[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by hserus

.....
A normal fridge's freezer tends not to go below 0 or 1 degree Celsius.

Have you measured the temperature, ever?
A single door domestic fridge will easily go to minus 18°C if the door is not opened frequently. On a two door fridge the freezer can quite easily maintain this temperature.

The thermostat is usually set at about the half way mark by most people and they never think of changing its position because they have no way to know the inside temperatures.

Please get a couple of these and then you will be in a position to know.

[hserus]

The thermostat is kept at the halfway mark because the temperature needs to vary widely - and it will, in a well stocked refrigerator that is not overfull (so the air flow is maintained)

Turn it all the way low and the freezer ices up and has to be defrosted (there probably also exists an auto defrost cycle, on some models)

As for not opening it regularly, well, it gets opened to take stuff out to cook three meals a day, whenever people want water / juice etc etc. So there is inevitable temperature loss.

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Have you measured the temperature, ever?
A single door domestic fridge will easily go to minus 18°C if the door is not opened frequently. On a two door fridge the freezer can quite easily maintain this temperature.

The thermostat is usually set at about the half way mark by most people and they never think of changing its position because they have no way to know the inside temperatures.

Please get a couple of these and then you will be in a position to know.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by hserus

The thermostat is kept at the halfway mark because the temperature needs to vary widely - ...

Could you please explain what this means? Why does the temperature have to vary widely and how does the thermostat permit or prevent that?

[hserus]

See - the temperature is naturally different at different places within a fridge. The higher areas are cooler, lower warmer, the door is warmer than the inside of the fridge etc. Then how full or how empty the fridge is affects airflow and therefore temperature.

If you pack the fridge full and even if you crank it up - airflow reduces, the fridge ices up - including the evaporator coils at the back, eventually, which overall reduces cooling. Besides other food in the fridge might in the meantime while the temperature drops freeze and hence spoil that way just as well as it would spoil if the temperature were too warm inside.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by hserus

....
If you pack the fridge full and even if you crank it up - airflow reduces, the fridge ices up - including the evaporator coils at the back, eventually, which overall reduces cooling......

A frost free fridge is never supposed to be 'packed'. At most 70% of the space is to be used and with some separation between the items.

My personal preference runs to non-frost-free (no forced air cooling) and I retired my frost free fridges many years ago. I now use two 2 door fridges that are direct cool; 315 ltrs each, and one single door 165 ltrs that dates back to 1982 and still cools almost better than the newer ones that are 16 years old now. Minus 18 is easy to maintain in any of the freezer compartments. I measure toward the top of each space because that represents the worst case scenario. 5 to 8°C in the fridges and minus 18 or lower in the freezers.

[hserus]

OK that sounds about right then.

But well, you have three fridges - I make do with one small 165 liter fridge in a 2bhk (not much space for an array of stuff, so I like things compact as far as possible)

You're quite right, the older fridges and aircons last for years till they finally give out, then the new ones conk out within five years or less. I guess the manufacturers must have wised up that they need people buying new kit from them, not hanging on permanently to the old stuff.

Witness, for example, earlier models of the Honda City vs the ANHC in terms of build quality, niggles etc etc.

[anupmathur]

And while we are at this topic let me tell you a very interesting fact that many are not aware of. The volume of direct cool fridges is rated by the usable space inside while a 'new' specification was made for frost free fridges; the quoted space is the entire volume of the box. Usable space is always at least 15 to 20% less than an equivalent volume direct cool fridge. Add to this the fact that you cannot 'pack' things into a frost free fridge and you begin to understand the amount of usable space you are being deprived of!

[Sheel]

I would like to know as to what cooking does an air fryer do?

Microwave oven may win over an air fryer but at what things does an air fryer excel (if any)

For baking purposes (fish), making omelette, boiling vegetables, what kind of microwave oven will suffice?

[Soumyajit9]

POPPY SEEDS HELP NEEDED FOR USA TRAVELER:

Putting up this post on this thread for a query that I didn't find an answer anywhere else with clarity.

I am Bengali and by default "addicted" to food preparations with Poppy Seeds (aka Khas Khas).
I am able to find Poppy Seeds in many grocery stores in Jersey City because there is a huge Indian community here.
However it is crazy expensive (obviously). 396 grams costs $10. Now 396 grams will be consumed in just about 2-3 servings

So I was wondering if I can carry about 1 kg of poppy seeds from India when I am returning from vacation ?

I am flying DEL - JFK Non Stop Air India.
Port of Departure is DEL and Pot of Arrival is JFK. (Thankfully I don't have a Dubai or any other connection, read some scary incidents on another thread).

Can I carry Poppy Seeds into USA ?

I read the US - CBP website: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det.../poppy%20seeds

Any advise or guidance would be helpful.
I know many BHPians settled here in USA, would be nice if someone could please put me touch with someone who has a clarity on the rules .

Cheers,
Soumyajit

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Sheel

I would like to know as to what cooking does an air fryer do?

Microwave oven may win over an air fryer but at what things does an air fryer excel (if any)

For baking purposes (fish), making omelette, boiling vegetables, what kind of microwave oven will suffice?

Air fryer = convection oven.
... a buzzword term concocted by some Marketing guy wearing boringly safe clothing.
Technically, frying = cooking in hot oil. You cannot fry using air.

If you already have a microwave with grill/coil and convention fan, I firmly believe you don't require an "air fryer"

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

POPPY SEEDS HELP NEEDED FOR USA TRAVELER:

Putting up this post on this thread for a query that I didn't find an answer anywhere else with clarity.

I am Bengali and by default "addicted" to food preparations with Poppy Seeds (aka Khas Khas).
I am able to find Poppy Seeds in many grocery stores in Jersey City because there is a huge Indian community here.
However it is crazy expensive (obviously). 396 grams costs $10. Now 396 grams will be consumed in just about 2-3 servings
.......
Cheers,
Soumyajit

How much do you get poppy seeds for? Beware of spurious and/or adulterated seeds that are sold in open market at low cost. The price has doubled in the last couple of years. In our case one 100g packet of branded seeds last at least twice if not more. With spurious ones you need a lot more.

We buy branded Poppy Seeds at Rs 77/100g, that is about US$10/kg, so the prices in US are really not crazy, but just high.

Poppy seeds are banned in many countries and as such there is no need to get hassled with customs either enroute of at the destination. I would advise you to buy them in US as the markup is similar to most spices sold there.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by alpha1

If you already have a microwave with grill/coil and convention fan, I firmly believe you don't require an "air fryer"

Yes. I have this at home.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by alpha1

...
If you already have a microwave with grill/coil and convention fan, I firmly believe you don't require an "air fryer"

Except for one small detail - the very small volume of an 'air fryer' does the job far more quickly and with far less energy consumption. One needs to decide whether this makes it worthwhile.

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by Aroy

How much do you get poppy seeds for? Beware of spurious and/or adulterated seeds that are sold in open market at low cost. The price has doubled in the last couple of years. In our case one 100g packet of branded seeds last at least twice if not more. With spurious ones you need a lot more.

We buy branded Poppy Seeds at Rs 77/100g, that is about US$10/kg, so the prices in US are really not crazy, but just high.

Poppy seeds are banned in many countries and as such there is no need to get hassled with customs either enroute of at the destination. I would advise you to buy them in US as the markup is similar to most spices sold there.

Thanks for the response Aroy !

We buy Poppy seeds at about Rs.660/kg ie about $10 in US.

In US, we get 386 grams at $10. So yeah, it is more than double price in US.

Even I do not want to get caught up unnecessarily in US border protection guys. My first preference is not to carry it to US. But just exploring if it is allowed indeed. That way I can enjoy some more poshto without buring $$

[Sheel]

Why has this thread gone silent? I was watching You Tube videos of Kerala and Tamil food villages [pretty popular] but none of them list out the ingredients.

Any recent recipe you people have tried? Please share