Category: equipment
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Gas Hob Heat Diffuser
For some recipes/cooking methods even your smallest hot plate or ring might be putting out too much heat. Using the smallest ring also tends to heat the center of the pan more than the edges, potentially leading to burnt food.
This nifty little piece of kitchen kit overcomes both issues by evenly spreading the heat out. Once heated it can even be used to keep food warm, allowing you to turn the hob off.
You should be able to pick one up for less than $30 AUD and they come in a variety of sizes.
Note: Don’t touch the diffuser until it has cooled down thoroughly!
Enjoy,
PK
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Gas Hob Reducer Ring
This nifty little piece of kitchen kit allows pans, coffee pots etc with small footprints to sit firmly on your kitchen hot plates.
I bought it for a small sauce pan I use to make white sauces and roux in. Even on the smallest ring it doesn’t sit safely without this really nifty and inexpensive product (~$12 AUD).
Enjoy,
PK
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Microwave Ovens With Inverter Technology
Love or loath them, you will find a microwave oven in almost every kitchen. I remember getting our first one when I was a kid over 30 years ago. It still works to this day!
Microwave ovens work by ‘jiggling’ molecules in the food thereby generating thermal energy aka heat. They have a large internal cavity with a rotating plate that you put your food on. The door generally has a mesh that doesn’t allow microwaves to escape.
The controls can be anything from a dial (my preference) to set the time to digital/touch screen displays.
Recently my own microwave broke mid meal. I bravely claimed that there was no rush to buy a new one. I lasted 24 hours. 🙂
I hadn’t realised how much I rely on them for everything from reheating leftovers to cooking eggs, rice and everything in between.
Here are a few microwave hacks:
When we went shopping, almost every brand was spruiking something called ‘Inverter Technology’.
What is inverter technology?
Apparently a standard microwave doesn’t reduce the cooking power when you lower the power setting. Instead it does bursts of full power then no power in order to average the power out.
Inverter microwaves however manage to reduce the cooking intensity in a steady stream just like your oven.
Enjoy,
PK
Related Links:
- see recipes and hacks that use a microwave here
- see more kitchen kit here
- see more equipment posts here
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PK Reviews: Nylex Heavy Duty 5L Shoulder Sprayer
The Nylex 5L and 8L Shoulder Sprayer range is perfect for people with kitchen gardens, even large ones. I am reviewing several of the Nylex Sprayer range and I started with their Nylex 1.5L 360° Sprayer. Please see the other Nylex reviews here.
Today I am reviewing the heavy duty cousin of the Nylex 5l Sprayer (2017 review here).
This is a very good sprayer and you can see step up in build quality the extra money gets you. It will last you a long time and I don’t think you will regret buying it.
Spoiler Alert: I prefer the standard model’s feel in the hand and will continue to buy it. Perhaps Nylex is making the standard version to well and pricing it too cheap. 🙂 🙂
Why would you buy a pressure sprayer anyway?
With its superior seals and build quality, this pressure sprayer is perfect for spraying plants with dense hard to reach foliage (such as chili plants and tomato plants) with both targeted solutions such as pyrethrum or full plant coverage solutions such as bio-oil. You could even use it on trees such as large citrus plants.
A trigger spray (although Nylex makes good/affordable versions of these) is not going to suffice as they can’t spray upside down and don’t have the holding capacity. Turning the leaves is going to end up getting spray on you and end in foliage damage.
Note: This is not a paid post.
Product Reviewed:
- Nylex Heavy Duty 5L Shoulder Sprayer
Pros compared to standard model:
- Exceptional build quality for the seals, bottle, wand and pump
- An extra year for 3 years warranty on the UV resistant plastic bottle
- Stainless steel as opposed to a fiber glass wand with fan and jet nozzle
- Stronger D shaped handle also makes for easy pumping and even stores the wand when not in use
Similar feature to standard model:
- Safety pressure release valve that also makes for easy de-pressuring when you are finished
- Easy to read incremented 1.0L marks so you can accurately mix your concentrate solutions
- Plastic sleeve for holding labels to indicate what type of solution you are keeping the sprayer for e.g.. fungicides vs insecticides (this is one of my favourite features as I don’t like to use the same sprayer for different treatments)
- Filter mechanism avoids blockages
- Spare o-rings etc are available
Availability:
- Available at your local Bunnings https://www.bunnings.com.au/nylex-5l-shoulder-garden-sprayer_p2962002 for about $40 AUD
The Verdict:
This is a great product and I still think reasonably priced, even compared to the cheaper standard version, at the time of writing.
Build quality is very very high and you should get many years out of it. I have never had one of these block on me!
If you have never owned a pressure sprayer you will love it. You are going to use a lot less plastic packaging and save money by using concentrate sprays over premixes.
I have never had one of these block on me!
If you have any questions about the product range I recommend contacting the Nylex team at http://www.nylexwatering.com/contact-us/
Hope this review helps and feel free to send me any comments or corrections.
PK
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- See more Nylex posts here
- See our other product reviews here
- See more growing, catching and cooking equipment here
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Kitchen Shears
If you have a couple of good kitchen knives you don’t really need a set of kitchen shears/scissors. However for convenience sake I recommend you buy them.
I use them to cut lobster tails, chicken frames, vegetables and so much more. Just remember to keep them clean going from raw food to cooked food.
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16cm Victorinox Swibo Curved Flexible Blade Boning Knife: PK Reviews
I have to say that as a home cook that buys meat in bulk, I love this knife. As soon as you hold the handle you can tell it is specialised for its intended task. The grip, the flexible curved blade and sharp point is designed for following the lines of bones and seams.
I am an awful “butcher” but this exceptionally sharp and well designed knife helps me get the job done with minimal wastage.
This is not a paid post. I bought mine online from http://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au for $31.95 AUD.
Product Review
16cm Victorinox Swibo Curved Flexible Blade Boning Knife
Pros:
Cons:
Being a novice and not having anything to compare it too I can’t find any.
The Verdict:
Great product at a very reasonable price. Suitable for commercial environments and home butchery.
I hope this review helps you and feel free to send me any comments if you want to add to it.
PK
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What Is A Chantry Knife Sharpener?
I treated myself to this chantry knife sharpener after seeing it in one of Scott Rea’s videos titled ‘tools of a master butcher’. If it is good enough for the Scott Rea Project then it is is good enough for yours truly. 🙂
Remember that we are not putting an edge on the knife here, we are simply uncurling that edge so that we have no “blunt” parts (caused by misalignment) hence making the knife cut easlier.
I have an excellent hand steel (links to videos on how to use them below) and my pride and joy is my 25cm Victorinox Swibo Rigid Butchers Knife. As a beginner though I can sometimes do more harm with my steel than good.
With the chantry knife sharpener the angle of the built in mini rolling steels remains perfect with every pull through of the knife. I can attest that after a few pulls the knives are extremely sharp and that means they are safer to use (with all due respect).
Enjoy and be careful,
PK
Here are some more knife sharpening and general knife info posts:
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Slow Cookers
A slow cooker is an essential piece of kitchen kit. It allows you to very slowly simmer the cuts of meat that do the most work in an animal, turning the meat tender and breaking down the connective tissue. An example is lamb shanks, one of my favourite meals (see my take on River Cottage’s Citrus Braised Lamb Shanks).
I got mine second hand from my sister in law (read free) and yours shouldn’t cost and arm and a leg if bought new either.
Most recipes can be adjusted to suit slow cooking by adding more liquid and significantly extending the cooking time. At the other end, it is so easy to clean up and sometimes it is the only dish used in the whole meal
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5L Demijohn
A demijohn is a large glass flagon that is stoppered with a rubber or plastic bung and an airlock. They are used in the alcoholic fermentation of fruit and the like. They are also called carboys and come in a range of sizes.
My one has an old school s-type air bubble lock that after inserting in the bung I simply fill with boiling water (you only have to do this once) to keep every hygienic and the bugs out 🙂 . As the fermentation process slows, the pressure on the airlock reduces and a nice layer of carbon dioxide forms, in the demijohn, to preserve the contents.
I use it to make my hard apple ciders and ginger beers in larger quantities.
Tip: Never fill a cold glass vessel with boiling water without warming it in a bath of hot water from the tap. It will crack otherwise.
Enjoy,
PK
Related Links:
- see PK’s Small Batch Hard Ginger Beer
- see more preserving posts here
- see more equipment posts here
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25cm Victorinox Swibo Rigid Butchers Knife: PK Reviews
I have to say that as a home cook, that buys meat in bulk including whole primals, I love this knife. As soon as you hold the handle you can tell it is not a general purpose kitchen knife. The grip is suited for slicing thick pieces of meat or through joints and not for slicing vegetables. This makes it excellent for the task it was designed for.
Turn the knife to the vertical hold and you have a knife perfect for following the line of bones and meats’ natural seams. It is rigid but I found it just fine for skinning and removing fat and silver.
I am an awful “butcher” but this exceptionally sharp and well designed knife helps me get the job done with minimal wastage.
This is not a paid post. I bought mine online from http://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au for $59.99 AUD with free delivery to my local store.
Product Reviewed:
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25cm Victorinox Swibo Rigid Butchers Knife
Pros:
- Tough carbon steel perfect for slicing (Rockwell rating of 56-58).
- Holds an edge for a long time.
- Moulded nylon handle that is easy to clean and doesn’t hold meat particles.
- Curved end design for following seams.
- It comes in a plastic sleeve that I use to store it in.
Cons:
- Being a novice and not having anything to compare it too I can’t find any
The Verdict:
Great product at a reasonable price. Suitable for commercial environments and home butchery.
I hope this review helps you and feel free to send me any comments if you want to add to it.
PK
Related Links:
- See more knife posts here
- See more kitchen kit posts here
- See our other product reviews here
- See more growing, catching and cooking equipment here
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