|
|
What's New:
Q&A: How do I recycle my old cookware?
I just bought a new set of cookware. What's the best way to get rid of my old pots and pans?
Selecting the right cookware is easy, but getting rid of an old
set, especially a 10-piece ensemble, isn't so obvious. You can donate usable pots and pans to Goodwill or the Salvation Army or list them on Freecycle. If the cookware is unusable, contact your municipal department of public works to ask about recycling.
Now, if you buy Calphalon's new Unison cookware, you can send your old set, no matter its condition or manufacturer, to Calphalon for free recycling. You pack your old set in a box that comes with your new cookware, attach the prepaid mailing label, and drop it off at a FedEx location.
 Calphalon will take nonstick and uncoated cookware. (Glass and plastic items are not accepted.) After sorting, the pots and pans are sent to a company that processes the metal for reuse.
Among other corporate recyclers, some Walmart stores [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
Haier, China’s largest major appliance maker, and Fisher & Paykel (F&P), the premium appliance manufacturer, are exploring opportunities to cross market their products in the United States.
The move would extend a strategic partnership formed last May when Haier purchased a 20 percent stake in the New Zealand vendor and added its chief financial officer and chief marketing officer to F&P’s board.
Under the agreement, the two companies are sharing product development, manufacturing and market resources to reduce production and procurement costs.
As part of the arrangement, Haier is presently producing select products under the Fisher & Paykel brand, and the partners are looking to expand the assortment.
The pact also gives Haier exclusive rights to market and distribute Fisher & Paykel products in China, while F&P will distribute Haier-manufactured and branded products in New Zealand.
Haier Australia will continue to handle the Haier brand on that continent for the immediate future.
According to a Fisher & Paykel spokesperson, the companies are also exploring opportunities to market and sell each other’s products in the U.S.
The partnership gives Haier access to Fisher & Paykel’s premium assortment, while extending F&P’s global reach. The deal will also help the New Zealand manufacturer contain production costs amid the global recession, [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
This new 32-inch wide Jenn-Air range hood offers modern European styling married to the powerful perimetric ventilation system with 600 CFM extraction rate. The result is sleek, unobtrusive wall hood that blends innovation and elegance with superb extraction results, and looks more like a decorative picture frame than a high performance hood. The JXP5032WS Jenn-Air range hood has thin, barely visible channels that are located on the perimeter of a glass finished panel, and extract unwanted smoke, steam and cooking odours by pulling air through. The perimetric panel comes with a contemporary design of black glass with stainless steel trim or white with white trim, so these range hoods can fit with both Jenn-Air Floating Glass and Euro-Style Stainless appliance suites.
Additional style options include trim kits available in an Oiled Bronze and black aluminum finish. Other key features of this Jenn-Air range hood include 3-speed blower, concealed controls, 2 halogen lights and dishwasher-safe aluminum mesh filters. Also available in recirculating mode. Jenn-Air.
   [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
This Best S.p.A. stainless steel chimney hood, the K85L features edge suction and separate ambient lighting. Its metal grease filter is covered by a foldable translucent glass panel with a hinge for easy filter cleaning. The panel illuminates the hob with bright neon lamps and also lites the space above the hood in a very pleasant way. The stainless steel chimney hood comes with a 4-speed motor and a cooking fumes sensor, so it can automatically turn on as soon as fumes and vapours are detected by the microprocessors. The extraction rates are 300, 470, 615 and 720 m³/h.
Finished in brushed stainless steel with rounded edges, this 90cm wide chimney hood also has the TP control panel – the latest electronic controls with rear lighted keys. The panel includes all the traditional functions including timer, filter reset and extraction control as well as cooking fumes sensor button in certain models. Best S.p.A.
 ![]() [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
The stainless steel Fagor wall oven has pyrolytic cleaning feature with interior heating up to 500°C, so the dirt turns into ashes which are easily wiped by a damp cloth. Fagor Auto-Pyro function prompts you to turn the cleaning program on when it detects that the oven needs cleaning. You can always use manual mode of course. The oven is 60cm wide fitting into standard wall opening and is multifunction, offering 9 cooking programs including Turbo Plus heat, 3d head, Eco heat, upper and lower element, grill with fan, grill, grill with rotary split and defrosting. It is rated ‘A’ for energy and has electronic controls with preset temperatures, LCD display that shows cooking modes, temperature and time and CoolTouch door. This Fagor wall oven also comes with Master Chef that has 12 auto cooking modes and culinary guide that can cook 7 common dishes by weight. Interior door with removable panes, removable tray, integrated extractor, auto door lock are other features of the Fagor 5H-880 X wall oven. Price is 1,019 €. Fagor.
Previously,
Fagor multifunction built-in oven
Fagor rustic oven
[...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
Q&A: Should I buy a stand mixer based on the wattage?
 I’ve read that more watts are better. Is that true or am I just wasting my money?
Don’t buy a stand mixer based on wattage. It’s usually the power used, not produced. But be sure to check the warranty as they vary. Also consider:
• Buying the biggest bowl available if your recipes frequently call for lots of flour
• Buying an extra bowl, for around $50, if you make two-step recipes so you won’t have to scrape and rinse between steps
• Checking Websites for rebate information. KitchenAid is offering $40 back on select 5- or 6-quart stand mixers (the KitchenAid Classic K45 has repeatedly been our top-rated model).
Most of the tested models have one beater that spins in one direction and moves around the bowl in the opposite way. The bottom-rated stand mixers have two beaters that spin against each other, just like a hand mixer.
 While these models were the least expensive, they were also mediocre or worse at mashing potatoes, mixing cookie dough, and kneading bread. We also found [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
The Bugatti Vera electric kettle will finely complement your Bugatti toaster so you can enjoy a full breakfast. The elegantly shaped kettle has 360° swivel base and is equipped with special electronic control for a consistent and efficient heating and sleek touch-activated display which are integrated into the handle. This Bugatti kettle also features a clock and a timer. The latter allows you to program it and boil water in time for your breakfast, lunch, breaks, etc. Bugatti also uses the latest technology so this electric kettle is not just an eye catcher but very energy efficient as well. Other features include easy opening push-down top lid, maximum capacity of 1.75 litres and protective overheating system. Bugatti Vera electric kettle should be available this month. Preorder yours for just £185.
Previously,
Bugatti coffee machine
Bugatti espresso machine
  [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
This efficient, large capacity double convection oven from Samsung gives 65 litres of cooking space and features two independent compartments allowing you to cook several dishes simultaneously without mixing the flavors. Designed by Jasper Morrison, the BT 65 CD BSTL is quality-built and elegant stainless steel, double convection multifunctional oven with 40°C to 300°C temperature range offering two separate heating elements and two separate fans to distribute heat evenly and quickly for perfect results each and every time. The oven comes with a self-cleaning steam program which removes grease, stains, encrustations and odors in just 25 minutes. This double convection oven can serve as 3-in-1 oven allowing you to cook in one large single space or use upper and lower levels separately. Interesting that all three cooking spaces are separately certified with an ‘A’ grade for energy efficiency.
The convection oven also comes with triple layer CoolTouch door and nonstick interior coated with a special ceramic enamel which makes surface scratch-resistant, non-porous, super hygienic and antibacterial. You can buy this double convection oven for approximately € 1,150. Samsung.
Previously,
Twin convection oven
Refrigerator by Jasper Morrison
[...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
This capable Breville Smart oven comes with innovative Element IQ which suggests the ideal temperature and time for every of its 9 preset menu functions. The stainless steel toaster oven also lets you control the cooking power for perfect results no matter what you are preparing. Equipped with 5 powerful quartz elements that evenly distribute 1.8 kW of heat, the toaster oven allows you to broil, bake and toasts. Its broil function activates top 3 heating elements to melt and brown. Toast function activates top 2 and bottom 2 heating elements to seal and crisp. And bake function employs top 2 and bottom 2 heating elements with the convection fan to ensure the food is thoroughly cooked.
The stainless steel blends nicely with blue backlit LCD screen giving this toaster oven an attractive appearance. Its sturdy top doubles as a warming tray while rack conveniently auto-ejects halfway when you open the oven door. Other features and accessories include intuitive dial controls, memory function to store settings, retractable crumb tray, nonstick pizza pan, baking pan and baking rack. This Breville stainless steel toaster oven is seen in stores for $250. Previously, stainless [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
Tip of the Day: Freeze summer fruits and vegetables
 With recent projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicating that prices for “food at home”—that’s all the stuff you buy at supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and convenience stores—will rise 2 to 3 percent this year and 2.5 to 3.5 percent in 2010, you might be more inclined to buy a stand-alone freezer, figuring that freezing food that you buy in bulk or cook in big batches might save you some money.
See our September 2009 report on freezers for news on and ratings of the latest models (ratings available to subscribers) and read our free buyer’s guide for freezers and shopping advice for refrigerators. (The photo shows freezer testing in our labs.)
Now’s also a great time to freeze summer produce in your refrigerator’s freezer or stand-alone freezer, whether it’s the bounty from your own garden or fruits and vegetables you pick up or at local farm stands.
Some vegetables aren’t freezer friendly because they become limp and soggy when thawed. The do-not-freeze list includes celery, endive, lettuce, parsley, [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
Tip of the Day: When ordering appliances, carefully check the specs
 Carpenters live by the adage, Measure twice. Cut once. The same advice can apply to ordering appliances and equipment for a kitchen remodel, says one New Jersey homeowner who recently undertook a top-to-bottom makeover of the 300-square-foot kitchen at her 1960s Cape Cod house.
Because Helaine W.’s new kitchen includes a bank of windows on the exterior wall, the plans called for an island vent hood—a wall-mounted hood with through-the-wall venting wouldn’t fit the design. What’s more, the hood had to be 24 inches deep or less so it wouldn’t overhang the counter.
To find the right-size hood, Helaine, her kitchen designer, and a salesperson from a local appliance store searched the Web sites of several major manufacturers and found the Franke FDF 367 1XS 36-inch-wide island hood. The Franke site indicated a depth of a little more than 19 inches, ideal for the application. An order was placed for the unit.
When the hood arrived four weeks later, the contractor notified Helaine that the Franke FDF 367 1XS was deeper [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
These are The Top Eight Electrolux Design Lab 09 finalists, listed in no particular order. There are other very cool design ideas that didn’t make the cut, and will be posted separately.
Le Petit Prince by Martin Miklica, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
The Prince is a robotic greenhouse designed for the upcoming exploration and population of Mars. It takes care of a plant it carries inside its glass case, which is mounted on top of its four-legged pod. In search of nutrients to care for the plant, the Prince is programmed to intuitively learn the optimal method for this process. It also shares everything with its fellow greenhouse robots via wireless communication so that they can learn from each other.
Bifoliate by Toma Brundzaite, Vilnius Academy of Art, Lithuania
Bifoliate is a space-saving, wall-mounted double dishwasher that will allow you to put dirty dishes in one compartment and use the other as a shelf for clean dishes, No more bending and reaching for dishes. The dishwasher uses ultrasonic wave technology to clean making it more efficient and eco-friendly than today’s dishwashers.
Naturewash by Zhenpeng Li, Zhejiang University, China
Naturewash [...]
(click here to continue reading ››)
You may also be interested in reading:
|
|
August was another amazing month of Kitchen Contraptions – filled with kitchen gadgets, grilling, and other kitchen wonders. Thanks again to all of our loyal readers, and we hope to do some giveaways soon. You can also follow us now on 
