All Entries in the "Kitchen" Category
Range Hood Cleaning Tips
By Brittany Rowland While many range hoods have removable filters that are generally easy to clean—some are even safe to go in the dishwasher—you also have the top and other surfaces of the hood to keep clean. You’d be surprised how much grease builds up on top of the hood. Not only does grease keep [...]
Knife Sharpening Tools and Tips
By Brittany Rowland Sharpening your special kitchen knives when it’s required will keep them cutting and slicing away with speed and precision. Even though many knife manufacturers boast that their knives stay sharp and rarely need honing, it’s still smart to have a couple tools at hand for when your blades inevitably start getting dull. [...]
Parts of a Chef’s Knife
By Brittany Rowland If you’re hunting for a top-quality chefs knife, then it’s helpful to understand the basic components of a knife and what qualities makes it durable and strong. Forged steel is always preferable. The steel should run in one piece from the tip of the knife to the tang, or the part that’s [...]
How to Use a Chef’s Knife
By Brittany Rowland Whether you’re a professional or amateur cook, knowing how to use a chefs knife properly will save you a lot of time and effort, and be safer too. When you have a lot of meats, fish, or vegetables to go through, it’s helpful to know how to wield and maneuver the knife [...]
Tips for Choosing Kitchen Knives
By Brittany Rowland So you’re in charge of your own kitchen now and you need to build up your collection of kitchen tools. As any professional or aspiring chef knows, the greatest tools you have at your disposal are knives. Different knives perform different functions, of course, be it chopping, mincing, dicing, slicing, paring, scooping, [...]
Santoku Knife Use and History
By Brittany Rowland These days, the santoku knife has become a ubiquitous kitchen tool, common in all home appliance stores and TV cooking shows. You hear a TV chef rave about the santoku knife, and you wonder if it’s an ancient Japanese knife only recently brought to the West. After all, companies that forge santoku [...]
Knife Storage Tips
By Brittany Rowland The last thing you want to do is keep all your sharp knives—chefs, santoku, filleting, paring, etc.—is throw them all together in a drawer. Not only does it look untidy and fail to protect the blades, but it’s like sticking your hand in a land mine to fish one out. Some knives [...]
3 Tips for Maintaining a Dutch Oven
By Brittany Rowland A Dutch oven, or a large covered pot of some heavy material like cast iron, is a versatile tool for cooking casseroles, stews, roasts, and other big meals. The thick-walled cooking vessel has been a time-tested tool for several centuries. While the old-fashioned kind used for hundreds of years featured thick, sturdy [...]
How to Wash Your Knives
By Brittany Rowland After a lot of busy work in the kitchen, chopping up and cooking food, you just want to enjoy the fine meal you’ve prepared and get the kitchen cleaned as quickly as possible. It’s tempting to throw your nice knives in the dishwasher along with all the other cookware, but you should [...]
The Importance of Chefs Knives
By Brittany Rowland When it comes to preparing food, the knife is of utmost importance. For the greatest control and versatility, a chefs knife cannot be topped. Featuring a blade between 8 and 10 inches long, it’s expensive and requires special care, but it will also last for many years. No matter what you’re chopping, [...]
Figuring Out the Best Height for a Pot Rack
By Brittany Rowland A hanging pot rack ideally keeps pots and pans within easy reach above your head. However, you’ll need to consider the height of your ceiling and your own height to determine the best height for your pot rack. If it’s short or you hang it too high, you won’t be able to [...]
The Essential Knives You’ll Find in Most Knife Sets
By Brittany Rowland Knife sets vary in the types of knives they offer. Typically, the more knives in a set, the higher the price rises. While it’s awfully convenient to have a versatile collection for all your cooking tasks, you also don’t want to get saddled with a bunch of frilly knives that you never [...]
Should I Get a Hanging, Wall-Mounted, or Freestanding Pot Rack?
Depending on your kitchen design and personal preferences, you may decide to buy a either a hanging, wall-mounted, or freestanding pot rack. Each variety has its special qualities and attractions, although they all serve basically the same purpose: organizing and storing pots, pans, and utensils. Hanging pot racks As you might guess from the name, [...]
Tips for Baking and Serving Casseroles
The casserole has long been a favorite American dish, even though the word is French in origin. Casseroles are easy to bake because you simply add all the ingredients to a casserole pan and bake it in the oven. They come out hot and ready to serve. You know that friends and relatives bring casseroles [...]
What to Look For in Stainless Steel Cookware
By Brittany Rowland Stainless steel provides the most versatile functions in a cookware set. However, you need to know what to look for when you buy a stainless steel set, which is typically more expensive than other materials. Even Heating While stainless steel has a gleaming, mirror-like appearance, it’s by itself not the most conductive [...]
Best Casserole Containers
Top 10 Rated Casserole Containers By Brittany Rowland Nothing says comfort food like a rich, hot casserole. We looked at a number of casserole containers, both glass and stoneware, and found 10 that we believe do a superior job of baking casseroles, lasagna, bread, and other meals. We looked for the following qualities: 1. Safe [...]
