July 20th, 2012
In a bid to cut household costs, a New Zealand columnist has recently made the switch from cups at the coffee-shop to brewing at home. Charged by caffeine, he had an epiphany: coffee at home can solve his nation's welfare problem. In the hilariously satirical column Bill Ralston describes how and why his wife decided their very frequent trips to the coffee shop down the road must come ... Read more
July 20th, 2012
All this talk about today's throwaway culture has inspired a French art student to design small appliances fashioned from cork. Gaspard Tine-Beres, a student at the Royal College of Art in London, is looking into a business model where a range of small appliances can be made from cork, recycled borosilicate glass and recycled electrical components. For the some of the same reasons cork has been used for ... Read more
July 18th, 2012
On the road and busting for a brew? Fiat's got you covered. The Italian car maker is giving punters worldwide another reason to buzz around in the 500L, a built-in Lavazza-branded coffee machine nestled next to the gear stick for coffee on the go. (And you thought texting while driving was bad...) The Lavazza ‘Coffee Experience’ kit includes cups, a spoon holder and a sugar dispenser. It sits between ... Read more
July 12th, 2012
Big W has recalled the Abode Stainless Steel Deep Fryer for fear of its handles falling off when lifting oil. It is the fourth recall in the last year for three Adobe products, Big W's home brand. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's recall website warns that the side handles may detach when lifting the deep fryer, "possibly causing serious burn injuries of hot oil splashes on the user or ... Read more
July 10th, 2012
It would take a remarkable appliance for us to take readers away from the awesome range of goods at AppliancesOnline.com.au but we couldn't go past this kitchen gadget: a pizza cone. As in, pizza, in a cone. So we direct you to Amazon where the new Pizzacraft Grilled Pizza Cones have been recently released. Unfortunately, the online retailer has already run out of stock. We can only speculate ... Read more
July 5th, 2012
The people of France have developed an unfair reputation as cheese eating surrender monkeys in recent years, in blatant disregard of the nation’s valuable contribution to the world's history and culture. With the Tour de France back on our screens and Bastille Day less than a fortnight away (14 July, to be exact), it’s high time to start embracing our inner Francophiles. Here are a few ideas to ... Read more
June 26th, 2012
A caffeine boost at the touch of a button? Hit me! Produced by Scanomat in Europe, the Top Brewer may be one of the classiest coffee machines you've ever seen, or more to the point, that you don't see: all the grinding and brewing machinery is kept under the counter and out of sight. Only a stainless steel tap protrudes from the bench. Top Brewer has good looks and ... Read more
June 19th, 2012
In the land of deep fried samosas, papadums, bhajis, pakoras, poori and bananas, a new deep fryer has been released that requires no oil (no oil!) at all. Philips India has launched a product it calls the AirFryer. For roughly AU$265 the small appliance combines fast-circulating hot air with a grill element to help fry food with air instead of oil. It's called 'rapid air technology' and reaches up to ... Read more
June 13th, 2012
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 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 7th, 2012
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
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 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
May 31st, 2012
This blog is written from a dark place. There's a lot of rage in it. A lot of pain. Call it a primal scream ... from the kitchen. It's the hub of the home so naturally the kitchen is a place where First World Problems arise ... (oh, for the uninitiated "First World Problems" are apparently petty but actually deeply traumatic things suffered in the developed world ... 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