Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

2/24/2024

Akulife 2-Piece Silicone Air Fryer Liners

These liners are well priced and good quality. I have a 3-litre fryer and these are a little bit larger for that size (see my photos), but they fit well as they're flexible. They heat up considerably, so be careful when getting them out of the fryer basket if still hot. They retain a lot of oil that doesn't go into the fryer, preventing bad odours and the metal becoming sticky as well. They wash well by hand with dishwashing liquid; however, even if I wash them well, once dry, there is a sort of white residue on the reticulated maze base that I have to remove manually with a towel. I have used my fryer without the liners, and now with them, and I think they improve the cleanliness, odour and life of my fryer. 

1/02/2024

Stone Chef Non-Stick Alluminium-Alloy Frying Pan 28cm

This is a very light non-stick frying pan, something that I love, as it's easy to maneuver, lift and clean. I love the fact that it has no harmful Teflon but food doesn't stick. The handle barely heats while cooking; besides, it doesn't have that chemical smell that other Bakelite handles have.  This 28-cm pan is perfect for cooking for 1 or 2 people. I wash it by hand and it cleans very easily, but it's dishwasher friendly. I use it on an electric stove, and no issues. Well-priced too. 

Primula Stovetop Coffee Maker

This is a classic stove coffee percolator with capacity to make 12 espresso cups, which is always double for normal milky coffee (six mugs) as I put two shots in one mug. I have smaller moka pots, but I wanted one that would allow me to fill in my work Thermos in one go without having to prepare two pots, and this is perfect for that.
 
The pot is as simple as it gets, no design fuss. Yet it does the job and cost me half of what I would have paid for any other brand. If you have never used one of this, you'll find step-by-step guidance on the packaging box and in the instruction leaflet (see my photos).
 
I thought that the handle is too small or weak to carry the weight of such a heavy pot, but I found it to be quite OK despite its appearance.
 
I use the pot on a small electric camping stove as my kitchen range has very large burners and I don't think the handle would withstand so much heat. Too many reviewers have mentioned that. However, on this camping stove, as per my photo, it is perfect. It takes a while to heat up, but it does the job.
 
Pouring is clean and easy, something I love as this is one of the most common flaws in other coffee pots I own. This pot allows perfect clean pouring with natural hand tilting.

It washes well with little effort.

DOWNSIDES
-- The inner steam spout spits coffee out if I lift the lid, and it spills out. So the outing is not really smooth and continuous.
-- Although made of traditional aluminum, it is quite light and the metal feels weak and cheap. The filter perforated base clunks a bit, as that's because the filter is not made in one piece, and, to me, that's a recipe for further disaster.
-- I haven't used this on a large cook-top burner because it would melt the handle. Too many reviews on that for me to ignore. It is also the first impression I got when I opened the box. Like, I checked the reviews afterwards and found that to be the case.  

IN SHORT
A family-sized moka pot, basic in design but does the job if you have a small cook-top burner (gas or electric) at a great price. I will update this review in the future, if necessary. 

7/26/2023

Vegeta Chicken Stock Powder 200 gms

This is a staple in my kitchen pantry. There are many reasons for it. The first is that this is large good-value jar with plenty of product in it. The second is that the flavor is good so it lifts all the dishes I add it to; it has a good amount of salt (even if the jar says 'reduced') so I don't add salt to my dishes if I'm using this stock powder. The third is that, as it is powder, not cubes, I can add the right amount of product without wasting anything.  Fourth, the inner foil-lining keeps the product fresh and aromatic for a long time and the jar lasts me for months. Fifth and last, it has no MSG.
 
DOWNSIDES
Barely any chicken in it (1%). It's mostly veggies, spices, fats and oils, as per the list of ingredients on the jar back. Also it is sold as 'no added flavours' but the list of ingredients shows 'flavour (chicken)' so what does this mean?
 
It tends to solidify after using a wet spoon or after a long time of no use, but the 'caking' is easily broken down with a fork.
 
The jar small lettering is barely legible due to the lack of contrast between the lettering and the yellow background so I use a magnifying glass to read anything written in it.
 
MIND
I don't use to drink it, just as a cooking condiment, so I cannot comment on the taste as a drinkable broth.

7/09/2023

G-Fresh G-Fresh Himalayan Pink Salt, 100 g

This is a good Himalayan pink salt, in a  good-quality plastic grinder at a great price. My only 'but' is not the salt per se, which is good, but the container cap. The grinder cap cannot be unscrewed, something I wanted to empty out one of the jars I bought; however, I had to cut the container jar body with a sharp knife for me able to do so. For the rest, very happy with the product quality and price.

6/08/2023

Glad to be Green Compostable Bake & Cooking Paper, 15 Metres

This is a good quality baking paper. I use it mostly as a mat on my craft table to protect the table and also to apply my acrylic paints directly on without worrying it would go on to the table. This is so because the paper has a glossy side that seems to be waterproof. I also use it as a mat inside my microwave so that it protects its floor from spills and drops from the food I reheat or defrost there. It is very versatile. Ironically, I don't use baking paper for paper so I cannot comment on the use in the oven. The cutter is good and the sheets are cut out simply and neatly. The main downside of the roll is the width of the paper, which I'd like it to be larger. Also, the fact that is compostable makes it weaker and I prefer the average parchment paper for my microwave as this compostable version gets damaged quicker and doesn't withstand as much oil or liquid as the other. For the rest if fits the purpose.

G-Fresh Cinnamon Sugar, 160 g

This is a yummy cinnamon sugar that I add to my butter toast to turn it from average to yummy. I love the fact that isn't overly sugary and that the ground is very fine so it's a pleasure to eat. The jar is really generous for the price, too. 
 
My main two cons are 1/ that the dispenser doesn't have a fine sieve , just 4 big holes so it is good for baking but not so much for toasts or small deserts on a plate, so I have to be careful when I use it. 2/ There is no list of ingredients on the jar, which is a must as per the Australian food administration regulations. Yes, for sure, there is sugar and cinnamon, but in which proportions? Anything else added? Preservatives or anti-caking? Any allergenic? Like the label needs to be updated or a sticker added.

10/23/2022

Olive Oil Sprayer for Cooking

This oil spray bottle looks stylish and expensive and, beforehand, this was what I was looking for. The glass bottle is good quality but has a very small mouth, so I had to use a tiny funnel to fill it in. The top part. which is the pump and spray, looks metallic but it's actually good-looking cheap plastic, and badly assembled. I put rice bran oil in it, which is lighter than other oils, and the pump would not pump it up or spray. The top seemed a bit loose, so I tried to move it in different ways to see if it would work but without any luck. Besides, The photo of the bottle on the container box doesn't match what I received as the middle 'neck' is missing, so I wonder whether this is the issue that prevents the pump from working. I had to empty and wash the bottle as I will be returning it. Most disappointed.

7/24/2022

MASTERPRO MPHB8 Loaf Bakeware Pan Carbon Steel/Black

This a good quality oven tray. I don't use it for bread just to roast veggies. It is quite large, like a fifth larger than most average bread pans out there. See my photo to see the difference. Very easy to use, and it doesn't stick. It cleans super-easy, just with a bit of soapy water even when I put lots of oil in it. Great value for money.