worth Archives - Food And Recipe

March 24, 2023

These Kitchen Tools and Appliances Are Worth a Small Splurge

I love a kitchen upgrade, but not all pricey products are created equal. I can tell you from personal experience that springing for a premium model for one kitchen tool often pays bigger dividends in your day-to-day routine than ponying up the dough for a top-shelf version of something else.

Nonstick cookware is a good example: You can spend $100 or more on a premium pan, but it’s not going to scramble eggs or fry pancakes much better than this $22 Tramontina nonstick skillet. I’d posit that other kitchen appliances are quite worthy of spending more on, will perform accordingly and have the potential to completely change the way you cook and eat.

A blender with good power will turn out silky shakes and smoothies in less time than a cheap model and might be enough to help kick your healthy breakfast routine into gear (it was for me). And a quality frying pan or chef’s knife that just begs to be used might be the nudge you need to put in the work on a home-cooked meal and skip the expensive delivery.

Over the years, a few pieces of hardware have come into my kitchen that I’ve become so reliant on, it’s hard to imagine being without them. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, some have even changed the course of my diet and health. These are just a few upgraded kitchen tools and small appliances I simply couldn’t live without.

Ninja

You’re receiving price alerts for Ninja Twisti

Upgrade to a performance model blender, and you’ll feel the difference immediately — and it might even help you change your diet. I was a piecemeal breakfast eater relying mostly on empty carbs until I started using a blender with some real get-up-and-go. Now it’s protein- and vitamin-packed smoothies or bust. I can absolutely feel the difference throughout my day (oh hello, energy, I’ve missed you), and I don’t have to shell out $10 on a fancy juice bar shake or smoothie.

Ninja makes a number of good blenders and most offer terrific value for money. My favorite is the modestly sized Ninja Twisti ($140) — about the best blender I’ve ever used for making smoothies and other small-ish recipes.

One unique feature I love is the rotating mixer blades that protrude down from the lid. You can spin those babies to loosen the contents mid-blend. That means I almost never have to stop and stir sticky ingredients such as peanut butter or chunky ice.

The Twisti has 1,500 watts of power packed into a machine. It won’t eat up tons of space on the counter or coins from your bank account as a pricey Vitamix or Blendtec will.

Read our Ninja review.

David Watsky/CNET

You’re receiving price alerts for Dreamfarm Lime Fluicer | Easy Squeeze Manual Lime Juicer | Citrus Juicer That Folds Flat for Space-Saving Storage | Lime Squeezer with Pivot to Increase Leverage

I’d all but given up on handheld citrus juicers since they seem to leave more juice in than they get out. Enter Dreamfarm’s excellent Fluicer.

This innovative kitchen brand has found ways to improve many of the most common culinary tools. This handheld citrus squeezer not only squeezes front to back but also bends each half of a lemon, lime or orange as it squeezes, leaving nothing in the rind and everything in your bowl, jar or cocktail shaker.

At just $15 for the small size — good for limes and lemons — this kitchen upgrade doesn’t cost much more than the original. In short: Everyone I know is getting a Fluicer for their birthday this year. As a regular lemonade and margarita maker (OK, mostly margs), this is my favorite addition to the miscellaneous kitchen tools drawer in years.

David Watsky/CNET

You’re receiving price alerts for All-Clad’s 10-inch skillet with lid

If you’ve become reliant on your nonstick skillets, it might be time to learn your way around a stainless-steel pan, since they offer better surface heat for browning and searing, and are far more durable than Teflon.

The fastest way to get used to a stainless skillet is to get a great one, and All-Clad’s 10-inch tri-ply skillet with a covered lid is our favorite option. While $100 might sound like a big splurge for one pan, if you care for it, it’s going to last for many years. This pan is light, heats evenly and includes a lid for recipes that require covered cooking and to help manage splatter.

TL;DR? This frying pan makes cooking a joy and I’m totally obsessed.

Dreamfarm

This is another one of Dreamfarm’s simple innovations we’re filing under “why didn’t I think of that?” and it took just a few swipes across a carrot to fall in love. The Sharple may look like your standard peeler, but on closer inspection you’ll discover the sliding case is also a sharpener, keeping the device razor-edged for years without having to do anything more than open and close it. I love a kitchen tool with high function and staying power, and this self-sharpening veggie peeler has got it all.

David Watsky/CNET

You’re receiving price alerts for Made In Cookware – 8″ Chef Knife France – Full Tang With Truffle Black Handle

I like this Made In knife so much I’ll go out of my way to find things to chop. Kitchen knife weight and length preferences are admittedly subjective, but I find this blade to have a perfect heft, a comfortable handle and impeccable balance.

There’s not likely a kitchen tool you’ll put your hands on more than the chef’s knife, so it’s a no-brainer to upgrade to one you love. This is my absolute favorite, and it’s reasonably priced considering the quality.

David Watsky/CNET

You’re receiving price alerts for Tiger rice cooker

Rice is one of the most versatile side dishes that go with so many mains, but making it at home takes time and practice to master. Even when I’d start to get the hang of time and temps, I’d need to keep at least one eye on the range and remove the heat source or I’d have some badly burned brown basmati on my hands — not to mention some serious pot soaking and scraping to do.

Enter the rice cooker. When I brought one into the house, I started swapping healthier brown rice and ancient grains in for mostly nutrition-free potatoes and bread. Having just one button to push for a satisfying starch makes all the difference. I did some hands-on testing of several rice cookers last year and the Tiger made the most consistent rice — never mushy or undercooked. It features fairly basic settings and cooking programs and clocks in under $100, or closer to $80 if you find it on sale.

Patrick Holland/CNET

You’re receiving price alerts for Fellow Ode Brew grinder

This is admittedly a big splurge, but the Ode grinder is a joy to use and has unmatched precision when it comes to grind size. That’s especially helpful if you regularly make espresso, which calls for a fine grind, or use a pour-over method that requires a coarse bean.

It’s also about the best-looking and quietest coffee grinder on the market. Sometimes I catch myself grinding more beans than I even need just to hear the calming whirr.

More CNET kitchen picks

March 14, 2023

5 Healthy Snacks Worth Picking Up At Costco

Costco is an superb retail outlet that features an spectacular wide range of products and solutions, together with healthier snacks that absolutely everyone from young children to grownups can take pleasure in. If you’re looking for wholesome foodstuff for every single finances, Costco is a great area to look at. You can obtain numerous of your most loved brands there, and some even have snack pack possibilities for effortless transportation.

If you are looking for some healthful snack suggestions (other than fruits and veggies) you can choose up at Costco, the adhering to record involves treats that’ll satisfy your urge for food whether or not you have a salty or sweet tooth. Because Costco is acknowledged to carry different things at distinct spots, you will have to check out your local retailer to see what it has in stock.

Costco

Fulfill your chocolate cravings by selecting up a bag of these balanced treats. You are going to get four squares of separately wrapped chocolate, which is the perfect measurement to toss into your backpack, lunchbox or purse. At 180 calories a packet, it’s also small in sugar and is a fantastic option if you happen to be a lover of salty and sweet and never intellect coconut. I have experimented with a couple of ChocXO’s other flavors and one particular of my other favorites is the Darkish Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups — which would be an superb variety for Costco to have.

Costco

Grownups and little ones will both equally get pleasure from Whisps cheese crisps. They are available in a range pack in parmesan and cheddar flavors at Costco. These 100-calorie treats are created of pure cheese and are a great source of calcium and protein. Aside from snacking, you can get inventive and use Whisps cheese crisps to top rated your salads or soups. These come individually packed so it is really effortless to drop just one in a lunch box or toss it into your purse or backpack.

Costco

For crackers with a lot more flavor than a conventional saltine, check out Crunchmaster Multi-Grain crackers. They’re produced up of sesame, flax, quinoa, amaranth, millet and chia, and have 140 energy for each serving. They’re gluten-absolutely free and are light and crunchy, generating them a good snack to pair with your favorite fruits and cheese or simply on their own. These will not appear in unique packets so you will will need to pack them in a snack-sized bag if you are setting up on using some to-go.

Costco

Protein is an crucial macronutrient you shouldn’t neglect because it forms building blocks of your muscle groups. 1 straightforward way to incorporate some extra protein into your diet plan is with this Protein Snack Box. The wide variety pack is made up of Jack Link’s and Lorissa’s Kitchen beef jerky in numerous flavors and independently wrapped sizes. You can select from Jack Hyperlinks vintage beef jerky or experiment with Lorissa’s Korean barbeque beef strips or jalapeno beef sticks.

You can not go wrong with this wide variety pack to sneak in protein through the day. The protein servings variety from 6 to 17 grams, based on the jerky you decide for. These are all independently packaged, which makes them a lot easier to toss into your kid’s lunch bins, glove compartment for a snack while on the highway or backpack although commuting to operate.

Costco

If you like fruit leather-based or dried fruit, then you will like That’s It Mini Fruit Bars. These dried fruit bars arrive in 3 distinct flavors: mango, blueberry and strawberry. The brand name prides itself on the truth that it only can make items with real fruit and no additional sugars. At 60 calories a bar, these make for a excellent snack to get your day by day consumption of fruit and they also have 2 to 3 grams of fiber for every serving. They’re gluten-absolutely free, vegan and allergen-absolutely free, generating them a harmless snack for children to just take to college.

These are also independently packed and small more than enough to match into a lunch box, health club bag or your business office desk for a brief choose-me-up.

The facts contained in this article is for instructional and informational applications only and is not meant as health or health care advice. Usually check with a medical doctor or other experienced wellbeing supplier relating to any queries you may have about a health care issue or health aims.

September 26, 2022

Tips for small-batch baking. Because you’re worth it.

A person of the items several of us love about baking is its bountiful nature — huge batches meant to be shared. But many trays of cookies and massive layer cakes are not normally suitable for solo cooks or smaller homes.

Two new books, “Small Batch Bakes” by Edd Kimber (publishing Oct. 4) and “Simple Compact-Batch Baking” by Mike Johnson (publishing Oct. 11), aim to assistance dwelling bakers triumph at scaled-down sweets. It is a subject matter that became progressively suitable during the top of the pandemic and carries on to be timely in light of inflation and expanding foodstuff charges. And there will usually be demand from customers for recipes that come jointly swiftly without much too several tempting extras hanging close to.

Cooking for a person: 6 recommendations to keep issues functional, versatile and enjoyment

I spoke to Kimber and Johnson to get some of their major suggestions on baking for one (or a couple of).

Modify your brain-established. Mustering the enthusiasm to cook for a single can be challenging plenty of. But perhaps baking falls by the wayside simply because it feels more like a splurge than a necessity. You’re well worth it, while, Kimber says. He sees baking as an outlet for strain reduction, and modest batches are just the factor for “our day-to-day moments, relatively than the six special instances we may have a 12 months.” It is about satisfaction without having getting saddled by the extravagance and price of a large recipe. You’ll rarely locate a better case in point of this than his “emergency” chocolate chip cookie, which we’ve dubbed the Solitary-Serving Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Choose advantage of gear you presently have. The terrific matter about modest-batch baking is that a whole lot of scaled-down recipes function just as very well with equipment you by now have. Any size batch of muffins can be created applying a 12-cup tin, and you can usually bake only a couple cookies on a standard half-sheet pan. And if you’re by now a baker, possibilities are you have all the bowls and measuring spoons you need. Ramekins are one more staple conveniently adapted to small-batch desserts, as is the 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

… But buy a number of handy extras. If you’re actually committed to the tiny-batch baking way of lifetime, take into consideration introducing a couple of applications to your kitchen area. Kimber swears by mini spatulas and whisks for combining smaller sized amounts of ingredients and suggests it can be valuable to have a tiny pot, this sort of as a butter hotter or milk pan, on hand to make it less likely you’ll scorch milk, sauces or choux pastry by working with something as well large. He really recommends a diminutive eighth-sheet pan, excellent for the aforementioned cookie but just as helpful for kitchen prep and cleanup.

Johnson states the most notable addition to your kitchen machines may well be smaller tart pans that are about 4 3/4 inches in diameter. He likes a 6-inch forged-iron skillet for skillet cookies or cobblers, which would be great for a mini-frittata, also. Likewise, you are going to want 6-inch cake tins if you want the wow component of layer cakes in a much less massive package.

Know what recipes scale down very well. If you are not starting off with recipes intended for decrease yields, know that most recipes can be correctly scaled down, so lengthy as you’re careful and use popular feeling, Kimber says. Basic recipes with small ingredient lists are easiest to scale down. When Kimber was creating recipes for his book, cookies, particularly egg-totally free shortbreads, proved pretty straightforward. Bars are relatively straightforward to adapt, and both equally Kimber and Johnson, whose earlier e-book was devoted to brownies, present recipes intended for a loaf pan.

Egg substitutions for cooking and baking

“Eggs are the largest cling-up when scaling down,” Johnson says. Scaling down recipes frequently implies math that outcomes in fifty percent an egg. How you manage it depends a little bit on what you are earning. Making use of 50 percent an further egg is not likely to have a extraordinary result on a batch of bars or a fifty percent-dozen cookies. For anything like one and a 50 percent eggs, you can try out utilizing a person egg and a person yolk and help save the white for scrambled eggs or an egg white frittata (egg whites can be frozen, no problem). One more solution: Skip the eggs and try out a vegan option, these types of as a flax egg, egg replacer or applesauce. In his chocolate chip cookie recipe, the egg was heading to be so minimum that Kimber just went with 1 1/2 teaspoons of milk as a substitute.

How to use up leftover egg yolks or egg whites, dependent on how a lot of you have

Spend focus and modify as essential. Although baking normally depends on attentiveness, it’s primarily important if you have manufactured scaling tweaks to a recipe. If you scale down a recipe that at first referred to as for a stand mixer, you may well obtain that a hand mixer is a greater in shape to additional proficiently blend the minimized quantities of elements. If you’re melting smaller quantities of butter or heating lesser quantities of dairy in the exact same size pot termed for in the unique recipe, assume to cut down the time to avert burning. Bars baked in a more compact pan where the thickness of the batter hasn’t adjusted — these types of as moving brownies from a 9-by-13-inch to a 9-by-5-inch pan — may bake more rapidly. Objects moved to a smaller sized pan resulting in a marginally thicker layer, this kind of as cakes, might acquire lengthier. And scaled-down quantities of bread dough may well not choose as long to knead, Johnson claims. The similar knowledge applies to cake batter, Kimber suggests, when overmixing can yield hard, rubbery outcomes.