Top Cookware Sets Blog http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog Helping You With ALL Your Kitchen & Cooking Needs Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:29:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 My stove top porcelain was damaged.How do I install the new stove top? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-top-porcelain-was-damaged-how-do-i-install-the-new-stove-top http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-top-porcelain-was-damaged-how-do-i-install-the-new-stove-top#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:29:05 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-top-porcelain-was-damaged-how-do-i-install-the-new-stove-top I was able to order a new stove top and have it. I have a GE dual fuel stove that is one year old. GE will not give me the directions on how to replace the top. Would anyone be able to help me with directions on how to replace the top?

More corporate greed at work I see.

I am not sure of your style but usually there is a hinged section in the rear. If there are screws there by the hinge you can simply unscrew it to remove the top and reverse the procedure to install the new one. It may simply have a type of hinge that is clipped in the stove. Take a close look at the area that is fixed when you raise it from the front and you will see the mechanism that makes it attached to the stove

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-top-porcelain-was-damaged-how-do-i-install-the-new-stove-top/feed 2 How can I reduce the metal taste of cutlery? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-reduce-the-metal-taste-of-cutlery http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-reduce-the-metal-taste-of-cutlery#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:29:05 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-reduce-the-metal-taste-of-cutlery I’m wondering if there’s any way to reduce the metal taste that comes from cutlery. Can I wash them a certain way, or what?

It’s usually fine with forks and knives, but using spoons to eat ice cream, yogurt, cereal, etc, makes whatever I’m eating unpleasant because of the metallic taste.

You must be ultra sensitive because I’ve never heard that before. I would choose a really high quality plastic,rubber or wooden cutlery. Another thing to try is switch toothpastes to a "sensitive" tooth paste like Sensadone.

www.tradekey.com/ks-wood-cutlery

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-reduce-the-metal-taste-of-cutlery/feed 2 What is the best stainless steal cookware to buy? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-stainless-steal-cookware-to-buy http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-stainless-steal-cookware-to-buy#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:29:04 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-stainless-steal-cookware-to-buy I am not looking to spend $600.00 on cookware. I am looking to spend $400.00 or less. I have been looking at Emerilware and Wolfgang Puck’s cookware. I hear all-clad is the best but that is out of my price range. I have had other pots and pans that were not stainless steel and I hear stainless steel lasts longer and cooks your food nicer. Is this true?

Stainless is better fir fry and saute pans in my opinion, and that should be where you are spending your money. Not sure what you are looking to get in a set, but I am a fan of All Clad and own a few pieces (fry and saute pan), All my other stuff is calphalon, which I am not as thrilled about, although it does a decent job. So you could always mix and match, buying more expensive for the really important pans, and spending less on things like a stock pot, etc. Kind of like saving to buy a really good chefs knife or two, rather than a whole set of mediocre knives.

BTW, do not spend a lot on a non-stick, it will not last that long anyway, so buy cheap one and replace in a year. Do spend money on 12" or 10" fry pan, 12" or 10" saute pan and dutch oven. Also lodge cast iron is essential to me, and fairly cheap.

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-stainless-steal-cookware-to-buy/feed 4 Alternative Heating – How Much Room Do You Need? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/alternative-heating-how-much-room-do-you-need http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/alternative-heating-how-much-room-do-you-need#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:11:18 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/alternative-heating-how-much-room-do-you-need

Even if you owned a million dollar townhouse in Boston’s Back Bay, there just isn’t enough room on a 25′ x 100′ lot for a townhouse, small deck, a couple of parking spaces AND a closed loop geothermal heating system.

If you live in high humidity Alabama, the less expensive and environmentally friendly swamp cooler will never be a viable substitute for central air conditioning.

Only when you narrow down the choices for alternative heating or cooling based on where you live, can you begin to focus your time and energy on the most relevant, cost effective heating solution.

Urban Alternative Heating

Geothermal, outdoor furnaces and most wind power are not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is desirable.

Wood burning stoves have been used in urban areas for as long as I can remember.I bought my first air tight stove in 1976. Corn and wood pellet stoves are quickly gaining acceptance as new installations or replacements for existing wood stoves.

One Connecticut pellet stove dealer I spoke with said he sold so many wood pellet and corn stoves last winter he was forced to temporarily close one of his two stores for lack of product.

An adaptation of the wood or pellet stove is the fully vented fireplace insert. They are

comparably priced to freestanding stoves and offer a simple way to turn an otherwise inefficient fireplace into a source of heat for multiple rooms.

Unvented gas log fireplaces or propane space heaters are less expensive to purchase and install but are controversial with respect to health risks and are prohibited in some localities. Make sure the unit you purchase has an ODS (Oxygen Depletion Sensor). This safety device turns off the heater when the oxygen in the room drops below 18%. (Normal is around 21%)

Decorative gel fireplaces are nice to look at, but aren’t considered legitimate heating devices.

Electric and hydronic (hot water) radiant heat are extremely versatile and can be installed anywhere. The hydronic application of radiant heat can be fueled by anything from corn to gas and can be adapted to heat driveways, hot tubs and of course, your home.

Solar for hot water is on the rise in urban areas. A neighbor of mine in the Port Norfolk section of Boston recently installed a solar array on the roof of his two family home. His contractor did a first rate job and it doesn’t detract from the visual appeal of his house at all. He also says his hot water bill now costs him “chump change”.

Let’s not forget the ever popular space heater. For many elderly homeowners who spend most of their time in one room of their home, a space heater is the least expensive way to supplement their conventional heating system.

Suburban Alternative Heating

Suburban lot sizes can run anywhere from ΒΌ of an acre to three acres. But even a quarter acre lot opens up the possibility of a vertical closed loop geothermal system.

A three acre lot will afford you the space to install a slightly less expensive horizontal closed loop geothermal system, a wind turbine or even an outdoor wood, pellet or corn furnace.

At approximately $5000, the outdoor furnace is your least expensive option. A quality 1,800 watt wind turbine and tower can be purchased for $7,000. If geothermal is your system of choice, a new 3,000 sq. ft. home can be heated and cooled for around $20,000. Rebates and tax credits could reduce this amount substantially.

For instance, if you partner with a program such as Energy Crafted Home in Connecticut, it’s possible to receive a rebate of $713 per ton of geothermal heating/cooling capacity. For the 3,000 sq. ft. home just mentioned, it would mean a rebate of $2,971.

Although wind, geothermal and outdoor furnace systems are more expensive than the typical $2000 wood pellet stove, they are very efficient and pay for themselves in only a few years.

The increasingly popular manufactured home is a growing segment of the suburban real estate market, and fire safety codes are very specific as to what you can use to heat your home.

Check with your local building department to find out exactly which alternative heating appliances are permitted before you start shopping for the best deal.

Rural Alternative Heating

Just as the sky and landscape open up in rural America, so do opportunities for alternative heating.

With so much room to work with, you could easily design a CHP (Combined Heat and Power Unit) and heat your home for 70% less than fuel oil.

A possible CHP for homeowners in the Corn Belt would be an outdoor corn furnace for heat and hot water, coupled with a wind turbine for electricity

If your property includes a shallow pond or lake, a closed loop geothermal system will heat and cool your home for the cost of electricity to operate a heat pump.

The choices for alternative heating are plentiful no matter where you live. It’s just a matter of knowing where you fit in.

Sam Streubel
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/alternative-heating-how-much-room-do-you-need-55652.html

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/alternative-heating-how-much-room-do-you-need/feed 4 What type of camping stove can burn anything? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/what-type-of-camping-stove-can-burn-anything http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/what-type-of-camping-stove-can-burn-anything#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:20:05 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/what-type-of-camping-stove-can-burn-anything I know there is a type of camping stove that can burn pretty much anything (vodka, meths, petrol, other fuel). I know it has a pump on it, and on the other side of the reservoir is the filler cap. It looks like a dual fuel stove, but these seem only to be able to burn its two fuels. Am I wrong?

No Dude you’re not wrong, but you can only find them in Army surplus store’s and they’re kinda rare, But I’ve seen them in surplus cataloges too, They are kindof cool.

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/what-type-of-camping-stove-can-burn-anything/feed 6 How do you take the shine out of stainless steel cutlery? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-do-you-take-the-shine-out-of-stainless-steel-cutlery http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-do-you-take-the-shine-out-of-stainless-steel-cutlery#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:20:05 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-do-you-take-the-shine-out-of-stainless-steel-cutlery I’m in a play and in one scene my character waves around cutlery. The problem with this is that the forks and knives reflect badly on the lights and creates a blinding effect towards the audience.
My director asked me to wash the cutlery with a bar of soap, (i’m using an organic, olive oil based bar of soap) and told me it would take away the shine.
The trouble with this is that it isn’t working!
Any advice on what i should do?

Silly question, but are you rinsing them off after washing? Try leaving the soap on them

Next option: if you have hard water locally, and are using softened water, try using water that hasn’t been through the softener. It will leave lots of water stone on the cutlery if you just let it drip-dry (yes, I found this out the hard way).

You can try scratching the cutlery with some steel wool, that might reduce the shininess. At the very least you won’t get a beam of light reflecting into the audience.

If nothing else works, just get them dirty enough that they are no longer shiny.

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-do-you-take-the-shine-out-of-stainless-steel-cutlery/feed 3 What type of cookware is safe to use on an enamel top range? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-type-of-cookware-is-safe-to-use-on-an-enamel-top-range http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-type-of-cookware-is-safe-to-use-on-an-enamel-top-range#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:20:04 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-type-of-cookware-is-safe-to-use-on-an-enamel-top-range I would like to purchase a good cookware set for my mother (who does a lot of cooking) for Christmas and she has a new Whirlpool electric range that has a flat, enamel cook-top. I’m having trouble finding anything that says its safe for use on this type of range – even the user’s manual doesn’t really give any suggestions.

I have the same type stove, anything works fine (except stonewear which can scratch it.) I use Calphalon anodized cookware which is very heavy and we have no scratches.

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-type-of-cookware-is-safe-to-use-on-an-enamel-top-range/feed 3 my stove is being fixed and i’m looking for good ways to cook vegetables in my toaster oven. any ideas? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-is-being-fixed-and-im-looking-for-good-ways-to-cook-vegetables-in-my-toaster-oven-any-ideas http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-is-being-fixed-and-im-looking-for-good-ways-to-cook-vegetables-in-my-toaster-oven-any-ideas#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:34:10 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-is-being-fixed-and-im-looking-for-good-ways-to-cook-vegetables-in-my-toaster-oven-any-ideas i don’t want to buy a hot plate, but i’m especially worried about not getting enough leafy greens- i like kale and stuff a lot, and broccoli. can broccoli be baked in the toaster oven? i’ve never heard of it. i’m also interested in good-tasting ways of eating raw vegetables, since i’m not sure when i’ll be able to start cooking them on the stove again. thanks!

Do you have a microwave?….If you do you can cook leafy greens and all vegetables in a microwave safe bowl with a 1/4 cup of water and cover in plastic wrap…I cooked baby carrots this way last night and the time varies depending on what veggies…..but I cooked the carrots for about 5 minutes….they STEAM in the bowl with plastic wrap, tasty and nutritious.

In the toaster oven, if it has a temperature setting like a large oven…..you can put it to 400′ and toss veggies in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake like a normal oven. It just takes less time due to less amount of veggies.

There’s many ways to eat raw veggies…..carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, scallions, bell pepper are all good in hummus or a dip made with fat free sour cream and a dip mix.

Raw veggies are also delicious tossed with lemon juice, salt, pepper and chili powder…..cucumbers and tomatoes especially.

I like to buy a jar of "Claussen" brand pickles, they have great flavor and when the pickles are gone, save the jar of juice and add a 1/2 cup of water and raw veggies of your choice, let them sit for a few days and you have delicious pickled veggies.

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/stove/my-stove-is-being-fixed-and-im-looking-for-good-ways-to-cook-vegetables-in-my-toaster-oven-any-ideas/feed 7 How can I dispose of old cutlery safely? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-dispose-of-old-cutlery-safely http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-dispose-of-old-cutlery-safely#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:34:10 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-dispose-of-old-cutlery-safely I have recently been completely refurbishing my home. I have managed to sell old furniture and carpets etc in newspapers and online, and most other things have gone for re-cycling. Now; the kitchen! All of my old crockery, casserole dishes etc, I have smashed into small pieces, ready to use as drainage in plantpots in the garden….so, most of the stuff has been disposed of in an eco-friendly way. My problem now is, how do I dispose of old cutlery, particularly things like carving knives, bread knives etc safely?

Hi, you sound really busy and good on you for not just dumping it. Charity shops will be more than happy to take them or a scrap metal dealer, art college, I’ve seem some amazing mobiles made from twisted and bent cutlery

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cutlery/how-can-i-dispose-of-old-cutlery-safely/feed 5 What is the best kind of cookware? http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-kind-of-cookware http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-kind-of-cookware#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:34:09 +0000 admin http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-kind-of-cookware I need new cookware and I have no idea what kind is the best. I’ve heard that cookware with tephlon is harmful. What kind is easy to cook with and food doesn’t stick but has no harmful disadvantages?

Without a doubt stainless steel with an aluminum core sandwiched in between the stainless steel is the best.

Many brand names are available but look for 18/10 nickle to chromium alloy ratio for the ideal cookware.
All-Clad is an expensive standard but you can find others with comparable quality at a more affordabe price.

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/kitchen/cookware/

http://store.foodnetwork.com/shop/product.asp?product_code=4782&department_code=6&category_code=87&subcategory_code=87&search_type=viewall

http://www.hsn.com/cnt/prod/default.aspx?webp_id=2025448&web_id=2025448&sf=qc&attr=181&prev=hp!sf!181

]]> http://www.topcookwaresets.com/blog/cookware/what-is-the-best-kind-of-cookware/feed 9