Category "equipment"

How to find a competent knife sharpener

I have a santoku that I will be wanting to get professionally sharpened in the next few months. This is the first knife I've owned that was reasonably expensive

What do I need to know when moving from an electric hob to a gas hob

Soon I will be moving into a flat with a gas hob, and I've only ever had experience with electric hobs before. What do I need to be aware of in terms of the di

Can too hot water cause the mate gourd to break?

I just got back from Argentina with three mate gourds and started to prepare them for first use (put the yerba, add cold water and leave for ~1 day, I was told,

Why do "saute pans" have straight sides?

I've read numerous times that when sauteing, the pan used usually has curved sides to allow one to toss the food. However, whenever I look at pans on shopping w

Automatic dicer

I love cooking, but I hate dicing! I have a food processor that can slice really well, but it doesn't have any ability to do dicing. Does a device that can aut

Heart shaped mold

I'm looking at making this for Valentines but I found it too late to ship the mold in from the USA (I'm in Melbourne Australia). Being that this is a technologi

What to do with a Sizzler?

We were gifted a Sizzler yesterday - a sort of elongated shallow cast-iron pan on a wood base for serving and keeping warm at the table. I know these are suppos

Cleaning brown/gray spots on overheated stainless steel stock pot

So my roommate forgot about his boiling water and burned one of the pots pretty bad. The bottom is a dark brown/gray with colored spots underneath (electric ran

Gelpro Mats - do they work?

This might not be the right forum for this question, so feel free to remove this question if it is. We have super-hard tile floors in the kitchen, and after an

What is the best way to clean a grater?

A grater is a very useful instrument in the kitchen and it's fun to use. You can use it for a lot of food: cheese, citrus fruit peel, nutmeg, all kinds of veget

Catering event for 1st time. How should I prepare?

I'm just starting a catering service for my cooking. I'm not into too fancy style yet, like using metal silverware or china plates, but more casual version li

How do I remove my KitchenAid attachment?

My KitchenAid attachment appears to be stuck. I attempt to push up to remove the dough hook and it does not budge one bit. I am thinking I'm either doing someth

Kitchen aid pasta roller getting oil on my pasta

I have to avoid letting the pasta get wide enough to touch one of the sides of the roller because if it does, the grease inside gets on the edge of the pasta.

cast iron pan rusting on bottom surface

I have a great cast iron skillet that I use frequently and also take superb care of. Until I noticed the bottom is coated in rust. I believe the high heat that

How to measure the temperature of a pan?

When I need to know if a pan is above or below 100 Celsius but don't have a thermometer handy, I squirt some water on it. Say I want to check for another temper

What is the best way to open a tightly fitted lid of a jar?

Help! I need to get a jar of pasta sauce open but can't seem to budge it. I've tried using a dishtowel, and running it under hot water, but the lid is still stu

Aprons for the home chef

What do I look for in a good high quality apron? Where can I go to get one?

What are the names of the three main parts of my metal spatula?

What are the names of the three main parts of my metal spatula? Handle Flat part that comes in contact with the food The connecting metal which has rivets or p

Is it normal to see flames inside my self-cleaning oven?

I spilled some sauce in the oven, so I decided to clean it today. I wiped the bottom and glass door, but the rest of the stuff was crusty and stuck to the botto

Do all modern electric stoves have "binary" heating elements?

I've noticed that the burners of some or all of the newish-style electric stoves which have a flat top have a peculiar property. They do not seem to be capable