Best Kitchen Appliances

By: Anjali Dawson The first Christmas we spent with my in-laws in their new country home, my mother-in-law wisely gave me a slow cooker. Her thoughtful gift helped Dan and I enjoy the most convenient of all cooking methods, even with our long work days and commute.   I'll always treasure the memories of delicious aromas wafting through the front door as we stepped into the house after a long day at work and a nerve-jangling commute in heavy traffic.   Most of the slow cooker recipes I used were based on meats and poultry. Here are 14 easy tips to make your slow cooker recipes tasty and safe:   Tip # 1 - According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria in food are killed at a temperature of 165°F. Meats cooked in the slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170° in beef and as high as 190°F in poultry. It is important to follow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover on your slow cooker during the cooking process.   Tip # 2 - It is

By: Hans Dekker As you look through the meat section at your local grocery store you are probably like so many others asking yourself if the steaks you have chosen is really good meat. Here are some tips on how to make sure you buy good meat.   The quality grade does not necessarily mean that you will be getting good meat. Some cuts of meat are just naturally more tender than others. You should look for cuts from the less used muscles along the back such as the rib and loin sections. The shoulder, flank and leg cuts will be tougher. How to make sure you buy good meat   As you look through the meat section at your local grocery store you are probably like so many others asking yourself if the steaks you have chosen is really good meat. Here are some tips on how to make sure you buy good meat.   The quality grade does not necessarily mean that you will be getting good meat. Some cuts of meat are just naturally more tender than others. You should look for cuts f

- To rid the yellowing from white appliances: Mix together 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup baking soda and 4 cups of warm water. Apply with a sponge and let set for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly.   - To clean a greasy blender: Fill with a little hot water and add a drop of detergent. Cover and turn it on for a few seconds. Rinse and drain dry.   - To rid cutting boards of onion, garlic or fish smell, cut a lime in two and rub the surface of the board. You can also apply a paste of baking soda and water and rinse.   - To clean copper and brassware, dip lemon halves in salt and rub. A solution of vinegar and salt sprayed liberally will also do the trick.   - For a fast and thorough clean-up of the grater, use a toothbrush to brush lemon rind, cheese, onion or whatever out of the grater before washing it.   - Before washing a meat grinder, run a slice of bread through it.   - To open a clogged drain: either use a couple of denture tablets, or pour a cup of salt and

Microwave ovens are today's appliance choice of corner-cutting cooks. But long before these time-saving marvels hit the market, no kitchen was complete without a trusty toaster oven. Toaster ovens are aptly named counter-top appliances that resemble both a tiny oven, and a big toaster. Handy substitutes to energy-gobbling full-size ovens, toaster ovens can crisp up your waffles, toast your bread, and re-heat just about anything. A toaster oven is small and takes up very little counter space, which is a boon to homemakers with compact kitchens. They're easy to use, too. A simple dial will set the heat control to the desired temperature. Then, just open the door, place the food to be baked or toasted on the inner cooking grill, and then close the door. Most toaster ovens feature glass windows that allow you to monitor the cooking process, ensuring that food doesn't burn. If the food on the shelf has been set for toasting, the toaster thermostat will be activate

While it may be surprising, owning your own meat grinder can help you in your pursuit to live a healthier life. According to the USDA, the average American in 2000 consumed 300 more calories than the average American in 1985, a 12% increase, including a 24% increase of fat calories. The average daily fat intake was 81.4 grams and saturated fat intake was 27.9 grams in 2000 (ers.usda.gov/briefing/consumption). Americans are consuming too much fat, especially saturated fat. One way to cut down on fat is to own your own meat grinder. Your meat grinder gives you the ability to manage what you are eating. You will no longer be subject to what seasonings and fillers that are found in the meats available in your local grocery store. With a meat grinder, you gain total control of what goes into your meat products. You are in charge of your intake of fats, salts, and other fillers since you are in control of the ingredients. A meat grinder can help you in your pursuit in living a he

Yes, there is no doubt that the microwave oven was one of the eighties hottest must have kitchen appliances. Do you remember how much the first ones cost to own? Look how cheap and common place they have become since. Sure heating foods and liquids in seconds, not minutes, has caused most people to abandon any intuitively negative thought they may have had in suspecting radiation cooking to be bad for you. Due to this convenience factor, denying and not acknowledging the danger is normal. But, there are reasons why the sale of these appliances was banned early on in countries like the Soviet Union. One of the worst outcomes of microwaved food is not so much the radiation factor, as most people feared, but the almost complete (97%) nutrient loss in healthy fresh food like vegetables, for instance, when micro-cooked. There is also the formation of new radiolytic compounds. This chemical structure change in foods and liquids has been the focus of a few studies done to determin