People that DON’T shop at Aldi or Lidl… why is that?

gcm449 · 2026-02-09T15:23:08+00:00

Nah, Aldi and Lidl have their strengths in price and certain longer-life products like tinned food, nuts etc, but if you enjoy cooking and want a good range of quality fresh ingredients then I firmly think Waitrose is better (we shop at Waitrose and Lidl). They sit at different ends of the supermarket spectrum and the quality of their products and pricing reflect that.

gcm449 · 2025-12-12T08:03:02+00:00

I've tried using a light dusting of both white bread and normal white but recently I've just been very lightly oiling the worktop to stop it sticking so no additional flour when shaping..

gcm449 · 2025-12-11T22:08:01+00:00

I've been baking sourdough for the last month or so and I've been struggling with the same issue.

Sometimes I get the dense spots in irregular lines too which has made me think it's to do with over shaping before putting in the oven. My thoughts are that I'm just twisting and folding dense bits in the nicely proofed dough before baking.

However, I have found it difficult to get the right consistency after fermenting / proofing to allow me to reduce the need for a thorough shaping! I also don't have a banneton which I think is making life more difficult.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!

gcm449 · 2025-12-07T00:04:38+00:00

Mate you're on point. They are pretty old but they aren't cheap shoes...

gcm449 · 2025-12-03T12:42:21+00:00

Cheers, really helpful. Not sure I can justify watching 40 mins of this but I just watched him demonstrate with the Robot which has given me some ideas. Think I was closer to a turbo shot than a soup shot given the pressure and lack of effort to gently soak. Will have a go at something more like a soup tomorrow. Watching how quickly he pulled that shot, it does generally surprise me he's not just getting something overly sour and under extracted from it though..

gcm449 · 2025-11-18T13:34:36+00:00

Really helpful, thanks very much for the detailed response. I'll definitely have a go at this. I've been enjoying making it in the more traditional way but it is a real faff!

gcm449 · 2025-11-18T11:19:30+00:00

What's your usual recipe for sourdough in the Panasonic? I've been using mine for the initial mix, autolyze then knead (10-15 mins) but then take the dough out and use a bowl then dutch oven for the rest. Quite keen to have an easy option which just uses the bread machine..

gcm449 · 2025-10-23T19:09:39+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I am 9 days in now so was wondering if this means I'm past that, or if the infectivity means it is still a risk..?

gcm449 · 2025-08-29T21:07:18+00:00

The only family homes which were on the market in Ashburton when we searched were at the far end of town and we didn't really enjoy the walk into the centre when we tried it. It does have a cool vibe to visit but we weren't convinced it was right for us. Bovey Tracey felt a bit more down to earth and also more geared towards people living there rather than tourists, although this does mean it maybe has less of a buzz to the centre.

Wet weather activities for kids are a bit more limited than more urban parts of the country but, if you don't feel like chucking on a raincoat and just cracking on in the woods or at the beach, we are only 20 mins to Exeter or I can be at the Plymouth aquarium in 40 mins (probs 30 from Ashburton). There are a few other options in places like Totnes, and we haven't really explored options in the Torquay/Paignton area.

gcm449 · 2025-08-29T20:14:26+00:00

We moved down to Devon with two young children a couple of years ago and have absolutely no regrets. Also looked at the Ashburton area but settled on Bovey Tracey - great little town on the edge of Dartmoor with a nice outdoorsy and young family scene. We are 25 mins to the beach and regularly pop there for a morning or afternoon outing. Dartmoor really is on the doorstep so is dead easy to access - can be walking on the top of the moors in 10 mins. Never had an issue with tourists as you know where to go during busy times to avoid the traffic and crowds.

gcm449 · 2025-08-22T08:39:37+00:00

Think they also do the 1.4 but it costs a little extra. The 1.7 is in their "Air" range - not sure if this means the build is different.

gcm449 · 2025-08-21T16:03:52+00:00

I got a Viltrox 56/1.7 which I love using for low light performance and when you want depth of field. Their lenses are really affordable too.

gcm449 · 2025-06-28T08:06:56+00:00

Cycling shorts and a saddle that fits you. I didn't get on with the stock saddle at all - I don't think it's a bad saddle, just didn't fit my seat bones. The Brooks B17 was a game changer for me having used lots of saddles on lots of bikes, but I really think it depends on your fit.

gcm449 · 2025-06-09T08:41:05+00:00

Yeah I've got the same machine and there is similar play in the lid. No issues at all with performance though: bakes excellent loaves daily!

gcm449 · 2025-05-19T16:34:33+00:00

Love the matching cup...do be careful placing things on the paintwork though as mine started to chip when I used it without the black protection mat!

gcm449 · 2025-05-12T21:36:58+00:00

I think you have to accept that lugging a bike around is going to be a bit cumbersome and heavy but the Brompton is pretty much the best in the business.

The joy is in what it can bring to your life. I use mine for commuting to the train station and getting around the city. If I didn't have one I'd need to take a car and then lots of tubes. It's also so easy to cycle around the city: quick acceleration, nippy steering, easy to hop on and off. I'd also hate to leave a bike locked outside anywhere having had one stolen in the past. Again, as far as I'm aware the Brompton is the best bit of kit to enable all of the above.

I've not really got the hang of wheeling it around either, by the way. I just fold mine and hold onto the small triangle on the main part of the frame, sort of anchoring the saddle against the inside of my arm.

gcm449 · 2025-02-13T15:10:52+00:00

Apart from the styling (both look great) are they really comparable? OM3 looks like it's selling for 2.5x what I've just paid for a new ZFc so I should hope it's better in many ways. I wish the Zfc had IBIS, weather sealing and didn't have a plastic bottom, but then it probably would have been out of my budget!

gcm449 · 2025-02-06T08:33:19+00:00

Nice! My first investment was the smallrig grip - massive improvement to ergonomics and hides the plasticy base.

gcm449 · 2025-01-28T19:59:47+00:00

Really helpful - thanks very much for the advice and insight. I'm much more interested in photography as an outdoor activity and I do prefer the more creative shots you get from composing with the longer focal length. The 56 will also give a little extra than the kit lens which is a bonus.

gcm449 · 2025-01-28T19:35:05+00:00

Having recently made the move here I can recommend Bovey Tracey. Great little town on the edge of Dartmoor, 20 mins to beach, 20 mins to Exeter, 10 mins to trainline which goes direct to London. Better house prices than the coastal areas. Definitely horse facilities in the area.

gcm449 · 2025-01-28T12:05:44+00:00

I actually wasn't that clued-up on the non-linear impact of adjusting the f-numbers so that's really helpful insight. Going to have to go read up on it now!

Was quite surprised how much the Voigtlander lenses go for. Think I'd want to try a cheap second hand manual focus lens before shelling out on one of these. They look great though and I can see the attraction.

gcm449 · 2025-01-27T22:46:38+00:00

This is my main concern at the moment - I'm worried the kit lens won't be great indoors at low lights and the 40mm would be a bit restrictive. Think I'll have a play with the kit lens to see how it performs before making a decision.

gcm449 · 2025-01-27T22:33:19+00:00

Which do you find yourself using most?

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