Appliances
This page is dedicated to helping you understand what appliances are really needed in your kitchen in general. We will cover the five essentail appliances for your kitchen, why each appliance is needed in your kitchen , what things to consider when buying the product , tips on proper use of each appliance and how to take care of each appliance as well .
The first appliance that I want to talk about is the Microwave oven. Microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats and cooks food by exposing it to microwave radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. It is easy to use which saves your cooking time and makes food tastier. Microwave oven consumes very less electricity.It has timer which enables us to set the time for cooking food and we do not need to wait because the oven turns off automatically. Different times are set to cook different types of food items.
Microwaves come in multiple sizes, usually ranging from 10x18x14in to 14x24x20in . To choose the right size for you, first establish where you will place your oven. Then, consider how large your kitchen counter is and how much food you expect to be cooking.
Here are Some Safety tips while using microwave oven.Use cookware that only meant for microwave cooking.Do not use metal or plastic cookware to cook in the microwave oven. Wear gloves while taking out the food from the oven because it is hot . Avoid closed containers and raw eggs because it can burst when heated in a microwave oven due to the stress build-up of steam.
Having a microwave oven really helps me to simplify my job in the kitchen. Before I got my microwave , I use to reheat my food using pots or pans and it has a lot of work because I have to wash all the stuff I used and makes my kitchen so messy due the splashed of water and oil .Now it makes me easier and also saves my water and gas stuff and I do not need to clean my kitchen due to splashed by water and oil.The microwave itself is easy to clean.Microwave oven is very helpful especially for a busy and working person that do not have much time to prepare foods. That is why we need a microwave because it is simple, easy and fast.
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RICE COOKER
The second appliance that i would like to talk about is a Rice cooker. This is one of the most essential appliance in my kitchen because rice is our main daily food especially in Asean Country.A rice cooker can be a very useful and versatile kitchen appliance.It can be used to cook rice, hot cereal, desserts and even steam vegetables and cook soups and stews. Not every rice cooker can perform every task so make sure you to select the right cooker for your needs.
Cook and turn off - The rice cooks and the unit shuts off automatically. This is the least expensive yet highly flexible machine. There is no light that indicates the rice is done. The on/off switch flips to the "off" position when the rice is done. Normally ,these basic cookers don't offer non-stick pans or steamer units but do a very good job for cooking rice .
Cook and keep warm- When the rice cooks, it reduces the heat then maintains it at a "warm" temperature .
Electronic Cook and Keep Warm has a sensor in the unit keeps rice warm for up to 12 hours. These are more expensive but worthwhile investment if your household eats a lot of rice all day long.
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Fuzzy Logic Cookers are very sophisticated machine with some great features like settings for soup or porridge, brown rice, rice texture (hard or soft) and even a sushi rice setting. These machines are great but very pricey . For the induction system can actually compensate for you measuring errors and still deliver evenly, properly cooked rice. These are the best cookers do the best job with types of rice other than standard white rice.
For more basics feature available that comes with the rice cookers are with pan, lid , steamer trays and other electronic features . These Electronic Features continue to advance with each generation of rice cooker. You may find it useful to you than others .
SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR RICE COOKER
To maximize the benefits of your rice cooker, you should know the safety and maintenance tips about this kitchen appliance. Read the instructions of your rice cooker.
Avoid touching hot surfaces with your bare hands . Instead, use protective gloves. Place it on a flat, stable surface . Keep your hands and face away when you remove its cover. This is to avoid steam burns.
Don’t fill its inner bowl above its top/maximum water line. This is to avoid overflowing when the water boils.
Avoid operating the rice cooker with the use of a damaged cord. Disconnect it when not in use. Unplug it from the power outlet if you want to clean it. Don’t allow it to immerse in water.
Allow it to cool down first before you start cleaning. Use warm, soapy water when cleaning its inner bowl . You may use your dishwasher to clean it. However, the dishwashing detergent may discolour the outside pot of the rice cooker as it’s made of anodized aluminium.
Avoid using abrasive cleaners on non-stick coatings. Rinse and dry the bowl thoroughly and make sure that the bowl is completely dry before you place it back to the base.
Use a damp cloth when cleaning its exterior. Clean the heating plate thoroughly before using it.
Let the cover cool down first before washing it. This is to avoid breaking the glass cover. It’s also advisable to use recommended cleaning pads to avoid scratching or weakening of the glass. Don’t use hard or sharp utensils. As long as you properly maintain it, it can last for several years or decades.
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Kitchen Mixer is also important for me ,because I love to bake cake . I will feel happy to see my beautiful cake and serve it to my family and relative. I bake cakes occasionally,only when I'm free or whenever celebrating any function or festival. I will bake a few types of cake and I will give it to my guest especially to my family and relative to bring it home. This will make them happy and so am I . Giving others will make us feel good .Cake is one of the simple gift that we can make ourselves.
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Coffee maker is one of the appliance I need. Every morning I need to prepare myself mentally and physically fit for the day , so that I can function to do the task that I have to do .All I need in the morning is a cup of coffee or tea to get me energized. Having a Coffee maker really helps me to make it easier and faster as I have to rush every early morning . You may need it too. You can choose from different types of coffee maker ranging from Drip Type , K-Cup, single serve , coffee grinder and Percolator. There are also choices whether single cup per brews,two to three cups per brew or more . Materials are from stainless steel ,metal ,ceramic ,chrome and plastic. Choose according to your preference and try it for yourself. It will make your day better.
Slow cooker helps me a lot too and it is a very good appliance to have for each family . Normally ,as a working woman and no helper at home ,I have to cook after coming back from work late in the evening with a very tired condition. After I got my slow cooker , it really eases my burden . I only put the chicken inside the slow cooker, switch it on and it's ready after I came back from work. The taste and flavor also preserved .I like to eat porridge sometimes too because it is very simple to prepare, but takes time to cook .This slow cooker is very good for cooking porridge . If I want it for breakfast for the next morning , I only put the rice before I go to bed and wake up in the morning with breakfast ready.
Rice cooker measures capacity by the cups that range from 3 to 10 cups. The rice cooker is designed to operate properly with a specific amount of rice and water , so avoid overfilling your cooker because it will cause messy when the rice is boiling . Rice cooker measurement cup from Japanese manufactures may different from American. The Japanese cup measurement is 200 ml and American cup is 240 ml.Rice Cooker Yields for one cup of uncooked rice is about 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice.
Choose the right size for your need depending on how many people your need to serve. A medium size of rice cooker is good enough for a small family but you might need to consider once in while we might have have guest and visitors . So that we need a bigger rice cooker so that we don't need to cook many times .
There are seem to be many options of rice cooker , but there are only a few basic types of cookers. That is On/Off Cookers, Cook and keep warm, Electronic Cook and Keep Warm.
When you want to buy a mixer , you can select a product features according to your need such as tilt head , bowl lift , auto shut off , energy star compliant and locking head. All these features are important for me because of safety and easy working .