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garden_of_darwin

What's on your wish list?

garden_of_darwin
18 years ago

Thanks to information on this forum (thanks joiful!), I purchased a Le Creuset 6 3/4 qt. French Oven and a 2 3/4 qt. soup pot on Amazon.com a few weeks ago. On Monday, I got sucked into their One Day Sale (up to 60% off on Kitchen stuff) with $25 off $125 purchase. Free Super Saver Shipping sealed the deal for me, and I purchased a Lodge Cast Iron (2 sided) Grill, a new Polder Thermometer, an in drawer knife block and a stockpot/pasta insert combo by Calphalon. I'm so excited! But not sated...:)

I have a few things on my Wish List (although not necessarily from Amazon) for Christmas:

1. Chemex coffeepot

2. Copper or stainless oil can

3. Gravy separator

4. Coffee filter holder from Lee Valley

5. A good bottle of Port for my Port Wine reduction sauce -- yum!

6. Salts (Fleur de Sel, among others) and a good salt mill

7. Marble or Aluminum rolling pin

8. Soapstone pot -- anyone seen these??? Looks cool!

9. End grain butcher block countertop for my main prep area -- ahead of the main kitchen redo

  1. Mezzaluna knife (or two) to go with my bargain Boos mezzaluna board ($20 from TJMaxx)

Anyone else with a list so long it will never be fulfilled? :)

Susan

Comments (13)

  • maggie5il
    18 years ago

    What is the coffee-making method of a Chemex coffeepot? Wow. You really, really got some good deals at Amazon. Wondering how you knew about the sale? Did they notify you, or did you just browse on into it?

    There are wish lists on another forum. I couldn't think of a thing I wanted, but now that I read other's lists, I'm quickly coming up with some stuff. Like the prep scooper from Chef's Catalog. Now, about that coffeepot.......

  • lindac
    18 years ago

    Well....a meezaluna would be on my list if I found a $20 board from TJ's!
    What I need is someone to tell me why I don't need to keep that ice cream freezer I haven't used in 10 years in my cupboard....next to the 3 dozen standard muffin tins, the 2 dozen mini muffin tins the dozen bundt style muffin tins tha giant muffin tin the tin for muffin tops and the 3 corn stick pans...
    Then maybe I'll have room for something else!
    Linda C

  • maggie5il
    18 years ago

    Garden - I searched for Chemex. I remember those! Question is, do you think there's a noticeable difference in the coffee flavor? Is there anything - anything - better than a great cup of coffee? I don't use anything but frech roast whole beans from Starbucks - but it still doesn't compare to walking up buy one. (I like strong coffee.)

    Lindac - lose the ice cream freezer. Keep the tins. Well, with the exception of the muffin top one?

  • garden_of_darwin
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    This link will tell you more about ChemEx than I could ever hope to. It's really pretty simple, and the resulting coffee is excellent!

    As far as the deals go...I had been on Amazon just kind of browsing around and was going to take advantage of the $25 off, but couldn't figure out what I wanted (mainly because I'm too cheap to spend MORE than $125--I wanted to get the maximum percentage of savings! :). So, I made a note to myself to go back on the 24th -- the last day (yeah, right! they started the "limited offer" again running through the 27th of November) of the promotion and look again. When I went back on Monday, lo and behold, a One Day Sale! Yippee! I got the 4 items I mentioned for $110 after the $25 off...I went over a little bit, but not by much. I just love bargains!

    I like that Food Taxi thing too...something else to add to my ever growing list! Oh, yeah! 8" cake pans! How could I forget? :)

    Susan

  • garden_of_darwin
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Wow, it took me so long to post my message that I missed everything going on in between!

    Lindac -- If you haven't used it in 10 years, I think you have your answer about it's usefulness. It is hard to get rid of things, but just think about the new things you could put in it's place! Popover tins? :)

    maggie5IL -- Yes, there is definitely an appreciable difference in flavor. Plus you can make the coffee as strong as you like without bitterness, and you can cool it and reheat without fear of bad flavor. I'm getting it because my husband drinks tea, but never thinks it's worth the effort if I'm going to all the trouble of making coffee. This way, we boil the water in the electric kettle, and we can both be happy. Plus, it looks cool. :)

    Susan

  • maggie5il
    18 years ago

    Garden of Darwin - Thanks so much for all the info. So, on my Christmas list is the Chemex, food taxi, a couple of magazine subscriptions......all stolen from someone else's list. Probably best to just not open any more wish list themed threads. But I'd hate to miss something really good!

  • kbuzbee
    18 years ago

    As for the Chemex, every morning I make my wife coffee using a Cona Pot. It makes GREAT coffee! (Then I make a couple Espressos in my La Pavoni for me ;-)

    Cheers,

    Ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cona D

  • kimba00
    18 years ago

    Dear Santa,

    I've been a very good girl this year so please bring me a Le Creuset 4 qt deep saute pan in the color Dune just like the one at William Sonoma.

    Kim

  • cindyb_va
    18 years ago

    Susan,

    I am intrigued by the Chemex coffee system. Have you ever used a french press for making java? How does coffee from a Chemex compare to that?

  • garden_of_darwin
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    maggie -- I saw a FoodTaxi in person last week and had a very hard time not buying it for myself! Oh, the pain of the Christmas shopping season. Must keep good gifting items available for my MIL to buy so that I don't get a giant copper cow again this year. True story.

    kbuzbee -- Wow, those look like some nice pieces of equipment. My 3 and 4 year olds take turns making the coffee in the morning -- the 4 year old would love the vaccuum system!

    Kimba00 -- I'm sure you've been very good indeed. Have you checked for Le Creuset Outlets near you? I went to one last Friday, and if it weren't for my newly acquired 6 3/4 oven and 2 3/4 soup pots ($139 total from Amazon), I'd have bought a lot more!

    Hey Cindyb -- You know...that's a good question. I used to use a tiny little French Press when we lived on a boat, but conditions in general weren't great for a great cup of coffee. I've never compared side by side with a ChemEx. Come to think of it, I don't know what happened to my little French Press. I have been tempted to get a new, regular sized one...then I could compare the two. I'm sure there are other connosieurs here who've done it. Opinions?

    Susan

    P.S. Cindyb -- Where are you in VA? I'm on the Northern Neck...

  • maggie5il
    18 years ago

    Susan - A food taxi, in person?! Where did you see it? I'm hoping to find one in Chicago but haven't as yet.

  • kitchenobsessed
    18 years ago

    My friend makes FABULOUS coffee with her Chemex; much better than I can ever make with my French press. I'm waiting for my press pot to break so I can justify the $$ for a Chemex. Otherwise, I'm hoping to stumble upon one at a yard sale.

  • garden_of_darwin
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    maggie -- I actually hijacked my mother in law for an impromptu trip to a (not so local) Le Creuset outlet. I saw one there for something like $10-$12. I'm not sure what the Chef's Catalog price is, but I was quite sure I wasn't paying that much for it myself! I did, however, make pointed comments about how much I'd like one. I didn't mention how much MORE I'd like it than another giant copper cow, however. ;) Do you have a Le Creuset store (or outlet, better yet!) near you?

    KitchenObsessed -- my aforementioned MIL also makes excellent coffee in her ChemEx. I can't wait to get one, hopefully for Christmas, tee hee. Definitely better than another giant copper cow.

    Susan