Yet Another Cycling Forum
Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: FifeingEejit on 15 February, 2021, 11:06:23 pm
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As a spur of some thread where I mentioned toast...
I just cooked some bread from frozen on setting 3,this horror of burntness emerged
If this is setting 3,what on earth does 6 produce, Charcoal? (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210215/b55e0c0b898354646d02b1279e92c543.jpg)
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Obviously I followed up with an experiment at 1.3141759ish, I'm still dubious about the level of burn on it, I might try again on 1 exactly (lowest setting)
What is your toaster setting and what does your toast look like?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210215/ef10487fb5dbbd2671c340d36aa99a37.jpg)
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I don't know which toaster you use.
Ours came from Sainsbury's.
We eat mostly Vogel's Soya & Linseed wholegrain bread, which we store in the freezer. This needs MUCH more time in the toaster than the Burgen's we get when Vogel's is unavailable.
Much depends on the density of the bread.
Fluffy foam needs little time to brown and burn.
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Toaster settings are crude timers, which make no account for bread temperature, toaster temperature, bread thickness, moisture content or albedo. Attempting to SCIENCE them is a recipe for [BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP - Ed]
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I was more interested in people's concepts of toast tbh.
Does anyone's toaster go up to 11?
And now I think of it im kind of dissapointed that Kim hasn't declared the production of a bread/toast threshold detecting circuit to replace the crude timer.
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Surely the only true toaster doesn't try hiding the fact that the settings are just timers?
(https://brain-images-ssl.cdn.dixons.com/5/5/01064355/l_01064355.jpg)
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I was more interested in people's concepts of toast tbh.
Does anyone's toaster go up to 11?
And now I think of it im kind of dissapointed that Kim hasn't declared the production of a bread/toast threshold detecting circuit to replace the crude timer.
Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
I think someone beat Kim to it:
https://youtu.be/1OfxlSG6q5Y
I don't know if the level of brown is adjustable, but it seems unlikely.
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I was more interested in people's concepts of toast tbh.
A way of turning crap bread into a butter delivery system.
And now I think of it im kind of dissapointed that Kim hasn't declared the production of a bread/toast threshold detecting circuit to replace the crude timer.
I've had some accidental success with a catalytic combustible gas sensor[1] (which we have in the kitchen, because barakta's sense of smell is dubious). Unlike the traditional smoke detector, toast triggers it at a level just *before* the toast is incinerated.
(We use the grill, because we have a small kitchen and don't habitually eat toast.)
[1] Which is basically Cheesoid, and will scream PETRIL! at pretty much any volatile hydrocarbon, including the substantial amount of ethanol released by baking bread.
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I turn everything to max and then wait for the first curls of smoke and then manually pop up the slices. It's not worth risking undercooked and potentially raw toast. It needs a bit of char. Wait 30 seconds and then ravish with butter.
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As a spur of some thread where I mentioned toast...
I just cooked some bread from frozen on setting 3,this horror of burntness emerged
If this is setting 3,what on earth does 6 produce, Charcoal? (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210215/b55e0c0b898354646d02b1279e92c543.jpg)
Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
Are you sure it’s a toaster and not, say, a kiln or a reactor?
Assuming it is a toaster, have you plugged it directly into a small star?
My toaster only goes up to 5. 5 I-don’t-know-whats. Minutes? Shades of brown? Carats?
3 does for medium-sliced white bread but I need 9 (5+4) to adequately toast a crumpet.
Mine has 4 slots, but the stays-down-then-pops-up elf in slots 3 and 4 died, so I use a rubber band to hold that lever down and I never, repeat never (any more) wonder if I’ve just got time to [fill in slightly too long activity of choice] while I’m waiting because I now know that I definitely haven’t.
And all of this is better than my stupid electric grill (which is less a sideways toaster, more a viper in my bosom) which goes: raw, raw, raw, carbon.
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The thought of a Kitchen Cheesoid fills me with glee :thumbsup:
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I was more interested in people's concepts of toast tbh.
I was going to say it's just about acceptable when overwhelmed by a quantity of baked beans or maybe buttery fried mushrooms, but Kim beat me to it.
quote][Does anyone's toaster go up to 11?[/quote]
I think ours goes up to 7. Human love of prime numbers, I guess.
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I was more interested in people's concepts of toast tbh.
Your first pic looks like a perfect level of doneness to me. Second pic is still a tad pale round the edges.
I find a lot depends on the thickness of the bread*. Thicker slices can take being more crisp and crunchy on the outside while remaining soft in the middle, which is the paradigm. It's also a flavour thing - Maillard reactions, innit.
The dial on my Dualit toaster goes up to 3, but then has a 'beyond 3' section (without going all the way up to 4, for some reason). I rarely set it much beyond 2 for thick bread, or 1.5 for thin bread. Because I want to make toast, not set off the smoke alarm. I have no idea why it goes up that far.
I have some homemade teacakes in the freezer and I am now craving one. Straight from the freezer, that will probably be done to optimum brownness on about 2. I shall take a pic and report back in due course...
*ETA: and all the other factors Kim mentioned - it's rarely the same twice, much guesswork involved
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albedo
This is a new word I have learned today, thank you, and I would never have imagined it had relevance to toast, but it makes sense - although I can't work out if this means white bread will toast quicker than brown, or vice versa.
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My toaster dial:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50950309542_b27959afcb.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kCiDWN)
Toasted teacakes - actually slightly overdone for my liking, because I was distracted by pictures of pancakes on instagram, but still very much within the range of edibility, especially when slathered with plenty of butter:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50949506638_14b0b5bffc.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kCexgC)
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Ooo, that's all fancy, Citoyen, ours just has the 2 way switch for 2 slices or four.
How many times have you had to replace the timer? We are on number 3 (in 12 years)
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I've got the 3 slice, and on the original timer after about 20 years, daily use.
The quality of bread is all.
I like "burnt" toast in most people's eyes, but not mouth. That is, my wholemeal bread caramelises nicely, the perfect combination is black edges and dark brown middle. This add extra savour to toast for the c50% of the time I add caraway seed. However, the recent time I had shop bought bread, it was total shit and I dislike the burnt stuff intensely. It also took c half the time to toast to a similar degree (it was also around 50% lighter -these things may be connected)
My white bread needs less time, but also caramelises into burnt in a way shop bought like the OP doesn't.
I wonder if the longevity of my timer is due in part to being used @ max setting most times, for wholemeal slice from the freezer.
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I have a 2 slice Dualit from the late 80s, when they were made in Peckham, long before they became a fashion item and John Lewis started selling them. It is a slightly different shape to the curved castings you have today. I paid £50.00 for it. New.
My bread gets done by adjusting the dial to the little black triangle just past the '2' - See Citoyen's picture above.
Pitta bread gets done on '3'.
Timer is the original one. The only thing I've done with it is I've mounted it on rubber grommets so that it doesn't resonate so much through the aluminium casting. Can't have all that mechanical racket going on first thing in the morning.
ETA :Obligatory ahead-of-the-curve trend setter photo
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg)][url=http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg) (http://[url=http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E)[/url]
No idea why the photo has posted twice ::-)
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I have a 2 slice Dualit from the late 80s, long before they became a fashion item and John Lewis started selling them. It is a slightly different shape to the curved castings you have today. I paid £50.00 for it. New.
My bread gets done by adjusting the dial to the little black triangle just past the '2' - See Citoyen's picture above.
Pitta bread gets done on '3'.
Timer is the original one. The only thing I've done with it is I've mounted it on rubber grommets so that it doesn't resonate so much through the aluminium casting. Can't have all that mechanical racket going on first thing in the morning.
ETA :Obligatory ahead-of-the-curve trend setter photo
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg)][url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg) (http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E) (https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurekb/)
No idea why the photo has posted twice ::-)
Your BBCode has multiple IMG & URL tags:
[url=http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E]
[img width=640 height=480]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg[/img]][url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E]
[img width=640 height=480]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E][/url]
[url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurekb/][/url]
This should work:
[url=http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kCuC3E][img width=640 height=480]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50952449386_7d0785d365_4k.jpg[/img][/url]
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We have a similar three slot one. We always used 1 for toast and then a few months back there were a couple of occasions when it stuck and stayed on. I took out he clockwork timer and cleaned the gack off and now it does not stick but moves much more quickly and we need to use 2.
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I've never replaced the timer but I have noticed that its speed is a bit variable - and I did once have a problem with it getting stuck and me not noticing until the toast alarm went off... Taking it out for cleaning sounds like a sensible idea.
I think one of the heating elements is duff as well, so I should replace that. I understand this is quite easy, I've just never got round to it.
The toaster was a wedding present so that means we've had it since 2003. I think. I can't actually remember what year we got married.
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The toaster was a wedding present so that means we've had it since 2003. I think. I can't actually remember what year we got married.
But that's okay because you did get your wife a lovely birthday card... ;D
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I thought the purpose of toasting was to a) help the butter melt into the bread and b) add crispiness. I have no clue what this caramelisation guff you're all wittering about is. Charcoal is for people (and animals) with bad breath or recent overdoses.
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AGA (again)
Insert bread into toaster
Put on hotplate
When it smells like toast, turn it over
When it smells like toast again, eat it.
Don't forget to admire the attractive grid pattern....
No photos as we have just eaten lunch
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Would brown bread need a higher setting than white, on the basis white would reflect a bit more energy?
Or is it the other way round, if dark colours radiate more energy?
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I have read that sourdough bread can fail to brown as toast if itxs been fermented so much that much of the sugars have been used up, leaving less for caramelisation.
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I have read that sourdough bread can fail to brown as toast if itxs been fermented so much that much of the sugars have been used up, leaving less for caramelisation.
Acid inhibits the Maillard reaction, so if it is sour, it takes longer/is less likely to brown. With pretzels you do the opposite, dunking in a strong alkali really promotes the browning when baking
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The brown bread might absorb more heat and need less toasting if it were just darker.
But many brown breads are more dense or have their moisture incorporated more firmly, so need toasting for longer.
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I have read that sourdough bread can fail to brown as toast if itxs been fermented so much that much of the sugars have been used up, leaving less for caramelisation.
Acid inhibits the Maillard reaction, so if it is sour, it takes longer/is less likely to brown. With pretzels you do the opposite, dunking in a strong alkali really promotes the browning when baking
It's worth noting that the Maillard reaction and caramelisation are slightly different processes - toast browning is the Maillard reaction rather than caramelisation.
At least, I think that's the case... It's chemistry, which I may have mentioned before is not my strong suit.
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Ach, you knew what I meant ;)
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As a quick fix, simply paint your bread with gravy. Though there might be accusations of 'blacking up' so don't Instagram it.
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As a quick fix, simply paint your bread with gravy. Though there might be accusations of 'blacking up' so don't Instagram it.
Or a charge of cultural appropriation from the Lancastrians.