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