Baking on stove top - saladmaster

[CarolineW]

I went to a Saladmaster demonstration on Saturday.  I'd dimly heard of them before, but didn't really know what they did.  Their food processor thingy dingy was of no interest at all - I have a thermomix!  In fact, a lot of what they were showing didn't interest me, I prefer my thermomix.  But 2 things did.  One was their electric skillet, which can also be used as an oven and would replace my Remoska (which I love, but it's teflon coated.  Didn't know about the health concerns with that when I got it).  I thought their pans (pots) were very good too - although I would hardly ever use them, to be honest (I have a thermomix).  But the cake sized one was good - you just put in your cake (made in the thermomix), put on the lid, stick it on the hob, heat it up on medium heat then turn down to low, and it was ready in about 15 minutes.

I also liked the fact that you could do loads of veg next to each other in a single pan (pot) with no water or anything, and it cooked beautifully with no flavour cross-overs.  That would be useful when cooking for a larger number of people (until I get my 2nd TMX, that is  )

Here's my question, or rather, questions:

1)  Is it possible to bake a cake in any good pan/pot? (ie stainless steel with aluminium in centre layer to give good, even conduction).  Ditto with the cooking veg with no water on low heat.

2)  Is anyone familiar with Saladmaster?  Are their things as good as they say?

They are HUGELY expensive    But if they really can do all they say they can do - and other pans / pots can't -  then 1 or 2 items would be a nice addition to my thermomix, as I reluctantly think I need to get rid of my teflon coated stuff.

Really, really hoping that someone can tell me of a cheaper solution that works well too!

[Amanda]

I've never heard of them - do they have a website?

[I Love Bimby!]

I haven't heard of them either Caroline. Is there a forum of users??  If they're that good they should have a forum of passionate owners   

[CarolineW]

No - I couldn't find a recipe forum for them.  Quite a few online recipes posted by the company, but not an independent forum.  Which certainly makes me pause for thought.  It does have an owners club, though, which might turn out to be a forum.

On the other hand, a few years ago there were no English language forums for Thermomix either (and we all know how good that is), and where saladmaster is being discussed on forums, plenty of people have had them for donkeys ages and love them.  I don't really doubt that they're good - just not convinced that there isn't something almost as good for a fraction of the price!

They have a website here http://www.saladmaster.com/display/router.aspx

[Thermomixer]

I haven't heard of them either Caroline. Is there a forum of users??  If they're that good they should have a forum of passionate owners   

Was going to jump in and say ...... what Caroline has said below.  Maybe you should tell Grace that is what you think?? 

I have told her.  It is you poor devils trying to make a living (and trying to help make Grace filthy rich  ) that really suffer from poor communications and back-up.

No - I couldn't find a recipe forum for them.  Quite a few online recipes posted by the company, but not an independent forum.  Which certainly makes me pause for thought.  It does have an owners club, though, which might turn out to be a forum.

On the other hand, a few years ago there were no English language forums for Thermomix either (and we all know how good that is), and where saladmaster is being discussed on forums, plenty of people have had them for donkeys ages and love them. 

Think you should be able to cook in a pan like Le Crueset on top of the stove -we can try.

You can use your slow cooker to bake cakes, so why not.  How does the Remoska work ?? No different really??

[Thermomixer]

Thought that I had seen something in my electirc fry-pan cookbook - sure enough, a chocolate and peanut cake, baked in the electric fry-pan.

So armed with the information I mixed a carrot and white chocolate cake in the TMX and then cooked it in the Le Crueset pan on the stove top/hob.  Started with a high flame then down to what would keep a medium simmer and it worked just fine.

Photos to follow.

[faffa_70]

You are very clever....shouldn't you be at work lol   

[CarolineW]

Thought that I had seen something in my electirc fry-pan cookbook - sure enough, a chocolate and peanut cake, baked in the electric fry-pan.

So armed with the information I mixed a carrot and white chocolate cake in the TMX and then cooked it in the Le Crueset pan on the stove top/hob.  Started with a high flame then down to what would keep a medium simmer and it worked just fine.

Photos to follow.

Oooh - sounds exciting    Can't wait for the photos.  So, if it can bake a cake, then surely it can also do waterless cooking (as I now know it to be called).

Once I got to the bottom of it being called waterless cooking, I discovered that there are loads of equivalents out there.  But if Le Crueset does it too, then it's easy to get hold of, I know it's great quality - and it looks pretty 

[agpest]

Salad Master has been around for many years but I have never known any one who has a set. The only place I have seen them sold is at the State Fair of Texas (since the 1970's) by a fast talking guy that sounded like and old time medicine salesman or a carney barker. Always put on an entertaining show. I have never heard anything bad about them.

[vivacity]

Just been googling around for Saladmaster reviews. There has been some very bad press out there about the products and the sales techniques (http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2007/11/the-saladmaster.html). But I guess everyone has to make up their own mind...

[Thermomixer]

Thanks vivacity - interesting indeed.

[judydawn]

Back in 1966 my XH bought me a set of American Westminster waterless cookware which included 2 dutch ovens, 2 skillets and 2 saucepans plus they threw in a 'free' cutlery set.  Can't remember if it cost $200 or the old 200 pounds but it was a lot of money back then as we were newly weds. Don't know why he bought them as he was as tight as a .........but they will outlast me and whoever ends up with them. They had a lifetime guarantee and although I have lost the very small recipe book that came with the set, I can remember you could make cakes in them. For cooking vegies,you just rinsed them and there was enough water on them to produce enough steam to be able to seal the lids once the heat built up but I always put a little more water in the base of the pans just to be sure. The large skillet was great for cooking assorted vegies - up to 5 varieties at once, all sitting individually on the base of the pan and so easy to serve (albeit it from a very heavy pan).  Have hardly used them since buying my TMX but they are good and still in very good condition and we are still using the cutlery as an everyday set. There was another brand out there on the market at the same time as this company was around. So I guess this is the type of thing you are talking about Caroline.

[Thermomixer]

You should sell them on eBay JD - sound like they would sell well.

[judydawn]

I am a great one to chuck anything I don't want or which doesn't work (DH can't understand why he hasn't been thrown out yet ) and my spring cleaning efforts always clear out my wardrobe, linen press and pantry BUT I just can't bring myself to get rid of kitchen utensils easily.  Just think of the extra space I would end up with if I did an ILB and got rid of all the things I don't use these days - she amazed me how she took so very little from her ex-home in the kitchen department.    ILB

[I Love Bimby!]

I am a great one to chuck anything I don't want or which doesn't work (DH can't understand why he hasn't been thrown out yet ) and my spring cleaning efforts always clear out my wardrobe, linen press and pantry BUT I just can't bring myself to get rid of kitchen utensils easily.  Just think of the extra space I would end up with if I did an ILB and got rid of all the things I don't use these days - she amazed me how she took so very little from her ex-home in the kitchen department.    ILB

Don't be fooled JD - I still have ALL the casserole dishes  (as if he'd know how to use them, let alone what they were for), serving bowls etc and my utensils.  Left him will most of the accessories/gadgets and saucepans, wok etc.  Although I did take the slow cooker (just brought that in out of storage from M&D's to cook up some shanks and chop casseroles), haven't used the stock pot yet... 9 months has past so I doubt I will again, and the icecream maker is still sitting in storage too.  The only thing I miss is the wok - but I have an electric stove here so it wouldn't be useful anyway. Oh and the hand-me-down mix master is in storage too. All the rest I could part with except the mix master for sentimental reasons - but again I haven't used it since I've had my bimby.

Ha - just re-read what I wrote. The only thing I've used my casserole dishes for since I've moved is when I'm cooking bread or puddings or re-heating food in the Varoma... so there you go. You can get away with very little once you have a tmx.