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Whirlpool Dream Kitchen Sweepstakes

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From November 1 – December 31, 2007, Whirlpool brand and Dream Dinners invite consumers to register to win a Whirlpool Gold(R) suite of kitchen appliances or one of four Whirlpool Gold(R) Velos(R) SpeedCook ovens. The Velos oven can cook up to 47 percent faster than a traditional oven, getting the holiday turkey and all the fixins’ on the table in nearly half the time.

Consumers can visit www.whirlpool.com or www.dreamdinners.com for information on how to enter for a chance to win their dream kitchen.

You Probably Don’t Need That Extended Warranty

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Straight from PR Newswire: J.D. Power and Associates Reports: High Reliability of Major Home Appliances May Reduce Need for Extended Warranties

According to J.D. Powers and Associates 2007 Major Home Appliance Study, most major appliances these days are quite reliable, yet many consumers continue to purchase extended warranties.

The study measures customer satisfaction in nine segments of major home appliances: dishwashers; free-standing ranges; built-in cook-tops and wall ovens; freezer-on-top style refrigerators; side-by-side and French door-style refrigerators; clothes washers; clothes dryers; over-the-range microwave ovens; and counter-top microwave ovens. The study, now in its third year, examines customer satisfaction with microwave ovens for the first time. Customer satisfaction is measured based on performance in six factors: operational performance (including how well the appliance functions, noise level and energy efficiency); operational features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity); ease of use; styling and feel; price; and warranty.

The study finds that during the first two years of ownership, approximately one in 10 consumers report some kind of problem with their major appliance. However, many of these problems can be resolved by following instructions in the owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s Web site. Relatively few problems actually require a service visit.

Despite this high degree of reliability, many consumers purchase an extended warranty for their appliances. Among owners of refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and laundry appliances, approximately 25 percent report purchasing an extended warranty, while approximately 15 percent of microwave oven owners do so.

“Extended warranties certainly provide a degree of peace of mind,” said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “With some appliances — particularly those with complex electronics and potentially high repair costs — purchasing an extended warranty may make sense. However, major appliances tend to be very reliable, and consumers should consider very carefully — depending upon their circumstances — whether an extended warranty is worth the additional cost.”

In satisfying customers with major kitchen and laundry appliances, Bosch, GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, Maytag, Samsung, Whirlpool and Whirlpool Gold rank highest in various segments.

“Particularly strong performers include Bosch, LG and Samsung, which have achieved consistently high satisfaction levels in consecutive years,” said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “For two consecutive years, Bosch has ranked highest in the dishwashers segment and LG has ranked highest among clothes washers, while Samsung has earned an award in a refrigerator segment for three consecutive years. This is especially impressive considering the high levels of quality and reliability that many appliance manufacturers attain.”

The 2007 Major Home Appliance Study is based on 22,637 responses from consumers who purchased one or more new major home appliances through a retail store, their new-home builder, or received one through other means (such as a gift) during the previous 24 months.

Maytag Refrigerator Woes- An Update

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Last September I wrote here about my mother’s horrible experience with a brand new Maytag refrigerator.  She spent endless hours on the phone and weeks waiting for service for a fridge that was clearly a lemon.  We have had feedback that shows she is not alone.  I thought readers might be interested to know the end of the story. 

The defective refrigerator was never repaired properly, Maytag refused to speak with my mother further, and the store she purchased it from would not take it back.  It now sits (safely sealed for the protection of small children) in my parent’s garage while we try to dispose of it.  We thought maybe it could be repaired and used by a shelter or that an occupational school could use it for practice.  No one wants this new, yet defective fridge. 

 At this point, it looks like it is headed for the recycling heap.  At least it won’t be adding too much to the landfills.  That is the best I can say about it.

Cooking in Full Color

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Homeowners who add high end appliances to their kitchens have for years acknowledged stainless steel as the premium finish for appliances according to appliance magazine.  But now “more consumers are daring to commit to vibrant color on kitchen fixtures, and colorful alternatives to stainless ranges are becoming common.”

Dacor launched a colored-glass front on its wall ovens three years ago, and for 2007, it expanded the colored glass to a full line of appliances under the Preference brand name. At this year’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, the was an exhibition by Viking Range Corp., which is relaunching the St. Charles brand of kitchen cabinetry. This all-steel line of cabinets will be offered in 24 planned colors, and Viking’s kitchen appliances will come in matching colors.
Prizer-Painter Inc., once a contract manufacturer of commercial appliances for Garland and other brands, launched BlueStar commercial-style appliances for the residential market in 2002. Prizer had a history of finishing expertise, and in the 1990s it developed a significant two-coat/one-fire powder-coating system. In 2007, that finishing expertise gives it the ability to offer 190 color choices in its BlueStar ranges—the most of any range OEM. If that’s still not enough, BlueStar will finish a range in custom colors as well.

European ranges can have sophisticated color choices. For example, La Cornue’s handmade Château ranges can be finished in rich shades such as British racing green and Eggplant.

Tecnogas, a member of the Antonio Merloni Group based in Italy, ­is taking a more lighthearted approach to the Allegro Fornello, or “cheerful gas cooker,” a freestanding range launched in June. The range aims to bring more cheerfulness into the kitchen through the innovative use of color. A combination of lids and flame diffusers in different colors and materials is interchangeable with the Series II gas burners supplied by Sabaf. The appliance even allows the homeowner to change out these cooker elements to match changing kitchen décor.

Appliance makers seem eager to supply this colorful addition to today’s kitchens.

Sometimes You Just Need 13 Dozen Cookies

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This week we’ve been testing the KitchenAid Professional Series 600 Lift Stand Mixer (in onyx black).   I may not be a professional baker, but I’m no stranger to flour.   Most months I bake at least 16 loaves of bread, 4-6 quick breads and unreasonable amounts of cookies and brownies. Crazy yes,  but with four kids and lots of drop in neighbors, I like to keep my kitchen stocked with something freshly baked.   After 20 years of baking, I know the feel of a well kneaded bread dough.  So needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to testing the current crop of mixers.

The KitchenAid Professional Series 600 Lift Stand Mixer is an extremely powerful machine.   Although the manual warns that the motor can get hot, I had it knead 13 cups of bread flour without it even breaking a sweat.  The new PowerKnead dough hook plowed through close to 5 pounds of flour easily. Using the wire whip,  I was able to bring 12 egg whites to stiff peaks in under 4 minutes on my way to a pretty decent chocolate angel food cake.   I made a large batch of chocolate chip cookies without having to soften the butter.  Just as suggested in the manual, I used the  flat beater to cream it with the sugar.

The Professional Series 600 gets its strength from its old style construction. It is a durable metal machine with solid steel gears, an industrial strength motor and no plastic in sight.  This is a machine your grandkids just might inherit from you.

But with power comes size.  The mixer is over 17 inches tall, with a 16 by 12 footprint.  The standard bowl holds six quarts.  That six quart bowl carrying a full load of bread dough can reach 10 pounds or more.  To handle the load, the Professional Series 600 has a bowl lift mechanism that will lever the bowl and its contents up to the mixer blade or dough hook.   Unfortunately, when you lower it to empty the bowl, you still need to wrestle 10 pounds of dough up and out of the bowl for rising.   Even with smaller loads,  it’s a cumbersome operation to scrape batters from the 6 quart bowl.

Because the mixer is so large and powerful,  I wouldn’t recommend it  for making one loaf of banana bread.  If you’re planning on outfitting the school bake sale, or doing your christmas baking,  you could produce 8 loaves or abundant cookies  with ease.

One of the things this mixer does do,  is morph beyond a standard stand mixer.   You can add a sausage stuffer, pasta maker, ice cream maker, citrus juicer, grain mill, food grinder, rotary slicer/shredder.   That powerful motor doesn’t have to sit idly on your counter waiting for your next birthday cake.

In the final analysis,  the professional series 600 stand mixer is exactly that.  It’s a professional piece of equipment.  This big, powerful tool is a great addition to a catering kitchen,  although overwhelming and a bit unwieldy for daily use in a typical family kitchen.    But, if you want to be able to make 3 pounds of fudge, hundreds of cookies, or a big pile of bread at the drop of a hat, this is the machine to get it done. 

If you want to see a demonstration video, there are two nice ones on this product page

CAPACITY:
KitchenAid’s marketing liturature identifies The Professional 600 Series as the most powerful stand mixer in their product line.  It is  able to churn through 14 cups of flour per batch.  Enough to make  8 Loaves of White Bread, 13 Dozen Cookies, or 8 Pounds of Mashed Potatoes.   It features a 10-speed slide control ranging from a very fast whip to a very slow stir.   New with this model is the PowerKnead™ spiral dough hook that  replicates hand-kneading to handle 20% more dough than previous models.

DESIGN

  • Stand Mixer – Removable bowl on a permanent stand
  • Bowl-lift Mixer Style -A lever raises bowl into mixing position, or lowers it for removal
  • Multi-purpose Attachment Hub – Attach pasta maker, grinder etc. to connector on the mixer’s front
  • All-Metal Construction, direct drive transmission, steel gears, and commercial motor protection for lifelong reliability

PERFORMANCE
575 Motor Wattage
14 Cups Flour Power
6 Quart Mixing Bowl Capacity
67 Point Planetary Mixing Action
Electronic Speed Sensor – 10 Mixing Speeds

INCLUDES
Professional Wire Whip
Burnished Flat Beater
Clear  Pouring Shield
6 Qt. Stainless Steel Bowl w/Handle
Burnished PowerKnead™ Spiral Hook

 Available for $399, with lots of 50 dollar rebates.

Stay tuned for our review of the 5 quart KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer.

Is the Food Safe to Eat?

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The Detroit Free Press offers an answer to the often asked question of whether food that has been in a refrigerator that has been off for a number of hours is safe to eat.

Chances are most of the perishable foods reached an unsafe temperature if the refrigerator was off for 24 hours or more. Items such as leftovers, fresh meats and poultry most likely reached an unsafe temperature where bacteria growth can take place. Milk products, soft cheeses, eggs and yogurt are considered not safe if stored above 40 degrees. Toss these items out. Also, homemade or store-bought mayonnaise, cream-based salad dressing and soups should be discarded.

The USDA says refrigerators should maintain a 40-degree temperature or below. Use an appliance thermometer to verify this and keep it in the refrigerator.

“This can be critical in the event of a power outage. When the power goes back on, if the refrigerator is still 40 degrees, the food is safe,” according to www.fsis.usda.gov

Many condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, jelly, jams, soy sauce and bottled marinade should be OK. These condiments usually have high salt and sugars that can act as a preservative. Bread would be fine as well as most fruit and vegetables. If the refrigerator is off more than 24 hours vegetables and fruits could become slimy or moldy.

If your freezer was turned off too, consider that some of those foods thawed during that time. If the foods still contain ice crystals they can be refrozen safely, according to the MSU Extension, Oakland County. The issue with thawing and refreezing is quality may be compromised.

Recall:Keystone Manufacturing Co. and QVC Recall Convection Ovens with Rotisserie Due to Fire and Electrical Shock Hazards

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The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Cook’s Essentials Convection Ovens with Pull-Out Rotisserie and Deni Convection Ovens with Rotisserie

Units: About 32,000

Retailer: QVC of West Chester, Pa.

Distributor: Keystone Manufacturing Co. Inc., of Buffalo, N.Y.

Hazard: Wires behind the control panel can overheat, posing fire and electric shock hazards.

Incidents/Injuries: QVC has received 49 reports of incidents, including five minor burns, five electrical shocks and 11 incidents of minor property damage to kitchen cabinets and countertops.

Description: This recall involves the Cook’s Essentials Multi-Function Convection Oven with Pull-Out Rotisserie (model number 910500), which was also sold as the Deni Convection Oven with Rotisserie (model number 10500). The model number can be found on the bottom of the oven. These are countertop ovens and the brand name “Cook’s Essentials” or “Deni” is found on the front right panel.

Sold through: The Cook’s Essentials brand was sold exclusively through QVC and the Deni brand was sold through various on-line retailers from October 2006 through May 2007 for about $125.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the oven and contact QVC or Keystone to receive a replacement oven or a refund. QVC and Keystone have notified consumers by telephone and by mail to stop using the oven.

Consumer Contact: Consumers who bought a Cook’s Essentials oven through a QVC broadcast or at QVC.com, and who have not been contacted by QVC, should call QVC at (800) 367-9444 between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. ET seven days a week. Consumers who bought a Cook’s Essentials oven at a QVC outlet or retail store should return the oven to the store at which it was purchased for a refund. Consumers who bought a Deni brand oven and who have not been contacted by Keystone should call Keystone at (800) 336-4822 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Consumers can also visit QVC’s Web site at www.qvc.com or Deni’s Web site at www.deni.com

Picture of Recalled Youth ATVs

How to Buy a Cooktop

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Gas or electric? Smooth top or coils?  We’ll help you sort out your options.

Features and Frills:

  • Popular finishes: stainless steel and black; followed by white and bisque.  An oiled bronze finish is also newly available as is a “clean” steel which doesn’t show fingerprints.
  • Some models offer more than one type of burner- induction plus electric or gas, plus a warming zone.
  • A bridge burner can combine two burners to handle larger pots and more evenly cook the food.

What to look for:

Electric:

  • Smooth ceramic surfaces- they’re pricier than coils, but easier to clean.
  • Warming zones for keeping cooked foods ready.
  • Touch pads for precise tempetaures.
  • A “hot-surface” light that warns when burners are too hot to touch.

Gas:

  • Look for heavy cast iron grate and burners in various sizes and temperature ranges
  • Gas on glass- easy to clean coking grates sit on top of a smooth, easy to clean ceramic surface.

Induction:

  • A magnetic field heats the pot or pan, which then heats the food- the cooking surface never gets more than slightly warm to the touch.

There is a cooktop for every budget, ranging in price from just over $250 for a Maytag with electric coils all the way to a KitchenAid induction cooktop for $2,249.00.  Of course there are many choices in the mid-range, such as a GE gas cooktop for $599.

Even the simplest meals usually involve some cooking- take your time and visit a few showrooms to check out all your options.
(Thank you to FamilyCircle magazine.)

Cooktop vs. Conventional Range

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Are you trying to decide whether a conventional range or cooktop would work better for you?  If you have the space for either option and are unsure which would best suit your needs, here are some thoughts to consider:

Cooktop:

Pros:

  • Flexibility- can be built into any countertop.
  • Optional burner configurations and add- on such as griddles and grills

Cons:

  • Can be substantionally more costly than conventional ranges.
  • Installation costs more as it should be done by a professional.

Conventional Range:

Pros:

  • A restaurant style range can be a striking design element in the room.
  • Easy installation
  • Can often be swapped out without major remodeling costs.

Cons:

  • No variations on oven height or burner placement.