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06:32
@Tinkeringbell Oh, what is a slow cooker, exactly?
It is not like those 'sous vide' things?
07:03
@Cerberus they’re a countertop cookware with a closed top that is good for cooking things slowly for hours, maintaining somewhere in the range of 175-200 °F or about 80-90°C. They’re a bit hotter than the sous vide, and don’t involve a water bath
Some people use them to cook unattended when not in the house, particularly on cuts of meat that need a long cook time to get tender
@fyrepenguin Ah, merci!
Could be useful.
I can't really think of anything besides a stew, though?
I suppose using an oven for that would cost more energy?
I think part is that it’s less hot and cooks for longer
@Cerberus people have found …. numerous ways to use them foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/comfort-foods/… (list of 87)
@fyrepenguin Well, if you have a good oven you can set it to 80 degrees!
Unfortunately, mine only does 40 and 100.
Personally I haven’t used one but I can see the attraction
I can kind of see it.
07:15
40 C is about right for proofing, right?
Hmm I actually don't know, could be!
I use 40 for defrosting, for example.
Parmesan cheese, which I defrost, partially grate, then refreeze.
100 can be used to keep some dishes warm that are finished before dinner begins.
And also for meringues.
Mine were close to perfect last time, at 100 degrees.
I really wish my oven also did 50/60/70/80/90 degrees instead of only 40/100.
Mine starts at 200 F (93 C) with nothing lower
@Cerberus Yep. Both the oven and also my induction plate would use more energy :)
Definitely annoying
Ah, heck. Just slightly burned the tikka masala I’m making - the slight burnt smell from the broiled meat covered up any “starting to burn” smell from the sauce
Needed more frequent stirring for sure
@fyrepenguin Hmm yeah, too bad.
@Tinkeringbell But probably still less than a normal pan on a gas stove, right?
07:19
Taste-wise, it’s actually not bad
@fyrepenguin Aww.
Can you transfer the non-burned mass to another pan?
Leave the burned layer in the pan.
One lesson I have learned: if you burn something, as soon as you notice it is actually burned, don't scrape.
@Cerberus I'm guessing yes, but I've never had a gas-stove to compare with :P I also really like it because my induction plate makes quite a bit of noise (when everything else is silent, you can hear it turning on and off in short burst when on a low setting), and the slow cooker was absolutely silent.
Ah, I see.
I live in the inner city so I wouldn't notice haha.
@Cerberus Too late, already scraped and mixed - it usually sticks a bit and that gets scraped, so I didn’t realize until I started mixing and saw the burned bit. But fortunately it wasn’t enough to adversely affect the flavor
@fyrepenguin Then you're good!
What I do is one small scrape in the centre, without stirring. Then check the scraped bit. If it is too burned, no more scraping, and a transfer to another pan.
07:32
….. I kinda want a mega-sized hot plate + magnetic stirrer like one would use in a chem lab
Good idea!
@fyrepenguin Or, a chef.
Or perhaps a sous-chef.
 
6 hours later…
13:19
@Tinkeringbell more modules to assemble lunch packs than whole meals - from hard boiled eggs to pea soup. So far, I have fewer meals than planned, but that’s because family decided to just eat the “convenience food” just while it’s there.
But I will continue to module prep, because we have a bit of a family emergency. My parents are both down with Covid, that means I have to supply meals for my Grandma and uncle.
Oof. Hopefully they're not feeling too bad and get well soon!

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