Hey readers! Bill here again, and some of you are wondering what the top 3 kitchen gadgets of the new year are. Here are 3 gadgets I use a LOT and save a ton of time with.
These are 3 things that are worth your money, if you value your time. Enjoy!
Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers can cook food rapidy and are very useful but they're a pain, as you have to monitor the temp and pressure on the stove. The instant pot does this all automatically in a easy to use appliance. These things are awesome, and I recommend them!
Air Fryer
I mention Air Fryers in my Black And Deck Air Fryer page. Air fryers use superheated air to cook food so it's crispy on the outside, just like a conventional fryer but without a ton of grease. How cool is that?
Smart Planet Bacon Nation Bacon Master
What man doesn't love bacon? I LOVE bacon, and this new nifty gadget makes cooking bacon without a greasy mess a complete snap... Just throw you back on it, cover it, and set it. It's that easy!
No more popping grease all over the place!
Monday, February 13, 2017
Black And Decker Air Fryer - It's Good!
One of my favorite new kitchen appliances is my air fryer. I have a couple of them, the philips airfryer, and this black and decker air fryer, which is what I'm writing about. Some of the info, I found here on this Black and Decker Air Fryer Review. The site is about air fryers, and it's pretty good so if you're looking for a bunch more information on air fryers, go check them out (https://airfryguy.com).
Black and Decker Air fryer - Cons
Black and Decker is not known to be as high quality of brand as say, breville or philips, but they have been around forever, and they're known for their quality. That being said, these models seem to share the same form factor as many of the other air fryers out there for the same price, so it seems to me that maybe they really ARE the same fryer, which means that the quality may not be as great as one of the higherpriced brands. Personally I have this and so do many of my friends and it works just great. I don't use it as much as the philips air fryer but it does the job like it should and works well.
The fryer has knobs instead of a LED readout which is ok, but I prefer a digital device for more precise operation. Knobs do work well in a pinch and are much easier to operate, so if you want a no-frills air fryer that's easy to use this one may be the one!
Black and Decker Air Fryer - Pros
One of the negatives that I mentioned was that it has knobs instead of digital readouts, but that could be a very good thing if you're not great at programming things. Appliances can be complicated beasts and using knobs instead of programming options can be a boon for the less technically inclined operator.
The price of this air fryer is another great benefit of the Black and Decker Air fryer. It's one of the best sub-$100 air fryers out on the market right now. The only reason I wouldn't buy it is if I'm holding out for a more advanced model with more bells and whistles, but this one really is worth the money because it works really well for the price!
Another great "Pro" is that the Black and Decker brand is great, it has been around for a very long time and will continue to be around for a long, long time. If you're down to deciding between this one and a cheap no-name model, choose this one because Black and Decker support is WAY better, and they have good warranties.
Black and Decker Air Fryer features
Super quick cleanup
Choice of color (black or white)
Simple to operate dials for cooking temp and time.
Bottom line
If you're looking for a cheap air fryer that'll last you a while, made by a company who will support you if you have an issue, get this Air fryer. This is the one I have if I just quick want to cook something and not have to worry about programming it. You pretty much throw in your food. set the dial for temp, and time, and you're good to go. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
5 Kitchen Hacks That will Save you 5 Hours a Week
So today's post will be about time saving tips that I've gathered over the last few years of cooking meals for my family. These are my favorite 5 "life hacks" for the kitchen. I hope you get as much use out of them as I have!
Here is the list of my 5 favorite kitchen hacks:
Onions without Tears
If you're planning on cooking your onions, put them in the freezer before chopping them. Seriously! The onions won't burn your eyes this way and you'll thank me with bright, white eyes!
Crystal Clear Ice Cubes
Having a party? Want perfect crystal clear ice cubes that will having your guest wondering if you're Tom Cruise in the movie "Cocktail"? Boil the water first... The result is no air bubbles in the ice cubes
Use Dental Floss To Cut a Cake
It makes perfect cuts! Every time. Just don't use the mint kind... Unless it's a mint cake!
Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Use a thumbtack to put a tiny hole in the end of the egg. Boil the egg as usual, then be amazed at how easy it is to peel!
Prevent a pot from boiling over
Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot. It'll pop the bubbles as they rise to the top and keep the pot from boiling over. Pretty slick huh?
Well there you have it, my top 5 kitchen related life hacks. I hope you've learned something and if you want more tips where these came from, stay tuned... Lots of great material is coming your way!
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Welcome!
Hey there, I'm Bill and this is my new blog. As you can read in my profile, I'm just a regular guy who's into mostly manly junk like woodworking, cars, tools, and gadgets. This blog, I am writing about things which really optimize my time and allow me to spend more time with my kids.
I'm a single dad with 2 boys. It's not always easy but it is always rewarding. I am their counselor, their coach, trainer, their homework helper... A single dad really has so many roles, and all of these roles take time.
Making meals has always been something I've struggled with... I am simply not that domesticated or handy in the kitchen. After years of struggling to make good meals for my boys with the nutrition they need to be good in school and sports, I have discovered a few things which really help in that area, and I hope to show them to you, my reader...
It doesn't matter if you're a guy or a woman, you will find something in this blog that saves you time and makes your life a little better. That's my goal, and I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings.
