I think it would go better if you left the icecream out of the fridge with lid off for 5 to 6 minutes. Take into consideration room temperature. Hot or cold!
I see what they were trying to do with the product. If it's a thick enough slab of aluminum, it would have more thermal mass than a pan or a cookie sheet, but clearly not enough to make it worth the additional dollars. It would be interesting to pre-warm that aluminum slab by setting it in a warm water bath or in a warm oven, just enough to bring it to maybe 10° above room temperature. I wonder how much effect that would have.
The first one is exactly what I need. I recently got a “safety can opener”. With the old one, I’d open a tuna fish can and press the lid in to squeeze out the juices. But you can’t do that with side cutting safety openers.
I was honestly going to blast how absolutely unnecessary the first one is but I didn't think about that type of can opener. I guess with that type just pushing the lid on won't work
I've had one or more of these of these for, probably, more than twenty years. Most of them are a fairly heavy plastic and last a good long while. Even when they break, they're common enough in grocery store clip-strips and/or kitchen aisles. So great.
One thing I would ask about the pour spout is if it works better on a pan with straight sides. I'm slightly wondering if the tapered sides of those pans may have prevented it from holding as well.
@@BrittMFH Not square, just flat sides that don't have a curve to them (from top to bottom). James's pot is kind of rounded, like: (__) Instead of |__|
James, the can strainer you can find a lot cheaper. I got mine years ago at our local flea market. $1. Other people have found them at the dollar store. It's extremely useful at least in our house so I'd someone is in need of one, don't pay that much.
@@jonnyboy1696 while I agree. If you have a safety can opener it takes the entire lid off as one piece (no sharp edges), so you don’t have that inside lid that can be used to drain.
That tuna straining mash down mini colander thing makes a lot of sense. But for eight bucks? About six more bucks than it's worth when you can do about as good a job with the lid of the can the stuff came in.
Have to agree. I wouldn't pay more than $5 for it, and even that's high. And here's the kicker, that's $8USD, which would be $10CAD give or take. No way! A price starting with $3 sounds about right to me.
I think I found one at the dollar store. I used to use the can lid but they can be dirty and now that I only use the unglue type of can opener it doesn't fit inside the can
I really appreciate how you honestly review the products even if they send it to you. It always pisses me off when TH-cam people “review” items that someone sends them and you can clearly see how biased their “review” is.
I think the ice cream scoop looked more for a Hagen Das sized container. I understand the reason for the wires. Good concept but a bad design in practice. They help “cut” the ice cream out when he turns it, but they also quarter the “puck”. I have seen a retro scoop, similar but with out the wires and more for cones.
Ken you must know about the Thrifty ice cream scoop- that's the retro one with the gun grip style ejector that's great for scoops on cones- no wires. That one needs hard ice cream.. this one needs softer ice cream (and more of a turn) so the pieces basically meld back together into a puck.
On that last product, this is not the recommended way to defrost raw meat for food safety reasons. In the food industry this is a major no no. The reason being is between 40 and 140 degrees that is the optimum temperature for bacteria growth.
I like the crinkle fry cutter, I have one of the can colander and I forget to use it haha, the defrosting thing, I just leave the food in the freezer packaging and turn an aluminum half sheet pan upside down when it gets cold just change it out for another aluminum surface! Its seems to work quite well for me!
You know what I have? A griddle on my stove. I put a package of meat on the griddle (no heat) and they defrost really well. I do flip them and it works just fine. As much I love DreamFarm products, that ice cream “scoop” is silly and not worth the money. The crinkle cutter seems perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t use it enough to justify the space in my drawer. Now that can colander really seems like something I’d use a lot. My husband really likes tuna salad because it’s easy to grab for lunch. I can make a good sized batch and keep it ready for him to make a quick sandwich between Zoom meetings (since his job has been permanently WFH since March 2020). It’d be perfect for olives too. Yum!
The soup pourer would likely work better on a pit with straight sides. Yours is on an angle where the bottom is wider than the top. Probably still won't work great, but the pots you used are an unusual shape.
For cans, I always leave the lid barely attached, put thumb on opposite side of lid, and hold it in place while flipping the can over to drain it. Works without any issues.
The can strainer I got one a couple years ago from the Dollar tree. It's great for a Dollar. Still use it. $7 though, not so much. The crinkle cutter, can be useful if you make crinkle cut veggies and fruit. The ice cream thing, it just looked messy. The soup thing, might be good pouring something dry.
Couple of things…first, the ice cream scooper thing..what exactly is the purpose of the four wires? It will always break up the ice cream…why not just shove it in, turn and pull out in one piece? Next, the defroster pan…if it’s going to take at least 30 minutes to work, just take the meat, put it in a plastic sealable bag, get as much air out of it as you can, submerge it in COLD water, putting a weight on top (I use a second bowl with a large can of something) walk away for 30 minutes, and ta-da…defrosted meat. The soup pourer is a joke…how hard is it to pour directly from the pot? All that said, thank you James for yet another useful video. Saves us time and money.
We've had a can strainer for YEARS. We buy the foil bagged tuna, though, so we don't use it for that. What it IS great for is draining the can of blueberries that comes with Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix.
For the ice cream scoop thing, wouldn't it be better on an ice cream that doesn't have chunks of something in it? Like plain vanilla or chocolate versus moose tracks or cookie dough.
A regular scoop works fine, you just use the back of the scoop to flatten out the ice cream. Yes, it works better when it's softer but not too soft. I used to have to make cookie ice cream sandwiches at work, so I got some practice in.
If you're having to limit the gadget to certain types of stuff, it's a gadget that's going to end up gathering dust in a drawer. You may as well use a spoon or a scoop and avoid the clutter.
Hi James Debra here from South Wales UK CRINKLE CUTTER My mother had a crinkle cutter when I was a child 50 odd years ago so it is not a new thing to me as I have been using one for 30 odd years as well. My sister and I always used to ask her to make us crinkle chips (French fries) for our meal. I use it for all types of fruit and vegetables. Keep.up the good work I love your reviews as they are honest mainly because you are not sponsored so you can give your full and honest review be it good or bad. And I also like the fact that you tell your viewers not to buy the product if it does not work as described. Hows Bailey, not seen him for a while, hope he is alright?
Can Colander: After I use a can opener on tuna cans I just push down on the lid and it works just fine to squeeze out the liquid. It looks good at draining liquids from cans but just using the lid works for me. BTW I don’t drain pineapple cans or other cans of fruit down the drain. I save the juice to drink or mix with other juice drinks. Icegone Defrosting Tray: My microwave with inverter technology and a defrost setting works well. Wrapping plastic wrap around frozen items or put in a zip close bag will defrost stuff when put in a bowl of hot water. Run more hot water if the water in the bowl gets cold. Both techniques do not involve having to FLIP the food and are probably faster than using a tray for a heat source. $60, they have got to be kidding! As usual, excellent reviews.
I've had my crinkle cutter for ages. It must be at least 60 years old. I got it from my mom who used it long before she gave it to me. I have also had my can colander for ages, and it works perfectly.
The real beauty of the can colander is its size; it is exactly as big as it needs to be to drain liquid from a can, and no bigger. Compare to even a small general purpose colander and you can see why it's so perfect for saving on dishwasher space. Edit: Dunno what was going on six months ago when I posted this and had to fend off comments insisting that the lid is better, but in my experience the flow rate on draining cans with the lid is less than impressive, and often beans or whatever you're draining can slip past the lid if you're not holding it right, so maybe I should've led with that instead of making a big stink about the sharpness of can lids. The lid method works well in a pinch if you're just draining one or two cans, but if you're making a recipe that calls for lots of canned goods or are draining something small, like beans, then it'll be way more efficient to just use the same colander to drain everything. Can colander is great for that, and also you can use it to really put your weight into squeezing tuna, which can save your thumbs from straining.
@@stephenbarabas6286 Is a trip to the emergency room after slicing your hand open cheaper than eight dollars? I don't care how good your country's healthcare is, the lost productivity alone makes that risk less than ideal.
the tuna can drainer was in my grandma's silverware drawer 40 years ago... this review might be just a little late lol. Also you should have tested the ice gone against an aluminium sheet pan. Love ya!
not saying the soup spout works but you should dprobably try it with a different style of pan, both pans you tested had some really weird geometry. for the ice cream thing i think it would work better if you did 1/4 turn and then did maybe another 1/8 turn and the pull up. not pull up and twist at the same time
The crinkle cut thingy is a nice idea - but it would be good to see an endurance test. The fact that you (and anyone else using it) basically slams the cutting edge on the chopping board with every single cut would indicate the edge may go blunt real soon - and good luck trying to hone or sharpen it :)
I've had the can strainer for years. Mine is stainless steel, though. I actually keep it covering my sink drain so that nothing falls into my garbage disposal, but water flows through. Fits perfectly. :D
pretty much. at the very least a pot with straight sides. His pots were rounded out on the sides which created a gap allowing the liquid to spill out. it still is iffy on how well it would work with a regular pot as well.
Regarding the Ice Gone product: Years ago, there was a product called a "Miracle Thaw" that was the same basic concept. It was a Teflon coated piece of metal that had feet so it didn't sit completely flat on your counter and allowed air to flow underneath it -- a basic heat-exchanger. You can accomplish the exact same thing by taking any metal cooking pan, propping it up on something (a couple of wooden dowels works great) to allow air to flow underneath. What I'd be curious about is whether or not the product works better than simply setting up a frying pan as described above.
Aluminum Frost plates have been around for quite a while, actually if you have any granite countertops they work just as well if not better to dissipate the cold and also heat.
I've used a lot of defrosting plates in my time. The trick for all of them is to dampen the meat a bit, so it has better thermal contact. IMHO, a good iron pan works as well as the thawing plates, though.
I have a defrosting plate. Run under hot water first. Didn’t spend a lot on it. I typically put frozen food in a sealed bag into either cold water or warm water. Same result, usually faster than the tray though.
I wonder if the stuff in the Moose tracks icecream had something to do with the Icepo not working once it got deeper. In my experience theres more of the chunks in the middle of the icecream sometimes. Maybe try it with just plain chocolate or vanilla
@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co The non-safety can openers? I use those and drain cans with lids just fine. Unless you mean the other way around, yeah. The safety can openers would mean you can't push the lid down into the can. So fair play on that. But if you can get the lid down into the can, you can drain things just fine. The only case for the colander is for tuna/chicken cans where the person doesn't have the hand strength/coordination to safely press the lid down to squeeze the juices out.
The crinkle cutter, if you don’t flick the strips off, but just go straight up and down, the strips will stack on the cutter and it will make it easier to cut them the same size
If you turn the ice cream on it’s side you can cut through the container and ice cream to get the Pattie’s to make the sandwiches. Just pick how thick you want it to be
Don't open the tuna can all the way, leave the lid attached to the can a little bit. Then you press the lid on the tuna and pour off the water or oil. Proceed in exactly the same way with all other cans, you do not need any other kitchen utensils for this, which you then have to wash off!
James, sometimes you drive me crazy. The Ice cream gadget has 2 wires across the bottom to cut the ice cream as you turn it. But you have to turn more than 1/4 turn before you lift up on the gadget. Each time in this video you started pulling up after only 1/8th of a turn so the was not finished cutting the bottom loose. It may still suck, but it did not get a fair shake this time.
As a chef, I don't understand most of these gadgets, especially the crinkle cutter. Why would I want my vegetables to look like they came from a can and my house made fries to look like they were store-bought frozen? The IceGone looked pretty useful though, especially in a commercial setting where time is everything.
for defrosting I use a large cookie sheet resting off the table supported by water glasses at each corner. Not twenty minutes but beats being left out of the fridge.
I own a crinkle cutter that I have had for years. It is much longer than the one you showed. The problem with yours is that it's very short so you can't make long french fries with it.
I think the problem with a larger one is for weaker people might have trouble pushing through due to the extra surface area of the blade. But I agree small fries are the worst.
@@VGMStudios33 tons of kitchen products are specifically designed to make tasks easier for older people, and those with compromised mobility. That was the entire inspiration for the founding of Oxo. So there's clearly a market for tools for those who aren't magnificent physically specimens like yourself. ;)
I saw the crinkle cutter and ordered it off James’ store. It arrived today and I immediately used it. I’m nowhere near the age that crinkle cut fries would amuse me but I thought it was very interesting and now having used it, I can say that they make excellent fries!!
Rather than buying an expensive defrosting board, you can just buy a bunch of ziplock bags. Put whatever you want to the defrost in the bag and throw them in warm water. Defrosting boards are a waste of money.
The can colander is a gamechanger for tuna. I was weighing my drained tuna for calorie counting and I noticed that the cans were under the stated drained weight; sometimes my 10% n so I passed my findings to the newspaper and they found likewise. The tuna company defended their position claiming that I was excessively draining the contents! The audacity charging tuna money for brine!
For the defrosting plate, I wish you tested it against just laying your frozen food on a metal pan. Metal is a very good heat conductor compared to a cutting board or a plate, so if a regular metal pan works as well, why buy this extra stuff?
The crinkle cut knife was out in the 70s. If you like your veg ‘al denté' they are brilliant as there’s a larger surface contact with the water. If you like your veg fried they are bad because there’s a greater contact area with the oil. I decent mandolin is a far better choice though as they'll do about a dozen different things far quicker.
My favorite part of the can colander is that it's smaller than any other strainers I own, so it takes up almost no space in the dishwasher, which is always the snnoying part of the others I have.
uh, for tuna (for most things really) all you need is the lid. Open the can, press the lid down and turn the can over. :P for stuff like canned corn beans etc, I'll just use the opener to 'pop' the top and open about an inch, then turn and do another. then I'll turn it over in the sink and after a min or two i'll fully open and dispense. Cant pour liquid from a pot? use a ladle, at least you can use it for more than ONE thing. A lot of this stuff is a solution in search of a problem sadly.
People might not want young kids trying to pick out a sharp lid from the can. Also, you can't do that if your can opener cuts the side of the can and not around the top.
For defrosting, basically the aluminum acts as a heat sink....the cold gets absorbed and distributed by the contact. What I do for frozen stuff, I have a sous vide machine and i just fill up a tub of cold water and put it in a vacuum seal bag. I've done frozen chicken a lot. Steaks. Whats nice is temp control, want a medium rare? set the temp to 135 and let it go, can start it frozen and you don't have to worry about overcooking, regardless of how long you leave it in. (you have to sear it after, but that's not a big deal)
@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co If you fear young kids will cut themselves on the lid (you can pull the lid out with a fridge magnet btw), then maybe those kids shouldn't cook until they can? dunno, judgment call I guess. :P For the side cutters, you just don't fully complete the opening...go 1/4 or 1/2 halfway and then just turn the can over. It's not rocket science.
Of the items you tested, I have the can strainer. This nifty item is available at stores like Walmart for a couple of dollars. It's a basic design in various colors. I use mine for tuna mostly and it does the job! Years ago I purchased something to help thaw frozen items. It was a different design with raised bars on it, probably to drain the frozen liquid from meat as it thawed. It's some type of metal tray of sorts and it works well to thaw meat. I think I've had this thing since before microwaves were in every household. I actually prefer this contraption to the microwave because it doesn't cause hot spots. I appreciate your testing of these products! But in my opinion, instead of using the soup spout, try using a pan that has a pour spout. I've cooked long enough to know not to buy a pan or pot without a pour spout. 😉 Thanks for sharing another great video! 😘
For the can colander, if you don't need the functionality to press it in to tuna, you can get a similar one from the dollar store. Works great and supports multiple size cans.
The Ice scoop: It really works like a dream! Look what's it says on the ice-cream pot.... 'take it out of the freezer +/- 10min before use'! Then push the scoop into the ice-cream and BEFORE you pull it up, turn it 360° and then you'll have a circle of ice-cream! So simple! Read the instructions first!
When I open a can that needs to be drained I just push the cover down and turn it upside down. I can also press the cover down to squeeze out more juice. Rinse the cover off and throw it in the recycle bin. The crinkle cutter isn't wide enough. I have 1 that's like 100 years old with a steel handle that easy to grip and exert more control, it's 6" or 8" wide so you can cut a potato lengthwise for those long fries. It's very sturdy and slices right through hard veggies. You can find them at antique stores for a few bucks.
To defrost any meat or just about anything I just plop it on one of my cast iron skillets. I have never timed anything, but even thick meats are thawed within 2 hours, then I just put it in the fridge to wait for dinner time to cook it.
Lol... I have that first item and didn't even realize that is what it is supposed to be used for. Think I got it at Walmart. I use it as a cover for my garbage disposal. It allows water to go through but not any silverware, etc. while rinsing dishes, etc.
I drain my cans of tuna using the lid itself. :) The Crinkle Cutter is nice! Especially for the fries. I live in Ontario Canada and our Dollar Store has the same bowels and pot holders you have in the soup pour thing LOL. On the Icepo, the moment you showed the wires in it I wondered how it was supposed to come out in one piece. I would take the wires out.
I user the can colander all the time. One thing with tuna is: if the can has a pull tab do not use it, the colander won’t fit, a seam splitter type can opener is best.
the strainer and crinkle cutter are both so simple that you almost can't mess them up . the defroster is replaceable with a cookie sheet or just putting it in your metal kitchen sink . the strainer looks poorly designed . the icecream machine can be replaced with a knife . get a smaller carton or a bigger cookie and just cut slices straight through the cardboard . if you start at the top you can even keep using the same lid although cling film might be a better option .
For defrosting, I use a dollar store aluminum pizza pan. It works just as well as the pricey items. Plus it has a rim.
I think it would go better if you left the icecream out of the fridge with lid off for 5 to 6 minutes. Take into consideration room temperature. Hot or cold!
Party foul on the mixed fruit/pineapple. Thats the best part!
For the same $60, you can get a nice nonstick pan that works just as well, but has the added bonus of letting you cook whatever you defrosted.
for the cost of 1 ziplock bag and some running water you can get a defrosted steak i 20 minutes
Or a cookie sheet on 2 chopsticks (which most every one already has) works just as well.
I see what they were trying to do with the product. If it's a thick enough slab of aluminum, it would have more thermal mass than a pan or a cookie sheet, but clearly not enough to make it worth the additional dollars.
It would be interesting to pre-warm that aluminum slab by setting it in a warm water bath or in a warm oven, just enough to bring it to maybe 10° above room temperature. I wonder how much effect that would have.
The first one is exactly what I need. I recently got a “safety can opener”. With the old one, I’d open a tuna fish can and press the lid in to squeeze out the juices. But you can’t do that with side cutting safety openers.
I was honestly going to blast how absolutely unnecessary the first one is but I didn't think about that type of can opener. I guess with that type just pushing the lid on won't work
@@zleggitt1989 Still not worth purchasing for most although it's a good idea.
This is EXACTLY why I bought the first one many years ago. No more bent tuna lids.
I use those can openers and just lightly hold the removed lid to the can. It takes a little longer but it works.
I've had one or more of these of these for, probably, more than twenty years. Most of them are a fairly heavy plastic and last a good long while. Even when they break, they're common enough in grocery store clip-strips and/or kitchen aisles. So great.
One thing I would ask about the pour spout is if it works better on a pan with straight sides. I'm slightly wondering if the tapered sides of those pans may have prevented it from holding as well.
That was my thought, too.
Yes, I thought that too!
What kind of pan used for soup would that be???? I've never seen a square soup pan.
@@BrittMFH Not square, just flat sides that don't have a curve to them (from top to bottom). James's pot is kind of rounded, like: (__) Instead of |__|
Nope, it's trash, no way to fix that.
I had a similar defrosting board. The instructions on that was to run the defrosting plate under hot water before beginning the defrosting process.
Mine said that too
So did they work when you did that?
@@lkayh yes, they defrosted multiple steaks in about 15 minutes.
You can use anything made out of metal, used to do it with an aluminum box that a set of knives came in.
He always reads through the manuals, so I guess this one didn't point that out
Thanks as always for the review. I think that ice cream gadget needs to hang out with the soup spiller! Lol
🤣🤣🤣
Hanging out in the bin with the ice genie too 🤣
Perfect items to help full your kitchen "junk drawer ".
James, the can strainer you can find a lot cheaper. I got mine years ago at our local flea market. $1.
Other people have found them at the dollar store. It's extremely useful at least in our house so I'd someone is in need of one, don't pay that much.
I was going to say the same thing. I have had one for years that I paid like a buck for. I love it!
Like I just use the can lid after cutting the can open. No need for more junk to clean
@@jonnyboy1696 while I agree. If you have a safety can opener it takes the entire lid off as one piece (no sharp edges), so you don’t have that inside lid that can be used to drain.
not everybody goes to the stinky flea market
I'd buy and learn how to use a 3D printer before I'd pay $8 for something like that.
That tuna straining mash down mini colander thing makes a lot of sense. But for eight bucks? About six more bucks than it's worth when you can do about as good a job with the lid of the can the stuff came in.
Have to agree. I wouldn't pay more than $5 for it, and even that's high. And here's the kicker, that's $8USD, which would be $10CAD give or take. No way!
A price starting with $3 sounds about right to me.
I've seen them at the Dollar Store
I think I found one at the dollar store. I used to use the can lid but they can be dirty and now that I only use the unglue type of can opener it doesn't fit inside the can
@@Droford824 Which, thanks to the inflation courtesy of the current administration is now The Dollar and a Quarter Store.
A lot of as seen on TV items are made for people with disabilities. Maybe it's for people with poor hand dexterity or something like that.
I really appreciate how you honestly review the products even if they send it to you. It always pisses me off when TH-cam people “review” items that someone sends them and you can clearly see how biased their “review” is.
I have a krinkle cutter from the 50's from a thrift store , it has a comfortable handle and works great.
I think the ice cream scoop looked more for a Hagen Das sized container. I understand the reason for the wires. Good concept but a bad design in practice. They help “cut” the ice cream out when he turns it, but they also quarter the “puck”. I have seen a retro scoop, similar but with out the wires and more for cones.
Ahhh. Thanks for the scoop on the wires. 😀
Ken you must know about the Thrifty ice cream scoop- that's the retro one with the gun grip style ejector that's great for scoops on cones- no wires. That one needs hard ice cream.. this one needs softer ice cream (and more of a turn) so the pieces basically meld back together into a puck.
My cats are very displeased that you dumped the tuna juice out. 🙀
Lol. I love your channel and appreciate all your honest reviews.
My first thought when I saw that was that he obviously didn't have a cat!
And the fruit juices😢😢😢😢
On that last product, this is not the recommended way to defrost raw meat for food safety reasons. In the food industry this is a major no no. The reason being is between 40 and 140 degrees that is the optimum temperature for bacteria growth.
The best item to use to defrost is a cast iron pan. Start it out warm …not hot … then let it do the magic and it will defrost quickly
You just want something that retains heat. You could use a big rock.
I just put the frozen thing in a ziploc bag and drown it in a bowl of room temp water.
@@Fatman305 That's exactly what I do to defrost anything, even if it's a whole turkey. Quick, easy and cheap.
@@Fatman305 that works too. Larger meats can be thawed with a weight to hold them under water.
That saucepan pourer is the perfect gift for someone you do not like ha ha ha ha love it hilarious.
🤣👍
I like the crinkle fry cutter, I have one of the can colander and I forget to use it haha, the defrosting thing, I just leave the food in the freezer packaging and turn an aluminum half sheet pan upside down when it gets cold just change it out for another aluminum surface! Its seems to work quite well for me!
You know what I have? A griddle on my stove. I put a package of meat on the griddle (no heat) and they defrost really well. I do flip them and it works just fine. As much I love DreamFarm products, that ice cream “scoop” is silly and not worth the money. The crinkle cutter seems perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t use it enough to justify the space in my drawer.
Now that can colander really seems like something I’d use a lot. My husband really likes tuna salad because it’s easy to grab for lunch. I can make a good sized batch and keep it ready for him to make a quick sandwich between Zoom meetings (since his job has been permanently WFH since March 2020). It’d be perfect for olives too. Yum!
My all time favourite reviewer!! So pure, honest/trustworthy 💗💗
I've had one of those can strainers for years. Today I found out it does tuna cans. Thanks!
The soup pourer would likely work better on a pit with straight sides. Yours is on an angle where the bottom is wider than the top. Probably still won't work great, but the pots you used are an unusual shape.
He didn’t use unusually shaped pots though? Most pots have that cylindrical shape, especially ones you would use to cook something like soup in.
@@liz5089 his pots aren't straight sided. I would like to see if it worked well on those pots.
I've been using the can strainer for years. I always forget about it when draining things other than tuna.
I do it the old fashioned way by using the lid the same way just clean it first ☺️
You can make waffle cuts with that crinkle cutter if you cut the thing thin enough, and turn the thing you're cutting a ¼ turn after every cut.
I remember back when I use to have a cat. I always poured the tuna fish can juice on his dry cat food. OH MY GOD he LOVED IT.
For cans, I always leave the lid barely attached, put thumb on opposite side of lid, and hold it in place while flipping the can over to drain it. Works without any issues.
The can strainer I got one a couple years ago from the Dollar tree. It's great for a Dollar. Still use it. $7 though, not so much. The crinkle cutter, can be useful if you make crinkle cut veggies and fruit. The ice cream thing, it just looked messy. The soup thing, might be good pouring something dry.
Couple of things…first, the ice cream scooper thing..what exactly is the purpose of the four wires? It will always break up the ice cream…why not just shove it in, turn and pull out in one piece?
Next, the defroster pan…if it’s going to take at least 30 minutes to work, just take the meat, put it in a plastic sealable bag, get as much air out of it as you can, submerge it in COLD water, putting a weight on top (I use a second bowl with a large can of something) walk away for 30 minutes, and ta-da…defrosted meat. The soup pourer is a joke…how hard is it to pour directly from the pot? All that said, thank you James for yet another useful video. Saves us time and money.
All that yet im most interested in the thermal imager
We've had a can strainer for YEARS. We buy the foil bagged tuna, though, so we don't use it for that. What it IS great for is draining the can of blueberries that comes with Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix.
I had a can strainer like that and used it on tuna all the time and it always worked great
For the ice cream scoop thing, wouldn't it be better on an ice cream that doesn't have chunks of something in it? Like plain vanilla or chocolate versus moose tracks or cookie dough.
or let the ice cream get softer, might work better
A regular scoop works fine, you just use the back of the scoop to flatten out the ice cream. Yes, it works better when it's softer but not too soft. I used to have to make cookie ice cream sandwiches at work, so I got some practice in.
If you're having to limit the gadget to certain types of stuff, it's a gadget that's going to end up gathering dust in a drawer. You may as well use a spoon or a scoop and avoid the clutter.
Oh no, don't dump that tasty pineapple juice :D That's the best part of canned pineapples
I cried when I saw that
And the fruit cocktail juice with cherries. Noooooo!
Not the fruit juice
That’s what I shouted
😊i drink the juice lol
That's sugar sirup. Not much of fruit in it.
Hi James
Debra here from South Wales UK
CRINKLE CUTTER
My mother had a crinkle cutter when I was a child 50 odd years ago so it is not a new thing to me as I have been using one for 30 odd years as well. My sister and I always used to ask her to make us crinkle chips (French fries) for our meal. I use it for all types of fruit and vegetables.
Keep.up the good work I love your reviews as they are honest mainly because you are not sponsored so you can give your full and honest review be it good or bad. And I also like the fact that you tell your viewers not to buy the product if it does not work as described.
Hows Bailey, not seen him for a while, hope he is alright?
Can Colander: After I use a can opener on tuna cans I just push down on the lid and it works just fine to squeeze out the liquid. It looks good at draining liquids from cans but just using the lid works for me. BTW I don’t drain pineapple cans or other cans of fruit down the drain. I save the juice to drink or mix with other juice drinks.
Icegone Defrosting Tray: My microwave with inverter technology and a defrost setting works well. Wrapping plastic wrap around frozen items or put in a zip close bag will defrost stuff when put in a bowl of hot water. Run more hot water if the water in the bowl gets cold. Both techniques do not involve having to FLIP the food and are probably faster than using a tray for a heat source. $60, they have got to be kidding!
As usual, excellent reviews.
thanks for your consistent videos james. I just picked up a set of neverstick pans and pots and they really delivered.
I've had my crinkle cutter for ages. It must be at least 60 years old. I got it from my mom who used it long before she gave it to me. I have also had my can colander for ages, and it works perfectly.
The real beauty of the can colander is its size; it is exactly as big as it needs to be to drain liquid from a can, and no bigger. Compare to even a small general purpose colander and you can see why it's so perfect for saving on dishwasher space.
Edit: Dunno what was going on six months ago when I posted this and had to fend off comments insisting that the lid is better, but in my experience the flow rate on draining cans with the lid is less than impressive, and often beans or whatever you're draining can slip past the lid if you're not holding it right, so maybe I should've led with that instead of making a big stink about the sharpness of can lids. The lid method works well in a pinch if you're just draining one or two cans, but if you're making a recipe that calls for lots of canned goods or are draining something small, like beans, then it'll be way more efficient to just use the same colander to drain everything. Can colander is great for that, and also you can use it to really put your weight into squeezing tuna, which can save your thumbs from straining.
Want to know how to drain a can even cheaper????
The lid.... You're welcome.
@@stephenbarabas6286 Is a trip to the emergency room after slicing your hand open cheaper than eight dollars? I don't care how good your country's healthcare is, the lost productivity alone makes that risk less than ideal.
@@danielleanderson6371 If you get hospitalized buy a tin can, you may have issues a $10 piece of plastic can’t fix.
@@Joenzinator Accidents happen!
@@stephenbarabas6286 And no extra cleanup!
“A couple of VERY FROZEN STEAKS” lmao the way he talks is so funny. Unlike anyone else in the world
the tuna can drainer was in my grandma's silverware drawer 40 years ago... this review might be just a little late lol. Also you should have tested the ice gone against an aluminium sheet pan. Love ya!
You should test out some cat litter, im tired of wasting money on litter and cleaning the non stick litter box lol
I love my 3 layer litter box (middle layer a mesh filter) and the expensive, but awesome, light weight tidy cats clumping litter.
not saying the soup spout works but you should dprobably try it with a different style of pan, both pans you tested had some really weird geometry.
for the ice cream thing i think it would work better if you did 1/4 turn and then did maybe another 1/8 turn and the pull up. not pull up and twist at the same time
The crinkle cut thingy is a nice idea - but it would be good to see an endurance test. The fact that you (and anyone else using it) basically slams the cutting edge on the chopping board with every single cut would indicate the edge may go blunt real soon - and good luck trying to hone or sharpen it :)
Agree completely.
I've had the can strainer for years. Mine is stainless steel, though. I actually keep it covering my sink drain so that nothing falls into my garbage disposal, but water flows through. Fits perfectly. :D
Things are supposed to go in the garbage disposable.
@@stephenbarabas6286 LOL! Yes, FOOD type things when you are disposing of those, but not spoons and forks in the meantime. :D
I think the designers of Soup Spout literally tested it on just one specific pot
Very charitable of you to assume they even tested it to begin with.
pretty much. at the very least a pot with straight sides. His pots were rounded out on the sides which created a gap allowing the liquid to spill out. it still is iffy on how well it would work with a regular pot as well.
I love my can colander! I've had one for 10+ years!
I’m looking forward to seeing how many of these gadgets you’re still using in a year. Love the gadget videos!
The can colander would be great for camping or in an RV to save space.
Regarding the Ice Gone product: Years ago, there was a product called a "Miracle Thaw" that was the same basic concept. It was a Teflon coated piece of metal that had feet so it didn't sit completely flat on your counter and allowed air to flow underneath it -- a basic heat-exchanger. You can accomplish the exact same thing by taking any metal cooking pan, propping it up on something (a couple of wooden dowels works great) to allow air to flow underneath. What I'd be curious about is whether or not the product works better than simply setting up a frying pan as described above.
I cried a little at all that simple syrup going down the drain
I've been considering buying a thawing plate, you should test a bunch of them to find the best!
You can use an aluminum sheet tray or pan and get the same exact results. Don't waste your money on a "defrosting board"
Aluminum Frost plates have been around for quite a while, actually if you have any granite countertops they work just as well if not better to dissipate the cold and also heat.
I love the can colander. I've had mine for years. It works great for draining canned chopped clams for linguini.
I've used a lot of defrosting plates in my time. The trick for all of them is to dampen the meat a bit, so it has better thermal contact. IMHO, a good iron pan works as well as the thawing plates, though.
I have a defrosting plate. Run under hot water first. Didn’t spend a lot on it. I typically put frozen food in a sealed bag into either cold water or warm water. Same result, usually faster than the tray though.
I wonder if the stuff in the Moose tracks icecream had something to do with the Icepo not working once it got deeper. In my experience theres more of the chunks in the middle of the icecream sometimes. Maybe try it with just plain chocolate or vanilla
I got a can colander too. It's called the lid.
Exactly!
That doesn’t work if your can opener cuts around the inside.
@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co The non-safety can openers? I use those and drain cans with lids just fine.
Unless you mean the other way around, yeah. The safety can openers would mean you can't push the lid down into the can. So fair play on that.
But if you can get the lid down into the can, you can drain things just fine. The only case for the colander is for tuna/chicken cans where the person doesn't have the hand strength/coordination to safely press the lid down to squeeze the juices out.
That ice cream scoop thing would work better if you'd twist it around least 90 degrees before pulling it up.
The crinkle cutter, if you don’t flick the strips off, but just go straight up and down, the strips will stack on the cutter and it will make it easier to cut them the same size
I have a crinkle cutter and it makes really good fries for the Air Fryer!
💜🤩🥰😘
I have had a can strainer for many years, love it.
My inner child cried when you strained the fruit syrups down the drain:(
If you turn the ice cream on it’s side you can cut through the container and ice cream to get the Pattie’s to make the sandwiches. Just pick how thick you want it to be
The crinkle cutter is pretty small. The ones I've used could handle a much larger potato, so you're not left with tiny fry shards
Hmm. I don’t understand why the Ice cream scooper has wires? I have and use the Tuna Strainer. I love mine.
I know right why the wires and why so deep your making a sandwich it should be a thin layer not 4 inches thick lol
Don't open the tuna can all the way, leave the lid attached to the can a little bit. Then you press the lid on the tuna and pour off the water or oil. Proceed in exactly the same way with all other cans, you do not need any other kitchen utensils for this, which you then have to wash off!
James, sometimes you drive me crazy. The Ice cream gadget has 2 wires across the bottom to cut the ice cream as you turn it. But you have to turn more than 1/4 turn before you lift up on the gadget. Each time in this video you started pulling up after only 1/8th of a turn so the was not finished cutting the bottom loose. It may still suck, but it did not get a fair shake this time.
Same thought as I had when watching him do that.
I was thinking that too he wasn't letting the wires cut before he started pulling up. I still think it was a poor design overall.
i agree but i still can't see how it wouldn't be cut in 4 pieces after dispensing
As a chef, I don't understand most of these gadgets, especially the crinkle cutter. Why would I want my vegetables to look like they came from a can and my house made fries to look like they were store-bought frozen? The IceGone looked pretty useful though, especially in a commercial setting where time is everything.
Also, the fact that he used crunchy cookies for the ice cream sandwich disturbs me.
My Saturday morning just got better.
for defrosting I use a large cookie sheet resting off the table supported by water glasses at each corner. Not twenty minutes but beats being left out of the fridge.
Happy Saturday all!
Happy Saturday to you too Michael ☺
@@laurallewien2165 🤗
I love getting started in today’s video!
I own a crinkle cutter that I have had for years. It is much longer than the one you showed. The problem with yours is that it's very short so you can't make long french fries with it.
I think the problem with a larger one is for weaker people might have trouble pushing through due to the extra surface area of the blade. But I agree small fries are the worst.
@@iwinrar5207 I am older and I really don't have a lot of trouble using it.
@@VGMStudios33 tons of kitchen products are specifically designed to make tasks easier for older people, and those with compromised mobility. That was the entire inspiration for the founding of Oxo. So there's clearly a market for tools for those who aren't magnificent physically specimens like yourself. ;)
“On my freakin store” perfect transition.
I saw the crinkle cutter and ordered it off James’ store. It arrived today and I immediately used it. I’m nowhere near the age that crinkle cut fries would amuse me but I thought it was very interesting and now having used it, I can say that they make excellent fries!!
Rather than buying an expensive defrosting board, you can just buy a bunch of ziplock bags. Put whatever you want to the defrost in the bag and throw them in warm water. Defrosting boards are a waste of money.
Honestly who really needs an ice cream gadget? A spoon is sufficient. Another ridiculous solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.
Wow. Never been here this early! Love your very thorough videos. Thanks for all the hard work.
I like the failures as much as the success gadgets.
Thumbs down for draining and throwing out tha fruit cocktail juice!!! That arguably the best part.
The can colander is a gamechanger for tuna. I was weighing my drained tuna for calorie counting and I noticed that the cans were under the stated drained weight; sometimes my 10% n so I passed my findings to the newspaper and they found likewise. The tuna company defended their position claiming that I was excessively draining the contents! The audacity charging tuna money for brine!
The crinkle cutter can be also used for cheese - we do it on a charcuterie boards and its very nice looking 😏
For the defrosting plate, I wish you tested it against just laying your frozen food on a metal pan. Metal is a very good heat conductor compared to a cutting board or a plate, so if a regular metal pan works as well, why buy this extra stuff?
You can absolutely use an aluminum sheet tray or pan and get the same exact results. Don't waste your money on a "defrosting board"
The crinkle cut knife was out in the 70s. If you like your veg ‘al denté' they are brilliant as there’s a larger surface contact with the water. If you like your veg fried they are bad because there’s a greater contact area with the oil. I decent mandolin is a far better choice though as they'll do about a dozen different things far quicker.
My favorite part of the can colander is that it's smaller than any other strainers I own, so it takes up almost no space in the dishwasher, which is always the snnoying part of the others I have.
That strainer , well you can drain tuna using the can cover after opening.
uh, for tuna (for most things really) all you need is the lid. Open the can, press the lid down and turn the can over. :P for stuff like canned corn beans etc, I'll just use the opener to 'pop' the top and open about an inch, then turn and do another. then I'll turn it over in the sink and after a min or two i'll fully open and dispense.
Cant pour liquid from a pot? use a ladle, at least you can use it for more than ONE thing.
A lot of this stuff is a solution in search of a problem sadly.
People might not want young kids trying to pick out a sharp lid from the can. Also, you can't do that if your can opener cuts the side of the can and not around the top.
For defrosting, basically the aluminum acts as a heat sink....the cold gets absorbed and distributed by the contact. What I do for frozen stuff, I have a sous vide machine and i just fill up a tub of cold water and put it in a vacuum seal bag. I've done frozen chicken a lot. Steaks. Whats nice is temp control, want a medium rare? set the temp to 135 and let it go, can start it frozen and you don't have to worry about overcooking, regardless of how long you leave it in. (you have to sear it after, but that's not a big deal)
There's a sucker born every minute..
I agree with you.
@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co If you fear young kids will cut themselves on the lid (you can pull the lid out with a fridge magnet btw), then maybe those kids shouldn't cook until they can? dunno, judgment call I guess. :P
For the side cutters, you just don't fully complete the opening...go 1/4 or 1/2 halfway and then just turn the can over.
It's not rocket science.
Of the items you tested, I have the can strainer. This nifty item is available at stores like Walmart for a couple of dollars. It's a basic design in various colors. I use mine for tuna mostly and it does the job!
Years ago I purchased something to help thaw frozen items. It was a different design with raised bars on it, probably to drain the frozen liquid from meat as it thawed. It's some type of metal tray of sorts and it works well to thaw meat. I think I've had this thing since before microwaves were in every household. I actually prefer this contraption to the microwave because it doesn't cause hot spots.
I appreciate your testing of these products! But in my opinion, instead of using the soup spout, try using a pan that has a pour spout. I've cooked long enough to know not to buy a pan or pot without a pour spout. 😉
Thanks for sharing another great video! 😘
For the can colander, if you don't need the functionality to press it in to tuna, you can get a similar one from the dollar store. Works great and supports multiple size cans.
The Ice scoop:
It really works like a dream! Look what's it says on the ice-cream pot.... 'take it out of the freezer +/- 10min before use'! Then push the scoop into the ice-cream and BEFORE you pull it up, turn it 360° and then you'll have a circle of ice-cream! So simple! Read the instructions first!
When I open a can that needs to be drained I just push the cover down and turn it upside down. I can also press the cover down to squeeze out more juice. Rinse the cover off and throw it in the recycle bin. The crinkle cutter isn't wide enough. I have 1 that's like 100 years old with a steel handle that easy to grip and exert more control, it's 6" or 8" wide so you can cut a potato lengthwise for those long fries. It's very sturdy and slices right through hard veggies. You can find them at antique stores for a few bucks.
To defrost any meat or just about anything I just plop it on one of my cast iron skillets. I have never timed anything, but even thick meats are thawed within 2 hours, then I just put it in the fridge to wait for dinner time to cook it.
Totally ordered the can colander. Didn't realize until I saw it how much I hate the thought of the top of a can touching my food! Thanks!
Why are you throwing away the cherry syrup ??? Put it in a glass and drink it, it's so good !
Lol... I have that first item and didn't even realize that is what it is supposed to be used for. Think I got it at Walmart. I use it as a cover for my garbage disposal. It allows water to go through but not any silverware, etc. while rinsing dishes, etc.
LOVE the can colander. I have several in each of my homes (MN/FL). TFS 😻 Britt
Can colander? I use the built in can lid, it's free and works very well, requiring no cleanup.
I drain my cans of tuna using the lid itself. :) The Crinkle Cutter is nice! Especially for the fries. I live in Ontario Canada and our Dollar Store has the same bowels and pot holders you have in the soup pour thing LOL. On the Icepo, the moment you showed the wires in it I wondered how it was supposed to come out in one piece. I would take the wires out.
I thought I was in crazy land....I use the lid to drain any can that needs draining
I user the can colander all the time. One thing with tuna is: if the can has a pull tab do not use it, the colander won’t fit, a seam splitter type can opener is best.
I'm curious how long that thawing plate would take to finish. I always put stuff in the fridge over night so I don't know how long it normally takes.
the strainer and crinkle cutter are both so simple that you almost can't mess them up . the defroster is replaceable with a cookie sheet or just putting it in your metal kitchen sink . the strainer looks poorly designed . the icecream machine can be replaced with a knife . get a smaller carton or a bigger cookie and just cut slices straight through the cardboard . if you start at the top you can even keep using the same lid although cling film might be a better option .
That's why he is advertising the crinkle cutter, so he can buy them for less than a dollar and upsell them in the own store for $10 per two-pack