2 Chefs Test a Spherificator! | Sorted Food 

“I didn’t get it wrong! We f*cking measured it with a banana!” -James 2020

Ben made a mistake with the amount of Cl in the Calciumchloride, the correct formula is CaCl2. He is missing a second Cl in his "version" of the equation so that he can`t form 2 NaCl because he only got one. The correct equation in the end would be 2NaC6H7O6 + CaCl2 -> 2NaCl + C12H14CaO12. Either way awesome video and I for one enjoyed the chemistry on the board and between the who chefs :P

I just love how James transforms into a ginger cloud of doom whenever they start testing new equipment. 😁

So, the alginate compound polymerizes in the presence of calcium ions. The gel-like quality isn't a property of the molecules. Instead, it's a property of polymerization (a long chain of repeating structures). If you guys are getting gel all the way through, there are a few things you can try. 1, decrease the concentration of Calcium in your water. (Less concentration gradients for diffusion) 2, take your spherified food out earlier and rinse the surface. (Less time for diffusion) 3, decrease the temperature of the calcium chloride solution. (Slow down diffusion)

"Well, Ben, as you all know, I'm all about fun." -James. I love how Ben can't keep a straight face to that.

Really disappointed this wasn’t called “2 chefs, Many balls”.

Probs to Mike for the song. Genius. I love when he revisits his former career for sorted videos. Always the best tunes

"they're not like CHIVE! they're just like chive~" 😆😆😆

Only James can tell someone they're honestly a nice person, genuinely mean it and still be insulting them 😂😂

"Honestly you're such a nice person" one of the only ways complement is a real insult 😂

"They're not like 👊🏽 CHIVE, they're more like ⭕ chive ~"

I didn't realize how much I'd missed the "Super Geek" theme until it came up. Thank you for being such a dork, Ben

The return of "Super Geek" made my entire week! And I think Ben had the right idea with the arithmetic, but he started to go wrong because the formula for calcium chloride is CaCl2!

"I haven't even put any balls in liquid yet, and I already think this is just not worth it." - James, 2020. That's going on a plaque somewhere. Wiser words were rarely spoken, sir.

Even if it wasn't perfect, I still find Ben's chemistry lesson to be the most ADORABLE thing I've seen in a long time... And James' reactions were hilarious! #supergeek #supersweet

Ben: "a banana is six inches" Everyone: "why do you know that, and what else are you measuring with a banana?"

i literally squealed when the "super geek" song started playing 😍😂

"You're such a nice person!" is the new insult in the Sorted household.

"Mouth feel" - that's it, Ben has officially turned into Charles Boyle 😂

I've done some spherification, and I've found reverse spherification generally works better, and will maintain the pop. The problem is the alginate is what reacts and forms the membrane, so when it's in the ball solution, the reaction just continues and the longer it sits, eventually it will turn into a set gel. Doing it in reverse, the membrane forms out of the liquid of the bath, but it also means that there is no alginate in the ball solution so the membrane will get thicker the longer it is in the bath, but when you take it out, it will stop the reaction. With this method I never had to add the sodium citrate either. Never tried that device, just used a squeeze bottle, eye dropper, or syringe. Also, using a vessel that is deeper will help the balls form the right shape as they set and drop to the bottom, the gravity in the water helps them stay spherical. That's been my experience, anyway.

How HOW HOOOOW is James LITERALLY the human embodiment of Grumpy Cat?! I need to know.

James: “As you know, I’m all about fun” Such a Scotsman!😂

6:14 The way Ben's eyes light up when James asks him to explain how the balls are form is special

"They're not like CHIVE.. but they're like chive" -Ben, 2020

James: "I'm all about fun" James, not even a minute later: "How did I get dragged into cooking for a dinner party"

"How did I get roped into prepping your dinner party?" Well James, what did you think was going to happen after your Valentine's date?

Whether it was right or not, I really appreciated that Ben knew enough to even try and write out the chemistry!

I think Ben is one tragic experience away from becoming a super villain. He's already got the mad scientist part down. Lol.

“You know what’s 6 inches” “ a banana!” I spit out my tea 😂

James: "Are you going to be able to explain to me how it forms these things? " Ben: *starts writing on blackboard* Me: *immediately thinks of super geek clip* Video: *plays super geek* Me: "yes!"

"these are my first balls that have dropped" oh god he's not even trying is he

Every 2 Chefs test ever. Ben: This could be fun! James: I hate everything about this.

I love it when Ben geeks out. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy ^^

I can't help it...James' salty grumpiness just makes me fall more in love. He's so hard to impress and so hard to please and i love that

Ben: tip should be 6 inches from the balls Ben seconds later: behave that’s what it says, behave Also Ben : if you wanna know what 6 inches is James, its about a banana

Me: "Man, my chemistry studies feel like I'm not gonna use them very often outside of work" *Sees Ben do chemistry incorrectly* Me: YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Gotta back to basic maths and chemistry Ben: Our Reactants: Calcium Chloride: CaCl2 Sodium Alginate: C6H8NaO7 Our Products: Calcium Alginate: C12H14CaO12 Sodium Chloride: NaCl Water: H2O With the products being our desired gelatinous compound and the byproduct of salt our balanced equation must be: CaCl2 + 2C6H9NaO7 = C12H14CaO12 + 2H2O + 2NaCl

"Behave! That's what it says, behave!" ~quote a la Ben, the disappointed dad of SORTEDfood

James is my favourite. He’s just so amazing. I could listen to him being bitter all day

I love whenever Mike sings, make him do it more please. And Ben was more than super excited for this.

Ben: it's not like CHIVES but more like ~chives~ 😂

Ben “That is a talking point”. Me “why are there slugs on my salad?”

“They are not like **🤜🤜👊** CHIVE!! They are more like **🙌👐🤲** chive.”

1:50 That was hilarious.. The moment James got it.. 🤣🤣

Still would like, as the other posters said, a Midweek meal challenge just for the chefs, 1 burner, 1 pot, limited utensil count (say, one set of ordinary cookware, 1 chef knife, a paring knife, and a cutting board), limited counter space. They can battle against each other. If they break the rules, points get deducted. Edit: Should be a full balanced meal for full points.

James and ben are like the two halves of me James:brutally honest and truthful Ben:nice and trying to find the positive James is how i actually think and ben is what i say

Measuring 6 inches: "What are you on about? We measured it with a banana." is so oddly English.

I love how smart Ben is.

I love Ben in this video - it looks like he’s had too many coffees, or maybe he’s just excited that he has new gadge to test a g+t, but the combination of his enthusiasm, his simple “chive! Chive.” descriptions and surprising us with a burst of excitement with chemistry before James tells him “you love a talking point.” It’s just fun to watch.

It’s not “CHIVE”, it’s “~chive~” I LOST IT AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAH

He messed up the formula of Calcium Chloride and as a result his equation isn't balanced. The correct equation would be 2NaC6H7O6 + CaCl2 -> 2NaCl + C12H14CaO12

Oh dear Ben.... the Bennuendos are just too much in this video: “Hold on let me just get my banana out” “the tip of the needle should be 6 inches away from the balls’ 😂 Oh God no now James has started! Don’t do this to yourself!

You can rinse off the pearls with distilled to stop the gelling process. That way, you can more easily control the wall thickness.

Somehow I had a vision of James and Ben as an odd couple type set of teachers giving a class where Ben is really into the subject and James is nursing a nihilistic view of humanity.

"we don't have any balls" - james, you're killing me man

Wow. Never thought i'd see the day the "super geek" song comes back.

"behave" "do you know what six inches is? It's a banana" I'm dead

Everybody: mad about him not knowing his chemestry Me: feels proud that I remember that sodium is Na XDXD Love you guys

Is that Jamie's laugh I hear right after "the needle should be 6 inches from the balls"? Feels kind of weird being able to recognize him just from a laugh when I rarely* watch these videos. * more of a techie than a foodie. That I watch at all is a testament to their skills, passion, and the fun they have together.

"These are my first balls that have dropped" ...Oh, Ben

Okay we need a pass it on using where everyone needs to use it for something. Like a spag bol with tomato sauce beads and olive oil beads and basil beads. Basically everything's a bead

So, I learned about a new kind of chocolate when I visited the chocolate museum in Belgium (Something I can highly suggest for you guys to visit). Ruby chocolate is pretty much pure chocolate, but it‘s pink and much more fruity. I have been trying to find a good flavor combo with this chocolate. Any chance you guys wanna check out Ruby Chocolate?

Ben: “These are my first balls that have dropped.” Me: “Finally.”

I love to see Ben having smarts in so many different areas. Many people have forgotten about their secondary school chemistry lessons by now. Even though it had a small flaw, your logic was on point. Great job, Ben! All-round geek, you. Love from a scientist

7:05 2 things Ben ballsed up (3 for pedants): 1) Ca ions are 2+ charge, which means the number of Cl ions should be 2 on the left hand side of the equation (CaCl2). 2)Na is 1+, so the alginate part (C6H7O6) must be 1- (assuming Ben hasn't ballsed the number of Na up too), this means the product should be Ca(C6H7O6)2 to balance the Ca 2+ charge. The NaCl part is fine. These two combined balance the equation. 3) It shouldn't be an "=" sign, but an arrow (if irreversible), or if reversible, 2 half headed arrows in opposite directions. And a subjective gripe from me: say "citrate" like you would "citrus"! If you say "sit-rus" then say "sit-rate"!

I’ve been waiting for the “he’s a supergeek!” song to make a return and it finally has!

Could've called this video "15 minutes of innuendos and 2 chefs trying to pronounce Spherificator"

I remember this is a common thing but it was first done with cocktails to make "cocktail pods". It uses generally the same method but they're much larger and are obviously designed for cocktails but can probably be done with most liquids. Edit: The cocktail ones have more of a pop because you don't mix in the sodium alginate, you freeze the cocktail as an ice cube and make a seperate bath, so that the gel forms on the outside of the cocktail ice cube as it melts, so when it thaws its like a... tide pod, if that makes sense. As a result, only the "shell" of the pod forms a gel, as opposed to the whole mixture having the sodium alginate in it, in which case you just have chive flavored jelly instead if a "chive pod".

Poor Ben, getting mocked in the outro. ... clearly the guys need another "exotic meats" video.

More super geek moments please!!!!! I love to know the science behind why baking and cooking work.

Spending 90£ on something that can be recreated with a squeeze bottle is sad

7:06 mate, you magically created an extra Cl on the other side of your equation, but good effort, it would have to be CaCl(small 2) as Calcium carries a 2+ charge and Chloride ion a 1- charge therefore creating CaCl2! also seeing and = not an arrow and calling O (oxygen) as zero really broke my a level chemist heart :’) final equation would be 2Na(Alginate) + CaCl2* -> 2NaCl + Ca(Alginate)2 *small 2

3:59 How much coffee did James have that morning? He seems a bit excited.

I’m not even gonna start to question how they made a glorified pipette into a 100 bucks fancy machine

I'm a bartender at a chain known for "molecular mixology" as a part of our USP and we sell drinks with spherification as a part of the experience. The thing about alginate and spheres is the gimmick is tied to the making which is why a lot of chefs and such get excited about spherification but others don't find it as fascinating. That's why our caviar drink that has it as a focus lets the guest make their own spheres - it lets them control it and have fun with the method rather than just having balls floating about. The other one with spheres has them basically as a way to add flavour as a separate note. The drink that people actually get excited about the sphere though is one we make with reverse spherification. It's a more complicated task to make with more points of failure but it's a much more impressive result.

"We'll do anything for a talking point at the table. Even if its questionable" James 2020 The directions this statement can go!

“Sodium chloride solution” pretentious or not you decide

As if we couldn't love Ben any more, his excitement over that chemistry equation is awesome! 🤓

Watching Ben fudge up chemistry as I review for my Organic Chem test is the stress relief I needed... thank you for that good sir

Why does Ben look like a mad scientist here 😂😂 1:47

YESS!! "He's a super geek, super geek, he's super geeky!!" I sing that to myself at least twice a day! I don't know why but I do!

Ben: "CHIVE!" "chive" Ben is best.

I'm seeing a few comments here that got the stoichiometry a bit wrong: 2C6H7O6 does not equal to C12H14O12, these are two different compounds with very different molecular structures. So instead, the correct final equation would be: 2NaC6H7O6 + CaCl2 -> 2NaCl + Ca(C6H7O6)2. Still though good on those who tried to balance this equation out, and please don't feel bad or silly making these kind of mistakes, they happen all the time, keep at it! Also, really happy to see more science related videos on Sorted because we get to see actual trained chefs take on some more "unusual" cooking methods, a bit of shame it didn't work too well this time but it was still good fun to watch.

This video was amazing! The investigation, the guessing, acid James and happy Ben ... I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you!

You could do the same with a syringe dropping the pearls into freezing cold oil. Loads of recipes on the old internet. You should do mojito reverse spheres, a drink in a bubble that pops.

14:57 mike, you've outdone yourself.

Ben, oh you wonderful super geek, that little tutorial was just so cute. Forget meal packs, can y'all just bottle up essence of Ben's wonderfulness and ship to us?

I started working at a catering company as their exec sous chef and got all these requests from the event sales team for "molecular cooking" They handed me one of these and I can honestly say it's not even a little bit worth it. Also you want your mix to set over night or vacuum seal the mix to take the air out. That's why they float. Also the color will be what you started with because it's only lightening up since there's so much air whipped in it.

For metric fellas out there, 6in is about 15cm I don't know why i feel the need to comment this...

"The tip of the needle should be six inches from the balls." Agreed Ben, agreed. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I love Mike’s laughing in the background! 😂

“I’m not sure it’s the glasses that’s the problem” 😂 😂 😂

I don't know if it will definitely work with your recipe, but when you said about losing the colour of the blood orange juice its both a combination of the new chemical being incorporated as well as air being getting mixed into the syrup. If you put the bowl with the syrup into a cryo vacuum machine and run it a few times it should drag the trapped air out of the syrup, Just make sure its a big enough bowl because the syrup should expand

I had a kit for this about 7-8 years ago...For New Years Eve, we made alcohol pearls and bubbles and added them to sparkling wine. It took practice, but it was great fun!

James: "... How did I get dragged into prepping your dinner party?" This was hilarious

"It would be interesting if it works" James is really optimistic about this 😂

“Does that look like the ball you know and love “😂

I much appreciated the objectivity. Very refreshing post. @internet, are you watching this? This is how it's done.

I love how enthusiastic James is, you can tell how happy he is just to be there testing gadgets and learning chemistry! 🥰

I was thinking of some fun stuff, milk pearls on tea/coffee, tomato pearls on pasta/ pizza, butter pearls on toast would also be kinda cool