Category Archives: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

House Cleaning Hacks to Save You Time And Money

I decided to continue my theme of saving money by looking at some DIY cleaning products I make and use. However, I also do a lot of practical cleaning things, so I had to revisit the focus of this post. I’ll discuss DIY products and add easy ways to clean the house. This post will most benefit newbie cleaners who are starting with their first places. 

When I was single, I cleaned my apartment, but that apartment was small, and I was pretty organized, so cleaning was a simple process. When I bought a house, I hired a cleaning lady to do those tasks, which continued for many years after I remarried. However, I was never pleased with the cleaning ladies I used.  They often did a fantastic first clean and then some OK ones. As time went on, their work became more and more cursory. It was easier to go with the flow, so neither Julie nor I did much about it.

Ten years ago, Tom did a major remodel on our second floor, which was a great excuse to cancel our cleaning service due to construction. Julie was concerned, but I said I would do the cleaning. When I restarted this process, I discovered that many of the products we bought for the cleaning lady were empty and that both of our vacuum cleaners were inoperable (one had to be thrown out).  The cleaning lady never told us any of this. 

I didn’t have a lot of money when I cleaned my apartment in the early days, so I used the most straightforward methods possible.  However, now I could buy whatever I wanted, so I hit the hardware store’s cleaning products aisle and was astounded by the massive array of products.  It was overwhelming, and I bought everything in sight.  Granite cleaners, glass stove top cleaners, floor cleaners, bathroom cleaners, toilet cleaners, stainless steel cleaners, multipurpose cleaners and creams, glass cleaners, “magic” cleaners, wood cleaners, and so it went.  It was crazy, confusing, and expensive.

Dedicated products do a somewhat better job, but that difference is not great.  For most “cleans,” I go as simple as possible.  During the last 10 years, I have also experimented with different products to find the best value.  Sometimes, you don’t need the best of show; the best value product works well enough. I’ll share that info as well.

I live in the Midwest, which has moderately hard water.  I also use a traditional washing machine with an agitator. The machine is not a HE (high efficiency) machine, and I can’t comment on the needs of HE washers. Follow the instructions on your HE machine. All of my recommendations are my own, and they are based on my family and house.  Your needs may be different. However, you can still use these suggestions as a starting point.  As always, you do you.

About soaps/detergents in general

Many brands come in multiple variations. For instance, there is Original Tide, Tide with Downey, Simple Tide, Tide Oxy, and Hygenic Tide. I usually test the most popular formulation.  I’m unsure how different each formation is in a particular product line; some seem like marketing hype.  

Also, my tests are based on products that I have used over the years. I have not tested every single product on the market. My results are subjective but completely honest. Please shop by unit price (price per ounce or price per wash). I often find bigger-quantity products costing more per unit than smaller quantities or the exact same product by two different vendors at drastically different prices on Amazon. Use a calculator if necessary. 

The dishwasher

Only use detergent explicitly made for dishwashers (duh?).  If you can find powdered dishwashing detergent in a box, it is usually the most effective and cheapest.  Additionally, you can adjust the amount: a little for lightly soiled dishes and more for that spaghetti casserole.  

In our house, we have found pods more convenient. I have tested many, and I saw no difference in performance between the cheapest Walmart pods and the expensive multi-colored ones from the name brands. We primarily use inexpensive Kirkland pods (Costco), which do a great job. 

Dishwashing Soap

Everyone needs dishwashing soap (which is a detergent, not a soap), but what brand should you use?  The good news is that they all work, but some work better than others. A lot of this has to do with the concentration of detergent in the product.  You can’t judge how concentrated a product is based on its thickness.  All detergents, from dish soap to shampoo, use thickeners that add to the viscosity of the liquid but don’t add to the cleaning power. 

If you want the most potent dishwashing soap, go with the top-tier brand. However, I’m usually quite happy with middle-tier products. The low-tier products work, but you will need to use more of them, so they are likely not the bargain they seem on the surface. 

Top Tier

Everyone says Dawn is the best, and it likely is.  It is also the most expensive.

Dawn

Middle Tier

These products all work great, but they are not quite as concentrated as Dawn. I’m usually quite happy with them, and some are half the price of Dawn.

Palmolive dish soap

Kirkland (Costco brand)

Great Value (Walmart brand)

Gain dish soap

Radiance (Aldi brand)

Amazon Basics brand

Bottom Tier

These will do the job, but you will need more of the product, so what are you saving?

Ajax Dishwashing Soap

Awesome brand (Dollar Tree)

Sun Dishwashing Soap

Extra Credit brand

Both my sisters swear by this product, but it is more expensive and more limited in how you can use it. However, they say it is fantastic on grease. 

Dawn Power Wash

DIY Power Wash (my sister says it is just as good)

  1. Use an empty Power Wash bottle.
  1. To 13 ounces of water, add four tablespoons of dish soap and two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol.  Swirl to mix. 

How do you wash dishes? We use a sponge with a bit of detergent added to it.  You only need a tiny amount of dish soap for most dishes.  

Easy DIY cleaning method for greasy glass stovetops

When we fry something, we often get a layer of grease on our glass stovetop. You can buy expensive cleaners for this, but we use a DIY method.

  1. Put a few drops of dish soap around your stovetop.  
  2. Using a damp sponge, smear the soap around the entire stovetop. Leave it for a few minutes.
  3. Wipe off the soap using dry paper towels.
  4. Follow up that wipe with a somewhat wet sponge.
  5. Wipe that off with a dish towel or paper towel. 

Two very simple homemade general-purpose spray cleaners

I grew up in the science age when everything had a cool product name.  When I was a kid, multi-purpose spray cleaners hit the market with names like “Formula 409” and “Fantastic.”  I believe those products still exist, along with “Pink” products and “Mrs. Meyers,” to name a few.  

I’m constantly cleaning surfaces, and during the pandemic, cleaning supplies were in short supply, so I made some of my own.  However, I simplified those complicated products (that were anti-microbial) to be super easy to make—both of these work. Be conservative on how much detergent is added. If you add too much, you will leave streaks and residue that will attract dirt. 

You can use an empty spray bottle from a used-up product, but I like using a 32-ounce “professional” spray bottle. Product bottles often break after a few refills, but my pro bottle has lasted me three years. It was worth a few dollars. These formulas are based on  32 ounces; if you are using a smaller bottle, cut back a bit on the soap portion.

I use these for all surfaces: countertops, wood cabinets, the inside and outside of appliances (including the microwave and fridge), the kitchen table, and much more.  

If things are grimy, spray on and let it sit for a couple of minutes, or use a nylon scraper to dislodge the gunk.

DIY Formula 1

Fill a 32-ounce spray bottle with warm water, leaving roughly 1 inch from the top. Add about 1 inch (or less) of an all-purpose cleaner. Add a few drops of dish soap if you need additional cleaning power. Screw on the top and gently swirl to mix. 

Here are some all-purpose cleaners that I have tested and used for my DIY spray cleaner.

Top Tier

Mr. Cean

Spic and Span

Pine-Sol

Middle Tier

Fabuloso

Lysol All Purpose Cleaner

Bottom Tier

Mrs. Meyers All Purpose cleaner (smells great, but a meh cleaner)

Awesome Multi Cleaner (Dollar Tree)

DIY Formula 2

Fill a 32-ounce spray bottle with warm water, leaving some room at the top.  Add ½ to a scant teaspoon of dish soap, replace the top, and swirl to mix. 

Sink cleaning hack

There are many products to clean sinks, from Scrubbing Bubbles foam to spray-on liquids. They work but are expensive and quickly run out when cleaning multiple sinks. I use old-fashioned powdered cleaners. An enormous amount can cost around a dollar and last a long time, and it can be found in just about every store.  The two brands that I use are Comet and Ajax.  Both are equally good. Ed note:  Both can be found at Dollar Stores for about $1.25, but my local mid-level grocery store has Comet for almost $3 and Ajax for around $2.  Advice: shop around.

As a student, I worked summers as a janitor for CPS. An experienced janitor taught me the proper way to use powdered cleansers.  

Wet down a sink.  Sprinkle some powdered cleanser on a damp towel or sponge (don’t add the cleanser to the sink).  Commence to scrubbing.  If the sink is filthy, do an initial light scrub and let the powder sit on the sink for a minute.  Re-dampen the cloth or sponge and scrub a little harder.  Your results will look better than those of using a spray or aerosol cleaner. This works both on porcelain and stainless steel sinks. 

Option two:  I did this by accident.  Use a small amount of dish soap on a wet sink and scrub with a damp sponge or rag.  I just did this on a bathroom sink, and the results were fantastic.  I may switch to this method because I can use fewer cleaning products.  Less products = less clutter!

Bathtub Cleaning Hack

I have used powdered cleaners on our fiberglass tub but have read mixed cautions about doing this, as it is possible that these cleaners could scratch the tub. 

Here is an alternate DIY formula.

DIY Tub cleaner

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda with equal amounts of dish detergent.  

Apply to a wet sponge and smear on the tub.  Let it sit for up to 30 minutes.  Re-wet the sponge and scrub.  Rinse with fresh water.  

Shower Liner Cleaning Hack

After a while, shower liners get a bit gross and often show signs of “red mold,” which is, in reality, a bacterial film. Many folks throw out the old liner and buy a new one. However, returning the old liner to its former glory is easy. Toss the old liner in the washing machine (by itself) with detergent and bleach (I’m guessing I use ½ to 1 cup).  Run a cycle, and your liner will look new.  This works with plastic and white cloth liners. 

Pot Cleaning Hacks

You need to know what material the pot coating is made from. Enamel and non-stick pots should never be exposed to abrasives. Stainless steel and aluminum pots can take a beating without signs of wear, and soap is best avoided when washing cast iron (although it can be used in certain situations).

The easiest method is the soak method.  

Scrape off big chunks of burnt food with a nylon scraper; add hot water and dish soap, and let the pot sit during dinner.  Then, wash using a non-scratching scrubby-type sponge or dish rag.  

Other options

-You can also boil the above solution on the stove for more cleaning action.  Bring soap and water in the pot to a boil, cover and turn off the heat, and let it sit for 30 minutes or more.  Then clean it as above.

Cheap steel wool from the Dollar Store is excellent for stainless steel and aluminum pots (never use on enamel or non-stick). 

Bar Keeper’s Friend works fantastically on stainless steel and aluminum pots with impossible-to-remove crud. I used this powder to rescue pots I thought I would have to throw out. 

Toilet Cleaning Hack

I will use any detergent to clean the toilet; they all work great. This can be shampoo or shower gel that you don’t like or dish detergent. I use dish detergent that is sub-par for washing dishes. Just squirt some in and brush away. This hack works as good the dedicated staff. 

Unclog your sink without chemicals.

Three of us have long hair, and my son goes back and forth between long and shorter hair. Our drains often run slow, which is always due to hair in the drain. I have tried all sorts of chemical drain cleaners, which work but are a pain to use. Several years ago, I came upon a drain snake that is simple to use, chemical-free, and works better than chemical drain cleaners. It’s cheap and can be used over and over again. 

Window Washing Hacks

Hack 1

When newspapers were voluminous, we would use them as paper towels when washing windows. Newspaper (not with colors) gives a streak- and lint-free performance. 

Hack 2

This is the one that I constantly use.  I buy concentrated window washing solutions from the hardware store. Professional window washers use these; some get diluted 100 to one.  I then dilute them per instruction and have my personal “Windex” at a fraction of the cost of the regular stuff.  

Hack 3

There are many DIY window washing formulas.  Here is one of them.

DIY Window Washing Solution

Mix 2 cups water with 1/2 cup white vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing soap.  Add to a spay bottle and use accordingly. 

Paper Towel Hack

If you want to use fewer paper towels, you can use microfiber clothes specifically made for glass cleaning that are lint-free. However, FYI, these clothes may release microplastics.

Laundry Hacks

My wife does the laundry the majority of the time, so some of these are her hacks.

What type of detergent to use?

I switched to liquid laundry detergent when I was in college, as the powders of the day didn’t dissolve in cold water.  Liquid detergent has many advantages over other forms, but its big drawback is that it comes in a giant plastic jug.

Pods are easy to use but expensive and inflexible.

Sheets can seem eco-friendly, but dissolvable plastics bind those sheets together. They often don’t clean as well. 

Powders dissolve better today than when I was in college, but they are not as flexible as liquid detergent, which can also be used as a spot stain remover. 

What is laundry detergent?

Laundry detergent is a complex mix of detergent, water softeners, optical brighteners, color-safe bleach, whiteners, pH adjusters, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, and enzymes. The more expensive detergents have more expensive ingredients, like additional enzymes, making them better cleaners but also more costly. 

Top Tier Liquids

Tide

Persil

Middle Tier

All (We often use this brand in the fragrance-free version)

Kirkland (Costco brand)

Gain

Bottom Tier

Era

Arm and Hammer

Should you make your laundry detergent?

When my kids were young, one of our science fair experiments was determining what laundry detergent worked best (the best was Tide, and the worst was a forgotten Dollar Store brand). We stained white tee shirts with all sorts of stuff and then washed them with various soaps. We did one wash without soap as our control. We discovered that at least 50% of the cleaning action of doing laundry is done by water and agitation alone!

Making your own DIY laundry soap sounds so easy.  A bar of soap, some borax, some washing powder, and a little this and that, and you have made laundry soap for pennies a wash. I have been tempted, but I have extensively researched the topic.  The bottom line is that these homemade soaps don’t do a good job in cold water and leave a residue, making your clothes dingy and a dirt magnet over time.  I wish that were not the case, but it is. Don’t forget that just washing your clothes in water alone gives you about 50% of the cleaning action, so it is easy to think that your DIY laundry soap is doing the job when it isn’t. 

The difference between different laundry detergents and soap.

In the “old days,” people used soap and hot water to wash clothes.  In fact, my grandmother boiled her wash. Hot water adds to soap’s cleaning power. Soap leaves soap scum, which requires careful rinsing in hot water. 

However, people now wash in cold water, and detergents work much better in that situation. Many other agents are also added to laundry detergent to obtain good results. These include ingredients to make the detergents work better and agents to make whites whiter and colors pop. Enzymes are also added for stain removal, with different enzymes being good for one type of stain and others suitable for others. 

The top-tier detergents often have the most enzymes, so they are great at removing all sorts of stains. They are fantastic if you have messy kids, kids in sports, or adults with dirty jobs. However, many of us don’t fall into those categories, so we can save money using a middle-tier product and still get excellent results.

Laundry Hack 1

My wife and kids just shook their heads when I told them about this hack.  Why?  Because they knew it long before I did. Oh well, I was late to the party. You need only a tiny amount of detergent to wash your clothes.  Never fill the cap to the top with detergent. Your clothes will attract dirt and look dingier if you use too much detergent.  The cap will list with a line or a number the amount of detergent to use for various situations.  However, these markers are usually very faint and not obvious, so read the instructions on the bottle and find those lines.  Most manufacturers are specific, so don’t use less detergent than recommended for optimal results. 

Laundry Hack 2

You don’t need a ton of different additions to your laundry routine.  You can just rub some of the liquid detergent into a stain for removal.  Let it sit for a bit, and then wash. I use a tiny bit of dish soap on a greasy stain, which works well.  My wife will sometimes spray a stain with diluted Simple Green.  Lastly, don’t forget the power of the “soak.”  Dissolve some powdered Oxy Clean in a bucket of water (or just use some laundry detergent).  Add your garment and let it soak overnight; then, wash it as usual.  Oxy Clean powder is a simple compound of washing powder, a little detergent, and a chemical that turns into hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in water.  It is likely that the liquid Oxy product is different, so I would go with the powder.  There are many generic “Oxy Clean” powders out there. If the chemicals are the same, they are the same, so you can save some money by using them.

Laundry Hack 3

Use dryer balls instead of liquid fabric softeners or sheets. Several appliance repair people have told me fabric softeners can damage your washer and dryer.

Floor Cleaning Hacks

We have many hard surfaces in our house that need to be cleaned. The most important thing to do is to use a neutral-pH cleaner. Specific floor cleaners and all-purpose cleaners will list if they have a neutral pH. Fabuloso and Mr. Clean are neutral pH.  Using another type of product will leave a residue that needs to be rinsed off, adding an extra step. 

I find products, like a Swifter, more labor intensive, less effective, and more expensive.  I go with a bucket and a traditional string mop.  If you know how to use a string mop, your job will be quick (I learned how as a janitor).  When it comes to a bucket, I use one with a wringer, like you would see being used in a hospital or office building. They come in smaller sizes for home use.  

Two of my kids love the O-Cedar Spin Mop system for their apartments.  The O-Cedar system is easier to move around but less effective than a full-sized string mop. However, it is a good alternative if you have strength issues.

Don’t use too much multi-use detergent; too much will leave a residue and make your floor dirtier in the long run. Always wring out your mop and place it so the mop head can air dry thoroughly to avoid that moldy smell.  You can wash string mop heads in the washer if needed.  

There you have it, a bunch of hacks that will save you money and simplify your life.  

Peace

Mike

Save on hygiene products, Uncategorized

Nine Personal Hygiene Hacks That I Use that Saves Money

I like to be clean, which is certainly not a controversial statement.  My wife would say I’m a bit fastidious, and she might imply that I’m neurotically hygienic when she is peeved with me. However, I disagree. I’m not a “germophobe” guy; I like to smell nice. I may have a more sensitive nose than most, and I react negatively when encountering someone who needs a shower. Conversely, I like it when someone smells nice. That is just me.

Despite this propensity, I have developed some frugal hygiene hacks over the years. All of them came about for reasons other than being frugal. In most cases, they worked better than more costly options and became part of my daily routine.  

I have written several posts on ways to save money, so I am adding this one.  I had a little inner conflict when writing this post as it seemed too “personal” and a bit TMI.   However, if it gets someone thinking about saving money, my disclosures will be worth it.

I gave up body wash/shower gels.

Body wash became popular in the late 1980s, and I was on board when they hit the market. The stuff was modern, smelled great, and was often colorful. Body wash is mostly water combined with detergent, thickening agents, fragrance, and other additives like preservatives, colorants, and buffering compounds.  

Around 10 years ago, I was at a store and spied some bar soap that I bought primarily for nostalgia. The soap and I entered the shower, and it was love at second sight.  I liked holding the bar, the slick way it felt when I applied it, and the overall experience.  My wife and kids are still on the body wash bandwagon, but I’m now firmly back in the bar soap court. 

Bar soap requires a slight change in procedure. You will need some sort of soap dish, and it is imperative that you dump out any water in that dish at the end of your shower. Otherwise, your bar will turn into a slimy, gross mess.  

Body wash comes in a plastic bottle that is not earth-friendly.  Bar soap comes in a paper wrapper.  Both body wash and bar soap can be purchased inexpensively or ridiculously expensively.  High-end soaps are differentiated mainly by the shape of the bar or bottle and the amount and quality of the fragrance added.  Pro tip: no one will smell that fragrance on you within 10 minutes of leaving the shower. 

If you have sensitive skin, one brand may work better than another. The same can be said if you have especially oily skin or an unusual odor issue. I have dry skin and can use just about any soap as long as it isn’t heavily fragranced. When it comes to body wash and bar soap, the skin-irritating ingredient is usually the fragrance.  

You may wonder if an inexpensive brand will get you as clean as a high-end product. If I put you in a room with 25 people who took a shower the same morning, some using the most expensive body wash and others using the cheapest bar of soap, you would not be able to smell the difference.  All products get you clean.  You may prefer the luxury of an $95 bottle of Tom Ford body wash, but it won’t get you any cleaner than a $0.54 bar of Ivory soap.  

This 8.5 ounce bottle of body wash costs almost $100!
Ivory Soap costs less than $0.60 a bar.

Is bar soap less expensive than body wash? Shower gels and soaps come in various sizes and price points, making comparison difficult. However, here is a reasonable examination:

Dove soap products are mild, quality products that many people like. As of March 2025, you can buy 16 Dove soap bars at Costco for $18.49 or $1.15 a bar. A 16-oz bottle of Dove Body Wash will last about the same length as a bar of soap (based on my usage habits). 

On Walmart.com, the 20-oz bottle of Dove body wash was less expensive than the 16-oz bottle (go figure), so I’ll use that price and recalculate it for 16 ounces.  

Doing some math: $7.97/20 oz = $0.40/ounce. $0.40 x 16 oz = $6.40.  So the calculated cost is $6.40 for 16 oz of Dove body wash. That compares to $1.15 for a bar of Dove. An over 500% difference! You can buy even less expensive bars, with brands like Irish Spring and Ivory selling for around $0.60 a bar.

I no longer use pump-liquid soap at the sink.

I don’t like using bar soap at the sink. You may be grossed out thinking about all the different people who used the same bar, but it is equally hygienic to use bar soap and pump soap. I don’t like it because people don’t drain the soap dish, and the soap becomes a goopy mess. Liquid soap has been around forever in public places but became popular for home use with the introduction of the Soft Soap brand in 1980. As soon as liquid soap became available for home use, I started using it. 

The COVID pandemic brought all sorts of shortages, including liquid soap and liquid soap refills.  I remember going to Target to find the shelves bare of these basic products.   

We had some foaming soap bottles on hand, and with a quick YouTube search, I discovered that it was simple to make foaming soap, which is just regular liquid soap plus water. This was the perfect way to stretch my dwindling liquid soap supply. Additionally, I much prefer foaming soap as it makes less of a “drip mess” on the sink while cleaning my hands just as well.  

To make foaming soap, fill an empty foaming soap bottle ⅕ with liquid soap and the rest with warm water. Add the water slowly, like you would add beer to a stein, to prevent over-foaming. Put the top back on and give the bottle a few shakes, and you will have a bottle of soap for 1/5th the cost of regular hand soap.

Making foaming hand soap is super easy. You can use a foaming container from a used-up bottle or buy empty foaming bottles from Amazon and other places.

Hand soap, body wash, and shampoo use the same ingredients with only minor changes. Hand soap may contain more detergent, body wash more fragrance, and shampoo may have an adjusted pH to reduce flyaway hair. You can use any of the above when making foaming hand soap. Body wash and shampoo are designed to suds better than traditional hand soap, so use those if you like suds. 

I found a better and cheaper way to apply body lotion.

I have dry skin, and when I was newly married, my wife would complain that my legs felt like the bark on a tree trunk.  She suggested that I use lotion after a shower, and I dutifully complied. 

My initial effort was to dry off after a shower and apply a hand lotion like Vaseline Intensive Care. That was a pain because it was slow and tedious, as applying the lotion dragged on my dry skin. 

I researched the rationale of using lotions, which changed my approach.  You may think that lotions soften skin like oiling an old baseball glove softens it.  That is not the case. The primary purpose of any hand or body lotion is to trap moisture (water) close to the skin.  A person’s natural oils are supposed to do this, but if you are a daily showerer like me, you wash those oils away.

I developed my method, which works better, is quicker to apply, and has cost savings.  This is what I do:

  1. I switched from hand lotion to a body cream. A lotion is liquid because it contains alcohol and water (making the product more diluted). Body creams usually come in tubs and are significantly thicker and more concentrated. I have used many, but my favorite is Cerave Moisturizing Cream. However, the others work well enough, too. Because they are more concentrated, body creams are more economical in the long run. 
  2. I apply the body cream as soon as I’m done with my shower.  I do NOT dry off, so all that water is available to make my skin healthy and soft.  Since my skin is wet, the cream glides on, and I’m done in a minute or two. I also use significantly less cream this way, so I don’t feel like a greased pig.  Since I’m pushing the water around, I’m dry enough to get dressed a few minutes after applying the cream.  I never have to “towel dry.”
  3. I use much less body cream this way; a jar will last me months.  

I have used this method for many years, and my wife’s tree trunk complaints are long gone. 

I like Cerave Moisturizing Cream, but other brands are also good.

I stopped using traditional deodorants decades ago.

Don’t say, “Eww,” I don’t smell bad; I just have an issue.  Antiperspirants work great for me. Unfortunately, after about a week of using them, My pores are so clogged up that I want to rip my armpits off. 

I can’t tell you how many commercial and “natural” deodorants I have tried. They just don’t work very well. Now, if you were sitting across a room from me, you probably wouldn’t notice anything, but my nose does, which bothers me.

Natural mineral crystal deodorants have been used in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years and came to America around 30 years ago.  I saw an ad in a magazine 20 years ago and bought some via mail order.  Mineral crystals are not an antiperspirant, so they don’t make me want to rip out my armpits. They work so well that  I don’t have the slightest hint of any offending body odor. 

My original purchase was a large mineral crystal rock in a little bag.  However, I have purchased it in a more traditional stick form for many years.  Don’t buy the spray or roll-on, which consists of the mineral salt dissolved in water.  They are a massive waste of money.  Buy the solid mineral crystal. Your skin has to be slightly damp so you can dissolve a tiny amount of the minerals on your skin.  This product lasts forever.  I had my last stick for over a year and only had to replace it because I dropped it, which shattered the stick into a dozen pieces.  

I rarely use toilet paper!

If the title of the last section gave you the ick, I’m guessing that this one gives you the double ick.  Let me assure you that all is good down there.

When COVID hit, people went nuts. Do you remember the TP riots? Someone hoards toilet paper, and then everyone has to. We are sheep. I remember going to multiple stores to finally score a four-pack of toilet paper that was more akin to sandpaper—and I was happy to buy it.

Several people I knew had installed bidets on their toilets during that time.  These were the fancy ones with heated seats and massaging water programs.  Soon, they sang the bidet’s praises, which caught my interest. However, to install one would cost me around $1,500 (bidet price plus a plumber and electrician).  I decided to go a more straightforward, less techy route and got a non-heating unit that could be self-installed (which I did with the help of a friend).  It cost around $60 and took less than 10 minutes to hook up.  I believed I would upgrade to a fancy unit if I liked the process.  That was around 3 years ago.

There are many of these types of DIY bidet attachments on Amazon. This one is a best seller and is less than $30.

There is a slight learning curve, but using cleansing water instead of TP gets you much cleaner down there, and it is less irritating if you have a spell of frequent “visits.”  It is the best $60 I have ever spent, and I have no need to get a more elaborate model. 

I gave up shaving with a modern razor.

I made this change at least 15 years ago.

Like most, I would buy a razor starter kit and a couple of packs of razor blades at the drugstore. Eventually, I would need more blades, but when I went to buy them, there were so many different options that I could never remember which system I had.  I would then purchase another starter kit and more packs of blades. This cycle repeated in an endless loop. I felt ripped off buying blades at over  $3 apiece. Plus, I hated that the blades were mounted in plastic, which would remain in a landfill long after I was gone.

There had to be a solution, and it was right in front of me. I remembered my father shaving with a Gillette double-edge safety razor. As a kid, I would sit on a stool and watch him. I was fascinated.  

Those same razor styles exist today and remain popular in many other countries. I bought one and started using it.  There is a learning curve when transitioning from a multi-blade system to a safety razor.  With a multi-blade cartridge, you apply a little pressure as the force is distributed over all the blades.  With a traditional safety razor, you let the razor’s weight do the work. Additionally, a cartridge razor is designed to connect with your face at the right angle, but you are the one who angles a safety razor (at around 30 degrees).  Use a safety razor for a week or two; it quickly becomes natural.  I can’t remember the last time that I nicked myself.  

When you use a safety razor, you get a close shave and are less likely to deal with bumps and ingrown hairs. A gigantic community of safety razor enthusiasts is out there to answer any question. Shaving with a safety razor can be dirt cheap or expensive if you want to use exotic shaving creams, limited edition razor bodies, and such.

I love shaving this way. Ninety percent of the time, I use a German-made razor from Merkur that is built so well that it will last a lifetime. I sometimes switch out that razor for others I own, including a Gillette Speed Razor made in 1953. Why 1953?  That was the year that I was born!

I have used this razor for many years and it still looks like new. You can buy many different styles of safety razors at various price points. They all use the same razor blade style.

This form of shaving is extremely earth-friendly as the steel blades are entirely biodegradable.  Instead of paying over $3 for a cartridge blade, typical double-edged razor blades cost between 5 and 50 cents and are universal for all safety razors.  Most blades are now made overseas in the Czech Republic, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, China, India, and Pakistan.  They come in cool-looking packages.  Most newbies buy an inexpensive “sample pack” of different razor blades to determine a brand that works for them (some blades are milder, others more aggressive).  My favorite blades cost less than 10 cents each and do a great job.

If you get into “wet shaving,” you can buy all sorts of shaving soaps, creams, and brushes at various prices. However, a regular can of shaving cream works just fine, too. I could continue, as I enjoy shaving this way, but I’ll stop now. Check out videos on YouTube if you want more information.

Want to try out wet shaving? This kit comes complete with a razor and blades and costs less than $15.
Some wet shavers turn it into a hobby. This titanium razor costs around $250. Do you need to spend that much? Absolutely not.
Wet shavers often get into the weeds when it comes to shaving and return to using shaving soap and a brush. Here, you can buy three pucks for around $10. Can you use regular shaving cream in a can? Of course!
You can also go a more luxurious route. This Art of Shaving soap and teak wood bowl cost around $50. The soap works, smells great, and will last a very long time.
You can buy razor blade samplers to find the best blade for your beard. This popular sampler pack on Amazon gives you 100 blades for around ten bucks.

I stopped going to the barber.

I’m a guy with typical male pattern baldness.  I also have a ridiculous tuft of hair in the middle of my forehead. I decided I was not going the “comb over” route.  Many years ago, I told my barber to give me a close crop, which he did. I continued that way for some time until an “incident” happened.  I had a rare extended break between two workplaces and spied a “Super Cuts.”  Only one stylist was working, but I was told I was the next customer.  I signed up and waited, and waited, and waited.  It turned out that the stylist was cutting her friend’s hair, and they were deep into gossip.  Finally, I got up and left. Irritation is sometimes the mother of invention. I went to the store and bought an electric hair clipper and never looked back, as my particular haircut is easy and straightforward.

I got sick of waiting for the stylist and went out and bought a hair clipper set.

I’m not sure that I would tackle a more complicated cut. However, I know people who do. I have a talented sister who always cuts her husband’s hair, but she went to an expensive salon for her cuts. When COVID hit, she was housebound and decided to give it a try. She did a fantastic job, and her hair looks no different than when she was spending a fortune to have someone else cut it. Only you can decide if such a bold move is right for you. 

I can make my own cologne.

The freshmen in the high school I attended were housed in an annex building that lacked typical high school amenities, including gym showers. As young boys dealing with puberty and girls, most of us were overly conscious of our post-gym smell. Our solution was to splash on cheap drugstore colognes, a habit that I quickly adopted. 

I have worn cologne every day since, the only exception being when I hike in bear country, as those buggers think cologne smells delicious. I know some people don’t like others wearing cologne, but I am the opposite.  When someone walks by me and I get a subtle whiff of a fragrance, it leaves a positive impression.  I think, “This person took an extra step to smell nice today.”  I want to do the same.

The most expensive part of a bottle of cologne is the cap, followed by the sprayer and then the bottle. The liquid contents are relatively inexpensive. Spending $60 for a bottle of cologne is common, with many popular scents costing significantly more. 

A while back, I wanted to make my own, and indeed, it is a simple process involving perfume alcohol and scenting agents in the form of essential oils and commercial concentrates from scent houses.  

I currently have several bottles of store-bought colognes, so I do not need to make any homemade stuff. However, it’s fun to do and only costs pennies on the dollar. 

I was surprised that they still sold this cologne as it was one of the brands we used as high school freshmen. It was potent stuff and likely sold for under $10 at the local Walgreens. It now sells for over $30. Should I buy a bottle? Hmm, probably not.
Sauvage is a very popular department store brand. It goes for around $100.
Ready for the big league? Aventus is a classic from the British house “Creed.” Be prepared to spend over $400/100 ml for the privilege of wearing this scent.

I am brand agnostic.

As a medical resident, I made little money.  Yet, I had to pay child support, and because of my daughter, I needed to rent my own apartment.  Money was very tight.  I quickly went from preferring certain brands to buying what I could afford. That included hygiene products.  For instance, I purchased whatever ADA-approved toothpaste was on sale.  That action became a habit that I continue to this very day.  Costco always sells one brand or another of toothpaste on sale.  When we need toothpaste, I buy one that is on sale. Likewise, I don’t care if I use brand-name or house-brand mouthwash.  I don’t get hung up in advertising hype.  

When it comes to a lot of hygiene products, I’m brand agnostic. As I write this Crest toothpaste is on sale at Costco so I would buy that brand if I needed toothpaste.

Well, there you have it, nine of my hygiene savings hacks. None were started to save money, but they all do. Saving a few cents here and there may sound silly, but it all adds up.  Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, became one of the wealthiest persons in the world, a few pennies at a time.

Peace

Mike

saving on food, Uncategorized

Secrets To Saving Money By Packing Your Lunch

I created my first YouTube video series in 2008 due to the Great Recession. One of the populations that I was treating was newly divorced men who were suffering financially during that time.  As we talked, it became clear that many were spending money on eating out because they didn’t have the basic skills to make food.  

Cooking may seem simple if you have been doing it for years, but it is more complicated than you think. You must know what to buy, when, and how much to cook, plan what to make, and have the gear to make it.

Younger divorced men often prioritized spending on a new wardrobe or a big TV rather than a good set of pots and pans. As a psychotherapist, my goal was to improve the quality of my patients’ lives, including enhancing their practical life skills. Cooking for themselves would allow them additional independence and financial security, which equals better mental health. 

I would focus on a simple first step, like packing a lunch instead of eating out, and I was surprised how difficult this was for some.  Many thought their only option was to slap together a boring sandwich; for others, even that seemed too complicated. That is why my first YouTube series in 2008 was on ways to pack a lunch.  It was my first attempt at making YouTube videos, and is best forgotten.

We are currently experiencing runaway inflation. This is annoying for those with a cash reserve but devastating for individuals and families who are struggling financially. In my last post, I wrote about ways to save money on food. This post is all about ways to save money by packing a lunch.

As a working adult, I almost always packed my lunch. It was a financial must in graduate school and during my medical training. As an established physician, I could afford to “go out,” but I still chose to pack my meals for several reasons. The main one was that I would do paperwork and return phone calls during my lunch break. Other doctors would finish seeing patients at 8 p.m. and then stay an hour later to return calls and tidy up their paperwork. I wanted to go home to my family as soon as possible. 

There have been times when I would buy my lunch.  In the past, I worked for the VA system several days a week.  They had a heavily subsidized cafeteria, and I sometimes bought lunch so I could socialize with the other doctors. How good were those lunches?  You get what you pay for, and their lunches were cheap. 

My kids have picked up on some of my habits and packed their food from home.  Most of them are now living away and have continued that habit, which saves them time and money. My wife takes a slightly different approach and has a mini-fridge and microwave at her workplace.  She often eats shelf-stable foods at work that she can easily prepare. She is particularly fond of dehydrated soups in a cup and buys them by the gross when they are on sale.

One of my wife’s favorite work-time lunches is dehydrated soup in a cup. She buys them in quantity when they are on sale.

The rationale for packing a lunch is clear: It saves money and can be healthier. A 2015 Visa credit card company survey noted that the average person could save $1,170/year by packing a lunch. A 2023 analysis on makingsenseofcents.com cited a $100 saving per month. However, you can save much more.

Let’s look at two extremes.  In 2025, spending over $20 (lunch and tip) at a typical restaurant would not be uncommon.  I recently took my daughter out to lunch at a pick-up place. A sandwich plus chips and a drink was close to $20!  I ordered at the counter, had to pick up my food, and had to bus my table, so I did not give them the “suggested” 25% tip. Naturally, that would have increased the cost further.  These prices may seem high where you live, but they are commonplace in Chicagoland.

In med school, I was desperately poor and brought a cheap lunch 95% of the time; I packed a generic sandwich and perhaps some house-brand cookies, chips, or an apple. I often drank water but sometimes brought one of those horrible sugary drink pouches (Capri Sun). Coffee was usually available for free in the hospital. Let’s look at one of my typical med school lunches using 2025 prices (prices from Walmart.com as of March 2025).  

PBJ sandwich (Google search/https://lenpenzo.com from 2024) $0.46

One serving of rebagged Walmart sandwich cookies $0.13

Gala Apple (⅓ pound) $0.40

Coffee $0.00

Total $0.99

If you are spending $15/day buying your lunch, 5 days a week, 48 weeks/year $3,600.00

If you are packing the above super cheap lunch/year. $238.00

Savings/year $3362.00

It seems that everyone carries a water bottle. They come in a vast variety of shapes, types, and sizes. Why buy a bottle of water when you can bring it for free?
You can buy snack packs of cookies, chips, and popcorn for around 50-60 cents a bag or rebag a larger package. Here, I have a cup of home-popped popcorn with one cup costing only a few pennies.

Of course, you may pack a more deluxe lunch or only eat off of the $5 McDonald’s menu every day, but either way, you will save money by packing your lunch.

I had a patient who was constantly strapped for money. She and her husband worked in lower-level retail jobs and ate all their meals at McDonald’s (or similar joints).  I finally convinced her to cook at home and pack her lunch.  This was a difficult sell because she thought she could never eat as cheaply as a McDonald’s combo meal.  However, she went from never having enough money to saving money. 

When I first met my friend, Tom, he always went out to eat. He owns a residential construction business and is often in different locations with interesting food options. It would not be uncommon for him to buy coffee and a breakfast treat at Starbucks, a nice lunch at a local pick-up joint, and make a trip to get coffee during the workday.  However, with today’s economy, he now brings a thermos of coffee and lunch from home and is eating better and healthier.   

Thermos-style coffee flasks come in a variety of styles. Here is the one that I use.

If you decide to bring your lunch, it’s wise to invest in some inexpensive accessories. Here are a few items to consider.

I usually packed my lunch in a soft-sided 6-pack cooler. It kept my food cold enough that I didn’t need an ice pack. However, there are now a variety of inexpensive soft-sided insulated bags specifically designed for lunch. You can find them everywhere, from big box stores to Amazon.  Choose one with a sound closure system, i.e., a sturdy zipper. My bags would last me years.  If they got grungy, I hit them with a bit of soap and water.

There are now a massive variety of insulated lunch bags available.

Regarding food containers, when I was in med school, I used the least expensive fold-top sandwich bags for items like a sandwich or some rebagged chips. However, zip-close bags are inexpensive and recommended over fold-over ones. I just searched Amazon, and they can be had for as little as $0.02/bag. A better option is to use reusable containers.  Granted, you must use them for a long time to “break even,” as sandwich bags are so inexpensive, but they are likely the better ecological choice.  Several of my kids prefer to use Rubbermaid-style containers designed for sandwiches.  Naturally, there are now many reusable containers for just about any food need.  My son often takes frozen chicken nuggets in a pristine Tupperware container purchased at a second-hand shop.  He heats the nuggets at school for a quick no-prep lunch. 

Zip-close sandwich bags can be had for as little as two-cents per bag.
My kids liked reusable containers for their sandwiches.

I was also poor as a medical resident, but my lunches were often better than those of my cohorts, who bought their lunch daily.  With minimal funds, I planned out my meals carefully and would cook enough food for two meals.  I purchased a Rubbermaid lunch meat container that was about an inch deep and the width of two slices of lunch meat.  When my dinner was ready, I put half of it in the Rubbermaid container for lunch the next day.  While my friends ate cafeteria sandwiches, I had real meals (traditional dinners, stir-fries, casseroles, etc.). This was an extremely economical way to eat, as I never threw out leftovers. By the way, do you know that Americans throw out about 40% of the food that they buy?  That is throwing away money.

My daughter recently moved to her own place and called to tell me she was “channeling” me.  She made a small meatloaf and sides.  She ate ⅓ of that meal and immediately packed the remaining 2/3rds into individual containers.  She loved the idea of coming home the next two nights to a delicious homemade dinner that only required a reheat. She packs her lunch and doesn’t get tired of the standard sandwich or bagel fare, so her lunch prep is also simple. 

I read an article about a woman living in a tiny NYC studio apartment. She only ate organic but still had a very frugal grocery bill.  She did not have a kitchen and did meal prep on the weekend using a hotplate, a coffee pot,  and a small rice cooker. She had no kitchen sink, so she washed her dishes in her shower.  She made two to three main courses for the week and divided them into individual meal containers.  She also made enough morning coffee for the week and refrigerated it to reheat in the morning. Yes, her plan was extreme, but it worked for her.  All she needed was some problem-solving abilities and a little creativity. 

I worked two days a week in a town almost 100 miles from home so I would spend the night in a hotel.  The city was rough, and the dining options were limited. Also, I worked the first day until 10 PM, so I wanted to get to my hotel room and chill.  I packed in lunch, dinner, and breakfast for the following day.  My lunch was typically leftovers from home, and my dinner could be various things, from leftovers to a sandwich to a meal that I prepared in my hotel room.  Breakfast was often oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit. 

I built a “kitchen in a bag” that included a 7” mini electric frying pan. The hotel room had a microwave and a coffee maker, so I could make just about anything I wanted to eat. 

My traveling kitchen included a tiny 7″ electric skillet that was surprisingly versatile.

My niece likes to meal-pack salads. She will make five salads without any dressing. She keeps a bottle of dressing at her workplace, but repacking an individual salad dressing portion is easy if you don’t have access to a fridge. As a medical resident, I had a couple of 1-ounce Rubbermaid containers that I would carry. I hated cleaning them, so I devised a solution. I would seal a portion of salad dressing in a Ziploc sandwich bag.  At lunchtime, I push the dressing to one corner of the bag and twist the top like a pastry bag.  I then snipped off the corner to pour the dressing on my salad. This method works for soft food items, including butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese.  It is very easy to do, and there is no greasy mess to clean up. 

You can now buy various small containers perfect for items like salad dressing. However, I think they are a pain to clean, so I use the “Ziploc” method.
Foods like salad dressing and peanut butter are easily transported using a Ziploc bag. I have always carried a pocket knife with me which is handy for so many things.
You simply push the bag’s contents to one corner and then twist the bag like a pastry bag. Snip off the corner to deliver the contents. Here, I’m adding some peanut butter to a cut-up apple.
There are a variety of containers that can be used for meal prep from plastic to glass.
You can also buy semi-disposable boxes for meal prep. However, even with care, they will need to be replaced much sooner than the non-disposable types.

There are many inexpensive items designed for eating on the go. I suggest keeping flatware with your lunch gear. I used a camping-style spork for years, but you can also buy a knife, spoon, and fork for very little at dollar stores. It is best not to use your home flatware, as it is easy to lose. 

I kept a titanium sport in my lunch bag.
You can buy nifty lunch flatware or go to the dollar store and buy a place setting for a couple of bucks.

If you work indoors, your company will have a microwave oven in its lunch room.  I always used Rubbermaid-style containers, but you can now get many glass ones with sealing lids. When I was working at that distant city site, the clinic had a microwave, but it was filthy and rusty inside.  I purchased a tiny 1-quart warming “Crockpot” with a stainless inner pot.  I would pile in leftovers the night before and then pop them into my mini warmer when I got to work.  By lunchtime, my meal was piping hot.  

Food containers now come in every shape and can be found in plastic, glass, and stainless steel styles.

My friend Tom rigged a small microwave and inverter in his tool trailer so he could quickly reheat his lunch.  Airline attendants and van dwellers love a little heating device called a HotLogic Mini to safely heat their food, and let’s not forget the humble wide-mouth thermos, which has kept lunches warm for millions over the decades.  

The HotLogic Mini is a food warmer popular with airline attendants and van dwellers. It comes in both an AC and 12-volt model. It often goes on sale.
The widemouth thermos has been around forever and allows those without a microwave to have hot food at the workplace.

I always carry a little pocket knife for many reasons, including lunch.  I can cut up an apple, open the tip of a Ziploc filled with salad dressing, or cut a chunk of bread.  

A little pocket knife is useful for many things.

I like to prewash my flatware and dishes after lunch when I don’t have a sink handy, I pack a couple of damp paper towels in a Ziploc. These are also useful for wiping my hands in a pinch. 

A few damp paper towels in a Ziploc back are handy for a quick pre-clean of used Tupperware or to wipe hands.

The trick when packing a lunch is to think outside of the box.

The traditional sandwich has its place, but my favorite lunch is last night’s leftovers. I also freeze individual portions of homemade soups and stews that can be pulled out of the freezer on days when the cupboard is bare and I don’t feel like running to the market. Additionally, I like to mix things up, sometimes buying shelf-stable ready meals for a few dollars that I can eat with a slice of bread. Remember, anything goes: oatmeal for lunch? Sure. Cheese and crackers? Why not? Can of soup? If you like.  Yesterday’s carry-out Chinese?  Of course.  Be creative, and you will never feel deprived or bored. 

If I had extra from a batch of soup or stew, I would seal it in a vacuum seal bag and freeze it. In a pinch, I could use this as a quick lunch.
On occasion, I would pack shelf-stable meals. These Hormel meals could be found for around a dollar and are now sold for under two dollars. I would pair them with some bread and butter for an easy pack.

If you are fearful of diving in, then do it slowly.  Brown bag Tuesdays?  Meal prep on Sunday for three workday lunches and go out the other two?  You are in charge of your mealtime destiny.  The longer you do it, the more natural it becomes. Good luck!

Peace,

Mike

Uncategorized

How I survived my first two weeks after rotator cuff surgery.

The recovery from shoulder surgery is often worse than the surgery itself. I had a rotator cuff injury that needed to be repaired. Since this was an elective procedure, I had some time to prepare for it, and I’d like to share some of that information with others who may be planning on a similar procedure. I’m posting this for informational and educational purposes only. This is not medical advice, and you should always follow the instructions from your caregivers.

How you compensate for having an arm in a sling will be determined by whether you are having surgery on your dominant arm or not. I had surgery on my right shoulder, which is also my dominant arm. Trying to do things with my left hand was awkward.

About a week before the surgery, I started to practice using only my left hand for basic functions like dressing and showering. I also tried to prepare simple meals using only that arm. It’s more complicated than you think, but it was easier to practice while I still had a functioning right arm to take over when needed. I discovered that there were some things that I could do well when practicing, but they became more difficult postop. For instance, I could put on a shirt using only one arm before surgery, but I needed assistance doing the same job once I had surgery.  Update: I was able to put on a shirt by myself after a week post-op, but it was very uncomfortable to do.

I didn’t realize how huge my sling would be.

Assistance needed

Luckily, my family could assist me with jobs that would be difficult to do by myself, like removing my surgical bandage and replacing it with a waterproof barrier. If you are in a position where you are flying solo, discuss this with your doctor before your surgery. Perhaps you’ll need a nurse to check in on you. It’s always easier to arrange options beforehand.

I needed help with tasks like removing my surgical bandage and replacing it with a waterproof barrier. You can also see the breakaway shirt I purchased in this photo. It was helpful during my first three days as I couldn’t get a regular shirt over the bandage.

Setting things up

Most doctors suggest sleeping at an incline after rotator cuff surgery. Sleeping flat can be difficult as it places more pressure on your shoulder. People usually sleep in a recliner, but technically, you could sleep in a bed with a wedge pillow or on a couch with stacked pillows. I used a recliner.

My couch has built-in recliners on both ends and since my left hand would be free, I chose the end I could control with that hand. I decided to set up a recovery zone as I’d be spending a lot of time in that space. I ensured the end table next to my “nest” had a lamp I could access. I also had a spot for medication, a charging station for electronic devices, a cup of water, and space for gadgets I enjoy using. 

This was the nest that I built. You can see my camper’s refrigerator freezer, then a small waste basket. Above the wastebasket is a TV tray with some electronics, and behind that is a table with medication, water, and a charging station. You can also see my back support, neck pillow, and other pillows that I used to make myself comfortable. Naturally, your needs may be different than mine.

Some people love books, and naturally, they should have books available. I’m more of an electronics person who reads books and magazines on a screen. I also write on a laptop, listen to music and the news, and do almost everything on a computer. I have a lightweight laptop, which I thought would be perfect. However, after surgery, I had a great deal of difficulty handling it as it was slippery, and when I tried to use my right hand to manipulate the mousepad, it caused me quite a bit of pain. Luckily, I have a small iPad Mini that I use when I travel. That was the perfect device, as I could easily manipulate it with one hand. In fact, I’m using speech to text dictation on it to type this post.

You might find yourself in a situation similar to mine, so it makes sense to see if you have a tablet computer around the house that you can use; if not, perhaps you can borrow one. I thought my iPad Mini’s 8-inch screen size was perfect. I would have bought a cheap tablet in a pinch if I did not have access to the Mini.  I think any tablet with a screen of 7-11 inches would be usable, but an eight or nine-inch screen size is ideal as it allows for ample viewing and one-handed operation. Some can get by using their phone, but my phone’s screen was too small for me to view for long periods.

Some Android tablets can be bought for under $100, which would be worthwhile if you think you would use the device after your recovery. Small tablets make good e-readers and are great for media consumption when you’re lounging about. iPads are the best tablets (in my opinion), but inexpensive Android-based tablets can do most of the things a tablet user needs to do. Cheap Android tablets are unsuitable for high-resource games but can play simple games.  If you are looking for affordable yet reputable tablets, consider the 8” Amazon Fire tablet or the 8” Walmart Onn tablet.  Both are basic, but they work.  The Onn tablet’s advantage is that it runs regular Android and can access millions of apps. The Fire tablet’s app store is more limited, but the tablet is tightly integrated into the Amazon ecosystem of Kindle ebooks, Prime videos, and Prime music.  

My inability to use my computer lasted about a week. After that point, I was able to type with both hands. However, doing this for any length of time got my shoulder going. For quite a while post-op, I preferred the tablet, as it placed less strain on my right arm.

Regarding my recliner, I watched a YouTube video from an occupational therapist who recommended using supports for the neck and the back. The back support could be anything from an actual back support to a rolled towel to a small pillow. We had a removable back support on an office chair that I used. For my neck, I used a simple donut-style travel pillow, the kind you use on an airplane. Both supports made a difference as I tried sleeping with and without them, and I felt more comfortable with the supports in place.

I also had a variety of pillows and blankets that I could configure as my mood dictated. It can be challenging to sleep in a chair, and I wanted to maximize my comfort as much as possible. Overall, my recliner nest worked out well. However, after about a week of sleeping in a chair, I was ready to try my regular bed with a wedge pillow.

Hygiene

The more independent you can be, the better. Before my surgery, I practiced taking showers with one hand. It wasn’t as tricky as it sounds, but I had to adjust. I usually use bar soap, but I needed to give that up for shower gel in a pump bottle. The pump made it easy for me to get the soap out. I bought a shampoo and shower gel combo that worked for me. However, some people prefer separate products. I recommend getting all of those in pump bottles.

I bought a combination of shampoo and shower gel that came with a pump bottle. However, if you want to be fancy, you can go with decorator bottles that do the same.

It’s difficult to wash under your arms during recovery from rotator cuff surgery. I purchased an inexpensive sponge on a flexible rod from Amazon that helped in that area. I usually use a stick-type deodorant, but applying that post-op was impossible. Instead, I bought some deodorant in an aerosol can. These simple things allowed me to shower independently.

This sponge stick was inexpensive. But it allowed me to wash areas that I couldn’t do postop.

Your doctor will give you specific instructions on showering. My doctor told me that I could remove my bandage in three days. At that point, he told me to cover my incision sites with waterproof material. The only times that I was allowed to take off my sling were during showering, physical therapy, and putting my clothes on. I felt more secure keeping my arm in a sling when showering, and I purchased an inexpensive mesh sling from Amazon. Some patients will buy an inexpensive standard sling from the drugstore for showering, which serves the same purpose. You don’t want to get your expensive prescription sling wet.

I only used this shower sling a few times until I was comfortable showering while keeping my arms still. However, it was very inexpensive and made me feel more secure when I did use it.

I’m fortunate that our shower head detaches from the wall. We also had a shower chair from a past surgery that I could use. These things made my shower life a little easier, but I could have adapted to a less perfect situation if necessary.

Most doctors will ask you to protect your surgical site from water until the incisions are healed. They will tell you to use a waterproof barrier, and I found that Tegadem worked well. This is a transparent film that is breathable but waterproof. It comes in sheets of various sizes and clear bandages. Bathing in a tub should be avoided until your wound sites completely heal.

Men, I recommend sitting for all bathroom tasks until you are steady on your feet. Adapting wiping techniques is straightforward with a bit of creativity. However, I was fortunate to have a bidet.

I use an electric toothbrush and recommend that for anyone undergoing this procedure. You could use a regular toothbrush, but it would be a bit awkward. If possible, get a tube of toothpaste that has a flip-open lid instead of a screw cap.

I’m retired, and I’m letting my beard grow. However, if I had to be tidy, I would switch from my regular razor to an electric razor, which I believe I could manage with one hand.

Ice

Most doctors recommend that you ice your shoulder regularly after surgery. In my case, my doctor wanted me to ice 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Right after surgery, my very thick shoulder bandage blocked any coolness to my shoulder. However, I could place an ice pack close to my wound site by tucking it up into my sling, and that provided some comfort.

The surgicenter discharged me with a cheap disposable ice bag that I could fill with ice cubes and water. This was a poor solution. My sister gave me blue gel ice packs she used for her knee surgery. They worked well. They remained flexible when frozen, making it easy to place them where I needed to, and they stayed cold for a long time. 

A variety of companies sell these gel ice packs. They’re inexpensive, flexible, and stay cold for a long time.

She also lent me a cool therapy ice machine but couldn’t find her AC adapter. I ordered one on Amazon, and it arrived three days after my surgery. The ice machine was terrific as it provided a constant cold to my wound site (by then, I had my bandage off). I found that freezing disposable water bottles worked better than using ice cubes. I had two sets of water bottles and would freeze one while using the other. Naturally, there was also water in the therapy machine as that was what was circulated to my shoulder. I think buying an expensive cool therapy machine for shoulder surgery would be overkill, but if you can borrow one or if your insurance will cover the rental of one, I would highly recommend it; otherwise, I liked the inexpensive gel packs.

Cool theory machines are excellent. But they’re pretty expensive.

When I retired, I built a camper van with a friend. The build included a chest-style refrigerator/freezer. I moved the camper’s fridge to my family room to freeze my ice packs and water bottles. I also kept some frozen meals in it. I still have kids at home who are always on the hunt for a quick meal, and keeping some meals in my little freezer ensured I had easy-to-make food on hand. My camper fridge/freezer was a convenient option. I used it because I had it. Otherwise, a regular freezer would be fine.

Food

Preparing and eating food can be challenging, even for simple tasks like opening a can. Luckily, many inexpensive adaptive gadgets can help with everything from opening a jar to pulling a pop top. 

These silicone mats are not only great for gripping, but they can also stabilize a jar or a bowl on the table.
This pop top puller was only a few dollars and was very welcomed by my cat, who demands to be fed first thing in the morning

Generally, I went for food items that I could prepare with one hand. I purchased some single-serving frozen dinners that I could easily make in a microwave. I also purchased soup in cans. As far as the soups were concerned, we already had a microwavable bowl cozy. This allowed me to take the bowls from the microwave without scalding myself. If I hadn’t had the cozy, I think it would have been safer to heat them on our induction stove.

A friend made us this soup cozy several years ago. We use it all the time. It’s convenient when taking hot bowls out of the microwave.

Fortunately, my wife and kids took turns making dinner, so there was something to eat at dinner time. However, lunchtime was more on my clock; I picked things I could easily make and never went hungry.

Clothing

Dressing can be a challenge. It’s much easier if you can stay at home during your early recovery, which is what I did. Starting from the feet, I recommend slippers or socks that pull on easily. If you are going out, wear slip-ons or those shoes from Kizik and Skechers that can be put on hands-free.

Stretchy underwear helps, and elastic waistband-type pants are a must. The pants could be sweatpants, pajama pants, or whatever you have. In warmer weather, elastic waistband workout shorts would work. You don’t want to wear pants with buckles and zippers, as both are difficult to close with one hand.

Most recommend using button-down shirts, as getting them around your wounded shoulder is more manageable. Stretchy T-shirts also work. It’s January, but I’m wearing a short-sleeve shirt, as pulling on a long-sleeve is difficult for me.

I purchased a special shirt for shoulder injuries that had snaps along its edge, allowing me to open up one side of the shirt. This was helpful during the first three days of my recovery as I was wearing a gigantic bandage on my injured shoulder, making it impossible to pull any regular shirt over it. After the bandage was off, I could wear button shirts and stretchy T-shirts.

Some crafty folks buy a few cheap tee shirts, split them along their seams, and reattach the two sides with Velcro. If you are a non-sewer, you can use scissors to open the bottom of the arm of a cheap tee shirt to accommodate the shoulder bandage. If desired, you can reattach the opening using safety pins.

This should go without saying, but always sit when you put on your clothing. Standing carries the potential for a fall, a disaster for your healing shoulder. A little stool works well, as does sitting on the toilet seat.

Pain management

You’ll likely be offered a nerve block, an optional procedure. My anesthesiologist highly recommended it. It numbed my arm from surgery to about 8 p.m. and was a godsend. At 8 PM, I started to feel some pain and took a pain pill plus naproxen per my doctor’s instructions. However, at two in the morning, I woke up in horrific pain, at which point I took another pain pill. Unfortunately, that one took about an hour before it kicked in. After that point, I was pretty aggressive with my pain management, especially at night. I would set an alarm to wake me so I could take a dose before the last pill wore off. This allowed me to sleep and kept my pain down to a manageable level. The pain does get better every day, so I was able to taper the narcotic pills over time. Naturally, I always followed my doctor’s advice and instructions.

A word of advice. If you think you’ll be taking medication during the night, it sometimes makes sense to have that medication out and ready in a little container. In a sleepy state, you may take the wrong medicine or too much medication if you pour it out of a medicine bottle. In addition, you can invert the “child-proof” cap on most prescription medicine bottles to turn them into simple screw caps.  With both of the above suggestions, use common sense if you have little ones about; you don’t want them getting into your medications.

Other medications

My doctor gave me a prescription medication for nausea, which surprised me. I’ve had other surgeries and never suffered from long-term nausea postop. However, I had quite a bit of nausea after this surgery and was grateful to have the prescription medication.

Doctors often recommend taking some sort of stool softener, which may be a pill or just extra fiber. Narcotic pain medication can be constipating, and no one wants to have to deal with that, along with shoulder pain. If your doctor doesn’t prescribe some sort of stool softener, ask for his or her recommendations on this topic.

Cautionary note

There’s a lot of advice about rotator cuff surgery on YouTube from patients and orthopedic surgeons. You must follow your doctor’s advice. Different doctors do different procedures, and taking another doctor’s advice could potentially hamper your recovery.

Likewise, although the patient-created YouTube videos I watched seemed sincere, their suggestions varied. Use common sense when watching them. I used them primarily for mobility tips rather than orthopedic advice. 

I also found videos from occupational therapists discussing topics like getting dressed or sleeping in a recliner. I found those the most helpful.

Final thoughts

Rotator cuff surgery is relatively common but can be an unpleasant recovery. With planning, life becomes more manageable. Make sure you follow your doctor’s advice. You’ll be given written instructions that you should read several times. I found information on my second read that I missed on the first. Remember not to push your recovery limits, as you could potentially re-tear your rotator cuff and cause more problems—best of luck.

The above is my personal opinion and should not be construed as medical advice.

Images are my own and from various websites and are used for educational purposes only.

Uncategorized

The 99 dollar Walmart tablet.

As my relatives age, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of seniors having internet access. It is how we communicate, entertain ourselves, do business activities, and shop. Most of us have some sort of smartphone, but if you are a senior, it can be challenging to view a tiny screen or to press tiny on-screen buttons.

My oldest sister is in her 80s and no longer chooses to deal with the hassle of a laptop.  Yet, she wants to stay current with social media and news outlets. She switched to an iPad some years ago and hasn’t looked back. 

The advantage of a tablet computer, like an iPad, is that it is very hands-on and graphical. Open a program? Press an icon. Turn the page when reading an e-book?  Swipe.  Fill in a form?  Touch a text box and tap in your answer using the sizeable on-screen keyboard.  Watch a YouTube video? Press and go!  There is no need to type commands or even navigate a mouse.

In a recent post, I wrote extensively about laptops and tablets for seniors. A tablet is the way to go for those who are technologically challenged. The basic iPad is my number one tablet recommendation for seniors; it retails for around $350. It is very intuitive and a pleasure to use. However, $350 can be out-of-range for some, so I also listed (and tested) a couple of sub-two hundred dollar tablets that ran the Android operating system.  Although not quite as nice as the iPad, they were still very useable.

While researching the topic, I found several favorable reviews of Walmart’s Onn 10.1 tablet (2024 version). This tablet intrigued me because it was less than $100.  Some seniors have minimal incomes, but many can afford $100. Additionally, a $100 gifted tablet from a friend or loved one would not be out of the question.  Lastly, at the other end of the age spectrum, a $100 tablet could be a reasonable choice for a child who always wants to play with mom’s smartphone.  Would such a device be useable or an exercise in frustration? That is what I decided to test.

For those interested in the bottom line, the Walmart Onn 10.1 tablet (2024 version) is a viable solution for those on a budget. If you can afford a basic iPad, go with that. Even a sub-two hundred dollar Android table will give you a better experience than the Onn 10.1. However, after testing the Onn for several weeks, it is entirely usable and would serve the needs of most seniors. Please note that I’m reviewing the 2024 version. Walmart sells a 2022 version for less than $60, but its 2 GB of RAM is inadequate. In addition, that tablet is running an outdated version of Android. 

Let’s dig into the weeds.

The Walmart Onn 10.1 (2024 edition) tablet is available in several colors for a low price of $99.00.  Various cases can be had for an additional $10-20. It is highly recommended that you purchase a protective case, preferably one with a way to stand the tablet up for movie watching.

Hardware

The Onn 10.1, 2024 edition features 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory/storage.  This is the bare minimum needed for a modern tablet. Running a single app at a time (like Facebook) takes a few seconds to load, but once loaded, it runs well.  This tablet is not suited to run multiple programs at once.  The 32 GB of memory/storage is sufficient for most casual users who want to play simple games, check in to Facebook, watch Netflix, etc.  This tablet has a micro-SD expansion slot, so you can inexpensively add additional storage. This extra storage would be helpful for those who have significant storage needs—for instance, those wanting many movies stored directly on their tablet. 

Memory/Storage

The Onn comes preloaded with a lot of useful software, including:

Gmail (email program) 

Google Maps (mapping program) 

Google Drive (cloud storage)

Google TV (TV-watching app, subscription needed)

Play Books (e-books similar to Amazon Kindle. Some books are free, others purchased) 

Google Wallet (e-wallet to pay for things, use e-hotel keys, carry an e-driver license and more)

Google Contacts (e-address book)

Google Photos (photo storage in the cloud and photo editing)

YouTube (video-watching site)

Google Meet (video conferencing similar to ZOOM)

Google Calendar (e-calendar)

A calculator 

An alarm clock/timer

And more

I loaded some additional apps that seniors might use, including simple games. Your app needs could be different.  I was primarily interested in seeing how much storage would be left on the tablet after loading a “typical” number of apps.  It is very easy to add apps using the included Google Play store.  These are the apps that I added:

Netflix (for movie and TV watching)

Facebook (social media app)

Facebook Messenger (a texting app).

WhatsApp (a texting, voice calling, and video chat program).

Google Chat  (texting and video chat program).

The Weather Channel (weather information).

Jewel/Osco (a grocery/pharmacy app for online shopping and prescription renewal).

Amazon (shopping app).

eBay (shopping app).

State Farm (car/home insurance app).

Solitaire (game).

Candy Crush (game).

Chess (game).

Docs (Google’s free word processor).

Sheets (Google’s free spreadsheet program).

My Chart (Portal to healthcare providers).

Spotify (streaming music app).

Epson Print (print and document scanning for Epson printers)

Note: I use a nation-wide bank which has an app.  However, the Onn was incompatible with that app (although other bank apps were compatible).  However, I could still easily access my bank using its website via the included Chrome Internet browser. 

After adding these programs, 10 GB of the 32 GB of initial storage remained. That is plenty to store a bunch of photos or documents. A 128 GB micro-SD card can be purchased for around $10 if more storage is needed.  

Display

The 10” display is the perfect size for most. It is large yet easy to hold. The Onn 10.1 tablet (2024) has a screen resolution of 1280 x 800, less than many tablets. Photos and videos look fine. Print is OK but not as crisp as on tablets with higher pixel counts. I was initially very aware of the softer-looking text, but I adjusted to it over time. However, it may be tiring to read very long documents.  

Watching Videos/Video Calls

I had no problems watching videos on this tablet.  The images were sharp and clear.  

I tried several video chat programs, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Chat, and I could make video calls.  The 2 MP front-facing camera was not the greatest, but it did the job well enough. 

Video calls worked pretty well.

Texting

I tried texting using several apps, including WhatsApp, Google Chat, and Facebook Messenger.  They all worked well.  You can also link your phone and send standard text messages from this tablet, but I didn’t try that function.

Using the included Chrome browser

Tablets from years past used inferior browsers, but newer tablets, like the Onn 10.1 (2024), have browsers that look similar to their PC counterparts. I had no problem viewing websites, filling out forms, or checking bank balances.

Email

You need a free Google Gmail account to log into any Android device, including this tablet. It is easy to sign up for one.  If you already use a non-Google email address, add that account to the Gmail mail client or use a separate dedicated app or website client. 

Logging in

To open this tablet, you must enter an eight-number digital password. The Onn does not have sophisticated security functions like face or fingerprint recognition. 

Operating speed

My iPad instantly opens apps, while the Onn takes a few seconds. My iPad can run multiple programs simultaneously, while the Onn is best at running just one program at a time.  Scrolling on my iPad was smooth as butter but a bit less smooth on the Onn. However, none of these are deal breakers.  I would have been pleased with its performance if I hadn’t directly compared the Onn to my iPad.

Battery life/charging speed

Battery life was excellent.  I used the Onn extensively for two days and still had a battery to spare. However, charging times are slow. It is best to plug in the Onn overnight to prepare for the next day.

Speakers

The Onn’s on-board speaker is loud but lacks bass and is a bit harsh.  However, it was perfectly useable.

Ports/headphone jack

The Onn lacks a headphone jack, a trend in many newer tablets. However, you can still connect headphones, dramatically improving the tablet’s sound. 

The only port on the Onn is a multi-function USB C port. This port allows you to charge the Onn and connect it to many things. You can connect wired USB-C headphones, which can be purchased inexpensively, and other peripherals, like a keyboard or hub. 

WiFi/Bluetooth

I found it easy to connect the Onn to my WiFi network, and the connection was stable.  The Onn has Bluetooth capabilities that can connect many things, from wireless keyboards to wireless headphones/earbuds. 

Cameras

The Onn has a front-facing 2 MP and a rear-facing 5 MP camera. The photo quality is barely acceptable. It is good enough to send a friend a photo of an outfit you bought or have a video call with the grand-kids. Better tablets have better cameras.

The 2 MP front camera is usable for video calls.
The 5 MP rear camera was pretty poor with terrible dynamic range and detail.

Build

The build quality is surprisingly good with an aluminum case.  However, the case is a bit slippery.

Accessories to consider

A case is a must, as the Onn is slippery.  I bought a cheap $10 case, which is fine, but it could not prop up the Onn.  I would spend a few dollars more and buy a case that props up the Onn for movie-watching. 

Headphones are also nice, providing much better audio quality and private listening. USB-C headphones can be plugged in, and the Onn can also use wireless headphones and earbuds via Bluetooth. 

Bluetooth keyboards come in a variety of sizes and styles.  Some are full-sized, others are part of a case, and still others can be folded for travel.  They are handy if the user plans on doing a lot of keyboard work on their tablet, such as writing long emails. 

Bottom line

Yes, there are better tablets, my favorite being the iPad. However, for less than $100, the Onn 10.1 (2024 edition) provides excellent value and can do almost any basic task that an average senior needs. If money is tight, I recommend the Onn 10.1 (2024 edition), available only at Walmart or Walmart.com.

best kitchen appliances, Uncategorized

Why Newer Appliances Constantly Break, And What To Do About it.

We have a holiday tradition at Kunaland; our appliances seem to break down, and this year was no exception.

When I moved into my home over 35 years ago, the previous owners left a fridge and a stove. After I bit, I updated both to fancy stainless steel versions and placed the original appliances in the basement.  They served us well there, especially the fridge, which was constantly plugged in and used as our grocery overflow center.  It stopped cooling a few months ago, and sat dormant.  My initial plan was to become more conservative and live with one fridge.  However, the sacrifice never got easier. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I contacted my appliance repair man, who gave me various tips as I replaced everything from the defrost timer to a startup capacitor, all to no avail.  My ancient fridge had reached its end of life.

One week before Thanksgiving, my 20-year-old dishwasher started to act up.  I originally had purchased a brand with a high-reliability rating, and that appliance had only been repaired once (for a door latch) all that time.  However, it was stopping mid-cycle and was not draining water.  The only way I could get it to re-initialize was to go into the basement, turn off its circuit breaker for 5 minutes, and then turn it back on.  This suggested that a logic board was failing, which was an expensive repair.  It was time to say goodbye to that unit, too. 

I had to replace two major appliances, but both had served me well.  That can’t be said of other newer and more expensive appliances I have had to replace in my 30+ years of living in my home.

I replaced the original stove and refrigerator with fancy and higher-end stainless steel units from Kenmore. In less than 10 years, both had multiple repairs and quickly reached their end of life. They were replaced by a Kenmore induction stove and a Samsung French door refrigerator.  The Kenmore lasted around ten years, but that was with multiple service calls.  Finally, its main logic board had to be replaced, but Sears was no longer stocking that board, and the unit had to be scrapped.  Worse was the Samsung fridge, which was a nightmare.  I fixed the unit multiple times and also had numerous repair calls.  Finally, the freezer door fell off (no, we don’t abuse our appliances), which was so costly that the repairman advised us to junk the fridge.  We replaced the Kenmore Induction stove with a GE Induction stove and the Samsung fridge with a Whirlpool French door refrigerator. So far, the GE stove has been OK, but the Whirlpool has required a number of service calls.  It also has a habit of freezing behind the crisper door, which it did on Thanksgiving.  This warms the fridge compartment to the point of food spoiling.  The only option is to remove everything from the fridge and freezer, unplug the unit, and let it defrost for 24 hours.  This is happening on a refrigerator that costs well over $2000.00.   

My parents bought a single-door Kenmore fridge in 1950. It was our primary fridge for over 20 years until someone gave us their old (late 50s) but larger two-door fridge. The Kenmore fridge went into the basement and continued operating until the mid-1970s when we moved and left it behind. The same applies to their old and inexpensive Crown brand stove. Neither appliance required any service during their very long lives.

Our appliance guy has encouraged us to keep our ancient washer and dryer, noting, “Most new appliances are junk. They require constant repair, and often parts are unavailable, forcing the consumer to buy a new machine.”  It does seem like he is right.  Appliances that were built to last for decades in the past barely make it to 10 years, and that is with constant repairs in the interim.  Yet, they are more expensive and tout endless, and often unnecessary, bells and whistles. 

My wife and kids love the in-door water and ice maker on our fridge, but I have been told that these additions are a major point of failure. The fancy gaskets and flaps used to lower fridge energy costs frequently malfunction (I fixed the ones on the Samsung fridge at least half a dozen times).  Computer logic boards are often placed in high-stress areas, like directly above a stove’s oven, causing them to fail. Unlike mechanical parts used for generations of appliances, logic boards are unique to a small set of models.  They are stocked in limited numbers, and after a short period, they become unavailable, making a fixable appliance obsolete. 

Mechanical parts have also undergone a crapifacation. The newer and more energy-efficient linear compressors on LG fridges are so failure-prone that LG is now facing a class action lawsuit. Whirlpool is facing a class action lawsuit for defective wiring of their fridges. Samsung is facing a lawsuit stating that their washers corrode faster than they should. Bosch just settled a lawsuit for electronic panels on their appliances that were failing prematurely. Electrolux/Frigidaire is being sued because their washing machines are prone to mold issues, resulting in excessive service calls. LG and Kenmore are being sued for refrigerators failing early. As I researched this post, I just discovered that last year, the owners of my fridge model received a settlement for defective refrigerator evaporators freezing up, which is precisely the problem that requires me to “defrost” my frost-free fridge.  Sadly, I’m past the deadline. I’m sure that there are more lawsuits out there. However, these listings make the point that major expensive appliances are failing at an abnormally high rate. 

Computer-controlled appliances give us features that we likely don’t need. For instance, my stove and dishwasher can be controlled via WiFi.  Has that made my life any better? No. My fridge has a panel that allows me to electronically control things like the size of my ice cubes and the fridge’s temperature.  Do I need to control the ice cube size? No.  Does my fancy electronic temperature display provide me any benefit that a more straightforward mechanical control didn’t? No.  My old washer and dryer have simple dials. Do I yearn for a spaceship-level computerized control panel?  No.  

Many of these new features are sold to consumers as advancements created to improve one’s life or energy usage. However, any benefit seems relatively marginal to me, and any energy saving is offset by repair costs as well as the cost of replacing these appliances earlier. Further, the environmental, material, and energy costs of manufacturing huge appliances would negate societal benefits.

Of course, I understand that some older appliance components, like toxic refrigerants, had to change. However, manufacturers have used energy and environmental mandates as an excuse to make shoddy products that are more expensive and fail faster, punishing both the consumer and the environment. The goal seems to be  planned obsolescence and shareholder profits, in my opinion.    

Here are some tips from appliance repairmen that may help with future appliance purchases:  

Avoid complicated fridges, especially those with indoor water/ice makers, as they consistently break.  At this time, Samsung and LG refrigerators should be avoided as they malfunction more often than other brands. Some repairmen advise getting the most basic fridge possible; you can still buy simple top freezer fridges with mechanical controls.  However, even these units likely use cheaper components, like Chinese-made compressors.

When I replaced our basement fridge, I went with a brand-name unit that was as basic as I could find it. This GE fridge has mechanical controls and no ice maker.

Regarding washers and dryers, there is a consensus that new top and front loaders wash clothes less effectively and break down faster than older machines. Front loaders are especially prone to mold issues. Don’t be fooled by the enormous drums on newer top loaders. Most new washers will only partially fill with water and take longer to complete a cycle.  Users note that they need to wash smaller loads despite the giant size of their washer’s drums. Additionally, top loaders that use impeller plates instead of a traditional agitator are prone to overloading and going out of balance.  Since they use cheap components, such actions can quickly destroy the washer’s suspension system.  Several repairmen cited LG top loaders as being of higher quality than typical home washers. Most repairmen noted that the costly Speed Queen brand was significantly better in terms of cleaning ability, durability, and reliability than consumer brands. Additionally, the commercial version (not the home version) of the Maytag washer is built to a higher standard than most, but not as high as Speed Queen.

Speed Queen washers may look basic, but they are built better and clean better than newer models. Expect to pay more for these qualities.

 

Dishwashers also fail quicker than they used to.  The one brand that was thought of more highly than the others was Bosch.

When our 20 year dishwasher died I replaced it with a Bosch purchased on a Black Friday sale.

Stoves should last a very long time, but they often fail due to logic boards placed directly above the hot oven.  Would you store your computer on a hot stove?  Of course not, but that is precisely what manufacturers do with their logic boards (the main computer board for the appliance).  Consumer Reports polled their subscribers, and they rated GE (now owned by the Chinese corporation Hairer), LG, and Frigidaire as more reliable.  While Samsung, Maytag, and Kitchenade were less reliable. 

GE stoves seemed to be more reliable than some other brands based on a CR survey. Basic is better as bells and whistles tend to break down.

Brands like Kenmore, Insignia, and Criterion are typically made by various third-party companies in Asia like Haier, Daewoo, and Midea. Kenmore used to be considered good quality when its appliances were made by the US companies Whirlpool and Frigidaire, but then it shifted its manufacturing to LG and Samsung, later to Hairer, and now to Daewoo. Repairmen have noted that each change has generally resulted in less reliable products. 

Chinese manufacturers like Haier, which makes appliances for US companies like Best Buy, are now introducing their own product lines into the US market.  It is still being determined if these products are better quality than those units that they make for US brands.  Additionally, repairmen have noted that some repair parts have been difficult to get for these products. That may improve over time.

Elite brands like GE’s Monogram, Viking, and Thermador are more complex and tend to break down more frequently per repairmen.  However, owners seem to like these fancy appliances. 

The best advice is to fix your old appliances when possible and, when necessary, purchase the most reliable new ones that you can afford.  The more bells and whistles you have on any appliance, the more things that can break.

Peace

Mike

cooking, cooking appliances energy savings., Cooking in a dorm room, cooking in a van, cooking without a kitchen, Hotel room cooking, small electric appliances, Uncategorized

Why Pressure Cookers Remain King

I enjoy being retired because I can explore obscure topics without feeling guilty that I should be doing “real work.”

In my last post, I investigated the energy efficiency of tabletop cooking appliances and was surprised by how energy-efficient pressure cookers were. Some were over eight times more energy efficient than a large crock pot I tested. That was amazing, so I thought I would research them more.

Pressure cookers have always remained popular in countries with high energy costs or limited energy resources. However, they became less common in the US market after microwave ovens and crock pots gained popularity in the 1970s. However, they have had a significant resurgence since the introduction of the Instant Pot in 2010.  

In the late 1600s, Denis Papin developed a primitive pressure cooker called the Steam Digester. It was used to extract fat and break down animal bones.  

The Steam Digestor-Image from Wikipedia.

In 1857, Louis Pasteur published his first paper on the role of bacteria in fermentation, heralding an understanding of the role of microorganisms in cheese production and milk spoilage.  His research led to the germ theory and the role of microorganisms in disease.  

By the late 1800s, manufacturers were using pressurized steam to sterilize the contents of canned foods. In 1905, the National Pressure Cooker Company (now National Presto Industries)  started manufacturing large pressure canners for commercial operations. In 1917, the USDA established a canning pressure of 15 PSI as the standard. The USDA deemed pressure canning the only way to safely can low-acid foods (meats, beans, etc.). Canner retorts are the predecessors of the home pressure cooker.

Alfred Vischer introduced the first home pressure cooker, the Flex-Seal Speed Cooker, in 1938. However, the Presto pressure cooker, introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, was the one that caught the attention of homemakers. The Presto was revolutionary as it utilized a simple twist on the pressure lid instead of relying on screws or clamps. The 1930s were a time when home kitchens were starting to modernize.  One can only imagine the significance of the pressure cooker, a device that could cook food three to ten times faster than conventional methods. Pressure cookers became a hit, similar to the home microwave oven’s popularity when they became affordable in the 1970s. The original Presto Pressure Cookers were made of aluminum.

The Flex-Seal Speed Coooker-Image from eBay seller.

World War II ended consumer manufacturing as industries were reassigned to the war effort, but demand for pressure cookers remained high. Presto stopped manufacturing pressure cookers but continued manufacturing retort canners, deemed necessary for the homefront war effort. However, they were made of steel, as aluminum was too crucial for the war. 

Companies in the US resumed production of home pressure cookers in 1945.  Since there was a high demand for pressure cookers, multiple manufacturers took on the task.  Some companies were more concerned with profit than safety and produced unsafe units. Stories about pressure cookers exploding are from this time.

Any kitchen tool can be dangerous, from a dull kitchen knife to a saucepan left unattended on a stove. Modern pressure cookers are kitchen tools, so they fit into this list. However, they have multiple safety features built in and are very safe if used according to common sense and the provided instructions.  

My pressured story

I grew up in a household that used a pressure cooker several times a week.  My mom made the most amazing soups, stews, goulash, chicken paprikash, chop suey, pot roast, swiss steak, and so much more in her Model 40 Presto aluminum pressure cooker. The cooker was built like a tank, and she also used it as a regular pot by leaving off the pressure regulator.  It was the gadget of choice to make popcorn as its thick base made burning popcorn less likely. 

This is exactly how I remember my mother’s Presto Model 40. Purchased some time in the 1940s and still in active service 80 years later. Image from an eBay seller.

This old-style unit operated slightly differently from more modern cookers.  You waited until a stream of steam came out of the vent tube before popping on the regulator, which seemed to have a spring design as it allowed you to cook at several pressures.  I’ll talk more about regulators later in this post. 

My mom used that 4-quart cooker to feed a family of seven until the mid-1970s when she bought an aluminum 6-quart Presto. She continued to use both pots depending on her cooking needs. The new pot had the more familiar “jiggler” style pressure regulator.  Both required very little maintenance.  Every year or two, my mom would send me to our local 5 and 10 store to buy a rubber gasket, and I also recall going there once to buy a rubber pressure plug.  Both purchases were inexpensive.

This Presto is very similar to the 6-quart cooker that my mom bought in the 1970s. It was functional when I inherited it, but its flakey paint made me not use it. Image from an eBay seller.

When my mom passed, my sister got the Presto model 40 and continued to use it regularly until 2017, when her operator error destroyed it. Since the Model 40 was produced in the 1940s, that pot lasted almost 80 years! I was given the 6-quart Presto but didn’t use it much.  The yellow paint on its exterior was badly flaked and looked ugly.  Instead, I bought a new stainless steel pressure cooker and continued the family cooking tradition.

I’m a gadget guy, so I have many kitchen appliances. I find learning how to use them enjoyable. During my adult life, I have used all sorts of pressure cookers in various situations, including when I camp.  I am sold on them and know they are both speedy and efficient.  However, I didn’t realize how energy-saving they were until I researched my last post. 

In that post, I discovered stove-top and electric (think Instant Pot) pressure cookers were significantly more efficient than slow cookers. I always thought the Crock Pot was the small appliance energy king.

Why are pressure cookers beneficial?

  • They cook 3 to 10 times faster than standard cooking methods.
  • They are one of the most energy-efficient cooking appliances.
  • They retain nutrients more than many other cooking methods. 
  • They are highly versatile and can cook anything from a hearty bean soup to a delicate cheesecake.
  • They can transform tough cuts of meat into tender, delectable dinners.
  • They can cook multiple foods at once without mixing flavors.
  • Dehydrated foods like dried beans can be cooked without pre-soaking.

How can they cook as fast as they do?

Pressure cookers require liquid, which they boil and turn into steam.  That steam pushes out the air in the cooking vessel, at which point the pot seals and pressure builds in the pot.  

Liquid water is always trying to turn into a gas. If you pour some water on your driveway, it will evaporate into a gas.  You can accelerate that evaporation process by adding energy to the water in the form of heat.  The water will boil, and you can see the evaporation process as steam. Water boils at sea level at 212F (100C).  No matter how much energy you supply to the pot, the liquid water will never exceed 212F. It is at equilibrium with atmospheric pressure pushing it down at 15 PSI (pounds per square inch). 

Water will boil at a lower temperature at high elevations where the atmospheric pressure is less than 15 PSI, and the converse is also true. If there were a way to increase the atmospheric pressure above 15 PSI, water would boil at a higher temperature.  A pressure cooker can do just that.

The atmospheric pressure at sea level is 15 PSI. A standard American stove-top pressure cooker operates at two times this atmospheric pressure (15 PSI + 15 PSI = 30 PSI), allowing the water in the vessel to be heated to 250F (121C) instead of 212F (100C), and this cooks food faster.

PSI’s impact on the boiling point of water. Image from hippressurecooking.com

But why does a pressure cooker cook foods faster than an oven, which can reach 400F and beyond? Food cooked in an oven has an insulating layer of cooler air around it, slowing down the cooking process. Convection ovens use a fan to break through that insulating layer partially, so they cook faster than conventional ovens. Pressure cookers eliminate the air-insulating layer by pushing it out and replacing it with scorching steam.

Additionally, all foods are mostly water. A carrot is around 88% water, and a pot roast is around 70% water. Under normal atmospheric pressure, this internal water can only be heated to 212F at sea level (just like the water in the pot itself).  However, it can reach higher temperatures under pressure, allowing food to cook faster.  That additional heat breaks down connective tissue faster, which is how a tough pot roast can turn into a delectable dinner in only an hour of cooking. 

I just told you that water’s boiling point depends on atmospheric pressure and that water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes as there is less atmospheric pressure. This reduction in boiling temperature can lengthen the time it takes to cook something in a pot, and the same is valid for using a pressure cooker at high altitudes. A US stove-top pressure cooker will increase the pressure in the cooking vessel by 15 PSI above the outside pressure. The general rule is you need to add around 5% more cooking time for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet elevation. If you are cooking something that requires 60 minutes of pressure cooking time at sea level, it may take 63 minutes at 3000 feet above sea level. 

Secret Added Time.

It may sound impressive that a pressure cooker can cook something in less time needed by traditional methods, but that time is calculated after the appliance has reached pressure. The liquid has to boil and create steam for this to be accomplished, and depending on the volume of liquid in the pot, that may take a bit. As a loose rule of thumb, assume around ten minutes to reach pressure, at which point timing begins. If a dish says it will be done in 15 minutes, add the boiling/pressure-building time.  That would be 10 min (pressure building time) + 15 min (pressure cooking time) or 25 minutes total cook time.

Quick Release vs. Natural Release.

The heat is turned off at the end of pressure cooking time, but the food continues to cook. Recipes will either tell you to let the pressure come down naturally or to release it quickly. 

In a natural release, you let the pressure come down naturally. Often, this means waiting 10 minutes and then doing a quick release. Food will continue to cook in this mode, but slower. Meats, like beef, can become dry if you do a quick release, as the change in pressure will pull moisture out of them. A natural or slow release prevents this.  

A quick release is most commonly done by tilting a jiggler-type regulator or moving a lever on a spring-type regulator (see your instruction book). Some old stove-top books may tell you to put the base in a pan of water or to carefully run cool water on the lid.  A quick-release stops cooking and is used for many delicate foods, like fish and vegetables. Editor’s Note:  NEVER place the base of an electric cooker in a pan of water, and NEVER run cool water on the lid of an electric cooker.  You will destroy it if you do. 

Different manufacturers use different pressure standards.

A word of caution: US stove-top cookers typically pressurize at 15 PSI, modeled after USDA requirements for sterilizing foods. Their operating temperature is 250F (121C).  European stove-top cookers often pressurize to 13 PSI; their operating temperature will be 245 F (118C), not 250 F. Some Chinese stove-top pressure cookers operate at 8 PSI, yielding only 234F (112C). 

Most electric pressure cookers cycle between 10-12 PSI and cook at a lower operating pressure than a standard US stove-top. This means you may need to adjust cooking time with different pressure cookers. For instance, something that would cook for 45 minutes using a standard 15 PSI stove-top pressure cooker may take up to 60 minutes using a typical electric pressure cooker. 

Some manufacturers produce cookers whose operating pressures are different from model to model.  The Spanish company Magefesa does that.  Some pressure cookers have US and European models that pressurize at different levels. The German Fissler brand cookers use 13 PSI in Europe and are recalibrated to 15 PSI for their US versions. 

A Fissler German pressure cooker. Pricey but well thought of. Image from Amazon.com

Many pressure cookers list their operating PSI (or kpa) on their product page or the cooker.  If you can’t find the operating pressure of a pressure cooker, you will have no idea about proper cooking times. 

Although making adjustments between machines may sound confusing, they are easy to implement. Cookbooks written for a particular appliance and the recipe books provided with the gadget will automatically give you the correct cooking time. Additionally, you will likely gain an intuitive understanding. For instance, if I use an Instant Pot recipe on a stove-top pressure cooker, I know to reduce the time a bit. However, when purchasing, I would stick with a standard 13 or 15 PSI stove-top or a 10-12 PSI electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot and many others).  There is a wealth of information on these devices and tons of recipes. 

A real pressure cooker danger.

Some exotic pressure cookers, like the Instagram-trending Afgan pressure cookers, may be dangerous due to contaminants.  Afghan pressure cookers use reclaimed aluminum, sometimes from old car parts. Afghan pressure cookers have been known to leach lead into foods. 

PSI vs. kpa.

Pressure can be measured in several different ways. For US pressure cookers, we use PSI (pounds per square inch); for the rest of the world, they use kpa (kilopascals).

15.0 PSI = 100 kpa  temp 250F,  cook time 23% of traditional cook time

13.0 PSI = 90 kpa    temp 246F,  cook time 27% of traditional cook time

11.5 PSI = 80 kpa    temp 242F,  cook time 32% of traditional cook time

10.0 PSI = 70 kpa    temp 241F, cook time 33% of traditional cook time

8.0 PSI   = 55 kpa    temp 234F, cook time 40% of traditional cook time

Pot-in-pot cooking.

It is possible to put another cooking vessel inside your pressure cooker. For instance, you can put a springform pan inside to make a cake or cheesecake (made under steam). You can also buy inexpensive stacking pots that fit typical pressure cookers. Using this method, you can cook two foods simultaneously, and their flavors won’t mix.  

Different types of lids.

The lid on a pressure cooker must be secure, or it will fly off when under pressure. Presto revolutionized the home cooker by using a flange/twist-on design that is still very popular today.  Some manufacturers use other methods that have also been proven to work. For instance, some third-world countries produce cookers with clamp-on lids as this style is more straightforward to manufacture.  The famous Indian company Hawkins makes cookers that use a tip-in and clip lid.  As long as the lid is secure, all is good, no matter the design.

Can I fill a pressure cooker to the top?

No. The maximum you can fill a pressure cooker is ⅔ full, as you need room to generate steam. Some foods can only be filled ½ way (for instance, rice and beans) as they tend to expand and could block the vent tube. The instruction book supplied with your machine can provide you with more details.

Maximum filling levels for pressure cooking. Image from hippressurecooking.com

Do I always have to add liquid to my pressure cooker?

Yes, your pot must have liquid to operate under pressure. Depending on the cooking time, a cup of water will usually do. Naturally, liquid dishes like soups already have water in them. 

Why does my electric cooker say “BURN” on its display?

Electric cookers are limited by their heating elements.  If you don’t have enough liquid in them or the only liquid is very thick, like tomato sauce, the cooker may burn some of the food on the bottom of the pot.  This can cause temperatures to rise, which is then sensed by a thermostat, and the cooker will shut down to protect itself. It is essential to read recipes as they stipulate how to put food in a pot.  For instance, a recipe may say to add broth and then tomato sauce but not mix the two. The broth can turn to steam, and you won’t get a “BURN” warning. 

Do I need a cooker that can operate at multiple pressures?

Some pressure cookers can operate at more than one pressure.  However, the vast majority of pressure cooker recipes use high pressure.  For most, having only one pressure is all that you need.

Can I use my home pressure cooker for pressure canning?

Probably not. First, you must ensure that your unit operates at 15 PSI (the USDA standard) and maintains that pressure.  Sterilization is based on both temperature and time.  However, there is no way that a consumer can safely calculate a pressure cooker’s internal temperature.  Poorly canned foods can breed a deadly organism called Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria produces the botulism toxin (botox), one of the most deadly neurotoxins. A very tiny amount can kill you. This botox is the same substance used to give people chemical facelifts, as it paralyzes the nerves controlling facial muscles.  However, that substance is medical grade and precisely diluted.  The bottom line is that If you are into canning, you are best off buying a pressurized canner (retort canner) designed for the job. Canners are calibrated and designed to get up to and maintain 15 PSI.

Are pressure cookers safe?  I hear that they explode.

Some pressure cookers built during the 1940 post-war times were shoddy and could rupture.  Modern pressure cookers have multiple safety devices and are safe if you follow reasonable operating procedures. Can you force a pressure cooker to explode?  That is unlikely unless you deliberately modified it, as was done in the Boston Marathon bombing.  The worst that can happen is that one of the safety mechanisms would activate and release a blast of steam, potentially spewing boiling water and food, providing you with a mess to clean up. I have used all types of pressure cookers for over 50 years and have never had a problem. However, use common sense; don’t leave the house when operating a pressure cooker.  I stay in or near the kitchen using a stove-top unit and remain within earshot when using an electric pressure cooker (which is more automatic). 

Are aluminum pressure cookers safe?  

The urban legend that aluminum pots cause Altzehiemer’s disease has long been debunked. However, aluminum may leave acidic foods, like tomato sauce, tasting metallic. This is not dangerous.  I have never tasted this, so that this ability may be genetic. Anodized aluminum does not impart a metallic taste.  

Aluminum pressure cookers are cheaper than stainless steel pots but are only manufactured as stove-top units. The American Test Kitchen advises getting a stainless steel cooker due to the metal taste issue and their concern that an aluminum pot is less durable. However, my mom’s aluminum pot was almost 80 years old before an operator error destroyed it, so I would say that they are still pretty durable.

I would choose stainless steel if you can afford it, but go for aluminum if cost is a significant issue.  

A typical aluminum pressure cooker. Image from Amazon. com

Do pressure cookers have parts that I need to take care of or replace?

Despite their advanced abilities, pressure cookers are relatively simple devices. A few parts may wear out over time.

-The gasket is a silicon ring that seals the lid and pot.  I remove mine and wash it separately.  I then replace it or leave it loose in the pot to be placed the next time I use my pressure cooker.  Never store a pot with the gasket (seal) in place and the lid locked.  This will squeeze the gasket and may impact its ability to seal. If a pot can’t hold pressure or the gasket looks damaged, it should be replaced with the same type. If you have a brand-name cooker, you can find gaskets specifically for that brand.  If you have a Chinese no-name cooker, you can measure the inner diameter of the gasket in centimeters and find a replacement on Amazon, Walmart.com, or eBay. Different gaskets have somewhat different builds, so try to find one similar to your original if you have a generic cooker. 

Some people keep several gaskets, one for savory foods and another for desserts, as a gasket can pick up odors. I sometimes use the top rack of my dishwasher to clean a removed gasket. Some say soaking a gasket in a diluted vinegar solution can eliminate “gasket odor.”  Gaskets are inexpensive, so having an extra one on hand is a good idea.

My mom would have to change the old rubber gasket on her Presto every year or two.  Current silicon gaskets are advised to be changed every 2-3 years.  However, I check mine to see if it looks good and works OK. If so, I continue to use it. My Mealthy electric pressure cooker is 6 years old, and I still use the same gasket.

-Another replaceable item is the float valve. When the cooker is pressurized, this valve pops up an indicator on the lid. It also seals the pressure cooker and locks the lid from opening. The part that may go bad on the valve is the little silicon ring at its base. If your cooker isn’t pressurizing or this silicon ring looks damaged, replace it.

Should I buy a Chinese or off-brand pressure cooker?

Brand-name cookers stand by their pots. Presto makes reasonably priced pressure cookers, and they still have parts for cookers that they sold 50 years ago.  Kuhn Rikon, Fagor, and Fissler are long-standing, reputable European companies. Instant Pot seems to support their electric pressure cookers (at least to a degree).   

However, I have used several Chinese stove-top and electric pressure cookers that seem to be well-made.  If you buy an off-brand stove-top, ensure the pressure cooker reaches 15 PSI. Some sold on eBay and Amazon do not, reaching only 8 PSI. 

As far as I know, most electric pressure cookers cycle between 10 and 12 PSI, so recipes used from one electric cooker to another don’t need to be adjusted. I have used my Mealthy electric pressure cooker for years, and it works as well as an Instant Pot.  The Mealthy was roughly the same price as a similar Instant Pot but came with extras, impacting my decision. 

Consumables, like the sealing gasket and the silicon washer for the float valve, appear fairly generic on many off-brand models (made in the same Chinese factory?). As long as you match a part correctly, they seem to work. 

I have seen some generic gaskets titled “For stainless steel pressure cookers.” I can’t say if that identifier is essential or just marketing. 

What size pressure cooker should I get?

Stove-top pressure cookers come in all sorts of sizes.  I have seen 2-quart, 4-quart, and even 10-quart electric pressure cookers, but they are usually 3, 6, and 8-quart units.  American Test Kitchen suggests getting an 8-quart cooker because “you can always cook less in an 8-quart, but you can’t cook more in a smaller cooker.  However, I disagree.  My sister has an 8-quart electric for her 2-person family and would always make too much food in it.  She got a 3-quart electric and is much happier.  I often cook for five adults and have never had a capacity problem using my 6-quart cookers.  For years, my mom used a 4-quart stove-top for a family of 7.  However, when she made stew, she cooked the potatoes separately, and when she could, she eventually bought a 6-quart stove-top unit.  

A 6-quart pot works in most situations and is the most flexible as it can accommodate relatively large amounts of cooking but can also easily cook smaller portion sizes. Remember that a pressure cooker can only be filled 2/3rds full, and some expanding/foaming foods like rice and beans should only be filled ½ full. 

First Generation Pressure Cookers.

These stove-top pressure cookers have a simple design. Air is expelled from a vent on the oven’s lid. On top of the lid’s vent tube is a regulator of a calibrated weight. When pressure builds past 15 PSI, the weight is slightly lifted, and the excess pressure is released, causing the weight to rock.  The process continues, causing the weight to “jiggle” back and forth.  These pressure cookers are sometimes called jigglers because of this. Once the regulator starts to jiggle, the operator turns down the heat so that jiggling is relatively gentle.  Timing starts once the regulator is rocking. 

Advantages:

-A straightforward mechanism that has few moving parts.

-It is evident when the unit reaches pressure and if you need to readjust the heat to achieve gentle rocking.

-These cookers tend to be less expensive than generator-two pressure cookers.

Disadvantages: 

-It is possible to lose the regulator.

-These units may lose a little more liquid in the form of steam than second-generation PCs. 

-Some people find the rocking, accompanied by a swish-swish sound, scary.

-Unless you change the regulator, these units can only operate at one PSI (not a big deal).

This first-generation “jiggler” pressure cooker uses a weighted regulator that rocks open once the pot’s pressure exceeds 15 PSI. The arrow is pointing to the regulator.

Second  Generation Pressure Cookers.

Second-generation stove-top pressure cookers use a spring-type regulator that doesn’t jiggle. Instead, these units hiss a bit (some more than others).  They usually have an indicator that says they are under pressure and may have several pressure levels. 

Like Generation-One units, you start on high heat, and when the indicator shows that the pot is under pressure, you lower the heat to maintain that pressure. For some cookers, you want to see a gentle stream of steam; in others, you are given a clear visual indicator that the pot is under proper pressure.  Your pot’s instruction guide will tell you what to look for. 

Advantages:

-May lose less moisture than Gen-One cooker.

-Quieter than a Gen-One cooker.

-Can often achieve several different pressure levels (not very important)

Disadvantages:

-May be more expensive than a Gen-One cooker.

-Some may prefer a Gen-One cooker’s clear visual and auditory cues.

Note:  My mom’s 1940s Model 40 pressure cooker likely used a spring regulator, and her first jiggler was purchased in the 1970s, so I’m not quite sure why some experts labeled jigglers as “first-generation.”

This is a second-generation stove-top unit. The arrow points to the regulator, which does not jiggle.
The arrow points to the “float valve.” As the pressure builds this valve will pop up sealing the pressure cooker and locking the lid as a safety feature.
The float valve has popped up in this photo, signaling that the cooker is sealed. Now, you need to wait until a steady stream of steam comes out of the regulator (see next photo).
Looking carefully, you can see a stream of steam coming out of the regulator. Once this happens, lower the heat until you see a gentle but steady stream of steam. This is when you start your time.
This Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker emits very little steam. Instead, you monitor the pressure indicator on the top of the lid. Once you move to the second red bar, lower the heat to maintain this pressure level.
You can see that two bars have emerged.

Both Gen One and Gen Two Pressure Cookers:

Stove-top pressure cookers can last a lifetime. 

They are high-quality pots that can be used as regular stockpots when needed. In this case, the cook leaves the regulator off/open on the pressure lid or uses a different lid. Some pressure cooker manufacturers sell a separate glass lid for non-pressurized cooking. 

What can a stove-top pot do?

Cooks Soups/Stews/Tough meats:  Yes

Has software programs for common foods: No

Set and (almost) forget operation: No

Slow cooking function: Yes (if used like a stove-top Dutch oven)

Make Rice: Yes (a favorite ability)

Make hard-boiled eggs: Yes

Make Yogurt: No

Sous Vide foods: No

Cook other grains: Yes

Make desserts like cheesecake: Yes

Can saute in the pan: Yes

Cook at 15 PSI: Yes (Many)

Can last a lifetime: Yes

Requires  AC outlet: No

Third Generation Pressure Cookers.

Third-generation cookers are electric, the most obvious being the Instant Pot. However, the Instant Pot was not the first electric pressure cooker on the scene. The first electric cooker was introduced in 1991, and the Instant Pot came out in 2010.  

I had a Nesco electric pressure cooker in the mid-90s that worked very well.  My Nesco had typical pressure cooker functions and a slow cooker setting. The Instant Pot and its clones added a lower temperature setting to make yogurt and some simple timing programs for common foods, like stew and rice. The Instant Pot became a hit because it was featured on Amazon during a Black Friday sale.  Robert Wang was wise to call the Instant Pot something different than a pressure cooker as that neutralizes Urban Legend explosion fears. People got intrigued by pressure cookers and didn’t even know it!

Advantages:

These pots offer set-it-and-forget-it capabilities. Press a few buttons, and the cooker will reach pressure for a set amount of time and then go to keep warm. In most cases, the operator is responsible for releasing pressure if indicated.  

Disadvantage:

-Requires an AC outlet.

-As a small electric, the lifespan of a 3rd generation is limited.

-Many more components than a stove-top unit.  Circuit boards, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, thermal fuses.  The list goes on.  

These pots typically cycle between 10-12 PSI, lower than a stove-top unit. Some smaller pots may have an even lower operating pressure. Only one electric pot, the Instant Pot Max, can achieve the standard 15 PSI. However, some reviewers noted that it didn’t cook any faster than typical Instant Pots, which are less expensive. 

What can a 3rd generation pot do?

Cooks Soups/Stews/Tough meats:  Yes

Has timing programs for common foods: Yes

Set and (almost) forget operation: Yes

Slow cooking function: Yes (some report poor results)

Make Rice: Yes (a favorite option)

Make hard-boiled eggs: Yes

Make Yogurt: Yes  (a favorite option)

Sous Vide foods: A few machines (poor results reported).

Cook other grains: Yes

Make desserts like cheesecake: Yes

Cook at 15 PSI: Only one machine, the Instant Pot Max.

Can saute in the pan: Yes

Can last a lifetime: No

Require AC outlet: Yes

I have used this Mealthy pressure cooker for 6 years. Prior to that I used a Nesco electric pressure cooker since the 1990s. The Nesco’s regulator was damaged, making the unit inoperative.
Electric pressure cookers operate differently than stove-top units. They may build to 15 PSI but then cycle between 10 and 12 PSI during cooking. This lowers their cooking temperature, so they cook a bit slower than stove-top units—image from hippressurecooking.com

Hybrid Machines

A few pressure cookers on the market combine their pressure cooking function with a convection oven (air fryer). This allows the user to cook food rapidly under pressure and then brown/crisp it. People who have these machines generally like them. However, they can be bulky and more expensive.

Several companies make hybrid pressure cookers that can also act as air fryers. This allows you to cook something and then brown it quickly. This is the original Ninja Foodi.
Another view of the Foodi. The pressure lid is on the pot. You can also see the air fryer lid permanently attached to the cooker.

Conclusions/Recommendations

A pressure cooker is a fantastic and safe cooking gadget.  It saves fuel, gets meals on the table 3-10 faster than conventional methods, preserves vitamins, and the food tastes great because all of the volatile aroma molecules are preserved.  Meats come out juicy and tender.  Vegetables have more vitamins, and rice, beans, and grains cook quickly.  You can make entire meals simultaneously without blending flavors with the pot-in-pot technique.  These pots will save you time and money; they use little energy while allowing you to cook cheaper cuts of meat.

The American Test Kitchen suggests buying a stainless steel cooker with a broad base for durability and quick sauteing of foods. This is good advice, but you can certainly use an aluminum cooker with excellent results. I have pressure cookers with typically sized bases and may have to brown large amounts of stew meat in two batches. I’m not working in a commercial kitchen, so super durability and saving 5 minutes of browning time are not crucial.

Stove-top pressure cookers offer the advantage of cooking at a full 15 PSI (faster cooking times). They can last a lifetime, be used as a high-quality stock pot, and be operated using many heating sources, from kitchen ranges to camping stoves.  They are the perfect cooking tool in a disaster situation. A cooker from Generation One or Generation Two cooks similarly. Remember, if a cooker operates at the same PSI, it will cook the same.

However, I suggest getting an electric pressure cooker for the first-time user.  Their ease of use and automatic nature make you more likely to use them. Additionally, dozens, if not hundreds, of websites and YouTube videos make it easy to get up and running. 

Hybrid cookers are loved by their owners due to their additional versatility.  However, that additional functionality may make an already daunting task even more difficult for a new user. Such an appliance can be purchased later if desired. 

Which type of cooker do I use?  The answer is “Yes.”.

Peace,

Mike

Images used for educational purposes.

personal growth, Uncategorized

Things That I Simply No Longer Care About

When I originally conceived this post, I was going to title it “The life changes I made when I retired.”  However, like most things I write, the topic evolved.  The title then became “Changes that I have made as I have aged.” That was also inaccurate, as some of my life changes started in my 20s and have grown since then. The bottom line is that as an adult, I have slowly become who I am today.  Let me share some of those changes with you.

I no longer fear Imposter syndrome.

When I was younger, I received conflicting critiques about who I was and what my abilities were. On one hand, I was told I was stupid, lazy, and useless, while on the other hand, I was told that  I was bright, talented, and unique. I reveled in the later critique but didn’t believe it was real. I feared my complementers would discover I was a fraud.  

I recall being in college and breaking the curve on tests, thinking I was lucky. After doing this many times, I changed my belief to “I just study harder.”  Eventually, I came to understand that I grasped the material better than the average student, which was why I topped the curve.  Before you think I’m too grandiose, let me inform you that I have also recognized my weaknesses.  For instance, I cannot remember common facts, like a person’s name or a telephone number. Additionally, I have great difficulty putting together a simple children’s jigsaw puzzle. 

I no longer feel that I’m an imposter. Instead, I understand that I’m a person with some unique gifts and some significant weaknesses.  My goal has always been to exploit my strengths while doing everything possible to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I’m still a work in progress. 

I don’t care what people think about me.

When I moved into my house 30 years ago, I tried to be casually friendly towards my neighbors.  This effort went reasonably well, and I’m still on good terms with people I met at that time.  However, there was one situation where something went wrong.  A guy lived half a block from my house, and I had minimal contact with him.  We had kids the same age, and I occasionally saw him at the school bus stop or around the neighborhood. When I ran into him, I would greet him with a hello or raise my hand in a wave.  Initially, he responded, but then he stopped.  He would sometimes visibly scowl if he caught sight of me. If I was face-to-face with him, looked him directly in his eye, and said hello, he would look past me like I didn’t exist.  This situation upset and baffled me as I could not think of a reason for this change in his behavior. I felt that I must have done something wrong to create such a reaction, but I couldn’t even remember conversing with him, let alone saying something rude. My concerns eventually faded, and I got past his response (or lack thereof).  I never found out why this person went from a casual contact to someone who hated me. However, I no longer care.

In my private practice, I initially evaluated a middle-aged man who needed a new psychiatrist as his old one was retiring. This poor guy was taking a suitcase of ridiculous and repetitive meds.  His former doctor had him on multiple tranquilizers, sleeping pills, stimulants, and even opioid pain meds. I told the man frankly that my goal would be to get him off of 90% of the medications that he was taking because only then could I see what he needed.  He was furious with me and left my office, never to return.  I had to admit that I had a sense of relief when he left, as I knew that weaning such a patient would be as difficult for me as for him.  Six months later, I saw him on my schedule and thought, “Oh crap.”  I was sure that I was about to get some sort of dressing down because he was so angry when he left the first time. 

The man came in, and instead of reaming me, he apologized. He was seeing a new doctor who was happy to continue all of his meds, but over time, he realized that I was the first doctor to care enough about his care to risk losing him by telling him the truth.  Over time, I was able to get him off most of his meds and transition him to more appropriate ones.  He became a patient for life and continued to travel to my Illinois office after he moved to Ohio. 

There are times when I have accidentally offended someone. When things go badly in an encounter, and I am the cause, I want to make it right. However, long ago, I realized there would be people who would like me and people who wouldn’t.  Some who don’t want to be my friend will have a valid reason; others won’t. I try to be kind and respectful to everyone, but if that is not enough…so be it. I want to concentrate my energy on those who want to share time with me.  For the others, I wish them a happy life, but otherwise, I simply don’t care.

I no longer try to live up to other people’s expectations of me.

Some people think they know how I should behave, what I should do, and how I should live my life.  Sometimes, these comments are out of genuine caring and could be considered complements.  “You should write a book on that topic,” or “You should practice again; we need good psychiatrists.”  At other times, I have been the target of someone’s manipulation, like when a senior medical student wanted me, as a freshman medical student, to take her place on a horrible committee that involved a ton of work and long twice-monthly meetings. I could give dozens of other examples, but they all involve “shoulds.”  You should do this, or you shouldn’t do that.  Long ago, I realized it was OK to listen to other’s perspectives, but I knew myself better than they knew me.  I live according to my expectations, not someone else’s.

I no longer buy into societal norms.

We are constantly being pressured to fit in.  As a doctor, society tried to determine how big my house should be, what kind of car I should drive, and what friends I should associate with. When I turned 50, I bought a “doctor’s car,” a Mercedes.  I felt pretty cool and accomplished for about a month, and then it dawned on me that the Mercedes was just a box on wheels. After a time, it became a burden due to its poor construction and excessive repair costs.  I traded it in for a Honda; a happy day. I no longer need to keep up with the Joneses or the Dr. Joneses. I just want to live my life and be myself. 

It took me about a month to realize that my Mercedes was just a box on wheels.

I no longer think I’m unworthy if I’m average at something.

Growing up, I received praise and validation through my academic abilities. This reinforcement led to a pattern of behavior in which I felt that I had to prove my worth by consistently exceeding expectations. That went well beyond schooling.  I thought I had to be engaging, intelligent, and funny in social situations. It was my task to make sure that no one was uncomfortable. It was my job to come up with a topic that interested the person I was talking to, not a subject I had an interest in.  In my marriage, I felt I had to be the ultimate provider, the man with the plan, who was both in charge yet compassionate and tender, alternating roles as required. I felt I had to prove my worth beyond being a good doctor in my business. For example, I taught myself web design to save the clinic money by designing, building, and uploading a complicated corporate website instead of having the clinic contract a professional. 

These characteristics are part of me, but the operative definer is “part.”  I don’t always want to be the most competent person in the room, the most engaging, and the most thoughtful.  Sometimes, I want to be me.  Over time, I have realized I have worth, as all humans do.  It is OK for me to allow others to take the lead and be intelligent, thoughtful, and caring. My genuine self is that of a nurturer, but I sometimes need to be nurtured.  I am happy to care for the people I love, but I also want to be loved. I can learn new things to help others, but at times, I am the person who needs help. 

Sometimes, it feels good just to be good enough.  

I no longer feel a need to control others.

When I care about someone, I want to protect them and keep them safe. When my kids were young, imparting my “knowledge” to them was possible.  However, they are now adults and have had the benefits of an excellent education, a ton of love and support, and wisdom from both parents. If they ask my opinion, I will happily give it to them.  If I see a major disaster on the horizon, I may offer an unsolicited opinion. However, in most cases, I feel my role is to be a supportive listener.  This stance goes beyond my kids but requires continuing effort on my part.  I’m better at letting go, but I still want to shield those I love from hurt and trauma.  I need to remind myself that adults have the right to self-determination. 

I no longer have to be everyone’s friend.

There was a time when someone asked me to be my friend, and I would automatically say yes. Many times, these were individuals who recognized that I was a caretaker.  The relationship would consist of them using me in one way or another.  When I needed their help or support, they would be “too busy.” I no longer want such people in my life.  I want mutually beneficial relationships with others, and I would much rather have a small circle of true friends than a massive group of casual friends. 

I don’t need to accomplish everything I could have achieved.

I have many ideas and can connect seemingly unrelated pieces of information. In the 1970s, I worked with a team at the U of C, employing a new tool called monoclonal antibodies. We were using these antibodies as a research probe to study Multiple Sclerosis, but it was abundantly clear that they could also be used for clinical medical purposes, targeted cancer treatment being one of them. In medical school, I knew I could become a research doc and advance that (and other) ideas. However, I understood that I wasn’t happy as a researcher and wanted to pursue a clinical path; I abandoned the idea. 

I started an multi-media company to educate lay people. My first education DVD received good reviews, but it took me hundreds of hours to create and produce.  Although I had ideas for other DVDs, I wasn’t willing to spend every waking hour developing them. 

The bottom line is that life involves balance.  I couldn’t do it all if I wanted to have a full life.  I wanted time to explore hobbies, have time for my wife, children, and friends, and to learn new things.  This meant that I couldn’t always accomplish the big stuff. Having a balanced life turned out to be the right decision for me. 

I have less need for “stuff.”

When I was younger, I saw the road to happiness and my credit card joined at the hip. I felt envy if I visited someone who had a larger house.  “Someday, I will have that too.”  The same could be said of anything that seemed better than what I had. Thank goodness that envy ended decades ago.  

At that time, I went from a position of envy to a place of gratitude. There will always be someone who has something “better” than me, but there will always be someone worse off, too.  Where do I find my happiness?  The other day, I walked in a beautiful forest preserve just minutes from home.  I brought a nice camera and took random photos of interesting subjects. At home, I made dinner for my family and a friend. We ate and talked and ate some more. It was a lovely day. 

Random photo #1
Random photo #2

I am so grateful to have good people in my life, that I’m relatively healthy, that I enjoy being creative and learning new things, and that I have so much beauty at my doorstep. There are so many things to be grateful for!

I value these things so much more than stuff. 

I don’t worry about the clothes that I’m wearing.

I’m a basic guy.  As a practicing doctor, I had to dress the part, and my closet was jammed with dress shirts and such.  Recently, I decided to eliminate most of those shirts and almost all of my suits.  I only wore suits when I had to, but I discovered that I had 8 of them!   I tossed the worn clothes and gave away the nice shirts and suits.

My retirement wardrobe is effortless; I mostly wear jeans with a SmartWool tee or a polo shirt.  I love the ease of choosing “one item from column A and one from column B,” and I’m dressed.  At other times I’ll wear something fun.  Why? Because I can wear what I want when I want to wear it.  

Not exactly “doctor regulation clothing” but fun!

I no longer need to be perfect.

In the past, I felt that I needed to be perfect and that I had to have an encyclopedic knowledge of any topic. I would blame myself if I didn’t know something, even when I could not know it. This caused me stress.

I still try to do a good job. However, perfection is not possible.  It is a relief to acknowledge that sometimes good is good enough. 

I have no problem saying “No.”

In the distant past, I felt that if someone asked me to do something, I would have to say “OK.”

People ask me to do things all the time. I will often say yes, and it feels great to help someone. However, other times, someone wants me to do something I don’t want to do. Those requests can be minor or sometimes highly time-consuming. Long ago, I learned that a simple “No” sans any explanation was the way to go. One minute of discomfort can, at times, save months of agony.

I don’t always have to be productive.

When I worked 60+ hours a week, my free time was minimal.  I remember sitting at my desk paying the household bills and feeling guilty that I wasn’t raking the leaves simultaneously.  My limited time and excessive demands created an environment where I thought I had to produce something of value 24/7.  That was not a healthy place to be. 

In retirement, I have found the true joy of being while still doing things. Yesterday, I cleaned out the clothes occupying one foot of my closet, tossed out one large bag of junk from my basement, wrote part of this post, and helped my sister with some computer issues. However, that left time to do many other things, ranging from having coffee with a friend to studying an esoteric and useless topic. Oh, and I also took a nap-and didn’t feel a bit of guilt.

I don’t have a fear of the future.

How many times have I worried about something that never happened?  How many times have terrible things happened without me seeing them approaching? The reality is that worry has never been a strategy for success.  If I worry about something, I tell myself: Accept what I cannot change, change what I can, and know the difference between the two (paraphrased AA serenity prayer).  Life happens.  Good things happen.  Bad things happen.  I aim to live in the half-full glass zone, not the half-empty one.  For every bad thing that has happened to me, I have had a dozen good things happen.  Every morning brings a new day.  My goal is to make the most of that day. 

I no longer ignore the small things.

Life is not about a trip to Europe or the purchase of a new home. Those things are lovely but very episodic. Life is about the small stuff: drinking a good cup of coffee, spending time with a friend, having dinner and conversation with my family, going on a walk while intentionally observing all of the beauty around me, and learning something new, even if it has no practical application. There is so much joy in the small things. Why do people ignore these gifts? Not me. 

I like cooking/baking and sharing it with people that I love. The Angle Food cake turned out great. My take on cheesy herbal muffins were a bit dry, but they ate them anyway!
On another walk, I saw these tiny flowers. I thought they were so pretty that I had to photograph them. It would have been easy to miss them if I hadn’t been looking with intention.

I’m no longer hard on myself.

I have already said that I’m not perfect.  That reality permeates every aspect of my life.  However, I no longer beat myself up when I make a mistake.  I try to learn from it and make it right if appropriate.  I’m not perfect, but I’m good enough.

I no longer place unreasonable expectations on my family and friends.

We all want what we want.  However, I try to view each close relationship as a gift.  I want to have good people in my life who I love and who love me.  However, they are individuals and have their own values and needs, which may differ from mine.  I make a solid effort to accept them for who they are.  However, I intentionally choose considerate people to be in my life.  I try to be the same to them, and although we are not perfect bookends, we appreciate and value our connections.

Letting go of the above has made me a better and happier person.  Each day is a gift to be celebrated and not squandered.

Peace 

Mike

camping, cooking in a van, living in a van, Negatives of van life, Uncategorized, Urban Stealth Camping, van kitchen, van kitchen design, vandwelling, Winter Camping, Winter in a Van

Van life, My Favorite Things.

I started my van life journey very simply. I pushed down the seats of my SUV and slept on an air mattress topped with a sleeping bag. In a laundry basket I had a small cook kit, a stove, a tarp, a flashlight, paper towels, matches, and a few other things. My clothes were in a duffel bag and I kept some food in a cooler and a box. This was all that I needed, and it alerted me to the reality that you don’t need very much to get by. However, I wanted to upgrade which led me to purchasing a Ram Promaster high-top in 2018.

Here I am in 2018 with my Promaster. It was a stock model with nothing in it. I had to add the side and back windows, and just about everything else. My very talented friend, Tom said he would help me build it out but I didn’t want to burden him with such a mammoth task so I found Wayfarer Vans in Colorado Springs and had them install a kit which made the van camping ready. However, I have heavily modified the van ever since with my friend and it has always been a fun way to build something together (I’m the chief screwdriver finder).

Violet’s innards from another angle. In this photo you can see that I had a side window and rear windows installed. I had this done locally at a custom RV/van shop in the city. I’m not very big on driving in huge cities, but I can do it if the motivation is high enough. Wayfarer now offers a lot of customization options, but in 2018 it was up to the van’s owners to get the van ready for modification.

Violet proudly showing off her side window.

One of the first things that we did was to install a roof fan and the solar panels. Both of these things were must for me and I use them on every trip. I have 400 watts of solar which charges my main battery and allows me to operate at almost 100 percent electric. The fan really helps to vent out the hot air and bring in the cool air at night.

Here you can see the vent fan from the inside. This fan can operate in two directions (pulling in air, or pushing out air). If you decide on adding a vent fan I would suggest getting one that can do this.

Here you can see my basic Wayfarer built. Compare this to my SUV photo and you can see that I have gone far up in van life status. The construction is very solid and has stood the test of time for 6 years. The box on the left is supposed to be a boot box, but it became my power station. Note the kitchen with a sink. Although functional, it did not suite my needs as I never really used the sink due to the mess. It had a 7 gallon water tank and a 7 gallon grey water tank that I had to wrestle with, and I didn’t like dealing with smelly grey water. We built a kitchen that better suited my needs. Also note the cavernous under the bed space. It was designed for adventure cargo, like a bike. However, I wanted to organize the space better for general van life.

Here I’m at Wayfarer Vans picking up my newly converted van. It only took them a morning to do what would have taken me a couple of months.

One of our first projects was to build out an under-the-bed storage space (#3). That has been one of my favorite modifications. This allowed a dedicated space for a slide out fridge (#1), as well as baskets that serve as my main pantry (#2).

The second photo shows the storage box from the “garage” end. Everything is very organized and there is still plenty of room for gear.

We opened up the “boot box” and converted it into a power station. My main battery and accessory battery gives me 4KW of power. Enough for just about any tasks that I need. I’m conservative with my power use and rarely dip below 80% battery. I have multiple ways to recharge my battery, but typically the solar panels are enough. I can also charge from my car battery/alternator. Lastly, I have a small gas generator, but I have never had to use it.

Another early project were these puck lights. However, they are also a regret as they are constantly disconnecting requiring me to take down panels to find the short. They use a remote control and I have had to replace the remote module a number of times. Now I more often use other sources of light.

I use every nook and cranny in Violet. Another project was installing a Wabasto gas heater (#1). The heater taps directly into Violet’s gas tank and barely sips any gas. I would say that its output is similar to one of those little electric heaters, which is enough to allow me to camp in the Winter. So far I have been comfortable with temperatures in the teens (Fahrenheit). You can also see my emergency toilet (#3). I have tried a couple of different types and am currently using a collapsible one. I seem to always find an alternate toilet option, but it feels good to have this backup “just in case.” The rectangular box (#2) is a 2000 watt quality inverter that takes power from my car battery and coverts it to AC power. This is an alternative way to charge my house battery when I’m driving. Now DC to DC chargers are popular, but they weren’t when I built out Violet. My solution may be a bit less efficient, but it works fine for me and also gives me an extra source of AC power. I originally had a no-name Chinese inverter that promised high output, but didn’t deliver so I went with a brand-name and I am glad that I did.

I also carry this small power bank which I can charge with a folding solar panel. I can take it out of the van to power devices like my video projector or computer, and use it inside for a convenient way to charge my phone. I like this particular battery bank as it re-charges very quickly. Some similar units charge very slowly. I believe in the motto ABC (always be charging). When I have shore power I like to charge everything to 100%.

A carpet is a must to keep dirt at bay. We cut this one to look like a wall to wall carpet, but it easily pulls out. My son asked why I got this pattern, but when he went camping with me he understood why-it hides dirt!

When I camp alone I almost always boon dock. However, when I’m camping with my wife or my son I will usually stay at campgrounds. Some smaller campgrounds will only have this type of power connector, so it is a good idea to have on board a simple 30 Amp to 20 Amp converter plug. They are inexpensive and can be found everywhere from Amazon to Walmart.

This is what the adapter looks like. I have used it many times over the years to convert a 30A socket into a 20A (typical) socket.

Another thing that Tom and I added was cruise control. It was a simple install and has made long drives a lot easier.

We also added swivel front seats. I have never used the swivel drivers seat, and rarely swivel the passenger seat. However, my wife uses it all of the time. This highlights the fact that what I find necessary, you may not. Hindsight suggests that it is better to build out slowly when you know what you actually need rather than trying to figure everything out in the beginning. You can also see my first attempt at a power station, an enormously heavy GoalZero 1250. I gifted that to Tom and his camping adventures when I upgraded to a lithium system.

A must is a garbage system that can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. I hang a grocery bag on the driver’s arm rest and change it out daily. It may not look great, but it works really well. I have never had a need to upgrade it.

Last summer’s project was to completely re-build the kitchen. I have enough power to go all electric, and I used an induction hob and a small microwave. I also have a capsule coffee pot as well as a small electric pressure cooker. When I’m solo I cook very simply, but when my wife or son are on board I tend to make real meals. I want their experience to be a good one.

This is my old kitchen setup using the Wayfarer kitchen. You can see the sink that I never used. Additionally, I had an induction hob mounted to the countertop which worked well, but took up valuable space. On the right side you see a microwave oven as well as a hassock toilet. I’m constantly changing things around. Why? Because its fun!

This summer Tom and I built a new kitchen that was better for my particular needs. By eliminating the sink, building in the hob and the microwave, and extending the countertop, I added an enormous amount of usable space. As an aside, we harvested the wood for the countertop from fallen trees. Tom used the planks to make flooring for his house, but there was some wood left over and that wood became Violet’s counter top.

In van life you can never have too many fans. There are a lot of small USB fans that are cheap, move a lot of air, and barely use any power. I’ll often use one in conjunction with my roof fan on very hot days.

Another one of my missteps. We installed a water port for the sink, and the sink is now gone. I also installed a power port, but I find it easier to run an outdoor extension cord through the sliding door.

I’m a little mixed on this one, a cellular signal booster. The improvement in cell reception has mostly been marginal, but recently it allowed me to very slowly view some webpages that would not have been possible with just my phone. Was that worth all of the money that I spent for the gadget? I don’t know.

Most of us use our phones to navigate. However, your phone’s GPS app requires a reasonably good cell connection to download maps. Two summers ago I installed a new radio that also has GPS as this unit has all of the maps preloaded. I have been in many places where Google maps won’t function (poor cell reception), but this unit does. This was an expensive upgrade, but you could also just buy an inexpensive dedicated GPS device off of eBay.

I also have an inexpensive dash cam. To be honest, I’m not sure I know how to get the videos off the camera. Fingers crossed that I won’t have to.

I mentioned that you need a light source. It is also important to have a portable light. This USB headlamp does the job for me, but there are many other options available.

A portable radio is a very nice addition. Yes, you have your car’s radio, but that could potentially run your battery down. I think I bought this radio off of eBay (note the Chinese hanzi). I have been in places with little cell signal so I can’t stream, but I can always get radio signals. A portable radio allows me to listen to the news and music when I’m sitting in a chair outside. Surprisingly, I seem to always find a NPR station. NPR has a lot of podcast like shows.

I also have an inexpensive “weather station.” Violet can get pretty hot in the summer heat and pretty cold in the winter freeze. I have found this little gadget informative over the years.

Since I no longer have a sink, you may wonder how I wash my dishes. I wipe off the remaining food with a paper towel, then spray with 100% vinegar, then wipe that off. It works as well as soap and water, but it doesn’t use up any water, and I have no smelly grey water to deal with.

Another addition that I added was this hitch for a bike carrier. Necessary if you want to take a bike with you, otherwise unneeded. Of course you can also pack a bike inside the van, but that can be a hassle.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but having a a decent water bottle is a must for so many reasons.

The simple water system that I have used for a number of years. This carboy holds 2 gallons of water, and I have 2, 3 gallon refill jugs in the van’s “garage.”

It goes without saying that you must have some sort of a first aid kit. I customized mine with things that I use. You can often buy small quantities of OTC meds at dollar stores making it inexpensive to change them out every year or two. I always have a variety of bandages, Motrin, anti-diarrhea meds, anti-histamines, kineseology tape, and other stuff on hand. I usually wind up taking a Motrin several times during any trip. Last summer I managed to poke a very sharp knife in my hand while trying to open a package. I was bleeding so much that I was leaking through band-aids. I taped the wound together with kineseology tape and that saved the day.

Another wonderful addition was a 3″ memory foam mattress pad that I added to the existing Wayfarer pad. I’m a big guy and a side sleeper, so I need the extra cushioning. Installing the pad took about 1 minute and it was a game changer for me.

This steering wheel desk turns Violet into an office on wheels. You can buy plastic ones very inexpensively on Amazon. However, my steering wheel was an odd size and the plastic one didn’t fit flat so we made our own.

When it’s hot and you have no shade you soon realize, “I need some shade!” There are many solutions and I have tried two of them. In the first photo I’m using a patio umbrella adapter on my hitch. That worked fine, but the MoonShade was more compact and did a better job. Neither require any permanent installation.

This may be hard to see, but you are looking at one of my absolutely most favorite things-rain guards! They allow me to keep my windows cracked during the rain and at night. They are an absolute must and take less than 5 minutes to install.

There are many other things that have made my van life easier. Some I use regularly, like a folding BBQ grate. Some things I use on occasionally, like a butane stove that allows me to cook outdoors. Some items I rarely use, but I’m glad that I have them, like a tow rope, traction mats, a tire pump, and a jump starter. Some are just fun, like my Omnia Oven.

I’m a life long camper, have been vehicle camping for a long time, and van camping for 6 years. I’m also a gadget guy so I’m constantly upgrading and changing things as that is part of my fun. I thought I would share some of my gear with you today. Your needs and desires may be completely different from mine. Do your own thing, and HAPPY CAMPING!

Peace

Mike

chamber vacuum sealer guide, Uncategorized

Chamber Vacuum Sealers: Everything that you need to know in one place.

In a past post, I wrote about the benefits of vacuum sealers, touching on both external and chamber sealers.  Today, I briefly summarize the benefits of vacuum sealing but spend the bulk of this post talking about chamber vacuum sealers, their difference from external sealers, and their benefits and limitations.  My goal is to help a potential buyer determine if a chamber vacuum sealer is the right choice for them. 

A brief history.

Vacuum sealing was developed in the 1940s and became a common way for grocers to extend the life of foods in the 1960s.  During the mid-sixties, a home vacuum sealer was introduced, but it didn’t gain popularity.  The Seal-A-Meal brand was launched in the late 1970s, and the FoodSaver brand was introduced in the late 1980s. These machines became popular with the help of late-night infomercials. I purchased my first FoodSaver vacuum sealer in the early/mid-1990s and have been using an external vacuum sealer since that time.  Additionally, I have been using a chamber vacuum sealer for over two years.  This post is from the perspective of a home cook (me) who has been vacuum sealing for almost 30 years. If you are a professional, your needs may vary. 

This is my original FoodSaver from the 1990s. It was built to a higher standard than many new units. It is very basic and manual, but it still works today.

The benefits of vacuum sealing.

Vacuum sealers produce a partial vacuum in a thick plastic bag. The bag is then sealed, and its contents now reside in a very low-oxygen environment.  All fungi/mold, as well as many bacteria, require oxygen to grow. A partial vacuum can dramatically slow down microbial growth.  Lastly, little critters (like cereal bugs) can’t hatch in a low oxygen environment. 

On its own, oxygen degrades food by a process called oxidation.  This process makes nuts and grains go rancid.  Additionally, oxidation is responsible for turning cut vegetables, like potatoes and avocados dark. Vacuum sealing can dramatically reduce oxidation issues. 

A standard method of preserving many foods is freezing.  However, poorly packaged frozen foods can suffer significant degradation.  Moisture can enter a package and form ice crystals that can destroy the texture of foods. Improperly wrapped foods can cause dehydration (called freezer burn), which can ruin a food’s flavor. Vacuum sealing can effectively eliminate these two issues.

Dry foods, like rice, can stay fresh and bug free when vacuum sealed and kept at a cool temperature.

Meats and cheese can stay fresh 3-5 times longer when vacuum sealed and refrigerated  as opposed to being refrigerated alone.

Delicate foods like strawberries will stay fresh longer in a vacuum container.

Frozen foods, like vacuum-sealed meats, can retain their high quality for years in the freezer.

Sous vide-style cooking involves cooking vacuum-sealed foods in a temperature-controlled water bath.

Lastly, chefs will often use a vacuum sealer to marinate foods in minutes instead of hours.

What vacuum sealing is not.

Vacuum sealing is different from canning. You will still need to refrigerate or freeze foods that normally require this.  Vacuum sealing is complementary to other methods of food preservation and not a substitute.  

A word of caution.

Be aware that some foods, like raw mushrooms and bananas should not be vacuumed sealed as they will spoil faster.  Vacuum sealing foods like raw onions and cabbage produce off-gasses that can degrade vacuum sealing bags. Additionally, certain bacteria found on some vegetables don’t require oxygen to grow (they are called facultative anaerobes).  Reducing oxygen levels by vacuum sealing can give these pathogenic bacteria a competitive advantage by eliminating all of the oxygen using bacteria, allowing them to grow faster.  Cooked vegetables are usually fine to vacuum seal.

What do I vacuum seal?

I buy meats and cheeses in bulk, divide them into meal packets, and freeze them.  Likewise, I buy dry goods, like rice, in large sacks, divide them up into smaller packages, and store them in my cool basement.  I’ll vacuum seal opened packages of bacon or cut avocados and refrigerate them. They will stay fresh much longer than when refrigerated alone. I’ll blanch vegetables, like carrots and celery and vacuum seal and freeze them in one dish portions so I always have vegetables to make a soup or stew. If I have leftover homemade soups, stews, and casseroles, I’ll vacuum seal and freeze individual portions for a quick meal at a later date. You can “boil-in-bag” or microwave vented vacuum seal bags for no-mess reheating.  

I’ll buy a cheap roasted Costco chicken, take the meat off the carcass, and freeze it in a vacuum sealed bag for a future easy-to-make casserole. I have used vacuum canisters to keep delicate items, like strawberries, fresh longer.  I also have vacuum-sealed non-food items.  For instance, I’ll vacuum seal my car keys and phone when I go canoeing or kayaking. Vacuum sealing has dramatically reduced waste in our home and reduced food costs by allowing us to buy in bulk.  

Using my Vevor chamber sealer to process bulk meat.
Packaged in individual meal portions and now ready for the freezer.

External vs chamber vacuum sealers.

External vacuum sealers are the most common home sealers and are typified by the FoodSaver brand. Food is placed in a specially textured plastic bag whose open end is placed in the machine.  A small vacuum pump sucks the air out of the bag, which is then sealed by a heating strip.  

Advantages of an external vacuum sealer.

These devices are inexpensive, with consumer units ranging from under $100 to several hundred dollars. Many are lightweight and small; they only take up a little counter space and are easily stored.  They are straightforward to use.  Since the bags are external to the unit, you can create very long bags (using special rolls of vacuum-sealing bags) to vacuum seal bulky foods. Many units have a port that allows you to vacuum seal external canisters and mason jars.  However, you will need to buy additional accessories for these functions. 

Disadvantages of an external vacuum sealer.

Although you can buy heavy duty pro-machines, most home devices are inexpensively made, and they will often need to be replaced every few years if heavily used. Most commonly, the bag-sealing heating element will fail, but the plastic vacuum pumps can also falter.  These problems are less of an issue for a home cook as their sealing needs are relatively low, but can be significant for high volume users, like hunters who process game, green thumbs who need to preserve a backyard harvest, and preppers who store large quantities of vacuum sealed foods. Additionally, home external sealers often have a limit on how many bags they can seal in a row and how long you have to wait between sealing cycles.  Professional external sealers are built to run nearly continuously, but they will be bulkier and cost significantly more than a home unit. 

External vacuum sealers require specially engineered textured bags to operate, as the bag’s ridges allow air to be sucked out of the bag.  FoodSaver branded bags can be expensive.  Off-brand bags will cost less but can still be pricey.  

Moist foods, like fresh meats and liquids, require special handling as liquids can get sucked into the sealing zone, which can cause a seal to fail. If the operator is careless, a machine may suck up the liquid into its internals and foul it.  

The pumps on these machines are much smaller than on a chamber vacuum and will produce less of a vacuum, which could result in shorter long-term food preservation.  That could be an issue for preppers who store foods for very extended periods of time. 

Chamber vacuum sealers.

Once the purvey of commercial operations, like grocery stores and restaurants, these types of vacuum sealers are now becoming popular in the home market.

How are chamber vacuum sealers different from external vacuum sealers?

External sealers suck the air from the bag along with other things like meat juices.  A chamber vacuum sealer removes the air from the chamber where the bag resides.  Nothing is sucked out of the bag as both the bag and the chamber are at the same pressure (there is no pressure differential between the bag and the chamber).  While under vacuum, the bag is sealed, and then a valve opens the chamber to the outside atmosphere.  This new pressure differential collapses the bag.  

The seal created with a chamber vacuum sealer is typically thicker than the thin seal from a FoodSaver device.

When most users first try a chamber sealer, they find it entertaining to watch the process as the end is dramatic.  If you watch YouTube videos, most operators will gasp, followed by saying something like, “Wow, that was cool,” as the bag instantly shrinks and clings to the food. 

Advantages of chamber vacuum sealers.

These are heavy duty machines that can be used continuously without stopping.  They have much larger vacuum pumps, which are often made of metal instead of plastic.  These pumps can pull a greater vacuum than external sealers, so they provide the greatest preservation protection for individuals who need very long term storage.  The machines’ cases are typically made of stainless steel and have a commercial feel.  

The internals of a chamber vacuum sealer are more robust than on a cheap home external vacuum sealer. You can see the metal, heavy duty vacuum pump in the lower right corner.

Most chamber sealers allow some type of programming so you can  tailor them to your needs. Some will allow you to create and store multiple programs.  For instance a program for maximum vacuum, and another one for delicate foods. Multiple programs are handy in commercial operations, but they are less important for the  home cook as it is very easy to adjust parameters, like vacuum time, on all chamber vacuum sealers.

Most Chamber sealers will allow you to adjust the sealing parameters. Some will even store those parameters as programs. This later function is less important for most home cooks as it is easy to adjust parameters, like vacuum time, on the fly.
My machine can control the same things as its larger sibling, but it has a slightly different interface.

Chamber Sealers are able to use the same type of textured bag that external sealers use, but they are designed to use much less expensive chamber sealer bags that cost around the price (or less) of a ZipLoc freezer bag.  As of this writing you can buy 8″ x 10″ bags in bulk for less than four cents a bag. 

You can use expensive FoodSaver type bags in a chamber sealer, but they also work with non-textured chamber sealer bags which are significantly less expensive.

Many machines have replaceable parts, so you can swap out a failed sealing bar instead of having to buy a new machine. 

Some machines are capable of vacuum sealing Retort bags, which can then be pressure canned making their contents shelf stable for long periods. Retort bags are the flexible canning bags used in MRE’s, soft packs of tuna, and other foods.

Chamber vacuum sealers are fantastic for sealing moist and liquid foods.  You can seal liquids, like soups, without any special preparation.  However, all liquids should be at room temperature or cooler to prevent them from boiling over.

Why do liquids boil in a vacuum sealer?

The boiling point of a liquid is determined by atmospheric pressure.  Water boils at sea level at 212F/100C, but at 10,000 ft, it boils at 200F/93C.  This is because the atmosphere is thinner at 10,000 feet and it pushes down on the liquid with less pressure.  Under a near vacuum there is very little pressure, so warm liquids can boil at room temperatures.  To avoid a mess, only seal liquids that are cool to the touch or chilled. You will still see some bubbles, but the bag won’t boil over. You need to allow space for those additional bubbles, so only fill bags with liquid halfway. 

Disadvantages of a chamber vacuum sealer.

Chamber vacuum sealers come in different sizes, but all of them are big, bulky, and hefty.  Some manufacturers are now making smaller home units, but they still will take up a lot of counter space.

Since they are big, it is best to have a dedicated spot to park them.  These are not gadgets to retrieve from the basement when needed.

I have a dedicated spot for my chamber vacuum sealer. It is too heavy to move and by having it accessible I am more likely to use it. Next to it is an external vacuum sealer that I now rarely use. I store other appliances on this cart. What can I say, I love gadgets!

Chamber vacuum sealers can only vacuum seal items that will fit inside of their chamber.  You can’t vacuum seal a huge rack of ribs.  However, you can cut up the ribs into smaller chunks and seal them.  

The initial cost of a chamber vacuum sealer is higher than a home external sealer.  Tabletop professional machines start around $1000.  However, many off-brand chamber vacuum sealers are now available in the US market. You can find a number of off-brand machines in the $220-$500 range.

Brand name vs. no-name.

Is a $1000 branded machine better than a $250 off-brand model?  Well, sure.  The fit and finish will likely be better.  It is also probable that a branded machine will use a higher-quality vacuum pump.  Additionally, a known company is more likely to stand behind its product and is more likely to carry replacement parts.  Many branded machines are spec’ed for commercial operations and near continuous use.

Are off brand machines junk?

Not in my estimation. I have been using an inexpensive Vevor chamber vacuum extensively for over two years, and it has worked very well.  I have had no problems whatsoever. However, your mileage may vary.  Like most things in life, spend extra money for peace of mind; pay less for a bit more risk but possibly a better value. 

Oil pump vs. dry pump?

Many commercial-style chamber machines use an oil vacuum pump.  Special vacuum pump oil has to be added to the pump when you get the machine.  This is a straightforward process.  Oil pumps may last longer, can be quieter, and are likely to pull a stronger vacuum than a dry pump.  Vacuum pump oil traps moisture, so you have to change out the oil every now and then.  How often?  That would depend on the humidity of your environment and the moisture of the food that you are vacuum-sealing.  One company advises changing out the oil every 800 hours of operation.  It takes less than a minute to vacuum seal something, but for math’s sake, let’s say it takes 1 minute.  800 hours x 60 = 48,000 seals. That is a lifetime of seals for a home cook!  Other manufactures advise changing the oil every 500 hours of operation, or changing the oil based on a calendar cycle. Follow your manufacture’s guidelines. If your oil looks cloudy or milky, it is full of moisture, and it is time to change it.  

Out of the box the Vevor unit gives you vacuum pump oil, and replacements for the heating strip.
You need to add vacuum pump oil when you get a chamber sealer that uses an oil vacuum pump. It is a very easy process.
Oil should be filled between half and three-quarters full. You determine this by monitoring the oil in a round window.

The advantage of a dry vacuum pump (also called a maintenance free pump) is that it requires no maintenance and a machine will likely cost less. A dry pump in a chamber vacuum sealer will pull a higher vacuum than a dry pump in an external vacuum sealer. Both oil and dry pumps are OK for a home user.  

Bag vs. roll?

Chamber vacuum sealers always use premade bags of various sizes. Premade bags are much easier to use than having to make a bag from a bag roll. They are inexpensive to buy, so there is no reason to use a roll of traditional textured bags. 

Can you use a bag roll in a chamber sealer if it is leftover from your external sealer? The answer is yes, as long as the bag that you make fits in the chamber.  To create a bag, run a cycle,  and seal the end of the bag just like you would on an external machine.  Some home oriented machines will include a seal button making the task even simpler. FoodSaver styled textured bags and rolls will vacuum seal in a chamber vacuum, but they are more expensive, so it makes little sense to buy them.  Unless you are space-constrained, I would suggest that you keep your old external vacuum sealer to use up your bag rolls. 

Can you vacuum seal a bag outside of a chamber vacuum sealer’s chamber?

There are a few YouTube videos that show people hanging a textured FoodSaver-type bag outside of a chamber sealer chamber.  However, I have never tried this, and this ability may be specific to particular machines.  If I needed to do this often, I would use a standard external vacuum sealer. There is one machine, the Wevac CV10, that is a combination of a small chamber vacuum sealer and an external sealer. 

Does size matter?

I already talked about the limitation of a chamber’s size, but it should also be noted that the chambers in this class of vacuum sealers come in different sizes, and the sealing bars also come in various lengths. The bigger the unit, the bigger the chamber, and the heavier the unit’s weight. My Vevor unit has a 10″ sealing bar and can accommodate a bag up to 10″ wide and around 13″ long. Some larger tabletop units can accommodate 12″ wide bags that are 14″ -16″ long (depending on the machine). Larger commercial units have sealing bars that are longer than twelve inches and can also accommodate huge bags. 

Here is my machine (left) with a 10″ seal bar, and a machine with a 12″ seal bar. You can see that the 12″ seal bar machine is significantly larger.
This top-down view demonstrate the size difference better. Both take up a lot of counter space, but the larger machine would dominate most kitchens.
A view of the two machines from the rear.

For home use the largest realistic size of a chamber sealer would have a 12″ sealing bar, and these chamber sealers are huge. Units with 10″ sealing bars are often adequate for home purposes.

This huge machine has 4 sealing bars, and two separate vacuum chambers. Great for speedy production, but not for home use.

Some units have a chamber that is deeper, or have a dome that is larger to accommodate thicker cuts of meat.  My inexpensive Vevor’s chamber is around 2″ deep, with an additional 1″ or so available in the dome.  I have vacuum sealed all sorts of foods, including medium/smaller-sized whole chickens (with a little pushing on the lid).  

My Vevor has a chamber that is 2 inches deep and a dome that adds an additional 1 inch. This size has been adequate for just about any job that I needed to do.
The model with the 12″ seal bar has a chamber that is 2 3/4 inches deep with a dome that is around 2 inches, yielding almost 5 inches of space.
The larger machine (far) has a dome that is around 1″ deeper, giving the user a little more chamber space.
A view of the vacuum chamber of the larger unit. The bag is placed over the tan colored sealing rod which will melt/seal the bag once vacuum is achieved.

Chamber vacuum bags come in many sizes, and it is possible to use bags smaller than the maximum bag limit of a machine.  I mentioned that my machine can handle a 10″ x 13″ bag, but I also use 8″ x 12″ and 6″ x 10″ bags for smaller items.  The smaller the bag, the cheaper its unit price.

There are now chamber machines designed for home use.  These machines are priced in the $300-$800 range and usually use a dry-type vacuum pump instead of an oil vacuum pump. Their footprint and height are generally smaller than a commercial machine, but they will still require counter space. Their aesthetic is more of a home appliance as opposed to an industrial restaurant tool.  Since their overall dimensions are smaller, their chamber may be smaller in width, length, or depth (or all three). Naturally, this will impact the size of the chamber bag that you can use, which will vary from machine to machine. These units may have additional consumer level features like a seal function. Many of these home machines have an accessory port to vacuum seal external items, like vacuum canisters. Pro-machines often do not have accessory ports. 

Home machines are smaller, and will likely have smaller chambers.

Should you toss out your external vacuum sealer and buy a chamber sealer?

I kept my old external sealer for those times when I needed to seal exceptionally long items. It has no resale value, and I have the space to store it. However, I use it very rarely.  My chamber sealer is extremely easy to use, creates a greater vacuum, has a much thicker seal, handles liquids and moist food better, and uses bags that are significantly less expensive than FoodSaver-type bags.  

With that said, if you are happy enough with your external sealer, keep it. There are tricks to do some of the things that a chamber sealer can do.  For instance, in the past when using my external sealer I would freeze individual portions of soup in “Souper Cubes” and then remove them from that container and vacuum seal them in a FoodSaver type bag for storage.  Additionally, I would vacuum seal powdery foods, like four, in a paper bag and place that bag in a FoodSaver-type bag.  Sucking flour into a traditional external machine will ruin it. 

It is possible to vacuum seal liquids with an external vacuum sealer. Here, I froze some soup in a “Souper Cube,” removed it from that container and sealed using an external sealer. Note the textured bag needed for these machines.

Some brands.

VacMaster, LEM, Avid Armor, Weston, and JVR are popular brand-name machines.  I have a Vevor machine.  Vevor is a company that buys Chinese made products and rebrands them.  I have been delighted with my chamber vacuum sealer from Vevor.  It works well and has performed flawlessly over the more than two years that I have owned it. 

The bottom line.

I am a fan of vacuum sealers of any type. They will save you money and are well worth the investment.  A chamber vac is especially useful for high volume users, individuals who want to preserve their foods for extended periods of time, those who often seal liquids, chefs who do sous vide cooking with moist meats, cooks that frequently marinate foods, home users who easily want to vacuum seal powdery foods (like flour), and geeks like me.  In addition, chamber seal bags are significantly less expensive than the bags needed for external vacuum sealers.  

Many YouTube influences will tout the fact that, in the long run, a chamber vacuum sealer will save you money over an external sealer as the bags are less expensive.  I just checked the Walmart website, and a ten-count of a 12.5″ x 11″ FoodSaver branded bag is selling for around $1.50/bag.  You can buy a 10″ x 13″ chamber bag for only 6.5 cents a bag.  Using this information, you could quickly offset the cost of a chamber vacuum based on bag savings alone.  However, that isn’t the complete story as you can buy off-brand textured bags for a lot less than $1.50/bag, and to get the 6.5 cent price for the chamber bag, I would have to buy them in a case of 1000 bags.  Nevertheless, chamber bags are significantly cheaper than textured bags, making it more likely that you will use them for basic tasks, like keeping half of an avocado fresh.  Avocados are pretty expensive, so who wants to throw out a cut one? Since chamber bags are cheap, I’ll also bag and freeze relatively inexpensive foods, like a partially used jar of pizza sauce (pouring the sauce into a small chamber bag). This saves a bit of money, reduces food waste, and offers the convenience of having the sauce on hand when I need it to make a late night emergency pizza.

Happy preserving!

Peace

Mike