It's hard to find crumpets around here. The little fruit stand at 30th
and Church (where Sister Act was filmed) sometimes has them. Ikedas in
Auburn usually does, but that's a 2-hour drive from SF.

My theory is that it's hard to toast crumpets properly in a 120 volt
toaster, and the toasters are 220v in olde England, so they eat more
crumpets.

Their kettles work better too, so they drink more tea.

John Larkin wrote:

> Their kettles work better too, so they drink more tea.

<https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c>

--
Blue-Maned_Hawk│shortens to
Hawk│/
blu.mɛin.dÊ°ak/
│he/him/his/himself/Mr.
blue-maned_hawk.srht.site
(natural flavor with other natural flavors)

On 22/02/2024 15:08, John Larkin wrote:
> It's hard to find crumpets around here. The little fruit stand at 30th
> and Church (where Sister Act was filmed) sometimes has them. Ikedas in
> Auburn usually does, but that's a 2-hour drive from SF.

Two nations separated by a common language.

I take it we are talking about crumpets as round white 1/2" thick and
~3" diameter made out of a very holey dough full of big bubbles? Made on
a hot griddle in a ring mould and then toastable whole from a packet.

You can DIY them if you are so inclined. Recipe for major brand is here:

https://www.recipetineats.com/crumpet-recipe/

As opposed to toasting muffins which are basically more round flat bread
bun like and sliced in two before toasting.

My first American pancakes were a bit of a shock - I was expecting a
couple of thin crepes but I got a huge stack of 8" diameter 1cm thick
pan cakes. It did what it said on the tin (just not what I expected).

> My theory is that it's hard to toast crumpets properly in a 120 volt
> toaster, and the toasters are 220v in olde England, so they eat more
> crumpets.

I doubt there is too much of a limitation on voltage. If it will toast
bread then it should toast crumpets too (if they will fit in the
toasting gap). The problem is that some (many?) bread toasters cannot
accept the thicker crumpets without application of a steam roller or
mallet to them which somewhat damages the shape and integrity!

> Their kettles work better too, so they drink more tea.

Or coffee - since continental mains is 240v too.

Japan has similarly feeble electricity and slow kettles that are
essentially thermos flasks with a heating element inside it.

--
Martin Brown

On 2024-02-22 18:08, Martin Brown wrote:> Or coffee - since continental mains is 240v too.

No, 230V. It was a compromise between UK (240) and EU (220).
We just kept it that way after the Brexit.

Arie

On Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:08:26 +0000, Martin Brown
<'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

>On 22/02/2024 15:08, John Larkin wrote:
>> It's hard to find crumpets around here. The little fruit stand at 30th
>> and Church (where Sister Act was filmed) sometimes has them. Ikedas in
>> Auburn usually does, but that's a 2-hour drive from SF.
>
>Two nations separated by a common language.
>
>I take it we are talking about crumpets as round white 1/2" thick and
>~3" diameter made out of a very holey dough full of big bubbles? Made on
>a hot griddle in a ring mould and then toastable whole from a packet.
>

That's what we get here. They are very dense and moist and hard to
toast.

>You can DIY them if you are so inclined. Recipe for major brand is here:
>
>https://www.recipetineats.com/crumpet-recipe/

Baking is such a mess; I'd rather buy. I do make excellent biscuits,
which isn't a lot of work. I don't know if brits make biscuits, which
are different from scones.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bnuwq23drg8k0wgsezcbv/B3.jpg?rlkey=qgpjxrxdz7m3zekxf9999hov7&raw=1

>
>As opposed to toasting muffins which are basically more round flat bread
>bun like and sliced in two before toasting.
>
>My first American pancakes were a bit of a shock - I was expecting a
>couple of thin crepes but I got a huge stack of 8" diameter 1cm thick
>pan cakes. It did what it said on the tin (just not what I expected).

Good with pecans or blueberries or banana slices.

>
>> My theory is that it's hard to toast crumpets properly in a 120 volt
>> toaster, and the toasters are 220v in olde England, so they eat more
>> crumpets.
>
>I doubt there is too much of a limitation on voltage. If it will toast
>bread then it should toast crumpets too (if they will fit in the
>toasting gap). The problem is that some (many?) bread toasters cannot
>accept the thicker crumpets without application of a steam roller or
>mallet to them which somewhat damages the shape and integrity!
>
>> Their kettles work better too, so they drink more tea.
>
>Or coffee - since continental mains is 240v too.
>
>Japan has similarly feeble electricity and slow kettles that are
>essentially thermos flasks with a heating element inside it.

We boil water over a natural gas flame, which is probably a lot more
heat than an electric outlet can supply. Our central burner, the
biggest of five, is probably in the 5 KW equivalent sort of range.

On 2/22/24 20:15, john larkin wrote:
> We boil water over a natural gas flame, which is probably a lot more
> heat than an electric outlet can supply. Our central burner, the
> biggest of five, is probably in the 5 KW equivalent sort of range.

and most of of that ends up heating the room instead of the water

people have tried, an 1800W induction cook top will boil a pot of water
just as fast as a 5000W gas burner

On Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:08:26 +0000, Martin Brown
<'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

>On 22/02/2024 15:08, John Larkin wrote:
>> It's hard to find crumpets around here. The little fruit stand at 30th
>> and Church (where Sister Act was filmed) sometimes has them. Ikedas in
>> Auburn usually does, but that's a 2-hour drive from SF.
>
>Two nations separated by a common language.
>
>I take it we are talking about crumpets as round white 1/2" thick and
>~3" diameter made out of a very holey dough full of big bubbles? Made on
>a hot griddle in a ring mould and then toastable whole from a packet.
>
>You can DIY them if you are so inclined. Recipe for major brand is here:
>
>https://www.recipetineats.com/crumpet-recipe/
>
>As opposed to toasting muffins which are basically more round flat bread
>bun like and sliced in two before toasting.
>
>My first American pancakes were a bit of a shock - I was expecting a
>couple of thin crepes but I got a huge stack of 8" diameter 1cm thick
>pan cakes. It did what it said on the tin (just not what I expected).
>
>> My theory is that it's hard to toast crumpets properly in a 120 volt
>> toaster, and the toasters are 220v in olde England, so they eat more
>> crumpets.
>
>I doubt there is too much of a limitation on voltage. If it will toast
>bread then it should toast crumpets too (if they will fit in the
>toasting gap). The problem is that some (many?) bread toasters cannot
>accept the thicker crumpets without application of a steam roller or
>mallet to them which somewhat damages the shape and integrity!
>
>> Their kettles work better too, so they drink more tea.
>
>Or coffee - since continental mains is 240v too.

Nope. Europe is 230V, UK is 240V.

On Thu, 22 Feb 2024 20:27:55 +0100, Lasse Langwadt <llc@fonz.dk>
wrote:

>On 2/22/24 20:15, john larkin wrote:
>> We boil water over a natural gas flame, which is probably a lot more
>> heat than an electric outlet can supply. Our central burner, the
>> biggest of five, is probably in the 5 KW equivalent sort of range.
>
>and most of of that ends up heating the room instead of the water

That's fine; we leave the house heat on all the time.

>
>people have tried, an 1800W induction cook top will boil a pot of water
>just as fast as a 5000W gas burner

I guess that needs optimized cookware. And the gas works if the
electricity goes out, like after an earthquake.

On 22/02/2024 19:15, john larkin wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:08:26 +0000, Martin Brown
> <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 22/02/2024 15:08, John Larkin wrote:
>>> It's hard to find crumpets around here. The little fruit stand at 30th
>>> and Church (where Sister Act was filmed) sometimes has them. Ikedas in
>>> Auburn usually does, but that's a 2-hour drive from SF.
>>
>> Two nations separated by a common language.
>>
>> I take it we are talking about crumpets as round white 1/2" thick and
>> ~3" diameter made out of a very holey dough full of big bubbles? Made on
>> a hot griddle in a ring mould and then toastable whole from a packet.
>>
>
> That's what we get here. They are very dense and moist and hard to
> toast.

OK So the same thing as I think of as a crumpet (which was breakfast
today). The main problem with them is that about half the toasters made
even in the UK do not have an aperture wide enough to accept them.

Newer cool wall toasters are even worse in that respect occupying a huge
volume of space and dry the bread into submission rather than toast it!

--
Martin Brown

On Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:59:28 +0000, Martin Brown
<'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

>On 22/02/2024 19:15, john larkin wrote:
>> On Thu, 22 Feb 2024 17:08:26 +0000, Martin Brown
>> <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> On 22/02/2024 15:08, John Larkin wrote:
>>>> It's hard to find crumpets around here. The little fruit stand at 30th
>>>> and Church (where Sister Act was filmed) sometimes has them. Ikedas in
>>>> Auburn usually does, but that's a 2-hour drive from SF.
>>>
>>> Two nations separated by a common language.
>>>
>>> I take it we are talking about crumpets as round white 1/2" thick and
>>> ~3" diameter made out of a very holey dough full of big bubbles? Made on
>>> a hot griddle in a ring mould and then toastable whole from a packet.
>>>
>>
>> That's what we get here. They are very dense and moist and hard to
>> toast.
>
>OK So the same thing as I think of as a crumpet (which was breakfast
>today). The main problem with them is that about half the toasters made
>even in the UK do not have an aperture wide enough to accept them.
>
>Newer cool wall toasters are even worse in that respect occupying a huge
>volume of space and dry the bread into submission rather than toast it!

This is wonderful, and looks great too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6Z6U30

I've given away about a dozen so far. All my emplyees have one if they
wanted one. It has plenty of room for a crumpet or a waffle or a thick
slab of sourdough. I don't know if there is a 240v version.

"5" is almost enough for a crumpet.