While I’m waiting for my brain to start up, I’ll share a few things:
While waiting for my dishwasher (not working at all)
and my Dryer (still working but squeaking like a gerbil)
to be repaired, It’s interesting to get some perspective on how much our lives are changed by these relatively simple inventions.
Every cooking adventure in the kitchen begins and/or ends with an at least half hour dish washing session. Which isn’t done unless I dry and put everything away, otherwise, it’s in the way.
It takes 30 seconds to a minute to load the dishwasher and push the button. The automatic setting actually checks the water and gives it extra time if it needs it. They cycle is pretty long--longer than the old dishwashers--but the dishes are always spotless and completely sterilized--which you can’t say about your hand washed dishes, unless you put germicide or bleach in the rinse water.
I know the average person says, “Oh, you don’t have that many dishes with just two people,” etc. But it’s amazing how much drudgery is eliminated by using the machine.
The modern Dishwashers are so efficient that it is LITERALLY cheaper to run a cycle if you have ONLY 4 (or, of course, more) items in it, than washing them by hand.
Now, I’ve had some rotten luck with our current dishwasher, hopefully, after these last repairs, it will be ok for a while. I’m told by appliance guys, that they normally last around 10 years…
And by then, you might want a new one anyway, because the new ones will have so much more in the way of improvements.
On that note, I wonder what I am missing out on with my 25+ year old washer and dryer unit.
You know, in Japan, they have single unit washer and dryers One machine does everything. I’m not sure I’d like that, because you can put one load in the dryer and start a new one in the washer with the stack setup we have now.
I’ve never measured our little laundry cubby for if it could hold full size units stacked, but boy am I tempted. I’d love to have two front loaders, but the new ones are pretty pricey.
On the other hand, people are always selling fairly new ones when they remodel. (see the southpark episode regarding “White people renovating houses”)
In fact, that is how I got our over the stove microwave, which had been dead for a year or more. I put off buying another one and got a cheapo countertop microwave from walmart, but then Harper found a perfect one for over the stove with the fan, light--the whole nine yards--for $75 bucks. It’s only a couple of years old as well! It’s better and more powerful than our old one as well, so it heats much faster than any microwave we’ve ever had.
I wouldn’t mind a new gas stove to replace the 25+ year old one we have now.
The new ones are so amazing, and have much higher btu burners, etc.
(and of course, maybe I want to get a modern one before the Nucking Futcases make gas stoves illegal.
Now I know that induction ranges can approximate gas cookintg, in fact, that’s what they use aboard cruise ships, but I’m not positive that all those high power EMFs are going to actually be safer than a bit of gas and gas exhaust that might not go up the hood.
Hard to say, and hard for either side to actually back up their assertions with actual data.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, dv8 (and Harper!)!
dv8 -- the new washing machines aren’t always what they are cracked up to be. My MiL got a new washer a number of years ago that never really worked right. Several service technicians walked off without ever fixing it. She put up with it until the control panel went out. The next one was better, but she still hated it. The one she bought a few months ago is a bog-standard, top-loading washer with only a few settings. It works. I’ve also heard lots of complaints of leaking and foul odors in the new front-loading washers.
I do like the high btu burners on the newer gas stoves. They really do make a difference.
As an avid cook, I kinda have “stove envy” on the newer models. There does not appear to be an easy way to make our old stove have a higher output on the burners, although there is an adjustment for the low/simmer flame. I have them set at varying degrees of tiny, so the right rear one is the lowest--that’s my Tonkotsu/bone broth burner, which is great for simmering bone broth for 3 days.
I remember in Portland, our Washer and Dryer were from a used shop. The dryer lasted for ever. Never had any trouble with it. I replaced the master timer on the washer--the old fashioned mechanical type. After a while the knob broke off and I put a generic one on it, I gave it away on craigslist and got a newer one on craigslist also for free, it was there until we moved out in 2014.
Maybe the newer appliances are buggy. Not sure. I’ve never had anything new until we replaced our 25 year old dishwasher. Things were breaking off on it at that point, so it would have been hard to fix. I remember a few years prior, I took the door apart and fixed the trigger that opened the soap container, but then finally something in the mechanism broke and the soap dispenser wouldn’t work anymore, so you had to manually open it and put soap in after the prewash.
I swear there was something else wrong with it as well, but I can’t remember what it was. Maybe it also leaked.
I got myself to make scones just a bit ago (in the oven still)
I had some dried cranberries I was going to fold into the batter, but I forgot, so they are just plain with cinnamon sugar on top.
I should experiment with different glazes, but I don’t often get too fancy with it. The Kitchen aid is great for making pastry because you can mix up your dry ingredients, and then start dropping your butter cubes in. The metal paddle is perfect for that.
I got somthin’
But I’ll save it for when my brain is working.
While I’m waiting for my brain to start up, I’ll share a few things:
While waiting for my dishwasher (not working at all)
and my Dryer (still working but squeaking like a gerbil)
to be repaired, It’s interesting to get some perspective on how much our lives are changed by these relatively simple inventions.
Every cooking adventure in the kitchen begins and/or ends with an at least half hour dish washing session. Which isn’t done unless I dry and put everything away, otherwise, it’s in the way.
It takes 30 seconds to a minute to load the dishwasher and push the button. The automatic setting actually checks the water and gives it extra time if it needs it. They cycle is pretty long--longer than the old dishwashers--but the dishes are always spotless and completely sterilized--which you can’t say about your hand washed dishes, unless you put germicide or bleach in the rinse water.
I know the average person says, “Oh, you don’t have that many dishes with just two people,” etc. But it’s amazing how much drudgery is eliminated by using the machine.
The modern Dishwashers are so efficient that it is LITERALLY cheaper to run a cycle if you have ONLY 4 (or, of course, more) items in it, than washing them by hand.
Now, I’ve had some rotten luck with our current dishwasher, hopefully, after these last repairs, it will be ok for a while. I’m told by appliance guys, that they normally last around 10 years…
And by then, you might want a new one anyway, because the new ones will have so much more in the way of improvements.
On that note, I wonder what I am missing out on with my 25+ year old washer and dryer unit.
You know, in Japan, they have single unit washer and dryers One machine does everything. I’m not sure I’d like that, because you can put one load in the dryer and start a new one in the washer with the stack setup we have now.
I’ve never measured our little laundry cubby for if it could hold full size units stacked, but boy am I tempted. I’d love to have two front loaders, but the new ones are pretty pricey.
On the other hand, people are always selling fairly new ones when they remodel. (see the southpark episode regarding “White people renovating houses”)
In fact, that is how I got our over the stove microwave, which had been dead for a year or more. I put off buying another one and got a cheapo countertop microwave from walmart, but then Harper found a perfect one for over the stove with the fan, light--the whole nine yards--for $75 bucks. It’s only a couple of years old as well! It’s better and more powerful than our old one as well, so it heats much faster than any microwave we’ve ever had.
I wouldn’t mind a new gas stove to replace the 25+ year old one we have now.
The new ones are so amazing, and have much higher btu burners, etc.
(and of course, maybe I want to get a modern one before the Nucking Futcases make gas stoves illegal.
Now I know that induction ranges can approximate gas cookintg, in fact, that’s what they use aboard cruise ships, but I’m not positive that all those high power EMFs are going to actually be safer than a bit of gas and gas exhaust that might not go up the hood.
Hard to say, and hard for either side to actually back up their assertions with actual data.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, dv8 (and Harper!)!
dv8 -- the new washing machines aren’t always what they are cracked up to be. My MiL got a new washer a number of years ago that never really worked right. Several service technicians walked off without ever fixing it. She put up with it until the control panel went out. The next one was better, but she still hated it. The one she bought a few months ago is a bog-standard, top-loading washer with only a few settings. It works. I’ve also heard lots of complaints of leaking and foul odors in the new front-loading washers.
I do like the high btu burners on the newer gas stoves. They really do make a difference.
Good to know on the modern washers, etc.
As an avid cook, I kinda have “stove envy” on the newer models. There does not appear to be an easy way to make our old stove have a higher output on the burners, although there is an adjustment for the low/simmer flame. I have them set at varying degrees of tiny, so the right rear one is the lowest--that’s my Tonkotsu/bone broth burner, which is great for simmering bone broth for 3 days.
That’s a good PSA, Mac. Thanks!
Raining again. Got up early and got a better look at the damage from last night -- cleared out what I could and will get a quote later.
Good morning, Dv8, and Paddy.
Our washer and dryer are 30 years old. I’ve made some repairs on the dryer, but I don’t think any on the washer beyond the hoses.
I remember in Portland, our Washer and Dryer were from a used shop. The dryer lasted for ever. Never had any trouble with it. I replaced the master timer on the washer--the old fashioned mechanical type. After a while the knob broke off and I put a generic one on it, I gave it away on craigslist and got a newer one on craigslist also for free, it was there until we moved out in 2014.
Maybe the newer appliances are buggy. Not sure. I’ve never had anything new until we replaced our 25 year old dishwasher. Things were breaking off on it at that point, so it would have been hard to fix. I remember a few years prior, I took the door apart and fixed the trigger that opened the soap container, but then finally something in the mechanism broke and the soap dispenser wouldn’t work anymore, so you had to manually open it and put soap in after the prewash.
I swear there was something else wrong with it as well, but I can’t remember what it was. Maybe it also leaked.
I got myself to make scones just a bit ago (in the oven still)
I had some dried cranberries I was going to fold into the batter, but I forgot, so they are just plain with cinnamon sugar on top.
I should experiment with different glazes, but I don’t often get too fancy with it. The Kitchen aid is great for making pastry because you can mix up your dry ingredients, and then start dropping your butter cubes in. The metal paddle is perfect for that.