: [Sca-cooks] Range/toys (was Re: Woks

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

>I assume the salamander section is the little oven like thing on the right
>
>below the grill. Why do you not consider this optimal? This looks like the
>
>broiler under my oven. What advantages does having this seperate unit give
>you?

Yes, teh salamander is a broiling unit.  It is most often found "free
standing" and mounted at eye level in restaurants.  The advantage of it is
that you can get a lot of heat on hand very easily, without having to open
the oven.  Also, the shelf for it is much closer to the flame, hence being
more effective.

Having it mounted that low makes it hard to use.  Given the *extreme* heat
that comes out of there, you really dont' want to go fishing willy nilly
without looking at what's going on.  This involves some bending, which is
not a good idea.

Salamanders can be used for flash heating plates, flash cooking thin pieces
of meat/fish, and doing au gratin or gratinee on many items.

In this setup, it's not as bad as some other setups you can get in that
configuration.  More later in this mail.

>Also, the ad says "ten open burners". I only see six on the left hand
>side. Perhaps you lift off the grill to get to the additional four?

The ad is a little misleading.  It's *up to* ten burners.  the raised
section on the right hand side is that option.  it can be ten open burners,
or 6 burners with a griddle/salamander combo, or also found  6 burners with
a grill/salamander combo.

Griddle is a flat top on which you can cook directly.  Grill is, well, a
grill.  The grill/salamander combo is just about the worst idea you can
get, seeing that the juices from what you cook on the grill can drip into
what you have in the salamander.  Blerch.

>Geez. Sounds like something from that "Home Improvement" show.

Ha!  Well, considering it all, I'd rather be able to to a load in 90
seconds than in 90 minutes...  In the long run, you're bound to save money
and time ;-)

Gorgeous Muiredach the Odd
Clan of Odds
Shire of Forth Castle
Meridies
mka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry