OutSTANDing Stand Mixer by Breville

The stand mixer sends a serious statement to anyone entering your domain that you are serious about your cooking and serious about the equipment you use. Whether you use your mixer to mix batters for cakes, meringues for pies, or to give potatoes a good whipping, or you wish to use accessories which allow for other functions like grinding meats, kneading breads, stuffing sausages or making pastas--a stand mixer is hard to beat based on its versatility and its ability to make tasks like whipping and beating simple. Up until this point, this niche has been almost exclusively dominated by The Kitchenaid Company which first introduced the H-5 stand mixer over 90 years ago in 1919. Kitchenaid now boasts a full line of stand mixers in a variety of colors and specialty models including the pink Artisan "Cook for the Cure" stand mixer honoring Breast Cancer month, the red 90th anniversary edition released last year and even a US $900 Coppertone model. I say all of this to say that despite these prolific offerings already on the market, there is clearly room for competition. Breville, the Australian housewares company known for many products including panini presses, juicers, blenders and espresso machines has taken a bold step by introducing a new stand mixer this spring. By going where few other companies have gone before, they have developed a mixer that adds modernity, useful features, sophistication and a great price point that will undoubtedly provide many cooks in the market for stand mixers with a tempting option. This new stand mixer is a delight to use with many surprising features not found on other models including an LCD screen that indicates your mixing level the way that a stereo inflects the treble and bass of a pop tune. The design which includes a beautiful die cast stainless finish, harnesses the motor and includes a handle that is easy to manuever. The push button release ensures that the machine head locks in place both when in use and when in the tilt-back position. A ten-minute backlit LCD timer allows for a unique countdown feature which allows you to effectively time your mixing, a perfect feature for a novice baker and a convenient one that allows the experienced baker who also likes to multitask and move between the stove, refrigerator, oven and other appliances to do so without always having to monitor the mixer. Twelve different mixing speeds allow you to perform every task from folding to mixing to whipping to aerating with ease. Sold exclusively in the US at Williams-Sonoma, the mixer retails for a competitively priced US $299.95 and comes equipped with a 5-quart stainless steel mixing bowl, a splash guard and three additional attachments including a flat beater, dough hook and wire whisk. The scraper beater syncs with the planetary dual mixing rotation action of the head to effectively scrape the sides of the mixing bowl, to effectively mix all ingredients which provides professional results. The dial is also a wonderful feature that lets you easily turn on the machine, pause it and increase the speed of the mixer. The mixer has a powerful 550 watts and is an easy to move 16 pounds. The motor purrs like a well-tuned engine in a luxury vehicle at both high and low speeds. For more information on using a stand mixer contact us at cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

Bodum Fires Up the Grill with the FYRKAT

Just in time for grilling season, Bodum has introduced the FYRKAT (pronounced "Fire Cat") Charcoal Picnic Grill. I have long been a fan of Bodum's coffee and tea accessories including their kettles, french presses and tea pots. While viewing the line at this year's International Housewares Show, I was impressed by the lines and colors of the line and the ease-of-use this portable grill provides. With a 13.4" diameter it is the perfect size to grill whole fish, steaks, sausages, burgers and veggies. The grill is made from enamel-coated steel with chrome-plated steel legs and a heat-resistant silicone handles. Bodum has become well-known for their bright color palette and signature dotted silicone accents which will blend well with any color palette and motif adding just the right spark of color to become a great grilling vessel and a conversation starter. The grill retails for US $49.95 and will come in a variety of colors including green, orange, blue, yellow, white and black. Additional FYRKAT grill tools including tongs, grill fork, basting brush and grill brush can be purchased in the same color series or in complementary colors for a fresh look to your outdoor festivities. For more information please e-mail cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

Le Creuset Stoneware Line Expanded

Last September, I ran a story which highlighted the Le Creuset Honeypot with dipper. I have long been a fan of the Le Creuset line of stoneware pieces which now include a full line of fruits and vegetables like the garlic-shaped stoneware piece, which I use as a storage vessel for one of my most frequently used items. I found the honeypot to be quite remarkable with its beautiful honeybee impression and the dipper which could conveniently be stored in the pot and would be a great gift for a person who enjoys adding honey to teas or recipes. Le Creuset has expanded its collection of stoneware accesories this year to include a more complete line of pieces that are both practical and reasonably priced. What is most impressive about this line is the fact that many of the new pieces also include a coordinating utensil whether it be the small spatula spoon for the mustard jar, a silicone brush for the barbecue sauce jar or a small fork for the olive jar. While these vessels are a perfect compliment to owners of Le Creuset lines in their signature vibrant colors, the pieces can fit quite nicely into most dining and entertainment setting providing wonderful pops of color and giving the host or hostess pieces which make it easy for guests to identify their contents. The barbecue sauce jar which hit stores this month just in time for grilling season in a rich cherry color, includes an impression of a pig and holds 16 ounces of sauce and the silicone basting brush. The piece retails for US $25. Also available this month is a syrup jar with a maple leaf impression (not pictured) also in the cherry color which holds 8 ounces of syrup retailing for US $10. Additional pieces at the US $25 price point premiering in June include the mustard jar in a beautiful Dijon color which compliments the line of muted yellow introduced in Williams-Sonoma stores roughly two years ago, the olive jar which features an impression of an olive branch on the inset in a beautiful green color that will coordinate well with black or green olives and the berry jam jars (not pictured) in cherry red. These pieces are wonderful for entertaining and are may signal Le Crueset's intention to expand the line to include pieces designed for other condiments including ketchup, steak sauce, relish, salsa, chutneys and other toppings. For more information please e-mail us at cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

The Quest for Perfect Tea Begins with PerfecTea

As the tea industry positions itself for substantial growth, tea aficionados are fortunate to have a wonderful assortment of implements on the market that enhance the tea drinking experience. For those of us who have expanded our tea knowledge and enjoy the benefits of many different types of teas whether they be black, green, red, white or herbal--maximizing tea flavors through optimum brewing temperatures is a goal not often attainable through the use of traditional stovetop kettles. Those kettles heat water just fine, but they very rarely provide temperature information beyond the boiling post which is perfectly suitable for black teas, but less so for other types of tea. The science of brewing tea through the pairing of tea type with a compatible water temperature is behind the Capresso PerfecTea, a beautiful addition to the growing line of variable temperature kettles on the market. While other models have simply served to create a functional apparatus, Capresso has infused thoughtful artistic touches and fine tuning that result in a distinctive kettle that stands above the competition. It is difficult to ignore the sheer elegance of The PerfecTea with its durable and scratch-resistant safety glass and a beautifully designed carafe that incorporates curvature and gentle sloping to create a piece that you will want to display on your countertop. The curved polypropylene handle is comfortable to hold and slip free and keeps cool when pouring. Even when the water is boiled, you do not feel heat emanating from the kettle along the handle. The clear carafe serves as a showcase for the water within, which is heated around a stainless steel dome that houses the heating element. The kettle holds up to 48 ounces of water which will easily serve up to six cups of tea, and is a quick and easy way to heat water for other foods and beverages including french press coffee, hot chocolates and instant soups. The kettle does include a whistle or bell to indicate the end of a heating cycle, so users should not stray from the kettle. Most notably, once the water has been heated through the power base, the kettle can be removed, which gives it a cordless feature absent on many other models. Pouring with the interference of a cord is a highlight of the unit while returning the kettle to the base is a snap. The lid is shiny and compliments the design of the kettle, but compared to the other components is a bit flimsy and lightweight (my only qualm)--however the lid can be easily set into an upright position which helps with drying the kettle after the disposal of water with each use. The base not only serves to heat the kettle with a knob that is easy to turn and control, and a touch button feature that provide a beautiful light blue LCD backlit illumination when pressed, it also houses a slide out guide which provides an easy reference for optimum temperatures which are found in Fahrenheit intervals of 100, 160, 175 and 195 degrees and Boil. After the desired temperature is reached, the unit automatically shuts off. In addition, dry boil protection serves as an added safety feature which prevents the kettle from being used when there is no water inside of it. Capresso has done a fine job of incorporating beautiful design with modern safety features, and created a practical, versatile and affordable variable temperature kettle in the PerfecTea. Questions or Comments? E-mail us at cooklikejackie@gmail.com.