We really enjoy the flavor and aroma of freshly ground spices. After all the addition of a herbs and spices can quickly jazz up what could be an ordinary tasting or bland dish.

And there are just so many beautiful spices available which means I never tire of experimenting when I am cooking.

So I am always on the lookout for grinders that not only do a credible job of grinding up spices, seeds and herbs quickly and efficiently but also look good.

I have a number of grinders that perform well but I am a bit like the Imelda Marcos of grinders, I don’t believe you can have too many.

This Kuhn Rikon Spice Grinder has the ceramic mechanism on the top of the grinder which means that your counter stays clean and you won’t end up with bits of ground spice all over the place. The Vase Spice grinder is equipped with the CrushGrind® ceramic mechanism that is reportedly sharper and stronger than steel.

This classy looking Vase Spice Grinder has four interchangeable inserts which allows you to quickly and simply change to whichever spice or herb you require. The adjustment wheel turns easily  giving you control over the final result and  letting you choose whether you want extra fine or coarsely ground spices.

Just imagine have total control over your ground spice results. The Kuhn RikonVase Spine Grinder lets you easily grind up salt, peppercorns,  rosemary, flax seeds, cloves, chilis, basil, oregano….all your favorite dried herbs and spices, with a minimum of fuss and you can even grind up the spice mixes that you and your family like, whether you make your own homemade mix or use a store bought mix.

The Vase Spice Grinder is available in four colors, I particularly like the eggplant color as shown, but you may prefer red, black, blue or white.

Features:

• Turn the spice grinder over and grind from the top so counters stay clean.
• The Vase Spice Grinder easily adjusts for fine to coarse grinding.
• Three containers make changing spices a snap.
• There are ergonomic finger grips for easy action.
• The CrushGrind ceramic mechanism stays sharp.

These spice grinders are attractive enough to leave out on your counter top.

For the black, white and red Kuhn Rikon Vase Spice Grinders go to Amazon.com

For the eggplant and blue Kuhn Rikon Vase Spice Grinder go to  Cooking.com

WHERE CAN I GET THE BEST PRICE?
Cooking.com

Important: We do our best to make sure our reviews are as accurate as possible, but we are only human after all. So when you are ready to buy a product reviewed on our site please click through to the merchant to make sure you are getting the right product with all the features advertised.

As more and more research becomes available showing that Teflon coated cookware may not be good for us, more cooks are moving back to traditional cookware. 

Cast iron cookware is natural; you don’t have to worry about any non natural materials entering the body.  However, while cast iron is an excellent cooking medium that holds heat, and is versatile it can sometimes add an off taste to acidic foods.  There is a way around this problem though and that is to choose enameled cast iron cookware.

Lodge manufacture a wide range of enameled cookware and one example of this is the versatile 11″ skillet.

The Lodge Enamel Coated 11″ Cast-Iron Skillet is the perfect blend of cast iron and enamel. You can move it from the stove top to the oven. It will perfectly cook your food in either environment. In fact you can sear a piece of meat on the stovetop then move it to the oven to finish cooking. Try doing that with a Teflon coated skillet with a plastic handle. You’ll end up with a melted goopy mess. 

The Lodge enamel coated cast iron 11” skillet works great on any cook surface, even an induction range.  About the only place you won’t want to use it is in the microwave. 

What We Like: 

• Heavy cast iron construction: This is a skillet that will last a lifetime.  It’s heavy but in a good way.
•  It distributes heat throughout the cooking surface eliminating hot spots.
• Thick enamel coating: This coating is on both sides of the skillet. It’s just as non stick as a Teflon pan.
• You get great cooking and no chemical residue with enamel coated cast iron.
• Hold Handle: We love having a grip opposite the main handle. It means you can grab both sides of the skillet and have compltete control over pour out fats, gravy etc. It’s little features like this that really enhances the Lodge line of cookware.

There are some things to consider:

Although the enamel is chip resistant, if you drop the pan in the sink or give it a hard knock, chances are the enamel will chip.

This Lodge pan is made in China, and some people tend to think Chinese made goods are inferior, although this is often a perception not necessarily a given.

You can read what others are saying and buy the Lodge Enamel Coated Cast-Iron Skillet from these trusted online merchants.

•  Amazon
• Cooking.com

Our lastest review is for the Calphalon Contemporary NonStick Roaster Set.

With Thanksgiving  fast approaching  we thought that this was the perfect piece of cookware to review.

Not that its use is limited to Thanksgiving. You can use this roaster at any occasion when  friends and family get together to to celebrate and enjoy each others company. Good food – good wine  – good company, what more could you want.

Now I have to tell you what we love about this roasting pan.  Well for a start it will fit a turkey up to 25lbs and  then there is the added bonus in that clean up is a breeze - the non-stick surface makes it so easy. And who wants to spend most of their Thanksgiving and Christmas scrubbing away at pots and pans – not me that’s for sure.

There are some bonus pieces included with the roaster  - a non-stick rack, a baster and lifting forks. This roasting pan and accessories are great value for money and this roaster is one you will use for years to come.

Read the full review here: Calphalon Contemporary Non-Stick Roasting Pan

The set contains a 10-inch fry pan, 2 quart saucepan with lid, 3 quart sauté pan with lid, a 3 quart casserole pan with lid and a 6 quart stockpot with lid.

The All-Clad Stainless 9-Piece Cookware Set with Nonstick Fry Pan is apparently the best seller of the five All-Clad cookware collections.  All-Clad is the brand most used by TV Chefs.  Many sets feature aluminum in their base, sandwiched in stainless steel but All Clad have three layers of aluminum in their ‘sandwich’.  Unlike less expensive sets, their sandwich also goes right up the sides of the pans too.  This makes the heat amazingly even and is what makes All-Clad a high end brand.

If you’re new to All-Clad, you do have to be careful with this.  The heat is so even that a pot may be simmering but the liquid will hardly even bubble!  This can make you think that you don’t have the heat up high enough – when you do!  Turning up the heat unnecessarily will burn food and can mark you expensive pans.  So just keep the heat low – your food and your pans will thank you for it!

The cookware also has All-Clad’s heavy duty, fully riveted, extra long handles which stay cool and easy to handle.  The pot lid handles do get hot though.  The lids are stainless steel and are a good, tight fit.  The trademark ‘high dome’ lids do make the set awkward to stack but as it’s such a great looking set, you may prefer to hang it on a rack instead, which will also help to preserve that glossy interior.  Although the fry pan comes without its’ own lid, the saucepan lid fits the fry pan so if you’re not using both at the same time, you can keep spatter down which helps with cleanup.

Although stainless steel cookware is dishwasher safe, it isn’t a great idea as the harsh detergents in dishwasher soap will pitt your lovely shiny cooking surface, making it harder to clean as time goes on.  All-Clad recommend Bar Keepers Friend for cleanup and it really is worth getting some.  It’s around $2.50 for a decent sized pot and is non-scratch.  You just use it straight from the pot with a damp sponge.  It will remove any heat discoloration and burnt on food and will keep your cookware looking like new.

If you follow the instructions in the All-Clad booklet, this set is almost as good as non-stick.  There are new methods to get used to, such as preheating your pans, but once you get used to it, the improvement and increased enjoyment in your cooking is well worth it.

This is a quality set (which is reflected in the price).  It feels good, cooks well and looks beautiful.”

Read our full review for the All Clad 9pc Stainless Steel Cookware Set.

My daughter was recently looking to buy a new dinner set. She had a vague idea of what she wanted but like most of us she found it time consuming trying to find just the right dinnerware.

Generally the best place to start is to look for a pattern and set to fit your kitchen and dining room décor and from there to look for a set in your price range.

Sango manufacture dinnerware  in a wide range to suit all budgets.

They are an Indonesian company that has been producing fine tableware for years and they offer lines ranging from casual home ware right through to fine dining, in a variety of finishes.

Sango dinnerware comes in a range of different materials including:

• Stoneware
• Porcelain
• China
• Glazed Earthenware

This makes it very easy for you to pick the perfect set for your home.

Most Sango dinnerware comes in a complete set that includes the serving dishes, so that solves your problem of trying to match up serving bowls with salad bowls and dinner plates.

You will find pretty much any print pattern to suit your home from traditional kitchen designs to nostalgic designs that fit in with grandma’s décor. You will even find themed sets for the holidays such as a patriotic liberty theme.

The glaze and finish on almost all of the Sango dinnerware pieces is dishwasher and microwave safe. The only real exception is the China line. China should always be hand washed and never placed in a microwave.

So it doesn’t matter whether you are looking for fine china or casual everyday dinnerware Sango offers a choice that will fit your style and budget. With the wide variety of themes, material types, and integrated dishes you’ll find a product that will beautify your kitchen and dining room.

One of the patterns that I like in particular is the Sango Splash range of dinner ware.

And the reason I like the Sango Splash range is that the pattern on each piece is totally unique.

My favorite is the earthy toned set that has a mixture of rich brown tones ranging in color from ochre to deep chocolate.  You can also see the spiral brushstrokes and soft accents that are “splashed” together to create the attractive pattern.

The manufacturer uses three separate layers of matte and gloss reactive glazes which drip differently when the green ware is in the kiln, which gives this mottled effect in a pattern of a combination of stretch, and speckle.

And to add the finishing touch to  your table setting why not add a beautiful set of  Sango Splash Goblets.

How long is it since you looked through your cook ware?  I mean really looked!  It’s surprising how we keep things that we don’t use or need year after year. Or, on the other hand we have things that are so worn and discoloured that they should have gone out with the garbage long ago.

I recently visited a friend and needed something in one of the kitchen drawers. I tried to open the draw but it wouldn’t budge. It was with great difficulty that I got it open. The problem was, it was jammed packed full of old trays, cake tins, and pans.  I wouldn’t use them if I needed one. These are years old, taking up space and just gathering dust. It made me think about going home and check my own cookware.

Remember when you began putting your first kitchen together. Maybe you had lots of gifts from a wedding shower managing to equip your kitchen with everything you needed and more. Or maybe you had a few make shift left over’s from family and friends.  Like anything in life our needs change over time and so do our tastes.

We strive for the bigger home to bring up our family.  For those that like to cook the bigger the kitchen, the more cookware the better we like it.  When we are young and beginning our domesticated lives we add more and more to our homes.  Let’s be honest having a family usually means lots of cooking and entertaining.

 As we age and our families leave home we find it’s time to start making a number of lifestyle changes. It’s a time when we may want to travel more or pursue interests that we have put on hold while raising our families.

   There are those that have had and enjoyed a large house and garden that provided the needed space for their growing family.   Now the nest is empty they may be feeling that they have put enough of their time, energy and money into maintaining this home for long enough. They are ready to downsize. They want something more manageable and low maintenance.  This will allow them the time and funds to pursue travel, learn to paint, or perfect their golf swing; which is doable when practicing with the Medicus golf swing trainer  As we get even older there is also the challenge of physically being capable of maintaining a large home and garden.

For others that have been so busy in their careers, they have had little time to pursue their passion of gardening, cooking or whatever their interest is.  They welcome the opportunity to finally have the time to enjoy their home based special interests.   Some love to cook and entertain especially as they reach their 50’s and over. Many find it increasingly difficult to find suitable places to go for a social life once they reach their 50’s. They often find entertaining friends and family in their homes far more appealing.

One particular couple I know, after they retired they turned their modest home into a beautiful oasis. The husband’s passion is gardening.  He had spent many years at a high stress job in the justice system. During that time his form of relaxation was to lose himself in his garden.  After he retired he transformed their large garden into a relaxing Zen like park with a huge variety of colourful plants, flowers, and garden water fountains.  His wife a retired school teacher loves to cook. They spent some of their retirement savings on creating the kitchen of her dreams. This time she did not have to make do, so after doing the product research and checking out the cookware reviews, she equipped her kitchen with the best cookware.  She got out the cookbooks that she had rarely had chance to use, dusted them off and now cooks till her heart’s content. She cooks the most fabulous gourmet meals, and superb deserts.  This is a couple that know how to follow their passion while not going far from home.

Often if there are just one or two people at home our cooking skills tend to be little used. We may prefer to spend our time doing other things rather than cooking.  However, most of us know the value of preparing our own meals. As we get older it’s even more important that we pay attention to our health.  Cooking healthy meals is a big part of this.  Some of the healthiest and easiest ways to cook a meal when you don’t want a lot of preparation is with a casserole, or an electric wok. Several of my friends and I find this an excellent way to cook tasty low fat meals.  It’s so handy to have everything cooking in one piece of cookware.  As with most purchases it pays to get a quality product especially when it’s something that will last you a long time. 

 Author Bio:
Shirley Price lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is the author of a social website called LifeByDesignOver50.  It’s a place for the over 50s to come together and share interests and ideas. As a mum of 3 and a grandmother Shirley has done her fair share of cooking-now she’s happy when others cook for her.