I’d love to see ATK go do a Chinese restaurant supply store and buy some items to test - like steamers. Aluminum stacked steamers? Traditional bamboo? Steamers in Instant Pots? Test with steaming Chinese buns, soup dumplings, whole fish. Another item to test are stove vents! And don’t forget the Asian brands! I have a PacAir and I swear it works better than any other brand.
@@lisamcmanus6656 I was going to say this as the wok review was the first one I watched. I love when even the smallest bit of research proves the assertion wrong. Keep it up, I quit an accounting job for a change to being a chef and turning up with a well thought out knife roll went a long way to getting me my first job. My process was basically - I need this thing what do you guys say about the subject. By the way victorinox now have the same blade as the fibrox but with a slightly more wa shaped handle that makes it more comfortable to pinch grip in my opinion, called the 'modern'. It might be a contender in your next knife video.
I don't need to buy any of the products but the FREEBIE TIPS given in the video are priceless - use COLD water in the sodastream to get more bubbles AND oil the food item and not the grill so there's less smoke! NICE thank you!
Regarding wooden spoons, the first one you showed, with a little groove on the handle, can also be used to pull an oven rack out when it’s hot just to check on things you don’t need an oven mitt.
That would be really handy for us short people. I can handle pulling out the lower racks safely, but not so much the upper oven racks. My arms are just not long enough.
I love my Zojirushi. I have an older version of your winning model, which has been going strong for over a decade. However, people need to know that it is also an excellent steel cut oats cooker. I use the usual 3:1 water ratio for steel cut oats & the porridge setting. I use the delayed cook feature so I can wake up to perfect oatmeal every morning. It probably cooks more oats than rice as I don’t have rice every day, but I do have oatmeal almost every morning in the winter. Lots of times it even runs almost 24 hours a day, overnight for oatmeal and while I’m at work so I can come home to perfectly cooked brown rice. It was splurgey, but turned out to be one of my best kitchen purchases. Glad to see it get some love here.
I love my Zojirushi smart rice maker as well. Some of my friends though it was overkill as they just use a regular pot to make rice. After seeing it operate and eating the resulting perfectly cooked rice my friends were singing a different tune. And, yes, it makes perfect oatmeal as well. I purchased a 25 pound bag of premium jasmine rice and now I can "stretch" almost any meal by adding rice with various toppings and seasonings. Now we can eat better for less with less effort.
Hey, if it's something you're going to use every day, it's worth the splurge. Takes a little less hassle each day and saves you from having to replace one that breaks down
Well, I broke down and bought a Zojirushi rice cooker at the suggestion of...yes, Uncle Roger. Best purchase I've made in a LONG time. Instead of having rice once a month or so, I now cook rice two or three times a week. It makes the best brown rice I've ever had. It also makes excellent oatmeal and, with a little practice, can be used as a steamer.
I look forward to your segments on ATK and Cook's Country. So glad you post here on You Tube. Jack Bishop, you need to do a Gear Heads segment more often on ATK.
I have a Zojirushi rice cooker and it is great. It does a very good job on both brown and basmati rice, both of which can be tricky to get right. Just an FYI, you rinse but don't soak the rice, the soak time is built into the cooking time. On my cooker regular rice takes 60 minutes, basmati 70 minutes and brown rice 90 minutes. If you are in a hurry there is a 'quick' setting, but I've never used it. Oh yes, mine annoyingly played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Start" when the rice finished and the first thing I did was change it to a normal chime.
I never soak my rice, and I do the stove method. I should rinse the rice, but frequently forget to. When doing that, it takes around 20 minutes max for white rice, near 30 minutes for brown and about a full hour for wild rice.
Suggestion to think about : wood is porous. It absorbs things. Never want it soaking in soap 🧼, much less dishwasher soap . Why? 1. Wood warps 2. Ruins the wood 🪵 as mentioned in the video. I clean my wooden tools before I even plate the food. They are precious, generational hand me downs. (In my family). I use the same beloved spoon from 1997 when I cooked for my mother. It’s my most valued kitchen item.
I agree, I always was mine before plating at well. I have my Grandmothers wooden spoon to make my Sunday “gravy” She passed in 1974 so I understand the heirloom value of them
I adore my Zojirushi rice cooker…it’s the basic model, about $50 on Amazon, and it just cooks and warms, but it cooks my beloved Kokuho Rose Japanese rice perfectly, and I love it. I’ll upgrade at some point, but I love the one I have. I’ve had basically the same results with the Kokuho Rose and rinsing or not rinsing…it foams up a little more without rinsing, but tastes the same to us. Because its so simple, basically, just a non-stick pot (thank you!) and a non-sealing lid with a vent hole, it’s never made a mess. But, I haven’t tried using one of the more high priced ones. For those who can’t afford the high priced, the lower priced one does a really good job with white rice (never tried anything else in it.)
I'm a bit OCD about my spice storage, can't buy the wall hugging option soon enough (my family thanks you). I like that you can see the inside measurement on the rice cooker. Also, can't go wrong w/Lodge as a cast iron choice for a plethora of reasons. Thanks ladies.
I’ve had my Zojirushi rice cooker for about 15 years. Love it! I liked mine so well when I bought it 15 years ago that I bought the same exact one for my bestie for Christmas and she loves hers too 👍🏼 Edit to add that I just looked at the link you provided for the Zojirushi rice cooker and it told me that I purchased that item on Dec 18, 2006, so yep almost exactly 15 years ago!
Perfect rice every time (not brown rice): Add a cup of rice and a cup and a half of water to a pot. Season with salt. Turn the burner onto high, when the water boils, turn it down to low and put a lid on, let it simmer for 12 minutes. When the 12 minutes are up, leave the rice for another 12 minutes. Fluff up with a fork. Never fails :)
In my George Forman grills, I have wet paper towels ready. Remove the completed food to a plate, insert and arrange wet paper towels, close lid, UNPLUG the grill.and let it set while you enjoy your meal..After eating,, the presoaked grill plates clean up easily. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I love you ladies & ATK as well. ♡♡ You provide extensive reviews, great recipes & fantastic tips. Happy Holidays to you & your famiky. Continued success in 2022. Be well.
I just love this channel. And I don’t really cook. When I do I think I find it easier by using your recommended pieces and I find it super handy when it comes time to buy gifts for the cooks in my life.
Such a great lineup! Will I ever have enough room on my kitchen counters? When I see those items, I don’t care! I’ve been watching ATK for decades and it never fails to offer up new delights.
Other overlooked benefits of a Zojirushi rice cooker: -Can be used to make more than rice! There recipes online (especially through Tasty Japan) that allow you to make soups, stews, desserts, 'baked' goods, and just general steaming. With steaming, you can cook vegetable side dishes &/or seafood, -Some Zojirushi rice cooker models have a separate button to cook brown rice in a way that increases the GABA amino acids in the rice, making it more nutritious! (I sought out this function specifically when I bought mine.) So having a Zojirushi is not just for making rice; it can cook a whole variety of things, even entire meals. Think of putting in rice, veggies, boned chicken, then go about your day before sometime later having a full hot meal waiting for you!
I thought I had reached the point where I had everything I needed in my kitchen when I picked up a SodaStream a few weeks ago but you come along with that beautiful grill pan and mess up my mind again! Now I have something to hunt for during the Boxing Day sales after the holidays.🤓 I have a variety of wooden utensils in my kitchen and I use the same oil and wax that I use on my cutting boards and find it makes a huge difference when it comes time to clean them after cooking. It really is worth the minimal time and expense if you have good quality wooden utensils.
Washing rice is easier if you get one of those plastic sieves with a bowl underneath that are made for that purpose (and you can also wash other things). The sieve holes are small enough to make sure the rice doesn't go through, and when you are done you can leave the sieve full of rice to finish draining in the bowl.
@10:15 - you mention that the Zojirushi clear and green measuring cups are for white or brown rice. This is incorrect. The green cup is for measuring “rinse-free white rice only” - while the clear cup is for measuring everything else. Other than that, great review!
This video came just a few days late. Still waiting on deliver of a spinning, tiered spice rack. (Smoked paprika and cumin were my cabinet multiples.) Looking forward to having the cabinet more organized. Hoping this purchase, while not the one mentioned here, will help.
I am really intrigued by the June smart oven, but was it as good at air frying as the best air fryer models? Was the thermometer accurate (remembering how many weren't in the chef thermometer video!)? Would love your thoughts on this all-in-one vs dedicated tools, especially considering Lisa bought one!
My father-in-law several years ago made a version of the “spicey-shelf” out of woods that then would hand on the adjustable shelf pegs so no legs to get in the way. I have have as well. In fact it was nice a cabinet maker that saw it said he was going to start to offer that in his custom designs.
i have a zojirushi induction rice cooker, its great. super easy to use. ADVICE: even though it has a nonstick bowl, spray it anyway with oil. the "nonstickiness" wears out, and the spray will keep it going and make clean up much easier.
All of the reviewed spice racks seem to put things in visible positions, but leave most of the volume of the cabinet empty. I decided several years ago to go with Vertical Spice brand racks, which still allow decent visibility but maximize the usage of the cabinet volume.
I love the Faay spoons! I’ve purchased many of them. I never thought I could have an opinion about wooden spoons, but all other wooden spoons suck in comparison.
I have to agree with Hannah's choice of spice organizers. I bought that one about a year ago and it has saved my spice cabinet not to mention my spice purchasing habit when at the grocery store. As of 12/17/2021, the Lodge 11" cast iron pan at Amazon is....are you sitting down? $72.00
That spoon from Jonathan Spoons reminds me of a wooden utensil Julia Child used in her oven. It was a long flat 'stick' (think ruler) with a notch in it and a forked tongue at the end (think weed remover). The notch she used to pull out her oven wrack & then used the forked end to pull it in. I was going to try and make one but this spoon will do nicely. Thank you! 😊
Yes, that's understandable, as they don't always get it right. Who does? But ATK'S a good place to start. Then go and do your own research and read customer reviews.
Thank you, thank you, ATK ... for superimposing the brand names of your "winners," on the screen. Some of your shorter segments that go in search of the perfect tool, or best tasting foods, are announced verbally, but not shown. Of course there a very common brand names that almost anyone would recognize, but that's not always the case.
Throw the cast iron pan in the oven for 5-10 minutes @ 350F prior to cooking steaks. Leave the oven on and sear the steaks then place in the oven to complete the cooking.
Great recommendations! Question, when testing the cast iron grill pan, what countertop gas burner were you using? I would really appreciate getting a recommendation for that type of appliance. I’ve had no luck with convection cooktops.
They probably use it on a wide range of stoves, both gas and electric in their testing. Not sure what Lisa uses when she's at the little island cart in her home kitchen, but I can say the black (and they've come in other colors) older Max Burton and it's quite good, and uses the 8 Oz canisters of butane for fuel. Often sold with camping gear in most places that sell that kind of stuff.
@@sandrah7512 Yes, am aware of where Lisa's stove is, it's opposite the sink counter in a corner of the kitchen, and electric. That said, I know she uses the cart and has used a gas burner, but did not see what she used. Just listed what I have, and it's an older one I bought at the GoodWill almost 15 years ago, new, never used. Basically, that same style is made by one company but sold under different brands, like Max Burton.
In my area, they are sold at the local Asian supermarkets, usually for about $20.00 or so. They also sell the refill canisters there for pretty cheap as well.
@@johnhpalmer6098 it is if you make rice every single day, even more so if you're feeding a family. I can do the stove method flawlessly ("first knuckle technique" has never failed, no matter what the vessel or heating method), but there ain't no way I would ever go without a rice cooker.
@@Phlegethon Well, I'm not Asian so there is that. Also southern by proxy as both of my parents came from the US south where it's been cooked that way for eons.
I have had the same rice cooker for several years now. It is smaller than these and less costly so I eat alone most of the time and it's perfect for me. When I need to feed more people I do it in a pan on the stove which is always been very easy for me to get perfect rice that way as well. I just can't justify almost $200 for a rice cooker but I do love my little rice cooker and it will make several servings but who eats a measured serving?! :-)
If you like cooking, chances are you enjoy making things yourself. Look up your local spoon maker, woodworker, bushcrafter and learn to make your own spoons. Financially completely superfluous, but oh so satisfying!
Great information. I do wish you would have shown the bottom of the Lodge grill pan though. I wanted to see If it would work on my glass top stove. I know everyone says you can't use cast iron on a glass top but I've been doing it for 20 years and it works just fine. As long as you don't scoot it on the glass or drop it of course but that's most any pan. Huge fan of ATK & Cook's Country! You guys are awesome! Merry Christmas to you all 🎄 🎅
@@cincisimons5351 Perrier isn't necessarily naturally carbonated anymore. It's no longer "Naturally Sparkling Water", they had to change to "Sparkling Natural Water." They collect the naturally carbonated water, remove the carbonation, then recombine it at their desired level. Still full of minerals though.
I wish you would cover the cleanup on the ovens. I detest using these great ovens, only to have to spend more time cleaning after each use than the actual cooking time.
I moved to keeping spices in magnetic tins that stick on the fridge. Everything is visible. I can move them around, or pick out the ones I'll be using for a recipe and stick them in a special location...say move them to the freezer door. I can understand why Hannah likes that curved 2 tier shelf arrangement, but my kitchen is too small to sacrifice that empty space within the system and putting something there will block access and visibility of the spices defeating the purpose of arrangement.
I think you should try some of the solar cooking setups. I say it because a lot of people can't afford utilities anymore and a lot of people face power outages. I have gone through power outages long enough to have to worry about gas stations running out of gas for my generator and running out of cash because they can't take CC's during a power outage.
for the countertop carbonators, did you guys try Drink Mate? The biggest think that makes me like it over the Soda Stream style is the carbonator is a bottle cap style so you can fizz things other than water, and if you over fizz and it bubbles over you can just wash the fizz lid
A big no on the Zojirushi rice cookers. Mine died in under three weeks. It had no power, I tried every attempted fix I could find on the Net. There was no instance of the word RESET in the manual or anything else having to do with my no power one morning issue. It was convenient in that it didn't heat up the room and pretty easy to clean, but it also didn't make brown rice as well as the Saveur method for brown rice (basically boiling it like pasta), and indeed these are geared toward Japanese tastes (in Japan) compared to the USA where people generally like their brown rice less mushy and with more texture. If I wanted a finicky computer without a reboot process, this would be a great purchase, but never again.
I don't care what anybody say , the Aroma rice cooker for $9.99 is the best ! Reasons : It's has a glass top. It doesn't havee stupid parts that bacteria hide in i.e. complicated vents and water catchers . I'm Vietnamese I cook rice twice a day for 45 years , every method every style of rice cooker you can imagine.
I'm half Japanese and own an aroma rice cooker. I don't use it because it is just too big for just the two of us. I cook rice using my finger to measure the rice and water. When I told my mom this. She said I cook like the old ladies in Okinawa. I started cooking this way because back in 1980 rice cookers were expensive. And remembered when I was a kid and was washing the rice cooker insert I noticed measuring lines matched up the knuckles on my finger. After following the direction on the rice I didn't really care for the results. I decided to use my finger to measure. Perfect rice each time. I don't remember seeing anyone measure to way when we lived in Okinawa. My aunts all had rice cookers. They had them on all day long. I swear my aunt Yoshi's rice cooker belonged in a restaurant. She had entertain a lot of in laws. She was married to oldest son and her MIL lived with them. So, family was constantly visiting.
I agree about the Aroma rice cooker as I like that you can wash the glass lid too. We have another rice cooker that the MIL bought for her son and it’s lid is attached and I try not to use it because of the cleaning issue.
I got the mDesign rack in white and I love it. I finally have an easy way to store all my spices, although it's hard to see the labels on 0.3 oz mini jars if you don't get the clear model. My shelf has room for a row of short bottles in front of my rack, but it's something to keep in mind.
Would love to see you test the Danish dough whisk, which is actually, and historically, a meat whisk in Denmark - a farsrører. Danes use it to blend ground meat and ground fat to make leverpostej, a farm-style liver pâté - soooo good! Or Danish meatballs, something like Swedish meatballs just a little bigger. I remember seeing it and thinking, why are they using it for dough, how weird. Get a Dane to show you how it’s properly used!
Straight up mineral oil isn't readily available for cheap at the big box stores. You can pay a premium for "cutting board oil," but the best bet for old fashioned cheap food grade mineral oil is sold as a laxative. I buy mine from a big box store with concentric red circles.
Lisa, Can you comment on cleaning the June? I have a Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster oven and it is impossible to clean! Of course, the crumb tray comes out and is easy, but the sides and top and back are coated with baked on sticky grease!!! Impossible to clean! I‘m actually concerned that the oven will have a grease fire. Help! I am considering getting the June, but really would like some guidance on how to clean it and is it easy? Why aren’t they self-cleaning like a regular oven???? Thank you in advance! Love watching your videos. So helpful!
I've used a heavy bottomed pan all my cooking life and other than when I was learning, I never burned rice. No rice cooker for me, I don't need a one function device taking up space. When I got a gas stove recently, I remembered my grandmother's simmer plate, it's great for managing very low heat. Sorry uncle Roger, I know how to cook and make perfect rice every time without a rice cooker.
My June oven works reasonably well except that after every power outage or internet outage, it doesn't reconnect, so you have to go back and go through the torture of reentering the password. For toasting, once you get it set for a specific kind of bread, it will work fine, on that specific bread. When you change bread, as we often do, you have to retrain it, which involves standing there and watching it toast for 5-7 minutes. It seems like forever, and that's the drill for most toasting jobs at our house. Some nice ideas, really poorly implemented.
I'm curious about the smart oven. How easy is it to clean inside? If cooking bacon, it's going to splatter all over. Do they sell accesories to fit the oven like a grease splatter screen?
PLEASE test the new Tokit vs the Thermomix TM6 Also wondering about the longevity of the new plastic gear on the tm6 blade assembly vs the metal gears on the tokit
Grill pans are for people who want narrow lines of browning on their food instead of all over their food. I have the cheapest, smallest zojirushi you can get. It's a well built little thing, I don't personally need the more expensive cookers just because I don't need warm rice on demand throughout an entire day.
That was super informative, thank you! My wooden spoons and wood boards look like a Beautiful Nantucket house 😬 The June looks amazing... teen son may even take to cooking with pics and apps to post on IG...hmmm it could be a real winner!! 😁
That was a great great tip about putting oil on the food and not in the hot Pan. It has completely changed the way I char food! It really works thanks ATK now test cordless hand appliances
For spices I use Lazy Susan... she's my youngest daughter. When I need a spice for cooking I just offer Susan the choice - find the spice or expect a bland dinner
We've had bad luck with indoor grills, to be honest. We test them, and then they are quickly discontinued. The grill pan works pretty well if you want to "grill" indoors.
Having used the June oven and the Tovala for close to 3 years, I have to say they are great but I think the Anova Precision Oven beats them both by a landslide.
In another video they recommended the Breville Smart Oven as a combination toaster oven and air fryer. Now they are saying June and Tovala smart ovens are best of 2021. How do these compare to the Breville?
@@marclieber2612 From what I can see (I don't own a June or Tovala) being the owner of the Breville they are taken in by pretty pictures of food on the oven and on their smart phones. I don't need an oven to take a picture and then tell me how to cook the food.
Thanks! Most of the glasses are Duralex Picardie tumblers in various sizes. The mugs are from all over, gathered over the years. I recently added a few really nice pint glasses with blueberries on them from the America's Test Kitchen shop on our website. For mise bowls, I use Pyrex custard cups in two sizes, which I love. They last forever.
Was excited for the spice solution, but disappointed. I have 2 bins I pull out and dig through. Not efficient. All that dead space in front of the 'pick' is just asking to have things set there. Of course will block the spices defeating the purpose. It doesn't look to even hold many jars. I guess with the great content at ATK I expected magic. Lol Love all your info! Have learned so much!
I’d love to see ATK go do a Chinese restaurant supply store and buy some items to test - like steamers. Aluminum stacked steamers? Traditional bamboo? Steamers in Instant Pots? Test with steaming Chinese buns, soup dumplings, whole fish. Another item to test are stove vents! And don’t forget the Asian brands! I have a PacAir and I swear it works better than any other brand.
Then they might have to put more POC on camera and that doesn't seem on-brand for them
There would be some backlash I bet if they did it that way. I think they have done one on steamers in general.
We have tested both metal and bamboo steamers and the reviews are on our website.
We also tested woks and the winners are from small Asian-owned companies.
@@lisamcmanus6656 I was going to say this as the wok review was the first one I watched. I love when even the smallest bit of research proves the assertion wrong.
Keep it up, I quit an accounting job for a change to being a chef and turning up with a well thought out knife roll went a long way to getting me my first job. My process was basically - I need this thing what do you guys say about the subject.
By the way victorinox now have the same blade as the fibrox but with a slightly more wa shaped handle that makes it more comfortable to pinch grip in my opinion, called the 'modern'. It might be a contender in your next knife video.
I don't need to buy any of the products but the FREEBIE TIPS given in the video are priceless - use COLD water in the sodastream to get more bubbles AND oil the food item and not the grill so there's less smoke! NICE thank you!
I know right? These are such excellent tips! The grill one just saved me a lot of headache :)
Regarding wooden spoons, the first one you showed, with a little groove on the handle, can also be used to pull an oven rack out when it’s hot just to check on things you don’t need an oven mitt.
That’s a good idea, because holding a toothpick with an oven mitt just doesn’t work lol!
That would be really handy for us short people. I can handle pulling out the lower racks safely, but not so much the upper oven racks. My arms are just not long enough.
Our fire department in Peoria Arizona, gave away "the oven stick. Looks like a ruler, sort of. Push, pull, meat temp guide. 50¢
I love my Zojirushi. I have an older version of your winning model, which has been going strong for over a decade.
However, people need to know that it is also an excellent steel cut oats cooker. I use the usual 3:1 water ratio for steel cut oats & the porridge setting. I use the delayed cook feature so I can wake up to perfect oatmeal every morning. It probably cooks more oats than rice as I don’t have rice every day, but I do have oatmeal almost every morning in the winter. Lots of times it even runs almost 24 hours a day, overnight for oatmeal and while I’m at work so I can come home to perfectly cooked brown rice.
It was splurgey, but turned out to be one of my best kitchen purchases. Glad to see it get some love here.
I love my Zojirushi smart rice maker as well. Some of my friends though it was overkill as they just use a regular pot to make rice. After seeing it operate and eating the resulting perfectly cooked rice my friends were singing a different tune. And, yes, it makes perfect oatmeal as well.
I purchased a 25 pound bag of premium jasmine rice and now I can "stretch" almost any meal by adding rice with various toppings and seasonings. Now we can eat better for less with less effort.
Absolutely love Zoji stuff
I’ve had my Zojirushi rice cooker for more than 20 years. It works flawlessly. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
We've had a Zoji for 5 years now. Still going strong.
Hey, if it's something you're going to use every day, it's worth the splurge. Takes a little less hassle each day and saves you from having to replace one that breaks down
Well, I broke down and bought a Zojirushi rice cooker at the suggestion of...yes, Uncle Roger. Best purchase I've made in a LONG time. Instead of having rice once a month or so, I now cook rice two or three times a week. It makes the best brown rice I've ever had. It also makes excellent oatmeal and, with a little practice, can be used as a steamer.
Are you making fried rice with left overs? I hear Jamie Oliver has a great recipe.
Remember the finger rule. Uncle roger would not approve of using the measuring cups.
@@Nevyn42 you make uncle roger sad
I have no intent of buying any smart oven, but I am pretty impressed by what you showed there. UI and functionality seems on point.
Same
I upgraded to a Zojirushi a while back, no more burned rice on the bottom. 100% worth getting.
Buy once cry once!
I've had this model for 17yrs now and it's still going strong.
I look forward to your segments on ATK and Cook's Country. So glad you post here on You Tube. Jack Bishop, you need to do a Gear Heads segment more often on ATK.
For mini muffin cook time, I've found that they cook roughly twice as fast. So for a recipe that says 20 minutes, start checking at about 10.
I have a Zojirushi rice cooker and it is great. It does a very good job on both brown and basmati rice, both of which can be tricky to get right. Just an FYI, you rinse but don't soak the rice, the soak time is built into the cooking time. On my cooker regular rice takes 60 minutes, basmati 70 minutes and brown rice 90 minutes. If you are in a hurry there is a 'quick' setting, but I've never used it.
Oh yes, mine annoyingly played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Start" when the rice finished and the first thing I did was change it to a normal chime.
I never soak my rice, and I do the stove method. I should rinse the rice, but frequently forget to. When doing that, it takes around 20 minutes max for white rice, near 30 minutes for brown and about a full hour for wild rice.
Suggestion to think about : wood is porous. It absorbs things. Never want it soaking in soap 🧼, much less dishwasher soap . Why? 1. Wood warps 2. Ruins the wood 🪵 as mentioned in the video. I clean my wooden tools before I even plate the food. They are precious, generational hand me downs. (In my family). I use the same beloved spoon from 1997 when I cooked for my mother. It’s my most valued kitchen item.
I agree, I always was mine before plating at well. I have my Grandmothers wooden spoon to make my Sunday “gravy” She passed in 1974 so I understand the heirloom value of them
Lol
All I want for Christmas is more countertop???
Such a pleasure to see ATK continue rising in subscriber count.
I adore my Zojirushi rice cooker…it’s the basic model, about $50 on Amazon, and it just cooks and warms, but it cooks my beloved Kokuho Rose Japanese rice perfectly, and I love it. I’ll upgrade at some point, but I love the one I have. I’ve had basically the same results with the Kokuho Rose and rinsing or not rinsing…it foams up a little more without rinsing, but tastes the same to us. Because its so simple, basically, just a non-stick pot (thank you!) and a non-sealing lid with a vent hole, it’s never made a mess. But, I haven’t tried using one of the more high priced ones. For those who can’t afford the high priced, the lower priced one does a really good job with white rice (never tried anything else in it.)
I'm a bit OCD about my spice storage, can't buy the wall hugging option soon enough (my family thanks you). I like that you can see the inside measurement on the rice cooker. Also, can't go wrong w/Lodge as a cast iron choice for a plethora of reasons. Thanks ladies.
I’ve had my Zojirushi rice cooker for about 15 years. Love it! I liked mine so well when I bought it 15 years ago that I bought the same exact one for my bestie for Christmas and she loves hers too 👍🏼
Edit to add that I just looked at the link you provided for the Zojirushi rice cooker and it told me that I purchased that item on Dec 18, 2006, so yep almost exactly 15 years ago!
Perfect rice every time (not brown rice): Add a cup of rice and a cup and a half of water to a pot. Season with salt. Turn the burner onto high, when the water boils, turn it down to low and put a lid on, let it simmer for 12 minutes. When the 12 minutes are up, leave the rice for another 12 minutes. Fluff up with a fork. Never fails :)
I’ve never used a rice cooker. My rice is awesome!
In my George Forman grills, I have wet paper towels ready. Remove the completed food to a plate, insert and arrange wet paper towels, close lid, UNPLUG the grill.and let it set while you enjoy your meal..After eating,, the presoaked grill plates clean up easily.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I love you ladies & ATK as well. ♡♡ You provide extensive reviews, great recipes & fantastic tips. Happy Holidays to you & your famiky. Continued success in 2022. Be well.
I just love this channel. And I don’t really cook. When I do I think I find it easier by using your recommended pieces and I find it super handy when it comes time to buy gifts for the cooks in my life.
Such a great lineup! Will I ever have enough room on my kitchen counters? When I see those items, I don’t care! I’ve been watching ATK for decades and it never fails to offer up new delights.
I had my heart set on the Breville air fryer toaster oven you guys reviewed... how do you guys feel it compares to something like this smart oven?
The rice cooker is heaven. I’ve owned it 8 months and I will never go back!!! Great recommendation.
Other overlooked benefits of a Zojirushi rice cooker:
-Can be used to make more than rice! There recipes online (especially through Tasty Japan) that allow you to make soups, stews, desserts, 'baked' goods, and just general steaming. With steaming, you can cook vegetable side dishes &/or seafood,
-Some Zojirushi rice cooker models have a separate button to cook brown rice in a way that increases the GABA amino acids in the rice, making it more nutritious! (I sought out this function specifically when I bought mine.)
So having a Zojirushi is not just for making rice; it can cook a whole variety of things, even entire meals. Think of putting in rice, veggies, boned chicken, then go about your day before sometime later having a full hot meal waiting for you!
I thought I had reached the point where I had everything I needed in my kitchen when I picked up a SodaStream a few weeks ago but you come along with that beautiful grill pan and mess up my mind again! Now I have something to hunt for during the Boxing Day sales after the holidays.🤓
I have a variety of wooden utensils in my kitchen and I use the same oil and wax that I use on my cutting boards and find it makes a huge difference when it comes time to clean them after cooking. It really is worth the minimal time and expense if you have good quality wooden utensils.
Lisa and Hannah have knocked it out of the park again! Happy Holidays!
I love making polenta in my Zojirushi Rice cooker. You only have to stir once during cooking. 👍🏻
I love your show! Have made some satisfying purchases based on your testing and advice!
Washing rice is easier if you get one of those plastic sieves with a bowl underneath that are made for that purpose (and you can also wash other things). The sieve holes are small enough to make sure the rice doesn't go through, and when you are done you can leave the sieve full of rice to finish draining in the bowl.
@10:15 - you mention that the Zojirushi clear and green measuring cups are for white or brown rice. This is incorrect. The green cup is for measuring “rinse-free white rice only” - while the clear cup is for measuring everything else. Other than that, great review!
This video came just a few days late. Still waiting on deliver of a spinning, tiered spice rack. (Smoked paprika and cumin were my cabinet multiples.) Looking forward to having the cabinet more organized. Hoping this purchase, while not the one mentioned here, will help.
I am really intrigued by the June smart oven, but was it as good at air frying as the best air fryer models? Was the thermometer accurate (remembering how many weren't in the chef thermometer video!)? Would love your thoughts on this all-in-one vs dedicated tools, especially considering Lisa bought one!
Thank you ladies for another great year.
Keep it up for 2022 !!
My father-in-law several years ago made a version of the “spicey-shelf” out of woods that then would hand on the adjustable shelf pegs so no legs to get in the way. I have have as well. In fact it was nice a cabinet maker that saw it said he was going to start to offer that in his custom designs.
i have a zojirushi induction rice cooker, its great. super easy to use. ADVICE: even though it has a nonstick bowl, spray it anyway with oil. the "nonstickiness" wears out, and the spray will keep it going and make clean up much easier.
Careful! The aerosol types can actually damage non stick from the propellants! 👍
All of the reviewed spice racks seem to put things in visible positions, but leave most of the volume of the cabinet empty. I decided several years ago to go with Vertical Spice brand racks, which still allow decent visibility but maximize the usage of the cabinet volume.
Loved seeing the can of ‘One-Pie’ pumpkin in the first segment. Best canned pumpkin EVER!!!
I love the Faay spoons! I’ve purchased many of them. I never thought I could have an opinion about wooden spoons, but all other wooden spoons suck in comparison.
I have to agree with Hannah's choice of spice organizers. I bought that one about a year ago and it has saved my spice cabinet not to mention my spice purchasing habit when at the grocery store.
As of 12/17/2021, the Lodge 11" cast iron pan at Amazon is....are you sitting down? $72.00
LSRG3 reversible grill griddle, 25 on amazon
A purchase like that grill pan will last years.
The tip to store the rice cup in the rice cooker… why haven’t I heard of that before? Perfect.
I keep my spices in bins and pull a bin out when I’m cooking and it works great for me and my cabinet looks neat and clean..
I do too. One for sweets and one for savory.
Hands down, the best segment on ATK. Also, I want your job. 😁
That spoon from Jonathan Spoons reminds me of a wooden utensil Julia Child used in her oven. It was a long flat 'stick' (think ruler) with a notch in it and a forked tongue at the end (think weed remover). The notch she used to pull out her oven wrack & then used the forked end to pull it in. I was going to try and make one but this spoon will do nicely. Thank you! 😊
Great show thank you!! Lisa, yay! smart ovens rock. Hannah you and me can go camping right away 😎
I'm a bit leery of ATK reviews because of their review of the Breville 800 toaster oven. Unreliable and expensive--what a combo.
Yes, that's understandable, as they don't always get it right. Who does? But ATK'S a good place to start. Then go and do your own research and read customer reviews.
Thank you, thank you, ATK ... for superimposing the brand names of your "winners," on the screen. Some of your shorter segments that go in search of the perfect tool, or best tasting foods, are announced verbally, but not shown. Of course there a very common brand names that almost anyone would recognize, but that's not always the case.
Throw the cast iron pan in the oven for 5-10 minutes @ 350F prior to cooking steaks. Leave the oven on and sear the steaks then place in the oven to complete the cooking.
Great recommendations! Question, when testing the cast iron grill pan, what countertop gas burner were you using? I would really appreciate getting a recommendation for that type of appliance. I’ve had no luck with convection cooktops.
They probably use it on a wide range of stoves, both gas and electric in their testing. Not sure what Lisa uses when she's at the little island cart in her home kitchen, but I can say the black (and they've come in other colors) older Max Burton and it's quite good, and uses the 8 Oz canisters of butane for fuel. Often sold with camping gear in most places that sell that kind of stuff.
@@sandrah7512 Yes, am aware of where Lisa's stove is, it's opposite the sink counter in a corner of the kitchen, and electric. That said, I know she uses the cart and has used a gas burner, but did not see what she used. Just listed what I have, and it's an older one I bought at the GoodWill almost 15 years ago, new, never used. Basically, that same style is made by one company but sold under different brands, like Max Burton.
In my area, they are sold at the local Asian supermarkets, usually for about $20.00 or so. They also sell the refill canisters there for pretty cheap as well.
Lisa will you ever do tests on ranges or dishwashers ? I’m a long time fan of ATK !
@@sandrah7512 Thanks Sandra, that's basically what I would have said. :)
I’ve never thought of rice cookers as a kitchen gadget….it’s just a necessity
Not as much of a necessity if you know how to do it right on the stove. I know a lot don't understand the stove method.
@@johnhpalmer6098 it is if you make rice every single day, even more so if you're feeding a family. I can do the stove method flawlessly ("first knuckle technique" has never failed, no matter what the vessel or heating method), but there ain't no way I would ever go without a rice cooker.
Lol. My rice cooked is a pot with a lid.
@@johnhpalmer6098 I think about 1.5 billion east Asians would disagree with you but ok.
@@Phlegethon Well, I'm not Asian so there is that. Also southern by proxy as both of my parents came from the US south where it's been cooked that way for eons.
Please make a how to video, on how to
Maintain and season that cast iron grill you reccomended. Also how to maintain that wooden spoon
I have that "Spicy Shelf" product, 3 shelves high, and I LOVE it!
I have had the same rice cooker for several years now. It is smaller than these and less costly so I eat alone most of the time and it's perfect for me. When I need to feed more people I do it in a pan on the stove which is always been very easy for me to get perfect rice that way as well. I just can't justify almost $200 for a rice cooker but I do love my little rice cooker and it will make several servings but who eats a measured serving?! :-)
If you like cooking, chances are you enjoy making things yourself. Look up your local spoon maker, woodworker, bushcrafter and learn to make your own spoons. Financially completely superfluous, but oh so satisfying!
Great information. I do wish you would have shown the bottom of the Lodge grill pan though. I wanted to see If it would work on my glass top stove. I know everyone says you can't use cast iron on a glass top but I've been doing it for 20 years and it works just fine. As long as you don't scoot it on the glass or drop it of course but that's most any pan.
Huge fan of ATK & Cook's Country! You guys are awesome! Merry Christmas to you all 🎄 🎅
I have the non-grill version of the lodge skillet and it works great on my induction burner.
Lisa dancing to kitchen tools is a win
Gear heads is still awesome, really need to pick up the book!
I bought the first generation June oven years ago and I love it. I think I paid over $1000 for it.
My naturopath said that selter can cause leaky gut. Go for naturally carbonated water like Perrier.
@@cincisimons5351 Perrier isn't necessarily naturally carbonated anymore. It's no longer "Naturally Sparkling Water", they had to change to "Sparkling Natural Water." They collect the naturally carbonated water, remove the carbonation, then recombine it at their desired level. Still full of minerals though.
I wish you would cover the cleanup on the ovens. I detest using these great ovens, only to have to spend more time cleaning after each use than the actual cooking time.
I moved to keeping spices in magnetic tins that stick on the fridge. Everything is visible. I can move them around, or pick out the ones I'll be using for a recipe and stick them in a special location...say move them to the freezer door. I can understand why Hannah likes that curved 2 tier shelf arrangement, but my kitchen is too small to sacrifice that empty space within the system and putting something there will block access and visibility of the spices defeating the purpose of arrangement.
I think you should try some of the solar cooking setups. I say it because a lot of people can't afford utilities anymore and a lot of people face power outages. I have gone through power outages long enough to have to worry about gas stations running out of gas for my generator and running out of cash because they can't take CC's during a power outage.
for the countertop carbonators, did you guys try Drink Mate? The biggest think that makes me like it over the Soda Stream style is the carbonator is a bottle cap style so you can fizz things other than water, and if you over fizz and it bubbles over you can just wash the fizz lid
Thank you for all this great info.! You rock!
A big no on the Zojirushi rice cookers. Mine died in under three weeks. It had no power, I tried every attempted fix I could find on the Net. There was no instance of the word RESET in the manual or anything else having to do with my no power one morning issue. It was convenient in that it didn't heat up the room and pretty easy to clean, but it also didn't make brown rice as well as the Saveur method for brown rice (basically boiling it like pasta), and indeed these are geared toward Japanese tastes (in Japan) compared to the USA where people generally like their brown rice less mushy and with more texture. If I wanted a finicky computer without a reboot process, this would be a great purchase, but never again.
I don't care what anybody say , the Aroma rice cooker for $9.99 is the best !
Reasons :
It's has a glass top.
It doesn't havee stupid parts that bacteria hide in i.e. complicated vents and water catchers .
I'm Vietnamese I cook rice twice a day for 45 years , every method every style of rice cooker you can imagine.
I'm half Japanese and own an aroma rice cooker. I don't use it because it is just too big for just the two of us. I cook rice using my finger to measure the rice and water. When I told my mom this. She said I cook like the old ladies in Okinawa. I started cooking this way because back in 1980 rice cookers were expensive. And remembered when I was a kid and was washing the rice cooker insert I noticed measuring lines matched up the knuckles on my finger. After following the direction on the rice I didn't really care for the results. I decided to use my finger to measure. Perfect rice each time.
I don't remember seeing anyone measure to way when we lived in Okinawa. My aunts all had rice cookers. They had them on all day long. I swear my aunt Yoshi's rice cooker belonged in a restaurant. She had entertain a lot of in laws. She was married to oldest son and her MIL lived with them. So, family was constantly visiting.
I agree about the Aroma rice cooker as I like that you can wash the glass lid too. We have another rice cooker that the MIL bought for her son and it’s lid is attached and I try not to use it because of the cleaning issue.
@@deborahshallin5843
Exactly!
I got the mDesign rack in white and I love it. I finally have an easy way to store all my spices, although it's hard to see the labels on 0.3 oz mini jars if you don't get the clear model. My shelf has room for a row of short bottles in front of my rack, but it's something to keep in mind.
Would love to see you test the Danish dough whisk, which is actually, and historically, a meat whisk in Denmark - a farsrører. Danes use it to blend ground meat and ground fat to make leverpostej, a farm-style liver pâté - soooo good! Or Danish meatballs, something like Swedish meatballs just a little bigger. I remember seeing it and thinking, why are they using it for dough, how weird. Get a Dane to show you how it’s properly used!
Straight up mineral oil isn't readily available for cheap at the big box stores. You can pay a premium for "cutting board oil," but the best bet for old fashioned cheap food grade mineral oil is sold as a laxative. I buy mine from a big box store with concentric red circles.
Thanks for the advice, it hits the bullseye.
Yep, usually in the pharmacy area
Thanks for now having actual, real captions for the Deaf
Lisa, Can you comment on cleaning the June? I have a Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster oven and it is impossible to clean! Of course, the crumb tray comes out and is easy, but the sides and top and back are coated with baked on sticky grease!!! Impossible to clean! I‘m actually concerned that the oven will have a grease fire. Help! I am considering getting the June, but really would like some guidance on how to clean it and is it easy? Why aren’t they self-cleaning like a regular oven???? Thank you in advance! Love watching your videos. So helpful!
So happy been waiting on this video!!
I've used a heavy bottomed pan all my cooking life and other than when I was learning, I never burned rice. No rice cooker for me, I don't need a one function device taking up space. When I got a gas stove recently, I remembered my grandmother's simmer plate, it's great for managing very low heat.
Sorry uncle Roger, I know how to cook and make perfect rice every time without a rice cooker.
Great job! Thank you for all you do! I have learned so much (and my shopping list keeps growing 😳😂).
Thanks ladies.
I absolutely love this channel
My June oven works reasonably well except that after every power outage or internet outage, it doesn't reconnect, so you have to go back and go through the torture of reentering the password. For toasting, once you get it set for a specific kind of bread, it will work fine, on that specific bread. When you change bread, as we often do, you have to retrain it, which involves standing there and watching it toast for 5-7 minutes. It seems like forever, and that's the drill for most toasting jobs at our house. Some nice ideas, really poorly implemented.
I'm curious about the smart oven. How easy is it to clean inside? If cooking bacon, it's going to splatter all over. Do they sell accesories to fit the oven like a grease splatter screen?
Who knew! So amazing! I loved this! Quick question - what is the spatula Lisa used for flipping the panini?
Fosh spatula.
Just clicked on your Amazon link to the June oven and it is $849.00. I’m still interested but how difficult is it to clean?
PLEASE test the new Tokit vs the Thermomix TM6
Also wondering about the longevity of the new plastic gear on the tm6 blade assembly vs the metal gears on the tokit
What grill press was Lisa using to make that panini?
Grill pans are for people who want narrow lines of browning on their food instead of all over their food.
I have the cheapest, smallest zojirushi you can get. It's a well built little thing, I don't personally need the more expensive cookers just because I don't need warm rice on demand throughout an entire day.
That was super informative, thank you! My wooden spoons and wood boards look like a Beautiful Nantucket house 😬 The June looks amazing... teen son may even take to cooking with pics and apps to post on IG...hmmm it could be a real winner!! 😁
Thank you for your videos ladies but I have one question for Lisa. The stove you demonstrated the grill pan on…can you share some info on it please?
4:40 what a coincidence! I got my Aarke (but in copper) last summer ^^
would you mind telling me what is the best meat grinder in your opinion?
thanks in advance
love your reviews!!! Have you tried rice in the instant pot? Fantastic!
That was a great great tip about putting oil on the food and not in the hot Pan. It has completely changed the way I char food! It really works thanks ATK now test cordless hand appliances
Might think about kitchen gear Keto edition. Muffin pans are great for mini-crust-less-quiches, for instance.
For spices I use Lazy Susan... she's my youngest daughter. When I need a spice for cooking I just offer Susan the choice - find the spice or expect a bland dinner
What’s your best indoor grill? We need something to easily grill chicken and steaks for keto on the daily.
We've had bad luck with indoor grills, to be honest. We test them, and then they are quickly discontinued. The grill pan works pretty well if you want to "grill" indoors.
What is the best portable induction burner? I notice that cooking lessons and demos are usually done using them now.
after wash the rice directly in the non-stick interior pot because the rice will scratch off the non-stick coating
I'm going to tell my friends they're going gray "like a Nantucket cottage". (we live in California)
Having used the June oven and the Tovala for close to 3 years, I have to say they are great but I think the Anova Precision Oven beats them both by a landslide.
Then they are not as savvy as I once thought. Maybe they don't quite understand how steam works with heat.
@@richhansen8617 I suspect that that is the case. There is a earning curve.
In another video they recommended the Breville Smart Oven as a combination toaster oven and air fryer. Now they are saying June and Tovala smart ovens are best of 2021. How do these compare to the Breville?
@@marclieber2612 From what I can see (I don't own a June or Tovala) being the owner of the Breville they are taken in by pretty pictures of food on the oven and on their smart phones. I don't need an oven to take a picture and then tell me how to cook the food.
Lisa, where do you get all your great glass bowls and cups that I see behind you on your shelves?
Thanks! Most of the glasses are Duralex Picardie tumblers in various sizes. The mugs are from all over, gathered over the years. I recently added a few really nice pint glasses with blueberries on them from the America's Test Kitchen shop on our website. For mise bowls, I use Pyrex custard cups in two sizes, which I love. They last forever.
Was excited for the spice solution, but disappointed. I have 2 bins I pull out and dig through. Not efficient. All that dead space in front of the 'pick' is just asking to have things set there. Of course will block the spices defeating the purpose. It doesn't look to even hold many jars. I guess with the great content at ATK I expected magic. Lol Love all your info! Have learned so much!
I wish someone sold spice caps that differentiate the difference between spoon access vs shaker side through color.
Aside from the app, what is the point of a smart oven if I already have a good oven and air fryer?
Rice cooker is a must have in Asian people kitchen.