This Forum To Blame For Carbon Emissions

[Muddypause]

Sometimes I wish you lot would stop being so interesting.

This evening, I pulled two lovely beetroots out, put them in a saucepan over a low heat, and came upstairs to look at this forum.

Ten minutes later, and an hour and a half has passed, and there is a strong smell of something carbonising in the kitchen.

I managed to save most of the beetroot, but I'm not sure if the saucepan will ever be the same again.

[Shirley]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!!!

[shiney]

Muddy, you are going to do what I have to do when I get stuck in here on SSF.

Put pan on heat.
Set timer for 10 mins.
Faff about on internet and SSF for allotted time.
Timer pings....
Step away from the PC
Save said beets or whatever is on stove.
And return to gawping at screen.
EASY!

[Wombat]

bummer mate!

Nev

[Muddypause]

Put pan on heat.
Set timer for 10 mins.

Timer?? Blimey, that's pretty advanced technology for my kitchen.

Actually, I wonder if there is scope for an online timer site?

[Millymollymandy]

Oh dear! I know what you mean about the time passing. I do as Shiney says and set my timer, which sits next to the computer, cos upstairs I can't hear the cooker's beeper!

[wulf]

If you're running Linux, I can send you a handy script that pops up a box saying "Ready" after a specified amount of time.

Mind you, I could do with using it myself. Yesterday morning the soup (various veg and some herbs from the garden) my wife put on before she went to work came to my attention when the "burning dry" smell reached my nostrils (she hadn't turned it down to a gentle simmer and I hadn't checked).

Then, yesterday evening, I pulled the first of my beetroot and almost did the same. I got to it just as the last water evaporated. It was edible but I'd boiled most of the colour out of it and it was unappetising brown rather than brilliant rich magenta!

Easily done!

Wulf

[shiney]

MMM, timers must be a girl thing. We are quite good at doing at least five things at once eh?

Note to self: Club together and get Muddy a timer for Christmas.

[wulf]

I'm normally very good with setting the timer (ever since the "burnt offering" experience!). I think I need to get into the habit of also using it for simmering things, especially if I'm going to consider leaving the kitchen and getting engrossed in something else.

Wulf

[Muddypause]

Note to self: Club together and get Muddy a timer for Christmas.

No, no, please, no! One of my pet hates are things that go beep or ping. I can't live with the impertinence of them; it's just plain rude to keep tooting at you. These things should know where their place is, and not keep interrupting. Sometimes, I am driven to teaching them some manners.

[Boots]

Oookay. I shall take that as a reminder to check the pea'n'ham soup!

Cheers Muddy!

[hedgewizard]

Yup, my son bought me an alarm clock shaped like a mini football last year. You throw it at something to shut it up... very good. It died on holiday though because I forgot I was in a hotel and it went out the window - never found it!

[Andy Hamilton]

How about a device that you wear that gives you a mild electric shock when your food is done, if you ignore it is gets less mild rather like the Stanley millgram experiment. NOthing would burn then, but you might end up a twitching mess like the police chief in the peter sellers film the Pink Panther.

[Cheezy]

what about trying to microwave yer beets in a small amount of water. Never tried it me sel, and it will bing at you just the once, however at least it stops cooking once it's times up!.

You'll be left with cold beetroot after an hour and a half , but at least it'll not be burnt, and I think I'm right in saying they use up less energy than heating a pan of water.

Of course this is providing you have one

[hedgewizard]

Actually I think that when it comes to liquids the amount of energy expended is very similar. The most efficient way to heat liquid is in a kettle (although if the beets get stuck round the heating element it could be awkward).