The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

Pyxis

That's why I like stir-fries........

One pan, one wooden spoon, chuck in whatever's in the fridge.

There have been some strange combinations that turned out just fine.

And great for tomatoes that are just starting to go soft.
I've even been known to throw in the last bit of lettuce in the fridge.


So one pan, one wooden spoon, one bowl, one fork. Sorted!

zagubov

This is dragging me back to the student halls of the 70s. The only cooking device they'd have in their utility rooms was a small single ring electric hob you could cook a saucepan of soup or beans on. But it had a grill pan underneath that could hold a slice of bread for toasting. Can't figure out what we'd call such a device nowadays or whether such a thing exists.

Pyxis

zagubov wrote: »

This is dragging me back to the student halls of the 70s. The only cooking device they'd have in their utility rooms was a small single ring electric hob you could cook a saucepan of soup or beans on. But it had a grill pan underneath that could hold a slice of bread for toasting. Can't figure out what we'd call such a device nowadays or whether such a thing exists.

I've seen lots of two-ring things with a grill under, but not seen a single ring one for ages.

I expect you can get them, though.


Lots of single rings on their own, though.

chris_m

Pyxis wrote: »

That's why I like stir-fries........
One pan, one wooden spoon, chuck in whatever's in the fridge.
There have been some strange combinations that turned out just fine.
And great for tomatoes that are just starting to go soft.
I've even been known to throw in the last bit of lettuce in the fridge.
So one pan, one wooden spoon, one bowl, one fork. Sorted!

Seems a bit extravagant, dirtying a bowl as well

zagubov

Pyxis wrote: »

I've seen lots of two-ring things with a grill under, but not seen a single ring one for ages.

I expect you can get them, though.


Lots of single rings on their own, though.

I've seen lots of the two-ring hobs with a small oven underneath, but no single-ring hobs with that. I don't know what to call it but there must have been a common name for it. (A lot of pre-internet consumer products are sliding out of collective memory never to return, as let's face it, the worldwide web is pretty much a giant advertising medium for modern/currently available/ available soon products).

The practical side of this gadget was that unlike a toaster, you had to stay by it to turn over the bread so you couldn't leave and let it set a fire alarm off. Plus it saved half the space of a single hob and a separate toaster.

They had them in halls where meals were prepared centrally for everybody so it was really only for snacks.

Pyxis

chris_m wrote: »

Seems a bit extravagant, dirtying a bowl as well

Well, that's because the wok or pan is far too hot to balance on your knees while you eat from it!

chris_m

Pyxis wrote: »

Well, that's because the wok or pan is far too hot to balance on your knees while you eat from it!

Now that's just being fussy :p:p

Pyxis

chris_m wrote: »

Now that's just being fussy :p:p

I suppose I could just stand at the hob and eat it from the pan that way.







Re. the single plate grill, this is annoying me because last year, or maybe the year before, we were discussing similar , and I'm sure I saw them online. I was looking for 2-ring grills, but I seem to remember seeing a lot of single ring ones.

I expect camping outlets sell something like them, though they wouldn't look as pretty, and probably wouldn't be electric, but butane or something.

vivatifosi

Pastures, re descaling the kettle... get some white vinegar, fill the kettle to above the element, leave for an hour (or longer if needed). Then add equal measure of water. Boil kettle, then empty. Boil a couple more times to make sure any vinegar residue has gone. No scrubbing needed, jobs a good un.

Vinegar is very safe to use, much better for the environment, and best of all, no prodding required.

It also works as a descaler in the coffee machines with the little tubes, though may need running through a few times. Much cheaper than the special stuff they sell you too.

A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and strong washing up liquid (I use lemon scented) is good for cleaning soap suck in the bath too.

PasturesNew

I've never "got" stir frys.... they coat a kitchen with a fine layer of grubby fat that you don't see/notice, but builds up to a grimy residue.... and to me they're "just not anything that's interesting or filling". I'm just not interested in them..... like pasta, they turn me cold. Pasta isn't "proper food" - it's a cheap filler you reach for from desperation, or because something you're serving "goes OK with that", e.g. spag bol or meatballs/sauce.

They do still sell those hob/grill units, I'd not fancy one - petrified by those top rings and the ability for a short person to have an accident on them. I'm far too clumsy to cook something on top of a small unit safely. Clumsy and short are not two attributes the owner of such a unit should possess.

There are entire "mini kitchens" you can buy these days, you sometimes see them on Homes Under the Hammer when developers turn an old sluice cupboard on a stairwell in a block of flats in London into a bijou studio flatlet...

Ikea used to do one, but there are now many companies whose entire product ranges are variations of the mini kitchens. Combinations/permutations of a hob, oven, sink, fridge, dish washer.... all the size of a double base unit.