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 January, 2010

A History of the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 5:12 pm  
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As our regular readers are aware, we love the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer and have written a detailed review on the benefits of owning one. So I thought you might like to read the history behind this great looking, excellent performing machine.

The KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer has its origins in the first standing mixer powered by electricity. This first mixer was designed by Herbert Johnson in 1908, and it was primarily designed for commercial use in large bakeries. 

Johnson’s 80-quart electric stand mixer was scaled down to a home “food preparer” and was sold by the newly renamed KitchenAid company in 1919. The new 1919 version of the KitchenAid Stand Mixer was still a bulky machine that weighed around 65 pounds. On top of that, it cost $189.50, or around $2,300 in present day cost.

 In 1936, KitchenAid hired an industrial designer to redesign their stand mixer. Three new models were produced, and the Streamline KitchenAid shape that still characterizes these machines was developed. The price was cut to around $55, making KitchenAid mixers much more affordable for home use. 

Over the years, KitchenAid stand mixers gained a reputation for quality and versatility as a food preparation tool. Virtually from the start, KitchenAid offered a variety of attachments that would allow the machine to perform many different functions. Early attachments included the food grinder, citrus juicer and pea shucker. 

KitchenAid began to offer stand mixers in a bright array of colors in 1955. KitchenAids became available in Petal Pink, Satin Chrome, Sunny Yellow, Island Green and Antique Copper.

Although more than 90 years have passed since the introduction of the first KitchenAid, the machine has remained much the same in many ways. Today’s stand mixers are still produced in the same factory in Greenville, Ohio where the very first 1919 model was manufactured. The mechanics of the original mixer have been altered so little, attachments made in 1919 will still fit today’s KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. 

Today there are many more colors to choose from when it comes to purchasing a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, but the spirit behind offering the original color varieties in 1955 remains the same. Colorful choices make buying, owning and using a KitchenAid stand mixer more fun and exciting for owners. 

The tradition of designing useful attachments that allow the KitchenAid to serve as many roles as possible in the kitchen is also in place now as it was in the past. Today, the Artisan Stand Mixer can not only mix dough and batters, but can serve as a food grinder, citrus juicer, sausage maker and pasta maker, to name but a few roles it can serve.

So there you have it, the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer - a product manufactured with performance and style, just right for your everyday baking needs.

The Different Types of Cookware

Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 3:59 am  
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Cookware is an important part of anyone’s kitchen. Without the right cookware it really makes it difficult to cook quality meals at home.

There are a variety of different materials to choose from when buying cookware. The first is stainless steel. This is the most popular and for good reason. Stainless steel cookware is strong, durable and is easy to clean. If it contains a layer of aluminum or copper in the base then it is even better as it provides even cooking and prevents hotspots.

The second type of cookware is cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is a favorite for many people. It is strong and almost indestructible. It also cooks foods extremely well but it does have its drawbacks. It’s heavy so takes a bit of muscle to remove from the stove particularly if there is a lot of food in it to begin with.

Cast iron also requires seasoning so there is a little bit of maintenance involved to keep it working as it should. A popular alternative to bare cast iron is enamelled cast iron. This type of cast iron cookware has the best of both worlds. It has all the attributes of bare cast iron, however you don’t need to season it and clean up is a lot easier.

A third material commonly used in the manufacturer of cookware is hard anodized aluminum. This is a very popular choice as this type of cookware is non-stick making for easy cooking and even better – easy clean up! Hard anodized cookware is also quite strong.

Copper is another material used to manufacturer cookware. Copper is the choice for chefs who understand the benefits of copper. Copper is quick to react to temperature changes making it ideal for delicate sauces and gravies. It also cooks evenly preventing hotspots. The disadvantages of copper are that it can be expensive to buy and also difficult to maintain. That beautiful shiny copper needs to be cleaned regularly in order to keep it looking as good as the day it was bought.

Rachael Ray Kitchen Tool Accessories – Rachael Ray Tong Set

Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 10:43 am  
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I find that a good set of kitchen tongs are an essential part of my kitchen. I use them for all those jobs such as turning steaks on the grill, sausages,kebabs, chicken pieces, tossing and serving a salad and a myriad of other cooking tasks.

For many years I used a set of tongs with the black silicone tops which is essential to making sure I don’t scratch any of my non-stick cookware. 

Well, although my set is functional, black sure doesn’t have the whizz bang effect that this set of Rachael Ray tongs has. Because like all Rachael Ray kitchen accessories, these tongs  are available in her signature colors of  orange, green and  blue .

So apart from being one of those really useful kitchen essentials these tongs add a bit of pizzaz when it comes to serving food.

Now another feature that I really like about these Rachael Ray 2-Piece   ‘lil Hugger Tongs’ is that they are  designed to withstand high heat up to 500°F, so you can use them on the grill without worrying if they are going to melt.

They have  grippy silicone handles which are comfortable to hold and makes it really easy to hold onto slippery foods such as corn on the cob.

When you have finished using the tongs they lock into a closed position for easy storage in the drawer or utensil holder.

You will be really happy with how easy these tongs are to clean and they are dishwasher safe.

Included in the set are tongs in the following sizes:

  • One pair  measuring 9 inches
  • One pair measuring  12 inches

The Rachael Ray tong set is one of those really useful kitchen utensils that you will have you wondering how you ever did without them. 

The Best Stand Mixer – Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer

Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 3:54 pm  
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At long last we’ve added a review for the Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer. This beautiful piece of equipment is one of those ‘must haves’ for any keen baker or home cooker.

We found it hard to find anything we didn’t like about this mixer. For starters, it receives extremely good ratings from consumers – at time of writing this post over 1300 people gave this stand mixer a 5 star rating on Amazon. That’s pretty amazing really.

It’s also just a pleasure to look at this mixer. You won’t be keeping this one away in a cupboard.

The only problem you might find with this mixer is trying to figure out what color to choose. Kitchenaid have provided over 25 colors so really there’s no excuse for finding one to match your kitchen decor. I personally like Empire Red which is the color you see in the picture to the left.

One of the best things about the Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer is the number of attachments you can add to this thing. This really makes this a multipurpose appliance. The beater, dough hook and wire beater come packaged with your stand mixer…all other attachments are at any extra cost. The attachments include an ice cream maker, pasta maker, sausage maker, citrus juicer and many more.

Read our full review of the Kitchenaid 5qt Artisan Stand Mixer.