Year: 2025

thermal cooker
Main Dishes, Recipe, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

Can You Really Make a 5-Star Beef Stew in a Thermal Cooker?

Join Us for Part 2 of Our Tayama Thermal Cooker Test! Welcome back to the second installment of our exciting two-part series, where we put the cooker to the ultimate test! In the first episode we unboxed and described the thermal cooker. In this episode, we’re diving even deeper into the amazing capabilities of this innovative kitchen gadget. Whether you’re an experienced chef or just love trying out new kitchen gadgets, you won’t want to miss this!

🌟 What’s in Store:

  • In-depth review of the Tayama Thermal Cooker’s performance
  • Hands-on cooking demonstrations with a mouth-watering recipe
  • Tips and tricks for getting the most out of your cooker
  • Real-time taste test and honest feedback

Will the Tayama Thermal Cooker live up to the hype? Watch our video and find out! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more culinary adventures.

thermal cooker

Hello my friends. Chef Blondie here. Our video is a little bit different from what we normally do. We actually tested the present I gave my Sous Chef Fuzzy for Christmas – the Tayama Thermal cooker. So we tested the cooker by making a large pot of beef stew.

Thermal Cooker Test Criteria

Here are five important test criteria that we considered in our evaluation:

  1. Heat Retention
    • Criteria: Measure how well the thermal cooker maintains its temperature over time.
    • Evaluation Method: Take the internal temperature of the beef stew after cooking without reheating.
  2. Cooking Time Efficiency
    • Criteria: Assess the total time taken to cook the beef stew in the thermal cooker.
    • Evaluation Method: Record the start and end times of the cooking process.
  3. Energy Consumption
    • Criteria: Determine how much energy the cooker uses.
    • Evaluation Method: Note the energy consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
  4. Build Quality and Durability
    • Criteria: Evaluate the physical build and material quality of the thermal cooker.
    • Evaluation Method: Inspect and note the sturdiness of the cooker, ease of handling, quality of materials, and any signs of wear after use.
  5. Ease of Use
    • Criteria: Assess how user-friendly the cooker is.
    • Evaluation Method: Evaluate features like ease of setup, clarity of instructions, ease of cleaning, and any special features (timers, etc.).

We will release the complete test results next week. Until then, watch our video, thank you, and happy cooking.

thermal cooker
RV Living, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, Test Kitchen

Exciting Christmas Gift: Tayama Thermal Cooker Unboxed

Hi everyone, Old Fuzz Face here! This Christmas, I received the perfect gift from my beautiful Miss Blondie—a Tayama thermal cooker. As a practical man, I couldn’t wait to unbox it and share it with you.

In our video, I unboxed my new Tayama TXM-70CFZ thermal cooker. That video and this post will answer most of your questions about the thermal cooker and its uses. Later this week, Chef Blondie and I plan on preparing a test meal with it. So, make sure you come back to see how Chef Blondie and the SFH Test Kitchen staff evaluate this thermal cooker’s performance.

Remember to subscribe to the Serendipity Farmhouse blog and to our YouTube channel.

Thermal Cooker Unboxing

Let’s dive into the unboxing! I won’t describe every single detail, but I’ll give you an overview of what I found inside. Opening the box felt like Christmas morning all over again. – As usual, my cat, Mr. Monte, was there, ready to steal any stray pieces of styrofoam or plastic wrapping. Here are the main items I found inside.

The first item I found was the Insulated Carry Pot. This is the unique component of a thermal cooker. It provides the insulation needed to ensure continuous cooking over an extended period of time.

The primary component of this thermal cooker is the Large Inner Cooking pot. It is similar to the inner cooking vessel on an Instant Pot. But, unlike that pot, you can use it on a stovetop for bringing food items to a boil or to to brown meats and saute vegetables.

thermal cooker
thermal cooker

The Small Inner Cooking Pot serves two purposes. You can use it to prepare a second course to accompany the food cooked in the large inner cooking pot. It can also be filled with boiling water to increase the amount of heated mass in the insulated carry pot. This ensures that the inner temperature is maintained over an extended period.

Product Overview

Now, let’s take a closer look at the Tayama Thermal Cooker. This model has a 7-quart capacity. It’s stainless steel construction ensures it can withstand regular use. One standout feature is the energy-saving design.

Unlike traditional cooking methods, this cooker uses heat retention to cook food without continuous energy, similar to a slow cooker but more energy efficient. This design is ideal for use in an RV and perfect for families, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Originating in medieval Europe with the concept of a “haybox,” modern thermal cookers have evolved, using advanced technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness. With rising energy costs, this thermal cooker is a fantastic way to save on your gas or electric bill.

Stay tuned for our next video, where we’ll test this cooker with a simple beef stew recipe. As always, our reviews are completely unbiased as we have no sponsors or affiliates.

mushroom soup
Recipe, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, Soups & Salads, Winter

How To Make Jacques Pepin’s Mushroom Soup In 30 Minutes

Warm up with a bowl of Jacques Pepin’s Quick Mushroom Soup! As the temperature drops, join me and my trusty sous chef, Old Fuzz Face, in the kitchen as we whip up this comforting and hearty soup in just 30 minutes.

Using fresh cornmeal and a medley of mushrooms, this dish is not only quick but also incredibly satisfying. Perfect for cold, dreary days, this recipe from Jacques Pepin’s ‘Quick and Simple‘ cookbook is a must-try. Pair it with freshly baked sourdough bread for the ultimate cozy dinner. Happy cooking!

Why make this amazing mushroom soup?

Hello my friends. Chef Blondie here.

You know it was cold and snowy this morning. And right now it’s dark. It’s dreary and so cold. It’s wild outside.

My somewhat capable sous chef, Old Fuzzface and I want something warm and satisfying for dinner tonight. But we just don’t have the time to prepare a big meal. In cases like this, we turn to Jacques Pepin’s cookbook, Quick and simple.

So for tonight, we’re going to Prepare an easy dish. It’s a pot of mushroom soup. To make this soup a little more filling and comforting, Jacques adds some yellow cornmeal. I think he does this to thicken it up a little bit. And it just so happened that Fuzzy milled some corn yesterday and it’s as fresh as it can be. To go along with this soup, we’re going to have sourdough bread made with all hard white wheat that Fuzzy baked this morning.

Friends, this is the perfect comforting soup to warm you up after a day of shoveling snow. It’s quick and easy, and it’s so very satisfying. You’ve just got to try it!

For this recipe, you’re going to need unsalted butter, mushrooms, leeks or scallions, and chicken stock. We’re going to use vegetable broth, yellow cornmeal, cream, salt, ground black pepper, and chopped chives. We’re going give it a go.

Happy cooking!