Archive for club cookware
Aluminum Cookware Link to Alzheimer’s
Posted by: | CommentsIs There Any Truth?
A recent study brought dread and concern to millions of people using aluminum cookware. It is theorized that using aluminum cookware can trigger Alzheimer’s disease. Take note that we are talking about high contents of aluminum to have a significant effect on the body. As an overview, Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative type of illness, and usually terminal. A person infected with it experiences dementia. He forgets the names of his loved ones and other important memories. It is caused by a lot of interacting factors like drug side effects. But more recently, it is also linked with the intake of high amounts of aluminum. And they point to aluminum cookware as the culprit.
For many years, people already know how aluminum salts can leach from a pan or pot and onto the food being cooked, especially if it is acidic. This is the very reason why aluminum-lined cookware is strictly prohibited in some countries like France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Hungary, Brazil and Switzerland.
Although it is still allowed in the US, many of their aluminum cookware is now lined with non-stick coatings. Aside from this, most aluminum cookware is anodized. This means aluminum components were dipped into a type of hot acid bath, sealing it and changing its molecular structure.
Aluminum foil leaching is proven to be true. The logic behind this is that aluminum foils are produced when aluminum passes between pressurized rollers.
Aluminum is the third most abundant element. It is unavoidable that when we eat, drink or breathe, we constantly take in small quantities of this element. There is nothing to worry about because our bodies are adapted to remove it again. Studies reveal that only as little as .001% of aluminum is present in our digestive tracks. Our kidneys also immediately excrete the aluminum absorbed by our bodies.
The dilemma now lies in our changing world. With industrialization, pollution and all other natural hazards present in the environment, we are becoming more exposed to excessive amounts of aluminum. In fact, Alzheimer’s is just one of the many diseases we can get from excessive absorption of aluminum.
Alzheimer’s is triggered by many factors, not just aluminum. And if aluminum content is the concern, it is found in greater quantities in water supplies. It is therefore inconclusive to avoid aluminum cookware to prevent Alzheimer’s.
However, the direct link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease is still ongoing several tests to ascertain theories. And for much concern, Alzheimer’s is brought about by a lot of other factors. It is a given that aluminum is one of the most popular element used in manufacturing kitchen items. Its lightweight characteristic is perfect for easy manipulation and maneuverability of several kitchen tools and utensils.
The important thing to remember is to always be safe in the cooking methods we practice. Because any material, aluminum or otherwise, can be causes of diseases if we are not careful. There is practically a certain degree of hazard in any kind of material used in kitchenware. Copper can rust and contaminate food also. Other metals like iron are also easily corrosive. So they are actually not any different with aluminum.
Tivoli Cookware Energy Efficiency
Posted by: | CommentsEnergy Efficiency and Kitchen Appliances
Energy efficiency in the home benefits us in many ways. Firstly we save money on our household bills and with the rise in energy prices, every penny counts. One way to start the saving is by choosing energy efficient kitchen appliances.
Start making your effort to reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the same time. If you’re shopping for a new dishwasher, cooker, fridge freezer or oven, always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. They will cost less to run and help reduce carbon emissions.
Refrigeration – Side by side fridge freezers use more energy than similarly sized models with the freezer on top, even if they both carry the ENERGY STAR on board. The government holds the two categories to different standards, allowing side-by-sides to use 10-30% more energy. Icemakers and through-the-door ice also add to energy consumption.
In cooking, when it comes to choosing the fuel type, gas is usually preferable to electricity as a heating fuel. But because cooking doesn’t make a huge overall impact on your energy bill, this choice has more to do with your own preference. Many people find that gas offers better cooking control; however, it also introduces combustion products into the house that must be vented to the outside. Be sure to purchase an energy-efficient range hood that vents cooking products up from the cooktop and directly outside (avoid down-draft vents).
The EU Energy Rating measures energy efficiency on a seven point scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). The rating covers a variety of household appliances including fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers, washing machines, electric tumble driers, combined washer-driers, lamps, electric ovens and air conditioners. By law, all retailers in the EU must display an energy efficiency rating on these products. A product with an A rating will have passed a rigorous, impartial testing procedure, so you can be sure of its high energy efficiency.
If everyone in the UK upgraded their old refrigeration appliance to an A-rated, energy efficient product, energy wastage would be cut by over two-thirds. Buying an energy efficient fridge freezer to replace your inefficient model could cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 296 kilos a year.
Also, why not consider applying for a grant, available to many people throughout the UK. The UK Government funds schemes providing up to 2,700 to households on certain benefits (see below for examples of eligibility criteria) to improve their heating and energy efficiency. In England the scheme is known as Warm Front, in Northern Ireland it is Warm Homes, in Scotland it is Warm Deal and the Central Heating Programme and in Wales it is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. The eligibility criteria for the schemes differ between countries – with some schemes you need to be in receipt of certain benefits, whilst others are available to anyone over a certain age.
Energy Efficient Kitchen Appliances
A selection of quality energy efficient appliances
By Braeg Heneffe
Published: 8/19/2008
Do I Need a Tivoli Cookware Double Boiler?
Posted by: | CommentsDo I Need a Double Boiler?
Are you considering buying a double boiler? Not so fast! This article can help you decide if a double boiler is really necessary in your kitchen.
A double boiler, also called a bain-marie, consists of two pans, one slightly smaller than the other, where the smaller pan is formed to fit on top and partway inside of the larger pan. The food being cooked is placed in the top vessel and a liquid (usually water) is placed in the bottom vessel. The amount of liquid added to the bottom vessel is such that when the top vessel is placed over the bottom, the top pan does not come into contact with the liquid. Heat is applied to bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. The food above is heated from the steam of the simmering liquid.
The unique aspect of cooking in a double boiler is the heat source. Foods cooked in a standard saucepan on a conventional stove top are subject to direct heat and the temperature of that heat is determined by the setting of the burner. When a double boiler is used, the heat source is indirect, allowing for slow and even heating, and the temperature of the heat that is applied to the food depends on the thermal characteristics of the liquid in the bottom vessel. When that liquid is water, which it almost always is, the maximum temperature that will be applied to the food in the upper vessel (assuming sea level) is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the boiling point of water. Using other liquids will give different maximum temperatures.
For this reason, a double boiler is used to heat foods that are too fragile to be put directly on the stove top and is often the cooking vessel of choice when making delicate sauces or custards that might scorch or overcook if direct heat were used. A double boiler is also a good option when melting or tempering chocolate since overheating chocolate can cause it to burn and become grainy.
With all this being said, do you need a double boiler? The easy answer is ‘No’. I use the cooking method of a double boiler often, but I don’t own a double boiler and I don’t recommend that you buy one either. It’s just not necessary. You can easily duplicate the actions of a double boiler using a pan and the appropriate size mixing bowl. In fact, there are several advantages to this arrangement. First, you don’t have an extra piece of cookware to find room for in your kitchen. Secondly, you can tailor the size of your ‘double boiler’ to size of the job, changing the size of the bowl and pan as needed. And, thirdly, the rounded shape of the bowl is much easier to use in terms of stirring and whisking than the straight sides of the top vessel of a true double boiler.
I have a set of tempered glass mixing bowls that work well as the top part of my double boiler. They’re the perfect shape – wider and shallower than most metal mixing bowls – and the fact that they’re glass allows me to get at least some idea of how much the water below is boiling, even through the condensation. This is important since you often want the water in the lower pan to be at a gentle simmer when cooking with a double boiler.
Mary Kenkel helps you find the best for your favorite room in the house! Visit http://www.BestinKitchen.com today to sign up for our free newsletter.
| By Mary Kenkel Published: 6/11/2008 |
Common Cookware Google Searches
Posted by: | CommentsCommon Google Searches on the Subject of Cookware
This is just a quick post. I just did some research on what the most common searches on Google were concerning cookware. I was trying to find what my readership was interested in so I could tailor this blog more closely to interest.
Here are about 30 common Google searches:
stainless steel cookware sets
silicone cookware
essential cookware
calphalon pans
emeril cookware
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calphalon pan
green cookware
red cookware
asian cookware
pyrex cookware
club cookware
calphalon bakeware
look cookware
cooking fork
backpacking cookware
white cookware
calphalon pots
campfire cookware
cookware safety
cookware shops
german cookware
terracotta cookware
japanese cookware
innova cookware
greenpan cookware
sitram cookware
silit cookware
presto cookware
ameriware cookware
cookware replacement parts
tivoli cookware
stoneline cookware
When you try to find cookware, some of these search terms may assist you find places that you otherwise may have overlooked.