee drink available at your local Starbucks, for cheap. There'll be no gunk to clean out of the musty interiors of a complex drip coffee maker. And a lot of this stuff has a great aesthetic, so your kitchen will look fantastic.
Edited for spelling.
This is one amazing. Iām weird and have tried 5 different food scales and this one is by far my favorite.
Itās $50 but it can hold up to 11 lbs which is wonderful because you can put huge pots on it and just add whatever by zeroing it out. Iāve weighed a weeks worth of food up to 4000 grams at once before (not including the pot). All the other ones Iāve tried max out at 5 lbs which really doesnāt hold much, if youāre trying to zero a heavy pot and food.
You can also pull the screen out so you can read the the display under large plates. The scale part is also detachable so you can wash it easily. Runs on batteries. Iāve been using this one every day since January and havenāt needed to change them yet.
I highly highly recommend it.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display, 11-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WJMTNA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1Wj7CbVGK0XZZ
Hario pour over filters and Ceramic Funnel. A grinder. A sauce pan to heat your water in. I've never bothered with buying the gooseneck kettle. A steady hand when pouring out of the sauce pan works fine for me, just remember to barely soak the grounds and then let them sit for a minute before pouring more water through. It's a very cheap set up that makes the best coffee I've ever had. Yes, it would be great to have a bur grinder, but I was given a $30 "blender" grinder from Target for Christmas and it works great. All you have to do is learn to slowly pour your water in. Probably around a $60 investment that you will not regret. If you want to learn more, just go to a local coffee house and ask them for a pour over cup of coffee and watch them. It never has a scorched taste, and it never turns out too strong like a press sometimes does for me. It's so damned simple that I've kicked myself for not learning it earlier.
Funnel can be found here.
Did you get the same kind? Make sure you're pointing the right part of the thermometer at the banger (you're using a quartz banger?). It's not the laser pointer part, it's the opening below it. Usually from about 6 inches away, it'll read pretty consistently. Since it's so close, DON'T USE THE LASER POINTER! Or at least don't pay attention to where it's pointing. You want to aim the sensor opening at the banger, not the laser.
Also, it reads in real time, you don't have to hold and release!
Yes, it jumps up and down a little bit at the beginning, probably because it's reading the heat of the air rising around it. But you should be able to read a downward trend, especially after it cools down slightly.
Message me back if you don't figure it out, I'd be happy to post a video or something. I'm super-happy with mine, and would be glad to help you get your working. Good luck!
Yeah definitely worth considering! Personally I use my roommate's Keurig K10 Mini Plus with this reusable filter, grinding whole beans with this manual burr grinder. That all adds up to pretty close to $150. Now I can't guarantee that the coffee strength will be great if brewing a larger quantity of coffee using a larger-sized Keurig machine (the mini really only works for up to 10 oz of fluid). But for now I am pretty happy with this setup until I decide to go for an upgrade.
EDIT: A lot of people also recommended an Aeropress or French press. I haven't tried an Aeropress myself, but I think both might be really great options for you too (and much cheaper), only real downside is that both take more steps and manual work than using a machine like a Keurig or standard drip machine. If the idea of just pressing a button and getting your coffee appeals to you strongly, maybe avoid the mechanical options in favor of the electronic ones. But you would be well-off with any of these tools, I think.
>Breakfast and lunch are super important (coffee is a runner up). You don't realize it till you go without. Then it hits you.
Yupper
For lunch...
http://luckypeach.com/recipes/miso-claypot-chicken-no-claypot/
Make a big batch of that and freeze the leftovers.
https://www.amazon.com/Gordon-Ramsays-Fast-Food-Ramsay/dp/1554700647
These are all great too.
Nutritious and most freeze well.
For breakfast, always have spare cooked rice in a baggie in the fridge, eggs, tortillas, condiments, cheese, etc... so you can just throw stuff together. My favorite:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/08/how-to-make-omurice-japanese-omelette-fried-rice.html
Coffee in the morning your type of thing?
https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-80R11-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1482258230&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=aeropress
Cheap and works great, makes an excellent cup of coffee with hot water quickly.
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DCG-12BC-Central-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0000A1ZN7/ref=sr_1_23?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1482258296&amp;sr=1-23&amp;keywords=coffee+grinder
This is my grinder.
It's the details that count, decent quality stuff that just gets the job done.
Disclaimer: I literally just switched from bags to loose leaf tea drinking today after hours and hours of research.
I bought a Bonavita Electric Kettle (http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40/) and chose it for it's precise tempature control and the ability to dual-purpose it for coffee pour-overs as well.
For infusion, I purchased an in-cup stainless steel one (http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8) mostly because it has good reviews and Amazon Now had it in stock for 2-hour delivery. There is some well-reviewed plastic infusers as well, but I like the visual of stainless steel in my new ritual.
The process is super easy. I fill up the kettle with water and punch in the temp (160 degrees in my case for Harney Japanese Sencha). Once it's hot I put the infuser in my mug and add a heaping spoonful of loose leaf. Then I pour-over the leaves and set my phone timer for a couple minutes. In no time, the tea is ready and I remove the infuser and dump the contents into composting.
The resulting tea is perfect. Easily twice as good as the experience as using the tea bags (I've been drinking Harney Japanese Sencha in bags for 2 years).
Grinder
>Capresso Infinity - $89
>
>or
>
>Hario Mini Mill Slim - $30 - If you don't mind hand-grinding your beans
Coffee Maker
>Aeropress - $23 - Balanced flavour, easy cleanup
>
>or
>
>Hario v60 - $19 - If you enjoy the process of preparing your coffee, and enjoy a brighter (more acidity) cup of coffee.
>
>or
>
>A french press - $20 and up - If you want to make more coffee at a time than the Aeropress, don't mind a "thicker" (more coffee particulate and oils in the cup) coffee, and are not opposed to having a little bit more clean-up.
You'll need a kettle for any of these brew methods; a programmable/temperature controlled kettle like this one ($95) is ideal for manual brew methods, but any kettle (and a thermometer if you'd like to get fussy) will do just fine.
Personally I would get the Capresso and the Aeropress if I were you. It's a very balanced and forgiving brew method that can make coffee a few different ways (eg. paper filter for a "brighter" cup, metal for a thicker one). Set aside the rest of your budget and find a good coffee roaster near you!
I am actually in love with my stick blender - it's super fast and effective, and waaaaay cheaper than the Vitamix. It makes really smooth baby purees and can do smoothies too, and it can also be used for larger volumes like whole pots of soup (so it's versatile too). I swear I don't work for this company, I just really love the hand blender. :-)
I just dug up the receipt, I paid 100 for it a year ago (apparently it's only been a year, not 'years'). After I bought it I saw it below 90$.
It's probably a discontinued model at this point but I'm sure you can find the next generation of it.
There's also the DeLonghi EC155 which has excellent reviews, costs $75, and I think you can even get it at target so you can try it out to see how much you like it. I ordered this one for a friend and she likes it but I've only used the Salton which I wouldn't be surprised if was a better build.
My favorite slow cooked Iāve had so far has been this one: Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S-A 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker with Digital Timer, Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pfvsDb3CAJH1X
Great size and features for most recipes! I will say, however, that I have not touched it since I bought my instantpot. I have the ultra 6qt, and Iām able to do everything I could in the crockpot but also a lot more. It gives me the opportunity to make soups in an hour and a half that taste like my all day slow cooker soups (although it does have a slow cooker function as well! I occasionally use it, and recommend getting the glass top for it if you plan to use it at all). Hope this helps!!
This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to make āfancyā coffee. Coffee snobs can spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on all this equipment that really isnāt necessary for regular people who would be happy with a Starbucks latte.
Here is a spice grinder that can be used for grinding coffee because fresh ground coffee tastes way better and you can control how fine itās ground.
I suggest looking up a photo of how ground coffee should be for the āMoka potā
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xH02DbEBEGM6D
Here is the āmoka potā Iāve found itās the cheapest and easiest way to make something close to espresso. (Itās stronger than regular drip coffee but weaker than espresso, and it doesnāt have the brown foam that come on top of espresso)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CNY6UK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2F02DbAZHNRY3
Here is the milk frother that is a easier and cheaper way of making āsteamed milkā (this isnāt exactly steamed milk because usually you need to put a steam wand into milk and use a technique to steam milk properly and itās expensive and takes practice)
You just push a button and a minute later itās done.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V9HHMZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xG02DbC0AG7B5
The thing that really effects the flavor the most is getting good coffee! Maybe you could splurge on more expensive coffee that you save for dates, special occasions or when you want to feel fancy!
Could you get her good coffee-making equipment? An aero press is $30 and a hario v60 is about $20. Actually hario has a hand grinder thatās pretty cheap too. Throw in a bag of beans from your favorite toaster if you have any surplus.
Edit to add link and update price. My bf loves the v60, might be good!
Edit 2: it looks like it looks like the grinder is $40? which blows my mind. I swear it was cheaper
> spiceindiaonline.com/crispy-chicken-65/
I'm inclined to mostly agree with /u/Amnizu. I dont think I've ever seen deep frying in a pot like that, even if it is heavy bottomed, the outside is not heavy so it will not retain the temperature of the oil as well as cast iron would. A $20 Cast Iron pan is usually my go to for frying. Even safer and probably better would be something like this. A Quart of Oil is actually quite a bit in that kind of pot. When using the Cast Iron get an 1-1.5 inches of oil up to temp then slowly add in each piece of chicken. The recipe you are using has water in the ingredients which is ok, as long as you don't have excess sauce on the chicken when you put it in. Water and frying are not friends. You might even want to reduce the amount of water just a little. To be safe keep some Baking Soda near by to put out any potential grease fires. I'm no pro so take what I say with a grain of salt. I usually use a cast iron pan and it comes out great, makes the house smell though. Hope this helps.
Hi there. May I recommend a blow up mattress microwave and maybe even some sheets and a blanket. (sorry my links are good prices via amazon prime, but i'm not actually suggesting the specific products, just giving examples)
As far as food and cooking goes. /r/eatcheapandhealthy might be a place for you to look into. I personally would recommend you get a big microwave safe bowl (so you can cook rice and other stuff in the microwave if it comes to that), a mug, a kettle, a frying pan, a pot, a knife, fork, spoon, and big wooden spoon. For the dishes and stuff, go check out your nearest salvation army or goodwill. You can buy a plate from 40 years ago that will work just fine for another 40 years for less than a buck.
For food figure out how much you eat and what circumstances you need to eat them in. For example, you take public transit to work in the morning and would ideally pick up coffee and a bagel on your way to work. You could brew you own coffee in a french press or regular coffee maker or make it with instant using water from your kettle. Maybe make yourself a homemade granola bar to eat instead of the bagel. Maybe you have a microwave at work, make some chili to bring in or if you can't nuke your food something like a veggie pizza or a tuna salad
Aerobie Aeropress is easily the best coffee maker around. I have made coffee and espresso for some of my pickiest coffee nerd friends, and they love it and always ask me how I made it. Great Christmas gift for your coffee-loving friends.
I think you answered your own question. If you have been using and enjoying a french press then stick with it there is a whole range of size and price options and even places like Target sell them. As far as other inexpensive options there are a variety of pour over devices that use paper filters which may be easier to clean up. I have a Cilio #4 that I use at work with a Hario Skerton grinder and a cheap electric kettle. The Cilio is porcelain and has held up well but there are some stainless ones. There is also the Aeropress which is a fun little gizmo and makes great coffee. The Porlex grinder nests nicely inside the Aeropress plunger so it takes up very little space in a bag.
Whirley-Pop all the way! It has a thin aluminum bottom that distributes heat evenly but doesn't retain heat so that as soon as it's done popping, you can take it off heat and the popcorn on the bottom won't burn. The swirling arms also make sure that you get pretty much 100% poppage and that everything pops at the same time. It's amazing because normally in a pot or a wok, there's a gap of maybe a minute or so between when the first kernel pops and the last one does. With the whirley-pop, it all shoots off at once. Like, a five second interval start to finish. It also makes distributing melted butter very easy.
Pro-tip: clarify your butter. The water content is what will turn popcorn soggy.
I buy bay leaves, yeast, and an assortment of dried chilies in bulk and freeze. They are always in my freezer.
Wait...what is your budget? Are you willing to spend Ā£150?? If so, we could probably put together a great beginners setup for your boyfriend.
I'm thinking:
Aeropress
And Baratza Encore but that's a little over 150. Instead of an Aeropress, a Clever would work, too, but you would also need #4 filters.
Actually, if you want to give him a lot of options for 150, you can get him the Aeropress (23), Clever (18), #4 filters (4), Hario Hand Burr Grinder (22), and a Mocha Pot (23) for a grand total of ~90 quid. I'd also add a .1 gram digital scale for 15 extra. So 105 for quite a good introductory setup for coffee (and I'm assuming you have a kettle for boiling water).
So far I've just been browsing Kinja deals and had one recommendation as well as interested in others' recommendations. Here are some:
$52 Instant Pot 3 quart. Love the 6 quart version, but it's huge. I think 3 qt would've been fine for me.
$26 dinnerware set don't know this item.
$37 Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. Considering this. Anyone own it? Do I need a cast iron dutch oven? Is it better than a stainless steel one? Already have a cast iron pan.
$25 Stick blender
The sous vide immersion circulator was sold out but will be back, let's hope.
Its not a good plan to invest that much $ without knowing if you honestly like tea or not. To begin just get a simple infuser this one works , hopefully you already have a mug. Just boil or microwave water to start before you are sure you really love tea. You could always get a cheaper kettle but the most basic way to start is just infuser+mug+tea . Grab yourself a few sample from adagio or harney. I like harney to start since their samples are 2$ each. Grab some from as many of the major tea groups as possible. Find what you like. Good luck.
TL:DR Spend more money on tea, less money on accoutrements
It is actually incredibly easy! Although some people will tell you to season the meat, we haven't found any dog that doesn't like it as just chicken.
We slice chicken breast as thin as possible. My dad works at a meat counter so he's got super sharp knives, but if you pop them in the freezer for ~20 minutes you can slice them more easily. Place them on the dehydrator trays, turn it to 160 and let it be for 6-10 hours (or longer depending on how thin you got your slices). The jerky is done when it..you know..looks like jerky. We make ours really dried out because it lasts my dog longer when eating it. We also keep it in the fridge, because we don't salt it and don't use other preservatives it can mold on a counter top with any kind of humidity, it has never molded in the fridge.
We have given the chicken jerky as gifts to other people that frequent the dog park and haven't had a dog turn up their nose yet and they are good for dogs that have sensitivities to additives in other kinds of treats. The chicken we buy is hormone and antibiotic free.
This is the dehydrator I use.
I have this food scale which I love... scale
A full size mirror was helpful before i fell off the wagon(got sick and was put on medications) because even if the body scale wasn't showing progress the mirror does. I know you probably share finances, but it may be helpful to get her a gift card for the grocery store or costco or something because I know it was hard for me to splurge on ingredients and foods i needed to stock my pantry because the initial cost is pretty high. the giftcard will help because she won't feel guilty 'treating herself' to these foods! A wok was also helpful!
Absolutely. You can have top grade coffee for Ā£50.00 total:
And source some beans from a good local roaster to you. I have a few recipes I like but coffee is very subjective. Best to experiment with different beans, brew times etc. My go to recipe :
Enjoy. Itās very strong, rich coffee though. Not a very delicate brew.
This may get some down votes but I've heard great things about the De'Longhi EC155 and it's only $90. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000F49XXG I don't personally own one but the reviews on it are worth at least considering it. And if you look hard enough, you can even find a few others recommending it in this sub. I do agree with everyone else, it's all about the grinder (and IMO, more importantly the beans). Look into getting the baratza encore or the capresso infinity, $130 and $80 respectively. And if you're lucky, you can score a refurbished baratza encore on their website. Check every Thursday, that's when the post their refurbished items.
If you want true Espresso the first one you list isn't gonna do it.
I think one of the cheapest useable option is the Gaggia Classic. You can get it with a hand grinder and are all set to go. This one is pretty good.
Want to spend more? The Rancilio Silvia is beloved by many, from beginners to advanced. Here it is with a matching electrical grinder.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of those devices, because my kitchen is way to small for more than an AeroPress but I have friends who own this stuff and they make great coffee.
If I may, this knife sharpener is inexpensive and we love it. It's saved our knives, and it also gets recommended on /r/kitchenconfidential a lot, too.
I took the Cook's Illustrated "Best Buy" recommendations for all our knives, and can confidently recommend the Victorinox Chef's Knife as a basic, nice chef's knife.
I ceramic hand grinder works well. This seems like a popular one. I have this one and it works pretty well. If you drink coffee pretty regularly, then you should probably go with an electric one. This Baratza is considered really good for the price.
Since you're 17 years old and likely don't have access to a few hundred dollars to really get started, I would save up and get a Hario Skerton grinder and V60 single cup pour over here: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VDC-02W-Dripper-Ceramic-Funnel/dp/B000P4D5HG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1372182859&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=hario+v60
then I would save up for a bag of intelligentsia, just buy whatever single source sounds good to you. watch youtube videos on how to do proper pourover technique. learn how to use a kettle (there's no need for a gooseneck one just yet), figure out how to pour slowly with a standard kettle. maybe buy a cheap thermometer so you can get the water temperature right. start pouring yourself coffee, but remember to drink coffee right after it's been roasted, not months later.
if you're rich, do the same thing, but buy the bonavita temperature controlled gooseneck kettle in addition to the v60. and a baratza virtuoso.
actually do whatever you want, there's no good answer. just about any advice you take from this subreddit will be significantly better than what you're currently doing.
posting this topic is the equivalent of 17 year old with a casio keyboard asking a concert pianist for advice in becoming a musician.
For me, fine grind and good beans made all the difference. As for espresso machine, I have been using older version of this machine for years. As for the grinder, I had to hack this Mr Coffee burr grinder to make it finer (a hack similar to this). If you don't want to mess with the machine, better to get a good grinder. As for the beans, I have tried a lot of things form Starbucks brand to 100% Kona coffee beans. So far, the best tasting ones were freshly roasted beans from a local coffee company (roasted 1-2 weeks before I purchase). If you have good fresh beans, finely ground, then I wouldn't worry about getting an expensive machine too much because they won't magically enhance the taste.
https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2
Looks a bit like a porlex. I wouldn't use it in a machine without a pressurized portafilter. If you feel comfortable with it, get the Gaggia classic but keep the pressurized Porta filter for now. Save up, buy a better grinder and start upgrading the Gaggia. Good luck!
I use this one for both business and personal yarn. You probably don't need 1/10ths of a gram for general knitting purposes but I needed it for measuring dye so... yeah. I definitely recommend digital since you can zero and calibrate it pretty easily, and it's a lot more accurate than a standard scale. If you do go standard, I'd recommend one that has a little slider as opposed to just a dial. They're more accurate and less likely to break.
Good luck! Keep us posted. Health and happiness to you and your family. Sorry to hear about the ex, he sounds like a prick.
As for the hassle of cooking, the instant pot or a good crock pot is your best friend.
People will say things like 'screaming hot cast iron'. I disagree.
Let me recommend one of these. Then buy a bunch of high quality unsalted butter and make ghee (just cook the butter very low, crockpot even, until all the layers are seperated. Scrape the fat off the top, then pour the middle layer into a container, do not let the stuff at the bottom get in. You will lose a tiny amount of ghee but it's just butter so don't worry about it.). Ghee won't smoke till like 485. anything between 400 and 450 is plenty hot enough for a good sear.
Cast iron doesn't heat evenly. It retains heat exceptionally well. So what I do is preheat the pan for about 5 minutes on a 4/10 on my stove (flat glass stovetop). By then, at least half the pan's about 400. I throw in the fat, wait for the fat to get up between 400-450 (takes seconds), then drop the seasoned steak on a part maintaining that heat large enough to cover the steak. I do 3 minutes a side at that temp.
Sear's great. I can leave up the smoke alarm. I don't even need to open windows. I don't even put the overhead fan for the stove on...cause there's next to no smoke.
Here's a steak I made last night (half eaten).
I've yet to try, but I will next week; putting a cast iron weight on the steak while it vacuum seals. This, in my head, should keep the steak perfectly flat instead of getting 'scrunched' a little by the vacuum sealing. The only part on my steaks that haven't seared well were where the steak got 'scrunched' and wasn't flat and even. I think that will solve that.
EDIT: Quick note since people like this comment...Someone made a comment that changed my life a bit with sous vide. They said to just cook the meat sous vide, ice bath, then fridge. You can then keep it in the fridge for like 2 weeks (I've never let it go that long, usually within a week) but it ends up being like 75% meal prep'd. Searing takes all of 10 minutes with the pan preheat. Pop steaks out in no time flat.
Applicable point about searing is that from cold is key (3 minutes per side from hot will 100% overcook it).
You can't go wrong with a #8 (10.25") or #10 (12") Lodge skillet. They are both pretty cheap on Amazon or at Walmart.
Do read through all the great tips and information in the FAQ. Cast iron is different than most other modern cookware, so learning cooking, cleaning, and care tips is important.
For searing steaks, I like to use the "reverse sear" method, and Alton Brown's method works great.
http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Maker/dp/B000F49XXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1421873498&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=espresso
On sale. The cheapest true (pressurized correctly) espresso machine that I know of, has a decent enough frothing tip for foam, and it pulls some great shots. I have a friend who has had one for a couple of years, and his is still running great- if you're starting out or even pretty knowledgeable about coffee, I recommend this. Plus, it's almost 50% off!
I personally would get the following way sooner if I was building my kitchen all over again.
Also if there is a place you can get bulk spices near by I would go there for your spices, because if you havent already noticed spices are pricey at your local megamart.
Lavatools Thermowand - Same form factor as the much more expensive thermopen but at 1/3 the price.
Lodge cast iron skillet - great for searing meats or as a good starting pan.
OXO Bench Scraper - Makes prep work much easier and safer as you don't use your knife to scrape your food off the cutting board.
Immersion Blenders - When you dont want to use your big blender or want to blend something in your pot or pan.
Stainless Steel Cookware - Has a little bit of a learning curve but is great after the fact.
Aeropress - Life is too short to make shitty coffee.
Edit: added a thermometer/spelling
Ignoring aesthetics,
A cast iron teapot can be great, especially with a tea candle to keep it warm.
The most important thing is to use a basket style infuser.
I would recommend a 330mL French Press (for making single cups) because they have a wire filter built in, are cheap and easily available.
I've also enjoyed using this basket style infuser because it makes single cups, the lid keeps the heat in, and the lid doubles as a drip catcher if I plan on doing multiple steeps of the same tea.
My S.O. and I are a big fan of her Bredemeijer vacuum insulated 1.2L tea pot, which keeps tea for two hot for a couple hours. On that note, having a vacuum insulated mug is great for tea on the go, or for keeping tea warm while you pour into smaller, traditional cups.
You could get some good quality loose-leaf tea and cold brew it! It's super easy and usually flavorful!
I believe /r/tea is a pretty active subreddit. I'd search and ask there for recommendations of good types of tea to cold brew!
I canāt refrain from commenting on this since Iāve been having the exact same thought process. As of now I cannot afford an actual espresso machine and other proper gear, and since I only have a French press, Iām considering the Moka pot. Hereās my take on this:
Iām very much a coffee nerd and I love espresso-based drinks, particularly a latte or a cappuccino. To make a good espresso shot with lovely ācremaā on top, youād need around 9 bars of pressure, which can only be supplied by a proper espresso machine. Even certain ones (worth, say, $100) advertised with more than 10 bars of pressure are not very good because they lack the pressure regulation to maintain 9 bars throughout the whole 20ish second shot. The Moka pot, of course, cannot supply such pressure either. Most Moka pots gravitate around 1.5 to 2 bars of pressure, which is significantly lower than what you need. That being said, I do recommend getting one until you can have a professional setup because:
Without doubt, I would recommend to go for a Bialetti such as these:
Bialetti 6-cup stove pot espresso maker
Bialetti Venus Induction coffee maker
Happy coffee making!
Second /u/bacondevil and say renter's insurance. $14/mo for about $70K coverage with a $500 deductible. Peace of mind, especially if you keep professional equipment at home and/or travel frequently.
Good (not expensive, good) cookware. For the love of god, a decent chef's knife. Or a very good one. A good knife will change your relationship with food.
A couple of nightlights. I'm a poor sleeper, and being able to use the bathroom or navigate the kitchen at 3am without flipping on every light in the house is a great thing.
Plants. Plants plants plants. Learn them, care for them, they will improve your quality of life at home. If you're worried about killing them, get air plants. Soak them once a week and then forget them. Keeping living green things in your home will make you feel activated and engaged with your space.
The suburbs are safer than say, some parts of MPLS. Personally, I think MPLS is great for music, restaurants and rooftop bars but I like the quiet of the suburbs. I can't specifically speak to apartments as I haven't lived in one for about 15 years but can speak to my experiences living here for 40+ years. Given the Southdale/NWHSU reference, I'd try to find something on the Bloomington side of the river because of traffic during rush hour and winter and with underground parking if you can because of the cold and salt. Usually, underground parking will have a car wash stall. Not much car washing below freezing. If you do, your doors will freeze shut and you can't crack the window. The moisture from your breath will fog up the windows and it won't go away until the car warms up and the heat kicks in.
Bloomington and Richfield are fine. Edina will be expensive and the farther out you go the more suburbia it becomes. Coming from KY, not sure if you've experienced a MN winter but it gets cold and any snow over 5-6 inches will double your drive time and cars have a hard time starting when it's below 15 below (-15 degrees). Buy some jumper cables.
Also, make sure you have a good winter coat, a good set of mitts, and no kitchen in MN is complete without a Crock Pot. I've got four of them (different quart sizes depending on application) and use them at least once a week in the winter.
In regards to the pup, google dog parks and you'll find at least 10 in the MPLS area. I used to walk mine around Hyland Lake which is a nice two mile loop right off 494 and 100.
Did you have the Chambord? My particular gripe with the Chambord is the fact that the steel frame isn't attached to the beaker. Unfortunately, I can't find any decent alternatives to purchasing the carafe from outside sources.
If you want to continue using Bodum's French Press line, I'd highly recommend their Brazil French Press. Not as aesthetically pleasing to some, but I personally favor it over the Chambord. The base and bottom inch or so is ringed in plastic, and so is the handle and the top. It's also a one-piece beaker + handle, so you don't have to worry about it slipping out as you pour. It's also much more forgiving when you wash it as there's less of a chance of shattering the beaker when you tap it against the sink walls. Best part: it's cheaper than the Chambord.
There are other non-Bodum French Presses out there. The Espro Press I hear mentioned a lot lately on this sub is an all-stainless steel container so there's no more dealing with fragile glass containers. Also more expensive though.
http://www.amazon.com/Wabash-Valley-Farms-25008-Whirley-Pop/dp/B00004SU35
this is my best friend, i can make IMMENSELY healthy popcorn (sorry non-carbers :( ) and completely control the oil and salt in it, it's not calorie-free but it is an awesome easy (and CHEAP) munchy that won't totally break your diet.
munch on my friend (but only reasonable portions!)
For me, I've found the best value in having two scales. I have this one for smaller items. It goes to the nearest tenth of a gram, so that's good enough for me for smaller quantities. This is good for jewelery, small coins, etc.
For weighing a whole stack or something, I also have one of these. It's only accurate to the nearest gram, so the small one is better for small quantities, but this one supports up to eleven pounds and is definitely the best you'll find for the price. I also measure stuff other than my stack on it as well, so this is a decent multipurpose scale.
Congratulations on stopping drinking. That is a momentous accomplishment. Do you mean 20 grams? Because 20 teaspoons is somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 grams or more of kratom a day. That is a looooot of kratom to be taking especially if you have only been using it for a month. I don't know anyone whose can stomach that much kratom.
You are correct that you should be using a scale. This scale goes up to 1kg and is only $6.19 on Amazon. Your best success is probably going to be to taper down to a more manageable dose.
You can look through Kratom 101 for good information about kratom.
Unfortunately, there is not any one solution or answer or regimen that someone can tell you to follow. Kratom tends to be an individualized thing. You can read about other how other people have managed tolerance. This discussion is a good place to start: What's the Best Way to Reset Your Kratom Tolerance.
Some people replace part of their dose with stem and vein to help taper to lower dosages and manage tolerance.
Some people use agmatine. You can read a good explanation about it here, a website here, and other people's experiences here. You can also read about potentiators but you should put some serious thought into tapering your dosage for long-term success.
Congrats on your new baby! Since you're new to the world of beardies, please read up on their care with these wonderful guides:
Comprehensive Care Gudie, Nutrition Guide, A wonderful Cheat Sheet!
You will want to get in an Infrared Temp Gun for the most accurate readings for your basking/warm/cool areas. The sticky thermometers on the side are severely inaccurate. This will help guarantee your beardie's temps are where they need to be for proper digestion and health.
I cannot tell from the picture, but mealworms should be avoided until your dragon is over 6 months old as they're very hard to digest and can cause compaction- as should adult superworms.
Micro super worms, pheonix worms/black soldier fly larva, dubia roaches, silkworms, and crickets are all safe options for your baby.
What does your lighting setup look like?
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-AMW-1KG-Digital-Pocket/dp/B002SC3LLS
10$ including shipping: you need to use a scale: I noticed that wgn seeds are way way less volumous then ftl or sn. Its really important that you use a scale every time you dose, especially when switching brands. Its important to know exactly how much you are consuming as to be able to make responsible decisions when dosing.
FTL is the best right now, I'd go with them. Make sure to get the england one, the others are no good. They are way stronger then tnt, I'd say 30%, so start with way less. Weigh out your normal tnt dose when you get the scale and then when you get the ftl start with 30% less and go slow. When you taste the ftl, you will know, it's very potent. Some of the best I've ever had.
I got this scale, when I started logging my meals: http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-AWS-1KG-BLK-Signature-Digital/dp/B002SC3LLS
It's small (passport size) and can be easily carried around (to the office etc.).
1000g of max. weight should be enough for most ingredients. Make sure to just place a light plastic bowl on it and tare it beforehand, as the scale is small.
The slow carb diet is a great starting point for eating veggies. If you have got a slow cooker (crockpot) you can't go wrong. There are tons of chili- or curry-like recipes that have a reduced amount of carbs and consist of only meat and veggies of all kinds. Those dishes taste amazing, don't actually require a carb-rich side dish (rice etc.) and you can sneak in a ton of veggies.
Once a week I prepare something I call "veggie and protein cake". I take a round glass casserole and fill it with 1lbs leafy spinach, bunch of spring onion, paprika, chili, cauliflower or broccoli add some bacon cubes and feta cheese, while layering the ingredients. I cover it with some grated cheese and stir 6-8 eggs, which I then pour all over the veggies to fill the whole casserole. Put it in the oven for 30min. at 320Ā°F and you made your self a delicious veggie cake that will last you at least a week.
Regarding your cardio training intensity: I see nothing wrong with the cardio. Keep it up as long as your body allows it. I did that myself with running and hid a roadblock as soon as I reached 1x-bodyweight levels on my squat. My legs were just too sore to run 3x/week. Now I'm running once or twice a week and am back to some indoorcycling after my workout.
I'd recommend you to stick to the 3x/w 5x5 SL protocol. Your body needs to get used to the rhythm of a weight lifting break on the weekends. I had serious issues on my friday workouts, when my squats reached 260lbs and more. The two day recovery is often times more than needed and can make a huge difference for the next week.
I know it's addictive and it can be tempting to do more, but you'd be better off to throw in a stretching routine or some extensive mobility work or light cardio on Sundays.
Cheers
I mean yes.
But really, something like this is fine. Some things to look for are a temperature control and a timer. They help with getting various foods dehydrated perfectly. Mine has neither, I just keep an eye on my foods a little more. At this point I know how it runs so I know what food I can set and leave for 8 hours and what foods I need to rotate trays every 2 hours.
I will say, I borrowed and Excalibur when I was prepping for a long distance backpacking trip and it was AMAZING. It dehydrates much quicker and much more evenly than my cheapo unit. But I would probably never buy one myself. For that particular trip I was running both machines pretty much around the clock for months making meals. For the occasional use, my cheap machine is fine.
I posted this in your LPT thread, I think it is worth reading so here.
A few years back, and even some today, I set out to find out how to make popcorn like at the movie theaters. Alton's recipe does not sound terrible and uses items most people will have on hand. However to make it better (read: more like movie theater popcorn) You will need to buy a few items for this.
All total the items are under $40 (excluding popcorn) and all but the coconut oil will last a long time. Flavacol is a must have for this to work. I have not been able to find it locally near me. the 35oz carton will last you just about forever.
The coconut oil is a bit on the messy side just because of the container, you can get different amounts which will come in a different container. I have noticed some differences in taste of some coconut oils and the one linked is the brand I am currently using.(note: Coconut oil solidifies at about 76F)
If you are just toying with the idea of better popcorn, try Alton's method of popping. It cuts the total price in half and for a test run\proof of concept it should work. I have tested several poppers and settled with the whirley pop or similar design. Some outdoors shops sell these but charges about $10 more for them. Note: Yes it has a turn handle, but the gears are made of plastic, so do not hulk smash it.
As for popcorn, not all popcorn is created equal. The artisan fancy colored stuff generally does not pop well in my experience. I have experimented with many different kinds and have mostly settled with Orville Redenbacher. This can be purchased off the shelf at most grocery stores or from Amazon. You can try others to find one you like better.
**
As a note
I do not have a set amount for any 1 ingredient. I just eyeball it, maybe one of these days I will get this down to a science with numbers and such. When starting out follow Alton's recipe but substitute the above items in it.
Do you have any budget at all? You mention an Aeropress which wouldn't be free, so I'm going to assume you have $30-$75.
Key components to good coffee:
You can manage quality of beans by finding a reliable coffee shop to go buy from. The beans should not be oily as this indicates they were poorly roasted. The should have been roasted in the past week.
You can manage this by cleaning your equipment and choosing equipment that can be thoroughly cleaned. Many cheap automatic drip brewers are damn near impossible to clean.
If your water quality sucks then you'll have to get it treated or go bottled. The temperature needs to be ~200 degrees F. Most automatic drip makers do not get the water hot enough.
With a french press or aeropress the water is in direct contact with the coffee. Most cheap automatic drip makers have a 'shower' head that frequently does a terrible job of water distribution. A Chemex give you complete control of this variable.
You don't get much control over this with an automatic drip. You do get to control this with french press, aeropress, and chemex.
You get to totally control this one...
Here's the difficult one in your scenario. I'm from the camp that says the grinder is the single most important piece of equipment for brewing good coffee. That said, even a whirly-blade bean-whacker grinder with good, fresh beans will be better than folgers. Advice here is to buy the best grinder you can/will afford. If you can bring yourself to do it, buy a Baratza Encore. If you want to go cheaper and don't mind manually grinding your coffee then look at the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder that can be found for as little as $24.
An important question... are you wanting to make a single-serving or multiple at one time? If single serve, consider the aeropress. If multiple, then go with a Chemex or clone. You'll also need a source of hot water... that can be stove top in a pan or tea-kettle or you could get an electric kettle.
JavaPresse manual grinder $24
Chemex clone brewer - $14
Cheap electric kettle $20
Pound of good coffee - ~$15
Total - $73
With quality electric grinder instead: $179
Total pieces of equipment: 3 (1 optional)
Grab a digital kitchen scale like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multifunction-Stainless-Batteries-Included/dp/B0113UZJE2/
Batch cook: weigh out ingredients and save them as meals in the MFP app. It's super easy to recall the meal when you eat it and all the macros are auto-entered.
When it comes to dining out, as others have suggested, you can search the MFP database using the name of the restaurant and dish.
Side note: if you want results, cut out most dining at chain restaurants and make 90%+ of your meals yourself.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fitmeals/
https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/
...are great resources too. :)