The Top 10 Best Kitchen Small Appliances

I’ve scoured through the millions of items on Amazon to put together a list of the Top 10 Kitchen Small Appliances.  These are the most popular items that have been sold in the kitchen small appliance category.   Therefore, you know you are in good company.  All items are shipped and sold through Amazon.  Just go ahead and click the link or the thumbnail, and it will take you directly to Amazon where you can read more about the product.  Stay tuned as we plan to do more top 10 lists soon.

 

 

10. Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Chrome – Wake up to fresh brewed coffee every morning.

9. Mr. Coffee MWBLK Mug Warmer – A warm mug keeps your coffee warmer for those that drink coffee slowly.

8. Babycakes CP-12 Cake Pop Maker, 12 Cake Pop Capacity, Purple – The kids will love the cake lollipops (and you will too).

7. Oster Rechargeable and Cordless Wine Opener with Chiller – No more fighting with the cork to open a bottle of wine and keeps your wine cold for hours.

6. Black & Decker DCM18S Brew ‘n Go Personal Coffeemaker with Travel Mug – Brew directly into your travel mug to save time and cleanup.

5. Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker –  Even includes a meat thermometer that lowers temperature once the meat is done.

4. Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ – Not cooking a large meal.  Why heat up the whole oven for a couple of servings?

3. Oster FPSTBW8100 Electronic Wine Vacuum Cork with LCD Display, Black – Seal up those half-used bottles of wine so they don’t spoil.

2. Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler – Healthy way to grill inside.  Watch the fat drip away.

1. Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome – Blends soups, drinks, batters, gravies, etc in seconds, a true timesaver.

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As Good as Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Soup just like grandma used to make

Well, the weather is getting a little colder.   A lot of people are unfortunately getting a little under the weather.  Yours truly was one of them.  I don’t know why, but a bowl of chicken soup just tastes so good when you are sick.  When you are sick, a regular bowl of chicken soup won’t do.  You need to have the best!  You know, just like grandma used to make. The problem is you don’t want to make any when you feel like someone just pounded you from head to toe with a baseball bat.  Now, a former boss once told me, “Gregg, come to me with solutions not problems.”  Actually, that’s some pretty darn good advice.  So, here is my solution if you don’t want to eat that crappy soup that Andy Warhol painted.  Make it now and freeze it.  That way when you are sick all you have to do is warm it up.  What a genius idea!!!  Everyone should make a couple of batches of chicken soup to get you through the winter.  So, what are you waiting for???  Time to get started!!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  3 hours

INGREDIENTS:

Stock:

• 1 Cooked (Preferably a leftover) Chicken Carcass
• 1 Large Onion
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Celery Hearts, Chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 2 Cloves Pressed Garlic
• 1 Tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

Soup:

• 4 Carrots
• 4 Celery Hearts
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• 1 Package Your Favorite Noodles (I used orecchiette, little ears).
• 1 Cup Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Water

DIRECTIONS FOR THE STOCK:

• Roughly chop all vegetables for the stock: onions, green pepper, carrots, celery, garlic.  No need to spend a lot of time chopping as these items will be thrown away.
• Add all veggies, peppercorns, and cooked chicken carcass to a large stockpot .
• Add enough water to submerge the chicken and vegetables by a few inches.
• Heat stock pot over high heat to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Take special care to remove any of the “foam” that boils off the chicken and goes to top of the pot.
• At 2 hours, remove from heat.  Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.
• Drain the stock through a fine strainer.  Be sure to extract every bit of juice out the veggies by smashing them against the strainer.
• Rinse the stockpot and add the strained stock back to stockpot.
• Congratulations!  Your stock is complete.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOUP:

• Mince the onion and add to the stock.
• Chop the celery and carrots into bite sized pieces.
• Add italian seasoning, pepper, and salt to taste.
• Return to boil, cover,  and cook approx. 1 hour until the veggies are soft stirring occasionally.
• When the chicken has cooled, remove the remaining meat from the carcass.  Place on cutting board and chop roughly.
• Prepare noodles according to instructions with one exception.  I don’t like to add the noodles to the soup as they will soak up all the broth.  I would recommend to rinse noodles with cold water so the don’t stick together.  Add an extra two minutes to cooking time if you like your noodles a little soggy.  This is the only time I will ever allow you to prepare noodles other than al dente.
• At the 1 hour mark, it’s time to thicken the soup. Combine the corn starch with 1 cup of water in a shaker.  Shake well.  Add the mixture to the soup slowly and keep stirring.  You don’t want any lumps.  You may have to add a little more or less depending on how much broth you have.  If you over thicken, just add some water.
• Add the chicken meat to the soup and heat through.
• Put a couple scoops of cooked noodles in a soup bowl then add a couple of ladles of chicken soup.
• Enjoy a bowl of deliciousness and get well soon if you are sick!

Serves a whole bunch of people.

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The Top 10 Best Kitchen Utensils and Gadgets

I’ve scoured through the millions of items on Amazon to put together a list of the Top 10 Kitchen Utensils and Gadgets.  These are the most popular items that have been sold in the kitchen utensil and gadget category.   Therefore you know you are in good company.  All items are shipped and sold through Amazon.  Just go ahead and click the link or the thumbnail, and it will take you directly to Amazon where you can read more about the product.  Stay tuned as we plan to do more top 10 lists soon.

 

10. Silicone Baking Mat Set (2 pk.) Non Stick Surface – Great tool for a baker.

9. Tovolo 80-9697 Sphere Ice Molds, Set of 2 – No more watered down drinks.

8. Fred & Friends Ninjabread Men Cookie Cutters – Do you want cookies or “fun cookies”?

7. Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer, Brushed Aluminum – Great product, I use it almost every day.

6. Ove’ Glove Hot Surface Handler,2 gloves – Much better grip than a hot pad.

5. Happy Man Bottle Stopper – Well, this just makes me laugh.

4. Vacu Vin 0981450 Wine Saver Vacuum Wine Pump with 2 Stoppers – A must if you don’t finish the bottle of wine.

3. Sodastream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Starter Kit – Fresh soda or seltzer in 30 seconds or less.

2. Wilton 570-1121 Easy Flex 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set, Blue – Every kitchen needs a set of these, on sale for $8.

1. Sipping Stones – Set of 9 Grey Whisky Chilling Rocks in Gift Box with Muslin Carrying Pouch – Made of 100% Pure Soapstone – Chill your drinks with no dilution.  Made from soapstone.

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Olive Oil Review: The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Iliada Extra Virgin Olive Oil, best in taste.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute recently held an olive oil tasting competition.  The winner of the tasting was Iliada Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Greece.  The Good Housekeeping Research Institute says, “It was a big hit with the tasters, the fresh, grassy aroma of this moderately priced Greek import was echoed in its clean, green flavor.  This peppery oil burns a little on the way down, making it hard to ignore those good-for-you polyphenols.”

Now, for the good news, this decorated extra virgin olive oil is very moderately priced.  I bet you didn’t know that it can be purchased from Amazon.  Three, 17 0z bottles go for $32.  You can also buy 101 oz for the very low price $39.  Why not treat yourself to an excellent olive oil for the holidays.  I’m sure it would take some of your recipes up a notch or two.  Just imagine dipping some fresh bread in it with a little balsamic vinegar and some grated romano cheese….

To read the full article please click the following link:  http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/food-products/best-olive-oil/iliada-extra-virgin-olive-oil

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What’s the best knife? Ceramic vs. Stainless Steel Knives

Ceramic vs Stainless steel knives, both have advantages and disadvantages. Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.

You want to buy some knives, however there are so many choices. Should you buy ceramic knives or stainless steel ? There are so many different brands as well. Where do you even start? Most people have no idea which way to go, so they just suffer with the same old knives that they have always used.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. The knife is the single most important item in the kitchen. Once you properly know how to use a knife, cooking becomes a lot easier. But before you can use it, you have to buy one. I know…I know, I am master of the obvious.

Let’s start by discussing the main differences between the two. Quite simply it is the materials. Ceramic knives are created often by dry pressing zirconia powder and firing at very high temperatures (1000 degrees). The resultant blade is then sharpened by grinding it on a diamond wheel. The result is a very hard edge that rarely necessitates sharpening. As for a stainless steel blade, they are made from alloys. Typical metals found in the alloys are carbon, iron, and chromium. The stainless steel prevents the knife from rusting away.

CERAMIC KNIVES PROS:

• Ceramic knives for all intents and purposes are sharper than steel knives.
• Extremely strong composition which allows for the sharp edge.
• Excellent for slicing vegetables, such as tomatoes, and boneless meat.
• Ceramic knives are non-porous and impervious to corrosive items, such as acids, and salts.
• Won’t have to sharpen very often as the blade won’t dull easily.
• They are almost impossible to stain.

CERAMIC KNIVES CONS:

• Their strength is their weakness. As a matter of fact, they can be brittle. Take care when dishwashing or storing as they can chip very easy.
• Very difficult to sharpen yourself. Probably will have to do professionally.
• Because of the brittleness, not recommended to press garlic or cut through bones or meat. As a matter of fact, Kyocera website says “avoid: carving, prying, and boning.”

STAINLESS STEEL PROS:

• Knives are very versatile, no restrictions.
• Knives can be professional sharpened (unless you really know how to do this) to get a very sharp edge.
• Can press garlic and cut though bones.
• Stain resistant, not quite at the same level as ceramic, but I have never had a problem.
• Able to wash in the dishwasher without breaking.

STAINLESS STEEL CONS:

• May require frequent sharpening.
• Stainless steel is porous and can harbor bacteria and odors.
• Blade unlikely to be as sharp as a ceramic knife.

CONCLUSION: There is no doubt that ceramic knives are significantly better than stainless steel knives in numerous situations. However, it comes with some limitations. When it comes to slicing items such as tomatoes and boneless meats, a ceramic knife is superior. But, the brittleness prevents the knives from being everyday knives. My advice is to buy a stainless steel knives set as your everyday knives. If you are budget conscious, stop there. If you still have a few extra dollars, or someone else wants to spoil you, add a two piece ceramic set to supplement the steel knives.

Below are pictures and links to a very nice stainless steel set from Chicago Cutlery and a two piece ceramic set from Kyocera, the first to sell ceramic knives in the US. Both are sold through amazon.com. So if you are in need of some new knives, feel free to head over to Amazon and check things out. I would highly recommend each of these for purchase.

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