June 14th, 2012 by Mark Bristow

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 13th, 2012 by Keri Algar

Cooking is all about timing. Soft boiled eggs, past al dente, souffles and pavs all require precise timing. Now, thanks to the fellas at ThinkGeek there is a new kitchen timing device called the Safe Kitchen Timer, which comes in the shape of a combination-style safe lock. It's magnetic and can be popped onto the fridge, for example, as a back-up timer when cooking in the kitchen. The 3.5-inch clock ... Read more

June 13th, 2012 by Keri Algar

In the hope of boosting construction and the NSW housing market, the lovely Mike Baird in his new state budget has opened up an extra $8,000 for new home owners on new homes only, offering a total first home buyer grant of $15,000. But it's a case of double or nothing. The flip side is that anyone buying an existing house lucks out as the $7,000 first home buyer grant, ... Read more

June 11th, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

Nothing beats a hands on experience, especially when it comes to food and cooking. That's why Fisher & Paykel has opened its first WA showroom in Subiaco. The NZ appliance maker is no stranger to having the public test out its range of products. Already with showrooms in other states in Australia as well as having decked out the Sydney Seafood School, Fisher & Paykel will now be ... Read more

June 8th, 2012 by Louise Carter

This morning I ate cake for breakfast, and it was delicious. 'And how is morbid obesity working out for you?' you may be (snidely) asking. To which I respond (with as much dignity as one can whilst removing sprinkles from one's cleavage), cake is the breakfast of diet champions, haven't you heard? Questioning what place cake has in a balanced diet is like questioning what place art has ... Read more

June 8th, 2012 by Mark Bristow

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 by Mark Bristow

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 7th, 2012 by Richie Black

So, you're a free-wheeling bachelor about town. It doesn't matter why - maybe you're stuck in a permanent state of arrested development, maybe your ex left you for a therapist called Alan or Elaine or something, maybe they found you in bed with a small scotch terrier - whatever. Relax, it's all good news, my friend, 'cos you have control of the kitchen. You've no one to ... Read more

June 6th, 2012 by Mark Bristow

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 6th, 2012 by Louise Carter

Anthony Bourdain – author of New York Times best-seller Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and host of the Travel Channel's No Reservations – was in the news recently with the announcement that he will join the US news network CNN to produce a new TV show. The new show will air next year and is part of CNN's bid to distinguish itself as a network ... Read more

June 1st, 2012 by Louise Carter

Today, as we recently discovered, is the first ever 'Baking Our Blues Away' day. Held on the first official day of winter, 'Baking Our Blues Away' is a grassroots movement that started on Facebook and is quickly catching on around Australia and beyond. The idea is simple: if you know anyone who suffers from a mental health issue such as depression or anxiety, bake them something on June ... Read more

May 31st, 2012 by Mark Bristow

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 by Keri Algar

Freida Cocks is 93 years old today. Born in Kurow in the desolate deep south of New Zealand's South Island, Freida has witnessed the invention of every modern home appliance since her birth in 1919. As a child nothing in her house was electric, let alone automatic. In the 1920s in remote NZ  her principal home-keeping chore was gathering firewood, an essential energy source for cooking and ... Read more

May 30th, 2012 by Mark Bristow

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 29th, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

A UK company has developed an oven in conjunction with the nation's biggest telco, Orange, to create an appliance people can 'talk' to via text messages. The AGA iTotal Control oven uses a SIM card so that its users can control the oven's actions remotely. Say, for example, sending a text for the oven to start pre-heating while one drives home from work. Simple commands such as "baking ... Read more