Sunday 21 December 2014

How to Use a Bamix Hand Blender for Easy and Quick Meal



Bamix is well-known for its stick blenders, which are some of the best hand blenders in the world. Bamix stick blenders are the pioneers in hand blenders and the innovative product are extremely versatile because you can use them not just for blending, but also for chopping and crushing ice. Bamix hand blenders were invented in 1950 in Switzerland, and their form and function did not change so much, except for a few improvements, streamlining, and some modifications.

It is easy to use a Bamix hand blender to make quick and easy meals. The Bamix Magic Wand is a great choice for everyday kitchen needs with its user-friendly mechanism and single blade. The Bamix Gastro 200 Hand Mixer is suited for commercial kitchens because of its power and length. Attachments are available, too, letting you use your Bamix hand blender for different kinds of applications in food preparation.

Using the beater attachment

  • Plug the Bamix blender and make sure the outlet is close to your stove or cooking counter to prevent stretching the electrical cord to its limit.
  • Attach the beater attachment. It should easily snap on to the device.
  • Switch the blender on, but use low speed if the bowl is shallow to prevent splashing. Place the hand blender into the fluid mix and use until you achieve the consistency youwant. If the container is deeper, you may use a higher speed.
  • Hit the handle firmly against your palm to remove food residue from the beater.

Using the blender with a whisk attachment

  • Attach the whisk attachment.
  • Select the whisking speed. Choose a higher speed if you are using the Bamix in a deep and round container. This will create a vortex that can quickly whisk without splashing.
  • After use, remove the whisk attachment and rinse it.

Using the blade attachment

  • Snap on the attachment
  • Select either high or low speed. Remember that higher speeds can go up to 23,000 revolutions per minute, so be careful when using the blade to chop large pieces of ice or hard vegetables because pieces might fly out of the bowl and cause injuries. For safety, stick to a lower speed.

How to Select the Perfect Baking Trays



Your choice in baking trays can directly affect the outcome of your baked goods. Hence, you have to make sure you use high-quality baking trays suitable for your needs and the types of food you need to bake. There are many types available online these days. Here are tips that can help you choose the perfect baking trays.

  1. Pick the right size. When it comes to baking, size matters. Different recipes require different sizes of baking trays particularly for cakes, loaves, and pies. Check your oven's size and make sure that the baking pans you choose can fit in it. Refer to your recipes, too, and check what sizes of baking pans are required.

  1. How many baking trays do you need? If you want to bake more than one cake or loaf or multiple batches of cookies, buy at least two baking trays.

  1. Check the materials. Different materials are used in baking pans, and some of them may not be the best for baking. If you are buying non-stick baking trays, make sure that the non-stick coating is safe for baking. Poorly coated baking pans might be dangerous and toxic to use. A no-nonsense metal baking pan is usually recommended for safety and versatility.

  2. Double-check the durability of the baking tray. High-quality baking trays are made of robust metals that can withstand pressure and heat without bending. Make sure they are appropriately thick. Heavier trays are better than lightweight and thin ones because they prevent hot spots and they can resist warping and bending.

Swiss roll versus cookie tray. Cookie trays are the basic baking tray for all-purpose cookies and biscuits, while Swiss rolls are more versatile not just for cookies and biscuits, but also for grilling, broiling, and reheating food.

Friday 21 November 2014

How Well Does the Electric Pasta Maker Really Work?

Dried and ready to cook pasta are convenient and easy to buy, but they are not as good as homemade pasta. You can make your own pasta with a simple pasta maker, a device that can be upgraded with several attachments that will allow you to make different kinds of pasts like spaghetti, linguine, capellini, and ravioli. Most pasta makers are manually operated, but there are electric pasta makers that are designed to render the pasta manufacturing process easier and less time-consuming.

Electric pasta makers provide the same benefits as a high-end manual pasta maker, such as control over the pasta's consistency and ability to create different styles of pastas quickly. Having an electric pasta maker lets you serve healthier and freshly made pastas using your own ingredients. Many store-bought pastas may contain a lot of starch and additional artificial ingredients that help in preserving the pasta and keeping it al dente when cooked—and this is why they sometimes taste unnatural when compared to pastas that were made from scratch.

Electric pasta makers are suitable for use at home and in commercial kitchens. If you are making pasta at home, a small macaroni pasta machine can do everything from the mixing to the kneading and extruding of pasta dough. It can create twisted short pastas like fusilli, large ridged and square-cut pastas, hollow spaghetti, and tubed pastas like macaroni. The machine is made in Italy and it comes with five interchangeable dies.

There are larger and versatile electric pasta makers that can produce lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccine, and more. They are lightweight and easy to handle, with chrome steel rollers that can effortlessly extrude or knead dough. Nine thickness settings allow you to create the right kind of pasta according to your preference.

Electric pasta machines are easy to maintain and clean. Its usable parts can be dismantled and washed by hand. Some parts can be tossed into the dishwasher, too. Check with the manual.

Thursday 20 November 2014

Benefits of Having a Zoku Pop Maker in Your Kitchen

Summer is a great time to enjoy cold treats like frozen pops, and when you have your own pop maker in your kitchen; you can these delicious snacks any time you want. Do you enjoy frozen pops throughout the year, even in the winter? You can easily make them at home with a Zoku pop maker. Zoku is one of the leading brands of high-quality and easy to use pop makers. The company produces different types and sizes of pop makers. Most models can freeze the ice blocks in seven to nine minutes and need no electricity.

With a Zoku pop maker, you can crate healthy and delicious treats using your own ingredients, so you know that you are feeding your family only the healthiest frozen pops. You can use fresh fruit juices so your kids can enjoy nourishing and wholesome frozen treats. You can even let your kids make their own frozen pops using ingredients of their choice.

Zoku pop makers are easy to use—all you have to do is store the unit in your freezer and remove when it is ready. There are Zoku pop makers that come with a Super Tool, which makes it easy, fun, and quick to remove the ice blocks. The device is easy to wash by hand as long as it has been completely defrosted.

A Zoku Trio Quick Pop ice block maker is a versatile product you can use to make ice blocks and tasty frozen treats. It has six sticks and six drip guards, and it can freeze ice blocks in seven to nine minutes. The three-compartment freezing unit can create up to nine ice blocks before it requires refreezing. This product is available in colours like orange, red, and blue.

The Best Cuisinart Ice-Cream Maker for Your Home

Ice cream makers allow you to make your own ice cream at home and enjoy ice-cold treats any time. Cuisinart is one of the best brands in ice cream makers because they are durable, easy to use, and easy to clean. There are different kinds of ice cream makers from Cuisinart, and a majority of these products are versatile and useful for making fruit sorbets and yoghurts, too. You can make a basic chocolate or vanilla ice cream or whip up your own salted caramel ice cream using a Cuisinart ice cream maker.

Cuisinart ice cream makers are available in different colours and sizes. You can find them in trendy hues like papaya (orange), lime (yellow-green), and passion flower (purple), or in traditional colours like tropical blue, yellow, green, white, and watermelon (red). A two-litre Cuisinart ice cream maker is sufficient for most households.

Choose a Cuisinart ice cream maker that has a double insulated freezer bowl with a fully automatic mechanism, which is easier to use. A large ingredient spout is included, so you can easily pour in mix-ins. This type of ice cream maker can produce an ice cream in 25 minutes.

Another type of Cuisinart ice cream maker is the ICE-100RA compressor machine in red. It is a commercial-style ice cream maker that can be used for making gelatos, too. It has a compressor-freezer, so you can make ice cream or gelato continuously. The fully automatic operation allows you to create perfectly consistent results. The 'keep cool' function keeps the iced treats at an appropriate temperature until you are ready to serve them. You may add mix-ins through the see-through lid while the machine is churning, so it is easy to make more flavours.

The best place to buy a Cuisinart ice cream maker is a reputable online store that can provide exclusive triple warranties from the store, manufacturer, and distributor. Look for a store that can provide a 30-day money-back guarantee to make sure that you are getting a high-quality Cuisinart ice cream maker.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

How to Use Cuisinart Ice-cream Maker

It can be very convenient and healthy to have your own ice cream maker because with this kitchen appliance, you get to decide what ingredients should go into your cold treats. You also get to enjoy ice cream any time. Cuisinart is one of the leading manufacturers of the best ice cream makers on the market. Cuisinart ice cream makers are compact, easy to use, and versatile, too, with many models doubling as yoghurt makers. They are made with BPA-free plastics and come with a double-insulated freezer bowl, which helps maintain cold temperatures while the mixture is being churned.

Each Cuisinart ice cream maker comes with instructions on how to use and operate the machine. Look at the instructions or the user manual for proper use and cleaning, as some models may come with special instructions. In general, though, it is very easy to use a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Below are the steps:

•    Rinse the freezer bowl that comes with the Cuisinart ice cream maker. If this is your first time to use the bowl right from the package or from storage, be sure to dust it off and rinse it before use.
•    Plug the machine to the correct electrical socket. You do not need to add salt or ice into a Cuisinart ice cream maker due to its built-in cooling system.
•    Combine the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Be sure to stir well before placing the mixture into the ice cream maker.
•    Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl that comes with the Cuisinart ice cream maker.
•    Switch the ice cream maker on, then let it work on the mixture for around 20 to 25 minutes (or until the mixture thickens).
•    If you are not eating the ice cream immediately, transfer it from the bowl into a container that is freezer-safe and store it in the freezer for up to two hours.

7 Advantages of Using Induction Cookware

Cookware manufacturers indicate whether their product is ideal for electric, gas, or induction cooking. If you have an induction cooking stove, you should use only cookware that is labelled specifically for induction stoves or plates. There are several kinds of induction cookware available, from sauté pans to tajines, grills, poaching pans, stockpots, kettles, and woks. Here are the seven biggest advantages of using induction cookware:

1.    Cook meals with less energy: Induction cooking uses much less energy and is more efficient as it heats only the vessel. Heat is evenly distributed and maintained throughout.

2.    Safer: Induction cooking does not produce any open flames, so you can prevent fires and burns. And because it heats only the cooking vessel, it does not contribute to additional heat in the kitchen, unlike when you use traditional pots and pans on a typical stove, scattering heat to the surroundings.

3.    No wasted heat: Induction cookware absorbs the energy from the stove through a magnetic field, so all the heat is transferred and contained in the cooking vessel. This can result in having a cooler kitchen and a cool stovetop right after cooking, so you can prevent burning your fingers when you accidentally touch the hot plate.

4.    Cook faster: The method of cooking and heat transfer helps make the food cook faster, so you can prepare meals fast.

5.    Cost effective: Induction cookware contributes to energy savings. Gas stoves only produce 43 percent of energy to the pan, while electric stoves produce approximately 44 to 53 percent. Induction cooktops can produce almost 80 percent of energy that you spend for cooking.

6.    Heat remains consistent: Induction cookware is made of high-quality materials that naturally conduct heat to consistently heat the entire vessel. This prevents hot spots and uneven heat production.

7.    Portability: Induction cookers are portable. You can easily pack them for camping or use them in recreational vehicles and boats.

Wednesday 13 August 2014

How to Keep Your Knife Sharp



Keeping your kitchen knives sharp is just as important as your regular sharpening regimen. Normal use can cause your knife blades to dull over time, but there are certain things that you can do as well as avoid doing in order to keep their edges sharp for longer and avoid taking your favourite blades to the smiths ever so frequently.

One of the best ways to make sure that your kitchen knives stay sharp and reliable is by selecting quality knives in the first place. When shopping for kitchen knives, buy from shops that you know can be trusted. You'll know this by simply looking at the available selection and the brands that the company offers. You know you're in good hands when you see brand names like Wusthof, Mac, Global, Chef's Choice, Furi, and de Buyer, among others. Choose a company that offers full product warranties and an easy returns and refunds policy, along with an ordering and delivery system that can be relied upon.

Using the right cutting board is also important to keep the blade's sharpness. A wooden cutting board is the best choice as it is soft enough not to damage the cutting edge of knives. Wooden boards with the end grain facing up, like a butcher's block are the best choice for a board, but you may also use plastic cutting boards if wood is not available. Avoid using glass and marble cutting boards as well as cutting directly on ceramic surfaces such as ceramic plates, as these may be too hard for the knives and cause premature chipping and dulling of the blades.

Another thing to remember when trying to maintain knives' sharpness is proper and regular cleaning. Avoid using the dishwasher and store your knives in proper knife blocks or knife holders instead of leaving them in a drawer, where they can get dull by banging around with other silverware.

Guidelines for Choosing a Champagne Glass



Bubbles are very important to the quality, flavour, and aroma of champagne, which is why it is meant to be served in such a way that the bubbles are retained as the drink is being poured and even as you sip through your glass. There are many different types of champagne glasses, of which are three commonly used types: the coupe, which is a short-stemmed saucer-shaped glass; the flute, which is a long-stemmed thin cone-shaped glass and a wide mouth, and commonly seen in homes, the long stem, tall, thin, egg-shaped glass, that looks like an egg with the top cut off.

Champagne flutes are typically made out of glass or crystal. Other styles have engraved details on the bowl, while others use coloured glass, although it is still advisable to use clear, colourless crystals, especially when you are particular about the quality of the drink in your hand.

When choosing champagne flutes and glasses, consider the size of the bowl as well as the height of the stem so the champagne can have plenty of room to swirl around and so that your hands won't tire holding a shorter-stemmed glass. The mouth of the flute must be no wider than 3 inches in diameter (ideally 2.5 inches) so as to keep in as much bubbles.

Find champagne glasses that are made out of light and thin glass—not only are they lighter in weight, they are also less expensive than thicker and heavier glasses. Also, pick out champagne glasses from well known brand collections to ensure quality. Good online retailers offer great deals on champagne glass sets to help you save a good portion of your budget. Choose champagne glass sets if you intend to have company frequently or start your own personal collection, but always keep quality and budget in mind.

Monday 21 July 2014

Glassware Cleaning And Maintenance Tips



You should always take time to properly clean your dinnerware so you won't have to cram and stress when company is coming and your china, crystal, and silver are not dinner and presentation-ready/worthy. All dinnerware deserve careful handling, but your crystals deserve extra care. While these items are generally dishwasher-safe, it is still more ideal to wash them by hand. Here are some things you should remember when cleaning your precious glassware:

  • Always wash glassware by hand.
  • Rinse wine glasses after use instead of letting them sit around with leftover wine/drink in them on the sink.
  • Gently wash them with soapy water and a soft cloth.
  • Avoid using hot water. Instead, use cool, clean water after washing.
  • Dry them with microfibre cloth instead of a tea towel, which often leaves lint behind. It is also acceptable to leave them to drip dry, although this may leave water spots when not washed carefully. Be sure to wash your glassware thoroughly if you intend to drip dry them.
Cloudiness is one of the greatest enemies of glassware, and it is often caused by mineral deposits from water. Sometimes, the heat of the dishwasher bakes these minerals into the tiny pores of the glass, making it permanent. This is why it is more advisable to wash glassware by hand, rather than stuffing them into the dishwasher, which takes a toll on the delicate composition of the glass.  Store crystals right side up to prevent the rims from getting chipped. Allow plenty of space in between each piece so they can expand in the heat without touching any of the other pieces. Buy quality glassware only from established online retailers that offer you plenty of glass and kitchenware choices at very competitive prices.