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Re: Ed - Hearthkit.

Nifcon@aol.com
Sun, 24 Nov 2002 17:44:31 EST
v102.n055.14
I wrote:
 >>improvement in final bread is only slightly better than using bakestones<<

Ed ("Ed Dalton" <edsniche@snet.net>) wrote:
 >Not sure what you base this statement concerning the HearthKit on, as you 
say the only way you would have one is to win it in a lottery.  This 
indicates to me you haven't tried one.  I have owned and used a HearthKit 
since January, baking several hundred loaves.  In a two week period in 
February I baked over a hundred loaves for an event.  Prior to using a 
HearthKit I used a baking stone for many years and find the HearthKit 
produces a far superior loaf.  Additionally chicken, Cornish game hens, 
duck etc, come out wonderful.  Far superior to any other method I have 
tried at home.<

You're perfectly correct - in future when asked about the hearthkit I will
reply "I don't know if it's worth the money or not because I haven't tried
one" which is all I'm entitled to say.

I wrote:
 >>little time honing your knife skills so that crushing and chopping a clove
of garlic is a matter of  seconds, quicker than taking the press off the
hook<<

Ed wrote:
 >If one hones his walking skills an automobile isn't necessary, if one 
hones his candle making skills electric lights aren't necessary.<

Neither statement is true - if you need to go 300 miles in 12 hours, no 
amount of walking practice will allow you to perform that journey on foot. 
If you need  a milllion candlepower light to power a lighthouse then a 
million candles are an impractical way of achieving that light output no 
matter how good a candlemaker you are.

Ed wrote:
 >There are a lot of things that are not necessary, however it's just fun 
to have and use them.  The HearthKit is a great addition to those that 
enjoy the fun things and like making great breads at home.<

Labour saving and deskilling devices are not fun to use, where's the fun in 
using a garlic press? A blender?. A mixer. Don't get me wrong, I' m not a 
neo-luddite, If I want  to make Brioche I'll run my Kenwood (I'm not stingy 
with money when I think it's  well spent) rather than mix the brioche by 
hand (yes I have done that).

The kitchen equipment I enjoy using is well-made basic tools, knives, pans, 
excellent quality bakeware. I even have a couple of bannetons - the bread's 
no better- they just feel nice to pick up. A large proportion of the stock 
of kitchen shops is made up of items destined for the bottom drawer, the 
Gadgets' Graveyard.

I can, and, due to circumstances beyond my control , often do make bread, 
excellent bread, and cook fine food in very poorly equipped kitchens 
because a manual skill can be improved by a better implement but if the 
skill has been replaced by a machine or was never developed in the first 
place you've got problems.

And I'm not unaware that, due to illness or injury, a technique may be 
unavailable to an individual. Parkinson's Disease has already robbed me of 
much of my skill with a knife and I can no longer use a peel. But I can 
still crush a garlic clove with a knife faster than I can use and clean a 
press.

I'm also well aware  that I'm way off-topic here so I'd better stop.

John