Showing posts with label gadgets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gadgets. Show all posts

12/05/2011

Hecuk 33036 Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Fajita Pan with Wooden Base Review

Hecuk 33036 Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Fajita Pan with Wooden Base
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I dislike ordering sizzling Fajitas at a restaurant when they come out not sizzleing. I decided to order two of these pans and make my own. I use one for beef and one for chicken. I prepare the peppers and onions in a seperate pan and place them in the oven to keep hot. Meanwhile, I place the iron pans in the oven, top shelf under low broil, just to get the pans nice and hot. I prepare the meat. Once I am ready, I test the pans with a drip of water to see if they sizzle. At that point, I remove the pans, use a light spray of Pam on each and place the meat, chicken, peppers and onions on each pan and serve "sizzleing" right away. They taste better then the restaurant because they are prepared with TLC. You can make up your own sauce or use the packets. I use Baja Chipotle by Lawry's Serve with all the usual fixings.

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Don't just purchase a piece of cookware purchase cast iron cookware that will last for generations. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, casseroles, cakes and pies somehow taste better when cooked in heavy pre-seasoned cast-iron cookware. Cast iron creates superior heat retention, heats evenly, and loves a campfire, unlike flimsier pans. Pre-seasoned out of the box saves you time and helps with easy cleanup.

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6/21/2011

Bodum Chambord Stainless Steel Stovetop Espresso Maker Review

Bodum Chambord Stainless Steel Stovetop Espresso Maker
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I must get something out of the way first:
The reviewers who griped about the handle breaking must not have read the instructions, which clearly state to NOT tighten the top using the handle. The handle on both my coffee pots (I own both the small and large versions) have worked perfectly well for the six or more months I've owned them. There is nothing wrong with either the design or use of these pots that a little common sense wouldn't have fixed, and it's a shame to see such a wonderful product unfairly reviewed.
Okay, with the air cleared, I'll move on to the review:
I have owned and used a Bialetti aluminum stovetop "Moka" pot for years. Bialetti's pots are just fine, but the untreated aluminum discolors and stains easily.
Keep in mind, a stovetop espresso pot will give you percolated espresso (if you use espresso roast coffee) which is not the same as a traditional espresso shot, like what you'd get from Starbucks. Frankly, I think it tastes better, but it is different, and there's little or no "crema" with a percolated espresso.
If you move to Bodum's pots from Bialetti, as I did, you will immediately notice how the fit and finish of these pots is clean and precise. Screwing the top to the bottom is silky smooth (unlike the Bialetti that can squeak and chatter). The gasket that forms the seal between top and bottom appears to be made of black silicone, and remains springy and supple even after all the months of daily use I've given it. (Bodum includes a replacement gasket in the box, but I can't imagine when I'll need to replace it.) The gasket with the Bialetti is white, and appears to be made of rubber, and will discolor the first time you use it, and goes on to form tiny cracks fairly quickly.
When you make a pot of percolated espresso, "low and slow" is the general rule. Fill the stainless steel filter basket, but do not overfill and DO NOT pack the grains down. You will want to use only a percolated grind, which is a grind roughly the size of "Sugar in the Raw" granules. To use anything finer will result in clogging of the filters, grains of coffee in the top pot (and in your cup) as well as down into the water reservoir.
Fill the bottom reservoir with water up to the max fill line. Make sure there are no grains of coffee on the lip of the basket. Sit the basket down into the reservoir, and screw the top on to the bottom (ahem... and do not use the handle to tighten, per my opening rant!) Tighten it fairly tight - you want a good solid seal - but don't over-tighten. Too loose, and the pressure of the boiling water cannot come up and into the top carafe.
Set you heat fairly low. The coffee will start to flow silently and slowly at first. The trick seems to be to immediately turn off the heat once water is exhausted and the perc head is hissing and bubbling a bit; the coffee will be about 1/4 inch from the bottom opening of the perc head.
Cleanup is a breeze. Disassemble your pot when it's cool. Use something plastic (a bic pen cap works perfectly) to remove the silicone gasket. Clean everything with warm sudsy water and dry. Or put it in the dishwasher. (Something you can't do with Bialetti.)
Keep in mind...
If you have your coffee ground at Starbucks or Peet's, remember to make a point of explaining that you need a Percolator (or "Moka Pot") grind. You definitely do NOT want the typical espresso dust type of grind, or you will not enjoy your Chambord!
I have zero regrets with either of my Bodum Chambord espresso pots, and highly recommend them to everyone. I hope some of this was useful to you. ENJOY!

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Do it like the Italians!Bodum's award winning Chambord design is now available in the new Chambord Stovetop Espresso Maker!Commonly known as a Mocca pot, you can brew and serve fresh espresso fast in this competitively priced and stylish mirror-polished stainless steel pot. The efficient steam extraction method produces an exceptionally rich espresso. In this traditional method, steam is forced through coffee grounds and condenses into the pot's upper chamber. To use, fill water chamber to MAX mark, insert filter, and fill with fine ground coffee. Tighten containers and place on stovetop. A silicone gasket and release valve allow steam pressure to build safely. All parts are dishwasher safe and handle is heat resistant.Available in 3 and 6 cup sizes.

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