This Thanksgiving, I decided to try a new indoor, electric turkey fryer (Masterbuilt Butterball Professional Series Indoor Turkey Fryer, Model No. 20010109 for $99 at www.walmart.com or $110 at www.amazon.com). I promised to report back.
It's good but not great. Online reviews at Amazon and Wal-Mart said it produced one of the juiciest, most flavorful turkeys, which is an overstatement. My Owatonna-raised organic turkey, which I brined using Alton Brown's recipe for fried turkey, had good, salty flavor, but it was only slightly juicier than oven-baked. Maybe I fried it a few minutes too long. Other nits: $34 for a 4-gallon container of peanut oil (from Costco) is not cheap, although the fryer actually uses only 2 gallons. Also, it took me longer to clean the fryer (about 45 minutes) than to cook the 12-pound bird in it (about 43 minutes).
I couldn't find the standard model that I used locally. The larger model, which fries birds up to 20 pounds, was available at Costco for $130 before Thanksgiving but is likely to be dropped as a seasonal item soon.
Low prices on fake treesThere are plenty of good deals this year on artificial, pre-lit Christmas trees -- as long as you're looking for ones with incandescent bulbs. Such trees are slowly being replaced by ones with energy-saving LED lights. If you want the newer trees, check retailers such as Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards, but most have limited options with just warm white or multicolored bulbs. Bachman's on Lyndale in Minneapolis has a larger selection. Wait until Dec. 26 for the best deals, but if you want LED at any cost, verify that the lights are that technology before purchasing.
Get moving boxes for freeTo anyone unlucky enough to move in winter, here is a tip I learned from my recent move. Look on Craigslist (minneapolis.craigslist.org) for free boxes. I thought I was so smart to find low prices at Western Container in New Hope, but when I thought about reselling them, others said they had limited success trying to sell moving boxes online. Most said they ended up recycling them or giving them away on Craigslist. A check earlier in the week showed scores of people giving away their boxes. Look under the "free" section. If you can't find what you want there, check the "for sale" section and make a lowball offer.
John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 or jewoldt@startribune.com. If you spot a deal, share it at www.startribune.com/blogs/dealspotter.
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