Kitchen items

[Toddy]

I spin on a drop spindle too, it's simply a matter of controlling the twist. You spin the thread or yarn you want, not just a lumpy mess that gets called 'designer'.....yeah, I know, the ladies who taught me to spin were elderly and they knew that machine made was done in emulation of the best of hand made

 

[Tengu]

<Nods>

There are lots of advantages to a drop spindle over a wheel.

Thats why folk still use them.

But...still hard graft.

We teach that ALL the household would have been spinning but books like `Bog Fashion` say it was just women.

I find that hard to believe that when you need EIGHT spinners to keep the weaver in action.

 

[Toddy]

The thing is that with the drop spindle, I can be watching a pot come to the boil, I can be walking around, going someplace, I can be having a blether with a friend.....while with the wheel, though it's faster and in some ways easier, it's very static. Even the great wheel is static.

Spinning off a distaff is good tool, but again, it needs the spinner to be settled. From a distaff or rolag to the drop spindle, that can be done anywhere.

 

[plastic-ninja]

If you make a lot of bread, and don't have one already... a Danish whisk is a game changer. So too, is a shower cap (for covering the bowl, to allow it to rise before kneading, keeps the warmth and moisture in situ) Before the Danish whisk, i used the handle of a wooden spoon. No comparison. I do use a glass bowl though. Not a fan of plastic... easy to shave bits from it into your food if not using suitable tools.

I always nab the shower caps from any hotel I stay in for covering the dough. Plastic carrier bags work ok too.

 

[Broch]

The thing is that with the drop spindle, I can be watching a pot come to the boil, I can be walking around, going someplace, I can be having a blether with a friend.....while with the wheel, though it's faster and in some ways easier, it's very static. Even the great wheel is static.

Spinning off a distaff is good tool, but again, it needs the spinner to be settled. From a distaff or rolag to the drop spindle, that can be done anywhere.

And .... how do you cook with it?
(just pulling a mod's leg )

 

[Chris]

And .... how do you cook with it?
(just pulling a mod's leg )

How do you think they make spaghetti?

 

[Broch]

I always wondered!

 

[Falstaff]

Bakestones work well in the oven for bread too - preheat then when the bread tin goes on it there's no soggy bottom!

 

[Toddy]

I don't cook with it, but I know how long it takes me to spin a length, and how many lengths it takes for a scone to bake and be ready to turn..........it's just a part of normal female multi-tasking.
Busy hands are good.

Keep busy; the alternative's awful

 

[Foogs]

My offering - Supercubes or their knockoff - Giant silicone ice cube type affairs that make doing batch cooking a little easier. It allows to have a bit of a planned mix-n-match of batchcooked food for quality home cooked meals in the freezer. After they have frozen baggy.

View attachment 100839

These look very interesting. So is the idea you portion up your stew/chilli/soup etc into the moulds and then just defrost the giant food cubes when needed? It would definitely save on ziploc bags which I don't love.

Silicon spatulas.....they make such a tidy job of things. Fit every pot and bowl.

This would be my No.1 I have an Oxo Goodgrips silicone spatula and it ensure that not a single molecule of matter gets left in the pan or bowl. I love it.

 

[Tengu]

Thats what I was thinking; the drop spindle is a device you pick up and put down between tasks, -before you know it you have spun enough yarn for the day; its not a chore.

If youre sat at a wheel suddently it becomes a big task and you are stuck doing it.

It also impacts on your social life; you cannot take it out to go shopping or meet friends.

And you cannot use a wheel on a horse.

 

[TeeDee]

These look very interesting. So is the idea you portion up your stew/chilli/soup etc into the moulds and then just defrost the giant food cubes when needed? It would definitely save on ziploc bags which I don't love.

You can certainly do it that way - Just leave them in the cubes with the lids so they don't get freezer burn.
Depends on how much you want to invest in how many supercubes to be honest

Most people seem to let them freeze , put in a large plastic ziplock back - leaving a straw in it - suck out the remaining air and do a sort of cheap vaccu pack of the units.

There seems to be an idea to have a variety of mix-&-match options - think pick-n-mix - I'm not completely sold on this as some people are cooking staples like rice or veg and freezing them - that seems a waste of space to me.

I think if you know you are cooking for a meal - you are already dedicating time to cook it -- so why not supersize it and cook and save an extra X portions.
Also good for portion control - easy home cooked meals you know you have in the freezer.


I guess I see these as useful for either items that require many ingredients and take time to cook - a good veg/tom sauce , curries , chilli's or special cooking things that one may only do once in a while and maximise the time. Batch cooking needs to based around time invested at the hob , not just rationalised because it looks trendy.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Vacuum packer, I do like getting cheap supermarket or bulk butchers purchase and vac packing it for the freezer!

Quite a few items in my bug out kit are vacuumed down to save space!

 

[HillBill]

Vacuum packer, I do like getting cheap supermarket or bulk butchers purchase and vac packing it for the freezer!

Quite a few items in my bug out kit are vacuumed down to save space!

While i dont have a vacuum packer, (I do want one), i have a 200ltr chest freezer for that sort of stuff, though its forever full. Our lass must be a grandmaster at Tetris to fit the stuff she does in it!

 

[HillBill]

Electric egg boiler - sounds a little redundant I guess but once you've zeroed in on the ratio of water to eggs and how you like your eggs - perfection everytime

It is with shame and regret, that i must admit to owning one of those. I do agree with what you say. Once you have the settings sussed... they are great. Though one thing i'll note, is that the white part of the egg, the albumen, is a little tougher than an egg simmered for 7 mins in water. (assuming soft boiled)

If you wanna know the best way to cook eggs... Listen to this man. Jacques Pepin. The personal chef to Charles De Gaulle, Taught me everything i know (via youtube) on how to make perfect eggs. I learned a lot from him.

 

[johnnytheboy]

While i dont have a vacuum packer, (I do want one), i have a 200ltr chest freezer for that sort of stuff, though its forever full. Our lass must be a grandmaster at Tetris to fit the stuff she does in it!

No freezer burn with vac packer, Lidl/Aldi £20 packer is great value for money!

 

[HillBill]

No freezer burn with vac packer, Lidl/Aldi £20 packer is great value for money!

No freezer burn with cling film either if you wrap it properly (3 times in each direction). Cheaper in the long run too. I do still want a vac sealer though. More to the point, one which does 'wet' foods.

 

[johnnytheboy]

No freezer burn with cling film either if you wrap it properly (3 times in each direction). Cheaper in the long run too. I do still want a vac sealer though. More to the point, one which does 'wet' foods.

That seems like a faff , foodsaver one I have is really good for wet foods, it’s won’t die either, the vac pack bags can also be sous vide / boil in the bag, perfect for ready made camp foods. The butchers supplier do ovenable vac bags you can cook the contents in the oven bag included, makes for some juicy meats. All of the above means it’s easy to make grab and go foods for when you’re busy or retain the flavour/moisture, especially pertinent when it comes to game.

The one very hand thing with vac pac bags is once sealed you can compress the contents to save room in the freezer without risk of bursting the bag!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HRSEUWQ/?smid=A1RSEP1504OAG9&tag=phmp-21&linkCode=asn&creative=6742&camp=1638&creativeASIN=B01HRSEUWQ&ascsubtag=2026-01-28_07748559bb1b8ab74ab91c0d3d78918158e403da977cf9d31156c85221d69747&th=1&psc=1

 

[johnnytheboy]

Ovenable vac pouches

Ovenable Pouches | Scobies Direct

Our cook-in-the-bag oven ready vacuum pouches used in conjunction with our cook-in-the-bag sauces are about bringing convenience to the consumer.

www.scobiesdirect.com

 

[HillBill]

That seems like a faff , foodsaver one I have is really good for wet foods, it’s won’t die either, the vac pack bags can also be sous vide / boil in the bag, perfect for ready made camp foods. The butchers supplier do ovenable vac bags you can cook the contents in the oven bag included, makes for some juicy meats. All of the above means it’s easy to make grab and go foods for when you’re busy or retain the flavour/moisture, especially pertinent when it comes to game.

The one very hand thing with vac pac bags is once sealed you can compress the contents to save room in the freezer without risk of bursting the bag!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HRSEUWQ/?smid=A1RSEP1504OAG9&tag=phmp-21&linkCode=asn&creative=6742&camp=1638&creativeASIN=B01HRSEUWQ&ascsubtag=2026-01-28_07748559bb1b8ab74ab91c0d3d78918158e403da977cf9d31156c85221d69747&th=1&psc=1

Looks pretty good. Can imagine it would save freezer space. Space which is at a premium despite it being a 200ltr chest freezer. Price seems pretty reasonable too for one which can do wetter foods (pre made Stew, Chilli etc)