bliumuncher
Assistant Cook
How cool would it be if you can see the underside of your food cooking on the pan on your phone or something so that if you have to be away to do something you can still see the progress of what you're cooking?
Random Cooking Idea
- Thread starter bliumuncher
- Start date
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What kind of food would you do that with? I'm skeptical.
Linda0818
Head Chef
If I want to see the underside of my food cooking, I just lift it up to check it.
To add, if I'm frying something, I never walk away and just leave it on its own. If I have to be away to do something else, I don't start cooking until I can devote all of my time to what I'm doing in the kitchen. Meaning, I don't think I would really have a use for for an 'app' that would allow me to keep an eye on my food because I would never leave it unattended in the first place.
To add, if I'm frying something, I never walk away and just leave it on its own. If I have to be away to do something else, I don't start cooking until I can devote all of my time to what I'm doing in the kitchen. Meaning, I don't think I would really have a use for for an 'app' that would allow me to keep an eye on my food because I would never leave it unattended in the first place.
That's what I was thinking. But, there are times I walk away. I don't stand and wait for brown rice to cook, once it's properly started and the heat is down to min. I might let a soup or stew tend itself on the stove for a while. But, I have a loud timer and I set it to remind me that I have to go check on that stuff. I really don't need to see the bottom of the food in that case. By the time I can see that there is a problem, I shouldn't be wasting my time looking at an app. I should be running to the kitchen to turn off the burner.If I want to see the underside of my food cooking, I just lift it up to check it.
To add, if I'm frying something, I never walk away and just leave it on its own. If I have to be away to do something else, I don't start cooking until I can devote all of my time to what I'm doing in the kitchen. Meaning, I don't think I would really have a use for for an 'app' that would allow me to keep an eye on my food because I would never leave it unattended in the first place.
Linda0818
Head Chef
Completely agree.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Classic gen Z.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Like a glass bottomed boat. You could see the fat sizzling and the food gradually changing color. I'd want to see that once or twice.
Me too. But, I don't want an app to use that as a way to keep an eye on my food.
Ah come on. We were all inexperienced cooks at one time. Some of us had ideas that we we thought were clever or nifty, but weren't actually practical.
Kathleen
Cupcake
Welcome to DC, @bliumuncher! Actually, I had a set of glass pots and pans once upon a time! They are still around and are still called "Visions." I did not keep my set. Everything stuck to them when I used them. Perhaps it was my inexperience, but they simply did not work for me. I swear that water would stick, so I moseyed back to my TNT cast-iron. I will admit that it was pretty and fun to watch. I guess you could point a camera or baby monitor at to watch while away.
To others, come on. It was cool to watch! Just like my kitchen rotisserie is fun to watch. Convection in action! Y'all know that cooking is chemistry, right? Fried eggs are an example of denatured protein.
To others, come on. It was cool to watch! Just like my kitchen rotisserie is fun to watch. Convection in action! Y'all know that cooking is chemistry, right? Fried eggs are an example of denatured protein.
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OP
OP
bliumuncher
Assistant Cook
Hey all, thanks for your insights. I genuinely appreciate the time you guys took to put consideration into my wacky idea.
I personally think the application makes no sense if it's food that you have to conduct constant activity with ie. cooking risotto or sauteing vegetables etc. because you're there to watch your food anyway. It also has less of a place for instances of when I'm cooking with friends, in which case we'd want to actively participate in the cooking activity instead of viewing it as a chore (unless there's a wait time in which we could then all be away and come back when we need to, then maybe the application has a place in this scenario).
My idea is still in its infancy, but it's been on my mind primarily with regards to food that requires you to flip. There's often a wait time, and I'm a pretty big multitasker, so I hope to be able to do other things in the meantime while still being able to monitor my food so that I don't always have to be in the kitchen, and that I only need to be there when I need to.
I'm personally a skeptic too, since I like to build fancy gadgets that help me out around the house, but I don't want to build anything that doesn't help me out in anyway.
Being stuck to watching my kitchen like a hawk isn't ideal for me, and just like the Roomba concept, having something that frees up some of my time is definitely something that I'll personally appreciate.
I wonder where this conversation can go, and if I find that there's some sentiment that makes this gadget worth it, maybe I'll build it for my mother as a Christmas gift haha.
I personally think the application makes no sense if it's food that you have to conduct constant activity with ie. cooking risotto or sauteing vegetables etc. because you're there to watch your food anyway. It also has less of a place for instances of when I'm cooking with friends, in which case we'd want to actively participate in the cooking activity instead of viewing it as a chore (unless there's a wait time in which we could then all be away and come back when we need to, then maybe the application has a place in this scenario).
My idea is still in its infancy, but it's been on my mind primarily with regards to food that requires you to flip. There's often a wait time, and I'm a pretty big multitasker, so I hope to be able to do other things in the meantime while still being able to monitor my food so that I don't always have to be in the kitchen, and that I only need to be there when I need to.
I'm personally a skeptic too, since I like to build fancy gadgets that help me out around the house, but I don't want to build anything that doesn't help me out in anyway.
Being stuck to watching my kitchen like a hawk isn't ideal for me, and just like the Roomba concept, having something that frees up some of my time is definitely something that I'll personally appreciate.
I wonder where this conversation can go, and if I find that there's some sentiment that makes this gadget worth it, maybe I'll build it for my mother as a Christmas gift haha.
So, this might work for something that takes a long time before you have to flip it. But, I'm not sure what things that would be where being able to see would matter much. I might flip something that is braising after half an hour. But, generally speaking, I will do that based on time. The appearance won't make much difference, especially not the underside.
Multi-tasking implies that you are busy doing at least two things. If we are only talking about waiting a few minutes to flip (which, in my experience is usually the case), then the problem for me isn't that I'm not in the kitchen, it's that I get distracted by the other tasks that I am busy doing. For example, I was chopping vegetables while I was toasting sesame seeds. Those are boring to watch constantly. But, you really can't chop much before you have to check the sesame seeds. If I had to start fiddling with an app, it would take me longer than turning around and picking up and shaking the skillet with the sesame seeds toasting in it.
Multi-tasking implies that you are busy doing at least two things. If we are only talking about waiting a few minutes to flip (which, in my experience is usually the case), then the problem for me isn't that I'm not in the kitchen, it's that I get distracted by the other tasks that I am busy doing. For example, I was chopping vegetables while I was toasting sesame seeds. Those are boring to watch constantly. But, you really can't chop much before you have to check the sesame seeds. If I had to start fiddling with an app, it would take me longer than turning around and picking up and shaking the skillet with the sesame seeds toasting in it.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Haha, I was just poking fun at the generation where media devices generally never leaves their side or hand.
As far as having a device that detects the nuance of cooking is about as far away as letting a vehicle controlled by A1 drive up to a 4 way stop and make a decision to proceed on a busy day.
OP
OP
bliumuncher
Assistant Cook
What if you didn't have to do any more interaction, and simply had a display?
GinnyPNW
Master Chef
For me, it would distract me from some of my favorite things about cooking! There's more to it than just a visual thing! The feel, the smell, all those things play into it. Besides, hands on is the best part!
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
For me, this is not something I would use to help me cook. As I mentioned before, it would be interesting to see once or twice.
Experienced cooks don't need that view. I cannot imagine how you would actually provide it. As a simulation, it's worthless as a cooking aid.
OP
OP
bliumuncher
Assistant Cook
Thanks everyone!
Sir_Loin_of_Beef
Chef Extraordinaire
I still don't see how that is much better than turning around to look. If I'm chopping stuff, I'm looking at what I'm doing. I don't like cutting my fingers.
But where would the camera be? I have a gas stove, I can't imagine the camera being someplace where the flames wouldn't affect it, plus spills on the camera lens, etc. so not sure how this would work. Even with an electric range this would be difficult, as the camera would have to be installed by the manufacturer of the stove, I imagine. I have in the past had some glass fry/sautee' pans where I could see underneath the pans by lifting them up slightly.
