After several unsuccessful attempts to make half-boiled eggs. I decided to get the egg timer.
The first time that I used this, the eggs turned out over-cooked with some strange chemical smell. Very disappointing. I wanted to return it but my husband insisted on keeping it as it was too much trouble to return a $5 item online.
It was sitting in the drawer for weeks, before I decided to give it another try. This time, the eggs turn out slightly undercooked but that weird smell no longer exist.
The third time, it works like a charm. Learning from my prior failures, I removed the eggs once the egg timer reaches the 3/4 mark between soft and medium. They turn out perfect and beautiful. There is no weird smell.
I guess this was this was a keeper after all.
If you are getting one, cook the gadget once in salt water to get rid of the chemical smell. Clean it completely after that and let it cool before using it again. Due to the difference in temperature between the egg and the timer, it best to experiment a few tries for the perfect time to cook the eggs. You can buy the timer online on Amazon for US$5.
The term spatula is used to refer to various small implements
with a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift
materials including foods, drugs, plaster and paints. (Extracted from Wikipedia)
Size of spatula - compared to a soup spoon
Most of us have at least one spatula at home. I have three. Why three? Well, I got a cheap one for baking, an expensive one for cooking and a mini one for "scraping".
Daiso Spatula
My cheapo spatula cost $1.50 from Daiso. It's my favourite. It's cheap, easy to use and right size for me. I use it for most of my baking from scraping down my mixing bowl, folding in baking mix to filling up molds. My previous trusty spatula served me well until I melted it when trying to stir a boiling mixture over the stove. Lesson learnt - not to be used for anything hot. I think the max. temperature is 200F. Well, lucky for me, it's so cheap that I always buy an extra one to keep.
Rubbermaid Spatula
With the Daiso one melting way, I need to get one for cooking - at least one that can withstand temperature higher than 200F. After checking reviews from American Test Kitchen, I bought a Rubbermaid silicone spatula. At a price of US$11, this spatula has the power to withstand heat up to 600F. However, this spatula is bigger and longer than my Daiso one. I find myself having a more difficult time manoeuvring the Rubbermaid and only use it for cooking or hot mixture.
Tovolo Mini Spatula
Lastly, I got a pair of mini silicone spatula from Tovolo on an impulse for US$4. It's so small - size of a teaspoon that it can hardly do anything with it. I only used it to scrape any leftover on my stand mixer whisk or paddle. It is soft and small, thus, able to reach those small gaps between the whisk and paddle. Thus, I would not recommend getting this.
On the overall, if I could get only one spatula, I would get the rubbermaid one as that can be used for both cooking and baking. Now I need to head to Daiso to get a spare spatula. =)
I love to use tongs for cooking. I'm not exactly the most "nimble" person in the kitchen. In fact, I need my husband's help to flip a pancake. ;p
With tongs, I can easily flip any meat, "gently" place food into the pan for cooking and move around any hot food . It's like having super heat resistant hands! Praise the guy who invented tongs.
Having non-stick pans, it's only natural that I buy tongs that are safe for them. Normally, they are made of nylon or silicone. The most commonly found ones are made of nylon. However, I find nylon cookware normally melt under extreme heat or they "stripped" over time. I don't appreciate having nylon "threads" in my food so I convert to silicone cookware.
Silicone feet
Recently, I bought a pair of Tovolo silicone tongs from Amazon.The tongs come with a little silicone rest on the side which allows the tongs to rest easily on the counter top.
Silicone tip
The tips are also heat resistant. I left them in a pan of hot oil and they survived. They are also hard and does not bend easily resulting in a good grasp on the food.
Tong Lock
There is a lock at the top which allows for easy locking and unlocking of the tongs. When unlock, the tongs open up to 9-inches.
One downside for this tongs is that it's missing non-slip grip on the side. I am ok without the non-slip padding on the slip and didn't have my tongs flying off my hands during cooking. However, I think this would be a good option to have.
On the overall, for less than $10, the Tovolo tongs is a good buy. I may try the progressive ones next time which cost about $15.
I "inherited" my kitchen when I moved to the states. My in-laws oversaw and paid for our home renovations while we were still working in Hong Kong. Saving on both time and money, I have little to complain about.
With little counter space to work on, I found myself fighting for space with my recipes. Often a times, my recipes cards end up wet and dirty. I often have to rewrite them or use cling wrap to wrap them up to prevent stains.
Kitchen Back splash
It happened one day when I randomly grab some post-it to copy a recipe that I saw on TV. I stuck the post-it on my back splash and it worked like magic. Now I can read my recipes, keep them clean and free up counter space. =)
How do you keep your recipes while you are cooking?
It's finally here! I was making dinner, when my husband brought in the mixer. Excited, I told him to open the package. After approximately 5 minutes of "struggling" with the boxes, we finally got it out.
My pink Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
Weighing at 27 pounds, the mixer is not a light-weighted item for the pint size me. We checked the attachments and were pleasantly surprised that they were made of steel. When we saw the picture of the white flat beater and the dough hook... we thought it was made of plastic! Yes, I wanted a KA mixer so much, I didn't even checked it out at the store before I bought it... =)
At first look at the mixer, my husband went "No professional cook uses a PINK mixer"... Hahaha ... I'm glad I'm just no professional cook. =) I'm a happy woman with a pink mixer.
With it's arrival, I'm planning a week of baking to test out the mixer. So look for more baking posts coming up soon. =)
I'm excited! My husband called this morning to inform me of an on-going sale at Everything Kitchens and the stand mixers from Kitchen Aid is one of the sale item! I was super excited (literary forgot about my breakfast cooking in the pot!!!) ;p
[Note - Everything Kitchens is now offering free delivery and no sales tax. Use coupon code [returncustomer] for additional $5 off. Kitchen Aid is offering $30 rebate until 9/1/2012 for all 5 Qaurts models (print rebate form online). I was not compensated monetarily for this post.]
I never did much research on the stand mixers and don't know which model to order. All I knew was I wanted a Kitchen Aid mixer from all the television's shows that I had been watching. So I spent my morning checking out the various Kitchen Aid mixers.
I found the below video useful when trying to understand each model.
Basically, there are five models of KA mixers and below list some of the key features.
My Conclusion - Cheapest and good for light home usage.
This is the cheapest model and is currently selling for $229 (after discount code of $5). This has a tilt head and comes with 3 attachments as seen in the picture. This model is best use for light to medium duty use. With a smaller motor, it is not expected to prepare large batches of dough. If you are thinking of making anything more than 2 loaves of bread, this is not a machine for you. For more heavy duty usage, consider the Pro-series (see below for reviews).
There are complaints that the dough does not mix well when it is overloaded. Otherwise, this is model is good for light and simple home usage.
Currently, I do not see much of a discount on this model. So if you are interested in getting the classic and can wait, I suggest checking at Macy's or Target during Thanksgiving (black Friday) for better deals.
My Conclusion - Good for slightly heavy home usage and less noisy than the Pro-series. Value for money.
This model is currently selling for $244 (after $30 mail-in rebate and $5 discount code). This comes with 4 attachments as seen in the picture.
Both the Classic and Artisan models have a tilt head which basically means that the top of the mixer
tilts up to remove the bowl, versus lifting the bowl up and down with a
lever. Also, similar to the Classic, the Artisan is not designed to handle heavy duty
preparation. For more heavy duty usage, consider the Pro-series. However, a point to note is that the Pro-series mixers are very loud. Both the Classic and Artisan are quieter than the Pro-series.
Compared to the Classic, this has slightly more motor power and many find that the dough mixes better with the Artisan. The stainless steel bowl for the Artisan comes with a handle on the side (see picture). Many reviews favour the handle; indicating that it is easier for locking and unlocking the bowl. In addition, the Artisan also comes with a pouring shield attachment tto help keep splashed off of you while mixing.
Based on the current prices, I would buy the Artisan vs Classic ($15 differences) as the Artisan has more motor power and there are more than 20 different colors to choose from. Definitely a great way to add some personality into your kitchen.
5-quart polished stainless steel wide-mouth bowl with handle
Direct drive transmission, all-steel gears, and all-metal construction
Commercial-style motor protection
Includes Powerknead™ Spiral Dough Hook, flat beater, and stainless steel wire whip
Multipurpose attachment hub with hinged hub cover
My Conclusion - Lower end of the Pro-series. Complaints of break downs.
This model is currently selling for $261 (after $5 discount code and $30 mail-in rebate). This comes with 4 attachments as seen
in the picture. The Pro 500 mixer can handle a larger amount of dough. According to Kitchen Aid, the Pro 500 mixer can tackle up to 12 cups of all-purpose flour.
From the various reviews, my understanding is that the mixer will jam or vibrate violently if you put in too much of a dough. Also, there are many complaints that the Pro 500 breaks down easily.
If you need a heavy duty machine and do not want to pay for the Pro 600, then the Pro 500 is for you.
Compared to the Artisan, the Pro 500 can handle more dough power. It is slighter heavier (about 4 pounds heavier), so may be difficult to move around. Also, the Pro 500 is taller than the Artisan as the Pro 500 is a bowl lift design. The Pro 500's bowl lift up and down with a lever on the side. The head of the Pro 500 does not move.
