Programmable Slow Cooker and Benefits of Slow Cooking

What is slow cooking ?
Slow cooking is a method of cooking food. It is food preparation technique that depends on mistreatment low-heat for an extended quantity of your time. Barbecues, smokers, luau pits, and low-heat ovens might all qualify. The good thing about slow-cooking, generally, is that food becomes unbelievably tender, as all of its connective tissues break down. Also, flavor will infuse over time and supply deeper results than with nearly the other technique. Lastly, long-cooking times produce a occasion atmosphere wherever food is that the center of attention of a gathering.

The features of a slow cooker :
Slow cooker is a kind of kitchen appliance.  It will control the temperature automatically for you.
•Touchpad control panel with LED timer display
• 24-hour cooking timer
• Off/On, Keep Warm, Simmer, Low, and High settings
• Removable 3.5-quart oval ceramic cooking pot
• Automatically shifts to Warm when cook time ends
• Brushed stainless steel housing
• Glass lid with chrome-plated knob
• Dishwasher-safe lid and ceramic pot
• Nonslip rubber feet
• Recipe booklet with tips & hints
• Limited 3-year warranty

Benefits of the slow cooking and this slow cooker
It will keeps the nutrition of the food and it is best for slow cooking soup. And the soup will be full of nutritions. And It is conviences. And the see-through glass lid  keeps ingredients moist. The slow coooker has a ceramic pot. It can keep the food maintain the original taste. It both has side handles and touchable handles.You can press to set your desired cooking mode low, high, simmer. You can set your cook time, up to 24 hours. What' more, clean the slow cooker is easy. It is also dishwasher safe. The stainless steel housing, glass lid, control panel, and ceramic pot are all nicely constructed and finished - nothing's cheap-looking or flimsy - and looks like they'll last for years. The 3-1/2qt oval pot holds a 2-1/2lb chuck roast without the meat touching the sides, and there's enough room for a layer of vegetables (a couple of cups chopped) a layer a meat a couple inches thick, and new potatoes on top. You could cook a complete meal in this for three or four people. Mine is a one-person household and this is the ideal size for me; anything smaller wouldn't make enough leftovers.

This rotisserie doesn't spin

Rotisserie cooking has become a commonplace occurrence. It can be done at home in the kitchen or the backyard, thanks to a wide assortment of appliances. For those who prefer to have their meal cooked for them, quality rotisserie is available from many restaurants and even some food trucks. Supermarkets are also in on the act, with many of them supplying customers with hot cooked whole chickens ready to plucked up and placed in the grocery cart. While there is no lack of options when it comes to rotisserie, most follow one basic method: rotate the food around a heat source.

Not satisfied with the status quo, the Kalorik DGR 31031 S.S Rotisserie instead opts to rotate the heat around the food. The 1,420-watt countertop appliance measures 15.4 inches by 16.1 inches by 16.5 inches and appears similar to other models of the same ilk. However, with four heating elements the Kalorik model has some distinct differences. In addition to the unique method of heating in a circular pattern, the rotisserie has an emerging feature that many other methods simply cannot provide in the fact that the center spit also acts as a heating element which can be turned on and off.

The lack of moving parts makes for an interesting kitchen gadget and has some obvious benefits, reduced wear and tear being most notable. Considering rotisserie cooking's time-tested popularity, as well as its versatility, having a countertop unit at the ready can only be regarded as a good thing--no matter how you spin it.

Bread-maker mixes in the add-ins

Automation has been great for the kitchen, particularly breakfast. After all, upon waking up in the morning, it is only the best of us who seem to be capable of the simplest of tasks. (Coffee helps--that is after somebody manages to make it.) This desire for food and coffee to be waiting for us in the kitchen has sparked the imagination of Hollywood and the particularly industrious alike. (For Rube Goldberg breakfast-making machines see Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Back to the Future.) We may have automatic coffee makers (thankfully), but that is only just a start.

One small step forward in the chain of automation can be found with the Panasonic SD-RD250 Automatic Bread Maker with Fruit/Nut Dispenser. Featuring the next logical step regarding usage of the delay bake option seen on most bread machines, this particular model ups the ante by automating the process. Dropping 150 grams of mix-ins at just the right moment, the bread machine produces loaves of cinnamon-raisin-walnut bread (for example) hot and ready in the morning.

More than just a breakfast-bread-making-machine, the automatic bread-maker is also capable of other tasks. Naturally, a choice between having the crust come out light or dark is an option, but the bread-maker also lets users choose between two loaf sizes. In addition, a bake-only mode is incorporated. If just dough is desired, the machine can handle it, giving users the choice of pizza or pasta dough. Of course, such options require some user intervention, but properly fueled with coffee and breakfast bread, the task will seem a lot less daunting.

Hands-free candy dispensing

Germs are no fun; candy, however, is. Those most notorious of candy addicts, kids, aren't particularly well-known for their fastidiousness. But when it comes to candy, they harbor no ambivalence. Attacking bowls of candy with no regard for others is a common trait, and one that is hard to avoid. Kids will be kids, after all, but don't let that ruin the candy bowl. For the hygienically challenged (of any age), there is hope.

To the sweet-toothed germophobe, the CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser is the best idea since individually wrapped candy. Operated with only a swipe of the hand, the machine dispenses unwrapped candy, unsalted nuts, and gumballs automatically.

With a 12.5-cup capacity, the battery-operated gadget (an AC adapter is sold separately) holds a good amount of treats, meaning there is less time spent refilling and more time for snacking. Not limited to just dispensing small handfuls for small hands, the automatic treat-giver can be adjusted to give two larger portions, "large handful" and "bowl." Of course, with sugary treats always on hand, the device may be good for peace of mind but the waistline may suffer--quite possibly in direct proportion to the number of candy-hungry kids running about the household.

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You can mash potato and do the twist

Don't tell my kids, but it turns out that some people make mashed potatoes by actually mashing potatoes. My children, like all good children, have been brought up to believe that mashed potatoes come from flakes in a box. Add water, and like magic, they grow up to be a beautiful (if a bit bland) "close approximation of mashed potatoes."

Right. So, anyway, if your children have learned that there is another way, you may want to look into spudnik, an innovative masher from ?utensil, a brand created by high-tech design studio And Design to bring to life its own kitchen gadgets.

With spudnik, you use a rolling, rotating motion instead of the typical pounding, to quickly and efficiently mash your potatoes. The idea is that you'll use significantly less effort, and get better results. And, you can also leave the funky piece out on the counter as a conversation starter.

In addition to the regular version, spudnik comes in the lovely limited-edition colors featured here. You may have to head over to the U.K. to get yours--they're about ?8 there. Or, put your Google skills to work and find one a little closer to home.

Need some laptop advices? Are you looking for USB resources ?

Electric vegetable peeler

My family loves mashed potatoes. When the whole family gets together for the holidays, we have to cook up 10 pounds of potatoes to make sure there's enough to go around. That adds up to a whole bag of potatoes to peel. This year, though, I have a secret weapon: the Presto Peel-A-Meal Electric Peeler.

This little gadget is easy to use. All you need to do is drop in your potatoes, snap on the cover, and turn on the power. It automatically peels the potatoes with no further help. Once you can see that your potato is peel-free through the clear cover, you can move on to the next potato. The Peel-A-Meal can handle other produce, as well: it peels apples with no problems and even has a salad spinner attachment that can quickly dry lettuce and other leafy vegetables. No mess--and no more accidentally peeling your knuckle, either.

The bowl and peeling disc--the area in which all the mess occurs--are both dishwasher safe, and the base can be wiped clean. The Peel-A-Meal is priced at $34.99.

The water filtration system

Everybody loves water. In fact, it's one of those things that you pretty much need to love. Except, there are those few people who don't like "the taste" or find it "boring". (Yes, you know who you are). Regardless, for the rest of us "normal" folk, we are left to decide between tap, filtered, bottled, or delivery (even bigger bottles).

Municipal water is regulated by the EPA and is held to a stringent set of standards. (Bottled water, FYI, is safeguarded by the FDA). However, many people opt to add an extra level of purification and choose to filter the stuff that comes out of the tap.

The Cuisinart Cleanwater Countertop Filtration System is an easy and convenient way to keep filtered water on hand. The reservoir holds two gallons of water. The filter has the ability to remove contaminants such as chlorine, mercury, and lead for up to 80 gallons. Two spigots deliver hot, cold, or room temperature water at the press of a button.

The filtration system will be available on January 23, 2009 at Sur La Table and will cost $169.00.

A cool fridge

There are some places an LCD screen makes no sense, like on a vent hood. But there are other places where the inclusion of an LCD screen is so natural that it practically seems obvious once you see it. Like on the fridge.

Samsung isn't the only one to come up with this idea, but it is a nice addition to the company's new French door fridge, announced on November 3. The RFG299 has a 7-inch LCD screen just above the ice and water dispenser. The screen offers one-touch access to calendars, schedules, showcase photos, nutrition facts, and unit conversions, as well as controlling the fridge temperature and monitoring the water filter status.

In other words, you can clear off all the artwork, invitations, photos, and sticky notes all over your fridge and enjoy the sleek look of, well, a clean fridge front. (Hint: Take snapshots of your to-dos and kids' artwork and incorporate them into the photo slide show.)

Although the fridge fits in a standard footprint, it offers 28.5 cubic feet of internal storage; that's the industry's largest. By using high-rate urethane insulation technology, the company was able to reduce the refrigerator walls from 2.04 inches to 1.38 inches, leaving you with an extra 3.5 cubic feet for your favorite foods.

Interior LED lighting lets you see clearly, and the fridge and freezer sections are cooled separately to prevent odors from spreading. The fridge comes in stainless steel and retails for about $3,100.

Precision Control for your Pancakes

I like a little precision when I cook: I like being sure that my chicken reaches the 165 degrees Fahrenheit that guarantees I won't have any problems after dinner. Being precise is a lot easier if you know what temperature you're dealing with. ThinkGeek's Digital Thermometer Pan can provide that information. The pan itself is a normal nonstick skillet on the outside, but it has a thermometer on the inside and a digital readout in the handle.

The thermometer has some basic controls: it can be set to notify you when dinner reaches that perfect temperature and it can give you the temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. The skillet is thick-gauge stainless steel and works just fine on any range (gas, electric, induction). It has a 7.8-inch diameter, perfect for pancakes. The Digital Thermometer Pan is even dishwasher safe, as long as you remove the digital readout, which simply pops out.

The Digital Thermometer Pan is priced at $49.99. I have to admit that having a thermometer directly on a pan does simplify matters. It makes cooking dishes that have specific heat requirements so much easier when you don't have to fumble around with external thermometers.

Automatic Bread Maker

Bread makers certainly make baking easier. You can have the pleasure of freshly baked bread without hardly any work. Emeril Lagasse, the well-known chef, has taken the bread maker a step further with the Emerilware Automatic Bread Maker. Not only can this bread maker produce salt-free and gluten-free breads, but it can also make pasta, cakes, and even jams.

The Emerilware Automatic Bread Maker has settings for just about everything: you can delay the start of the baking process, specify just how crusty you want your bread, and even run an express cycle to have fresh-baked bread in less than an hour and a half. This bread maker also comes with a whole list of tools beyond the actual machine: a bread knife, two nonstick baguette baking trays, a baguette baking rack, a baker's brush, a removable bread pan, a finishing blade, a graduated beaker, a double measuring spoon, a hook tool, and a recipe book. The machine is easy to take apart, making for a very simple clean up process.

The Emerilware Automatic Bread Maker is priced at $159.90, which is in line with most bread makers. But very few bread makers come with as many bells and whistles as the Emerilware Automatic Bread Maker--and they certainly don't come with any of the extra tools.

Easy peel potatos

Whoever came up with this idea must really hate potato skins. To create a device so committed to the removal of skins from potatoes, one must truly hold a disdain for them. Perhaps that person would also be a fan of this dedicated apple peeler.

As a fan of a more rustic style of cooking, I personally opt to leave the potatoes in their jackets when boiling up a batch of mashed. It's not just the fact that I don't have to deal with the dreaded potato peeler, but the flavor and texture of potato skins is something I feel adds to the overall dish. All that being said, there are times when potatoes in their skins just won't do. For those who really, really hate potato skins, this device may be just for you.

Operated by either the included AC adapter or by 4 AA batteries from your stash, the Rotato Express works by spinning the inserted potato around a stationary blade. The skin is removed in an even, consistent fashion, so I suppose this gizmo actually does more than one thing. By taking the peel and deep-frying it, you could have yourself a tasty (and crunchy) treat to eat with your mashed potatoes.

'Stirr' - Electric Whisk

When I was little, my grandmother would often draft me to help her in the kitchen. Invariably, she would hand me a whisk, position me at the stove, and instruct me to keep stirring no matter what. Whether there was gravy, pudding, or something else in the pan, she could always tell if I stopped stirring because of the lumps or a sticky mess on the bottom of the pan.

I've found a better option for the constant stirring gravy requires, though: the Stirr is an hands-free whisk that never gets tired or bored. Just set it in a pan and let it whisk your sauces. It doesn't need to be held or adjusted once you've set it up.

The whisk is stainless steel with heat-resistant silicone legs. It's powered by four AA batteries, which come with the Stirr: all you have to do is set it in the pan and turn it on. There are no worries about cords winding up somewhere they aren't supposed to, either. The Stirr is sized for a medium saucepan. Unfortunately, it works less than ideally in much smaller or much larger pans. The automatic whisk is priced at about $23 and is offered exclusively by Lakeland.

Make wine in my kitchen

This is no "bathtub gin wine" we're talking about here. WinePod has put together an impressive product designed to help budding enthusiasts take advantage of their passion for wine. Add grapes and yeast, follow some directions, (or along in the community) and you are on your way.

The Garagiste is similar to the Classic WinePod in that it produces four cases of wine, but the price is significantly lower which should create more interest in the budget minded. While the Classic sells for $4,499, the new model is available for only $1,999. The makers, ProVina, are able to do this by removing some of the high-end features such as "USB connectivity" and a "programmable fermentation curve" that are found on the more feature-rich original model. The basic winemaking needs are all still here: all in one unit that combines fermenting, pressing, and short-term aging.

For those so inclined with the space and the time, the new entry-level winemaking system provides for a not entirely outrageous entry point into wine making. Certainly, with the support of the included winemaking software and the Web community, you will be producing good quality wines in no time. At least better than some of the other varietals out there

Enjoy a traditional campfire treat anytime at home!

This S'mores Maker lets you bypass the campfires--and the risk of blackened marshmallows--to make the sweet sandwiches in your microwave. Just fill the back reservoir with water, which is apparently the secret to even heating. Pile on the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, and zap for 30 seconds.


Of course, anyone who's microwaved a Peep knows that marshmallows tend to shape-shift during cooking, so this gadget incorporates two arms to hold your s'mores in place. Four nonslip feet on the bottom keep it from sliding around on the turntable.

Just 10 bucks buys you a little taste memory of summer nights, even in the midst of winter. Which leaves me with just one question: are we also obliged to tell ghost stories while gathered around the microwave?

I love corn popper

If you're exhausted from preparing the Thanksgiving feast and need a break from working your way through the leftovers, step away from it all and just enjoy something simple and easy. Don't worry, you have the days ahead to work your way through all those leftovers; they will still be there. Whether you are burnt out from shopping, or stuffed from stuffing, take a moment to sit back and let the microwave do all the work.

As we all know, there are a lot of microwave popcorn varieties available. Options range from the familiar, such as kettle corn and caramel to the somewhat mysterious flavor "movie theater butter." (We all know what it tastes like, but just what is it?) Regardless of what flavor you choose, it's predetermined without any customization available to you while it is popping. Not that that's a bad thing, but for those that wish for convenience and control there is another way.

The Microwave Popcorn Popper from Catamount is made of microwave-safe borosilicate glass and has a 2.5-quart capacity. The best part is that it comes with a mesh top, which lets you simply place a pad of butter on top. As the popcorn pops, the butter melts and you have popcorn flavored exactly the way you want. If you still can't pull yourself away from those Thanksgiving leftovers, you can always try inventing a new flavor. Who knows? Maybe the next great popcorn flavor will be gravy.

Happy kitchen

When was the last time you had cotton candy? In my case, I'd have to travel back to the early parts of my teenage years to reminisce about the pink and blue spun sugar treat, but if you're still a practicing fan, chances are that you still haven't had it since summer.

If you can't brave the winter chill without your cotton candy fix, then maybe you should consider putting this Tabletop Cotton Candy Maker on your holiday wish list. It spins ordinary table sugar into the cotton confection we know and love so well, and can be used by all of your house guests this season, no matter how old or young they are.

The machine works in a manner similar to its larger counterparts: adding sugar to the heating chamber liquefies it, and then it is shaped into long strands that bind together to create the cottony fluff. These can be collected on a chopstick or straw and eaten as-is or wrapped up for later. You can also add food coloring if you want theme park authenticity.

The Tabletop Cotton Candy Machine can be dismantled for easy cleaning, and it includes a handy scoop so that you know how much sugar you should add. If you want to give someone this sugar-spinner, you can order one from the Hammacher Schlemmer Web site for $69.95.

A good appliance for Cola lover like me

Even though my grocery store often puts 2-liter bottles of soda on sale, I generally buy cans instead. That's because I don't drink soda fast enough to go through a full 2-liter of soda before it loses its fizz. It's so wasteful to throw away half-full bottles, so I'm willing to pay a little more for cans so that I get to drink all the soda I paid for. The Refrigerator Fizz Saver Dispenser makes it possible to take full advantage of bottled soda. The dispenser screws onto the top of a 2-liter bottle. You then flip it over and use the dispenser as a base, flipping a switch to fill glasses with soda. Because the bottle is upside down, carbonation can't escape upwards as it might with just an open bottle. Your bubbles will last through the whole bottle. The fact that it's much easier to pour soda is just a bonus. The Refrigerator Fizz Saver Dispenser is small enough that you can still slide your soda into the fridge--avoiding worries of melting ice diluting your drink. The dispenser is priced at $12.98 and can be reused with a simple rinse. I'm thinking that I might need a second, so that I can have both of my favorite types of soda on tap all the time.

VillaWare V2001F UNO Farmyard Waffler

This morning I was hungry for waffles. Not pancakes, but waffles. Sometimes I keep a box of Eggos in the freezer, but those aren't really waffle-waffles. Eggos, at least to my taste buds, are more of a buttery blueberry cookie than they are a waffle, so popping a couple of those in the toaster ain't gonna do the trick. The craving is for waffles and waffles only. Unfortunately, I only have a cheap waffle iron that produces less than stellar results. It is in this frame of mind that I go window-shopping for waffle irons.
This VillaWare V2001F UNO Farmyard Waffler makes four waffles at a time in traditional animal shapes. Wait. What? Ok, so maybe having a "friendly cow, a chicken, a pig, and a classic farmhouse" as breakfast-mates isn't so traditional, but chances are if you got kids, they will love it. Just don't let them get away with nominating one shape as the "good" shape, sibling rivalry being what it is and all.
The waffle iron comes with seven different temperature settings and two browning options. The fun shapes cook in about three minutes and a timer beeps when they are done. The resulting waffles are about 3.5 inches each. The waffle iron stores vertically and the unit itself measures 11.5 inches by 7.75 inches by 3 inches while weighing in at 9 pounds.

Home Bakery Breadmaker

Smelling something familiar can bring us back to moments in our childhood, and one of my favorite smells of nostalgia is that of freshly baking bread. And with bread makers like this Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Bread Maker, that smell means a much larger loaf.
The bread machine comes with a timer that can be set up to 13 hours ahead, so you can set it at night and have fresh bread for breakfast. It also comes with 10 bread cycles, including a super-speedy 2-hour Quick Bake, and an option for light, medium, or dark crust (with a viewing window to check the color). It makes a big 2 pound loaf, and you don't have to worry about the ingredients mixing consistently, because it comes with dual kneading blades.
Sound a little run-of-the-mill? Possibly, but what the machine lacks in technological novelty, it makes up for in versatility. According to the Zojirushi , it can also be used for starting sourdough and making other dough that can be baked in other shapes; it can make homemade jam; and it can be used as an oven to make cakes or even meatloaf (although I can imagine a meaty aftertaste in my next sweet bread).
You can pick up the Zojirushi for between $190 and $225, depending on where you look, which by my calculations is just about the cost of 45 loaves of bread. If a year's worth of home-baked bread sounds better than store-bought, then consider buying yourself this holiday bread maker. And hey, you can save money and just give out loaves of bread instead of gift cards!

HomeManager - Control your home

The house I live in now is truly my dream home, and a lot of that is thanks to the kitchen. We're lucky enough to have a semiopen floor plan: our spacious kitchen opens into the family room; a swinging door separates the kitchen from the formal dining room. So the kitchen is truly the heart of our home, the place where we gather with friends and cook while the kids play nearby.
I think of the kitchen as mission control in our house, and AT&T's HomeManager device could be a smart addition to our central command. HomeManager integrates an ordinary cordless phone (an essential kitchen gadget in its own right!) with a cordless touch-screen device that offers information and organization in a slick package.
The 7-inch color display lets you access a shared address book, calendar, call logs (so you can keep tabs on the teens), visual voice mail, Internet news, weather, and recipes. This kind of device is exactly what you want when you're putting dinner together while the kids do homework--you don't want to kick someone off the computer or leave the room for your laptop to look up a quick recipe for sesame noodles. Just pull it up on HomeManager and keep things moving.
Imagine a kitchen calendar that's cool enough to encourage your kids to actually write things down. I have goose bumps. Plus, you can store your digital photos on the device for a slide show display when you're not using it. It's a pricey piece, at about $300, but if you use AT&T's other services, HomeManager may be a nice addition to your kitchen.