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Topic: A better stovetop toaster? (Read 1749 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #51
Circling back to the subject of an RV "toaster" . . .

I found this item at a site where I had not been for a couple of decades, but had ordered from them back then.  Nice to see that they are still in business.

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie  <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona
   Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West

   Today:  Fun with Egg Wash
   *********************************








Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #52
Do you remember what you paid for this toaster back a couple a decades ago Judie?  Was it anywhere near $16?  Pricey little thing. ;D
2006 31' IB Anniversary Edition; Tow 97' Wrangler

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #53
"Do you remember what you paid for this toaster back a couple a decades ago Judie?  Was it anywhere near $16?  Pricey little thing. ;D "

The item that I bought there way back when was an electric "Four-in-One" type waffle iron/grill gizmo that I used for a very long time - at least ten years.  I left it for the new home owner the last time we moved, as I had acquired a substitute by that time.

I have a similar, although round, rippled metal, two-faced "toaster" unit that is maybe six inches across that has a lot of holes on each side with about a quarter-inch airspace between the two sides, and a long-ish red handle that folds up for storage.  I never tried to make toast with it, but did heat (VERY CAREFULLY) tostadas and tortillas, and probably even more carefully - cornbread and biscuits.  If I have it somewhere at home, I will take a picture of it, but I think it is in storage in the Lazy Daze.

Metal trivets are my best treasures, as they can be pressed into service for a number of food prep uses.

Never one to turn down an intriguing cooking gadget, I am fighting off the urge to order the square one from Fante's!    ;->



   Virtual hugs,

   Judie

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #54
Never one to turn down an intriguing cooking gadget, I am fighting off the urge to order the square one from Fante's!    ;->
I have the one that started the thread,  but keep having troubles setting it up (I think I bent a couple of the wires so they don't work right) and it doesn't do a great job.
I got a Dixon one and it does well on the BBQ side burner but doesn't compress at all.
I ordered the Aussie one which shipped from Japan - it's caught in the COVID-19 international shipment shutdown - can't review.
I can't help but hear the siren song from Judie's latest post.....
Where I'd really like to camp is between Judie and a farmer's market...
I do like a toasted bagel now and then.  ;)
Joel

Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #55

Not exactly stand alone toast but these make a great breakfast with scrambled egg and cheese inside and are meant to be used over a flame.


https://www.amazon.com/Toas-Tite-79357-Aluminum-Sandwich-Silver/dp/B005XOYUSQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=round+sandwich+press&qid=1589373901&sr=8-4

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #56
Drifting away from the toasted perspective, a friend of ours puts two eggs in a zip-lock, scrambles it in the bag with a whisk, adds bacon pieces and drops the whole thing in a pot of boiling water.  A few minutes later she removes a baggie of scrambled eggs, tosses the baggie and doesn't have a pot to scrub. 
On her birthday we all get together and she cooks a bunch of these on the beach for friends and we enjoy a scrambled egg breakfast and everyone brings breakfast treats and goodies.

Harold
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #57
"A few minutes later she removes a baggie of scrambled eggs..."

Harold

What a brilliant idea! Hope there's no patent on it.

Your post came just before lunch time and I was so pumped I decided that would be the ideal repast. Since you didn't mention a specific length of time I just winged it at five (5) minutes. In retrospect that was just a wee to long, 4 to 4.5 would probably have been better. The only modification I used was to add a pinch of salt and pepper. Mmmm, choice, I'll remember that one!   ;D   ;)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #58
"What a brilliant idea! Hope there's no patent on it."
----
No "patent".  ;)  Dozens of recipe collections for "omelets in a bag" on many websites; here's a basic one:

Omelet in a Bag | Allrecipes

2003 TK has a new home

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #59
"Dozens of recipe collections for "omelets in a bag"..."

Look as you may, you will not find 'Cook' on my resume!  ::)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #60
I like the idea of the “Baggy Omelette” (sounds like some sort of gangsta product).  I did wonder about the risk of leaching plastic compounds from the bag into the food, not to mention adding that much more plastic to the waste stream.  I found these, apparently food-safe zip-top, silicone bags.  Kinda spendy, though.  Maybe there are other, more affordable reusable bags out there or maybe even just use a small glass storage dish?  I imagine that Judie has some advice here....

ZipTop’s website

Zip Top - 100% Platinum Silicone Reusable Containers with NO Lids!
Warren
2019 MB “Dream Catcher”
Jeep Wrangler JL

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #61
"I like the idea of the "Baggy Omelette" (sounds like some sort of gangsta product).  I did wonder about the risk of leaching plastic compounds from the bag into the food, not to mention adding that much more plastic to the waste stream.  I found these, apparently food-safe zip-top, silicone bags.  Kinda spendy, though.  Maybe there are other, more affordable reusable bags out there or maybe even just use a small glass storage dish?  I imagine that Judie has some advice here...."


These silicone reusable containers caught my eye some months ago, but a peek at the price cooled my jets in a flash!

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for minimum plastic bag usage, reserving them for use with something that would require a lot of water to clean up.  The fold and lock bags are really good at a much lower price than the zip lock variety.  When on sale, these small bags are frequently around two for a penny, so ONE of the silicone bags equals 2200 plastic bags in cost.  A box of 300 of these bags lasts me about a year . . . (Tapping on calculator app on iPhone . . . yikes . . . I don't think I will live long enough to use up 2200 plastic bags.)

Cost aside, each bag can be used in a way to circumvent the use of a lot of clean-up water, and multiple bags can be deployed at a time.  One silicone bag in use precludes any other use of that same bag at the same time.  I frequently keep the little bags that are not totally gross to wrap up things (coffee grounds, for instance) before putting them in the trash.  In a motorhome, they provide copious opportunities to encase waste bits to keep them from smelling. 

So - double use!  ;->

I use mostly Pyrex or Anchor glass 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, and 8-cup storage containers at home, and Lock & Lock containers of various sizes (very small to VERY LARGE) in the motorhome.  Purchased in sets over the years, these units are much less expensive than the silicone bags, although the silicone bags look like fun.

Freezing food in plastic freezer bags to take along on an adventure is efficient, but it is hard for me to do this when there is an alternative.  I find the Lock & Lock containers (square and/or rectangular) to be really efficient, and if stacked cleverly, take up little room in either the freezer, refrigerator proper, or storage areas.

I particularly like them because they are always the same size, no matter the amount of contents, so I can keep them secure in the cabinet over the dinette, and just refill each one as needed.  No half-filled containers falling over all the time.

I could go on and on about their virtues, but, lucky for you, my timer just went off, so it is time to set the table and dine on slow-cooked Texas Sweet onions, with a topping of leftover New York strip steak gently re-heated in them; Brussels sprouts; and quinoa cooked in the Nissan vacuum bottle - no boiling or watching.

YUM!

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #62
I ran the baggie idea by my wife and she had a minor meltdown. She said and I quote " Are you insane?  You're not even  supposed to leave a water bottle in the sun because the heated water causes chemicals to leech from the plastic into the water. Are you trying to get cancer? Are you trying to make me a widow? "
See what I live with? See my life? :-\
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #63
Well ..... looks like I'm doomed.   Plastic containers surround my life.....   but I do enjoy toast.   Next to bacon my fav food.

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #64
Well ..... looks like I'm doomed.   Plastic containers surround my life.....   but I do enjoy toast.   Next to bacon my fav food.

glen
In my younger years I hooked on a skyline for nearly a decade and used the same plastic water bottles repeatedly that laid out in the sun in clear cuts where shade was impossible to find. I think the leeching fear is overblown.
On a side note it's amazing how tough those bottles are. We'd throw them down the mountain to where we would be in ten or fifteen minutes and they would bounce off stumps and logs and rocks without bursting.

Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.


Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #66
My wife is really on a tear. Now I'm being lectured on our throw away society and plastic going into landfills and the ocean. What I get for marrying a hippe chick. :)
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #67
To quote a line from "The Graduate" . . .

"PLASTICS"

I have NO science background, so this is solely my opinion about whether to use/cook in/store in plastic bags.

In short - I'm agin' it!  I don't always follow my own advice to the nth degree on every subject, but I never microwave in any kind of plastic, particularly the ones that come from the grocery store with food already in them!  I use glass, mostly, with the occasional "paper", if that is appropriate for the food being heated.

But even these uses are seldom.  I tend to reheat on the stove when at all feasible.  If something we are about to consume is too "soupy" for the frying pan treatment, I will use the microwave - POSSIBLY - but usually, I pull out a small saucepan to heat even a single serving of soup.

It's not that I am anti-microwave.  Indeed, I acquired one of the first ones back in the ?early 70's when they were made primarily for use on boats.  It was big and blue and had a nautical theme.  That sucker ran for decades.  I gave it to my son when it broke.  He fixed it and gave it to a friend.  I don't know its history after that.

But I've just found over the years that the satisfaction level with the finished (reheated or started for scratch) food product, for my own taste, is to reheat/cook something with stove heat and a metal or glass vessel.  The extra "work" involved is such a tiny part of life, that it fades into obscurity.  I feel the final overall result for my own taste and satisfaction is much higher when the microwave sits idle.

All that said, if one has a really good set of pans to use on the stove, this method is fantastic.  If the pans are problematic for one reason or another, then the resultant effort to clean up the mess will put the kibosh on the benefits of stove-top heating.  A bonus is that you do not need to fire up the generator to heat a small (or large!) portion of food if this activity is happening in one's Lazy Daze !  ;->

Many retail entities are having COVID sales these days.  This is a good time to search about for a good deal on a small set of really good quality cookware.  The waste and frustration with cleaning up inferior cookware is infuriating to me.  So "if it hurts, don't do that"!

I find this method of cooking/reheating genuinely satisfying, but as always 

YMMV! 

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie


Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #68
I know that we've veered from the "Stovetop Toaster" question.  So, moderator feel free to re-direct the posts on bags/plastics/cookware.  Or not, I'm still new...

In the mean time, regarding Judie's "if one has a really good set of pans to use on the stove, this method is fantastic".  We have become quite attached to high carbon steel skillets and particularly like those crafted by this Portland-based maker. 

Blu Skillet Ironware 

We learned of them from the periodical "Cooks Illustrated".  They are wonderfully made and once seasoned, better than non-stick.  They are not cheap, nor are they easy to acquire, however.  Blu Skillet sells them at their workshop and during semi-annual web sales (they sell out in about 30 seconds - not unlike Yosemite Nat Park reservations).

Warren


Warren
2019 MB “Dream Catcher”
Jeep Wrangler JL

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #69
I know that we've veered from the "Stovetop Toaster" question.  So, moderator feel free to re-direct the posts on bags/plastics/cookware.  Or not, I'm still new...

In the mean time, regarding Judie's "if one has a really good set of pans to use on the stove, this method is fantastic".  We have become quite attached to high carbon steel skillets and particularly like those crafted by this Portland-based maker. 

Blu Skillet Ironware 

We learned of them from the periodical "Cooks Illustrated".  They are wonderfully made and once seasoned, better than non-stick.  They are not cheap, nor are they easy to acquire, however.  Blu Skillet sells them at their workshop and during semi-annual web sales (they sell out in about 30 seconds - not unlike Yosemite Nat Park reservations).

Warren



I'd have to sell the Lazy Daze to afford a set.  ;)

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #70
Chris, no need to sell the rig! Matfer Bourgeat makes a high quality "black steel" (carbon steel) frying pan in various sizes; a 10" or so is about $60. (See Amazon)

Black Steel Round Frying Pan | Matfer Bourgeat USA
2003 TK has a new home

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #71
Chris, no need to sell the rig! Matfer Bourgeat makes a high quality "black steel" (carbon steel) frying pan in various sizes; a 10" or so is about $60. (See Amazon)

Black Steel Round Frying Pan | Matfer Bourgeat USA
Not even fancy cookware helps dispel my boredom with cooking. I often walk in the kitchen at meal time and say, "Is this a meal I can skip?"   

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #72
My Stove top toaster,
None.  Light the burner,  turn the burner real low,  set the bread on the pan grate. watch close, and flip with a fork.
scrap the burned stuff off,  butter when done.
no storage location required for the toaster.
Rodney
1988 Mid Bath

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #73
scrap the burned stuff off

Rodney, the burnt stuff is the best part. Kinda like when you get coffee grounds in the bottom of that last cup o'joe!  :D
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264

Re: A better stovetop toaster?
Reply #74
"Not even fancy cookware helps dispel my boredom with cooking. I often walk in the kitchen at meal time and say, "Is this a meal I can skip?" "

It's hard for me to relate apathy, boredom, or dread to cooking - but that's because I LIKE to cook almost as much as I like to eat!

But for the better part of six decades, I have been responsible for the tummies of at least one other person at all times, so cooking to me is almost like breathing.

To make it less onerous, and more of a source of joy to cook for just one person, I could suggest taking a similar tack to what I do, which is to usually not need to make all three courses (protein, starch, vegetable) at EACH meal.  Leftovers for at least one part (preferably all three!) of a meal is my mantra.

With a bit of planning and inspiration, an ingredient can be fixed up and then morph into other personalities to make another meal that is easy, interesting, and nourishing.

If interested in some suggestions, drop me a line and we can do some meal planning for you.  ;->

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie