May 1st, 2012 by Keri Algar

With all the Mother's Day madness it's easy to forget the 12,000 stay at home Dads in Australia. What are their favourite appliances and which make life easier? Brett Lahman lives in Brisbane and takes care of his and his wife's two (adorable) children, Georgie (aged six) and Kai (aged four). This morning, Kai used three plates and three knifes for breakfast. So Lahman's favourite appliance? The dishwasher. "Everything goes ... Read more

May 1st, 2012 by Richie Black

We're probably going to sound a little prejudice here, but we don't like cockroaches in our appliances. Okay, cockroaches are a fact of life - hey, in Sydney's Inner West some of our best friends are cockroaches - but if you see one walking out of your microwave it's enough to put you off your reheated left-overs. Cockroaches dig warm, moist hiding spaces - hence, they ... Read more

April 30th, 2012 by Keri Algar

When selecting the right appliances for our kitchen we often look to the experts for guidance. What appliances do chefs find practical, easy to use, and efficient? A recent dinnertime debate between gas cooktops (the mother) and induction cooktops (the daughter) became muted when the daughter asked the table which famous chefs used induction. No one came to mind quickly enough, her point proven. (What is induction?) However, of course ... Read more

April 26th, 2012 by Richie Black

A genius marketer has been discovered touting the “magical and mysterious” properties of their clothes dryer. Available right now for sale on something called “Ebay”, this apparently innocuous Fisher & Paykel whitegood has a fairly amazing pedigree. Not only does it have the aforesaid magical powers, it has also doubled for Edward James Olmos on Battlestar Galactica and dated a prominent (albeit pint-sized) Australian game-show host. Fairly awesome qualities ... Read more

April 24th, 2012 by Keri Algar

It's not only a fishy smell that indicates if fish is fresh or not. And unless we've been lucky enough to catch it ourselves, we can never really be too sure how fresh the fish at the market is. Fostering a good relationship will our local fishmonger will help, we might even get a wink and a bonus lemon every once and a while as well! Otherwise,  we ... Read more

April 23rd, 2012 by Keri Algar

As much of Australia approaches the end of the barbecue season many a household will be left with half empty bottles and jars of tomato sauce, barbecue, sweet chilli, mustard and mayo. How long do condiments last? The openings are probably pretty gunky by now, but the sauces are still good to go and if you store them properly they might even stick around for next summer. Due to their high ... Read more

April 23rd, 2012 by Louise Carter

Hello! How are you? I'm good thanks. My name's Cabernet (Cabbie for short) and I'm the Appliances Online office dog! Yeah!! Here is a photo of my beautiful self: Really captures my eyes, don't you think? Anyway, they've got me in here to write the occasional blog post (don't be fooled by the author bio – I'm just using Louise's account for the mo) because Appliances Online is an ... Read more

April 20th, 2012 by Keri Algar

Making a good cup of joe boils down to the beans, the milk, the maker and the machine. But if the latter is in neglect it won't matter how organic the beans are, how fresh the milk is, or how good a barista you (think you) are, the coffee is going to taste bad. If your friends haven't been popping in so often for a cuppa maybe it's ... Read more

April 19th, 2012 by Keri Algar

You've got what? Food poisoning is one of the most unpleasant, ungainly, unwanted experiences out there. And raw meat is a principle source of dangerous, illness causing-bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella. We'll do anything to avoid a bout of tummy trouble but can we go too far? Are we throwing away edible, safe food? Of course we're better off safe than sorry, still, is the fear of poisoning making ... Read more

April 18th, 2012 by Keri Algar

Butter, sugar and syrup. Sounds good. Sometimes the finest things in life are the simplest, like my Mum's ANZAC biscuit recipe. As with most things she does in the kitchen, it is straightforward and delicious. ANZAC biscuit recipe What you'll need: 130 grams of butter 2 tablespoons of golden syrup 120 grams of sugar 120 grams of flour 1 cup of rolled oats 120 grams of desiccated coconut 1 teaspoon of baking powder. What you'll do: Melt the butter and add ... Read more

April 18th, 2012 by Keri Algar

When an appliance goes on the blink we're often left wondering whether it's worthwhile to repair or are we better off simply replacing? Before making a decision, check if the appliance is under warranty. You may be able to get a repair or replacement care of the manufacturer. If so, there are a couple of things that will help you expedite what can be a painfully slow process. Firstly ... Read more

April 18th, 2012 by Louise Carter

Hey! You there with the muscles! Put that anvil down and pay attention. With Mother's Day just around the corner, you're probably thinking: 'When are all the unsung heroes of our great nation – whose tireless hard work goes by day after day without acknowledgement, glory, or lavender-scented gift soaps – going to get their moment in the sun?' Yes that's right, I'm talking about one of the ... Read more

April 17th, 2012 by Richie Black

We’re not prudes here at Appliances Online, but we have been slightly astonished recently at the apparent growth in popularity of cooking in the nude. Frankly, it’s got us a bit worried. Our interest in the matter first arose when we saw a news article which claimed that one in 10 British men like to cook sans clothing. I mean, jeez, think of all that naked white ... Read more

April 17th, 2012 by Keri Algar

Chore-dodging teenagers and household pets flee even before the vacuum's cord has been pulled out, but this little baby can't get enough. As the vacuum's hose teases his tummy the infectious peals of laughter cause Mum to giggle with delight and the chore...forgotten. If you haven't got one of these vacuum-friendly babies handy at least you can trust that at Appliances Online we do our best to lighten ... Read more

April 16th, 2012 by Louise Carter

Are your clothes covered in so much fur that you've become a target for animal rights activists? I for one am sick of having paint dumped on me by incised members of PETA every time I leave the house (to buy cat food). But no more! No matter how fluffy your feline or hirsute your hound, relief is at hand for devoted pet owners. Here are our top tips ... Read more