Best Stainless Steel Cookware

We have a winner!

We found what we think is the best stainless steel cookware set on the market

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Best Non-Stick Cookware Set

For Lovers of non-stick cookware

This non-stick cookware set is excellent value for money and we rate it highly

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Best Dutch Oven Overall For Quality and Color

This will be no surprise

There is no doubt about it, we had to rate the as our number 1 choice for Dutch Ovens.

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Archive for September, 2008

All Clad Stainless Steel 14 Piece Cookware Set Review

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 8:57 am  
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all-clad-stainless-steel-14-piece-cookware-set-reviewIf you are in the market for a new cookware set and you only want the best of the best, then you simply can’t go past All Clad.

Their attention to detail in the manufacturing process makes their cookware really stand out from the rest.

An All-Clad Stainless 14 Piece Cookware Set with 10 & 12 in. Fry Pans is one that will easily last a lifetime so it is definitely a worthwhile investment despite the hefty price tag.

Each piece in this cookware set is made from stainless steel with an aluminum core. It is this inner core of aluminum that ensures quick heating and even cooking, and that means there are no hotspots on the cooking surface that will cause foods to be cooked unevenly. Stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat, and that is why All Clad sandwich a layer of aluminum between the cooking and the exterior surfaces, however it is the 18/10 stainless steel cooking surface that ensures that foods won’t react with the metal and the outer layer of stainless that gives the set its attractive finish.

This set is oven proof so you can transfer foods straight from stove top to oven without changing the pot and this means less to clean up after dinner. Another plus is that this set is also suitable to use on induction stovetops as well as your regular stovetops.

The frypans, saucepans and saute pans all have stay cool handles so that they remain cool to the touch on the stove top, however, when you use the pans in the oven make sure that you use oven mitts when you are taking the cookware out of the oven.

This is an elegant looking, beautifully finished cookware set that will look stunning hanging from a pot rack or displayed in an open cupboard in your kitchen. You can place this set in the dishwasher but we always recommend hand washing to maintain the beautiful mirror finish.

All Clad backs up this product with a lifetime warranty for defects in workmanship.

Read our comprehensive review on the All Clad Stainless Steel 14 Piece Cookware Set

This set includes the following:

  • 10in fry pan
  • 12in fry pan
  • 2qt saucepan and lid
  • 3qt saucepan and lid
  • 3qt saute pan and lid
  • 6qt saute pan and lid
  • 12in chefs pan and lid
  • 8qt stock pot and lid

Where can I buy an All Clad Stainless Steel 14 Piece Cookware Set:

MetroKitchen.com
Cooking.com

Staub Round Cocotte – Perfect For One Pot Cooking

Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 10:19 am  
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staub-round-cocotteWhen I was recently doing some research on Dutch Ovens I came across a piece of cookware that has the same name as a French prostitute, so I just had to check this out further in case I had misread the name.

But no I hadn’t, it turns out apart from being a ‘Lady of the Night” a cocotte is also a cast iron dish that is perfect for cooking soups, stews or any one pot dish that you might like to make. Things I love about one pot cooking it is that the dishes are always so full of flavor, and they moist and easy to do, with very little clean up required, but then I am a lazy cook. So a cocotte suits me fine.

The Staub Enameled Cast Iron Round Cocotte is available in a wide range of vibrant colors. And because it is made from cast iron that means it retains heat. As the black interior is enameled that means it won’t discolor or rust and in fact the cocotte acutally improves the more you use it because the oils from your cooking penetrate into the enamel pores and this creates a smooth non-stick surface.

Another great thing about enameled cast iron is that you don’t have to season it before or after use – bonus.

The lids on the Staub round cocotte are very tight fitting and have self-basting hubs on the cooking side, this allows all the lovely juices to return to the dish and keep the food moist and flavorsome.

The cocotte has a smooth ceramic bottom so it can be used on electric or gas stoves and it is widely used by professional chefs because of its great heat retention and versitilty.

The Cocotte as its name suggests, is made in France.

Although more commonly known for its round shape, the Staub round cocotte also comes in an oval shape.



Tilia Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 8:59 am  
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tilia-foodsaver-vacuum-sealerI recently purchased a foodsaver vacuum sealer and believe me this has got to be one of the best cookware accessories that I have brought in a while.

Actually my daughter in law, Stacy, introduced me to the foodsaver. I was visiting her for a few days and she had brought a few capsicum which she proceeded to slice up and then she got out the foodsaver and began sealing the cut up capsicum into small serving lots.

I was hooked. The vacuum sealer sucked all the air out of the specially provided bag and then sealed the bag. Stacy had packaged 6 bags of capsicum that took up hardly any room in the freezer.

A few days earlier I had brought 10 kgs of sausages and 2 kgs of chicken breasts and packaged them as usual in my good old tupperware containers with 2 sheets of ‘go between’ in between each layer so that I don’t end up with everything stuck together. And yes the Tupperware containers work excellently but they take up so much room.

So off I went and brought a Foodsaver and a container that holds a roll of plastic tubing and cuts it to the length I need. Unlike the Foodsaver that is pictured my appliance does not have the inbuilt cutter. I also received a number of extra bags with my appliance.

I couldn’t wait to get home and try it out and I am thrilled with the results.

So if you want to preserve your food longer then I recommend the Tilia Foodsaver Signature Series food vacuum sealer because it removes the oxygen that can cause freezer burn and encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.

The machine features hands free operation, extended vacuum, built in roll storage/cutter and two seal adjustment levels.

I love my food saver vacuum sealer and like me, I am sure you will find this appliance will save you money and freezer space.

There are also canister sets such as the Tilia FoodSaver Accessory Completer Set shown below:
Tilia FoodSaver Accessory Completer Set - 03-0037-02
And where can you buy this great appliance:
Unbeatable Sale.com
Cooking.com

All Clad Stainless Tagine for Imaginative Moroccan Cooking

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 2:55 am  
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all-clad-stainless-tagineAll Clad have joined the party with this beautiful looking Tagine adding their usual flair for style and performance.

The base is made from bonded multi-ply stainless steel which means that the heat is evenly distributed and ensuring that there are no hot spots for uneven cooking.

You can serve this stylish dish from the stove to the table. It’s clean lines and classic finish will certainly fit in with most kitchen dinnerware.

The Tagine has a glazed terracotta lid so that the steam is returned to keep the food moist and retain all the flavor.

The All Clad Stainless Tagine comes with 14 recipes so that you can start making good use of your appliance as soon as it arrives.

A Tagine is usually associated with Moroccan cooking which is full of flavor color. But you don’t have to limit yourself to any particular type of cooking as a Tagine will lend itself to almost any one pan dish that your family likes.

I love the look of it and I really don’t think you can go past the elegance of this piece.

Where can you buy the All Clad Stainless Tagine:

MetroKitchen.com
Cooking.com

Gaggia 90500 Super Automatic Espresso Machine Review

Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 11:39 am  
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gaggia-90500-titanium-espresso-makerThe Gaggia 90500 Super Automatic Espresso machine is a little beauty. It is fully automatic and with just a press of a button it will grind, measure and dispense the espresso into your cup. This is a solid piece of equipment with a stainless steel front panel and metal outer case.

This espresso machine has two boilers which helps to reduce the wait time between brewing and steaming. What this means is that your coffee doesn’t go cold while you are waiting for the steamer to heat up to froth the milk. This is especially useful if you are entertaining and need to make a number of cups of coffee for your guests.

This espresso machine produces three different beverages: espresso, regular coffee and caffe lungo but essentially you can make any type of cappuccino or latte. I also love how this machine can dispense hot water – perfect if you have a hot tea drinker in the house or you’d like a hot chocolate or if you are like me and just like to drink hot water. The water heats up in about 30 seconds.

The GaggiaTitanium Super Espresso Machine grinds the beans for you but you can also use pre-ground coffee which becomes especially useful for decaffeinated coffee drinkers or if you have a favorite pre-ground mix. There is actually a separate chute so you don’t need to remove the coffee beans from the main hopper to use the pre-ground beans…another great option to have when entertaining as you can easily meet all your guests needs.

The grinder has an amazing 18 different settings so you can grind your coffee beans as finely as you need. When the coffee beans are ground the leftovers are moved into a separate container for easy cleaning and the LCD display will let you know when it needs to be emptied.

There is also a pre-brewing option which softens the coffee beans bringing out the real flavor and aroma of the coffee.

You can also program the amount of coffee for each cup depending on how strong you like your coffee from between 6 and 9 grams for each cup.

The dispensing spout is adjustable to accommodate different size cups and you can program the amount of water per cup.

Pre-warmed cups are essential to making a good cup of coffee and the the Gaggio 90500 meets this requirement perfectly. With the automatic cup warmer you will make the perfect cup of coffee every time.

We really like the frothing wand and the cappuccinatore which automatically froths milk making it super easy to make cappuccinos. The best part is that the froth automatically drops into your cup.

The water reservoir holds enough water to make up to 30 cups of espresso and 10 cups of regular coffee. You can also adjust the water temperature with five different settings so you can have a very hot coffee or less hot coffee depending on your preference.

The Gaggia 90500 machine keeps a record of the number of cups of coffee you have made and displays it on the LCD screen.

The on screen LCD display will let you know when to add add beans and water and even when to clean the machine.

The swivel base makes cleaning a breeze as you can access any part of the machine by simply turning it on its base. In other words, once you have placed it on your counter you don’t need to lift it ever again.

The Gaggia 90500 Titanium Super Automatic Espresso machine is a top notch product and well worth the investment if you are a regular coffee drinker.

Where Can I Get the Best Price?  Amazon.com

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