The "I just bought..." thread.

[Muse]

You should invest in a pizza stone... it will change your life!

I can't say no to this, because I have no experience with them. I have seen much online about them, however, and I have serious doubts concerning them. Various reasons:

1. I read that the results can be disappointing. The crusts can come out soggy, certainly relative to using pizza screens.

2. My impression is that you need a very hot oven and on top of that, obviously, you have to heat that stone real hot before you shovel on the unbaked pizza, which in itself is a challenge, takes some time and uses a lot more gas (I'm not about to shop for another cooking accessory, I see mention of various ovens, grills that people are using for pizza... I'm using the oven in my ~50+ year old O'Keefe and Merritt range).

3. After the bake you have to manage the removal process from the stone, presumably using a peel or a pizza spatula.

4. Then you are faced with what to do with the stone. I read you let it cool in the oven.

5. After cooling, what do you do with the stone?

6. Plus, for me, pizza is a once a week thing. As long as I love my results I'm not going to build my culinary life around pizza if that's a hassle.

Feh! Why bother????? A pizza screen achieves the crispy crust with 1/6th the bother. What say you?

One more tidbit: The top review of the screen I just bought...

The All-Seeing I
TOP 50 REVIEWER VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Crispier Crusts Than Pizza Stones OR Solid Pizza Pans
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2019 Verified Purchase

By buying this pizza screen, we swapped out our pizza stone's limp crusts for cracker-crisp crusts: Its porous grid exposes the crust's bottom to dry, rising heat, leading to excess moisture burn-off -- just like using only the oven rack would, but this keeps the crust's form and rigidity intact as you're moving the pie in and out of the oven.

We will never, ever go back to the myths of a pizza stone or a solid metal pizza pan. Just sayin'.

NOTE: When comparison shopping, this pizza screen accommodates a crust of up to 12 inches, while many, many competing products are deceptively far smaller and family-unfriendly. Great product, great value.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CI8VGY?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details#customerReviews

I do have something that might be roughly equivalent to a pizza stone. One day, riding my bicycle down by the train tracks in the industrial part of my town, I spotted a big piece of evidently discarded steel. It's probably about 1/16" thick and it fits on one of my two oven racks, a perfect fit. I have it on the top rack. I could try shoveling a pizza on it. I have never tried it. I have it in there because it seemed to improve the results I was getting when I was baking a certain cookie recipe that I made on a daily basis for some years, and still do, occasionally. I don't put the cookie dough on that sheet. I place teflon coated cookie sheets on it. It's remained in that oven for around 30 years. It weighs 5.5 pounds.

 

[deadlyapp]

I ordered a torch setup yesterday:

Jewelry Repairing Torch Mini Gas Torch Micro Torch Oxygen Acetylene Welding Torch (THUS-P01001)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082FF8F3N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A38W9CNEIARKEP&psc=1

It was supposed to arrive today, but didn't.

Edit: Whoops! Shipped but "Arriving December 6 - December 27"

I've never done any torch work except propane and some Mapp gas, using the same cheapo propane torch, which I still have. But I've occasionally had a project that I thought could be done with welding equipment. Never had an idea of how to get into it, but someone here suggested this setup as a possible way to jury rig a solution to a nasty kitchen faucet problem I had earlier in the year. It appears to be quite adequate, very cheap (and just had a price drop to boot), perhaps not as safe as could be, according to a review or two I saw. I'll have to figure out some project to get my feet wet. I suppose I have to shop oxygen and acetylene cannisters, maybe some special gloves and eye-protection. Maybe get a book, watch some videos. I was friends many years ago with a guy who was trained in welding by the navy, he was on vacation! He used to call it "zapping." Maybe it used electricity, at least the type he meant by that term. I'm sure they taught him all kinds.

Sounds like it's probably coming from China. I don't bother ordering anything from Amazon unless it's stocked and sold by Amazon and I certainly wouldn't risk an oxy torch from there.

Realize if you're doing oxy-acetylene I'd assume that you'll need a regulator also, which that kit doesn't include. I have no idea if a jewelry torch will work for what you want, I'd assume you'd need a real oxy-acetylene setup which is usually more expensive (https://www.harborfreight.com/weldi...y-oxygen-and-acetylene-welding-kit-64408.html).

Oxy-Acetylene isn't too hard, just realize that there is heating and that there is cutting. The gas and canisters are the most expensive part, but unless you need the heat, propane or MAPP can be used instead of acetylene.

 

[dank69]

Switch, 3 controllers and some games for the kiddos for xmas. They're getting too old for the Wii, but still a little too young for a PS5 not that I could find one even if we wanted it.

 

[herm0016]

we use a baking steel and love it. people who do not get good results with a stone or steel have not let them pre-heat. we also make a lot of bread and use the steel in the pellet grill.

anyway.

I got my early Christmas gift from my wife and used it to make 2 gal of stock from the turkey carceses in the freezer from the birds we raised this summer.

a 38 qt heavy stainless pot. its awesome. i had been using a 36 that was very light duty and the bottom is becoming more and more warped.
this thing is a beast and totally worth the money if you use it more than a few times a year. made in France, and not china even.

Cristel Professional Stockpots with Lids | Sur La Table

Cristel Professional Stockpots with Lids

www.surlatable.com

we decided this year we are done with Junk things that don't last.

@Muse "welding" with a torch is not easy and does not work very well. you braze with a torch. you should research brazing and not welding. welding is making 2 similar metals into one piece. brazing uses lower temperatures and dissimilar metals, and still produces a strong connection.

 

[IronWing]

You should invest in a pizza stone... it will change your life!

We had a pizza stone once. We had it stored on the floor behind the butcher block cart and one of the cats peed on it. It is easier to get blood from a stone than to get cat pee out of one. We threw out the stone.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Any reason for the Uplift over comparable offerings from Fully? Uplift had been on my list, but ended up with a Fully Jarvis because of the ongoing sale that knocked ~15% off and a stackable 5% off with newsletter subscription.

Mostly size, shape, and materials for me. I went with this model, with the solid rubberwood table-top and industrial finish -> https://www.upliftdesk.com/uplift-v2-curved-corner-l-shape-standing-desk/

It fit perfectly in the space that I have and gave me a ton of real estate to work with. It's built like a damn tank!

 

[Brainonska511]

Mostly size, shape, and materials for me. I went with this model, with the solid rubberwood table-top and industrial finish -> https://www.upliftdesk.com/uplift-v2-curved-corner-l-shape-standing-desk/

It fit perfectly in the space that I have and gave me a ton of real estate to work with. It's built like a damn tank!

Good to hear. Looking forward to my own new desk.

Partly why I went with the Jarvis beyond price, I wanted something that was only 24" deep but at least 48" wide (and they had the narrow bamboo topped desks that fit this spec). For some reason, most of the wider tops also get a bit deep. I have a somewhat small home office that has desks on opposite walls, so didn't want to start pushing further into the room.

 

[Muse]

we decided this year we are done with Junk things that don't last.

 

[Charmonium]

I ordered a torch setup yesterday:

Jewelry Repairing Torch Mini Gas Torch Micro Torch Oxygen Acetylene Welding Torch (THUS-P01001)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082FF8F3N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A38W9CNEIARKEP&psc=1

It was supposed to arrive today, but didn't.

Edit: Whoops! Shipped but "Arriving December 6 - December 27"

I've never done any torch work except propane and some Mapp gas, using the same cheapo propane torch, which I still have. But I've occasionally had a project that I thought could be done with welding equipment. Never had an idea of how to get into it, but someone here suggested this setup as a possible way to jury rig a solution to a nasty kitchen faucet problem I had earlier in the year. It appears to be quite adequate, very cheap (and just had a price drop to boot), perhaps not as safe as could be, according to a review or two I saw. I'll have to figure out some project to get my feet wet. I suppose I have to shop oxygen and acetylene cannisters, maybe some special gloves and eye-protection. Maybe get a book, watch some videos. I was friends many years ago with a guy who was trained in welding by the navy, he was on vacation! He used to call it "zapping." Maybe it used electricity, at least the type he meant by that term. I'm sure they taught him all kinds.

If you have votech high school nearby, they probably have evening adult courses including intro to welding. I tried that once but it virtually all people there for job training. That's fine but it was going to be way, way beyond what I was looking for. Arc welding was something I didn't want to gamble on. I know that the newer masks instantly go dark when you fire up the torch but in an intro class full of newbs. Mmmm, that was a hard pass.

 

[purbeast0]

I just splurged and made a pretty large 40th birthday purchase for myself. It's supposed to ship tomorrow and based on estimated transit time should arrive on Friday. I'll post pics one it arrives.

Well it should be arriving tomorrow if all goes as scheduled, starting to get hype.

 

[MrSquished]

Well it should be arriving tomorrow if all goes as scheduled, starting to get hype.

The arcade or pinball machine you always wanted?

 

[Muse]

The arcade or pinball machine you always wanted?

nm

 

[Muse]

I received my 12" pizza screen Wednesday, immediately went over it with a wire brush to knock off any burrs, washed it with soapy water, rinsed, dried it in the sun, brushed on olive oil on both sides and seasoned in 450 oven for ~40 minutes.

Yesterday, received 12" bamboo pizza peel. I sanded off what appears to be a thin layer of shellac from the side I'm gonna use (to slice and serve) with orbital sander. I was disappointed in the sharp edges of the handle and I took an old bicycle tube and made a handle wrap for it. I'll make my first pizza with these over the weekend.

Just ordered convertible probes for my Fluke meter - pointy tips or alligator clips, they adapt.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I bought a Glock 19. This will be my fourth Glock and my second 9mm Glock.

I can pick it up on Saturday.

 

[Muse]

nm2

 

[purbeast0]

The arcade or pinball machine you always wanted?

I pretty much have the arcade machine I always wanted, although I do wish my KI2 cab was a KI1 cab.

One day I'd like an MK2 cabinet though and put switcher in it with MK1, MK2, and UMK3. And there are MK2 control panels with the run button added.

But that ain't happening right now.

 

[IronWing]

I bought a new tent.

 

[MrSquished]

I bought a new tent.

Nice. Backpacking or car camping? Nemo? Big Agnes? MSR? North Face? Eureka?

 

[IronWing]

Nice. Backpacking or car camping? Nemo? Big Agnes? MSR? North Face? Eureka?

Car camping, with suitably large car



Teton Sierra 16. It's stupid heavy and very sturdy. We have land now but it will be some time before we can build a house so this will do.

 

[purbeast0]

I just splurged and made a pretty large 40th birthday purchase for myself. It's supposed to ship tomorrow and based on estimated transit time should arrive on Friday. I'll post pics one it arrives.

Well here it is bitches! Too bad I have to go out tonight and probably won't be able to set it up, but I may be able to when I get back.

 

[IronWing]

That's a very nice box, the kind of box your family will cherish for years to come, the stuff of fond memories.

 

[SKORPI0]

Corsair LGA 1700 Retrofit kit ($2.99) for a H1151 RGB Platinum AIO 280mm. To be used If I ever decide to upgrade to Alder Lake.

LGA1700 Retrofit Kit

This retrofit kit of standoffs enables you to use your existing LGA1200/LGA115x Retention brackets and backplates for modern CORSAIR AIO coolers with the new Intel ‘Alder Lake-S’ processors that require socket LGA1700 mounting kits. Please reference the tech specs below for compatibility...

www.corsair.com

eVGA Z15 ($44.99) from Amazon. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, this was the way it was shipped .. no outer box.

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Keyboard-Hotswappable-Mechanical-822-W1-15US-KR/dp/B08VNT29L1

 

[Stiff Clamp]

WorkSharp Knife and Tool Sharpener:: Ken Onion Edition
it was $27 off thanks to an Amazon Lightning Deal. Doesn't come any cheaper than that.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/

 

[MrSquished]

Car camping, with suitably large car

View attachment 53079

Teton Sierra 16. It's stupid heavy and very sturdy. We have land now but it will be some time before we can build a house so this will do.

Nice. Enjoy your portable Western Yurt! Definitely beats the hell out of just watching your land sit there. There is plenty of standing room in that thing.

 

[purbeast0]

That's a very nice box, the kind of box your family will cherish for years to come, the stuff of fond memories.

What is inside is even better.