Induction hob

[Mr Gus]

What is the insulation spec, have you reduced losses by adding more (space allowing) ..are these vented in any form OGB?

[Oldgreybeard]

What is the insulation spec, have you reduced losses by adding more (space allowing) ..are these vented in any form OGB?

The boiler is essentially a 3 litre thermos flask, pressurised to the supply water pressure (about 3 bar in our case), so it sits above normal boiling point (boiling point at 3 bar is around 133.6°C). The heater in ours seems to cut out at around 110°C, so by the time the water gets up to the tap it's still boiling at atmospheric pressure.

The boiler just sits on the floor, under the kitchen units (behind the plinth) and is plumbed in via a couple of flexible braided pipes. Doesn't seem to need any extra insulation, as the outer case barely gets warm.

[Mr Gus]

Laser dot temp for outer casing taken?
How does it de-calcify ..is it easy access to remove & treat?
Does the hardly warm outer stem from cool areas around it or simply proper design applied? ..as I've always been the biggest cynic of constant boilers. but if there was additional insulation room, id be encasing it out of habit

[Oldgreybeard]

Laser dot temp for outer casing taken?
How does it de-calcify ..is it easy access to remove & treat?
Does the hardly warm outer stem from cool areas around it or simply proper design applied? ..as I've always been the biggest cynic of constant boilers. but if there was additional insulation room, id be encasing it out of habit

I haven't checked the case temperature, hard to get at it now, as it's behind a 3m length of plinth cover that is a bugger to get off and on. I doubt the case gets warmer than maybe 25°C though, it's barely warm to the touch.

It needs a filter/descaling cartridge in front of it to stop it getting clogged with limescale. Cartridge needs replacing once a year here.

The key to the low heat loss is really that it's a thermos flask inside. Just like a thermos, the heat loss is low, mostly from the plate where the heating element and pipes are fitted. There's a bit of heat loss from the metre or so of flexible pipe that connects to the tap, but that's small bore (around 3mm to 4mm) presumably to reduce that loss. The small bore doesn't seem to affect the flow rate at all, it takes just a few seconds to fill a mug.

[Mr Gus]

Just.had Air fryer crispy broccoli, ..well worth trying instead of a pack of crisps if peckish.

Cut your broccoli head into even (small pieces) pyrex bowl, toss in oil, (we used sesame & sunflower mix) ,
Add a small amount of good salt, pepper & garlic powder.

(don't crowd your airfryer)

7 minutes at 174c
Mix / turn halfway

End result is a mix of crunch & crisp, ..surprisingly nice, satisfying "snack" dish.

My nemesis, dreaded brussel sprouts are next (hopefully tomorrow)
NB, the oven remains unused bar 4 pizzas from the most excellent, "too good to go" app since mid-summer ..we begrudge it space nowadays.

Roast lamb (xmas-ish dinner, if we can be bothered will be sous vide then pan finished, ..we do not anticipate using the main oven over other peoples "festive season" ..wife fancied a change from our trad duck pancake gorge fest

Joe, if you you have a Sainsbury's near you, that garlic Cornish (soft) sea-salt flake mix is £1.60 a wee tub (a lot of baked spuds) ..sprinkle salt on top after being oil tossed & in the air fryer. (wife popped in for 3 tubs n some half decent tin of "La Chinata" sweet paprika) ..came out with some great reduced President brie x 6 packs @46p .. air fyer par baked rolls, brie n' bacon for the foreseeable. ..home cure bacon.

The cornish sea salt is nowadays packed in my snowboard boot along with the marmite, ..will be trying it out with a few varieties when I make butter this xmas.

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/Sea ... sea%20salt

[Oldgreybeard]

Sounds fantastic. any advice as to and air fryer that is easy to clean?

We are massively disappointed with the Sage mini oven/grill/air fryer that we bought a couple of months ago. It;s impossible to clean, none of the removable parts are dishwasher safe, and the aluminium coated interior will not tolerate any cleaning agents other than warm water, which is clearly completely useless for something that gets very hot and splashes fats around inside. I'm very, very unhappy with the thing, especially as it was far from cheap. My advice would be to avoid the Sage Mini Oven like the plague, unless you are OK using something that looks like the inside of a burnt medieval pot after a couple of weeks use (and creates the most horrendous smells as a consequence).

The only plus side is that the air fryer function works very well, and has shown that the concept of cooking with very hot air works well. I just want something that we can keep clean, as the thing is just a constant source of embarrassment if anyone comes around, with it's burned on stains that cannot be removed. I'd happily give it away, but I'm frankly embarrassed to do so as it looks as if we have b=never tried to clean it.

All suggestions welcome, there are only two of us, and I think I would settle for something less multi-purpose than the ~£350 Sage. I think that what we really need is an air fryer, a low powered warmer for plates etc (to save turning the main oven on) and a decent slow cooker, I was reluctant to get these as separate items, but my view has changed after a few weeks with the Sage, The Sage may be free to a good home, but it's not pretty, although it does work OK.

[Mr Gus]

Although it has 2 lids (1x pressure lid, & 1x fan, the instantpot duo crisp at around 8 litres (s/steel) is easy to clean, thw inner pot (separate plastic stand & metal inner are apparently dishwasher safe, not that ive had to) ..as we already have this larger size instantpot we have swappablepots, one of which is dedicated to air fryer duties, the other general duties.

comes with a trivet (s/steel) for chicken duties, fibish with the air fry lid whilst i sort the litre of juices for reduxtion / dogd

xl chicken 2.25kg is close to max weight inserted whole for pressure cook @43 mins, then crisp off at 204c (max) for 17 mins.

Downside, not as neat as a sage, circular, auto programs of our other models gone, but just as capable.
Excellent pot in pot rice maker (less mess)
gnocchi? ...set at 0 mins, by the time its pressurised, it is done (fast pressure too)
Right or wrong the cast iron!? weight & dual wall design hold heat well adding favourably to its energy frugality, ..smitten.
Paid £125 for the 8 quart unit at costco in the summer before the frenzy.

basic cleaningis easy (both lid types) ..with a steam function waer & washing up liquid to loosen up detritus whilst you eat, lught scrub, rinse, dry the pot / dishwasher.
The other s/steel inner pot (from our other machine, same capacity) sits full of water for my sous vide circulator month after month (replenished weekly)

All depends what you are after, a/fryer lid has to sit flat (a pain upon removal) whereas pressure lid can "sit" standing upright, the pro version has a fixed hinge lid which in principle im not keen on, height on a worktop for shorter folk is a limiting factor for instantpot as the stand tall, wife & daughter "deal with it"

[Mr Gus]

Forgot, (not that it has ever caused us problems) duo crisp & earlier incarnations of regular instantpot DO NOT HAVE PAN LIFTING HANDLES, recent models DO, a bit less faff but nothing orksome unless you have arthritis or similar, then I could get behind it, bit this is our third without (all workimg fine) so we are used to it, & swapping inner pots out is more useful when doing several chickens or multi meal preps at different stages.

gpod technical differencedon this site...
https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/cate ... stant-pot/


here... https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/inst ... ro-vs-duo/


Both units turn out a nice stew,only used slow cook once as pressure cookinfg stew option on other unit simply took care of it, delay start & keep warm work well, we have out keep warm set to off after 5 hours, which males for a slow simmering cook anyway.

actual capacity (remaindrr for pressurisation) of our inner pot is 6.5 litre fill capacity if o recall...use the link guide for accurate detail.

[Mr Gus]

https://www.hotukdeals.com/search?q=air%20fryer

Current overview of many models / generics for price.

Too many have non stick inner trays, necessitating a microfibre cloth "scrub" & all that goes with it in terms of "forever" chemicals.
(unless you spot a vented silicone mould work around)

[Oldgreybeard]

Very many thanks, I will check those out. Good to hear that some models have paid heed to the need to clean the inside, the Sage is just impossible to keep clean.