tjr wrote:I have used a Cuisinart MiniMate: https://www.cuisinart.com/shopping/disc ... ors/mm-2m/ . It has 2 speeds and a reversible blade with a sharp side and a rectangular side that bashes rather than chops. Works well enough that I bought another one NIB at a thrift store in case it fails. The clear plastic jar shows some wear along with some discoloration but no broken bits. Probably about twice the capacity of a coffee grinder. Grinding very oily things does cause a bit of clumping along the bottom edge, considerably less than a Waring-style blender.
This Xmas I was gifted a FinaMill set: https://www.finamill.com/ It's more like a battery powered pepper mill with ceramic burrs. Haven't played with it a lot so far, but it did a great job on cardamom seeds. I am hoping that it will do well with mixed spices including toasted seeds. For peppers, I think you'd want one of the grinding pods that are still in development: https://www.finamill.com/pages/max-and-gt-coming-soon
Darren72 wrote:I have a Secura 7412 grinder that I’m very happy with. It looks similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Electric- ... 079PMWD1B/
It has two grinding cups, one designed for totally dry items and the other for items with some moisture.
Darren72 wrote:I have a Secura 7412 grinder that I’m very happy with. It looks similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Electric- ... 079PMWD1B/
It has two grinding cups, one designed for totally dry items and the other for items with some moisture.
tjr wrote:FWIW, Secura's warranty service is excellent for this type of small no-name appliances. Also FWIW, there are knockoff dry containers for just over $50.
ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm not sure I understand. The entire Secura unit -- base, cup, lid and 2 grinder canisters -- were less than $40.
Just thought that if you want the higher capacity of the Vitamix you wouldn't necessarily have to spend $150.ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm not sure I understand...
tjr wrote:Just thought that if you want the higher capacity of the Vitamix you wouldn't necessarily have to spend $150.ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm not sure I understand...
jilter wrote:Not entirely on topic, I have yet to buy a pepper mill that works well and for a long while. How much do I have to spend to get a quality one, thank you.
ronnie_suburban wrote:Hi all,
I've been using a small Krups coffee grinder for a long time but it's not ideal. It can't really handle larger volumes, it heats up quickly and because the compartment cover is plastic, very hard spices -- like peppercorns and cinnamon sticks -- damage it and actually chip small pieces of it away . . . into the ground spices. Not good.
Was considering upgrading but many of the larger units, which are mostly metal, are pricey and don't score well in reviews. Am also considering just using my Vitamix. I've seen this done online but I'm not sure if it's a great practice over the long haul. I'd really appreciate any seasoned guidance (see what I did there?) that anyone has to share. I have a large amount of peppers from the summer that are now fully dry and ready for processing, so if there's a better way, I love to know it before I begin the task.
Thanks,
=R=
G Wiv wrote:I eat/make a lot of hummus. (Hummus, A Love Story: Recipe and Pictures) All different ways over the years, from dried beans to can, from sardine as accompaniment to raw beets incorporated in the mix. I've spent a half-hour de-skinning chickpeas and, conversely, just dumped a can in the blender. Machine wise, I've used Cuisinart, Hobart, Robot-Coupe, Vita-Prep, Oster blender, mortar/pestle and molcajete. Even tried an immersion blender.
Fast forward to Ronnie S's mention of 1-quart Vitamix dry canister, I have one that has seen little use and dusted it off to lend to Ronnie. In the interim a different friend loaned him theirs so I was looking at my shiny clean 1-quart Vitamix dry canister and thought to use it for a small batch of hummus. Just a quicky, one 14oz can of chickpeas. No simmering with baking soda and de-skinning, just rough and ready dump it in.
There seems to be something about the blade position/construction that lends itself to really pulverizing product, maybe that's why they use this for grain, but with no additional steps I got a smooth as silk batch of hummus, really nice consistency, better/different that when I simply use the larger day-today canister or even a Cuisinart, which I think makes better hummus that the Vita-Prep, though just by a slight amount.
So, all these words to say, the 1-quart Vitamix dry canister works great for small quick batches of hummus. If you have one give it a try.
Hummus, count me a Fan!
Evil Ronnie wrote:she asked if I would make some hummus. I couldn’t find the tahini, so I improvised. Peanut butter!
lougord99 wrote:No, but I want one.