Second, you will need support for any material...for stone, follow the "6 & 10" rule.

For 2cm stone, any overhang > 6" will need support.
For 3cm stone, any overhang > 10" will need support.

So, for the recommended 15" overhang, you will need the following support:

I am not an expert and am always exploring new ideas and trying new recipes and techniques. I have learned a lot from others and thought I would share a few things here. Some of these are brand new to me and since I have had such good luck with these tips I am passing them along .

1) Classes of bread: bread doughs have different hydration % depending on what kind of dough it is. There are stiff, standard and rustic doughs. Some doughs are leaner and some are richer. Breads are leavened in different ways....starters, yeast, baking powder etc.

2) Flour: all flour is NOT created equal. Every single brand of flour and type of flour has a different weight per cup. If it is sifted, it is fresh milled, whole wheat, rye...you get the picture. Get a very good digital scale. Weigh what you use and write it in the margins. I have started doing this and can tell a huge difference. I am slowly converting my recipes to weight. These are some broad ranges below. each brand of unbleached will vary ...even by a 1/4 c. When you get to know your bread recipe and feel of the dough you will be able to tell when enough is enough.

unbleached 16oz= 3 1/2 c
ww flour 16oz= 3 1/2 c
stone ground ww flour 16 oz= 3 3/4 c

3) yeast: another subject that has plenty of variations. There is instant, there is active dry, there is fresh and then wild that you grow yourself. Fresh does not keep well and most folks don't use it in home baking. I haven't seen it in a while in stores but you can get it . You will need to convert the recipe if you use fresh. I will address the other 2.

instant- .25 oz= 2 1/4 tsp
active dry - .25 oz= 2 1/2 tsp

You might not think that is a big difference but it is. The less yeast you use , up to a point , the better. The pakgs. you buy in the store are not a Tbsp of yeast. Too much yeast...even that extra small amount makes the bread drier. Longer slower rises are better than rushing the yeast.

Get a very good digital thermometer. Yeast likes 105 -115 degree water to start it in. I know you don't have to do your inst. yeast in separate water but I use active not inst so I always "proof" my yeast. I also always add a pinch of sugar. You can kill your yeast, you can also slow it to a crawl by having it too cool.

4) sweetening: sugar and honey are not the same. There is a difference in fructose, sucrose,glucose,dextrose etc. Bread rises because yeast feeds on sugar and creates carbon dioxide and alcohol ( ethanol) .The ethanol evaporates and the carbon dixoide leavens or rises the bread. Us ONLY the amount of yeast that you need to get the job done. Too much and the dough rises quickly but it exhausts the available sugar and creates and alcohol aftertaste. As the yeast starves it turns on itself and creates a by product that tastes like ammonia.

If you use honey , it is fructose and the yeast has to work harder to break it down. This is because granulated sugar ( this included brown sugar since it is granulated with molasses added) is very refined product and the yeast can use it more readily. Your bread will take longer to rise and may not rise as well if you sub all or part honey in a recipe. Also your liquid requirements will change. Just be aware of this.

5) salt: and here you thought salt was just salt...nope. Kosher salt is hollow and big. Iodized salt has iodine added....so you won't get a goiter ( you can look it up if you don't know :) ) sea salt on and on. If a recipe says salt they mean regular Morton's table salt. Here is a quick chart to compare:

table salt - .25 oz= 1 tsp
Kosher salt- .25 oz- 1 3/4 tsp ( see what I mean ??)
sea salt - .25 oz = 1 1/2 tsp.

weigh your salt!

Now for a big tip . I have just started doing this next procedure. DH has been doing it for a couple years in his bread bakin....hmm...well what can I say. I am a slow starter...maybe because I am such a honey :)

When you are making your bread DO NOT add the salt at the beginning. Put it aside. So you don't forget it. You have to have salt. It helps regulate the rising but it also slows the initial yeast growth. So here is what you do. Put 1/2 your flour in the work bowl of the KA or in your mixing bowl. Add the fluids with the yeast . Stir it around till you have a wet shaggy mess. Cover it and leave it alone for the gluten to get started developing for 20 min. Come back and add the salt and the rest of the flour and carry on. It makes a huge difference. Some recipes call for this step but I now do it for all of my breads whether they call for it or not.

Here are a couple sources for great bread baking info.

Peter Reinhart- Bread Baker's Apprentice - this is a techinical book but has a ton of great pics and interesting info. You can get it used on Amazon. He also has a Blog so that is free.

The Fresh Loaf- this is an amazing Blog. Everyone contributes advice and pictures and answers questions. It is all FREE. It is a WONDERFUL resource. They are really true bakers. I hope to grow up and be like them someday.

Pizza Crust recipe- This is from a fantastic bread book that DH bought me years ago. Il Fornaio Baking Book, by Franco Galli. It is wonderful.

I made 8x this basic recipe. When you start reading books like Peter's , you discover that the bakers use formulas. The yeast and water etc are a % of the flour weight. Here are those scales again. So that said when you double or triple a recipe you still need to increase the other ingred. in proportion.

One 12" crust:

1c unbleached flour
2 tsp EVOO
3/4 tsp active dry yeast ( remember if you use instant to use less)
1/3 c + 1 Tbsp warm water ( 105)
1/2 tsp salt ( remember they are not all the same)

Put yeast in water with a tiny pinch of sugar . Leave 15 min. Put flour on countertop or if you are making a large batch as I did put it in the KA. Add the EVOO and mix it in. Add the yeast mix. and begin to stir it. Leave for 20 min. covered. Come back and add the salt and just enough more flour to make a very soft non sticky dough. This dough is heavenly and easy easy to knead. You do not want it too stiff at all. stop and start your hand kneading throughout the 20 min to let you and the dough rest. If using the machine you won't need 20 min and you don't need to stop. Let the dough rise in an oiled, covered bowl for 1 1/2 hrs. It really zooms up ! De gas the dough ( used to call it punching down now they are more gentle) and let it rise again 30 min. Shape into crusts by patting and pulling gently on a lightly floured board till it is 12". You can also roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin. Do not use too much flour or it will be tough. Use corn meal on your peel to keep from sticking for the transfer to the oven. I heated the stone for 45 min. at 500 degrees. make sure and poke a few holes in the crust with a fork as they sometimes bubble. I bake the crust for about 6 min then remove and cool . When you are ready to go on with the pizza party you get the stone hot again and then brush the crust with EVOO and place back on the stone to reheat and start the browning process...remove using the peel and top with all the goodies you want and return for about another 6-8 min. YUM !! If you are not making the crusts ahead then just brush with EVOO and poke a few times with a fork and bake them 6-8 min remove and top and then finish the baking. They will be so crisp and delicious.

OK that is enough for now. Have fun and let me know where I messed up ...I tried to proof ( no pun) read as I went. c

What had your GC never seen/installed before (and maybe tried to talk you out of) that after they saw it installed and in action did they love.

Did they then encourage others to use the same item(s)?

I'm tired of making decisions on pendants, DW's and faucets so thought this would be a great thread diversion. (And of course might give me new ideas too!)

I am trying to subtly train him to use the highest heat to do the job, which is usually less than the highest heat possible. Even so, the flame never goes around and up the sides of even our smallest pan, which happens to be All-Clad.

In another week the BBQ will be just outside the kitchen door on the patio (being poured tomorrow). At 6400 ft elev there will be several feet of snow on the ground for four to five months of the year, but since the patio is covered he plans to grill out there year round.

The big smile on his face as he cooks is priceless.

Yes, the rangetop is big and beefy, but I like the look. No text on the front, just an attractive metal square with logo, a blue star with flame shape in the middle. Eyes light up when friends see it for the first time and real cooks comment immediately on the continuous grates that allow sliding of pans from one burner to the next.

My DH has had no complaints at all about this rangetop. He simply beams when he cooks on it.

Having no experience with any of the other brands, I can't comment on them.

From the Owner's Manual:

Care and Cleaning;page 8:

"Leave the door open to allow the inside of the washer to dry out."

CLEANING THE INTERIOR

"Clean the interior of the washer periodically to remove any
dirt, soil, odor, mold, mildew or bacteria residue that may
remain in the washer as a result of washing clothes. We
recommend taking the following steps every 60 to 120 days
to clean and freshen your washer interior. The frequency
with which the washer should be cleaned and freshened
depends on factors such as usage, the amount of dirt, soil
or bacteria being run through your washer, or the use of
cold water. Failure to follow these instructions may result in unsatisfactory conditions, including unpleasant odor and/or permanent stains on the washer or washload."

"To clean and freshen the washer interior:

1. Make a solution of one cup chlorine bleach and
two cups warm water. Be careful not to spill or
splash the bleach solution.
2. Wipe the lower portion of gray door seal with
bleach solution and soft cloth.
3. Fill the bleach dispenser with chlorine bleach.
4. Run the washer through a complete cycle using
hot water.
5. Repeat the wash cycle if necessary.
Hard water deposits may be removed, if needed using
a recommended cleaner labeled clothes washer safe."

Here is a link that might be useful: Maytag Neptune Washer user guide - PDF file

Start your Bluestar burners high then turn down to medium to maintain constant temprature.

These are just the ones I have saved on my Favorites bar. Seriously, is there a blog 12 step program?

Kathe

It takes my husband about 15 minutes to drill a hole in each glass block. Since he just hands me a nice, clean block to create my art on, I didn't know the whole process for drilling a hole in the glass block. He's fine tuned it because he broke and cracked several before learning the following process. He said the most important thing to remember is to use the 1/2" Diamond Hole Saw Bit from Harbor Freight (cheap around $10), and the second most important thing is to take a piece of modeling clay, rub between hands to form a piece like a worm, and place around the area where the hole is to be drilled to form a "dam" in which you continually squirt water to keep the bit cool while drilling. Of course, you need to use a drill press with a drill press vice on it. Don't attempt to use a hand-held drill. You still should stop occasionally to allow the bit and glass block to cool. When the bit drills through the glass, you have to fish out the piece of glass in the block using a spring-loaded parts retriever and a very small pair of long needle-nosed pliers, and then rinse the block out with water several times to get ride of the sand residue and glass particles. Don't wait untilt he next day to do this or you will have a chalky film inside. If you want to remove the tacky substance on the edges of the block it can be removed by using a 3/8 inch hand held drill with a round wire brush attachment in the chuck. Hope this information is helpful to those who have not drilled holes in glass blocks before. Since he has used the above process, he has drilled several glass blocks with the same bit, and has not broken or cracked any of them!

Rosie

Carbide tipped glass drill bits, don't do the trick. Ours made one tiny hole, and was done.

Diamond hole saw bits are preferable. However, we don't have access to them here, we'd have to order online.

We found a carbide ceramic tile hole saw, which worked wonders. Keep it wet and cool. Took less than 5 mins, with breaks, to get all the way through.

Oil works, but we used a spray bottle of water, because we were afraid we wouldnt get all the oil out of the inside.

Take breaks to let the bit cool down so it doesn't wear out too fast.

If you use the carbide hole saw, you'll want a file, to smooth the edges, afterwards.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lee Valley Blind Corner pull out

Having had both, if I had a choice, I would go with a super susan. I realise the OP can't go with that option, so I'd consider doing what we did: maximising the storage space of the MC units. It took me a while to convince our cabinetmaker that the Magic Corner units simply did not hold as much as a SS, so he came up with a brilliant idea - he made us custom wood shelves for the bottom of the Magic Corner unit.

I'm probably not doing a good job of explaining this - so photos may help!

View of Magic Corner with door open. Note tha bottom shelf is not metal, but custom

The shelf from a closer angle. Note that the lower shelf is longer than the metal one, taking full advanatage of the cabinet space

Another view

The wood shelf is also wider than the shelves that came with the unit, so holds more. Even though I miss my susan, I do like this hybrid!

Eliz

The first part comes out in one piece from the cabinet but the part that then comes into the opening has drawers which can be pulled out individually.

Actually, we have two in separate corners. They use up all the space and nothing falls off. DH cut some masonite to cover the bottoms of the drawers so stuff wouldn't fall through.

We've had them for over three years now and they still work perfectly. No issues with them at all

Artemis78, please let us know asap how you like it if you start to put things in even before your kitchen is done!
:-)