Some new finds

[kenmore1978]

Ronco, Presto, & GE

Ronco stuff is sort of cheap. Presto stuff is at least as good as the other small appliance makers.

There was a generation of GE Toaster Ovens BEFORE these. They were rounded in stylelike older toasters, and the bread went into a slot in top like a conventional toaster, but there was a little oven in the front

 

[kenmore1978]

Slow cooker liners

Is this a new product? I've never seen slow cooker liners before.

 

[chachp]

Crock Pot Mac'n'cheese?

That sounds good (and easy). My recipe is good but a lot of work and a TON of cheese. It's really something I make only when I have the time. Would you be willing to share that Crock pot recipe? My BF loves him some Mac'n'cheese, and it would be great if I could do it in the crock pot and just let it cook all day. I just can't do the stuff out of the box. He doesn't mind it, but the "Make everything from scratch Italian" in me just won't allow it!!

 

[maytagbear]

Slow Cooker Liners are a new product

put out, I think, by Reynolds Metal. I think they are a wonderful idea, especially for cookers with fixed-in-place crocks.

As for Presto, I respectfully disagree, Vers. At least with my older Presto items. My older Presto items are at least as well made as Sunbeam of the same vintage.

It is only fairly recently that Presto quality has gone down.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[foraloysius]

Does somebody have a picture of a slow cooker liner?

 

[chachp]

This was on the Reynolds Web site...

Looks like it could work. I actually dumped my old crock pot for a new one with a removeable liner for the very reason the old one was too hard to clean. I didn't realize these existed.

 

[foraloysius]

Thanks for posting that. Excuse me for asking perhaps a silly question, but I'm on the other side of the big pond and slow cookers are very rare here. Are those plastic bags?

 

[veg-o-matic]

I think those liners are pretty new--I've seen a bunch of coupons for them. Basically, all they are are those bags that you cook turkeys in. You know--the kind that explode in the oven...

Chach', I'll share the recipe, but the book is at home. The good part is that you put the macaroni in raw. The bad part is that the dish comes out a little funky. It was good, no doubt about that, but I found it to be somewhat sweet, oddly enough. Definitely needed more salt. I'm thinking it might have come out better with (heaven help me) Velveeta rather than real cheese. The recipe makes a big deal about not overcooking it because the edges will burn. I'm thinking, "okay the problem with that is...?"

As for Presto appliances. Well, today they're definitely crap. Come on--Pizza Pizzazz? Remember the Tater Twister? The Hot Topper? But let me introduce you to my Cook 'n Serv electric frying pan, aka The Enforcer. That is one heavyass pan.

Pete, the toaster oven is a Deluxe Toast-R-Oven, but it's definitely not a broiler. Not sure what's so "Deluxe" about it, but who am I to argue?

veg

 

[chachp]

Louis, I use my slow cooker frequently. It's nice to get home to a meal that is ready to eat. About the bags, I recently bought a crock pot with a removable pot so I could throw it in the dishwasher. I actually have two older style crock pots in the pantry that I don't use because I don't want to clean the damn things. I didn't know these bags even existed although it makes a lot of sense. Do you guys use anything like it that is more popular?

Veg, in a pinch I make Mac and Cheese with Velveeta and Milk. It comes out nice and creamy and tastes OK to most, but to me it has kind of a fake cheese taste. What I like about Velveeta is the consistency. That's hard to match with real cheese, not impossable but difficult. I suspect real cheese in the crock pot all day equals some kind of separation and mess.

Still, I am eager to try it in the Crock Pot so I appreciate you passing it along. My tradtional recipe has sugar in it which I find a little sweet so I generally leave it out.

Thanks again!

Chach

 

[petek]

What a waste of money and resources,, disposable liners, that's just as bad as Reynolds disposable cutting sheets.

I'll have you know Veg, I have a Presto Pizza Pizzazz, bought it at a liuqidation place and you know what, it actually works very well. I've used it a number of times for home made pizza or for cooking cooking frozen pizza's. It bakes a pizza very fast,usually about 11 minutes, without preheating an oven and you can control the top or bottom heat elements with the switch to get a crispier crust or more well done top. And best of all is the fun value. I would recommend it for anyone that does eat pizza a lot, plus you can do it outside in the summer and save heating up the stove and the house.

 

[foraloysius]

Thanks! I actually have two slow cookers (Haden, they look like the ones made by Toastmaster). I don't use them very often. I use the small one for making a recipe that I found on the internet named "Bachelor Stew", which is a stew made with ketchup and coke. The larger one is mainly used for a whole chicken. I have made a Mac and Cheese in the small one in the past, but that's quite a while ago.

 

[Versatronic]

How's this?

Well, I didn't mean to denigrate any Presto fan's collection or anything. I've collected certain Presto items. I posted a picture of my Hot Dog Electrocuter here once, for instance, (and they certainly were visionary and light years ahead of their time in embracing plastic) and I have other presto stuff. In a side by side comparison of their stuff with their competitors of the same time period, it does seem that they tended to be more cost conscious, shall we say, making their products more affordable than their competitor's products, thus placing fine kitchen appliances within the reach of more American families. So, I salute Presto, a fine American company, for bringing appliances to the masses and improving our way of life and greatly contributing to our culture and iconography!

 

[launderess]

"There was a generation of GE Toaster Ovens BEFORE these. They were rounded in stylelike older toasters, and the bread went into a slot in top like a conventional toaster, but there was a little oven in the front"

And just what do you think one has on one's kitchen counter? Am really going to have to get a digital camera to document my collection. Until Santa Claus arrives, will get the old Minlota out and take a snap or two.

My GE "Oven/Toaster" was a MIB fleaBay find and like many 1950's appliances is built large, heavy and like a tank. It sees almost daily use in the morning as a toaster, then at lunch or tea for snacks like tuna melt sandwiches in the broiler section. Mind you there are a few things which "bug" me about this toaster. First it really does not "pop up" like modern toasters. Rather whatever one is toasting seems to slowly glide it's way up. Also if one is toasting something heavy or thick (like slices of home made bread), the unit will not pop them up at all. Rather then items will stay down until one manages some how to get them to come up. Since the heat will not cut off until the toast glides up to a certian level, if left down too long one not only risks burnt toast, but burning down the kitchen as well.

Another thing is even on "dark" toast does not come out dark enough to suit some, so the toast has to be sent down again for a second toasting.

The broiler tray has two levels, and yes, one is not supposed to broil meat; but things such as cake slices, open sandwiches, muffin or bagel slices and the like. Have used it to "warm" slices of pie and cobbler though.

Launderess

 

[veg-o-matic]

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

From NOT Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger
Cooker: Medium round
Setting: LOW 3.5-4 hours

1.5 cups skim or low fat milk
One 15-oz can evaporated skim milk
1 large egg, beaten
.25 teaspoon salt [Yeah. Right.]
Large pinch pepper
1.5 cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese--Tillamook, Vermont Colby, Wisconson Longhorn, etc.
8 oz. elbow macaroni
2T Parmesan cheese.

Spray crock with cooking spray. Whisk liquids until smooth. Add cheese and macaroni, dump in crock. Mix gently. [Don't bruise those noodles.]
Cover and cook on LOW until the custard is set in the center and pasta is tender, about 3.5 to 4 hours. "Do not cook more than 4 hours, as the sides will dry out and burn."

Veg's comments: More salt. A LOT more. Burned edges are good--4 hours on low does it. The Parmesan didn't seem to add anything. Can easily double in a 5-quart Crock Pot. I think it would do better with a stir halfway through. Needs more seasoning--a good shot of powdered mustard ought to do the trick.

 

[JerseyMike]

Nice collection!

Thanks for sharing.

I remember reading a Consumer Reports report on mixers. Let's just say that they were underwhelmed with the Presto rocking mixer. (They did complain about it's potential to cause a mess.) I remember thinking that it was a very interesting design. I hadn't thought about it in years. How awesome that you were able to find one.

The original GE toaster ovens, were just that -- toasters that could also be used to bake in. Later versions were toaster oven broilers and could be used to cook meat. GE sold their small appliance division to Black and Decker. I have a Black and Decker toaster oven broiler and often use it to broil small cuts of meat.

Mike

 

[foraloysius]

Thanks Veg for the recipe. I sure am going to try it! Ofcourse I'll have to do a metric conversion first. Oy... LOL

 

[bethann]

Have you taken the Rockin Mix for a spin yet? ( Veg report needed!)Make some mashed potatoes or something, pictures included please! Look at all the treats Honey might just be getting!LOL

 

[retromom]

Veg, my small appliance collecting friend, how do you do it? These are terrific! How do you like the crockpot liners? Can you use them in those aluminum fryer/cookers? Don't you dare paint that crock pot! Avocado green is the bee's knees!

I've got that same knife. Don't you love the packaging? Can you imagine a Wal-Mart employee trying to stack those for display? Can you say "avalanche"? LOL

That mixer is one of the most bizarre things that I have ever seen! As they say in Texas, "that puts me in the mind of something". I can't place what it reminds me of, but I'm sure I will think of it. Does it make for a messy countertop? How is it at thoroughly blending your ingredients? It looks like much mixing fun!

As for the Veg-o-Matic....."it slices, it dices....." I love those things, and loved the commercials! I always wanted to make the french fries in one! Please show us your potato results!

Have fun....this is a real sensory overload!

Venus

 

[chachp]

Thank you!

Veg, thank you for the recipe. I will definitely give it a try.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Where to start?

Yes, the original GE Toaster oven was more of a pop-up toaster with a warming drawer at the bottom. They may have called it a "toaster oven" but it sure wasn't a Toast-R-Oven. That "R" makes a huge difference!

Chach, I definitely prefer mac & cheese made with real cheese. But I also appreciate the Velveeta kind. Sometimes, that artificial cheeze tang is a good thing! Oh, and by the way, that 1.5 cups of cheese in the recipe is just a starting point, you know. I'd have used the whole 2-cup bag, but Honey and I needed a snack...

(Man, I really love italics! And exclamation points!!)

I have never actually used the Rock N Mix. Haven't really had it long enough to. Still, I don't see it getting used too often, and here's why: I'm lazy. If something needs mixing, I have my nice chrome Mixmaster that operates with no intervention on my part. The Rock N Mix would require me to perform said rocking.

Vers, I forgive you for belittling Presto appliances. I'd love to get a Hot Dogger, but there's generally a silhouette of a weiner dog on it, and that makes me feel kind of uneasy...

As for Ronco "appliances", yep, they're cheap crap. Venus, I don't dare try to cut a potato with the Veg-O-Matic. It'd probably crumble under the force! The instructions, by the way, make a huge point of telling the operator to RAM the top down on the poor, unsuspecting vegetable.

But back to their cheapness. The interesting thing about Ronco stuff is that its total cheesiness actually transcends itself, becoming something both desirable and hilarious at the same time. I mean, come on--the Pocket Fisherman? Record Vacuum? In-the-shell Egg Scrambler? These are icons, my friends, icons. As a kid, I can remember commercials for pre-Ronco junk (when it was still Popeil Brothers.) One item was called "Steamset" which was a set of hair curlers that were heated up by sitting in a box-thing that boiled water in the bottom. Been trying to get one, but when one shows up on ebay, it goes for crazy money!
Here's the fun part: included with the Steamset was a "facial sauna" attachment to take advantage of all that steam. This "attachment" was just a sheet of plastic that one rolled into a tube and stuck one's face over!

Now that's marketing!

veg