Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
November 24th, 2009 | 
Author: There are four main considerations when choosing cutlery-the look, the feel, the type and quality of a material from which it is made, and the amount of time you want to spend caring for it. It is possible to find cutlery made of metals like brass and even gold-plate, but generally it is produced from either silver or stainless steel and comes in traditional and contemporary designs. If you like the appearance of both silver and stainless steel, the question to ask yourself is how long you want to spend caring for it. Silver is undoubtedly more work, but you may think that the beauty of its distinctive pearly whiteness is worth the trouble silver is, after all, a precious metal.
Posted in 
Food processors:
Many people find a food processor invaluable for fast slicing, grating, chopping, mixing, blending and liquidizing, with the right attachments you can use a food processor to make mayonnaise, batter or pastry; chop herbs; whip eggs; knead dough, and far more. Useful add-ons include heat-resistant bowls for hot liquids such as soup, mini inner bowls for preparing small quantities and juicer attachments. It is possible to have a food processor built into your worktop.
Electric mixers:
These are useful if you like to make a lot of cakes and bread. An electric mixer can quickly beat mixtures for cakes and puddings, or whip up cream or egg whites and knead dough for bread. Some mixers also have a socket on top for a liquidizer fitment.
Gas:
This is a popular choice for hobs, even where the oven is electric, because it gives immediate heat that is instantly controlled by the turn of a knob. Compared with electric, a gas hob is more complicated to keep clean and gleaming; the pan stands are proud of the hob’s surface and must be removed to clean underneath. The overall look is rather more industrial than that of an electric hob.
Microwaves:
The microwave oven is an invaluable tool in the kitchen, and not for heating food from packets and cans for snacking children or for defrosting frozen foods. Milk can be infused or simmered for sauces and hot drinks, stock can be heated in a jug, fish cooks to be perfection, and countless dishes can be without their Colour and vitamins leaching away in the process. You can even heat servicing dishes instantly. Models vary from the smallest and most basic, which can sit neatly on a shelf above the work surface, to larger ones with additional features. These might include a fan or grill for browning, a streamer facility, and a mass of programming options, including memory and speaking control panels. With a small model, check that you can fit a decent-sized dish into it and that it will turn with the turntable. Microwaves that are designed to be built into a fitted kitchen have vents for air circulation to prevent overheating
Choosing kitchen appliances:
Most kitchen appliances and fittings represent a major investment, and should last for a number of years. It is important, therefore, to think carefully and consider all the options before you buy. Remember, your kitchen does not need to look that of a television cook it should suit your own requirements, not somebody else’s.
Cookers:
The appliance that is central to kitchen’s function is the cooker or hob and oven. There are three initial considerations to bear in mind when making your choice: the combination of equipment, the location of your cooker, and its heat source. The influences on your choice will include available space, cost, mobility, experience, cooking style and fuel availability. You may prefer to have a separate hob and oven, with the oven at counter height so that you do not have to bend down when lifting heavy pans. You may not have mains or tanked gas, but it may possible to fit bottled gas to power your hob if gas is what you set your heart on. Or you may choose to have a combination of two gas rings and two electric rings.
The all-in-one cooker, be it a basic model or a professional-looking range, is the simplest choice. As a single unit, it can be disconnected and taken with you should you decide to move house. The basic model is around 60cm, 24inch wide, the same width as a standard kitchen unit; cookers then become larger and more multi-featured with a price tag to match. The basic all-in-one cooker has one or two ovens with an integral grill and four rings on top.