Saturday, August 27, 2011

Pots, Pans, and Plates - Getting Your First Kitchen Essentials

Pots, pans, plates, glassware, flatware and a host of other items are required to have an efficient running kitchen. When setting up a new home very rarely do people think about those little things that they took for granted when they lived at home with mom and dad.

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It seems like those types of things should come with a home, but they do not, and it also seems that those types of things somehow go missing. Pots, pans and utensils are probably some of the most used items in the household.

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Pricing Means Quality?

When you browse around shopping for those things that make a home it is hard to figure out if you pay more will it be worth it in the long run. The answer is yes and no. For certain items it is a good idea to pay more to find better quality items that might last a bit longer but for some items clearly you are not paying for the function your are simply paying more for the design.

Pots, pans and cooking utensils for example might be worth investing a bit more money if you can fit it into your budget. You will be using these items probably just about everyday, and they will take more wear and tear if you pay for a better quality item. Flatware is flatware what you will be paying for more times than not is the styling not much to do with quality.

You want to put your money where it will matter most, a place where the returns will be clearly met.

Where To Purchase

You can purchase pots, pans and cooking utensils from a host of sources. Any home goods store will have a wide range of styles and prices. You can also purchase these items online. Shopping online affords certain freedoms that you can not find at the local home goods stores. First off you can shop any time that you please to shop. Even in the middle of the night. Secondly the range of prices and products is probably going to be much greater online than it will be locally. Of course comparison shopping is much easier online than it is to trudge from store to store picking up pots, pans and cooking utensils and checking out the prices.

Of course if you must you can shop the old fashioned way. Any discount store and many department type stores will sell these items.

Pots, Pans, and Plates - Getting Your First Kitchen Essentials

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Friday, August 26, 2011

Roasting Pans

A time like now when the holiday season is just around the corner, we really rush to buy a roasting pan so as to cook something special for our families. Am sure you may be planning to get one soon. Well, you need a few tips so as to get the best quality out there. Stainless steel with porcelain enamel does magic when it comes to roasting, in fact some come with serving trays.

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Their prices will normally vary from one manufacturer to another and so is the quality of the design. They're mostly used in roasting meat though can also be used to prepare large desserts and special cakes. The overall sizes varies and generally you get to choose the size that suits you. However, for the depth you need at least a pan that is three inches deep so that drippings can accumulate safely.

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Advanced roasting pans normally include special covers that traps the flavor inside and definitely the meat is amazing. Though a bit difficult to clean, the non-stick are the best pans. Their special coating does not allow food to stick or scorch. However, they can only be cleaned with plastic sponge made of nylon.

Some time we just pick items off the shelves and buy them. If you want to purchase a good roasting pan, please do not do this. You ought to consider some few things like; do you need it for slow or quick roasting, is the weight of the pan okay with you, do you want a pan with a handle and if you do, how is the handle attached to the pan? Basically take a good look at the pan and ensure it suits you before buying.

Roasting Pans

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How Dangerous Are Teflon Pans? The Dangers of Teflon Pans

How dangerous are Teflon pans? I get asked this question quite often so I decided that it needed to be addressed right now. First off people have been using Teflon pans for the longest time possible. Just now we're hearing about just how Teflon pans are danger and that we need to stay away from them. Well what do we know for sure? The only real thing that we know is that once these pans are heated we immediately have to deal with the dangerous chemicals that come from these pans.

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Think about this for a second. You're cooking food in these teflon pans. All of the food that we consume is cook and therefore coated in all of these harmful chemicals. So now we ingest chemicals like fluoride that go into our system and turn into fat soluble chemicals. Why is this important? When we're trying to lose stomach fat our body attempts to break down all of the chemicals out of our fat cells. Well these fat soluble cells can't be broken down. So we're left wondering why we can't lose body fat. It isn't because we have parasites or things like that. It's because of all of these harmful chemicals.

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Also all of our natural hormones are going to be affected including insulin. The whole point of a fat loss diet is to minimize rapid spikes in insulin.The problem is that once these chemicals come into our body we no longer are able to control our hormones through the normal diet and training methods. In addition, our brain neurotransmitter balance is off. This results in increased cravings and feeling of depression. So we're less likely to go to the gym and workout hard and we're more likely to cheat on our diet.

So what are a few ways that we can get rid of these chemicals if we have them in our body? First off, we should choose to eat more organic foods. We want to limit any new chemicals from entering our body. Second, we need to make sure that we heavily increase our ingestion of omega-3 fish oils. Why? Well omega-3 fish oils help to improve the hormonal balances in our body as well as detoxify our body on a regular basis. The best thing that we can do to avoid the dangers of teflon pans though is to not use them. Go out and grab some non-stick pans.

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Different Types of Cookware

Cookware consists of several different types of pots and several different types of pans, most with its own specific purpose depending on what kind of food preparation and cooking you plan on doing. First we'll look at a couple of the most common cooking apparatus and the types of foods they are often used to prepare.

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Sauce Pan

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This is probably your most common and versatile cooking device. Sauce pans can be used for boiling, steaming and heating liquid-based foods like sauces and soups. If you don't have a rice-cooker, sauce pans serve as a good replacement for cooking rice.

Skillet

Also known as a frying pan, skillets are flat cooking devices that are light in weight with low ides which makes it easy to toss and turn the food with or without a spatula. Skillets are quite versatile - they can used to cook scrambled eggs as well as saute a variety of foods including meat, chicken, shrimp and vegetables.

Next we'll look at more specialized, less well known types of cookware that are usually associated with cooking a specific type of food.

Stockpots

Stockpots are the largest types of pots and range in size from six quarts to twenty quarts. They have an upright appearance as they are taller than they are wide. These are used when you need to simmer a large amount of liquid, as the tall shape helps prevent the liquid from boiling or foaming over the top. Stockpots are ideal for cooking stock, chili and thick soups.

Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven pot is round or oval in shape and large in size. The capacity ranges from two quarts to six quarts. They work great for pot roasts, pastas, stews and large batches of soup. Dutch ovens can be used on the stove top or in the oven.

Double Broiler

A double broiler consists of two pots - one sitting on top of the other. The bottom one is slightly larger in diameter so the top pot slightly rests inside. This apparatus is often used for cooking sauces that have a tendency to separate when exposed to direct heat. Sometimes the top pot will have perforations on its bottom so the double broiler can serve as a steamer as well.

Stir Fry Pan

A stir fry pan has a wide top that slopes down so that the bottom of the pan is smaller in diameter. This pan is used for cooking rapidly at high temperatures. You can stir the food so that only a portion of it is exposed to the hottest area at the bottom at any given time which helps keep it from burning.

Roasting Pan

A roasting pan is a large rectangular pan with low sides and a grill rack insert. This is used to roast chicken, tenderloins and beef. The idea behind a roasting pan is that the meat will sit above the juices so it will brown as opposed to stew, and the steam of the juice will make its way into the meat to help tenderize it and give it added flavor. Along with the juice on the bottom you can add vegetables such as peppers and onions, and when finished cooking you can pour the juice and vegetables over the meat and serve it in its juices so that it will further absorb the moisture.

Griddle

Griddles have a flat surface with hardly any sides, usually just a small lip to prevent run-off of liquid, fat or oils. These are to be operated over stove top burners and conduct heat quickly. Griddles are commonly used to cook breakfast meals like pancakes, French toast and fried eggs.

This is a quick overview of some of the different types of cookware - some of them common kitchen items and others more specialized. If you are just getting into cooking you can start with basic cookware like sauce pans and frying pans and then delve into more specialized items as you expand your cooking horizons.

Different Types of Cookware

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Choosing Pots and Pans

Can you imagine investing money in shaped cake pans when you actually don't have time to bake? Well, it would definitely be ridiculous. That's why before you buy any cook ware you've to consider the type of food you actually cook and whether you really need it. Though some items replace each other in terms of functionality in our kitchens, there ought to be various cook wares such as Pots, pans, bowls and trays of various sizes. In fact, they are a must have in our kitchens.

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For cookware such as pots and puns to serve their purpose, they ought to be made of quality materials. Stainless steel is a good example. It's reliable and even better when copper or aluminum core is incorporated in it's structure. Stainless steel also heats evenly well with no hot spots and doesn't chemically react with food. Cookware made of this materials are a bit costly and actually the greatest choice you can make.

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Non-stick coated pans are also available, they are actually the best you can buy for your kitchen. When it comes to cleaning pots and pans hand wash is the best, unlike the dish washer it does not ruin the looks of the dish. However, if you wish to use a dish washer, then you need to remove them before drying process begins and manually use a towel to dry them. That way they'll be safe from water spotting.

Interestingly, even though you may lack a vast culinary experience, your selection of quality pots and pans can improve your kitchen activities. Actually many great cooks use quality cookware that suits their needs. The most recommended cookware is that made up of heavy-gauge materials, it accumulate and preserves heat evenly.

Choosing Pots and Pans

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Cooking - Selecting the Right Pots and Pans

One of the first steps in getting your kitchen ready to cook is choosing and purchasing the right cookware. One of the most important things you will need to buy are pots and pans. Having the right cookware makes cooking and clean-up a breeze and a lot more fun.

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Before you buy

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Before you buy, you need to determine what level of cooking you will be doing and most importantly how much you want to spend. Although you do not have to purchase the most expensive brands you can find, however, you do want to make sure you are investing in good quality pots and pans that will last. If not, you will find yourself purchasing them year after year. Plan on buying the best cookware you can afford. If needed, do a little research before buying. Read consumer review and reports.

What to buy

Here is a list of what most cooks consider to be essential pots and pans:

Sauce Pans are one of the most versatile pots. They are used for making sauces, cooking smaller portions of food, steaming, reheating or just about anything that needs to be heated. Because they are so versatile, you may want to consider purchasing a few different sizes. Some common sizes are 2 are 3 quarts with lids.
Saute Pans are wide and flat with straight sides to help when sauteing, searing or preparing recipes that have pan sauces and for recipes that require extended cooking times. Good saute pans are made of metals that quickly and efficiently conduct heat. Saute pans should also come with a long handle and a lid. Common sizes are 3 to 5 quarts.
Skillet or frying pans have moderately high, slightly flared sides. It is considered your all purpose pan for frying. Ideally they should be made out of metals that help conduct heat. Non-stick surfaces are helpful when cooking omelets. Common sizes are 8, 10 and 12-inch sizes.
Large Soup or Stock Pots are tall and narrow. They are excellent for cooking or boiling things like soups, stews, stocks, pasta or large quantities of food. Good stockpots should be made out of stainless steel with an aluminum core or anodized aluminum. Depending on how much you will be cooking, you should have a capacity of at least 8 quarts; soup pots may be 4 to 6 quarts.
What to look for

If you are buying a set, make sure it is made of sturdy materials that would not dent and warp. Handles should be comfortable and securely attached.

Pots and pans can be part of a set or bought individually. Buying sets can save a lot of money. If you do buy a set, make sure it fits your individual needs; otherwise it does not make sense to purchase pots and pans you will not use. The idea is to purchase ones that can be multifunctional.

Stainless steel is the most common and versatile material for cookware. Although stainless steel by its self is a poor conductor of heat. Stainless steel works best if it has an aluminum or copper core. It could also have a thick aluminum or copper disk bonded to the bottom of the pan. Adding a core will increase to the price, but will perform better. Anodized aluminum and no stick also make excellent choices.

Look for cookware that offers different shapes and sizes. Be picky about the pots and pans you need. If you want uniformity, buy in a set or collect individual pieces from a specific line. Hope you have found these tips useful to help you choose the right pots and pans.

Cooking - Selecting the Right Pots and Pans

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Tile Ready Shower Pans For Fast Shower Construction

Tile ready shower pans are a modern alternative to traditionally built shower pan liners for ceramic tile showers. Traditional pans require masonry skills and some art for several of the construction steps. Tile ready pans require skill too, but not as much skill. Also the newer designs go in faster since there is no cure time for masonry liners.

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The new design shower pans are ready for ceramic tile setting as soon as they are installed. The drain is built in to the base pan and the slope is built into the pan. Check local building codes for approval of whatever system you choose.

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The traditional shower methods work great if done properly and are especially suited for custom sizes. But the newer systems are perfect for custom sizes too and are especially good for multi-unit installations like apartments or hospitals. The disadvantage of tile ready showers is cost. Installation is faster but cost is consistently higher. In most cases you can get a traditional shower pan built for just the cost of the ready made shower pan material. So look carefully at cost.

Consider these three systems.

The Tile Redi system includes a polyurethane pan with a built-in drain. Standard pan sizes come with built in curbs and side shields. The pan sets in a mortar base supplied by the builder. Level the unit and attach all the pieces and it's ready for tile installation. Check the prices!

The Schluter system has a pan with material for foam curbs and sealing material for the shower wall plus matching adhesives. The Schluter also includes a matching drain. This system is better suited for odd size locations and has the large advantage of sealing the entire wall. The pan sets in a mortar base and after installation is ready for tile.

Lastly, the Wedi system from Germany uses foam panels with adhesive to build any size shower. Foam boards make up the walls for a completely waterproof shower. The pan is set in a mortar base and is ready for tiling the morning after installation.

Conventional masonry construction of shower pans builds ceramic tile showers that will last for decades at a reasonable cost. Tile ready shower pans do have advantages in some situations.

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