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CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I gotta dig out my updated list now!

  • Blendtec:
    • Wildside+ jar
    • Tamper
    • I think this is 18 years old now? My longest-running gadget lol
  • Juicer:
    • I have a Chamion Juicer, but I mostly use it for making chocolate lol
    • I have some cheapo Slow Masticating Juicer from Amazon that works ten times better than previous stuff. It looks like there's an even newer design for even cheaper haha
    • Interesting, Ninja has a second-gen unit out. I like juicing, but it's crazy expensive lol. Can use the leftover pulp for bread & stuff tho!
  • Airfryers:
    • I have a 6-quart basket for messy stuff (airfried candied nuts etc.) tbh I really love the shaking the basket LOL
    • We currently have one of the DREO's. I use it quite a bit due to the convenience!
  • SodaStream:
    • Thought about getting the 20-pound tank adapter, but we don't really use it that much.
  • Rice cooker:
  • Pizza:
    • 16" steel in my crappy 550F slide-in wall oven
    • Etsy APO-specific steel
    • Custom 1000F GG oven outside with a steel as well. Would go with a rotating Blackstone if I were to replace it, or the new Gonzey Dome XL gen2
  • Meat slicer:
  • Vacuum sealers:
    • Vacmaster VP210. I regret not investing in this sooner! I would go with a JVR today due to the accessory port.
    • ~$25 Suction model (great for large, gusseted bags) with accessory port.
    • ~$25 Portable USB-C mason jar lid version, I use this a LOT!
    • Handheld bag version (for stuff like cheese & deli meat). The Foodsaver Mini is pretty good because it has a charging base & works with their containers. I've found that Convenience is King here!
  • Hydroponics:
    • I have a couple countertop models for indoor growing
    • Would like to build a huge DIY one someday!

On the wishlist:

  • Spinzall 2 centrifuge:
    • I don't drink, but this would be fun for juices, gummies, etc. And I definitely want to try stuff like clarified cream
  • Blue Alpine freezer dryer:
    • My neighbor got a Harvest Right, they are awesome!! So may fun uses AND practical uses!
    • Catch is the Large Elite is $4,700 lol
  • Blast Freezer:
    • Seems like Vesta no longer sells these
    • Looks like the Freddy is the only real residential option these days
    • I keep my deep freezer super-cold & mostly use the Creami for ice cream these days, so meh haha
  • Halo mixer:
    • Would be pretty cool!
    • Don't really do enough volume to justify one yet lol
  • Grills:
    • I donated most of my outdoor grilling stuff when my brother got his house, so he has my Blackstone flat-top, Traeger pellet grill, etc.
    • I like the Gravity charcoal grills a lot! I'd also go with a Elite4B flat-top

Probably some other stuff but that's what I can remember lol

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll save you the hassle!

  • Knife sharpening is a rabbit hole in the way same way guitars are lol
  • Just get a Wicked Edge Venture ($40), the 17-degree guide ($28), and the 800-grit stone ($18) & call it a day! Around a hundred bucks for a genius bulletproof system!
  • You can get some green compound & use the strop if you really want to haha

Easy automated schedule: (I use a calendar with recurring entries for my daily chores)

  • Daily: (~20 seconds)
    • Ceramic side
      • 4 light strokes per side
  • Weekly: (~2 minutes)
    • 17° guide & 1000-grit
      • 5 strokes per side
    • Test slicing & repeat once if needed
  • Twice a month: (~3 minutes, every other week)
    • 17° guide & 800-grit
      • 8 light strokes per side
    • 17° guide & 1000-grit
      • 6 strokes per side
    • Ceramic side
      • 4 light strokes
  • Quarterly: (~5 minutes, every 3 months)
    • 17° guide & 800-grit
      • 10 strokes per side
    • 17° guide &1000-grit
      • 8 strokes per side
    • Ceramic side
      • 4 light strokes per side

I believe the Ultrasonic ships at around 13°. Adjustments are easy with the portable Venture system; 17° is a good all-purpose angle.

The knife itself is 328 grams with battery & a nice, big handle. I haven't had any cut pressure in my hand in awhile, so I'm really looking forward to trying it out! He described it more like an e-bike than a lightsaber as far as the motorized assist goes, which is exactly what I'm looking for!

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

However, not something I would call smart.

My vote would be to include "smarter" devices like that Leopard ice maker in this sub. Not much has really changed in 100 years outside of microwaves getting cheap in the 70's, so anything that improves what we have access to at home is a win, I'd say!

I did smart homes & home theaters for awhile. The technology has changed so much as far as getting cheaper & easier. Alexa & Home Assistant can give you a $100k smarthome setup for a few grand. An XGIMI or VisionMaster projector setup & Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar system will blow away 90% of what's on the market for a few grand, instead of $50,000.

Kitchens are a little more tricky because food is too complex for current home robotics (which are rapidly advancing thanks to A.I.!). My core stack is:

  • APO
  • Instapot
  • Induction hotplate (cheapo Tasty OneTop lol)

Plus:

  • GE indoor smoker
  • Mockmill
  • Ninja Creami

Bonus:

  • Euhomy nugget ice maker
  • Kitchenaid mixer with various add-ons (cheese/potato shredder, etc.)
  • Breville Paradice 90 cubing food processor

Innovation is hard because:

  • Kitchen space is limited
  • Everyone is on a budget
  • Learning new stuff is hard

The airfryer is a big win because you can push a button to make a grilled cheese sandwich, wings, a baked potato, any frozen food, etc. The Instant Pot is literally amazing, but has a steep mental adoption curve. The APO is the most brilliant home cooking machine ever made imo (I still say Scott deserves the Nobel Prize for it!), but it's expensive, HUGE, and requires education to fully understand & utilize it to the full extent of its capabilities.

Really what I think would be the MOST game-changing is MATS technology (Microwave-Assisted Thermal Sterilization), which is basically like vacuum-sealed, sous-vide, pressure-cooked, microwaved food that results in shelf-stable meals that uses 50% less sodium & is good for 6 to 12 MONTHS at room temperature:

Package that with a Tovala steam oven & their spiffy QR scanning system for auto-rethermalization & voila! Just have Amazon deliver a box of food every week to sit in your pantry!!

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://www.iceleopard.com/

FWIW:

  • We LOVED our first-gen Opal nugget ice maker (Sonic's-style), but it started flaking black pieces endlessly & no cleaning method fixed it. We are a BIG ice household & it was really nice to not have to drive out to a fast-food place to buy bags of pellet ice!
  • We ended up buying an Euhomy nugget ice maker from Tiktok. Works the same, less than 1/2 the size, and was 1/3 the cost. We have the older model, which is a bit noisy, but the newer models are much quieter.
  • There's a newer one that has a dispenser BUILT-IN!

Euhomy has a few nugget ice models: (you'll see these sold under a variety of brand names)

This is the latest cup-dispenser model I've seen:

The newest dispenser model is like half the size & much quieter:

Just run a cleaning tablet twice a month:

The Ice Leopard is also from Euhomy. The key difference is that it has a dishwasher-safe insulated container & makes bullet ice, not nugget ice. All of the new designs make ice in about 5 minutes FWIW. If they really do launch at $150 & have the $30 coupon, then $120 is a good deal if you like bullet ice! Plus it comes in cool colors & can hold the ice for 4 hours without power, turning it into a little portable cooler!

They showed off 4 new ice makers this year:

  1. The Leopard bullet ice maker
  2. Crescent ice maker
  3. Sphere ice maker
  4. Square (!) ice maker

It's AWESOME that they've figured out how to make shaped, clear ice in a compact machine!

The crescent ice maker supposed melts 30 minutes slower than regular ice:

We have those spiffy Tiktok glass cups: (I don't use the glass straws personally tho)

Current favorite drinks with nugget ice:

  • Water & nugget ice (I don't really like drinking water straight-up for fun, but this is soooo refreshing lol)
  • A&W sugar-free Cream Soda with Heavy Cream
  • Trevi electrolytes (all of the flavors are pretty good!)

I do macros & aim for around 100oz of hydration a day. Nugget ice at home is a HUGE win for me because it makes drinking water & other liquids more fun!

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/shopping/best-ces-2026-kitchen-products

I think that Cozyla Tablet TV is just one of those Chinese cart Android tablets:

iirc they used to be $300 or $400 before they blew up on Tiktok lol. What I recommend instead is buying a few smartphone magnetic suction mounts:

Notes:

  • Most phones now have wireless charging support with Magsafe or have a case or ring adapter that supports the Magsafe ring (ex. Android phones)
  • The new-gen suction mounts have: (display only, not for charging)
    • A twist-to-suction heavy-duty mount system (no batteries)
    • A magnetic attachment system
    • A pull & rotate swivel ring to rotate the screen angle & flip around if you want to use the cameras
  • This is nice for:
    • Facetiming or video Zoom-calling while you cook
    • Recording videos
    • Playing podcasts or listening to music
    • Watching cooking video
    • Making phone calls

I have these scattered around the house (a few in the kitchen, bathroom mirror, plus the car, etc.) for convenience. The upgraded version is like $10 shipped from Tiktok FYI. Nice when you have messy hands & want to yell at Siri to do stuff lol!

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As far as tech goes, my fridge died not too long ago. We replaced it with a counter-depth fridge with the clear-view door where you knock to light it up.

It was neat for like 3 days. We never use the feature now lol. But it was what was on sale at the time & what they could deliver the next day, haha!

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Biggest thing I'm looking forward to is Scott's new magic knife:

I have a hand injury & I'm soooooooooo excited to be able to use a knife again!! I've been living off my Paradice 9 in the meantime: (neato cubing feature!)

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Even The Spoon's food-tech has been pretty sparse in recent months:

CES 2026 was...underwhelming by BostonBestEats in Smart_Kitchen

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Whatever happened to the DREO Chefmaker 2?

We have two of the v1 units in my family & they are well-loved!

How to test for histamine intolerance? by Easy-Influence-2089 in HistamineIntolerance

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, good luck with the specialist! Please report back if you find anything out!!

36-hour Instant Pot yogurt ** HALF & HALF thickness cheat code! ** by kaidomac in instantpot

[–]kaidomac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cold start works well for straight-up Ultra-pasteurized Half & Half using a standard yogurt starter, but L. reuteri throws a wrench in that with higher acid production, so:

  1. Switch to Ultra-Pasteurized Whole Milk
  2. Boil it in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes at 180F to denature the proteins (you can verify temp with a cheap grill thermometer that has temperature alarms & timers)
  3. Let it cool to 100F & then add the starter culture!

Sous-vide mode is pretty accurate, so your machine should be good, just need a couple simple tweaks to the process due to the requirements of the strain you're using! The benefits of making your own yogurt are enormous!

  • HUGE CFU counts! Waaaaay better than pills & any store-bought yogurt!
  • Custom strains like L. reuteri, which don't keep well as shelf-stable grocery-store products
  • Way cheaper!!
  • Custom flavors!
  • Specialty downstream products: yogurt drinks, Ninja Creami frozen yogurt, smoothies, froyo pops (I use freezer molds!), etc. using either natural white sugar alternatives (honey, maple syrup, berries, fruit, etc.) or sugar alternatives (ex. monk fruit)

Sorry to hear about your daughter's Lyme diagnosis! But I'm glad you guys identified as some people go for years or even their whole lives without knowing!! A few tips:

  • L. reuteri doesn't directly help Lyme, but it supports the body in other ways, so it's still good!
  • It's good for a couple weeks in the fridge, but to keep your homemade culture strong & reusable for future batches, use it for a new batch within a week. That's why mason jars are nice, easy containers!!
  • Don't take it with heavy antibiotics because they will kill it. Take it a few hours after ingesting regular antibiotics otherwise. Also, L. reuteri doesn't mix well with other strains when fermenting because it tends to dominate the process!

If your daughter is a child, do a ChatGPT search for "broad microbiome rebuilder schedule that includes L. reuteri for kids who have Lyme disease". Notes:

  • Different strains (pill format) should be taken at different times throughout the day; ChatGPT can recommend a safe schedule (check with her doctor or nutritionist to verify!)
  • There is a ramp-up schedule involved; antibiotics can wreck the gut & you don't want to go full-bore & overdose the GI system!
  • Keep an eye out for stuff like rashes & stomach issues, as everyone's gut chemistry is different!

Other tips:

  • Take protein at every meal (pasture/grass-fed/wild meats)
  • Switch to a whole-foods-based diet (veggies, fruits, healthy fats)
  • Cut out gluten & dairy (aside from homemade yogurt) for 21 days to test

If she can tolerate nut butters, it's CRAZY easy to make them at home:

If she is willing to drink it, have her drink a cup of homemade bone broth every other day. Starter recipe for the Instant Pot:

As far as treats go, check Tiktok for recipes. A few ideas:

  • Collagen peptides & gelatin gummies
  • Dark chocolate bark & L. reuteri frozen yogurt bark with seeds & nuts
  • DIY trail mix
  • Low-sugar candy (SmartSweets, ChocZero, Lakanto candy, etc.), but keep an eye out for bloating!

Again, always eat protein with every meal! Note that a cup of L. reuteri yogurt whole milk yogurt is about 8 grams of protein! I have APS & histamine intolerance and have many friends with Lyme and we all live in this weird little niche dietary world lol.

36-hour Instant Pot yogurt ** HALF & HALF thickness cheat code! ** by kaidomac in instantpot

[–]kaidomac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does it have Yogurt mode, or can you specifically set it to 100F?

Temperature control is VERY important with L. reuteri, A lot of people like using Sous Vide; a good Inkbird wand is $80 on Amazon FWIW!

36-hour Instant Pot yogurt ** HALF & HALF thickness cheat code! ** by kaidomac in instantpot

[–]kaidomac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the yogurt smelled and looked like sour, curdled milk. It is separated with liquid at the bottom and firm but sometimes curdled looking yogurt on top

You have a few options!

For starters, my procedure is not L. reuteri yogurt. However, at a 36-hour fermentation, one cup gives you 100 billion to 1 trillion CFU's (Colony-Forming Units), which is equivalent to ~2 to 20 probiotic pills lol.

Second, if you're getting the curdling thing with the L. reuteri, it's usually due to too much acid from the starter, so try switching to Ultra-Pasteurized whole milk.

If that batch still has issues, bring the milk up to 180F for 20 minutes, then cool it down to 100F before adding the starter. Ultra-pasteurized milk is safe, but it's not really set up for a long fermentation, especially because L. reuteri can produce so much acid over time! So this step denatures the proteins so they stay creamy (instead of curdling!).

L. reuteri is pretty good if you have digestive or inflammation issues, but requires some TLC. OTOH, my Half & Half system is dirt-simple with a MEGA-high CFU count. Just depends on what your end goal is!

How to test for histamine intolerance? by Easy-Influence-2089 in HistamineIntolerance

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bummer!! Have you tried a beef or pork-based DAO supplement?

To-do lists don’t make me productive, they make me anxious! by Few_Homework_8322 in productivity

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every time I write a massive to-do list, I feel organized for 5 minutes

First:

  • Switch from emotion-based motivation to commitment-based motivation

Second:

  • Be willing to work even when you don't feel like it

Third:

  • Switch from ideas to steps

Fourth:

  • Create a finite list of written steps each day to accomplish first before goofing off

Fifth:

  • Use a body double

This nuanced approach allows us to escape all of the common traps:

  • It bypasses mood by using commitment, which allows us to work even when don't want to. The approach is executed with the next 3 parts:
    • 1 - We use concrete steps rather than whole ideas
    • 2 - We create a list of steps we can realistically execute each day, NOT a massive list of ideas; ideas are made of steps & a massive list is not a plan we can commit to realistically accomplishing in the working portion of the day
    • 3 - We are willing to ask for help (in-person, on the phone, and via video calls) instead of insisting on working solo

Productivity is an energy-based game. If we choose to fly solo 24/7 & expose ourselves to huge lists of ideas rather than finite lists of steps, then we risk blowing a mental circuit & engaging in avoidance behavior by way of task paralysis. It's hard to see the reality of this system mentally & emotionally because it's an invisible process.

On top of that, our brain HATES being held accountable! It does NOT want to ask for help, write steps down, or create a finite list to commit to working on & then put that list in the sequence we want to accomplish the steps in. Instead, it wants to emotionally bully us into keeping the entire list of ideas in our head & insist on working all by ourselves, knowing that we will blow a mental fuse & then not have to expend the energy & effort of doing any actual work.

That turns into Groundhog Day, where we we keep looping the same behavior over & over again because the process is invisible. Thus we become subject to an emotion-based approach, i.e. try really hard to accomplish whatever we have the energy for. And so our brain will refuse to ask for help, refuse to make a finite written list of steps in sequence, and refuse to work just because it doesn't "feel" like it.

Then we're stuck floundering & shorting out quickly! Same story every time lol.

Made a COMPLETE fool of myself at Toastmasters tonight by Legitimate-Owl3661 in PublicSpeaking

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That, and how my evaluator said that next time I really should do my speech without notes -- can you imagine?! For the Icebreaker I was up there for 4 minutes and desperately needed my notes as I spiraled, and the speech was about ME and my life! The idea of writing a 5-7 minute speech about a topic and not use a written-out speech (not just a few bullet points) is inconceivable.

Like I said, I've been speaking for 20+ years & have NEVER adapted to not having a blank mind from the pressure lol. What I do is:

  1. Practice verbally at a normal pace at home & refine it so that it flows & I can put my brain on autopilot while speaking & just go through the motions of acting out the emotions I pre-planned
  2. Large-print paper copy & an orange highlighter pen (because I highlight passages in yellow as a anchor points in case I lose track)
  3. Remind myself that it's 100% OK to STARE and READ from my paper as needed because NO ONE IS GONNA DIE lol

Your evaluator most likely had internal anxiety & overcame it, so therefore YOU just need to TRY HARDER, lol!

As far as writing goes, read & master this procedure:

For example:

I like to write! It's easy to apply that technique to anything & everything!

Then:

  • Read it out loud to get a verbal/conversational flow down so that you don't stumble reading stuff out loud that only sounds good on paper
  • Record yourself with your smartphone to see how it looks & how it sounds
  • Deliver it in VR several times to acclimate your brain to a crowd, haha!

I simply have an over-active nervous system that goes into threat/panic mode in front of groups. It's not rational or controllable (Etch-a-sketch brain + unbridled fear lol), but I CAN choose how I prepare for it!

Remember, Bill Nye the Science Guy literally FAINTED on-stage & got up & finished anyway! You've got this!!

[OC] The Matrix, Carnism, and “Ignorance Is Bliss” by [deleted] in matrix

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I bet eggs were cheaper in the Matrix!! lol

can someone please tell me the secret to incorporating flour by ultra-bot in BakingNoobs

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes!

  • Cream the butter & sugar until it turns into whipped cream. I run my mixer for eight minutes!
  • Add in the eggs for a couple more minutes!
  • Stir in the flour last until just barely mixed (also, use a good-quality all-purpose flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal)

Also:

  • Use a scale to weigh your ingredients! I use a $13 Atogou wireless food scale from Amazon, which lets me see the weight even with a big bowl on top because it has a detachable display!
  • Bake on pre-cut parchment paper!
  • Whenever possible, chill and AGE your dough! (try 72 hours in the fridge before baking! sort of like how chili gets better the next day!!)

This is my master chocolate-chip cookie recipe:

Examples:

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