Tag: kitchen kit
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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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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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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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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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Philips Pasta Maker Attachments
I love my Philips Pasta and Noodle Maker. Not least because it comes with lots of options for making different pasta shapes. See my full review here.
Philips supplies you with discs for making Spaghetti, Penne, Fettuccine and Lasagne/Ravioli. You can also by the premium version that comes with Chinese and Japanese Noodle, Angel Hair and Dumpling discs.
Where can I get additional shaping discs for my Philips Pasta Maker?
What will blow your mind is that there are lots of third-party discs available. I love the ones from this quality aftermarket company in Italy – pastidea.com.
Some of their shaping discs (there are many more):
- Riccioli
- Bigoli
- Bucatini (I have this one)
- Gnocchi
- Tagliatelle
- Conchigliette
- Cannellone
- Curvetti (I have this one)
- Funny shapes such as love hearts and wagon wheels.
You buy an adapter for your unit that then takes the bronze shaping discs they make. I recently bought the Fusilli disc and my family could not be happier with it.
Here is the adapter and the Fusilli disc.
You simply put the bronze shaping disc into the adapter and tighten the screw. You then place it on your Philips Pasta and Noodle Maker like the standard discs.
Pasta perfection 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
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Philips Pasta And Noodle Maker
I love making pasta the old fashioned way as much as the next guy but the Philips Pasta and Noodle Maker is one of those must have kitchen appliances. Every time I use it I am surprised how amazing it is.
It really is engineering perfection. You just pour in a cup or two of flour and some water and the machine automatically kneads and extrudes perfect pasta. You just have to cut it to your desired length with the supplied cutting tool.
I am so impressed that I wanted to show you me unboxing the unit and using it for the first time. I had already borrowed a friend’s unit so I knew it was quality.
The unboxing rewarded me with a lot of ‘retail therapy’. It was cheap too at under $300 AUD from JB Hi-Fi. You know I am big on reducing my plastic consumption so this was worth the investment for me.
Note: this is not a paid post.
The controls are clear and simple. Note the extrusion only function, sometimes you have some dough left in the machine and you don’t need to mix it again.
The build quality of the unit and the shaping discs is high. Note the grey cover on some discs. This is for cleaning the smaller holes. I will discuss that more below.
When not in use, the discs and cutting tool store away in a hidden draw.
The mixing area has a smoked see through lid so you can see what is going on. It is fun to watch and my kids love it.
Now, you won’t believe how easy clean up is. I am so lazy that I would not lie to you about this. The hardest bit is cleaning the shaping discs and Philips has a really cool solution to this. Chill out, literally! 😉
Put them in the freezer overnight and then use the special grey coloured tools to punch out the hardened dough. Then a quick clean in soapy water and you are done.
The mixing paddle is strong, non-stick and cleans easily with soapy water and paper towel.
Breaking the unit down could not be easier.
The manual is well set out and clear in its instructions. There is also a handy little cookbook with more handy hints and some amazing recipes.
Product Reviewed:
- Philips Pasta and Noodle Maker HR2357/06
Pros:
- You can make a meal for four people using only flour and water in 10 minutes.
- The instructions were well laid out, clear and give lots of handy hints.
- There is a 2 year international warranty.
- All parts are easy to clean and they store away in a built in drawer.
- You can add egg and/or dyes like spinach juice or squid ink to jazz your pasta up.
- The unit comes with 4 shaping discs for Spaghetti, Penne, Fettuccine and Lasagne.
- You can buy more shaping discs from Philips or from this quality aftermarket company in Italy – pastidea.com – see my review of them here.
- Philips makes and supplies spare parts for your machine.
- You save money and get better pasta to boot.
- Your kitchen counter is not covered in flour (if you are like me the whole kitchen gets covered in it). 🙂
Cons:
- After many uses, there are literally none I can think of (I am in awe everytime I use it).
The Verdict:
Great product at a reasonable price. It makes better pasta than I can by hand in a fraction of the time. It is a lot of fun to use and I get my kids involved pouring in the flour and cutting the pasta. No two cuts with them are the same but that just adds to the meal if you ask me.
I have one final bit of advice, make multiple batches at a time and freeze them. Just sprinkle the pasta with a bit of flour and throw them in a zip lock bag.
I hope this helps and feel free to send me any comments or tips and tricks.
PK
P.S. Take fresh/frozen pasta to your friends and family when you visit them, they will love you for it.
Some of the different shapes I have made:
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Ezysafe 3 in 1 Jar, Bottle & Can Opener: A GICICI Review
Recently my family looked after a dog for someone while they holidayed in New Zealand. Their owner stocked us up with lots of dog food cans and an amazing can opener. I had to buy my own when the doggy went back to their home as it simply is the best can opener I have ever used.
Note: This is not a paid post.
Product Reviewed:
- Ezysafe 3 in 1 Jar, Bottle & Can Opener
Pros:
- Exceptional build quality
- Cleans easily (we just wipe ours and put it away)
- Opens cans, jars and bottles
- No sharp edges left on can as it leaves a beveled edge
Cons:
Some might find the cost too high for a can opener. If you think it is too high, wait for a special as you won’t regret this purchase.
Availability:
Available online at www.bjenterprises.com.au/ for about $40 AUD.
The Verdict:
This is simply the best can opener I have ever used. There was always the odd can that my last openers couldn’t handle and I had to hack open with a knife.
No more!
🙂
Hope this review helps and feel free to send me any comments or corrections.
PK
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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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