What was your best purchase of 2021?

Maybe this topic could have been more timely but better late than never.

What is your best purchase of 2021? Since this is in the Not About Food forum anything goes.

The purchase I appreciate the most is a butcher block table. Pretty much a silly item but so convenient.

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Beautiful. But do you cut directly on it?

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Yes that’s what I find so rewarding. I cut everything from food to paper to anything. The end grain top is almost indestructible. The surface is fine for meats too but I use thin plastic cutting sheets because I’m annal and lazy when it comes to cleaning things up. [Who am I kidding, I’m lazy about everything.] Maintenance is just mineral oil.

The top is 4 inches thick so the table is heavy.

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Check out Howard’s Oil/Wax Combo. This is what I use on my Maple island. In addition to conditioning oil, the waxes seal it better against liquids and food, making it easier to wipe clean… plus you don’t have to apply as often.

Good stuff!

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a chocolate tempering machine; game changer for my business

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I need to google to learn about it. Any other info and pictures?

Thank you. I was using it for a while and just switched over to plan food grade mineral oil.

Meat too?

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Yes it is acceptable but I typically use a thin plastic cutting sheet.

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It allows me to temper much more chocolate much faster than I can by hand with simple melters. Melters keep chocolate warm but require a lot of maintenance like stirring and re-heating. The continuous tempering machine has a melting tank with stirring arm. When I want to temper chocolate, I push a button and it is sucked up into the top of the machine where it is cooled to the right temperature then dispensed through a nozzle. I can control the flow with a foot pedal and can also set it to dispense in increments of 50+ grams. The attached shaker table then vibrates the full molds to get any bubbles out.

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Wow! This is amazing and interesting. Thanks! Does your mate know you are having an affair with Selmi? And does Selmi have a sister? :grimacing:

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“Spacey” picture and font on the machine :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

You must be busy lately making lots of bonbons and Easter sweets.

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I got these in 2021 to replace my old running shoes. Super comfy even during my accidental half marathon in November.

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Not a thing, but an experience. A nice holiday.

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A dishwasher to replace the one that broke down just before the quarantine. I wanted to wait until I was fully vaxed before having an installation crew swarm around my kitchen. I have no counter space for a dish rack, so my sink was surrounded by piles of just-washed dishes.

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Oh, I guess a new stove as well. It was delivered in November, 2021 but due to Costco logistics confusion it wasn’t installed until February 2022.

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Pretty

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I like your moose.

I cannot remember if I bought it in 2020 or 2021, so I am sorry if I get it wrong. The best cookware I bought in the last two year, I will say is the Tiger Magic Cooker (a thermal cooker). I used to make my stock/broth using a Chinese style double boiler, but the Tiger Magic Cooker is just better.
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The best food purchase I did is the Japanese 静岡県 Crown Melon. Expensive for sure, but taste excellent.

The best teapot I bought is the Seaweed Tokoname 常滑 clay teapot by Hakusan 白山 .

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The best tea I got is from Banateacompany which is a the King’s Seal Raw Pu-erh Tea
The King’s Seal Raw Pu-erh Tea (banateacompany.com)

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