Kitchen appliances and hardware

[Mr Nobody]

Baking something is a hassle in this country without ovens. However, this DEVICE does it a treat. It;s a glass fanforced oven and it is amazingly good. It goes for about 800-1000 depending on how good you are at bargaining.

Delan make it, it is called a re4 bo1 lu2. It will be sold in big department stores.

I've made bread pizza roasted chickens grilled stuff, make cakes and everything.

The pic is of the delux version.

[Missi]

My oven brand is called "Keson Electrical", temps go up to 250 C, top and bottom element, internal fan, temp comtrol, timer, what elements you want on. Comes with a roticory, and have made chicken and a lamb roast with it. Lovely!

Cost: Shanghai, 400RMB

Bought some pans, cookie, cake and pizza pans all 25RMb each at the Metro.

Just for some reason I still can't make proper circle pizza's. They always come out like squares. Pizza is pizza.

[Mr Nobody]

Yeah, the above machine isn't good for pizza either, but great for pizza subs with french bread.

[Raoul Duke]

Rant removed. They're all vertical here, now, too.

[Hamish]

The photos are vertical here and look fine. I don't see a problem. Must be the Macintosh.

[George61]

Lovely pics, Mr. N. All nicely wertical and in an upright position! Must be the Macintosh!!!!

[George61]

hang on...I haven't got a Macintosh!!

[Mr Nobody]

They were vertical when I did it in preview. THat's why I posted it. I previewed it. Previewing, I thought, meant it would look like that when posted.

Must be Raoul's glasses.

Edit. I went back and put them vertically as requested. But then the question is why did the preview show it as vertical? On Raoul's but not the others.

Oh, yeah, cheaper machines are available down to about 500 rmb.

[ObertonGluek]

Ohhh, I was kinda hoping I could get some oven replacement thing. Very interesting, thanks.

[Missi]

My oven has a grill thing on top of the oven. So I can make some stir fries or make steaks with equal heat all over the grill.

Now I just need to purchase a BBQ and I'll be in heaven!

[Mr Nobody]

Yhey have cheap hibachi type bbqs all over down here. Look messy, but I really like them. I used them a lot back in Oz. Wonder how the neighbours will handle it if I do it on the balcony?

[Raoul Duke]

Auchan in Suzhou has everything from the cheap hibachis (they even have pre-loaded single-use grills in foil pans!) to rather nice full-size smoker-grills.

I've never seen charcoal starter fluid here. They sell an odd waxy sterno-like stuff, or you could probably buy a few squirts of kerosene from your neighborhood lamb-sticks guy. For more fun, try siphoning a cup or so of gasoline (petrol) from your neighbor's car!
Of course, I only make the joke here. We all know that stealing gas and using it to light charcoal is dishonest, illegal, stupid, and extremely dangerous. Nobody here would ever do anything like that, would they? Would they? Hello?

The big surprise for me was the charcoal. I'm used to Western-style charcoal briquettes, which are made from powdered charcoal bound together with asphalt and toxic sludges. It's difficult and slow to light- you have to wait a long time for all the charcoal to catch, and the briqutettes turn white from ash on the outside when they're ready. In China they use real untreated natural charcoal...it lights comparatively easily and burns pretty fast. Once it's turned white it's about burned out and done.

If you've never cooked with real charcoal you might try a practice cookout before you invite over the whole neighborhood.

[Mr Nobody]

It's all good. Except I don't syphon gas, OK? Unless I am really out of vodka.

[Missi]

What's a hibachi type? is it those 1970's type of BBQ?

[George61]

bmisiuda said:

What's a hibachi type? is it those 1970's type of BBQ?

A little, Japanese-style-cook-at-the-table grill.

[Mr Nobody]

Except these cheap ones are uglier that that - and a little narrower and twice as long.

That one looks like the one I had at home.

[Ruth]

I love my toaster oven. Life is decidedly better since I purchased it. Keson is the brand name. Bought it in Shijiazhuang over Spring Festival for just under 300 kuai. There are a couple of versions of toaster ovens in my small town now, but up around the 450-500 price range.

[Missi]

Can those hibachi's be used in the kitchen or best to use outside? Nevermind, will let everyone think I am more crazy and use the balcony.

And is hibachi the Chinese name? and approx how much are they?

[George61]

Hibachi is the Japanese name, and can be used inside, if you like smoke!

[Ruth]

...and poisonous fumes. Better stick to the balcony for use.

[Mr Nobody]

I bought a combo juicer food processing gadget. There are many brands. Mine does everything from make fruit juice to sauces to salsa, to chopping onions to making banana smoothies, to mincing meat to grinding my coffee beans. ALso does lots of other things, and shortly will be doing baby food. It will make flour out of any grain you want as well.

You have to pay a little more to get the blades that minces meat, but it is worth it if you have trouble getting decent mince, or want it to be fresh or low fat or want varieties not found eg chicken or fish. Only does a little at a time and you can grind it too fine if you aren't carefull.

Many brands all between about 150 to 250 RMB, a deal, but next time I would go for the bigger motor if they have one. We had to get one replaced under warrantee. It now works fine, though, so it could have been an issue with the motor in the first place. That was in the first 3 months, but now have had it for well over a year.