AlexisRT's Profile

In fairly large parts of the country, ruling out no natural gas lines would make it impossible to buy a house--entire sections of my area have no gas.

Propane is an option but you need to be able to run a line from the tank. My kitchen is over a walkout basement, with the tanks downstairs (the previous owners had propane tanks for the barbeque and fireplace). If we'd been remodeling the kitchen, it would have been trivial to have a line extended into the kitchen. Unfortunately, you do need that line run in from the tank, so depending on the layout of the house it may or may not be practical to do it now--as it happened, the previous owners had recently remodeled, so it wasn't really viable for us to change it.

Electric stoves have improved since the coil days (though these are still available, especially in rentals). You have two options, a standard ceramic top and induction. Neither is going to be like gas, but they will work. Ceramic tops are cheaper. The glass does not conduct well, so slows the heat, but the newer fast elements do a good job for fast boiling and frying though not hot enough for a wok. (My ultra high burner is hot enough that I have to turn it down for sautéing or deep frying.)

Think about how you cook when you look at burner configurations as there are several. As you spend a bit more money you get more choices. At my price point (I own a Maytag Gemini as I wanted 2 ovens) I had a choice: I could have 2 large elements in front, one a triple (adjustable size 3 ring) and one with the ultra high. Or, I could have the large, ultra high and then the left was a medium sized burner with a bridge to the same sized element in the back. Glass tops require a bridge for double burner griddles. As much as I use a griddle, I think in retrospect I should have gone for the triple element for flexibility and when I need 2 large pans.

Induction is very fast and the stove top doesn't get hot--waiting for the glass to cool so it can be cleaned is a pain--but is more expensive and your pans must be magnetic. My sister in law has an induction cooktop and loves it.

Canadian bacon is not the same thing as British back bacon. Although both are cut from the loin, the Canadian bacon is cut and cured differently and is much leaner, lacking the fat and "tail" of British or Irish back bacon. Moreover, what's sold as Canadian bacon in this country isn't very good (or, apparently, much like what's sold in Canada!)

I don't have one, but know people who do. They're beloved by larger batch bread bakers because they handle large batches of dough more effectively than consumer quality KitchenAid machines, but do poorly for cake mixtures and whipping.

I really dislike the lack of back support. Make sure you find them comfortable. The solution someone else mentioned, with chairs on one side and a bench on the other, might be a good one. Benches down both long sides may be uncomfortable, especially for older guests.

It's very cute, but I've been unfortunate enough to own Smeg appliances in the past (in Europe), and never would again.

On top of that, let's look at the specs: $1,999 for 9.2 cubic feet of space and no real freezer, just a compartment—the 2 door model is not available in the US. FWIW, it uses 305kW of electricity a year, which is less than most US refrigerators on an absolute basis but more on a per-foot basis. (You can buy a 22 cubic foot GE bottom freezer using 400kW a year.)

I do a lot of stir fries and rice--we have a rice cooker, so I set that up (can do on timer if you're coming home right before dinner) and then I just fry up some chicken and vegetables and season it.

If you're willing to do advance prep, and your kids like it, you can premake lasagna or baked ziti in 8x8 pans, and freeze. If they'll eat soups or stews, you can do the same (minus potatoes). My goal if I'm the only adult home is to minimize the time I'm actively at the stove--that's just when they'll get themselves into trouble. Advance prep is my friend. Also the oven.

For most baking, I also use Land O'Lakes. The quality is good and the performance is consistent. It's not the cheapest butter, but it's a decent price point.

I do find that it's a very mild flavor, which is fine (even good) for most baking, but I will pay extra and buy Plugra or, better yet, Vermont Butter & Cheese Company if I am making something like puff pastry or croissants, where lower water content is helpful and the flavor really shines.

Use a mix of whole eggs and yolks. Suzanne Goin's filling in Sunday Suppers at Lucques slices perfectly if allowed to chill thoroughly (it will be slightly loose when chilled only a few hours; make it in the morning for dessert, and it will slice cleanly). Also, I strongly dislike curd recipes using measurements such as "juice of 5 lemons." Lemons have differing amounts of juice; you may not have used as much as the recipe writer did, and the amount of acid will affect the set.

Lemon curd is done as soon as it thickens; cooking it further won't make it thicker. Cornstarch would give you lemon pie filling.

If you have a coil top stove: Remove the drip pans, clean the top, lift it, clean underneath, and replace the drip pans (you can buy these in Bed Bath & Beyond or Home Depot). Wipe off the coils with a wet cloth and let dry before using again. IME, the drip pans today are thin and flimsy and it is impossible to clean them properly (I tried, because it hurts to just replace them, but it appears to be the only option in the long run. You can slow the buildup, but not stop it.)

If you have a smooth top, use cooktop cleaner and a non-abrasive scrubby pad.

If you have gas, clean the burner grates (and the metal/glass top as appropriate).

In the UK, while eggs are sold on the shelf, you are told to put them in the fridge at home, because supermarkets are kept at a constant temperature and turnover is high. Some people do still keep their eggs on the shelf, but as people keep their houses warmer today than they once did, putting them in the fridge at home is more common.

Raw milk isn't a great comparison: it's not legal in the UK to sell it retail, either. It's not possible to keep it pure when you have larger herds (ie over 10 cows) and are transporting it longer distances. They tried inspections as an alternative to pasteurization already. It didn't work.