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Category: Small Appliances

Using a mini blender or mini food processor in the kitchen can make many jobs easier, allowing you to create delicious dishes and dips, with less mess than a full size blender.

The following are nine creative ways to use your mini blender/food processor combo:

1. Healthy salad dressings.  Salad dressing tastes best when made fresh in portions of only a cup or two at a time, making the mini blender a great choice for blending oils, herbs, vinegars, and other seasonings more effectively than mixing by hand.

2.  Grating or chopping nuts.  This job can be completed quickly, and can chop the nuts finer for more delicate flavors.  Nuts are a great addition to cookies, cakes, salads and sauces. Just make sure your blade is strong enough to handle this job before starting.

3. Hummus and other dips. A mini blender is the perfect size for making one or two servings of hummus.  Just put garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice and garlic into the mini processor and have yummy, healthy hummus in minutes. Or try pureed black beans with sour cream and salsa mixed in for an easy dip with tortilla chips.

4. Salsa. Quickly make your own fresh salsa by using tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic. Add cilantro and lime juice for a tasty salsa.

5. Powdered sugar. Many people don’t realize how easily this can be made at home. Simply blend regular sugar into a fine powder to use in baked goods. This can be stored in a separate container for later use as well.

6. Grating cheese. Hand-grating is time consuming and messy.  Place cubes of cheese into a mini blender and finish the job in a few moments.

7. Tear-free onion dicing.  An onion is chopped quickly into manageable sized pieces for your stir-fry, soup, or sauce with a mini blender, and you won’t have to worry about shedding a tear.

8. Smoothies and shakes. A breakfast of champions is easy to make with a mini blender in the perfect single serving size.  Yogurt, juice, and frozen fruit can be used to make a healthy smoothie, or throw in coffee and ice cream for a treat.

9. Pesto.  This savory blend of pine nuts, basil, and oil makes a delicious pasta sauce or sandwich spread. The mini blender can be used to create a creamy paste with minimal clean up required.

To learn more go to Mini Blender Central.

Hamilton has been in the business of manufacturing kitchen appliances since decades and carries an enriching experience in producing quality blenders for perfectly smooth smoothies, great ice creams and a good mix of drinks. Hamilton beach commercial bar blender is the most preferred commercial kitchenware across the globe. Not only it is famous among the professionals but the domestic market for these blenders have soured too, another product that have achieved tremendous growth and is in direct competition to hamilton bar blender is the handheld blender from cuisinart, known as cuisinart CSB-76 smart stick hand blender.

Good quality parts go into there blenders and they are a class apart from their counterparts. They are equipped with high end powerful 1/3 horse power motor, a sharp and durable stainless steel blade assembly, large 48 oz plastic jar to accommodate much of the drinks, not to mention the 2 speed toggle switch which mixes the juices to perfection, thus making a complete drink to cherish. You can have Hamilton bar blender in various colors which can accentuate the environment of the commercial kitchen.

Probably the best part of Hamilton bar blenders is its noiseless operation. As compared to other blender of similar make and usage, Hamilton has specifically designed this product to soothe the user, especially if he or she has to make hundreds of drink in a day. Another most prominent feature of Hamilton beach bar blender is its sharp and powerful blades to mix almost any ingredient. That is the reason why you will find one of these in almost every bar you enter in the town and probably the best margarita you ever tasted might have originated from one of these. what users should understand is that the most important factor guarantying the success of the blender is the job that blender is put to perform, selecting the blender job right  is very important, any blender can fail since every tool has its own limitations.

Talking of price now, the hamilton bar blender series is not far behind the market, this unique product can cost you anything between $150 to $400, depending upon the add-ons and extra features of the model you choose. Also a good after sales service complemented with a one year warranty provided by Hamilton makes these blenders a unique selling preposition in the market.

The kichenaid artisan is a do it all kitchen appliance. It is way more than a mixer. It has a large number of accessories that will perform the duties of many small appliances. It is versatile enough to become the center point of food preparation in the kitchen.

The kitchenaid artisan 5 quart stand mixers will last for many many years. Their durability is legendary. If you never used a single attachment just having this as your mixer is worth the price. The stainless bowl locks down to prevent slipping around on the base. This feature makes it easy to do other tasks while the mixer is running.

The kitchenaid artisan stand mixer has a nice heavy base. This keeps the mixer in place when in use. Since you can trust the mixer to stay put it makes the user more confident using the attachments. The heavy base also keeps the mixer from jumping or walking when in use providing smooth and consistent results. The mixer part is on a hinge that can be locked down to keep the blades in the mix.

Attachments are the key to the versatility of the kitchenaid artisan mixer. There is an attachment for every need. Food processor, pasta maker, grinder and more. There are literally too many different types of attachments available to even mention. Kitchenaid frequently comes out with new or improved attachments making this mixer a valuable tool that will continue to be a major player in the kitchen for many years to come.

To finish out the total package the Kitchenaid artisan features a sleek design. They come in a variety of beautiful colors so you are sure to find something that will go with the design of your kitchen and match your white bar stools. They are so stylish and usable that most cooks keep them out on the counter instead of putting them in the cabinet.

People are fast becoming health conscious and apart from the intake of fresh fruit juices health drinks made from fresh vegetables are becoming increasingly popular. There are a variety of juicers that can be used for squeezing the juice out of common citrus fruits but it is wise to invest in a stainless steel juicer that extracts juice from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Over the years a stainless steel juicer has become an essential requirement in every home. Apart from its main purpose of extracting juice, the sleek and compact designs of a stainless steel juicer look beautiful perched on granite or marble counter tops. With the rising demand for stainless steel juicers, manufacturers are cramming a lot of features that suit the need of the consumer.

A stainless steel juicer is easy to wash and clean, every time it is used to extract juice from fruits and vegetables. A pure stainless steel juicer is durable and rust proof and lasts for a long time. Juicers made of plastic tend to develop micro cavities or crevices on the surface. When dirt fills these crevices it is not visible easily, this can lead to contamination of the juice. A stainless steel juicer does not develop cracks and crevices. As stainless steel juicers are hygienic, individuals prefer them over plastic juicers. Some plastic juicers do not manage to suck out all the juice from a fruit and this is evident in the wet pulp that is left over.

A stainless steel juicer extracts the juice completely from a fruit or vegetable. Every time it is washed with a mild detergent it looks brand new unlike their plastic counterparts that lose their luster with every wash. A stainless steel juicer is often accompanied with several components that can be attached to the juicer.

Electric knives are among the newest of kitchen appliances. Newer still are the cordless electric knives. Most of us have not even seen or used an electric knife. As such, electric knives are not understood well. Many folks do not even see the need of purchasing them. Worse, buying a substandard electric knife or cordless knife leaves people with a bad experience.  Electric knives are superior to standard knives for a whole range of reasons. They make our work easier, faster, and simpler. They also help us to make our work a lot more perfect. It is like having a blender and food processor that make our work easier, faster, and more efficient.

Every electric knife should have two removable blades. These two blades cut simultaneously in opposing directions. This characteristic gives the electric knife their best feature, the ability to slice food without misshaping them. Consider the old way of cutting food. You hold the knife and press down on the food, slicing with back and forth motion. This usually leaves the food mangled or, worse, mashed. All of us can recall cutting a piece of stuffed meat or pie; we end up with mashed food and the stuffing all around. Having two blades slicing in opposite directions simultaneously means that all you have to do is press down and not nearly with as much force. The food slices come out perfect.

One can get an electric knife pretty inexpensively, but there will be a problem with the standard electric knife, the cord. You either need to find a model with such a long cord that it can reach every corner of your kitchen or dining table if you plan to carve the turkey on the table or, the better choice, settle for a cordless electric knife.

Of course you should also consider battery life. Many cordless models have batteries that do not last or become weak fast. This is something that you will have to research on, as you will not be able to deduce by just looking at it. You can ask people you may know that have bought the knife or read consumer reports on the Internet. You are likely to find some solid advice on which current models are worth avoiding and which do the job well. You may even find some advice on YouTube.

A good cordless electric knife will not be cheap, but once you get one, it will last and make your work in the kitchen easier, faster, and more efficient.

There are many different Japanese companies that produce rice cookers. For example there is Tiger, Zojirushi, Sanyo, Toshiba, Panasonic and Hitachi. Today I want to talk about one of these companies in particular. Did you know that Sanyo is now owned by Panasonic? However they both maintain a separate brand identity. Sanyo targets the middle of the market with the majority of its rice cookers.

The interesting thing is that if you buy a Sanyo ECJ-PX50S you actually get more than just a rice cooker. It has a slow cooker function that allows you to prepare stews and hot pots. There is also a pressure cooking setting which can be used when you make your rice. This helps to reduce the cooking time and ensure a great texture to the finished product. But is it any good? This is a good question. And the answer is, yes.

It is in the same price range as the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 and has a host of features in common. They can both cook a wide variety of different rices. They have many different settings to choose from. Whether you should get a Zojirushi or a Sanyo machine is down to your own preference. They look fairly different. The Sanyo ECJ-PX50S looks like a silver box while the Zojirushi appliance has a hard white plastic outer body. You may prefer one over the other.

The fact that the Sanyo machine can be used for many different things besides rice gives it an added appeal. In Japan itself however, Tiger and Zojirushi are the two most popular brands amongst the Japanese. Why this is the case, when there are such excellent Sanyo products in the market too, remains a bit of a mystery. If you would like to try something new the it may be worth purchasing a Sanyo ECJ-PX50S.

If you know a little bit about electric juicing machines you may now that there are two basic designs from which many models are made. These two basic designs are masticating juice extractors and centrifugal juice extractors. They are both effective juicing machines in their own right but each one has individual pros and cons because they extract juice by different mechanisms.

Centrifugal Juice Extractors
The Jack LaLanne power juicer is a classic example of a centrifugal juice extractor. Centrifugal juice extractors are the taller looking juicer machines that often have a vertical feed chute through which you drop in your fruits and vegetables. At the bottom of the feed chute is a metal disc made up of many small blades (like you see on a cheese grater) that grates down fruits and vegetables into juice.

The motors in centrifugal juice extractors are very fast and range between 3,000 – 13,000 RPM depending on the model. The high speed motors are great in that they juice very quickly, making centrifugal juice extractors a lot faster than masticating juice extractors. All that power does have a few draw backs. First it creates a lot of noise. Second, the heat created destroys some of the antioxidants and enzymes in a juice. Third, the juice yield is lower because the fruits and vegetables are not given enough time to be juiced in the most efficient way.

So centrifugal juice extractors still make a health promoting nutritious juice, just not quite as nutritious as a masticating juicer…

Masticating Juice Extractors
Masticating juice extractors do not use any kind of blade to extract juice but actual use something called a single gear. The single gear looks something like a ribbed worm or a screw and fits tightly into a tube. Pieces of fruits and vegetables are passed into the tube where the single gear rotates slowly to efficiently  ‘ring out’ the juice. The advantage here is that the slow operation of the single gear produces less heat and therefore kills less nutrients. The higher juice yield saves money while also squeezing more nutrients out of fruits and vegetables. The slow motor also makes very little noise compared to centrifugal juice extractors.

The main disadvantage of a masticating juice extractor is that the slow mechanism takes a lot longer to make a juice. The feed chutes are also a lot smaller than you generally find with centrifugal juice extractors. This means more time chopping, cutting and prepping.

When most people think of tea pots they do not consider them to be a particularly stylish or trendy item. Tea pots have fallen out of fashion in recent years as people have taken to the convenience of using tea bags directly in a mug, rather than brewing their tea in a teapot. Loose teas are gradually making a comeback however as more people realize the improvement in taste over bagged tea. And tea pots do not have to be old fashioned – choose one of the new styles of glass tea pot which will both look great and make great tea.

There are various styles of glass tea pots you can buy to suit your budget and style preferences. Using a teapot made of glass helps you to enjoy your tea even more as you can watch the tea as it brews and observe the water turning from clear to a beautiful golden color. Most tea pots will come with an internal filter so you do not have to pour the tea through a separate strainer when it’s time to drink.

To make a particularly beautiful display with a glass tea pot you can purchase a blooming tea. These take the form of whole dried flowers wrapped with tea leaves which unfurl in the hot water into a beautiful blooming flower, perfuming the water with flavor. This is a great way to impress guests and you really need a glass tea pot to appreciate the affect.

Normal teas can of course be used in glass tea pots and you can select any variety that takes your fancy from black or green to fruit varieties. Fruit teas can look particularly appealing brewed in glass with their bright colors that cannot be appreciated in a normal teapot.

You can buy glass tea pots from larger department stores and a variety of specialist suppliers online.

When you see a product labeled “professional,” you may not think it could be a useful product for your own home.  The Kitchenaid Professional 600 is one which nearly no home should be without.  While you will be impressed with its high quality, it is the practical nature of the product that makes it a necessary part of every home kitchen.

First, the mixing bowl is designed to hold six quarts.  This feature makes the mixer ideal for everything from cooking for your family to preparing foods for a party to preparing large quantities of food for the freezer.  With this mixer in your kitchen, you will never need to make one small batch at a time.  Cooking will be a better experience, in addition to saving time.

Second, its powerful motor provides plenty of options in food preparation.  You might be used to mixers for such delicate processes as mixing cake batter.  However, this mixer has much more potential.  You can even prepare dough for your own homemade bread.  The mixer will give smooth, consistent texture with almost no effort on your part.  From delicious cakes to perfect breads, and everything in between, your mixer is made to perform well, each and every time.

While making food preparation the joyous experience that it was intended to be will lead you to appreciate the Kitchenaid Professional 600, the fine quality will convince you that you have made the right choice.  When you experience how great it works, it is only the first step in having these same great experiences again and again, for many years.  The mixer you buy today will continue to perform at its best for however long you wish to use it.  It truly is the one product which makes cooking and baking a fun and easy part of life.

There are many different toaster oven options all at very different prices. We have good quality items like the tro480bs and reading tro480bs reviews and others is a great way to see just how good an item is.

Toaster oven ratings vary quite a bit so we should certainly read some reviews of items that we are interested in. But we can get some very good deals. We can certainly get a good toaster oven for a low price.

In fact we can get good models even under fifty dollars. We may not be bale to get a convection model for that price but there are still many good options to choose from. And the quality can be surprisingly good. We will be able to easily make toast in the morning or bagels and the ovens in the cheap models are still large enough for many tasks.

The cheap models may not always have the oven capacity of larger models but there is no doubt that we will be able to still do pizzas and make many other meals. Because toaster ovens are now so popular we can get a good quality make for what seems a very low price. It is because they sell in large numbers that this is possible, plus the fact that technology has moved on so much.

In fact many models are available for the same price as a conventional toaster so it is certainly worth getting something that has so many other uses as well. We will find that it cuts down a lot on the cost we incur when running our main oven, our new purchase will see us using about half the electricity and this really does add up over the course of a year. This is why it is definitely worth getting at least a cheap toaster oven, they save both time and money for us.