Grilltop Stir Fry? Only With Nordicware’s Stir Fry Basket!
Written: Jun 08 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, cleans up nicely, great for keeping foods warm, awesome for veggies!
Cons: Only for use on the grill, handles to get a little hot.
The Bottom Line: Want to add some extra flavor to vegetables? Need to keep food warm when it’s done cooking? This “wok” is great for that and much more!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Nordicware Stir Fry Basket |
When I got the Nordicware Stir Fry Basket as a housewarming gift when we moved to San Diego I figured it was one of those useless things that gets used a few times then packed away and sold at a garage sale for a couple of dollars. I used it a few times to grill some vegetables and they turned out great and had that ‘grilled’ taste to them. Before I got this as a gift I used to stab with my a metal skewer and take my chances; some of them would fall off and a few of them would get burned but with this ultra handy stir fry / wok I can have steamed veggies when ever I want. Once I got the hang of using it and got the right utensils for moving things around I found I could do a lot more than just make vegetables in this. It’s also great if you have a lot of food on the grill that’s done cooking but you aren’t ready to serve everything at that moment. You can shove it into this so it stays warm but doesn’t keep on cooking. You will need to move the contents around from time to time but outside of that, it’s nice for keeping things warm. If you like corn on the cob on the grill, this is a great way to prepare it. I have a large lid that I put over this to keep the heat inside it and allow the corn to cook slowly while I baste it with a garlic butter spread. If that doesn’t make your mouth water ... I don’t know what will!
Nordicware Stir Fry Basket
One of the nicest things about this is the size - almost eleven and a half inches wide and about five inches deep. You can pack about three quarts of food into this but that’s just a number - if you want examples - here are some. I can fit about eight full sized chicken breasts in here. If you are a corn lover you’ll be able to get about six to eight ears into this - more if you don’t want to have a lid on top of it. For veggies this will easily accommodate about four nice sized bunches of broccoli or a whole head of cauliflower. That’s a lot of room! You will need to have the proper utensils to get the job done; I suggest some wok tools like a rounded scooper and some metal tongs to move large things around. The best thing about this is that there are holes [37 to be exact] on the bottom of the basket that allow fat to drip off of food. The holes aren’t very big, about the size of a dime so you won’t have to worry about food falling through them while you are cooking. There is a non stick coating inside the basket but it is something that is strong and durable and even with all the cooking it’s seen, it’s yet to chip or scratch even when used with metal cooking tools.
The downside to the size of this is that if you have a smaller grill it does take up a lot of space. I used to use this after I was done cooking my chicken and steaks to keep things warm or to cook vegetables. This is also great for making baked potatoes; I suggest wrapping them in aluminum foil first so they retain the heat from the grill and cook the whole way through. Needless to say, this is something that should only be used on the grill unless you are placing it inside a large pot, pan or wok to steam things over water. This might sound like something strange to add to a review but I read on a few grilling message boards that some people tried to use these on the stove without anything under them and the results were near disastrous. If you need something that is going to hold in the juices then opt for a straight wok without the “flavor flow” holes at the bottom. A lot of people call this a wok when they first see it and I can totally see why - it’s shaped like a wok!
Cleaning this is pretty easy but if you are using anything with barbecue sauce on it you might need to soak it for a while, same thing goes if you are using anything with sugar in it - including pineapple juice. The holes do need to be cleaned individually or you will end up ruining them or getting them caked with left over food. To clean these I use a small thin baby bottle brush and just slide it through each of the holes. This sounds tedious and time consuming but it’s something that needs to be done. This isn’t something that you’ll want to put in the dishwasher because it’s just too big and will take up one half of the bottom rack. It is dishwasher safe but like I said, it takes up way too much room and you won’t be sure if the holes are really clean until the wash cycle is completely. if they aren’t then you’ll have to hand wash it anyway so you might as well just do that from the start.
The Bottom Line
This was one of the more useful housewarming gifts I received in San Diego and it’s something that I use almost every time I fire up the grill. It lets me keep food warm or cook vegetables without having to break out the skewers or use the wooden disposable ones that need to be soaked in water before you use them. The size might be a little too big for smaller grills but it’s worth it to have around if you want to make corn on the cob, baked potatoes or other grill delights. Since this was a gift I had no clue what the price was on it so I checked online and I found these in the twenty to twenty five dollar range. Chances are if I’d known something like this existed I would have purchased one a long time ago. If this one ever gets retired or too worn to use, no doubt I’ll be buying another one and going with the Nordicware brand.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2005 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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