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When you run the microwave, it's common to hear a pop or two--and when you do, you know that you're going to need to wipe out the microwave again. As food heats up, it splatters as a matter of course. The Microwave Splatter Covers can provide a way to limit the mess without taking longer to cook your food. The thin plastic covers can be set directly on top of any container you put in the microwave, offering a reusable alternative to paper towels or plastic wrap. They're dishwasher-safe, which makes cleaning up the microwave a moment's work. The Microwave Splatter Covers are smooth on one side and have ribbing on the other side.
The Microwave Splatter Covers come as a set of four. The largest cover is nine inches square, the medium cover measures 7 inches square and the two smaller covers are each 5 inches square. The variety of sizes lets you cover a teacup as easily as a casserole. Storing the splatter covers is also simple: they can all lie flat in a drawer. The Microwave Splatter Covers are nontoxic and will not melt in the microwave even with multiple uses. You can purchase the set of four for $7.95.
Don't stir the pot.
(Credit: Breville)There is very little that is more comforting that having a warm pot of food slowly simmering away on the stovetop. The smell permeates the house, while the heat given off in the cooking process warms our bodies straight to the bone. During the cold winter months that lay ahead, this axiom will be put to the test over and over again. There can be little doubt as that this will be an enjoyable test to all. However, there is one additional ingredient that takes all warmth and comfort of a home cooked meal, but somehow makes it more comfortable: the slow cooker.
Having a slow cooker slowly bubbling forth the promise of a hearty meal throughout the day trumps stovetop cooking (at least in the comfort department) in both time and ease. Just put all the ingredients in the pot and let it cook away. The lack of a need to stir the pot makes cooking in a slow cooker as easy as can be. For all its ease and simplicity, however, the slow cooker usually needs some extra attention in the form of browning meat on the stove and then transferring it into the pot. This extra step may produce a depth of flavor that cannot be achieved in any other way, but the added preparation requires dirtying another pot or pan--a thought nobody finds comforting.
The Breville Slow Cooker with Easy Sear eliminates the need to transfer ingredients from stove to slow cooker. The die-cast aluminum cooking insert is stovetop-safe, and easily transports to the slow cooker without fear of scalding thanks to the removable silicone grips. When set in place, the slow cooker extends its usefulness, by not only supplying the usual choice between High and Low settings, but it also offers a third choice. The Dual setting begins cooking on High, and then after two hours automatically switches to Low. With such ease of use and versatility, it would be easy to sink into the sofa for about 8 hours (or all winter) with no concern about the frost outside.
Makes evenly cooked food from edge to edge.
(Credit: Sur La Table)How we cook food is always changing. Gone are the days (mostly) of cooking over an open fire, with little more than a stick to act as a "kitchen gadget." Though nothing can replicate the taste created by fire on food, new methods of cooking have always inspired chefs to take their recipes to the next level. From the hearth to the microwave oven, this journey has not been fraught with peril. (For every worthwhile kitchen gadget, there seems to be a dozen that aren't.) However, every once in a while, the home cook is faced with a new challenge (cooking method) from which to build upon and grow.
Sous vide literally translates to "under vacuum" in French, but that's only half the story when it comes to sous vide cooking. Using a water bath as the cooking medium, the method requires consistent temperatures over a long period of time. While most people will skip the recipes that take two days to complete (yes, a very long time to wait for dinner), most recipes do not require so much forethought. What has been a growing trend in professional kitchens is now available at home.
Enter the SousVide Supreme Water Oven.
The countertop unit works in tandem with a vacuum sealer. Simply seal your food in a bag, and then pop it in the water bath. The machine regulates the temperature of the water to a 1-degree accuracy. The food cooks evenly from edge to edge. This is the main difference between this method and others. Consider chicken, fish, beef, or pork: when cooked by traditional methods, the inside is never cooked exactly as the outside. With sous vide cooking, food has no other option but to heat consistently; the temperature never rises above a set point.
Good things never go out of style; as proficient as sous vide cooking may be, the final results still benefit from a quick sear over an open fire to give it added taste and flavor. There's something comforting in the fact that no matter how far we progress in cooking technology, we still always come back to fire.
For real couch potatoes.
(Credit: Keita Watanabe & Shota Matsuda)You know how, during the two minutes or so that you're waiting for your microwave popcorn to pop, you find yourself thinking, "If only I could be watching a video on YouTube right now"? No? Oh. Well, if you ever do find yourself wanting to take advatage of those few moments of forced waiting, you'll love the idea behind the CastOven.
From the developers' Web site: "Watching movies, playing video games, and browsing Web pages are fun, but all of them require a certain amount of time of us to spare." To solve this problem, this future microwave oven with the 10.4-inch LCD display plays YouTube clips that fit your cooking time.
The concept machine looks ridiculously cool, and you can even watch a demonstration video, in case you're having a hard time understanding how you can cook food and watch videos simultaneously. Props for the design and the presentation, but I'm just not sure there's a real need for this product.
Here comes the soup.
(Credit: Irawoods.com)This time of year, there's a lot of cooking going on. While roasts, turkeys, hams, and side dishes galore mean lots of food on the table, they also mean there will be lots of leftovers in the refrigerator. When faced with a well-picked-over turkey or ham, one final dish comes to mind: soup. By using the leftover protein to make a stock or broth, a flavorful base is created that can be taken in any direction. However, to get that smooth consistency to which you can later add veggies, meat, or noodles, first you are going to need to puree it.
This Viking Hand Blender (VHB300SG) features a powerful 300-watt motor that makes it easy to create soup from all your leftovers. With the ability to blend directly in the cooking vessel, there is no need to work in batches using a blender of food processor. The ergonomic design incorporates a no-slip handle, assuring a firm grip as you blend your soup to preferred consistency.
While soup-making may be its highlight, the blender features attachments allowing it to be used for other tasks. A chopper attachment makes quick work of fruits and vegetables (perfect for adding to soup). Additionally, a stainless-steel whisking attachment is also available--just in case you get tired of all that soup.
Think small.
(Credit: Chef's Catalog)Why should kitchens with small (or no) counters get left out of the fun all the big kitchens have? They shouldn't, and they don't need to. Space-saving appliances abound, from under-counter toasters, to miniature microwaves. But when it comes to a do-it-all machine that chops and grinds, bulky food processors usually have all the fun. Unless you think small.
The Cuisinart Elite 4-Cup Food Chopper/Grinder (model number CH-4) is a smaller alternative to its larger brethren. Measuring less than 10 inches tall, with a base of 7.5 inches by 5 inches, the mini machine does big work in a small space. The appliance chops and grinds and purees, and with a 4-cup capacity, is able to handle most prep tasks. The touch-pad controls offer the choice between chop and grind, determining which way the dual-sided blade spins: sharp edge for chopping, dull edge for grinding.
Available for $49.95 in black or white, the model also features a die-cast version for $59.95. The versatile machine makes it easy to chop tomatoes, garlic, onions and herbs for a quick salsa or relish, and then turn right around and use it to grind whole spices or nuts for pies. All removable parts are dishwasher-safe, and the base can be cleaned with a damp cloth. With its small size and price to match, the chopper/grinder is sure to find space on your kitchen counter, no matter what you like to cook.
Blending by pictures.
(Credit: Amazon)I remember the blender my mom used from the time when I was young. Not only was it surprisingly loud for something that seemed to have only one moving part, but it also sure had a lot of buttons for that one little blade. They were push-style buttons, lined up neatly in a row. The 10 or so settings all had esoteric meanings, certainly for a young kid who couldn't fathom why one spinning sharp thing needed so many options. While I am still not sure about Grate as a blender function, I have come to terms with others like Frappe, and to some extent, Liquefy.
The DeLonghi DBL650 54-Ounce Blender uses symbols to get its point across. The stainless-steel blender with 54-ounce jar features five function settings enabled via symbolic pictures on the front. Included are settings for dips, soups, sauces, and beverages. Naturally, the all-important ice-crushing function is present and accounted for, easily identifiable as a single snowflake.
The blender features some nice modern touches in addition to the iconography. The sturdy housing and control layout signify a no-nonsense approach and impress a workhorse quality. The blender features a built-in strainer or filter, a well-thought-out inclusion that eliminates the need to root around the kitchen for an accessory. And as far as blending options go, don't worry if what you need isn't represented by what is on the buttons; the blender features three speeds and a pulse setting for all your blending needs.
Those little jars of baby food can add up quickly, making you want an alternative. The Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker provides one. It offers one compact unit that can handle every part of the process of preparing baby food, from steaming to blending, as well as acting as a warmer and a defroster. In order to make sure that your baby gets all the vitamins and flavors of the food, the baby food maker steams vegetables, fruits, and meats in less than 15 minutes. It then purees and blends foods to an easy-to-eat consistency. You can also use the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker to quickly reheat or even defrost baby food you've made previously.
The Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker lets you know exactly what's going into your baby's food, as well as how it's cooked. Because of the fast and easy preparation system, the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker doesn't require you to spend much more time than going to the store. If you prepare food in batches, it's even faster. The baby food maker's bowl and cooking basket are made from food-grade plastic and are dishwasher safe. It also comes with a spatula and recipe booklet. The Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker is available for $142.99.
About a year ago, we shared with you the miBook, an innovative, interactive cookbook. Just in time for the holidays, the miBook has been upgraded, and the price has dropped.
The miBook is like an e-book reader on steroids. Instead of pages of plain text, miBook offers video and audio clips. So when you pull up a recipe, instead of an instruction like "cut up your chicken," you get a video clip with narration: "Slice your chicken tenders into bite-size chunks." You can see the knife being used and the size of the pieces. And the player's key feature remains: it automatically pauses after each step, to give you time to complete your task. When you're ready to move on, hit play on the included remote.
When you take the miBook out of the box, you're up and running in seconds. Plug in the AC adapter and turn it on. Grab the remote and scroll through menus. The process is intuitive, and the included instruction booklet explains anything you don't immediately know how to do. The upgraded screen resolution gives you sharper images on the 7-inch screen so you can see exactly what you need to do, every step of the way.
The list of available titles for miBook has been expanded, and the cards themselves load faster than ever. As soon as I loaded a card into the player, its contents were instantly available. I could call up recipes and scroll through menus with no lag time. Each recipe book features 150 recipes sorted by ingredient, time to prepare, and cooking method. I played around with Quick and Easy Meals, Pizzas, Pastas, and Salads, and Irresistible Desserts. Other titles include Healthy Cooking for Kids and Amazing Party Food.
A nice touch: the remote is wrapped in plastic with an opening at the bottom to allow you to change the battery without unwrapping it. So if you happen to get it dirty while cooking (not that I would ever do such a thing, of course), you can just wipe it down when you're done.
For $90, you can snag the player with two bundled cooking titles. Additional titles are about $20 and cover not only cooking, but also parenting, home repairs, projects, decorating, gardening, and organizing. And pet care, crafts, musical instruments, technology, and travel are on the way. Content providers include popular TV networks like Food Network, HGTV, and Parents TV, and leading book publishers and authors. Plus, you can load your own content onto the player--music, photos, even PDFs--via SD cards or a USB cable.
TrueCookPlus on a Kenmore microwave oven.
(Credit: TrueCookPlus)The microwave oven is no doubt one of the most popular kitchen appliances available. But before its ubiquity, people had to get used to the idea that a few button presses (or physical dial turn as the case may have been) could produce a hot meal with seemingly little work. Then reality sunk in as this common phrase started to hit home: "Cooking time in your microwave oven may vary." While microwave ovens did not prove to be the easy answer to a properly cooked meal, the promise was certainly still there.
Fast-forward to now, and the promise of the microwave as the gateway to properly cooked quick meals has begun once again. The TrueCookPlus code system for microwave cooking is a simple-to-use numeric code that people punch into their microwave ovens to assure proper cooking time and power level depending on what item they are cooking. More than just a convenient code calibrated to the wattage of a particular brand of microwave, the parameters adjust for your microwave oven.
The code system takes into consideration such factors as voltage, wattage, oven age, hot or cold oven, power levels, and even elevation. (A simple one-time input of your zip code handles that.) Of course, food type, size, and weight are also considerations.
The software used in the TrueCookPlus code system works in conjunction with food manufacturers' test kitchens, so don't expect it to know exactly how to reheat your leftovers just yet. The system works in tandem with a traditional microwave (it will still heat those leftovers just as it does now), so consider this a feature to look for in upcoming microwaves. Currently, the feature is available on LG and Kenmore models with many food manufacturers, such as General Mills and Weight Watchers supplying codes for food products.
