Best Kitchen Appliances

When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce can be very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and a number of other things—but what's the difference, really? Learning what specific names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money on a product of it is simply a marketing ploy.   Natural is a turn associated with a number of fruit and vegetable product. Typically, this is simple a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it's a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you really probably want is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding...

By Joanna Joyner Do you know what the negative calorie diet is all about? If you do not know what it is, it is one of the most revolutionary diets in the health and wellness industry. Weight loss enthusiasts are hyped about the negative calorie diet. Let us explore how the negative calorie diet works. Firstly, the negative calorie diet works on the fact that if you fine tune your body's natural digestive system to work harder, you won't need to enroll yourself in a gym for an extreme exercise routine. Not only do you not need to work like crazy, you will no longer need to grow hungry in order to cut down on all your unwanted fats in order to become slimmer, healthier, more fit and look better in the process! How the negative calorie diet does NOT work is by taking food away from your diet - totally unlike conventional methods. It is pointless to try and starve yourself to death. As a matter of fact, it is one of the worst things you can do if you want to lose we...

By Tarun Jaswani For those who have heard about the Acai berry diet that has been the talk of the town every since Oprah mentioned it, you might be interested in hearing more about what the Acai fruit is beyond the fact that it has an incredible ability to boost your metabolism. One of the first things you may be interested in learning about is the nutrient composition and the organic composition of the berry which is native to the Amazon rain forest. First of all, one of the main reason why the berry is such a great antioxidant is because half of it is healthy fats, and 75% of those fats are omega fats which are healthy fats that the body needs to function properly. Additionally, the Acai fruit has 19 amino acids, and it is these amino acids that build protein, which is why in one 100 gram serving of you receive 8 grams of protein. The protein  is what greatly increases your metabolism allowing you to burn more fat while exercising. Fiber, which also helps burn fat...

Some vegetarians--usually strict vegans--will not consume sugar. This is because sugar is often whitened with bone  char from cows.   If you are a vegetarian and you want to continue eating products that contain sugar, but do not want to cause suffering in the process, you have a number of options.   Your first option is to only consume products made with beet sugar. There are two major sources of sugar in the United States: beet sugar and cane sugar. Cane sugar is often whitened with bone char from cows; in contrast, beet sugar is never whitened with bone char.   So, if you want to completely avoid the bone char, you can do so by eating only beet sugar. The only challenge--and it is a big one--is finding out which foods contain beet sugar and which foods contain cane sugar.   To make things more complex, you can also consume a number of types of cane sugar, as long as you are willing to find out what the source of the sugar is.   Y...

By Joseph Devine In most countries in the world, fruit is more highly sought after then candy, because it is not only sweet, but good for you. In American we have lost sight of the value of fruit.  Fruit offers us an opportunity to experience healthy eating, but in a tasty way. Let's explore a few types of fruits and all the cooking and eating possibilities that they hold. If you find eating raw fruit too boring to eat on a daily basis, let's talk about the all the different ways to enjoy the apple. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, as the saying goes. Apples are an amazing fruit; not only in their immense variety, but in the amount of ways they can be utilized in cooking.  Apples can be eaten raw, baked, put into pies, made into apple sauce, turned in apple cider, and even liquor.  They are colorful, showing in every shade of green and red on the color wheel.  The challenge of using apples is picking the right variety of apple for y...

If you and your family love to eat at restaurants, you may think that this lifestyle is not good for a healthy diet. In many cases, you would be correct. However, you can still enjoy restaurants occasionally and maintain your healthy diet. Its all about making good food choices, which starts with learning about the nutrition you need to stay happy, physically healthy, mentally stable, and active.   When you pick up the menu, start by skipping over the drink section. Although you may be tempted to enjoy a beer or mixed beverage with your dinner, these usually have many empty calories, which is not good for your body. The exception to this rule when it comes to alcohol is wine, especially red wine, which can be fine if you have a single glass and can actually help prevent heart disease for some patients.   Also skip over the appetizer menu, unless it's to over a side salad. The appetizers at restaurants are usually high-fat foods that are not meant to fill you ...

It may seem a contradiction but it is possible to have a healthy and delicious cooked breakfast. First, start with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice - full of vitamin C and counts as one portion of fruit and veg. Then a bowl of porridge made with half semi skimmed milk and half water. Top with just a teaspoon of unrefined sugar. Oats are Low GI so keep you going through the day and also contain soluble fibre which is good for the heart and for lowering cholesterol. The milk contains protein and calcium - both essential for good health. Then the cooked bit. I suggest 2 rashers of lean grilled back bacon, a poached egg, one grilled tomato, a large grilled flat mushroom and baked beans. Some survey said that people who eat eggs in the morning are shown to be slimmer than those who don't. Again full of protein. The tomatoes and mushroom count as one portion of vegetable each. The beans are full of fibre - recommendations say you should be 18g of fibre a day. Th...

By Mac Brigg Lunch is a difficult meal for many people trying to lose weight. It's tempting to go to a shop near the office and grab something there, but often this is no good for the waist or the wallet! Alternatively, you may choose to bring something in from home - and the most obvious choice is a sandwich. However, given that one should try to restrict the amount of carbs one eats in a day, a sandwich may not be the best choice. So, here's some suggestions for some sandwich-free lunches. 1. Fruit This may not be many people's first choice for a filling, satisfying lunch but it is worth doing every now and again particularly if you know you've got a carb-rich dinner that night. A fruit salad is healthy, delicious and makes you feel great for being so healthy! 2. Home Made Soup Great for the winter! When you make soup for dinner, just make a little bit more so that you have some left over for lunch the next day. You can either heat it up in the micro...

By T Bridger Low-fat pizza is actually a very healthy meal because of all of the different ingredients including vegetables and proteins that are in the food.  Of course, like any meal if you eat too much of a good thing it can distort the vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. The problem with most pizzas is that they are made from low quality ingredients, and have a lot of fat in the dough and the sauce.  Think about it for a minute.  Fast food submarine sandwiches have helped people lose a lot of weight so why would pizza be any different?  In fact, pizza has less carbohydrates per ounce of food than a submarine sandwich. The great thing about pizza is that by mixing up your toppings you can create a new meal every night.  As long as you keep an open mind you would be surprised at the great concoctions you can create. You have to realize that you need to either make your own low-fat pizza, or if you're lucky enough to live in a city with...

Outdoor cooking equipment is usually built sturdy, especially if you have bought it from the top brands like Weber, Brinkmann, Broilmaster, Char Broil, Ducane etc. If you do develop a problem with your gas grill, charcoal grill or electric grill, though, you do not need to panic and wonder whether you need to get new cooking equipment. Weber grill parts and Brinkman gas grill parts are quite easy to get. You can have your barbecue grilling equipment as good as new by getting the exact replacement original manufacturer parts. Most grill manufacturer parts are identified by part numbers and you can find a variety of sources online where you can order them. When it comes to Weber grill parts, Weber has an organized system to find replacement parts for your grilling equipment. On their company website, they have a replacement parts page where you can choose the right Weber grill parts after you identify the kind of grill you have. They provide you with a list of replacement...

The West Bend Stir 82306X 6-Quart electric popcorn machine can be yours for around $30. With price in mind, I can't be overly critical unless there are major faults in the design, which there aren't. This popcorn machine does exactly what it was designed to do, and that is to give you enough popcorn to make you think you are actually at the cinema. This popcorn machine can produce around 6 quarts of popcorn in five minutes -- it does not mess around. It has a number of nice features too. The motor driven stirring rod works to ensure that every kernel gets popped, and when the popcorn machine is done, the machine stops automatically so you have no burnt popcorn (a common complaint with stove top popcorn machines, if you do not keep a close eye on them). The designers also had the neat idea of turning the cover into a bowl in which to hold the popcorn. Now that is what I call thinking outside the box. As for the taste, well, to my refined pallet, the taste is not ...

By Robin Holland-smith When reviewing this month's super tools for the kitchen, the Oxo Good Grips line grabbed our attention as top-of-the-line kitchen tools. Oxo tools are innovative in design and include such features as soft rubber grips, user-friendly design, and a great deal of functionality. We enjoyed using these products so much in our own kitchens that we've listed our top five Oxo Good Grips products in this article to share with you. 1. Angled measuring cups: talk about genius - these measuring cups let you check the accuracy of your measurement by looking straight down into the cup. Measurement marks inside the cup are clear and bright. The innovative angled design not only works for ease-of-use, but is also attractive and visually interesting. 2. Snap-lock can opener. This ingenious gadget actually makes opening cans fun! To open a can, you squeeze the opener so that it snaps on the can, locking it in. After you finish opening the can, press the loc...

The Food Network is an American cable network that airs series and specials about one of our most beloved subjects - food. The Network is viewed in 80 million households and by half a million people per day. It's seen in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Monaco, Andorra, France, and the French-speaking territories in the Caribbean and Polynesia. Canadians now have their own version, Food Network Canada. Every Sunday night, the Food Network Challenge (which has reached franchise status and offers cash prizes big enough to remodel your kitchen) hosts the largest and most memorable food competitions around the world. Here's a sampling of the competitions for the world's best cakes: Wedding Cake Challenge - Teams vie for the bragging rights (and $10 grand) for creating the world's most spectacular wedding cake. Spatulas and pastry tubes are augmented by high tech weapons such as Homaro Cantu's Class IV...

Char Broil grill parts are made of quality materials and are designed to last. But there are things you can do to extend the life of your Char Broil grill parts so that you are not faced with replacing these items on a regular basis. Porcelain Cooking Grates When you have finished grilling, turn your grill on high for approximately 5 minutes. This will burn off larger food particles and marinades. Then, use a wire brush (#2985027) to clean off the porcelain grates. This is a brush made by Char Broil just for these delicate Char Broil grill parts. It will not scratch the porcelain coating. Porcelain Cast Iron Grates You can use any type of heavy-duty grill brush to clean this type of cast iron grate. The manufacturer also suggests using a mixture of vinegar and water to thoroughly clean on occasion. Stainless Steel Although discoloration is common, changes in the color of stainless steel will not affect the quality of the steel itself. However, food particles and sauc...

The weight and overall construction of the tool is what you first look at when you consider buying a multi-purpose tool. Buying a cheaper brand might save you some money, but you could rue your buy, especially when you find that the blade edges get dull, the tools get stuck, and the handles break apart. What use is a tool that fails when it is needed most? When you last went camping, what did you need most? Was it a can opener, or a bottle opener, or a pair of scissors? So the price of a knife shouldn't be your primary consideration when you look to buy one. Or else, you could get end up buying one that gets stuck, after just a bit of use. Tim Leatherman, the manufacturer of the Leatherman XE6 army knife, claims that constant feedback from his customers about his products sets his company apart from others and that they accord priority to the quality of their products. They rely on customer feedback and reward staff who innovate their product in line with customer n...

By David Faulkner For the younger generation, it's hard to imagine life without nonstick cookware. Our grandparents could still remember those times when they had to spend hours scrubbing away at large pots and pans after hours of slaving away at the kitchen cooking huge meals for the family. Today's utensils are designed for quick and hassle-free cooking, and topping the list of must-have items are nonstick cookware. This specially formulated coating of the interior of pots and pans makes it possible to cook without a hint of oil, and even makes cleanup so easy. In fact, when you start using nonstick cookware, you could probably throw away your steel wool pads for good and instead make use of gentle sponges. Washing is done in a few minutes' time, and nothing is wasted food-wise because it's nearly impossible to burn anything with nonstick cookware. When choosing nonstick cookware, make sure you go for known brands. The more expensive ones have up to fi...

By Linden A. Walhard Kitchen bakeware is one of those things you don't think about unless you need it. And when you need it, you need good bakeware. It always makes your baking better by using products from a reputable company. One of those companies is The Gourmet Kitchen. It is one of the most popular brands of bakeware. Happily, it's one that fits most any budget too. The Gourmet Kitchen offers one of the world's largest product lines for the gourmet. Bakeware offered includes bread and loaf pans, pizza and cookie sheets, jelly roll pans, cake pans, cooling racks, cookie presses and other tools, baking and roasting dishes, pie dishes, quiche pans, tart pans, rolling pins and specialty baking needs. Another company to consider is Kitchen Aid, which has long produced a high quality line of electric stand mixers and other small and large appliances used in baking. Kitchen Aid has a great reputation and sturdy products. The Gourmet Kitchen and Kitchen Aid pro...

When looking to purchase a new oven in Toronto Ontario, consider buying a KitchenAid wall oven which is a built in model. This appliance is great at saving space. A built-in wall oven, unlike a freestanding range, is completely surrounded by kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are usually built under and above the oven, which provides plenty storage space for your bake ware and cookware.. Each detail of this KitchenAid wall oven meets the highest standards of design, performance and quality. I purchased a KitchenAid wall oven in Toronto, Ontario and have found that there are various options that meet my unique cooking needs. The appliance offers advanced technology for an excellent performance. It comes with the even-heat True convection system which provides a thorough oven heat temperature with a fan that circulates the heat evenly within the oven and cooks food more quickly and evenly. This prevents you from switching sheets of cookies from one rack to another. To compleme...

By David Faulkner When we speak of gourmet cooking, we refer to not just a celebration of tastes but also the use of equipment that is aesthetically superior over others. One need only to take a look at some of the most popular 4-star chefs and their TV shows to find out what gourmet cookware is all about. Certainly the most finicky celebrity chefs prefer glass, copper, or high-quality stainless steel cookware. Very seldom do we see tacky aluminum pots and pans being bandied about in gourmet cooking lessons. Copper is the cookware of choice of many chefs because of its classy texture and sheen. Glass is also preferred because it looks stylish, be it clear glass or ceramic gourmet cookware. Apart from this, copper and glass are also highly functional because they are excellent heat conductors and can cut cooking time to a fraction of what it would take when using inferior materials. The TV chefs we often watch even make use of tiny glass bowls to hold the sliced ingredie...

By Helen Zee Le Creuset Bakeware is made of cast iron and does not offer any stainless steel cookware. This is due to the traditional belief that cast iron is better than any other material in kitchenware. Having been used since the Medieval Ages, you can expect tradition and practicality with Creuset cast iron cookware set and Le Creuset poterie. Each piece is made with enameled cast iron and is considered all clad cookware. When you deliver your food from the oven to the table, no matter what dish you are preparing, you can enjoy the fact that the cookware sets you use are each unique due to the process hand finishing each item. Considering the scale of Le Creuset, this is an incredible feat. Each of the loaf pans, baking pans, cake pans, and Dutch ovens produce high quality food. If you are ready to use such a select pan, you should check out the wide selection available. Each cast iron piece from Le Creuset comes in a wide array of colors and requires very little at...

By David Faulkner Copper has been used for cooking for hundreds of years. It is highly favored for its excellent heat conductivity. However, it also has its share of downsides, but manufacturers have found a solution to the shortcomings of this valued metal. Copper cookware boasts of being more conductive than others by up to ten times – ranking higher than glass or stainless steel in this respect. When using them, cooking time should be considerably reduced and high heat employed at a minimum. But because copper is easily scratched and is naturally soft, it is combined with other metals to make more durable cookware. Usually it is sandwiched between layers of stainless steel, tin, or nickel. The problem, however, is that the latter two metals are not as strong as stainless steel. Tin becomes unstable at temperatures of 45o degrees Fahrenheit or higher, while nickel, although ductile and hard, may be reactive. Copper cookware is also prone to tarnishing, especially whe...

By Sammy Kay Some people prefer the durability and looks of stainless, others find Calphalon cookware offers its own special brand of beauty and plenty of perks, as well. Considered by many to be a viable rival to the classic cooking material found in many homes and professional kitchens, Calphalon cookware offers many of the advantages of stainless without some of its disadvantages. The trademark of Calphalon pots and pans lies in its hard-anodized surface. This electro-chemical process hardens aluminum, actually making it stronger than stainless. The end result is a pan that's beautiful, durable and darn hard to beat. Here are some commonly asked questions about Calphalon cookware and the anodizing process itself: What is hard-anodizing? This process involves taking aluminum and putting it in an acid bath where it undergoes chemical changes. The final product results when aluminum mixes with oxygen to create aluminum oxide. A pan that has undergone this process wi...

By Samantha Asher To some making pancakes or cooking burgers is an art. Getting the perfect pancakes or the French toast golden brown, or searing the burgers to juicy perfection is not the simplest of tasks. What makes it so difficult, the batter or beef, the heat, or the flipping technique? Those all may play a big roll in cooking a perfect juicy burger or browning a pancake just right, but one thing that really makes a difference is the surface you cook on. When you cook pancakes, French toast, burgers, or almost anything like that, the best way to cook them is on a griddle. A burger would probably do better on an outdoor grill, but if you don't have one or if it's rainy or cold outside, a griddle is the next best thing. Buying a griddle may or may not seem like a daunting task to you. It all depends on how you are with shopping and in the kitchen. If you are good at both, you are often in more of a rut. If you love to cook and know all the latest technique, yo...

By Linda Carol Wilson Are you looking for a new and different way to serve pork chops? Here is a great recipe for Sweet Pepper Stuffed Pork Chops that is sure to please your guests when you are entertaining as well as your family. This recipe is perfect for sit-down family meals. If you are a follower of my website or blog, you know I am a big proponent of sit-down family meals several times a week. Remember, no matter how busy your family's schedule may be, there is no substitute for sitting around the table, sharing good food, and talking about your day. So give this recipe a try soon and gather your family around the table to enjoy it! SWEET PEPPER STUFFED PORK CHOPS 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 cup bread cubes 1 - 4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 4 bone-in rib pork chops, 3/4-inch thick 1...

By Vikki Scovell 1. If sugar free foods help weight loss, then why does the US which has the greatest consumption of these foods have the highest incidence of obesity? 2. If very low fat and fat-free products aid weight loss, then why does the US which markets the largest range of Low-fat foods have the fattest population? 3. If people are obese because of their genetic heritage, then why are people fatter now than at any other point in history? 1. When the sugar is removed from 'diet' or 'healthy choice' foods to make them less calorific, it is replaced with artificial sweeteners. These chemicals contain no calories but are many times sweeter than sugar. Intense sweetness tricks the brain; the strongly flavoured snack delivers few calories, and may set up a craving for other foods high in natural sugars. The sugar-free snack can encourage the person to eat more; studies have shown that individuals who choose drinks containing artificial sweeteners go on ...

Do you have a strict vegan in the family who has a birthday or celebration coming up that traditionally calls for cake? If you're not familiar with vegan dietary practices, you might not know what vegans do not eat.  Even worse, you might have no idea how to replace what they do not eat.   But don't worry. In a few short paragraphs, I'll explain exactly what you need to make the perfect cake for your vegan friend or relative. And best of all, no one will be able to taste the difference.   Let's start with what strict vegans do not eat. They do not eat eggs. They do not drink milk. They don't eat certain types of sugar. They don't eat butter. And they don't eat frosting. Eggs can be replaced by "EnerG Egg Replacer," which you  can purchase at many grocery stores. The box will explain how much replacer to use per egg.   Cow's milk can be replaced by organic rice milk, which doesn't contain any animal byproducts. You can buy r...

Rice & Oats Premium is a baked snack made from wholegrain rice and fiber-rich oats. It is a light, crisp and flavorful guilt-free snack option to keep you fit and healthy yet fully satisfied. Rice & Oats has two exciting flavors, namely: a. Veggie Asparagus Bits and morsels of nutritious asparagus cover the light and healthy Rice&Oats crisps. Oven-baked to perfection, these crisps come loaded with the pleasant taste and the natural goodness of asparagus. What is so good about it? It's MSG FREE, has - LOW SALT, ZERO TRANSFAT, NO CHOLESTEROL, is FIBER-RICH and is CAFFEINE FREE. b. Light-Sugared Cinnamon The nutritious and flavor-rich light-sugared cinnamon blends perfectly with the natural and pleasant taste of baked Rice&Oats crisps. With just the right level of sweetness, Rice&Oats Light-Sugared Cinnamon offers the sweet-toothed health and figure-conscious an all day snack with 72% less sugar and uses SPLENDA®, the top brand of the the no calori...

Gelatin serves both nutritional and culinary roles in nonvegetarian diets; however, a lot of vegetarians and all vegans do not consume gelatin in its many forms because it is often created out of boiled pig skins and dissolved veal cartilage and bones.   This leaves vegetarians with a gap in cooking functionality when a recipe calls for a gel or thickening agent. It also leaves vegetarians with fewer options if they need a source of gelatin to increase bone and cartilage health.   If you are a vegetarian and you are looking for something to replace gelatin, do not despair. Here are some alternative options for you:   1. Use a rice starch alternative. A&B Ingredients recently developed a rice starch alternative to gelatins that mimics the cooking functionality of gelatins closely.   2. Use a soy-based alternative. Soyfoods USA developed NuSoy Gel, a gelatin alternative which was created entirely out of of soy isoflavones and contains 100% of...

Vegetarian cheese is cheese that is not curdled with rennet, an enzyme that occurs naturally in animal stomachs. Most vegetarian cheeses are curdled with either plants,   fungi, or bacteria.   Vegetarians who do not consume cheese with rennet generally choose not to because it involves slaughtering animals to extract the enzymes.   Vegetarian cheese is hard to distinguish from cheese made with rennet. This lack of distinguisability often forces vegetarians who are ethically-opposed to harming animals to consume cheeses that contain rennet.   Even though more cheeses are being made with vegetable rennet, it is usually impossible to spot the difference,   unless the package is clearly labeled "vegetarian cheese."   Recently, some grocery stores have started doing this   to aid vegetarian shoppers, who would not otherwise be   able to distinguish the difference between the vegetable   and animal rennet cheeses.   In ...