Tag: equipment
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Spice Blend Shakers
If you make your own spice blends and dry rubs, you are going to need a spice shaker.
Many of them allow you to adjust the holes being used to get that even application. Look for shakers that allow you to label the contents and/or have a viewing window.
Spice shakers are perfect for spicing biltong or applying your freshly made dry rubs to roasts:
If you don’t need adjustable hole sizes and you have some empty spice containers, you can always refill them with your spice blends.
Look for containers that have the hole sizes you need and a removeable lid:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more posts about spices and must have kitchen kit:
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Plastic Lids For Canned Food
In an endeavour to reduce my soft plastic use I have invested in these reusable and recyclable plastic lids to cover cans.
By popping a lid on a partly used food can I am able to store the remaining contents in the fridge without using cling film or an extra food storage container.
They clean easily with a soapy cloth so no need to chuck them in the dishwasher. I even use them to transport leftover tuna and soup, in the can, from home to office for that mid-arvo snack.
Unused soup and curry pastes last longer:
Also great for pet food cans.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more equipment reviews and kitchen kit:
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How To Fix Dry Green Buffing Compound
Your green polishing compound might dry out and be hard to apply to your strop or buffing wheel. Note: this is not a common problem when the compound is in a wax medium.
An easy fix if it does happen though is to mix it with a little bit of olive oil.
Before
It just will not load the strop.
After
Add some olive oil and try again:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more knife sharpening and general knife info:
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Soga Citrus Lever Hand Press Review
As usual around this time of year I am drowning in lemons, limes and oranges. A great problem to have!
Apart from eating them fresh you can do so much with them. Making jars of preserved citrus, drying slices of them and making home-made salad dressings are just a few examples. I have many more here.
Best of all is making fresh juice and lemonades. I’ve had a variety of presses and juices over the years but they are either hard work and or messy. So this year I bought a Soga hand operated lever press that makes short work of any citrus glut. I am not endorsed to say this but I love it because it doesn’t use electricity, is not made from plastic and actually cleans up as easily as advertised.
The unit is well made and has a nice heavy stable base. The lever action is powerful, you don’t even need to cut the larger fruit into pieces.
Just look at how much juice was extracted from this lemon:
It breaks down easily for cleaning. The metal sieves wash up easily in soapy water and I wipe the rest of the press down with a wet cloth.
So, any negatives?
I am keeping an eye on the bolts that hold the lever in place. I noticed a bit of surface rust after a few months. So I am protecting them with a bit of olive oil after each use.
At the end of the day though I feel that I have tried everything else including electrical cold press juicers but I prefer my hand press for a steady supply of cold juice.
I hope my review helps you,
PK
Here are some more of my reviews:
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Sunbeam Pie Maker Review
I have been using my Sunbeam Pie Maker now for almost a year and a half! It makes tasty home made pies with healthy ingredients and has shown no sign of any issues
Note: This is not a paid post and is just how I find the equipment fares for me personally.
Product Review
Sunbeam Pie Maker 4 cup
Unboxing is always fun:
Everything feels well made and the instructions are clear.
There is a white cutting disc. One side make the bottom of the pies. The other the tops. I use short crust pastry for the bases and puff pastry for the tops.
Often you have to use two overlapping pieces of pastry. Just overlap the pieces and then use a bit of water to join them. It looks ugly now but after cooking it all looks seamless.
Place the bases in the unit and then add the filling.
Add the lids and close the unit. It will tell you when the pies are ready.
My Likes:
- Good looking unit in my opinion.
- Easy to clean.
- I get to choose the ingredients and lack there of of preservatives
- Less soft plastic and food miles created by the pies I eat.
- The pies freeze and reheat well so I can make them in larger batches
- Instructions come with easy recipes.
My Dislikes:
- None
My Manufacturer Feedback:
- None
Final Thoughts:
I love this unit and I imagine I would like other pie makers too. Avoiding soft plastics and controlling ingredients is important to me.
Enjoy,
PK
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Gravy And Fat Separator Review
I was given this OXO fat separator recently by a friend.
I accepted it in part because I love new kitchen kit. The main reason though is that while I try not to buy unnecessary plastic, I hate plastic being thrown out or wasted even more.
The two questions I think we should ask of our kitchen kit is:
- Does it work as intended?
- Is it easy to clean?
What does it do?
The jug is designed to take the meat juices from the bottom of your roasting pan so you can make homemade gravy.
You don’t want all that fat though!
That is where the jug comes in. As you pour the meat juices out the fat is left in the jug because the opening to the spout is at the bottom.
You are left with fat free juices that you can thicken into a hearty gravy by whisking in some cornflour.
Happy sigh.
The cleanup
Cleanup is a breeze. Simply wash in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more of my reviews and kitchen kit:
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BBQ Grill Mesh Mat Review
I love my Weber Q 2000 but it doesn’t have a hot plate. That means I can’t cook cubed/diced meat easily.
I was making little tin foil trays as a work around but that is wasteful. Also they don’t let the fat drain away very well.
Solution:
There are a range of reusable, washable BBQ grill mats that solve the problem. They are non stick, washable and can even be cut to size. They are particularly great for meat like lamb where you really need the fat to render away.
Now with my Weber Trivet that lets me do roasts, my barbie is complete.
Here I am barbecuing some marinated chicken pieces.
Oh that mat is dirty!
No problem. Simply pop it in the dishwasher or wash it with the rest of your dishes.
Marked but clean and hygienic.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more of my reviews and bbq ideas:
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The Weber Trivet Turns Your Weber Q Into An Oven
I have a Weber Q 2000 and it is the best gas BBQ I have ever owned.
Did you know you can transform your Weber 1000, 2000 or 3000 into a roasting oven? I highly recommend the Weber Q Roasting Pack (not a paid recommendation).
The pack contains two foil convections trays and a stainless steel trivet.
The weber website shows you how to make your own trays using aluminium foil but the ones in the pack have little flaps that help you position the tray for the best drainage of fat and air circulation.
You then place the trivet (there are three sizes so make sure you get the one that matches your Weber Q) on the foil tray.
My test roast was a harissa and garlic crusted Australian lamb rack. I think it turned out pretty well. 🙂
Clean up was a dream as the trivet is stainless steel and just needed a wipe down with a soapy sponge.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some equipment reviews and posts about roasting meat and vegetables for you.
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Himalayan Salt Block Dessert Platter
Cooking on pink Himalayan salt blocks is all the rage at the moment but do you know you can also use them chilled as a captivating serving platter?
I recently bought this salt block for its beautiful pink colouration.
It could not be easier to wow your guests after dinner. Simply pop the salt blocks into the fridge for an hour or two and it will stay cold for at least 30 minutes.
Arrange your treats. In this case I am using a predictable chocolate brownie, double heavy cream and a mint leaf. However I also have a taste surprise up my sleeve. Mandarin segments with a small slices of prosciutto and a mint leaf. The salt from the block hits them first, then sweet sweet mandarin and mint and then salty goodness from the prosciutto!
When you are done don’t forget to clean the salt block ready for next time. Scrape any leftovers off and then wipe the block clean with a damp cloth. Store the block in a nice dry place.
Enjoy,
PK
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Revel Wet And Dry Blender
I have been using my Revel Wet and Dry blender now for 6 months! I am just as pleased with it as the day it arrived from the UK. I had to ‘ebay’ it because I couldn’t find a local distributor.
It is a must have for anyone who loves their dry spices and making their own pastes.
As you know I have to sneak kitchen kit in and pretend we always had it. That or hide it in my shed. 🙂 This product is worth it!
Note:
- This is not a paid post.
Product Review
Revel CCM104CH Wet N Dry Grinder
Unboxing is always fun:
The blades and housing feel well made.
The unit’s wet blending capabilities is why I bought it in the first place. I very happy with it’s capabilities. The volumes I work with are normally small so the bowl size is spot on.
I got all this in there making a marinade.
It is also great at grinding dry ingredients such as coffee beans, nuts, peppercorns, dried garlic etc etc.
My Likes:
- Good looking unit in my opinion (who doesn’t like chrome?).
- Bowl and lid are dishwasher safe.
- Wet and dry capabilities mean you only need one machine.
- It is quick, a burst or two usually does it.
My Dislikes:
- Bowl cover can be difficult to separate from the bowl.
My Manufacturer Feedback:
- Release them in Australia 🙂
Final Thoughts:
Whilst not cheap, this compact little unit excels at making dry masalas and small amounts of curry pastes. The later tends to get lost in larger mixers and you end up losing most of it.
I would definitely buy another one if I have to but lots of people comment (for example on Amazon UK) that they are getting years of life out of their units. I think you really have to follow the short burst only mantra (laid out rather often in the manual) to avoid damaging the motor.
I hope this review helps. Feel free to send me any comments if you want to add to the review.
Enjoy,
PK
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