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Post by droppedstitch on Apr 9, 2020 20:25:22 GMT -5
Hello everyone! Taking this opportunity to again show off my range. š This journey all started last May when I stumbled across this stove on Facebook Marketplace for $150 (ended up paying $120). I knew nothing about vintage stoves, but after some googling, I knew we had to have it. Not super surprising, though, because my husband and I gravitate towards old things due to them generally being higher quality. The stove fits in perfectly in our 1908 homeās kitchen. Here is a before picture of the kitchen, which was unfortunately remuddled right before we bought the house. My husband did some restoration work, and we had the doors, burners, and grates redone by IPE. The stove has been hooked up for about two months now, and we love it! Especially the thermowell and griddle/broiler. We just got the thermostat in the oven adjusted, so havenāt played around with that too much. Do you bake using the guides in the Idlehour? Or use it like a regular oven? Also, any favorite recipes from the cookbook? I made the Italian baked spaghetti, and it was pretty basic but very good! Donāt think I will be making the oxtail soup anytime soon though! š Thankful for the friendliness and the wealth of knowledge here!
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Post by Chuckie on Apr 9, 2020 21:12:18 GMT -5
Hello everyone! Taking this opportunity to again show off my range. š This journey all started last May when I stumbled across this stove on Facebook Marketplace for $150 (ended up paying $120). I knew nothing about vintage stoves, but after some googling, I knew we had to have it. Not super surprising, though, because my husband and I gravitate towards old things due to them generally being higher quality. The stove fits in perfectly in our 1908 homeās kitchen. Here is a before picture of the kitchen, which was unfortunately remuddled right before we bought the house. My husband did some restoration work, and we had the doors, burners, and grates redone by IPE. The stove has been hooked up for about two months now, and we love it! Especially the thermowell and griddle/broiler. We just got the thermostat in the oven adjusted, so havenāt played around with that too much. Do you bake using the guides in the Idlehour? Or use it like a regular oven? Also, any favorite recipes from the cookbook? I made the Italian baked spaghetti, and it was pretty basic but very good! Donāt think I will be making the oxtail soup anytime soon though! š Thankful for the friendliness and the wealth of knowledge here! WELCOME ABOARD, droppedstitch!!! And you can say WHATEVER THE HELL you WANNA say on THIS damn site, all BS aside!! NO censors!! CHEERS! Chuckie
ps--as an aside---read some older posts---we are NOT a bunch of "toilet tongues" over here, but we D-O like to use a few "blue words" here now and again!!
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Post by mach12 on Apr 10, 2020 2:01:31 GMT -5
Welcome to "the other site" Droppedstitch! I noticed one of the other members on the rangers site had sent you a PM so figured you got the info - and I'm glad you did! I actually found this site before I did the rangers and I'm glad I did because this site has more on using the stove, or at least that's how it seemed to me. I love the tinkering and repair part too but learning to cook with the gas turned off was really exciting for me.
On your question about whether to use the idle hour or cook as a regular oven, in my case I'd have to say both. Even when using it as a regular oven it's still way more efficient because of the heavy insulation. Quite often I have to go outside to work on something or need to run to the store so I'll just do the "gas on" part and then shut the oven off and go do what I'm going to do. When it's on retained heat it will keep cooking but it won't turn the food into a burnt piece of charcoal or anything, so if you want to finish what you were doing you won't have to stress over the food in the oven. I've gone a couple of hours after it should have come out and the food was great.
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Post by droppedstitch on Apr 10, 2020 9:09:35 GMT -5
Hello everyone! Taking this opportunity to again show off my range. š This journey all started last May when I stumbled across this stove on Facebook Marketplace for $150 (ended up paying $120). I knew nothing about vintage stoves, but after some googling, I knew we had to have it. Not super surprising, though, because my husband and I gravitate towards old things due to them generally being higher quality. The stove fits in perfectly in our 1908 homeās kitchen. Here is a before picture of the kitchen, which was unfortunately remuddled right before we bought the house. My husband did some restoration work, and we had the doors, burners, and grates redone by IPE. The stove has been hooked up for about two months now, and we love it! Especially the thermowell and griddle/broiler. We just got the thermostat in the oven adjusted, so havenāt played around with that too much. Do you bake using the guides in the Idlehour? Or use it like a regular oven? Also, any favorite recipes from the cookbook? I made the Italian baked spaghetti, and it was pretty basic but very good! Donāt think I will be making the oxtail soup anytime soon though! š Thankful for the friendliness and the wealth of knowledge here! WELCOME ABOARD, droppedstitch!!! And you can say WHATEVER THE HELL you WANNA say on THIS damn site, all BS aside!! NO censors!! CHEERS! Chuckie
ps--as an aside---read some older posts---we are NOT a bunch of "toilet tongues" over here, but we D-O like to use a few "blue words" here now and again!!
I can be quite the potty mouth, but having to type the words, as opposed to speaking them, works as a pretty damn good filter. š
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Hello!
Apr 10, 2020 9:25:23 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by droppedstitch on Apr 10, 2020 9:25:23 GMT -5
Welcome to "the other site" Droppedstitch! I noticed one of the other members on the rangers site had sent you a PM so figured you got the info - and I'm glad you did! I actually found this site before I did the rangers and I'm glad I did because this site has more on using the stove, or at least that's how it seemed to me. I love the tinkering and repair part too but learning to cook with the gas turned off was really exciting for me. On your question about whether to use the idle hour or cook as a regular oven, in my case I'd have to say both. Even when using it as a regular oven it's still way more efficient because of the heavy insulation. Quite often I have to go outside to work on something or need to run to the store so I'll just do the "gas on" part and then shut the oven off and go do what I'm going to do. When it's on retained heat it will keep cooking but it won't turn the food into a burnt piece of charcoal or anything, so if you want to finish what you were doing you won't have to stress over the food in the oven. I've gone a couple of hours after it should have come out and the food was great. Thank you for the welcome! Iām glad I found it too! Right now, Iām finding it especially nice to converse with people other than my husband. In addition, this really is the perfect time to really get to know my stove! While my husband really likes the stove but isnāt quite as interested in the minutiae, so I can get that out here. Double win! The cooking/baking flexibility is one of the things that has really amazed me about the Chambers method. My favorite phrase in the Idlehour is āor longer.ā Do you have any cookie baking tips? I tried chocolate chip cookies in the oven basically following the cookbook instructions, and they were overdone to my taste, even baking them a shorter amount of time. I do like them really soft though. Also trying to get used to not having that oven window!
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Post by cinnabar on Apr 10, 2020 10:02:30 GMT -5
Welcome droppedstich, (I take it you knit! or crochet) Glad to meet you. I bake without a therostat(use and oven thermometer, Grandmother just put her hand in to check it) in my Dainty Lady Chambers and find that the rotation of pans and a slighty lower temp than called for sometimes helps with over crispy cookies. Most often it is due to the ratio of fats/oils to flour that gives the dry hard cookies. Think bars or brownies and the moisture content of those. Tinkering with the cookies recipe has helped some. I have often over baked brownies but my own fault for the oven getting too hot. Cookies being in the oven for shorter period of time are easier to over cook than undercook. Have a blast on your journey of all things Chambers.
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Post by mach12 on Apr 10, 2020 13:46:14 GMT -5
My wife is the cookie meister around here so I asked her what she does. She also like them soft and chewy. She said our stove tends to overcook them at the temperature in the instructions so she runs the stove 50 degrees lower and preheats until the flame drops into bypass (viewed through the window under the oven door), then she puts the cookies in. Opening the oven door obviously drops the heat a bit but doesn't seem to be enough to take it out of bypass. When it comes down to it though, each stove tends to be a bit different but you'll get used to yours and its likes and dislikes. I remember my mom being upset that the forgot to take some cookies out and they were almost like hockey pucks. My Dad came home from work and said he could smell the cookies and mom was upset and almost in tears. Dad looked at her and said "we're okay for milk though, right?".
It took us a bit to figure out our stove but now we've progressed to trying things like our favorite crockpot recipes in the well and cooking trays of squash in the oven for a family feed with the gas turned off.
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Post by Chuckie on Apr 11, 2020 8:27:01 GMT -5
Welcome droppedstich, (I take it you knit! or crochet) Glad to meet you. I bake without a thermostat(use and oven thermometer, Grandmother just put her hand in to check it) in my Dainty Lady Chambers and find that the rotation of pans and a slightly lower temp than called for sometimes helps with over crispy cookies. Most often it is due to the ratio of fats/oils to flour that gives the dry hard cookies. Think bars or brownies and the moisture content of those. Tinkering with the cookies recipe has helped some. I have often over baked brownies but my own fault for the oven getting too hot. Cookies being in the oven for shorter period of time are easier to over cook than undercook. Have a blast on your journey of all things Chambers. We found out through trial/error, cinn, that we need to turn our pans 1/2 way through too! The back of our oven--for SOME reason--gets hotter than the front. NOT a big deal, but DOES make a difference. We don't rotate pans on meats, just sweets and breads seem to be affected the most... CHEERS! Chuckie
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Hello!
Apr 11, 2020 11:08:25 GMT -5
Post by nana on Apr 11, 2020 11:08:25 GMT -5
Hello Droppedstitch! I like both sites, but this site is the one for recipes and cooking tips, in my opinion. They're easier to find and there are many, many great recipes and techniques to try! Mostly the same regulars I guess, but like Chuckie said, if you need to for emphasis, you can cuss over here!
It took me a while to get used to not having an oven window, too. By now though, I don't ever even think about it. Cooking with the gas turned off is like using the Force--you have to trust it. But you can do amazing things once you learn to finesse it. There will be some hiccups along the way, so don't be discouraged! Things like cookies and biscuits that bake quickly I don't bother trying to CWTGTO, I mean, you technically can, but why bother? But stuff like roasts and pies and especially the Thanksgiving turkey are wonderful. I've been experimenting lately with super slow, low temp roasting for things like grass fed beef and cuts like pork tenderloin that are so easy to overcook. I roasted a pork loin a week or so ago--I put it in the "cold" oven, turned it on to 250: and after around 15 minutes I turned the gas off and let it go around 30 minutes a pound. It was scrumptious: juicy and tender and I ran it under the broiler when it was done to crisp up the fat on top a bit. Mostly it cooked on retained heat and the bit of heat the pilot light added.
I use the Idle Hour as a jumping off point, more of a guideline than an exact prescription.
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Hello!
Apr 12, 2020 9:16:04 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by droppedstitch on Apr 12, 2020 9:16:04 GMT -5
Hello Droppedstitch! I like both sites, but this site is the one for recipes and cooking tips, in my opinion. They're easier to find and there are many, many great recipes and techniques to try! Mostly the same regulars I guess, but like Chuckie said, if you need to for emphasis, you can cuss over here! It took me a while to get used to not having an oven window, too. By now though, I don't ever even think about it. Cooking with the gas turned off is like using the Force--you have to trust it. But you can do amazing things once you learn to finesse it. There will be some hiccups along the way, so don't be discouraged! Things like cookies and biscuits that bake quickly I don't bother trying to CWTGTO, I mean, you technically can, but why bother? But stuff like roasts and pies and especially the Thanksgiving turkey are wonderful. I've been experimenting lately with super slow, low temp roasting for things like grass fed beef and cuts like pork tenderloin that are so easy to overcook. I roasted a pork loin a week or so ago--I put it in the "cold" oven, turned it on to 250: and after around 15 minutes I turned the gas off and let it go around 30 minutes a pound. It was scrumptious: juicy and tender and I ran it under the broiler when it was done to crisp up the fat on top a bit. Mostly it cooked on retained heat and the bit of heat the pilot light added. I use the Idle Hour as a jumping off point, more of a guideline than an exact prescription. Hello, again, nana. š I somehow have a bunch of pork tenderloins in the freezer that I hope to finally cook during this stay at home time, so great advice! I definitely will be doing a turkey next Thanksgiving.
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Hello!
Apr 12, 2020 9:21:20 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by droppedstitch on Apr 12, 2020 9:21:20 GMT -5
Welcome droppedstich, (I take it you knit! or crochet) Glad to meet you. I bake without a therostat(use and oven thermometer, Grandmother just put her hand in to check it) in my Dainty Lady Chambers and find that the rotation of pans and a slighty lower temp than called for sometimes helps with over crispy cookies. Most often it is due to the ratio of fats/oils to flour that gives the dry hard cookies. Think bars or brownies and the moisture content of those. Tinkering with the cookies recipe has helped some. I have often over baked brownies but my own fault for the oven getting too hot. Cookies being in the oven for shorter period of time are easier to over cook than undercook. Have a blast on your journey of all things Chambers. Thank you for the kind welcome. Yes, knitting, crocheting, sewing, etc. Great advice, thank you! I use the Americaās test kitchen recipe and chill it for a couple hours. I think I might try raising the oven rack. Maybe it was too close to the cast iron plate.
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Hello!
Apr 12, 2020 9:36:14 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by droppedstitch on Apr 12, 2020 9:36:14 GMT -5
My wife is the cookie meister around here so I asked her what she does. She also like them soft and chewy. She said our stove tends to overcook them at the temperature in the instructions so she runs the stove 50 degrees lower and preheats until the flame drops into bypass (viewed through the window under the oven door), then she puts the cookies in. Opening the oven door obviously drops the heat a bit but doesn't seem to be enough to take it out of bypass. When it comes down to it though, each stove tends to be a bit different but you'll get used to yours and its likes and dislikes. I remember my mom being upset that the forgot to take some cookies out and they were almost like hockey pucks. My Dad came home from work and said he could smell the cookies and mom was upset and almost in tears. Dad looked at her and said "we're okay for milk though, right?". It took us a bit to figure out our stove but now we've progressed to trying things like our favorite crockpot recipes in the well and cooking trays of squash in the oven for a family feed with the gas turned off. Great cookie advice, thank you! I look forward to perfecting cookies. I have a lasagna in the oven now! I put it in at 500 for 15 minutes, and will let it coast until 12. It uses uncooked noodles , so I think the slow has turned off cooking will work well! I have a crockpot black bean recipe I plan on trying in the well soon. I got very excited when I realized I could do beans in the well! The recipe is Smitten Kitchenās Black Bean Ragout if you are curious. We like to cook it when we are home all day (smells amazing) and feeling munchyāwe usually make super nachos with them. š
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Post by nana on Apr 12, 2020 18:14:56 GMT -5
OOH America's Test Kitchen! I love them! They used to film the TV show right over in the next town of Rupert, VT in Chris Kimball's house. My daughter's mother in law did the shopping for them for many years and my daughter and son in law worked during every season as cleaners after the day's filming. They would bring home the leftovers and we all would feast! And there was usually enough to stock the freezer as well. It's astounding how much money is spent and mostly wasted in television and film productions. They brough home around 20 pounds of fresh cod one time, the people were like, you might as well take it, or it'll just get thrown away...My daughter doesn't like fish, so I got it all. Yum!
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Hello!
Apr 13, 2020 8:54:32 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by droppedstitch on Apr 13, 2020 8:54:32 GMT -5
OOH America's Test Kitchen! I love them! They used to film the TV show right over in the next town of Rupert, VT in Chris Kimball's house. My daughter's mother in law did the shopping for them for many years and my daughter and son in law worked during every season as cleaners after the day's filming. They would bring home the leftovers and we all would feast! And there was usually enough to stock the freezer as well. It's astounding how much money is spent and mostly wasted in television and film productions. They brough home around 20 pounds of fresh cod one time, the people were like, you might as well take it, or it'll just get thrown away...My daughter doesn't like fish, so I got it all. Yum! I was given āThe Science of Good Cookingā by ATK right as I started to get serious about cooking. It definitely helped elevate my cooking much more quickly, and I still use it as my reference guide. Doesnāt sound like the food was wasted on you! What a neat connection.
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Post by nana on Apr 13, 2020 10:07:34 GMT -5
Their recipes are sometimes very multi-step and persnickety, but if you follow them exactly it comes out great every time. Often I accept a bit less fabulousness in order to take a few shortcuts, and they still are great.
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Hello!
Apr 18, 2020 2:48:44 GMT -5
via mobile
nana likes this
Post by chipperhiker on Apr 18, 2020 2:48:44 GMT -5
Welcome to the Commune, droppedstitch. š Iām glad you found us.
For baking cookies or other small items, I donāt CWTGTO. I reserve that for roasting veggies or chicken/turkey, etc., and sometimes things like cobblers. I like my cookies soft, as well. Iāve been using Miss Agatha for 5-6 years now, and have found that I just follow all of my usual recipes, but check on them a few minutes early. If I have 2 cookie sheets in at the same time, I definitely need to rotate them halfway, top to bottom and front to back. Itās not much of an issue if I have a single cookie sheet, though.
ATK recipes are good, but Iām with nana, they do seem to have a lot of fussy steps sometimes.
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Post by droppedstitch on Apr 18, 2020 9:46:17 GMT -5
Welcome to the Commune, droppedstitch. š Iām glad you found us. For baking cookies or other small items, I donāt CWTGTO. I reserve that for roasting veggies or chicken/turkey, etc., and sometimes things like cobblers. I like my cookies soft, as well. Iāve been using Miss Agatha for 5-6 years now, and have found that I just follow all of my usual recipes, but check on them a few minutes early. If I have 2 cookie sheets in at the same time, I definitely need to rotate them halfway, top to bottom and front to back. Itās not much of an issue if I have a single cookie sheet, though. ATK recipes are good, but Iām with nana, they do seem to have a lot of fussy steps sometimes. Thanks for the welcome! Happy to be here. Iām planning on making some more chocolate chip cookies this week. Excited to practice! Oh I agree about ATK. Sometimes it is fun (if you have the time) to do things the ārightā way. Often I just look up what Iām already making to see if there is something I can easily incorporate to make the meal just a little better. š
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