Space Saving Kitchen Appliances
Posted on February 25, 2008
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Refrigerators and microwaves are one of the most space hungry items in any kitchen. As time goes on, new designs have been released by manufacturers that will take some of that space back. Integrating appliances into the cabinets and under the counter can maximize the kitchen space usage and maximize your working area.
These new kitchen gadgets aren’t for everyone. The under counter refrigerator, for instance, may be big enough for one or two people. A family just wouldn’t be able to get all their food in one of these. However, a single person in a small condo might not need any more than a couple drawers of fridge room.
Stoves can be built into the counter top, and microwaves are now produced that double as a range hood and fan. Tucked up under the cupboards, these new microwaves save counter space.
Other new items include on demand beverage and cooking water heaters that are built into the under sink area, and under the counter ice makers. More of these space saving handy kitchen gadgets will be in the works all the time. Anyone remodeling a small kitchen might be interested in a look at these smaller appliances.
Slow Cooker
Posted on January 7, 2008
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In today’s busy world, it is easy to get takeout or snack on potato chips and soda pop instead of preparing food after work. A good slow cooker can really help out if you want home cooked meals but are on a tight schedule.
There are many cookbooks that show how to make tasty main dishes and complete meals with your slow cooker. After prepping the ingredients and putting them in before you leave for work, this awesome kitchen gadget does the rest. The food is cooked at a relatively low temperature, over a long period of time, and the cooker can run by itself all day with no fear of burning or boil-over. The lower temperature never reaches boiling point and the lid is not sealed tight, so there is no danger of food escaping during the heating process.
The simplest slow cookers have a low heat setting, and a high heat setting. More advanced models have timers, total cook time settings and more. There may be different heat settings for roasts, stews and soups, fish and poultry. Many also have a ‘keep warm’ setting, for when the cooking is done. they come in all sizes, from a four cup mini-crock to a six quart family size cooker. They are priced from $20 to $100 in most department stores.
The larger models have a removable stoneware cooking bowl, which is dishwasher safe and doubles as a container to temporarily store left-overs in the fridge. Some of the smaller models have a permanently mounted cooking container, which isn’t as handy.
Stews and roasts are exceptionally good when made in the slow cooker, as the meat becomes extra tender. Others swear by the Crock Pot baked beans that have been slowly simmering all day. They also double as a chocolate melter for those who make their own chocolates, and even desserts are made with the slow cooker.
One thing to keep in mind is that raw kidney beans need to be boiled for 10 minutes before adding into your slow cooker. This is because toxins in this kind of bean are destroyed at boiling temperatures, but no at the lower temperatures that a slow cooker operates at. Canned kidney beans have already been cooked and are safe.
A List Of Handy Kitchen Gadgets
Posted on January 4, 2008
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There are many items that will make cooking easier and help you create excellent meals. Here are a few useful gadgets you may not want to do without.
- Kitchen Timer
These clocks are used to measure the length of time foods have been cooking. This makes it easy to follow recipes which include cooking times, and to avoid burning or overcooking. Most kitchens have a built in timer on the microwave or oven, but you might want a seperate timer if you are cooking more than one dish at a time.
- Vegetable peeler
Used for peeling potatoes, carrots and other vegetables, these are a kitchen gadget that it is hard to do without.
- Oven mitts and potholders
Worn to protect your hands from hot objects like ovens, stoves and cookware, everyone can use oven mitts. Most are simply an insulated mitt, quite often with a cheery pattern or picture in the cloth. More recently, manufacturers have come out with oven mitts that have patches of silicone material on them, as silicone is much more heat resistant than mere cloth. Watch out for really cheap mitts; they will melt or burn!
- Cutting board
There are wooden, plasti and glass cutting boards. This is pretty much up to individual preference. The main thing to remember is that well used cutting boards made of wood and plastic get a lot of scoring and grooves in the surface, which may harbor germs if not cleaned properly.
- Garlic press
These handy little gadgets make dealing with garlic a lot easier. Instead of cutting each clove by hand after peeling, many garlic presses are capable of pressing garlic with the peel on. Some gourmets claim that pressed garlic has a lighter, less bitter flavor.
- Measuring cups and spoons
Most recipes call for ingredients measured by the cup, half cup, quarter cup, teaspoon, etc. A set of measuring cups and spoons make these instructions a no-brainer.
These are just some of the necessary kitchen gadgets any aspiring chef might want in his arsenal.
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