The Frying Pan - 2012-09-09

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12:06 AM

http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/26066/alone-porridge-cooking-on-the-morning-efficiently

Do you know whether some sort of automatic porridge cooker exist?

I saw in Germany a water-cooker that was quite cool -- but I would like to automate it. My quest -family said that they could cook porridge for the morning by leaving it on the evening to the stove. I however don't know the English word for the water-cooker, ideas?

12:36 AM

@hhh An electric kettle.

1:30 AM

What about just a rice cooker

2 hours later…

3:25 AM

Yeah he could use a rice cooker, I would think?

Never used one of those.

1 hour later…

4:54 AM

A ricer cooker wouldnt work to make porridge

a rice cooker stops when the temperature reaches above 100 degrees which only happens when most of the water has evaporated

1 hour later…

6:06 AM

@Jay some have a porridge setting

4 hours later…

10:12 AM

@Mien, I managed to take the top of the hand-blender and tuck the cable back in. Permanent damage was done to the appliance, but it still works.

The thing is to pry the top off from the front, I guess. I started from the back, where the cable's attached. Oh, well, next time...

8 hours later…

6:37 PM

@hhh I wouldn't cook anything but water in an electric kettle. First, they have electric contacts on the bottom, which shouldn't get wet. So, you can't clean them easily. Second, they have a very hot heater very close to the bottom, so you are likely to burn the porridge terribly.

Yeah.

Perhaps you could devise some sort of bain marie inside the kettle.

A suspended container in which to cook the porridge.

Easier on the stovetop than in a kettle. Also, the Bain Marie will be terribly slow, it is used because it keeps a low temperature for a very long time.

Well, in this case it should eventually reach 100 degrees and stay at that temperature, which is exactly what you need for porridge.

But then the kettle will turn off far too soon.

So it would only work if you could set the kettle to a longer time.

So you would need to mess with the internals.

On the stove top, you won't be able to time it.

You will need hours for a bain marie to reach 100°C (or almost reach, it closes on it asymptomatycally). Nothing for an easy breakfast. A pot directly on the stove is better, but as I read the question, hhh is asking for some even easier way.

@rumtscho Hours? Why on earth?

If you put a metal container inside a boiling kettle, I'm sure it will be at close to 100 °C in, say, twenty minutes? Half an hour?

And even if it took longer, that would be fine for breakfast, because of the timer, remember?

@rumtscho Neither method works for him, because he wants a timer, I believe.

So we can't help him, hehe.

6:52 PM

@Cerberus Because you have heat losses from the water to the container and from the container to the porridge. It depends on the amount of water and porridge and the container material, of course. But I have stirred egg foam for about 40 minutes in a (glass) bain marie full of cooking water without it getting to 72°C (I had a thermometer inside).

I guess the only thing that would work would be an electrical stove top that uses normal power (no increased power like most).

@rumtscho But your container was open!

A bain marie has to be open. Else condensate from the water will drop into the thing in the middle.

You can't even use an open container in a kettle, because the lid needs to close for the current to turnon.

@rumtscho No, you could just use something like a metal ball that you can close.

I've never seen a kettle which detects a closed lid, and I have worked with some fairly expensive models. Yours must be a special version.

Or a metal ball with a reed that goes through the opening of the kettle.

@rumtscho Oh, well, then perhaps I have been unlucky. But anyway, there is no reason to use an open container.

6:56 PM

I am starting to think that building your own self-regulating porridge cooker including a PID would be easier than constructing the contraption you are describing :)

Agreed.

As I said, it couldn't work.

I just felt I had to debunk your argument, hehe.

But anyway, I think an electrical stove top could work.

Although I see no reason not to use a microwave...

If you would debunk it in reality instead of theoretically, I think we will a second blog post featured on hackaday.

Or an electrical oven, even.

@Cerberus my reason not to use a microwave is that I don't have a microwave.

@rumtscho If you will build your imagined contraption first, sure!

6:58 PM

An electrical oven heats up water way too slowly, and it uses lots of energy in the process.

But it can work.

Actually, I don't think my oven/microwave would work on a timer.

Hiring a maid to cook your porridge every morning can work too, I thought we are discussing efficient alternatives here.

When you cut off power, the program ends, I think.

@rumtscho Sounds like a plan!

But seriously, an oven isn't that expensive.

Probably closer to 50 cents than a euro.

My small one uses 1500 W

That is a lot!

I presume that is at full power?

7:01 PM

big ones use even more, because they have to heat more space/material.

I have a small oven, and it wouldn't be on full power.

But, sure, a microwave is a better idea.

@rumtscho At full power, that's € 0,33 for an hour.

Still cheaper than a maid.

@Cerberus Yes, but it will take much longer than a stove to heat a given amount of water to a given temperature.

How long would you heat porridge in an oven, and at what temperature?

I would think maybe 40 minutes at 140 °C?

Can't go too high, or it will burn.

Perhaps a bit higher is still possible?

You would have to experiment.

depends on the amount and the container. 40 min sounds reasonable, but that would be more like 4 min on the stove.

Sure.

But no timer!

7:06 PM

He could buy a timed outlet to plug the stove in, and an automated stirrer.

In case the programme won't start up when you turn on power, you could make a device of sticks and wires to push the oven button automatically from your bedroom.

Then set an alarm clock at 40 minutes before you get up.

@rumtscho But still, I think most newer ovens won't keep the pogramme loaded.

So you would need an older electrical oven.

The more you talk, the more I lean towards the "maid" solution.

Hehe.

I always lean towards the maid solution...but alas.

I once rented a room that came with a television set.

It also came with a long wooden stick.

On the stick, it said "remote control".

8:06 PM

Hey guys

8:38 PM

@BaffledCook Cool. Good job!

hi @Pureferret

Hey again

Am I just crazy about my curry question?

2

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@Mien how're you been anyway?

How was the trip to...somewhere?

8:53 PM

@Pureferret I don't think there's anything special going on with curries.

@Mien what about all spiced food?

Salt is needed in curries the same way as in other dishes for me.

I don't know why it seems different to you.

@Cerberus me neither

It's kind of why I posted it

but if it's just me, then it's far too localised to be answered or useful to anyone else.

Heh.

Well, it is a valid question.

It's just that the answer is "no", hehe.

Heh

9:11 PM

@rumtscho It is because the device was not an "electric kettle", it was a water-kettle with inner kettle -- mechanism was different to electric kettle.

2 hours later…

10:49 PM

@Cerberus high tech man

11:07 PM

I know!

And it worked.

Sort of.

Haha

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The Frying Pan

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