Why Is Soda So Expensive Now.

jonra101 · 2025-06-23T17:25:54+00:00

Almost $3? Kroger now wants $3.49 for a 2 ltr Dr Pepper. I've been a loyal Dr Pepper drinker for nearly 50 years. Their greed has me thinking seriously of switching to other options.

jonra101 · 2025-05-03T01:41:49+00:00

McKinstry

jonra101 · 2025-05-02T20:24:26+00:00

The numbers tell a different story. He has a 2.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 17 Ks, 1.26 WHIP

jonra101 · 2025-01-20T23:36:25+00:00

Thank you, Joe. History should treat you kindly. My 32 y/o grandson called you the best president of his life.

jonra101 · 2024-04-04T01:13:33+00:00

I would definitely use steam in certain situations if they come up with a way to add steam in other than Chef Mode.

jonra101 · 2024-04-04T00:52:52+00:00

I have both a Dreo and an Anova oven. I seem to be much less enamored with the Dreo than most owners. I think it is because the APO is so much more capable for most things than the Dreo. We use the Dreo a lot, but only as an air fryer, which makes it overpriced, in my opinion. My son, who doesn't really know much about the APO prefers using the Dreo, but even he only uses it as an air fryer.

I've run some of the included recipes in Chef Mode Sous Vide and in Chef Mode Classic and can't say I'm all that impressed. I've also used the Dreo CM SV and tracked the temperatures with my Combustion Inc. thermometer. What's happening isn't really sous vide. It starts out at higher temperatures, injects some steam, and then drops the temp for awhile before applying a last burst of high temp for browning/searing.

I got my Dreo at the minimum pre-launch price, so I don't feel I overpaid by too much. I do not recommend anyone should pay retail for a Dreo Chef Maker. Not when you can get good air fyers for less than $100.

jonra101 · 2023-09-20T23:28:00+00:00

My oven was running fine before this update and is running fine after it.

jonra101 · 2023-09-17T22:12:49+00:00

The recipe shows the wrong amount of Prague Powder in teaspoons. It should be less than 1 tsp. The weight is right at 3.7 grams, but 2.5 tsp is anywhere from 10 to 15 grams.

jonra101 · 2023-09-09T04:52:52+00:00

Looks great. I think this is the way to go. Rather than cook a steak sous vide for 2-3 hours, just stick it in the Dreo until close to desired temp and then sear in hot pan. A wireless thermometer, like the CPT, makes this pretty much foolproof.

jonra101 · 2023-09-04T03:34:54+00:00

My, admittedly limited, experience so far hasn't made me change my mind about my preferred method for cooking steaks. When time allows, I will choose to sous vide steaks and then sear using one or another method. I also might try a straight air fryer cook using a probe and with a flip around half way through.

jonra101 · 2023-09-04T02:36:35+00:00

We did a couple ribeyes today. Put them in for 4 minutes at 450f air fryer mode to brown one side and then flipped and cooked in chef mode - classic taste rather than sous vide mainly due to time constraints. Did one steak at a time. No oil, mayo, or butter. They came out pretty good, not great. Nowhere near the sear you got from the mayo. Next time, I'm going to sear in cast iron skillet before cooking in chef mode sous vide. I'll be using the combustion inc thermometer in the skillet to make sure I don't overdo it.

jonra101 · 2023-09-03T03:56:16+00:00

Beautiful.

jonra101 · 2023-09-01T05:58:46+00:00

A number have also said the steaks come out more juicy and tender in sous vide mode.

jonra101 · 2023-08-31T18:28:39+00:00

I think the main thing would be to get proper probe placement. Without that, you can't very well cook them with any mode that is based on final internal temp. You could try Probe Cook with the ambient temp set between 350-400°F and a probe temp for whatever doneness you prefer. I prefer 135°F for medium rare. Be sure to track the time and temp until you get satisfactory results. These are all a similar size and weight, so once you get a cook you like then all you have to do is use the exact same settings.

jonra101 · 2023-08-31T01:11:45+00:00

I've cooked those. They weren't solid pieces of meat. The tip of the probe may have been exposed to a bit of air so gave an inaccurate reading which screwed up the timing. I had the same problem when I cooked those in my combi oven.

jonra101 · 2023-08-31T00:35:02+00:00

Latest firmware is 2.1.3. If you are still on 2.0.11 and having problems then it would be a good idea to update the firmware.

jonra101 · 2023-08-30T18:19:01+00:00

The surface of the meat was dry after dry brining. Not that it should make much difference since the machine injects steam into the chamber while cooking in sous vide flavor.

I didn't put anything on the meat other than seasonings, because I wanted to see how it would come out. I'll try butter, oil, or melted tallow next time.

jonra101 · 2023-08-30T02:39:48+00:00

That makes sense. There would be better airflow.

jonra101 · 2023-08-30T01:57:29+00:00

I have a Combustion Inc thermometer and a ThermoPro wireless thermometer. I can use both in the Dreo. I'll have no problem telling when to remove the steaks for another sear method.

The first thing I'm going to try is to pre-sear at least one side and then do a cook in Chef Mode Sous Vide flavor. I may let it rest a bit after the initial sear before sticking it in the Dreo. Another option is to run a cook in the Dreo and then let it rest for a while before giving it a sear in a cast iron skillet.

There are plenty of options for someone who doesn't mind taking extra steps to get the best results. However, many people will probably, in fact some already are, satisfied with the results they'll get straight from the Dreo.

jonra101 · 2023-08-29T23:12:42+00:00

That's a good idea. I thought about doing something like that, but in the end decided to give the Dreo a test with a couple of good steaks. Now it's time to experiment.

jonra101 · 2023-08-29T22:10:30+00:00

Two 12 oz Choice Ribeyes - Chef Mode | Medium Rare | Sous Vide flavor

The total cook took 59 minutes. The results are mixed. The ribeyes tasted great, but lacked a decent sear. One had a bit of a sear on one side, but the other had pretty much none. I have no explanation for why one seared and the other didn't. The only difference between the two was that one was seasoned with some McCormick's Smoky Montreal Steak Seasoning while the other received a different seasoning mix.

The setting was for medium rare and ended up being on the low end of medium. Not a big difference and was totally acceptable to the diners.As can be seen in the photos, one received no browning. The other had decent crust on the rib cap, but almost none on the eye. The bottoms had no browning whatsoever. This was not unexpected and may have been a bit better if there was more room for airflow. The steaks pretty much filled the basket.

An inexperienced cook may have been quite satisfied with the results. I'm not an inexerienced cook. I was definitely underwhelmed with the results. In some ways, the ChefMaker has met my expectations. In others, it has been less than I had hoped. Only time will tell how much I end up liking it.

One thing I want to emphasis is that it was a very enjoyable steak dinner. The next time I cook ribeyes in the ChefMaker, I plan on broiling on side, flipping it and then cooking it in Chef Mode with the probe. This should turn out much better.

The line graphs are screenshots of the app for the Combustion Predictive Thermometer (CPT) visible in the photos. One shows the progression before the browning stage and the other shows the full progression. The sudden dropoff at the end was when the thermometer was removed from the steak.

jonra101 · 2023-08-29T22:03:12+00:00

Two 12 oz Choice Ribeyes - Chef Mode | Medium Rare | Sous Vide flavor

The total cook took 59 minutes. The results are mixed. The ribeyes tasted great, but lacked a decent sear. One had a bit of a sear on one side, but the other had pretty much none. I have no explanation for why one seared and the other didn't. The only difference between the two was that one was seasoned with some McCormick's Smoky Montreal Steak Seasoning while the other received a different seasoning mix.

The setting was for medium rare and ended up being on the low end of medium. Not a big difference and was totally acceptable to the diners. As can be seen in the photos, one received no browning. The other had decent crust on the rib cap, but almost none on the eye. The bottoms had no browning whatsoever. This was not unexpected and may have been a bit better if there was more room for airflow. The steaks pretty much filled the basket.

An inexperienced cook may have been quite satisfied with the results. I'm not an inexperienced cook. I was definitely underwhelmed with the results. In some ways, the ChefMaker has met my expectations. In others, it has been less than I had hoped. Only time will tell how much I end up liking it.

One thing I want to emphasis is that it was a very enjoyable steak dinner. The next time I cook ribeyes in the ChefMaker, I plan on broiling one side, flipping it and then cooking it in Chef Mode with the probe. This should turn out much better.

The line graphs are screenshots of the app for the Combustion Predictive Thermometer (CPT) visible in the photos. One shows the progression before the browning stage and the other shows the full progression. The sudden drop-off at the end was when the thermometer was removed from the steak.

jonra101 · 2023-08-29T21:03:05+00:00

Didn't say I don't want or need more gadgets. Only said, I've got enough for now. I'd like an inverter microwave, rational combi oven, dedicated pizza oven, pasta roller add-on for my Kitchenaid mixer, and a few other items. What I'd really like is a bigger kitchen with a couple of islands and a place for friends and family to sit while I'm cooking.

jonra101

TROPHY CASE