Scanpan Professional Grill Pan
January 26, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear
We like to grill year round, but occasionally it’s too cold to grill outdoors, even for us, and we find a grill pan for indoor use very useful. We’ve had our share of grill pans, many of which were disappointing. I recently had the opportunity to test a Scanpan grill pan courtesy of the company, and I have to say this is hands down the best grill pan we’ve ever used.
The pan is made from heavy cast aluminum and is coated with a ceramic-titanium nonstick surface that really doesn’t stick to food. Unlike traditional nonstick pans, this pan is PFOA free, making it safe to cook on for many years. The handle is cast 18/10 stainless steel and stays cool longer than others we’ve used, though the pan comes with a separate fitted handle cover that functions as a potholder. Read more
Senseo Coffee Pod System
August 6, 2008 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear
A few months ago I received a weekly email from BlogHer with their picks for great deals and fabulous freebies, and one item caught my eye: the Share Senseo program. For just the cost of shipping, you get a free single-serve coffeemaker, free bag of coffee pods, and free pod canister. Since I’m the only coffee drinker in the family, I thought this might be worth a try. I applied for the program (yes, you have to fill out a questionnaire and receiving one is not guaranteed) and a few weeks later I received an email stating that a Senseo was on it’s way to me. For purposes of disclosure, I was under no obligation to blog about the coffee maker, so this review is written of my own free will.
The Senseo is supposed to give a European style coffee with a foamy crema layer on top, so the coffee is forced out under pressure rather than dripping. Read more
Hot Shopping Tip: Lodge Color Enameled Cast-Iron 6-Quart Dutch Oven
June 2, 2008 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear, Shopping Tips
This deal popped into my radar just this morning, a good 6-quart enamel on cast-iron dutch oven from Lodge Manufacturing. Le Creuset has had a tight hold on the enameled cast-iron cookware market, but there are increasingly good quality, less expensive options from other manufacturers, and this is one of them. In January of this year, Cook’s Illustrated published another update to their original evaluation of Dutch ovens from 2005. They tested both the Tramontina 6.5 quart and Lodge Color 6 quart. They rated both of them well, with the Tramontina slightly edging out the Lodge for size and lower price.
Today I noticed Amazon has the Lodge version in the very nice Island Spice color on sale for 55% off, so you can get it for a great price at $34.99 with Free Super Saver Shipping. This one will not last long!
Lodge Logic Pro Cast Iron Grill/Griddle
May 13, 2008 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear
With five mouths to feed, having some oversize cookware can come in handy, especially when trying to crank out breakfast. Sunday mornings the kids are swirling around the kitchen proclaiming how hungry they are even though I’ve just given them a banana and milk to tide them over until the pancakes or waffles are ready. When it was just the two of us I made pancakes in my round 8-inch cast iron skillet without any problem, but now that the Three Amigos have joined the family, I can’t be bothered with small pans that only cook two or three pancakes at a time.
I tried out an extra large electric griddle, but the heat was very uneven because the coils simply didn’t cover enough surface area and the thing was just huge, so both washing and storage were a problem. Of course dropping it one day didn’t help performance. I studied these Lodge griddles/grill pans for a while thinking it would work well, but our old gas stove had burners with different BTUs aligned, making even heating even more difficult when spanning two burners. So I held off, but when we moved last spring and realized the cooktop had burners with the same BTUs on one side, I ordered the grill/griddle pan. Read more
AeroGarden Part 3
January 29, 2008 by Andrea
Filed under Kitchen Gear
The basil was doing great until the whiteflies that had moved indoors with my overwintering mint found the AeroGarden. Believe me, we did battle for several weeks. One nice thing about the AeroGarden is that you can lift the growing platform off the tank, turn the plants upside down over the sink, and rinse the flies off the plants.
We did eventually lose the basil due to a combination of factors: the whiteflies, and the pump. The pumps tend to get clogged with roots and sometimes even residue or debris from the nutrient tablets as they don’t always dissolve completely. I followed the instructions to clean out the filter and the pump, but it never started up again and mold and mildew began to grow in the tank. A huge disappointment, to be sure. The cost to replace the pump is $9.95, which is pretty reasonable given the importance of the pump. I do think that the filter is pretty flimsy and wonder if there isn’t a better solution for an item that probably costs pennies to manufacture. I’m looking into a filter that will still allow enough water to pass through but does a better job of keeping out the roots and the nutrient debris.
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