Any Affordable Buffets on Maui? (appliances, tax, price)

[joenorwood77]

I am assuming people put food like rice into a sealed container to keep bugs out. If I go with a 25 pound bag, I cannot imagine the container I will need to buy for that. LOL

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by joenorwood77

I am assuming people put food like rice into a sealed container to keep bugs out. If I go with a 25 pound bag, I cannot imagine the container I will need to buy for that. LOL

Don't buy a 25# bag. That's for big families. Get the ricecooker first. Buy a pound of rice. That'll probably last you a couple of weeks. Eat some. Find out what you like.

But to answer your question, people who have food staples set aside for disaster preparedness put 25# of rice in a 5 gallon food bucket, with a Gamma Seal screw-on lid. Ace Hardware stores carry them. So does Amazon.

Amazon.com: The Gamma Seal Lid

But you don't dip into one of those everyday. You get a container big enough for a pound or so, use it, refill it. Repeat.

[davephan]

Buying a one pound bag is a good idea to make sure you like the brand and variety. We normally buy 25 pound or 50 pound bags of white rice at one of the Asian food stores in the area. The 50 pound bag of rice lasts for 6 months. I buy 50 pound bags of Minnesota wild rice, which last for more than one year. The wild rice is much more expensive, especially when the shipping cost is added. I divide the 50 pound bag into many smaller "Foodsaver" bags. The Foodsaver bags are vacuum sealed with the Foodsaver machine. The vacuum seal keeps the rice fresh and would also keep out bugs.

It is very easy to make rice after preparing all the Foodsaver rice bags. Just cut open and dump one Foodsaver rice bag in the rice cooker, add 4 cups of water, then turn on the rice cooker. Wild rice takes much more water than white rice.

You could do the same Foodsaver bag process with your white rice. The rice stays fresh fresh and bug free. The Foodsaver machine and bags are a little expensive, and it takes a couple hours to measure out all the single batches and seal the bags from a 50 pound bag. But once you are done, it saves you time and hassle when making the new rice batches with fresh rice.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by davephan

Buying a one pound bag is a good idea to make sure you like the brand and variety. We normally buy 25 pound or 50 pound bags of white rice at one of the Asian food stores in the area. The 50 pound bag of rice lasts for 6 months. I buy 50 pound bags of Minnesota wild rice, which last for more than one year. The wild rice is much more expensive, especially when the shipping cost is added. I divide the 50 pound bag into many smaller "Foodsaver" bags. The Foodsaver bags are vacuum sealed with the Foodsaver machine. The vacuum seal keeps the rice fresh and would also keep out bugs.

It is very easy to make rice after preparing all the Foodsaver rice bags. Just cut open and dump one Foodsaver rice bag in the rice cooker, add 4 cups of water, then turn on the rice cooker. Wild rice takes much more water than white rice.
.

I seem to remember that wild rice is the edible part of several native grasses, and not actually rice. It usually gets mixed with regular rice to cut the cost. Do you eat it unmixed? It's pretty expensive on the mainland. I would assume it is even more so in Hawaii?

[joenorwood77]

I moved from Minnesota so I definitely know about wild rice. :-) The only thing I ever cooked that I was proud of is a chicken and wild rice soup. I combined ideas from many recipes and made my own.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by joenorwood77

I moved from Minnesota so I definitely know about wild rice. :-) The only thing I ever cooked that I was proud of is a chicken and wild rice soup. I combined ideas from many recipes and made my own.

A slow-cooker (crock pot) is good for soup/roasts/etc. I/we get a Costco Rotisserie chicken, eat some of it, then put the rest in a crock pot for some extra cooking time with water and garlic. It makes de-boning a breeze, then add other ingredients. I have eaten beef cooked in them many times, but haven't done it myself. Canned onion or "cream of" soups add extra flavor.
In the summer, I use my BBQ grill/toaster oven/slow cooker/rice cooker all on the patio to avoid heating up my house. In Maui, I expect to do the same, only I will call it my lanai.
Off topic, how did you locate your residence? I looked at some rental apts. in Honokowai, as well as places for sale. I expect to rent at first, unless something "perfect" appears that I have to buy. Are you in Lahaina? If so, how do you like it, so far?

[joenorwood77]

I really appreciate and enjoy the atmosphere of Lahaina except that it is hot as hell! Well, it is not quite that hot, but trust me it must be close!

We had an interesting tropical storm last night. I expected much worse though.

I found my current place via Craigslist. It is OK for a short time and at least I have a place to stay, but I will be actively looking for a new place once I have a better idea of places to move to. People say only 10 miles away is about 10 degrees cooler on average and those places get a little rain, unlike here. Some months in the year, Lahaina averages only 0.1 inches of rain for the entire month. I agree to rent month to month until you know where you want to be.

So, it sounds like some investments I should make include a rice cooker, crock pot, grill, and maybe a toaster oven. I expect any place I will live at will also have a microwave and an oven/stove. Other than those items, and a set of pans, is that all I should need to cook meals for now?

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by joenorwood77

I really appreciate and enjoy the atmosphere of Lahaina except that it is hot as hell! Well, it is not quite that hot, but trust me it must be close!

We had an interesting tropical storm last night. I expected much worse though.

I found my current place via Craigslist. It is OK for a short time and at least I have a place to stay, but I will be actively looking for a new place once I have a better idea of places to move to. People say only 10 miles away is about 10 degrees cooler on average and those places get a little rain, unlike here. Some months in the year, Lahaina averages only 0.1 inches of rain for the entire month. I agree to rent month to month until you know where you want to be.

So, it sounds like some investments I should make include a rice cooker, crock pot, grill, and maybe a toaster oven. I expect any place I will live at will also have a microwave and an oven/stove. Other than those items, and a set of pans, is that all I should need to cook meals for now?

LOL! Heat is a concern of mine as well. Many condo complexes don't allow A/C, even if you buy your own. They include electricity, and don't want the bill shooting up. For a couple of months each year, it is hot on Maui. I want to be able to use A/C when I'm uncomfortable.
Kaanapali is just about the perfect area in many ways, but it's way too expensive for me, and many condos are leasehold. Consequently, I am focused on the Honokowai & Kahana areas.
Re: Your appliance list. Maybe you should try out one now, and add a new one occasionally? I hear garage sales are a good place to find these cheap, since people are always arriving, and leaving.
What day does school start? For me it's Aug. 16.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by joenorwood77

Other than those items, and a set of pans, is that all I should need to cook meals for now?

What the heck did you do in Minnesota and how does a question like that come up in your life now?

[joenorwood77]

In Minnesota I found an amazing deal on Campbells' Chunky soups at $1 per can, so I bought like 200 cans since that is a ridiculously cheap price. Other than that, I ate out way too much, and once in a while I baked a pizza, make spaghetti, mac and cheese, or sandwiches.

Alright, I will start off with the rice cooker since the cooker itself is affordable, as well as the rice. I will test out 1 pound bags of the different types of rice and then gradually learn which items to cook/eat with the different rice.