Cooking Utensils

[Kai Nui]

I understand completely, GORD. I am right whenever Sundari tells me I am
You can generally count on me having plenty of beer because I rarely drink beer, and I always overstock when we have company. It has led to having at least a case on hand at any given time.

[capt lar]

Brilliant ! This thread reminded me that we really wanted a SS 12 volt drip coffee maker. We grind our own beans and bring them each trip. Found a beauty. 10 cups ought to get us shaking. It's on the way. Life is too short for boiled coffee.

Larry

[Kai Nui]

SHort of Seattle we have the highest concentration of coffee snobs in the US. I have had coffee prepared by all sorts of differnt methods. The drip coffee makers do not impress me. The best methods I have found are the little esspresso maker I mentioned, which makes two cups, so nothing goes to waste, ant the other method, also great for boat use is to heat the water, and pour it through a filter into a pot, or even get the smaller filters and make it by the cup. If you are a true coffee snob, there are some rules for this method. Do not boil the water, heat it until just before a boil. Then, pour just a little in the filter to wet the coffee. Let it sit for a few seconds to absorb, then pour the rest of the water into the filter. Using this method with fresh ground beans will make the best tasting coffee. Of course, if this all sounds too complicated for a cup-o-joe, boil some water, put in a spoon of Maxwell House, and enjoy.

[capt lar]

Kai Nui - Do you have to get out of your bunk to do all that ? That won't work ! I should have qualified "very good lazy boy coffee" where you reach out with a toe and flip the switch on the brew you set up the night before. Get the right beans and you got half the battle. Whole Foods 365 brand "Pleasant Morning Buzz" whole beans does fine for me. Great price, too !

Java Lar

[Kai Nui]

Nope, I never have to get out of bed to do all that. Sundari does it for me

[capt lar]

Truthfully, Lu uses her toe ! We have it made !

Larry

[Kai Nui]

Life is good when you live on a boat

[Alan Wheeler]

Egg Beaters, I seem to have a knack of wrecking hand beaters, so the weekend gone I decided to take my hand electric beater. The best idea I had yet. Saved heaps of the hard work beating by hand. I don't care what any one says or thinks, I still like my kitchen toys and that includes my microwave.

Mrs Wheels.

[CaptainK]

Can't argue with that idea Wheels.

I too love microwaves, & eggbeaters. One of my personel favs is omelets.

[Kai Nui]

Mrs. Wheels, I am very anti microwave. I understand your point, and my wife would agree with you, but since I maintain the electrical system, I get to decide if we have one of those power suckers on board. Fortunately, Sundari does not feel too strongly about it, or I would probably have to admit defeat, but for now, no microwave. As for mixers, her back will not hold out to use the egg beaters, so we had an electric mixer, but it died somewhere along the way. I am hoping to find a cordless one.
On the trimaran, I am setting up for substantially more power reserve, so I may have a small microwave on that boat. Only maybe

[CaptainK]

Hey Kai.

So in your galley. What can you list about what you have aboard your liveaboard?

And what will your trimaran will have. By listing what you "hope" to have in that galley?

[Alan Wheeler]

Kai Nui

I take on board and appreciate your comments. I have only been using my microwave since the Christmas holidays because that was when Wheels fitted our Gen Set. Up until now I have been using the gas stove, nothing wrong with that. But when I am at home cooking the evening meal I use two microwaves. I vary rarely use the stove, so I suppose you could say I am a microwave cook, so now being able to use a microwave when we are out at see is just bliss as meal time is quicker. Alan knows what side his bread is buttered on.

Mrs Wheels.

[Kai Nui]

Mrs. Wheels, I too know where my bread is buttered, and if she said she needed a microwave, she would have it. We rarely used it for anything besides popcorn and baked potatos when we had one, so it isn't that big a priority. I have met a few excellent microwave chefs, of which, I suspect you are one, and for them I agree that it is an indespensible item. It comes down to one of those cost vs benefit things. To save an hour on the baked potatos, and have the convenience of microwave popcorn (which does not taste as good as fresh anyway), is just not worth the extra use on the house banks to me. But, that is just on our boat. I have heard rumors about your exceptional cooking, and look forward to trying it someday if we end up in that part of the world.
Kevin, I would say not much difference between whwat we had shoreside with the exception of the microwave, and we only had that when we lived on the grid. We do have a few items that are hand operated as opposed to electric to save electricity. Those items are usually things that are used primarily for more involved meals and are used when my wife has time to play in the galley.
The two main appliances are the pressure cooker, and the small food processer. Both of these items get used regularly. The first dift I ever gave my wife, when we were friends, long before we got involved, was a Yan Can Cook cleever. She has used it for all sorts of things. God knives are a must for any galley. A good fileting knife is also very important.

[2divers]

Jon D once whispered in the wind:
I bought my hand crank one at REI. Electric is just a standard cheapo one.

Ok, I went to REI last weekend and found the handcrank coffee grinder. After short discussion ( it was under $20) we purchased it and a Lexan (3 mug volume) french press for a total bill of about $45.

Suffice to say that after a minute or two of adjusting the grind, the coffee was just as good as the electric version of the grinder and the french press may actually be better that the one we currently have. We will be heading out here in a week or two to do some lake sailing and will bring it along to give it a try.... It will either be a really good $45 or really bad $45, but it looks like a reasonable investment so far.

[Alan Wheeler]

Kai Nui

It would be my pleasure to host you and your wife in our beautiful stomping ground, and also for you to taste my microwave cooking. Just let us know when you are coming and we will definately give you an awesome Kiwi experience.

Mrs Wheels