[0 - 2] - Hi, this is Lisa from America's Test Kitchen Gear Heads,
[2 - 4] and I'm here to answer some of the great questions
[4 - 8] that you left on our video about capsule kitchens.
[8 - 9] So let's get started.
[10 - 11] A lot of people were concerned
[11 - 15] that our spatula recommendation was $65.
[15 - 19] And I have, that spatula is right here.
[19 - 22] It's the Wusthof Gourmet fish spatula,
[22 - 25] which we like for every kind of spatula. It's wonderful.
[25 - 27] It's got this lovely little curve.
[27 - 29] It's thin. It's maneuverable.
[29 - 31] But we have a best buy, which is really similar,
[31 - 34] by MIU, and it doesn't quite have the same
[34 - 36] little upturned curve, but it has a little bit of one,
[36 - 40] and otherwise is a really good choice
[40 - 43] that works just as well for a fraction of the price.
[43 - 47] So MIU Kitchen stainless steel fish spatula.
[47 - 49] It's a great all-purpose spatula.
[49 - 51] Another comment that tons of people had,
[51 - 53] and we could not agree more,
[53 - 55] is that we did not include a sheet pan.
[56 - 59] I think a sheet pan would be the perfect addition.
[59 - 61] And you have to know that Hannah and I had huge,
[61 - 63] really enjoyable debates
[63 - 65] about what belonged in and out of the capsule kitchen.
[65 - 68] We were trying to keep it to like 12 pieces,
[68 - 71] and we were trying to pick the most essential things
[71 - 73] that you do a lot of things with.
[73 - 76] I have to say, sheet pans definitely fit that definition.
[76 - 78] We had to leave something out,
[78 - 80] and I think most people said,
[80 - 83] no, that was one you should have put in. I agree.
[83 - 85] We will be talking about sheet pans in future videos,
[85 - 89] but I do have here our favorite sheet pan.
[89 - 90] This is our favorite sheet pan.
[90 - 92] This is by Nordic Ware,
[92 - 95] and it's a really great half sheet pan size.
[95 - 98] We also really love this cooling rack
[98 - 100] by Checkered Chef, goes right inside.
[100 - 102] It makes this pan much more versatile.
[102 - 104] You can use it as a broiling rack.
[104 - 106] You can put fried foods here after you fry them
[106 - 108] so they don't sog out.
[108 - 110] Cookies, you know, bake the cookies here,
[110 - 112] cool 'em on the rack.
[112 - 115] So it's a great combination, and super versatile.
[115 - 117] We use it for everything in the test kitchen.
[117 - 119] A couple people said, why not a cookie sheet?
[119 - 121] I would use a sheet pan instead of a cookie sheet,
[121 - 123] to be honest, because it's way more versatile.
[123 - 125] The rim really helps.
[125 - 126] You can also bake jelly roll cakes
[126 - 128] and all kinds of things in there.
[128 - 131] This is the quarter size pan, the quarter sheet pan,
[131 - 132] also very handy.
[132 - 134] And if you have limited space,
[134 - 136] this is the same company, Nordic Ware,
[136 - 137] It's a great choice.
[137 - 140] And as you can see, it's half size of the half sheet pan.
[140 - 142] So I would do that,
[142 - 144] but I will say that one reason
[144 - 146] we didn't have a lot of bake ware,
[146 - 148] some people were asking about that,
[148 - 149] is that you can do a lot of baking
[149 - 153] right in your cast iron pan, and in your Dutch oven.
[153 - 156] In a capsule wardrobe and a capsule kitchen,
[156 - 159] each piece has to do double, triple, quadruple duty
[159 - 162] to make it really fit, and to cover all the bases.
[162 - 165] And we bake pies and cakes.
[165 - 168] We roast in the cast iron skillet.
[168 - 169] You can bake cookies.
[169 - 172] We have a skillet cookie recipe that makes one giant cookie,
[172 - 174] or you can make individual ones.
[174 - 177] You can bake cakes, pies.
[177 - 179] You can roast, you can fry.
[179 - 181] All those good things in one pan,
[181 - 184] which you can't really do with a cookie sheet.
[184 - 186] It gives you a little more versatility.
[186 - 187] And obviously, the Dutch oven,
[187 - 189] you can bake bread, and use it in those ways.
[189 - 193] So it gives you versatility as well.
[193 - 194] So that's why those particular pieces
[194 - 196] made it into the capsule kitchen,
[196 - 198] and we didn't have a lot of other bake ware.
[198 - 203] Couple questions about scale versus measuring cups. We agree.
[203 - 205] We love using a scale for baking.
[206 - 208] Most recipes, including ours,
[208 - 212] have volume measurements as well as weight measurements.
[212 - 215] And so, you know, a ton of recipes,
[215 - 219] especially in the U.S., use volumes rather than weights.
[219 - 222] And so you do need measuring cups as well.
[222 - 226] But if you can add in a scale, our favorite is by Oxo.
[226 - 228] It's an 11-pound scale.
[228 - 228] It works really well,
[228 - 230] and it converts from ounces to grams
[230 - 231] with just a push of the button,
[231 - 233] right on the face, on the controls.
[233 - 237] And I use mine like five times a day at home.
[237 - 239] It's never out of reach.
[239 - 241] So I agree, a scale is a great thing to have.
[241 - 244] If you can add that in, definitely do it,
[244 - 245] especially if you bake a lot.
[245 - 246] A couple people mentioned
[247 - 248] that instead of just a chef's knife,
[248 - 249] they'd add in a pairing knife.
[249 - 251] And I think that's a great idea.
[251 - 253] You know, every time you add something,
[253 - 256] you are expanding how much stuff you have, but...
[256 - 258] And if you keep your knife nice and sharp,
[258 - 261] you can do a lot of the same tasks with your chef knife.
[261 - 263] But we do have a favorite paring knife.
[263 - 266] It's by Victorinox, same as the chef knife.
[266 - 271] And this is the little 3 1/2-inch paring knife.
[271 - 272] And this thing is fantastic,
[272 - 274] just like the full size chef knife.
[274 - 276] It has a nice grippy handle.
[276 - 279] It has a very, very sharp, narrow blade, a sharp point.
[279 - 281] You can do real precision work.
[281 - 284] You can do things while you're cutting things in your hand
[284 - 286] or on the cutting board.
[286 - 288] And it's a great bargain.
[288 - 290] It's under $10. Totally recommend it.
[290 - 294] So it doesn't take up a lot of space, isn't expensive.
[294 - 295] Sure. Put it in your capsule kitchen.
[295 - 296] You're not gonna regret it.
[296 - 299] So finally, we had a question about cast iron.
[299 - 300] Someone said, "My cast iron pan
[300 - 302] stays light to darkish brown.
[302 - 304] I'm not sure why it doesn't darken."
[305 - 308] You know, cast iron and carbon steel pans
[308 - 311] are the same way, when you're seasoning them
[311 - 314] and using them, they become more and more black,
[314 - 315] but they start out brown.
[315 - 317] They start out blotchy brown.
[317 - 318] Most cast arm pans that you see,
[318 - 320] if you buy them and they're jet black,
[320 - 322] those are pre-seasoned in the factory,
[322 - 324] where they have the ability
[324 - 326] to get just the right temperature in the oil
[326 - 328] and spray it on very evenly, and bake it on,
[328 - 331] so you get a real good head start on your seasoning.
[331 - 333] They used to sell unseasoned cast iron pans,
[333 - 335] and I think you can still find them,
[335 - 336] but then they're silver.
[336 - 338] The sort of a dark, silver-gray.
[338 - 339] And as you start using 'em,
[339 - 341] they start out brown and they darken,
[341 - 342] and they look blotchy.
[342 - 344] It's just like a carbon steel pan,
[344 - 346] starts out brown and blotchy.
[346 - 347] It will eventually darken and darken
[347 - 349] and become more and more solidly black.
[349 - 350] Don't worry about it.
[350 - 352] Over time, and it may take years,
[352 - 355] it will turn dark, and eventually black.
[355 - 357] If you wanted to make it more even more quickly,
[357 - 360] you could spread the very thinnest layer of oil over it,
[360 - 362] and wipe off most of it
[362 - 364] till you think you've wiped it all off. You haven't.
[364 - 366] Put it in the oven upside down,
[366 - 369] and bake it for an hour at like 500 degrees,
[370 - 372] and then turn it off and let it cool in there.
[372 - 374] And it will darken more evenly
[374 - 375] if you really feel that's important,
[375 - 377] but honestly, it's doing its job.
[377 - 379] It will get darker over time.
[379 - 381] Just, you have patience, it's a lifetime pan.
[381 - 383] It's a many lifetime pan.
[383 - 384] So it will get there.
[385 - 386] And that's it for this time,
[386 - 389] but we'll hope we'll catch you next time on Gear Heads.
[389 - 392] (lively percussion music)