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The Kitchen Review
Reviews of kitchen products, from cookware to utensils. Our experiences and findings of hundreds of products from All-Clad pots to Chef's Knives.
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Cast Iron Lodge Dutch Oven

Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:57 am
Comments: 2 Views: 219

The Lodge company has been around since the 1800's and their superior quality makes the products a lifetime purchase. The Lodge products have to be seasoned but the Pro-Logic is preseasoned. There are so many choices and sizes that there is one to fit your needs.

Lodge is the only American manufacturer of cast iron left. We have many of their products and they have lasted years, whether over the camp fire, in the oven or on the stove top. They make great products.

Brand & Type: Cast Iron Lodge Dutch Oven

Price range: low

Rating: 8

Description: 7 quart dutch oven

Pros: nice clean design, cast iron

Cons: none.

Conclusion: Lodge is all that remains of American cast iron manufacturers. Most of their pieces are pre season these day and I don't think they make an enamel line like Cusinart or Le Creuset. But what they do make is very nice long-lasting cookware. Every kitchen should have a few cast iron pieces.

" From the stove top to table, this 7-quart Dutch oven is an impressive serving piece. The Gumbo Creole inside? Culinary heaven.
7 qt., 12" dia., depth 4""

Cast IronSignature Series 12inch Dutch Oven

This can be found at lodge.com



Le Creuset 7 1/4 Quart Round French Oven

Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:51 am
Comments: 0 Views: 140

Brand & Type: Le Creuset 7 1/4 Quart Round French Oven


Price range: high, around $260

Rating: 9

Description: large round enameled cast iron dutch oven.

Pros: enamled cast iron. many colors available. great solid cast iron lid.

Cons: high price. heavy.

Conclusion: Le Creuset makes excellent products that last a lifetime. Nothing better to make soups or use in the oven than a pot like this and at 7 1/4 quarts it is plenty big for a family of 6 - 8. There is not much you can't do with these dutch ovens. They call them French Ovens but you can use them the same way as you would a traditional Dutch Oven.

Update: Every once in a while we find either this Le Creuset or a Cuisinart model that is very similar for sale in a discount store for a heavily discounted price. That is probably the best place to find one of these great cast iron enamel pieces. In TJMaxx we saw one for $80.



Calphalon Stainless Steel 12 Inch Frying Pan

Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:46 pm
Comments: 0 Views: 37
Brand & Type: Calphalon Stainless Steel 12 Inch Frying Pan

Price range: low, $35 from TJMaxx, otherwise ~ $90

Rating: High

Description: 12 inch stainless steel frying pan skillet.

Pros: Very nice skillet, the design is really nice with clean a finish. Great large size.

Cons: None.

Conclusion: Sometimes you can find a great deal on cookware and we found this12 inch Calphalon at TJMaxx for just $35. We have seen it in other places for around $90. We have tested All-Clad and other leading brands, which cost well over $150 sometimes and this $35 pan has been great. I would highly recommend these triply pans from Calphalon.

In terms of the size it is more than enough for almost any job. In the photo we were making tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes and the sauce came out great. The pan has great heat retention, sautees beautifully, and cleaned up pefectly. It should last forever and for $35 you can't find much better.

new york strip steak in calphalon 12 inchYou just can't compare the space with a 10 inch stainless steel pan. With a 12 inch pan you have much more room to cook steaks like this New York Strip we made. The 10 inch is great to have on hand but it doesn't have enough room to cook for 4 people. Next time we are going to try chicken thighs in a mustard sauce over white rice.



Krups Convection Toaster Oven

Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:30 pm
Comments: 0 Views: 657
krups convection ovenThis is the best Toaster/Convection Oven we have ever seen.

Brand & Type: Krups Toaster Oven

Price range: Medium-High End

Rating: 9

Description: Sturdy, well-made toaster oven.

Pros: Great design, even heat, convection feature, well made, large size.

Cons: Larger and heavier than normal toaster ovens.

Conclusion: Having tested and used this model from Krups for about 1 year we can say for sure that is has been useful and convenient. The convection feature has produced quicker cooking times than the oven for homemade biscuts and casseroles.

Overall the quartz heating elements get hot quick and because it is pretty small it does not take long to pre-heat, or not at all in some cases. The buttons and general design are very clean. The controls are digital and are easy to use, with a cool blue backlight. You can set temperatures anywhere from 200 degrees F to about 450 degrees F. There are bake, convection bake, toast and broil options. All the buttons are clear and are easy to clean. The case is black metal and has a very sturdy feel, with nice handles that stay cool. It feels like it is fairly large, but the interior is probably a common size.

For many people the first thing they do is to pre-heat the oven for cookies and they wait 30 minutes for it to heat-up. With this toaster oven it preheats almost automatically. This model fits a 8 x 8 inch square pyrex perfectly.

Unless you need to use larger baking dishes there is really no reason not to use this oven for everything. The biggest thing to be aware of is that when you set the convection feature make sure you reduce the cooking time. There were a few times when a recipe calls for chocolate chip cookies set at 375 degress F for 10-12 minutes and we learned that when the convection feature is on make sure you go 6-8 minutes otherwise it burns pretty bad.

For the year we have tested it the oven has performed very well. We would completely recommend this oven in any serious kitchen. It is not the kind for $30 that breaks or melts after a few months of use, it has a feel that it is made to last.

Update:

We recently went through the isles of Bed Bath & Beyond to look at some of the newest models and there has been some improvement in the quality convection toaster ovens they carry. Cuisinart has a couple nice sturdy models that should compete well with this Krups. They are about the same size and seem to be well made. This level of toaster oven can be quite pricey though, most of these models can go for over $200. But you just can't compare it to the $30 models.



Martha Stewart's Glass Oven & Storage Set

Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:57 pm
Comments: 6 Views: 1037

Brand & Type: Martha Stewart's 14-Piece Glass Oven & Storage Setglass storage bowls

Price Range: Low around $20

Rating: High

Description: 14 piece glass bowl set with 2 2-cup bowls, 1 4-cup,1 7-cup, 1 1 7/8 baking dish, 1 4 3/4 cup baking dish, and 1 11-cup. Each glass bowl comes with a plastic lid.

Pros: Durable glass for baking, serving and storage. Microwaveable, freezer,dishwasher and oven safe. Nice tight fitting lids.

Cons: Maybe a little heavy but that's all.

Conclusion: Sturdy storage set with good sizes for leftovers or any small baking item. I like the glass so much better than the plastic ones that break, leak, discolor or the lids don't fit properly. Martha designs a nice functional product.

Update: Some of the comments mention that the lids have cracked. We have experienced the same thing on one of the lids. As far as we know no one sells repacement lids.




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