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Generally, cooking brings so much joy whether you are doing it yourself or watching someone else do it. The sizzling and beautiful smoke gets to you so much and you cannot wait to eat your food especially after you have plated it so well. More interestingly, cooking with an iron pan is very healthy and one with a lot of advantages. Asides frying, you can grill, broil and poach your food with the smallest amount of oil on them - they are almost all-purpose!.

If you just moved and are out shopping for kitchen utensils, make sure to add an iron pan to your purchase because it definitely comes in handy for the occasional meal whip-ups that you always need. Unlike stainless-steel pans, they clean up really easily when the right cleaning processes are followed.

Also unlike stainless-steel pans, they can be thoroughly scrubbed and oiled again once they get rusty. This makes them suitable and durable for the long term compared to stainless-steel pans, regardless of if you love cooking or are someone who gets into it once in a while.

Iron pans cut across different modes of cooking including baking after being popped in the oven, but just like every other cooking ware, becomes much more enjoyable and durable when specially cared for in the right manner.

A lot of things happen when using a pan and it will be great to be prepared for times when a few things happen and you don’t understand how to respond to them. Even in their greatness, iron pans do need a lot of attention and care before you can effectively use them and reach that efficiency needed for your cooking times.

With the greatness that accompanies them, our iron pan is not any different regarding  the general use of a great cooking pan and as such, we have set out a few guidelines to help you in its use and long-term care:

To Enjoy Using the Frying Pan Better:

Before initial use, carry out this procedure for a long-lasting product experience.

1. Set your pan on the heat, with just enough oil that covers it for about one-third of its size for about 5 minutes. Make sure your heat is on low throughout this process.
2. Once time is up, empty the heated oil into an appropriate container. Avoid pouring hot oil into plastic containers, or they will melt. Also take caution while handling your pan to avoid hot oil accidents.
3. Gently spread oil remaining in the frying pan throughout its entire inner surface with a paper towel.

Now that you have launched your iron pan with oil, you are very well ready to enjoy it. The next thing to move on to is retaining its awesomeness for as long as you possibly can. Note that maintenance is very important and this is something your pan needs. It is equally amazing to cook with your iron pan and find out that your food didn’t stick on or burn so for everytime you cook, carry out the procedure below.

Right before you use the pan:

(The purpose of this procedure is to help your pan acclimatize itself with oil, which improves its use and maintenance)

1. Heat your pan, drying out any liquid or moisture from it. Keep the heat on medium.
2. Add one cooking spoon of oil into the pan and spread generously throughout its inner surface.
3. Empty the pan of the oil and your cooking can start with the appropriate amount of oil needed for your cooking.

After use, do the following:

(it is important to note that your iron pan should not go in a dishwasher)

1. For great results, clean with sponges or brushes while pan is still warm
2. Rinse off and dry it out with a thorough wipe before setting it aside in storage.

How to Maintain your Iron Frying Pan

To avoid having hot water stripping parts of your pan’s entire makeup off while boiling or cooking in it, thoroughly wash your pan once you’re done using it and apply some oil on it. Should your food burn during the course of cooking it, simply have the burned food be softened with some water, bringing it to a boil. Doing this makes washing off easier when you are ready to clean up your pan.

For removal of oil stains or any other type of stain on your pan:

1. Have your gas stove on maximum heat, utilizing it in burning your pan’s stains off till the resulting smoke stops.
2. Scrub the stains off on either sides of your pan with a metal sponge or hard brush once the heat cools down.
3. Rinse your pan and dry it out, then transfer it back onto medium heat on your gas stove for up to 5 minutes and repeat all steps for maximum satisfaction as allowed.

Ingredients that take in a lot of iron begin to produce repugnant smells when fried in iron tools. While they may not affect food taste or consumption, it is very important to note that your resulting food be served immediately on a dish once you are done with cooking. Don’t forget to also wash your pan appropriately after. Ingredients like eggplants produce that burnt color and smell that you definitely do not want on your pan.

A few times, your pan might also respond to the absorption of sour ingredients like tomatoes by changing color, this is normal. Simply restore its black color by carrying out a unique thermo treatment on it.

Iron pans are terrific for so many things and are great for any types of food explorations you might want to try out. They are tough, rugged products that can stand the test of times and are difficult to easily ruin. They retain heat for a good amount of time and as such help your foods stay heated for a considerable time period.

Bake to your feel and to perfection with beautiful iron pans that are sure to make you that healthy food you need. Keep your arms staying nice and strong while holding it because, why not? The naturally heavy weight of iron pans make for a great arm workout!

Tableware is something most millennial might not be accustomed to because they are used to getting their food on the go, nobody has the time to set a time and eat a proper meal anymore. Of course, you should know that tableware is made up of the dishes used to set up a table and there was a time when it was very necessary to know the different dish wares or table wares and their specific uses.

While tableware easily translates as the plates, spoons, and cups used to eat on the dining table, that is not all. There is so many other kitchenware that makes up the tableware.

The tableware is split into 4 categories which are; drinkware, Serving ware, flatware, and dinnerware. They cover all the parts of Tableware you need to know about.

1.    Dinnerware

This category of tableware covers all the pieces used to serve individual meal portions. It includes;

•    Charger plates

This plates are the largest for individual serving on the table and are used as the base for other dinner wares.

•    Dinner plates

They are a little smaller than the charger and used to serve the main course.

•    Salad plates

They are often placed on top of the dinner plates because they are smaller or placed to the left of the forks.

•    Soup bowls

This dinnerware mostly comes from the kitchen during soup course and can be placed on the salad plate.

•    Ramekins

They are also known as dessert dishes and are smaller than the dinner plates. They are also served from the kitchen.

•    Bread plates

This is always placed at the top left side of each place setting because they are the smallest in this category.

2.    Serving Ware

Serving wares are used to serve or display the food to be served to the group on the table. It includes;

•    Trays
•    Pitchers
•    Bowls
•    Carafes
•    Platters

3.    Flatware

These are the kitchen wares each on the table uses to eat the meal. They might be vaguely known as fork, spoon, and knife but it covers much more than that.

On the table, they are placed in order of usage, with salad fork starting on the left, knifes on the right and spoons outside. These flatware include;

•    Salad Fork; they are used for your salad meal.
•    Soup spoons; they are used for your soup dishes.
•    Dessert forks; used for desserts
•    Steak knifes
•    Butter knives

4.    Drinkware

You should know by now that this tableware category covers utensils used to drink. Although they include different types for different occasions or drinks. They include;

•    Champagne flutes; they are used to drink champagne and are often at the right of wine glasses.
•    Water Goblets; they are used to drink water and are placed above the knives on the table.
•    Wine glasses; they are used to drink wine and are placed on the right side of the water Goblets.

Conclusion

While setting a table might not be so popular as it used to be, it does not hurt to know more about table wares and their placements, you just might need to impress someone with this information one of these days.

Certain kitchen appliances are necessary for every kitchen to aid in the cooking of different kinds of dishes. It is essential to have a vegetable slicer to help make the cooking process faster. Whether you are a vegetarian or a vegetable lover or enjoy cooking with vegetables, there is need to have a vegetable slicer in your kitchen.

Below is the outlined reasons why a vegetable slicer is needed in every kitchen.

It Saves Time

Vegetable slicer helps in slicing vegetables faster. You don’t need to spend much time chopping or cutting the vegetables with your kitchen knife and a chopping board. This is time-consuming and delays your cooking.

But with a vegetable slicer, your cooking process is swift, fun and enjoyable. Normally, what delays cooking is the chopping or cutting of vegetables, once this is done, your cooking becomes quicker. So, with a vegetable slicer, your cooking time automatically reduces.  

Uniformity And Fun Styles

Using a vegetable slicer to cut your vegetables will give your meal this fun, perfect and tantalizing look from afar. Like it slices your tomatoes in a uniform shape you want it. This leaves your meal attractive to the eyes and mouth watery.

There’s nothing like perfectly sliced vegetables to garnish your meal and make it look rich and delicious. So, it’s easy to say that having a vegetable slicer in your kitchen and using it to cook, makes your meal look rich.

They Have Variants Of Blades

Having vegetable slicer in your kitchen saves you the stress of chopping or cutting your vegetables in different sizes and styles. The variants of blades that can be attached to a vegetable slicer will do all that for you and even faster.

So, with these different varieties of blades that can be attached to it, you can do so many things with your vegetable slicer. You can grate your vegetables with it, make it fun to the eyes especially for kids. You can slice the vegetables in spiral forms or different shapes just to add more beauty to your meal.

No Need For Knife Skills.

You do not need to be an expert in the handling of knives for chopping your vegetables. With a vegetable slicer in your kitchen, the task of using the knife to do all that is pretty taken care of.

It also saves you cutting yourself. You can hardly suffer an injury or knife cut when using a vegetable slicer. It’s safe and reliable.

Easy To Maintain

Having a vegetable slicer in your kitchen doesn’t require much maintenance. It’s effortless to maintain. When you’re done using your vegetable slicer, wash, dry and keep it for next time. It’s as simple as that. And it doesn’t need servicing because it doesn’t use electricity or battery. It’s a standard kitchen appliance; easy to use and easy to maintain.

So, these are the reasons a vegetable slicer is needed in every kitchen. It’s easy to use, saves time, easy to maintain, and adds fun and richness to your meal. Above all, it makes your cooking fun and enjoyable.

Are you an aspiring sashimi chef or just someone who loves to make their own sushi? Either way this article is for you. We are going to be exploring probably the most important tool in making sushi. SUSHI KNIVES. This article aims to chronicle the things to look out for before splurging on that sushi knife.

For sushi, basically three knives are needed:

    Deba-bocho: Used for cutting through bones and cartilage of fish.

    Usuba-bocho: Used for tasks like chopping and slicing.

    Yanagiba: Used in tasks like slicing up fish fillets.

With this knowledge in mind, how then do you go about the task of buying that knife that suits you best?

1.    Quality over quantity: It's always very tempting to go for a set of knives instead of buying them individually. While that in itself is not a bad thing, be sure to check for the quality of knives in the set, as you really don't want to end up buying another set of knives a few months down the line.
2.    Ease of use: This is another important factor to look out for. Check for things like:

    How easy it is for you to handle the knife,

    How easy it is to resharpen,

    A durable edge and sharpness.

3.    Carbon Steel: When buying a knife, it always pays to go for carbon steel. This is because the steel of these knives are coated with carbons, this helps in maintaining the sharpness of the knife while also making it very easy to resharpen. It is worth noting that carbon steel knives have the tendency to rust if not properly cleaned and dried after use.
4.    Budget: As with anything, this is an integral part of your final decision. It pays to know beforehand the specific amount you want to spend on your knives. This will help in focusing on knives in your price range, such that you can pick the best available knife from the lot.
5.    Handle: Always go for wooden handles. This is because wooden handles will not get slippery when wet. Besides, traditional Japanese knives are most often than not made with wooden handles, so why break tradition?
6.    Bevel: Typical Japanese knives most often than not are only honed on one side, which is mostly the right side. When getting a knife then, dexterity should be put into consideration, as a left-handed individual will have to special order for a knife honed on the left side.
7.    Aesthetics: Don't be swayed by the aesthetic qualities of the knife. This is because while the aesthetic properties have their place, it should not be the overall determining factor in choosing a knife.

You are now prepared to choose that knife or knives that will serve you well. Buying good knives is an art in itself and as such should be undertaken with the utmost attention to detail. This is to ensure that you get the utmost quality and value out of your knife.

In closing, a knife will only serve you well and for a long time, if it is maintained and stored properly. Good maintenance and storage are a major key!

Truth be told, we all love food. Food is very essential to our growth and the maintenance of a healthy mind and body so there is barely anybody who can survive without food. Because we all love and need food, we also must love the kitchen.

The kitchen is the place where almost all the food we eat is been prepared. In order to maintain a healthy diet and good cooking routine, we must delicately care for our kitchen and this includes buying the right cooking equipment to suit your kitchen.

These days, technology has affected almost every aspect of our lives including how we cook, our kitchen equipment and how we use them etc. The days when most of the processes involved in the cooking of our food is done manually are far gone, the invention and availability of grinders, stoves, toasters and many other modern-day kitchen equipment have evolved and made the process of cooking easier for us.

However, one downside of these new kitchen inventions is that there is now so many equipment in the market such that it is becoming more difficult for us to choose the ones that are suitable for our kitchen when we go to the market. This article is aimed at helping you go solve this problem by giving you a number of tips to keep in mind when buying kitchen equipment in other to make the perfect choices for your kitchen. Here are some of them:

Consider Your Budget: This should be one of your first and primary considerations when buying kitchen equipment. Budgeting is a key principle that applies to life generally. Before buying kitchen equipments, it is very important to consider the cost of the kitchen equipment in comparison to your wallet so that you do not end up broke after the purchase.

Consider The Size Of The Equipment: It is also very important to consider the size of the equipment you want to buy for your kitchen. When considering the size of the equipment, factors like the space available in your kitchen, how many people you are cooking for, the quantity of the food you are cooking, etc. should also be put into consideration in other to make perfect choices.

Consider The Function Of The Equipment: Different types of equipment in the kitchen perform different functions, it is advisable to look out for the equipment that individually performs the functions you mostly need in your kitchen. You should also look out for equipment that is not complicated to use and that is also user-friendly.  

Some other factors to consider when buying kitchen equipment are style, the frequency of use, etc.  

Making the perfect choices when buying a kitchen equipment for your kitchen does not just stop at helping us maintain a healthy diet and good cooking routine, it also goes ahead to give our kitchen the perfect esthetic look it deserves. These tips that have been outlined in this article is sure going to help you make that perfect choice for your kitchen equipment.