Saturday, July 5, 2014
Grip Beer Can Chicken Cooker
Friday, June 27, 2014
Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 13-Inch Round Grill Pan
I just got this grill pan after trying a cheapo reversible 2-burner grill, whose "non-stick" (not quite) coating started coming off very early on, and Mario Batali/Copco new enameled cast iron Panini Grill, whose top part never got very hot, and which was a pain to clean.
The Calphalon Contemporary Stainless, costing the same as the Panini Press, is a much better value. The spun tri-ply gives you very even heat and beautiful grill marks, and, as all stainless, it is extremely easy to clean -just soak for a bit and then wipe the goo off with your sponge. Also, it is very wide, which allows you to grill such large items as flank steaks, and limits splattering.I got this for my husband for Christmas so he could keep grilling all winter long. He made us steaks last week. Not as good as cooking over fire, but good. The pan made nice grill marks and didn't add any greasiness to the meat. It also came clean in the dishwasher! I can't really ask more than that.
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I specifically picked this pan after running many years without a grill pan as I do not like non stick and I can't get used to the concept of not using soap on cast iron.I have few all clads and some restaurant supply pans mixed in I now how to use barkeepers friend and I use that a lot yet this is the most difficult pan to clean.
The oil burns in and leaves black marks, it does happen on my other pans too when I pan sear let say a steak at super high heat but soaking and scrubbing with barkeeper takes much longer with this one and I still end up with few black marks.
Also I noted that it discolors underneath this is something that soaking with barkeepers friend does remove this doesn't happen with my other pans so I suspect this is something with steel that has been used. I use medium heat as I do with my other pans.
In regards to the 1 star critic about the glass top I am guessing the person is talking induction. My Viking induction cooktop wasn't able to detect the pan which is probably because the bottom is uneven.
I will try other oils over time, so far I used grape-seed and olive oil (mistake, wasn't thinking about the smoke) with the grape-seed beeing the bigger pain.
Read Best Reviews of Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 13-Inch Round Grill Pan Here
EXCELLET GRILL PAN. I'VE HAD THE CALPHALON STAINLESS STEEL GRILL PAN FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. GRILLING STEAKS, CHICKEN, VEGETABLES AND GARLIC BREAD HAS BEEN SO EASY. THE PAN HEATS VERY EVENLY AND COOLS QUICKLY. I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT AND CAN'T HAVE AN OUTDOOR GRILL. I WOULD PUT THIS GRILL PAN AGAINST ANY OUTDOOR GRILL. I USED OLIVE OIL FOR ALL COOKING WHICH MADE NOTHING STICK AND WAS VERY EASY TO CLEAN. THIS IS A PAN THAT YOU WILL PASS ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. DON'T SETTLE FOR SUBSTITUTES.Want Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 13-Inch Round Grill Pan Discount?
The pan says it's compatible with glass cooktops. It is not since it has ridges on the outside bottom of the pan. Pans for glass cooktops should be smooth on the bottom. It looks like a nice pan for regular gas or electric burners. Don't order if you have the glass cooktop.Tuesday, March 11, 2014
11.5" Chefel Double Sided Pressure Pan
There are two problems with the design, two pans are not separable which makes washing difficult, and oily stuff comes of the hole at the back of the pan and it makes stove dirty. Except for this minor problems, this pan is very well built and the quality is good.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Healthy Nonstick Ceramic Coated Frying Pan - 8" Eco Friendly Durable Fry Pan
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Works great. Never had ceramic cookware before, but works like a charm. I think I will get more of them of different sizes.Works great, food just slides off and it's easy to clean. Planning on getting the larger pan. Another plus is the customer service. I had a question regarding the product source. I received a reply that same afternoon which answered my concerns, and was clearly personalized (not a robo-response). Shipping was a bit slow, but arrived in perfect condition.Want Healthy Nonstick Ceramic Coated Frying Pan - 8" Eco Friendly Durable Fry Pan Discount?
This frying pan is great . Nothing sticks to it so it's easy to clean. I would definitely recommend it.Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Napoleon Prestige & Mirage Charcoal Tray
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This item cracked from the heat after only 1 use...I would also consider the item a bit too large...I could be scaled down by about an inch in each direction and offer the same result...I would not recommend this item due to the lack of durability...Read Best Reviews of Napoleon Prestige & Mirage Charcoal Tray Here
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Taiyaki Japanese Fish-Shaped Hot Cake Maker
Taiyaki are tasty little fish-shaped cakes with red beans in the center. That doesn't sound that good, but Japanese red beans anko, or adzuki are sweet and quite suitable for snacks and desserts. Taiyaki are easy to make, which is good considering that the packaging and documentation for this cooker is all in Japanese.
Basically, you heat this over your stove. I tried using it on an electric burner, and believe it or not it works just fine that way. Heat the taiyaki-ki up on both sides until water sizzles on the cooking surface, then give it a light dash of cooking spray and spoon in a thin layer of batter, working from the tail to the body. (You can Google up a recipe, but I'm lazy and use pancake mix.) Add some red beans to the body area, then more batter to cover, and then close the mold. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Voila, tasty sweet fish-shaped snack cakes!
You can vary the recipe by using chocolate, shrimp paste, peanut butter, or whatever you like as fillings.After I recvd this one, I asked my Korean friends to read the instruction for me. I am quite sure any items to be sold in the US, one needs to have instruction in English. This is not the case. Anyway, the instruction was to tell you to be careful in handling this pan they will be come very hot during cooking.
I used waffle mix and put some red bean paste (Oriental store) as fillings and make some fish cake, very cute. I also used raspberry and blueberry as alternatives. I am going to let my imagination juice flow and seek for some other fillings. (Chestnut paste, sesame paste, berries w/marmalade, custard cream........) Um..... they are so yum yum.
I'd recommend using waffle mix rather than pancake mix waffle mix gives you a much lighter and fluffier texture. However, if you'd like to have a fish with substance (smile), use pancake mix the texture is much more heavy. Just like a pancake fish and fillings cannot be easily put into the fish.
Do not put the fish maker on the BBQ, a regular stove top will do the job. Always heat up the maker first for a few minutes and spray with some PAM or spread a bit of butter inside it prevents stickniess. Turn down the temperature to medium and pour some thin batter to coat the fish maker pan (one side only). Do not over fill. Put your fillings carefully into the center of the fish they will sink into the batter or you can use a small spoon to help them sink. Pour in more batter to cover the fillings. Close it tight and turn it around to warm the other side. Monitor the temperature as it burns easily.
After 2-3 minutes voila here comes 2 lovely fish with yummy fillings splashing onto your table. I make them on the weekends and my friends just love them. They are more popular than the English tea that I usually prepare.
The little fish cake reminds me of my childhood when I spent my early life in Asia. They have so many types of interesting snacks on the streetside!
1/24/2012 Update:
I was told to add a few teaspoon of BEER into the batter and it works like magic! Same for tempura batter adding BEER gives you the crispiness. Now the outer is crispy and the inner is as soft as mashmellow. Thank you for sharing the tips, Marsa.
I also use my home made vanilla custard cream as fillings. I sprinkle powder sugar on my fish after it is toasted. 1/2 of the sugar is elminated in the batter and it is healthier. Well, at least my waistline appreciates it. :>
Monday, September 2, 2013
Cuisinart GR-SM Overstuffed Sandwich Maker, Brushed Stainless Steel
This is well made, heavier than other sandwich makers. The different heat settings are great, also the removable plates.
The corn dogs stuck but they were the the first thing I made,I'm thinking I didn't get the plates oiled enough.Egss with bacon & cheese came out fine, so did the ham salad cheese wraps.
This is going to stay out on the counter, I think I will be using it everyday.The only issue I had when using the product was when I used a 'butter' spray on the bread rather than actual butter or margarine. The lower level slice of bread came out slightly soggy. This may have been due to the moisture in the lunch meat and other items I had between the slices of bread. The top slice of bread was toasted perfectly. I've also used package pizza dough in this machine. There is a recipe included in the instruction booklet that is for this type of dough, but I just used my own ingredients for the stuffing. It turned out fantastic. I would highly recommend this product.
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Item delivered exactly as described. Does hold overstuffed sandwiches but does not toast to same extent as original sandwich maker.Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart GR-SM Overstuffed Sandwich Maker, Brushed Stainless Steel Here
My main reason for buying this sandwich maker was that clean up in my old model was becoming very difficult, with grease trapped between the plates etc. With a large family I don't have time to fuss over cleaning things. This one is great, the plates pop out and go in the dishwasher. The pockets are really big, so lots of possibilities....So far the sandwiches have been great, but we have only had it a couple of weekes.Want Cuisinart GR-SM Overstuffed Sandwich Maker, Brushed Stainless Steel Discount?
This does hold overstuffed sandwiches, however if not over stuffed the top plates have a hard time touching the bread. And I have been unable to find a happy medium on temp, high burns, med. dries out , low barely melts. I am just not very happy with this product. One reveiwer said she found raised bumps on her plates...well after a couple of uses on high , I too saw them, when they were not there before. Does cooking on high do this ?Saturday, August 24, 2013
Presto 07113 12-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet
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I use an electric fry pan many times a week .. This one far surpasses my knowledge of fry pans and I feel this will last longer than any of mine from past. It is more than described I made pancakes and eggs I was amazed how the finish made turning over so easy it is sturdy and I have it on my counter 24/7. I love it .Read Best Reviews of Presto 07113 12-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet Here
This foldaway electric skillet is perfect for a single person living in an apt. where they don't have a lot of counterspace. Amazon is the only place I found this size skillet, the dept stores don't have it. I have found it to be very useful. It was a good buy.Want Presto 07113 12-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet Discount?
The size of this skillet is perfect, not too big but large enough to cook any selection serving from 1-4. It doesn't take up so much space on the cabinet--and although I have space, I don't want one cooking appliance to take up half my counter--this one does not. It heats up quickly, maintains even heat, the lid fits tightly to contain cooking juices and because it keeps in the natural juices from the food, hardly any oil is needed. First time I used it, I put a couple tablespoons of oil (olive in it), it was too much, now I'm down to only a few drops of oil on a dry pan and adding my ingredients--most times I use none at all, the juices from the food is enough. The cooking surface is smooth and slick, no problem with any food sticking. The most enjoyable part however in using this skillet is the clean up. Most times I simply wipe it out with a damp paper towel, it comes clean quickly, however if I need to wash it, having the skillet come off the stand is fantastic--the stand unsnaps quickly from the skillet. This makes cleaning the skillet a breeze--simply remove from the stand, unplug the cord and quickly and easily wash it out under running water and place back on the stand ready for the next use. Excellent skillet, everything I wanted and more. Thanks Amazon for stocking this 12" size, it was the only place I found this perfect size.
