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Archives for December 2007

Air Cleaners – What You Need to Know

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Many people believe that an air cleaner will help their family be healthier.  Using an air cleaner or air purifier in your home supposedly helps reduce dust, pollen and other respiratory irritants.  There are three types of air cleaners,  High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, electrostatic precipitators, and ozone generators.

From the Arizona Daily Star:

1. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters: Consumer Reports says air cleaners with these filters are among the best performers. But homeowners can more easily improve their indoor air with other methods, such as banning indoor smoking, keeping pets out of bedrooms, removing carpeting and other dust-mite havens and opening windows, the magazine says.
2. Electrostatic precipitators: They apply an electrical charge to particles and deposit them onto filters. They commonly emit small amounts of ozone as a byproduct. This month, Consumer Reports withdrew its endorsement of them after 15 years of recommending some models, saying, “We now believe that air purifiers that emit even small amounts of ozone are not your best choice.”
Ozone is a common air pollutant, an indicator of smog’s presence. The Environmental Protection Agency says that relatively low ozone levels can cause respiratory problems.
3. Ozone generators: Manufacturers say that ozone will purify the air, but Consumer Reports recommends against such machines, saying its tests have found that their ozone production generally exceeded federal Food and Drug Administration limits of 50 parts per billion set for medical devices. The California Air Resources Board just approved new rules, requiring such generators to limit ozone to 50 ppb by Dec. 31, 2008.

Newer houses with better insulation, double-paned windows and weatherstripped doors save energy, but they also seal pollutants into our homes. I try to limit my impact on the environment. Air cleaners are just another electronic device to run, with uncertain results. My choice is to vacuum and wash floors and bedding regularly and to open windows daily. Those are results you can see.

Fire Safety – Prevent Kitchen Fires

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The San Mateo County Fire Department has some important safety tips for cooking during this busy holiday season.

How often has the doorbell rung or a child interrupted you while you were cooking, causing you to forget about the chicken you left sizzling on the stove – until smoke filled the house?  If this scenario or a similar one doesn’t sound familiar to you, you may want to think about it a little more because it’s likely that you, a friend, or family member has run the risk of having a dangerous fire.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The latest statistics from NFPA say that one out of every three home fires started in the kitchen and more than 100,000 fires a year were related to cooking.

Here are a few safety tips to remember:

  • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food. If you must leave the the room even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
  • Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging).
  • Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet around the stove.
  • If you have a fire in your microwave, turn it off immediately and keep the door closed. Never open the door until the fire is completely out. If in doubt, get out of the home and call 911.
  • Always keep an oven mitt and a lid nearby. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven mitt). Turn off the burner and slide the pan off the burner.
  • Never pour water on a grease fire. If the fire does not go out, get out of the home and call 911.
  • If an oven fire starts, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing. If the fire does not go out, get out of the home and call the fire department.
  • To avoid the accumulation of grease, always clean the vent screen above your stove. You can put these in the dishwasher! If you cook frequently with oils, butter, and grease, make sure to clean it at least once a month.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and learn how to use it.

Recall: Pressure Cookers By Manttra Inc. Due to Burn Hazard

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Name of Product: Pressure Cookers

Units: About 38,250

Importer: Manttra Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va.

Manufacturer: TTK Presitge Ltd., of India

Hazard: If the pressure cookers are not closed properly, the lid can separate and allow hot contents to spill out. This poses a risk of burns to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Manttra has received two reports of hot contents spilling out of the pressure cookers, resulting in minor burn injuries.

Description: This recall involves Manttra Smart Series five-piece stainless steel multi cooker sets. The set includes a pressure lid, glass lid, steamer basket, wire trivet, and stock/pressure pot. Model/code number 38270 is stamped on the base of the 8-quart stainless steel cooker.

Sold at: Kohl’s, Robinson’s, Sears and Carson Pirie Scott stores nationwide from June 2003 through April 2007 for between $70 and $100.

Manufactured in: India

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the pressure cookers and contact Manttra Inc. to receive a new replacement pressure valve (ZPD valve).

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Manttra Inc. toll-free at (877) 962-6887 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.manttra.com

Picture of Recalled Pressure Cookers

Whirlpool Aims for Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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If you are shopping for eco-friendly appliances, here’s some good news from Twice.com:

Whirlpool will increase its commitment to environmentally-sound business practices by reducing total greenhouse gas emissions 6.6 percent by 2012, the company announced last week. The world’s largest majap maker will make these global, voluntary reductions while at the same time increasing production by 17 percent, it said.

The positive output of the reduction is equivalent to approximately 4.5 million acres of trees, an area larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Whirlpool chairman/CEO Jeff Fettig announced the increased reductions plan in his keynote address here at the Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Exposition (EE Global). Whirlpool is the founding sponsor of EE Global, a showcase for the energy-efficiency industry attracting industry professionals, academics and policy makers from around the world to exchange the latest technical, commercial and policy information and forge partnerships and develop “best practices,” policies and strategies for global implementation.

Separately, Friedrich Air Conditioning has been awarded an Environmental Excellence Award by San Antonio Water System (SAWS) for the second consecutive year. SAWS serves over one million people in the seventh largest U.S. city, Friedrich’s home base.

Friedrich received this award in recognition of its continued efforts to reduce water consumption. In 2007, the company reduced the amount of process water requiring treatment by approximately 50 percent.

Recall: DeWALT Cordless Drills Due to Fire Hazard

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Name of Product: DEWALT Cordless Drills

Units: About 346,000

Manufacturer: DEWALT Industrial Tool Company, of Towson, Md.

Hazard: The trigger switch of the cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: DEWALT has received 11 reports of trigger switches overheating. No injuries or property damage have been reported.

Description: This recall involves DEWALT individual cordless drills listed below:

Model Number Description Date Codes
DC920 Heavy-Duty XRP™ 1/2” (13mm) 18 Volt Cordless Drill/Driver 200723 through 200742
DC930 Heavy-Duty XRP™ 1/2″ (13mm) 14.4 Volt Cordless Drill/Driver 200625 through 200746
DC935 Heavy-Duty XRP™ 1/2″ (13mm) 14.4 Volt Cordless Hammerdrill/Drill/Driver 200627 through 200746
DC936 Heavy-Duty XRP™ 1/2″ (13mm) 14.4 Volt Cordless Hammerdrill/Drill/Driver 200635 through 200746
DC940 Heavy-Duty XRP™ 1/2″ (13mm) 12 Volt Cordless Drill/Driver 200635 through 200746

The model number is printed on a sticker on the side of the unit. The date code is embossed on the bottom of the unit. Units stamped with an “M” following the date code have been repaired and are not included in this recall. The packaging of repaired drills has a green dot sticker near the UPC label.

Sold at: Wholesale distributors and retailers from about June 2006 through December 2007 for between $180 and $280.

Manufactured in: Mexico

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the drills immediately and contact DEWALT for the location of the nearest service center to receive a free inspection and, if necessary, free repair.

Consumer Contact: Call DEWALT toll-free at (888) 742-9168 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit firm’s Web site at www.DEWALT.com

Picture of Recalled DEWALT Cordless Drill

You can Really Save – Choose Energy Star

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Most of us want to save energy.  It’s good for the environment and good for our pocketbooks.  By choosing a new appliance with an Energy Star rating you are off to a good start.  How much you will save though, depends on the type and age of the appliance you are replacing.

 One thing seems certain though, you will be saving more than that yellow Energy Star label lists.  Why?  Because according to www.energystar.gov the Energy Star ratings compare a new Energy Star model to a new standard model, not to older ones like those in your kitchen and laundry room.

The Washington Post  writes:

For example, a 2007 Energy Star refrigerator uses at least 15 percent less energy than a standard one, as you will note when you peruse the showroom floor. But the average American household replaces its refrigerator about every 14 years, so a more accurate calculation for you would be to compare the 1993 standard to the current Energy Star one.

Using an 18-cubic-foot freezer-refrigerator, a fairly common size, as a basis for comparison, a new Energy Star model would use about 30 percent less energy than the 1993 standard model. But many families have refrigerators that are much older than that and still going strong. No one pays much attention to how much electricity these old models consume, but it is astounding when compared with the latest Energy Star models.

Using the same size for comparison, a 2007 Energy Star refrigerator uses 54 percent less energy than the 1989 model. If you’re going for some kind of record and still use the 18-cubic-foot, avocado-colored refrigerator that you proudly bought in 1975, you will find that a 2007 Energy Star model uses 81 percent less energy.

The greatest energy and water savings from a new Energy Star dishwasher will not be realized by a household trading in its 32-year-old antique but by one that is switching from hand to machine washing. Contrary to popular belief, hand washing on average uses about five times as much water as a dishwasher (about 27 gallons vs. five gallons), or about 5,000 gallons more a year, according to a German study cited on the Energy Star Web site. In areas with acute water shortages, this may be of great interest.

The energy savings between hand washing and a 2007 Energy Star dishwasher are about 38 percent, according to the Whirlpool dishwasher engineering staff.

If your brand-new Energy Star dishwasher replaces a 12-year-old machine — representing the average rate of turnover in U.S. households — water use would go down by about 33 percent, or by 600 gallons a year, and the new machine would use at least 29 percent less energy, the Whirlpool engineers said.

The turnover rate for washing machines is the same as for dishwashers, about 12 years. If that’s your situation, you will find that you have more choices than you did in 1995. Also, the Energy Star criteria for washers now include water savings. To qualify, a washer must use 40 percent less energy and about 30 to 60 percent less water than a standard top-loader.

Compared with the washer you bought in 1995, a 2007 Energy Star conventional top-loader uses about 40 percent less energy and about 25 percent less water. The 2007 Energy Star wash-plate top-loader uses about 60 percent less energy and about 30 percent less water. The 2007 Energy Star front-loader uses about 75 percent less energy and about 60 percent less water.

Many of these new appliances will pay for themselves in energy savings (lower utility bills) in just a couple years. That, and the fact that a new washing machine or dishwasher cleans better than a ten year old one, and you might just find yourself doing some comparison shopping soon.

Toastmaster Bread Machine Review

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AmericanChronicle offers this review of the toastmaster bread machine which is an option if you are looking for a less expensive bread machine than the Cuisinart that we reviewed here.

A Toastmaster bread machine is cheap to buy. This combined with their standard features makes these appliances attractive to buyers. But there are other cheap bread makes on the market and these can be a better bet than a Toastmaster. Here’s a reviews of the two best sellers.

Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a lot of functionality; you’ll be surprised at the amount features that come as standard on a Toastmaster breadmaker. The following appliances both do a good job at baking bread and many consumers are happy with their overall performance. The following review is for two models currently available from the Toastmaster range – the TBR15 and the TBR20 – and how they compare with a rival brand.

The Toastmaster TBR15 Bread Machine

This appliance currently retails for around $40 plus. It comes with an 80 minute quick bake cycle and can bake a loaf as large as 1.5lbs. You get a large viewing window and its pretty compact at 13″h x 13″w x 11.75″d. It comes with a fairly impressive list of 8 cycles; basic, whole wheat, French, Sweet, fast bake, Quick Bread, dough and bake. These are pretty much going to satisfy all but those that take home baking very seriously.

The cost of the TBR15 puts it in competition with the Sunbeam 5891 bread machine. The Sunbeam also comes with a quick bake – only 58 minutes, so it’s quicker. Also, it’s more versatile as it can bake either 1.5 or 2lb loaves. It also beats the TBR15 when it comes to the choice of cycles; there are 12 in all – including one for making jam.

Both machines have their drawbacks, the biggest being that they can sometimes fail to mix all the ingredients together so you end up with floury corners on the loaf – unless you manually intervene during the first mixing stage. But, this is a fairly common complaint with horizontal bread machines that use only one mixing paddle; even more expensive brands have this problem.

The Toastmaster TBR15 does have one main plus point over the Sunbeam 5891; its instruction book is far superior. It would be fair to say that the Sunbeam is pretty hopeless as it gives contradictory advice and has a very limited recipe list.

But, if you’re going to be spending this little on a bread maker, you’re best choice is the Sunbeam.

The Toastmaster TBR20 Bread Machine

This is a slightly more expensive machine and it currently retails at $55 plus. It can bake either 1, 1.5 or 2lb loaves. You also get a delay timer of 13 hours and a touchpad with digital readout. However, you still only get the 8 programs available on the TBR15 model. Its closest competition is the Oster 5838 ExpressBake bread machine. The Oster retails for around $10 – $20 more. It can also bake 1, 1.5 and 2lb loaves and has a 13 hour delay bake option. But it out does the Toastmaster on the selection of cycles that are available; the Oster has 18 cycles.

It’s a close call as to which is the better appliance. Personally, I prefer the Oster breadmaker but both models perform equally well and the TBR20 is cheaper. If you’re satisfied with the 8 cycles then the Toastmaster bread maker is probably the best option.

Both the TBR15 and the TBR20 Toastmaster bread machine are low priced but good appliances that get a decent rating on many customer reviews. But I would say forget about the TBR15; either upgrade to the TBR20 or buy the Sunbeam bread machine instead.

Review: Cuisinart CBK-200 Bread Machine

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The BreadMachineDigest, which is a very complete resource for bread machines, offers this review of a Cuisinart bread machine:

The Cuisinart CBK-200 bread machine is an interesting machine. It offers several features that are not available on any other machine. Features like convection baking for a more evenly browned and crispier crust. A beep signal when the final kneading is done telling you, you can now remove the kneading paddle from the pan so that you don’t have a large whole in the bottom of your loaf. It also has cycles for low-carb, gluten free, and artisan breads.

The machine itself is quite typical. It is a box shape with the standard side control panel. It has a small LCD screen that gives you the time remaining, the loaf size, crust color and where you are in the cycle information. To choose a cycle you just select the number that corresponds to the cycle you want. For example white is 1, low-carb is 8, etc. You set the number for the cycle you want using a menu button. Each time you press the button a different cycle number is selected.

There are also buttons for crust color, loaf size, delay timer as well as one to turn on and off the mix-ins option. The mix-ins option causes an alert beep to sound which tells you when in the cycle to add things like raisins, nuts, etc. The last two buttons are start and stop/pause. Overall the controls are easy to figure out and use.

This machine has a total of 101 cycles. However, this is a bit misleading because like some other companies Cuisinart counts variations to the main cycles as cycles. For example white bread with a 1 pound recipe and a light crust is one cycle and white bread with a 1-1/2 pound recipe and a light crust is another. If you forget about the variations this machine has a total of 16 cycles which includes:

White, rapid white, whole wheat, rapid whole wheat, French/Italian, rapid French/Italian, quick bread/cake, low-carb, gluten free, dough/pizza dough, artisan dough, sweet breads, rapid sweet breads, jam, last minute loaf, bake only.

Like some other machines on the market this one has a power failure backup feature. Should the power to the machine be disrupted it will store in memory the stage of bread making cycle and resume once the power is restored. However, unlike some other machines this backup feature is good for only 15 minutes. If the power stays out for longer than that you are out of luck.

The pan in the Cuisinart CBK-200 is called a horizontal pan by Cuisinart. However, to me it is a hybrid of the horizontal and vertical pan. This machine doesn’t make quite a horizontal loaf or a vertical loaf, it makes loaves that are some place in between. The pan in fact is the same size and shape as many of the pans included with Breadman machines like the Breadman Ultimate. It is also a single paddle pan. I don’t like this style of pan. During my testing of this machine I made 30 recipes, every single one of them required me to scrape some of the ingredients out of the corners of the pan. Had I not stuck around to do this, the loaves would have come out with floured corners. I really wish companies would either do vertical machines or true horizontal machines with dual paddles. These hybrids are a pain.

All of the recipes I made turned out great. The machine once you have all of the ingredients incorporated in to the dough kneads very well and makes a nice dough. It has no problems with white bread dough, egg bread dough, whole wheat or any of the other 30 types of bread I made.

I also have to give high praise for the convection bake feature. While I still prefer to make the dough in the machine and bake the loaf in my regular oven, the convection feature made for a much nicer and evenly browned crust. It was also crisper which quickly faded as the loaf cooled thanks to the steam.

Now for the real down side, this is one very unattractive looking machine. I think Cuisinart tried to make it look retro. However, in doing so they placed black trim all around the top of the machine (see the picture) and in doing this they made it the all time hardest machine to clean. Sooner or later you are going to need to clean flour off the top of this thing and because of the black trim it is going to be a real time consuming pain. I ended up using Q-Tips to get the thing clean. And, as I said this is in my opinion one of the most unattractive machines ever put on the market.

Would I recommend this machine? It depends, if you need its unique features like convection bake, low-carb or gluten free cycles then yes. I say go for it. If none of those features is something you are frothing at the bit for then I would recommend you look at something else. Something with a better pan and something that will be easier to clean. Finally, it comes with a very nice users guide and recipe book. I am very impressed with the number of recipes included and how diverse the recipes are. I give Cuisinart a round of applause for this excellent collection of recipes.

Review written by Robert Barnett.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things – Part Two

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A while ago we asked readers to let us know which small appliances they think are most important in their kitchens. Little-known-food-facts.com has compiled a list of their choices:

When it comes to small appliances, there are 6 must haves to every kitchen. Yes an automatic Can Opener is nice as is the plug in cutting knife for Turkey Dinner. But what about the Real Stuff?

The small appliances that allow us to cook entire meals or at least accent them with simple cooking uses. Do not get me wrong. I use my coffee maker every morning but I do not consider that a cooking tool.

The #6 Must Have For Your Kitchen: Popcorn Maker. First these are cheap. For less then $15 for the maker you can have healthy homemade popcorn in less then 5 minutes. It will not contain anything except what you put in it. That means there is no extra preservatives or unwanted salt.

The #5 Must Have For Your Kitchen: The Blender. I love my blender. You can use them to make almost anything. I use it to make sauces and dips, fruit drinks in the summer, mix a salsa or puree my tomatoes for a Lasagna. A blender is one of my most favorite small appliances.

The #4 Must Have For Your Kitchen: The Toaster Oven. Yes, not just for pastry cooking or roasting toast. You can warm toast and melt cheese or even cook a wrap in it. This small appliance makes life a simple task when it comes to cooking. Making open faced sandwiches is a snap when you have a toaster oven.

The #3 Must Have For Your Kitchen: The Indoor Grill. I personally have a “George” and I secretly love him. This is great for cooking meats of an inch and a half thick or making toast. I have made vegetables in it however, I always manage to cook it a little longer then I should. My grill comes with a bread warmer on top and is an easy to clean tool.

The #2 Must Have For Your Kitchen: The Slow Cooker. You can make anything from a lasagna to a banana nut bread in this. Ok so you can not make a steak dinner with sauteed onions and mushrooms but you can sure make the potatoes in it! The Crock Pot allows you safe cooking all day while you are at work.

The #1 Must Have For Your Kitchen: The Food Processor. When it comes to home cooking, everyone should have a Food Processor. This tool is essential to someone who has arthritis or just general trouble cutting. The right one can do nuts, cabbage, shred cheese, and peppers, the list goes on. There is almost no food that a food processor cannot slice, dice, or chop. It can be used to make soup, salads, and lasagnas. Well any meal really!

When it comes to the kitchen, just like a hot stove there is no playing around. Having the right tools will ensure that you have the right meals and having the right ingredients can give you a taste and dinner no one will ever forget.

Every kitchen should have these tools and by having them will give you a chance to create almost any meal. Ah, well! All I know is that I would be lost without any of my Small Appliances!

This list differs greatly from my original list, and to be honest, the blender and food processor are the only two I use somewhat regularly and they were on my short list in my earlier post. Feel free to let us know your favorites.

As Seen on TV- One Touch Can Opener

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I didn’t see this on TV- but apparently it’s everywhere- the One Touch can opener. I couldn’t escape it. Bed, Bath and Beyond has been stacking them in the aisle and the check-out lines and I finally gave in. I can’t resist the idea of an easy to use can opener; mine is finicky and inconveniently mounted outside the kitchen in the laundry room, so I decided to give this new one a whirl.
Well, it is definitely easy to use. Just load it with the required AA batteries and you’re ready to go. As the package says, it is truly hands-free. We placed the opener on the can, pushed the button and watched it go. Kids really like the “magic” of it working independently.
It has only one negative that I can find, but it is a big one. The can is cut around the outer edge which removes the entire top. The top of the can is now razor sharp. If you want to drain the can by pressing the lid against the contents (as I do with tuna), it’s not possible because the lid fits back too tightly against the can. If you try to drain it and touch the top with your fingers, you risk cutting your hand. This edge is really sharp!

So far I would consider this can opener a part time help in the kitchen. I choose it for cans that will have their contents, such as tomato sauce, added directly to a pot or bowl, with no fingers nearby.