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zartemis

Capital Culinarian range accessories

zartemis
12 years ago

The oven rotisserie is our favorite part of the CC range so far (since we have 2 other ovens, I suspect we'll just keep the racks out for the most part and leave the rotisserie set up full time) and I looked into getting a rotisserie basket that would fit on the spit. I found one and gave it a try.

The CC spit is a hex-sided spit with 1/2 inch from flat side to flat side (a little more pointed edge to pointed edge). So rotisseries that accept up to a 1/2 inch square spit (one of the more common ones) won't fit. The Fire Magic basket 3618, in stainless steel, accepts up to a 5/8 inch square spit:

It's a standard spit basket. For those who aren't familiar with them, it clamps to the basket via eye hooks. Not the best, most secure option, but it does work:

One side of the cage is removable and adjustable. Because of the beefy spit and the large basket design, it can't be set as narrow as some baskets. Here it is in the tightest position, against the spit and holding some bratwursts in place:

The brats rotating in the oven:

Here's an accessory I'd like to make or find: A burner cover that fits over the grills of the burners of the stove and turns the unused burners into a flat continuous surface from burner to burner. Ideally it would be cast iron or similar surface so you could actually cook on it as well. Any ideas?

Comments (41)

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love it, one of the best cooking features on this range that other ranges don't have just expanded exponentially.

  • MichelleDT
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wanna join u for dinner! All of your food looks amazing!

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The Chef King griddle does a great job. This one covers two burners and is very thick and heavy. It is steel and you need to season it. They have a number of different sizes.

    Billy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Chef King Griddle

  • MichelleDT
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What about this? Would that work on the CC?

    Here is a link that might be useful: 4 Burner Griddle

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the great ideas. I do think we're likely to pick up a griddle to use, but what I'd really love is one without a rim or handles, so that when the burners are covered and unused you have additional flat workspace. The Paula Deen branded ones (and similar) are low profile, but still have rims.

    Sort of like the Capital grill/griddle cover in Billy's photo. But one that would fit over existing burners without removing the burner grills. Bonus if you can cook on it (using it either as a flame tamer or like a comal to heat up tortillas), although that's a secondary consideration (and I know without a rim or handle that it would be difficult to remove when hot -- that's OK).

    I suppose having a local shop machine some stainless steel plate to custom dimensions is an option.

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MichelleDT: thanks for the compliment! I didn't even think the brats were that photogenic.

    I do wish we all could get together for food. It's so much more fun sharing the food than sharing the photos. And there is clearly a wealth of cooking knowledge and skill on these forums.

  • stooxie
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Zart, how do you manage the fact that the basket places only one side close to the heat? I think there is a picture of ribs in GW that has black edges on the bones and relatively normal looking meat. Is that something that can be mitigated?

    Thanks!
    -Stooxie

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have the exact same griddle as Billy. They also have a four burner version. Here's an idea to address your needs. These griddles can be placed upside down to create a burner cover and do the things you described. The handles do flip, so you can get them out of the way. The only thing it wouldn't work for that way is wet things with might roll down the side. But as a warming plate or for tortillas, I think with would be perfect.

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    zartemis, you can buy a thick sheet of metal if you want something completely flat, but remember, there is a good reason griddles have a lip.

    I really like Online Metals. You can get sheets in different thicknesses of stainless steel (stays shiny), steel (you can season it), aluminum (lighter) or other metals. Check out the link below.

    jscout, this griddle is a lot of fun. One of the most entertaining things I've done with it is cook a large quantity of aparagus on it, keeping all the stems parallel. I parboiled the asparagus and chilled it in ice water to stop the cooking, dried it, and marinated it for a couple of hours in olive oil, salt and pepper. Then I cooked it on the griddle, moving it with tongs and turning up the heat until it was almost stir fried, with parts of the asparagus browned from the heat. People kept coming back for more.

    Billy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Online Metals

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Billy, is that the larger 7 gauge griddle you have or the smaller 10 gauge. I have the larger one and the fit looks like your picture, but your link is to the smaller one. Maybe it's the angle.

    Your asparagus sounds delish. You should also try them on the grill too. Browning does wonders for asparagus. You probably never have any leftovers, but if you do chop some up and add it to a salad.

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    All good ideas. Thanks for the Online Metals recommendation! We do plan to get some sheet steel for an inside the oven pizza stone (per Modernist Cuisine recommendations).

    Stooxie, I had the same question when we started these experiments. There's got to be at least some uneveness, but I think for many cooking scenarios it's too small to tell. Back when we put sausages on the tines of the rotisserie forks I was sure they were going to come out uneven, but they came out great -- you really couldn't tell which side had been closest. We did closed-door broiling so the fact that the oven interior could heat up (which is even heating) may have helped. And the hot fat that seeps from the sausage and rolls around it before dripping off likely helps as well.

    With sausges mounted on fork tines (rather than in the basket) there is a possible problem if they spin on the tines. Then they do cook unevenly. In the 3 batches we did of 4 sausages each on the fork tines, we had one spinner which did come out uneven. There is some wiggle room in the rotisserie forks so you can slightly offset the opposite tines to prevent this. I was also thinking that another fun accessory to design would be forks with two thin tines at each location. Then you'd get no spinners and could even do small things like bacon-wrapped chicken pieces.

    My thoughts:

    Also, here's a shot of some hamburgers we did in the basket:

    Lightening up the photo to help show any differences:

    The close to the broiler edge should be darker than the other one, especially since when in the bottom position, the upper hamburger blocks the infrared from the broiler. In practice, it's not a big deal (at least not for greasy foods in a closed door oven).

    We don't have an outdoor rotisserie or any other experience with one. This is a standard rotisserie basket used on rotisserie grills and such and there are likely lots of folks out there with much more experience using them and how to make them work best and prevent or limit uneveness. We're still learning.

  • MichelleDT
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Zart,

    This is a silly question but I am going to ask it anyway....wouldn't it be much easier to throw a couple burgers on the charbroiler or grill pan than put them in a basket and have to clean the basket (and interior of the range)? I am sure I am missing the point of putting burgers in a basket.

    M

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Not a silly question at all.

    We're still in the 'ooh shiny' stage of playing with a new toy. Basically, we have a fancy new hammer and everything looks like a nail.

    We got ideas from searching on how rotisserie grill owners use their baskets -- they put in everything from sausages to veggies, to fish fillets, to steaks, to chicken parts, to, yes, hamburgers. Much easier to toss some of these things in a basket than try to spear them on spit/tines. Same question arises there: why do it? Why not just slap 'em on the grill? It's mostly convenience of not needing to turn them and some limited self-basting. In the oven case, there is no grill (on ours, anyway), so the comparison is to a skillet or grill pan on the stove.

    The summary I passed along previously about the difference between sausages on the rotisserie and sausages in a skillet does, for the most part, apply to hamburgers as well:

    Long answer: Setting up the rotisserie (you have to take out the racks) is more involved than a skillet on the stove, but once you set it up, you don't have to do anything much. On the stove you have to continue tend to them, turning them as needed. They cook faster on the rotisserie under the broiler (maybe twice as fast). The skin is a bit more substantial, and less oily, since the surface oil continually drains away, but the sausage meat was still tender and juicy. If you want to retain the oil to cook something else, that's a little easier to do on the stove, since it's already there in the skillet. If the sausage is a mixed one with wet ingredients and leaks in the skillet then it won't caramelize until that evaporates or is drained off. Ultimately, though, a skilled cook can make the skillet sausage pretty close to the roasted one. It does get some spatter on the inside of the oven, most of which goes onto the foil he puts below it, but he prefers this to the spatter from stovetop cooking of the sausages. It's a range oven so the interior is not on display in the kitchen.

    Hamburgers don't have a skin to crisp up like sausages, but other factors apply: unattended turning, draining of water from wet ingredients, faster cooking, no stovetop spatter. The basket is harder to clean than the spit with tines (especially since we have no dishwasher), but the oven doesn't get as bad as we expected it to.

    Here's the oven after 6 or 7 rotisserie sessions (still not dirty enough to run self clean, IMO):

    The door takes more of a beating, but at least that's glass and easier to clean:

    I found the sausages more 'worth it' than the hamburgers. We almost never do hamburgers inside, though. They probably won't get second try (unless we want to play with some of the Modernist Cuisine align the ground parts techniques).

  • MichelleDT
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Zart..thanks for the detailed response.

    M

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    jscout, that's a good observation. I have the 7 gauge one, like you. I didn't look very carefully when I posted the link to the 10 gauge.

    Yes, asparagus on the grill would be great!

    BTW, the service guys worked on the burners this week to adjust the simmer and they think it may be a gas regulator problem, so they're coming back with a second person to lift the rangetop and access the regulator next Friday.

    I asked them how they like the Bluestars and they said they hate working on the new redesigned Bluestar ranges because the slides and door hardware are difficult to reach and service.

    Billy

  • stooxie
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I asked them how they like the Bluestars and they said they hate working on the new redesigned Bluestar ranges because the slides and door hardware are difficult to reach and service.

    What's a slide? What's door hardware? Are we talking about a range here?

    They have to come back with a second person to access your regulator and the Bluestar is hard to service?? All I have to do to access the regulator on my range is lift up the rear left grate.

    Definitely the whiskey tango foxtrot moment of the evening.

    -Stooxie

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good to hear you're getting service, Billy. One thing to also keep in mind when you clean the burner caps is you need to line up the igniter with the burner hole closest to it. Since the cap is removable for easy cleaning, there's a little play in there. Keeping the hole lined up will reduce the chance of clicking when you're simmering.

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    jscout, I've noticed the play/adjustment in burner position and the effect it has on ignitor operation. On the griddle, mine came with rough edges but it was easy to file and then sand the edges to round them and make them smooth before seasoning the griddle.

    stooxie, I'm not trying to start a flame war. I just repeated what one service guy told me. I said "ranges" so, yes, it is a Bluestar range - rangetops don't have doors. If he said something bad about Capital I would have repeated that too.

    I don't know if the regulator was installed by my plumber or if it was already attached to the Capital rangetop. Obviously the regulator should be positioned so it can be accessed easily. I doubt Capital positioned it that way; if so, that's bad. If my plumber did it, well that proves he's a plumber!

    The bigger picture is -- I don't know that it's a regulator problem but it's worth making sure it's adjusted properly before adjusting the simmer level and air ports. BTW, the service guy had to remove the burner every time he adjusted the air ports, but I'm not sure that was necessary.

    This is all OT and I'll move this discussion to the original Capital simmer thread when we get to the bottom of the problem.

    Billy

  • stooxie
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Billy_g, I understand, no worries.

    -Stooxie

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We have a Chef King griddle on the way!

    In the meantime, some more rotisserie treats: Pineapple with a Rum-Butter-Maple Syrup-Cinnamon-Clove glaze:

    Eyes cut out in spirals to preserve flesh and increase surface area for glaze. Did you know that these spirals are fibonacci? This was cut on the '8' of the pineapple. Way cool video on fibonacci series in plants

    Cut away from the core for serving:

  • gbsim1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Still debating about the culianarian griddle vs a chef king. Do you folks with the Chef King clean it in place or do you have to drag it over to the sink?
    Is it difficult to.regulate the heat front to back?

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I clean it in place. After you season it and build the patina it is non-stick like cast iron and everything just wipes off with paper towels. It is heavy...

    A built-in griddle will have more even heat. With the Chef King the trick for me is to give the griddle time to heat evenly. There is a lot of steel in there. To speed it up sometimes I'll put the burners on medium (not high - don't want it to warp) for a few minutes and just before the griddle starts to smoke I'll back down the heat to the desired cooking temperature. It sounds more complicated than it is.

    Billy

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I treat mine like any cast iron pan. I take it to the sink, rinse it off and then either towel dry or put it on the burners and turn on some heat. I've used it over the burners and over the grill. The heat control over the burners seems a little better than the grill since the burners can go lower.

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just received my Fire Magic Basket..... Many thanks for the tip zartemis

  • elisamama
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Does anyone recommend a griddle that fits the CC better than the chef king? The 10 gauge is a perfect width but is a bit too short and the 7 gauge is a bigger than the burners.

    I just got a 30" CC range and need a new griddle. I am interested in getting the 7 gauge griddle, but I am wondering if there is too much surface area beyond the burners? Does the food at the edges get cooked evenly?

    Billy has a range top which doesn't have the 3" island trim that the ranges do, so maybe he has a bit more room in the back for the griddle to fit? Does anyone use the 7 gauge with a CC range, and if so, would you recommend it?

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Since there was the suggestion to use the Chef King griddle upside down in this thread, I'd like to update that info:

    Although we do like the griddle, it can't actually be used upside down on the CC with the burner grills in place-- the handles attachments bump out slightly so the griddle does not rest upside-down in flat position; it rocks back and forth (no matter how the handles are folded).

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @elisamama - I thought I answered you, but I don't see my post. I have a 48" range with the island trim in the back. The larger CK griddle does overhang the front burner by about half an inch or so. Frankly I don't mind the outside being a little cooler. It's a nice balance between cooking and finishing or holding. I also use the front cooler edge to hold crumbs so they don't burn, until I can scoop them onto a plate to dump. Last night I made lobster rolls and the cooler part was a good place to melt and hold butter in a small pot. I think that with the smaller griddle it would be more cramped. So I do recommend the larger one over the smaller one.

  • elisamama
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @ Jscout - thanks so much! I hadn't thought of the benefits of having cooler spots on the griddle, makes sense. I am upgrading from a 10x17 Circulon griddle which has flat handles with some sort of coating that are now getting burnt by the powerful CC burners. I can't wait to start using a bigger one!

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You're welcome, elisamama. Griddle cooking is a little different. Just visit any greasy spoon or teppanyaki place and you'll see how the chefs use each part of the griddle to do various things. When I use the griddle pan, I often leave the back burner on low and the front on medium. I cook on the front and finish on the back, like setting the yolk on a fried egg. Some people leave their griddle on the range all the time and I can see why. I've been toying with leaving it out all the time too.

  • jscout
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, I just realized another important accessory to go along with a griddle pan. A surface thermometer. One of the benefits of the built-in griddle is that there's a thermostat to control the heat. With the griddle pan you don't have that benefit. I use one and it helps me adjust and keep the desired temp. I also slide it around as needed to make sure I know where all my spots are. I've included a link to the one I have, but almost any thermometer of this type will do.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Grill/Griddle Thermometer

  • elisamama
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @jscout - Funny about your heat zone suggestion. I had to cook that way since my old range had various burner sizes and one side got hotter than the other. It's fine to push cooked food over, but when making pancakes and stuff that I want to cook quickly and evenly, it drove me crazy. In fact, it was one of the reasons I opted for all the same size burners and the CC. The 7 gauge griddle will have lots more room to experiment. I ordered the pan on Monday and will have it tomorrow, can't wait.

    Thanks for the good suggestion about the surface thermometer too!

    Next up, a new, bigger wok since I am keeping the CC wok grill on the range. Thanks to the good advice of GWers, I am leaning toward a hammered wok form the Wok Shop. Just have to decide on the type of handles, wood/steel, long/spool...

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OK, the grill isn't really an accessory but I had to give this thread a bump.

    Asparagus on the grill.

    Billy

  • tubeman
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Food porn!

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We weren't entirely happy with using the Chef King griddle to make extra 'counterspace' on unused burners, so decided to order some metal plate instead. And since our hood is part copper and our sink is copper, we went with copper. And got individual plates so we can arrange them any way we'd like and make them easier to pick up and clean. We plan to abuse them terribly so they eventually have a nice scratched patina'd surface, but here they are new and shiny:

    And here it is with the hood in view:

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OK, the meat pics didn't quite do it for me but that pineapple ... zounds zartemis, I'd like to move in please! was it as yummy as it looked?

  • billy_g
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Zartemis,

    Wow, that is beautiful!!! You will have fun with those copper plates, and they look good with your hood.

    Billy

  • zartemis
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Billy! We're happy with the plates and very glad they sit nice and flat (no rocking) and flush with each other.

    aliris19: the pineapple was great -- I think I might increase the sugar content next time. Also, the crusty outside bit was so good, that it'd be even better if you just cut off the outer layer for serving, slathered it up some more, and then put it back in the oven and broil it up again!

    The CC rotisserie spit is so chunky that we predrilled the pineapple to make sure it didn't split. Carving it directly from the spit for would make for a bit of show as well.

    Drilling the pineapple in our copper sink:

  • aliris19
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Um , is that a drill? As in a real drill on your pineapple?

    I do believe this may be a new definition of TKO. ;)

  • jbart
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Reviving this thread briefly .. has anyone had great success with a griddle other than the chef king?

    I almost bought an extrawide dacor aluminum griddle when I ordered the CC. It covered the front and back burners evenly and looked like it could fit 6-8 pancakes. Nice drain tray, too. Yet the Dacor has feet and they scratched the CC immediately. Had to rule that out.

    Also wonder if I should replace my wok. I have a light, flat bottom wok made of classic spun-steel. Not sure it's worth the bother to get a circular-bottom wok and then splurge on the CC accessory.

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    the wok we use in the cooking school is noted in the link below, really really good, I would recommend buying this for your wok cooking.

    http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/woks/wok-carbon-steel-pow.html

    For $24 its a excellent value.........