June 19th, 2012
There about a million and one things that can affect property values; everything from location, to property age and condition, to more complicated market trends that don’t always seem to make sense. But in the end, all a property’s value boils down to is how much a buyer is willing to pay for it on sale day. We all know that renovations can play a big role in ... Read more
June 15th, 2012
Urban legends don't always stand up to scrutiny, but as Mythbusters has discovered, some can surprise you by turning out to have a grain of truth at their core. We’ve had a go at busting myths on this blog before, but some myths are best left to the professionals, especially when they involve big, heavy, and valuable appliances. Here are some appliance-related myths that the team from Mythbusters ... Read more
June 14th, 2012
We're going to talk about appliances for Lefties. By "Lefties", I'm not talking about anyone's political leanings, but rather something far more sinister... Left-handed people. Geddit? "Sinister"? Latin for "left"? *crickets chirp* Ahem. Studies show that as human beings tend to be naturally co-operative creatures (outside of politics), most of us use our right hands in an unconscious effort to fit in and support our fellow homo sapiens. It is ... Read more
June 8th, 2012
Are you having trouble breathing easily in your home? Asthma playing up? Air in your kitchen not smelling so great? Your gas cooktop could be the culprit. A recent study from the University of Sheffield has found that homes using gas cooktops can contain three times as much nitrogen dioxide as what's found in the air in city centre hotspot, or in the air from alongside busy highways. Warning: ... Read more
June 7th, 2012
There’s been a lot of debate in the news recently about childcare and government’s role in supporting it. While it's a complex issue, there’s one point that everyone can agree on - kids can be a real handful, and require a great deal of attention and care. One method some stay at home mums (and dads!) use to look after their kids and manage their housework at ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
Artistry is important when preparing food. The contestants over on Masterchef are judged on the presentation of their meals as much as their taste - probably more so, as great-looking food makes for great television. And we’ve previously explored the art (or science) of great sandwiches. But what role can food play in creating art for art's sake? Christchurch-born and New York-based photographer, Henry Hargreaves, may have recently ... Read more
June 6th, 2012
We know all about rangehoods, right? They extract smoke, steam, grease and cooking aromas from the air in your kitchen, to help keep the area clean and pleasant to inhabit. Some rangehoods are ducted and exhaust the kitchen gases outside of your home, while others recirculate air back into your kitchen after cleaning it with a carbon filter. Pretty straightforward, right? Can't be much room for improvement... Well, ... Read more
June 5th, 2012
Have you ever slept in through your alarm? Have you ever run so late in the morning that you’ve had to skip breakfast altogether? Do you find it difficult to find the motivation to leave the toasty warmth of your bed’s covers each morning? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you may need the Wake n’ Bacon! Combining an alarm clock with a baking ... Read more
June 4th, 2012
Over the weekend, we all got to experience the pomp and ceremony of the diamond jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We can only speculate on the protocols regarding appropriate gifts for such an occasion, but we do know that Her Majesty is rather tech-savvy, having accepted the gift of an iPod from US President Obama, and is reportedly interested in the iPad 2. With this in ... Read more
May 31st, 2012
We can now confidently say that ILVE’s range of prestige appliances are great for entertaining, having sampled their delicious results firsthand and learned all about their innovative special features, such as induction teppanyaki and 2-minute pizza. To celebrate ILVE’s appliances becoming available on Appliances Online for the first time, a group of Appliances Online staff were fortunate enough to visit the ILVE showroom and head office in ... Read more
May 30th, 2012
Transforming frozen meat into a delicious meal is a multi-part process. Just as a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, cooking meat begins the defrosting process, which can be far trickier than you’d expect to get just right. We've previously looked at the best ways to store your meat. Now, here are a few tips on the best ways to defrost your meat ... Read more
May 28th, 2012
Manufacturer of air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, Oreck, has recently paid out nearly US$700,000 in refunds after allegedly making unsubstantiated claims in its advertising. Known for its television advertising, Oreck allegedly marketed its Halo vacuum cleaner and ProShield Plus portable air purifier as being able to prevent illness in the home by eliminating 99% of household germs through the use of ultraviolet light in the Halo, and ... Read more
May 25th, 2012
Here’s a hypothetical for you – how would you go living in a garage? Not just hanging out for a few hours, or camping in there overnight, but turning it into a proper home. Would you still be able to cook and eat well, or would you have to survive on takeaway food? One couple in New Zealand have proven that healthy garage living is indeed possible. When ... Read more
May 24th, 2012
Slow cookers are pretty great, aren’t they? We think so, and so does Choice.com.au, which tested 25 slow cookers priced under $200. Here are four reasons why we love slow cookers, paired with four of our favourite picks from the Choice's Top Nine: Slow cookers are convenient It really doesn’t make sense to cook a big, elaborate meal in the evening, when most of us are tired after a full day ... Read more
May 22nd, 2012
Dry July is coming up. If you or a loved one is participating, you'll want to get any temptations out of the house - that includes the emergency beer supplies tucked away in the back of the fridge. Even if you're not participating in Dry July, it's an unfortunate reality that sometimes beer gets left out, and ends up warm, flat, contaminated, or otherwise unfit for human ... Read more