Making cuppa coffee and tea is never as easy as this!

Picking the right coffee machine for your home is one of the most important decision because you will be enjoying coffee or tea on a daily basis. There is like so much choice in the market that any buyer would feel confused on which they should choose. 

Fully automatic or semi automatic:which should you choose?

This would influence your end result ie the type of coffee that comes out from the machine that meet your long term satisfaction. 

Semi automatic or manual coffee machine gives you the control over the end result but it would take a bit of a practice before the cuppa can become like the one served at your local cafe.If you are a coffee connoisseur who prefer espresso or  fine coffee, you should really choose a manual coffee machine because it will give you a better satisfaction.

Automatic coffee machine assist you with its programmable brewing and saves you the time to supervise the brewing, but you are going to have less control over the end result.

Type of Coffee Machine to choose.


Drip Coffee Maker


Can be found in almost all homes because ease of use and inexpensive. Coffee can be brewed within short span of time and its start brewing with a touch of a button.

Benefits include:

• Can brew anywhere from one to 12 cups of coffee at once, making them perfect for homes with multiple coffee drinkers.
• Simple to use, just add a coffee filter along with your favorite ground coffee, and then fill the reservoir with water. Just turn the coffeemaker on, and you'll have a hot pot of your favorite drink in just a few minutes.
• Many models are fully automatic and programmable. This allows you to set up the machine in advance, inputing exactly when you'd like to have a hot pot of coffee available.

  Espresso Coffee Machine

This is to make the Italian espresso where the bold and concentrated coffee reign supremo. Espresso can be brewed at home too provided with the right kind of machine and with a little bit of practice, it might just have the same taste and aroma as the one in the cafe.

Benefits include:

• Modern espresso makers are designed to use almost any type of ground coffee to make espresso, including both dark and light roasts.
• Typically, models can make any number of espresso shots.
• Many units come with a dual spout, allowing you to make either two separate shots at the same time, or one double shot.
• Include adjustable shot length, to ensure you get exactly the shot of espresso you want.
• Many models feature programmable settings, much like other home drip version

French Presses

This is not invented by the French but it was actually a simple coffee brewing device patented by the Italian in 1929. A French press requires coffee of a coarser grind than does a drip brew coffee filter, as finer grounds will seep through the press filter and into the coffee.^[3] Coffee is brewed by placing it and hot water together, stirring it and leaving to brew for a few minutes, then pressing the plunger to trap the coffee grounds at the bottom of the beaker.

Benefits include:

• Consist of a simple design, which includes a tall cylinder, usually made of glass, and then a plunger and a filter.
• All you need to enjoy delicious coffee with your press pot is boiling water and coarsely grounded coffee.

Single Cup Maker

Single cup machines are a great way to brew a single cup of coffee without much fuss or mess. Using prepackaged coffee pods or cups, one cup units do exactly that - make a single cup of your delicious drink. A coffee pod or prepackaged cup include grounds and a miniature filter, all contained within a single package.

Benefits include:

• Simply throw them out after using them, and that's it for clean up and maintenance.
• Since they only make one cup of coffee at a time, they are perfect for small households where there are only one or two casual coffee drinkers.
• Perfect for any office setting, as the wide variety of pod flavors and styles ensure that everyone in the office can make exactly the type they want.
• They use a fast and efficient process.

Budget for the coffee machine.

Everyone have a certain amount of budget that they do not wish to exceed. Most people would look at the coffee machine that is within their budget and their spending limit. Having a coffee machine at home saves you money in the long term because coffee brewed at home cost a little as much as 10% of the price of the take out.

Source from :coffeemachineadvisor.com,air-n-water.com and Wikipedia

Range Hood - The BTU,CFM, width and kitchen size.

After each cooking session, grease stain is one of the unpleasant remains and because cooking generate fumes and heat, a lingering stagnating odor would remain in the kitchen.The range hood function is to filter the smoke, fumes, grease, steam and carbon monoxide from the air while we are cooking. The most important thing to consider before buying the range hood is to determine the suitable size.

Sizing the Range Hood

The airflow capacity of a range hood is measured in CFM, or cubic feet per minute.

The first method would be sizing the range hood to BTU.

Question No 1 : What is BTU?

Answer : BTU is actually the abbreviations for British Thermal Units.  One BTU is the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a pound (0.45kg) of water by one degree Fahrenheit(0.56 degree Celcius).

Question No 2 : How many BTU in a stove?

Answer :  Most manufacturer list their stove as BTU per hour. The higher the BTU, the hotter the stove. A home stove has, on average, about 7,000 BTUs per burner. For comparison, a candle flame puts out about 100-300 BTU/hr, backyard barbeque creates 25,000 BTU/hr.

The recommendation by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) is to divide the BTU rating of your stove by 100 to arrive at a minimum guideline for CFM rating. If the cooking equipment is conventional then the cooktop is less than 60,000 BTU or if the equipment is high performance then the cooktop is over 60,000 BTU.For example

The BTU for each burner on the conventional stove is 7,000 BTU. There is 4 burner on the stove, total BTU would be 

7,000 x 4 = 28,000 BTU

To measure the CFM, 

28,000 BTU / 100 = 280 CFM

So this indicated your Range Hood must be at lease 280 CFM or greater.

The second method would be sizing a range hood based on the width of your range. Basically its 100 CFM per foot of cooktop width. Example: 36" wide wall application indicates a need for 300 CFM.For example if the stove sit against a wall, Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) recommended 100 CFM per linear foot of the range. For example, a 24 inch (60 cm) range would require a hood rated at 200 CFM or greater. 

24 inch (60 cm) range = 200 CFM

30 cm is considered as one(1) foot.

For island installation, more CFM is needed. For conventional cooktops use 150 CFM per foot of cooktop, and for high performance cooktops add 100 CFM to the estimate.So, a 24 inch (60 cm) range on an island needs 300 CFM of airflow.

The third method would be sizing a range hood based on kitchen size.The
HVI also recommends that your range hood should be capable of cycling the air in your kitchen completely 15 times per hour. This equates to a complete cycling of air every 4 minutes.

Begin by measuring the floor area of your kitchen. In a rectangular-shaped room, this can be done by multiplying the width and length. For example, a 10 ft x 10 ft kitchen has a floor area of 100 square feet.

Calculate the total volume of your kitchen. This is done by multiplying the floor area by the ceiling height. For example, if a kitchen has 100 square feet of floor area and a ceiling height of 8 feet, the total volume is 800 cubic feet.

Divide the total volume by 4 to get the required CFM rating. A kitchen with a volume of 800 cubic feet would need a range hood with a rating of (800 / 4) or 200 CFM.

Floor area          : 10 ft x 10 ft = 100 square ft

Kitchen Volume   : 100 square feet x 8 feet ceiling height = 800 cubic feet

Required CFM      : 800 cubic feet / 4 = 200 CFM

After all the range hood size calculations based on BTU, width of range and kitchen size, choose a model with the highest CFM, even if it is more than needed. 

For example : 

BTU Heat Output requires 280 CFM

Range Size requires 200 CFM

Kitchen size requires 200 CFM

In the above example, choose the highest CFM at 280.

Horse Power and Watts is what makes the Blender tick!

What would anyone look for when they go shopping for a blender? 

To differentiate between 2 blender which perform the same function of mix, puree and emulsify food is to look at their horsepower or watts and Revolution Per Minute or rpm. 

Manufacturer typically indicate their blender motor speed in watts or horsepower. 

According to Meriam Webster,  the common unit of power; i.e., the rate at which work is done and one unit of power equal in the United States to 746 watts.The higher the horsepower, the more consistently the blender will be able to run after continuous use

The wattage number displayed by the manufacturer measures the power consumed by the blender motor. The power generated by the motor is what dictates performance ie the higher the watt the more power the blender have to handle heavy load of crushing and mixing.

The calculation of the watts and horsepower(HP) as based on this formulae;

WATTS = Amps x Volts (household voltage in the USA is 120) 

HP = WATTS x .00134  

For example a manufacturer claimed that a blender 3 horse power but 1560 watts and 13 Amps.

The calculation for the horsepower performance should be ;

13 x 120 = 1,560 WATTS 

1,560 x .00134 = 2.09 HP (horsepower)  

So that means the blender will actually deliver up to 69.6% of the horsepower claimed by the manufacturer.Blender with more higher the horsepower or watts can handle tough job like crushing lots of ice, nuts and meat without much strain to its motor.

Revolution per minute or rpm is the measure of the frequency of a rotation.The higher the rpm which also mean the faster the blade rotation, the more smoother a juice puree ie the speed combined with the blade of the blender is able to tear, crush and blend fresh fruits up to the finest level.

 Here's a comparison of some of the blenders in Amazon;

Blender	Horse Power	Watts	RPM	Years of Warranty	Price($)	Star Rating
Vitamix Professional Series 750 with 64 oz container, Brushed Stainless Finish	2.20	1200	37,000	7	619.95	4.50/5.0
Ninja Kitchen System 1200	1.47	1100	Not Indicated	1	149.00	3.50/5.0
Montel Williams LWHME HealthMaster Elite Blender	Almost 2.0	1200	Not Indicated	Motor lifetime warranty but no local repair shop	153.69	3.50/5.0
Oster 4096-009 Designer Series Beehive Blender, Chrome	0.67	500	Not Indicated	Add 5.91 for 2 year warranty	57.07	4.0/5.0
Cuisinart BFP-10CH PowerBlend Duet Blender and Food Processor, Chrome and Black	0.67	500	Not Indicated	3	86.95	3.0/5.0
Waring MBB518 Professional Quality Food & Beverage Blender, Stainless Steel	0.74	550	Not Indicated	5	99.95	3.50/5.0

Fuzzy Logic - How fuzzy is it?

Most of the appliances in our world today have the feature called fuzzy logic. 

But what is actually fuzzy logic?

Fuzzy logic is a rule-based system that can rely on the practical experience of an operator, particularly useful to capture experienced operator knowledge.Fuzzy logic is a form of artificial intelligence software.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Company (known in the United States as Panasonic, Quasar, and Technics) is the world's largest manufacturer of consumer electronics. In 1990 Masushita introduced a washing machine as the first major consumer appliance to incorporate fuzzy logic. The machine would sense the size of the load and the amount of dirt, and automatically adjust the wash cycle accordingly.

Matsushita (as well as Hitachi) also makes a fuzzy vacuum cleaner that uses an infrared sensor to measure the amount of dust on the floor. The machine then automatically sets the proper level of suction by adjusting the speed of the motor.

Matsushita and Sanyo also make fuzzy rice cookers. (No, they don't cook "fuzzy rice.") These rice cookers allow the user to select between four different kinds of cooked rice: hard, medium, soft, and sushi. Each type requires a different amount of water and a different steaming method. But by utilizing fuzzy logic, the user can simply fill the cooker to a single water level and the device automatically makes the adjustments.

Sanyo, Toshiba, and Sharp all make fuzzy microwave ovens, which sense temperature and humidity, and automatically adjust the cooking power and time. Normally, microwave ovens are either totally "on" (cooking) or totally "off" (not cooking) at any instant of time while they are in operation. (If you set the oven to less than full power and listen carefully, you can actually hear when it goes on and off.) By allowing for intermediate values of "on-ness" more uniform cooking can be achieved.

 

In other words, the fuzzy logic cooker does what a real cook does, using its senses and intuition when it is cooking rice, watching and intervening when necessary to turn heat up or down, and reacting to the kind of rice in the pot, the volume and the time needed.

The above is extracted from Simple Code Work and SFGate

Fit for a rice connoisseur : Zojirushi Rice Cooker!

Whether the rice is short or long grain, brown or organic, the presence of a good rice cooker help to enhance its flavor."The ideal rice can be enjoyed first with the eyes, then with the nose and finally with the tongue as the sweetness spreads upon chewing" quote a certified rice expert in Japan. The way to enjoy the rice is no difference from sampling and tasting of gourmet food.

A good rice cooker must be able to cooked the rice until it is was shiny, standing upright and fluffy. Based on Zojirushi website, its company rice cooker promised to deliver just that;

"There is nothing like hot fluffy rice that has just been cooked, when its not too mushy or too firm, and the natural sweetness of the rice comes through with each bite. Zojirushi rice cookers make it easy to enjoy eating perfectly steamed rice all the time, without the guesswork. When it's as simple as pushing a button, the hardest part is going to be the wait, while our cooker do all the work"

Zojirushi began operations more than 90 years ago in Japan and to stay competitive, Zojirushi continues to launch constant stream of cooking product that are high in quality and attractive in design. Most of the Zuroshiji rice cooker are priced above $100 which maybe due to their technology and design.

All of the  Zuroshiji rice cooker comes with the spatula and cups for ease of measurement of rice for cooking. The following is a guide on how to measure rice and the amount of water required when operating a Zuroshiji rice cooker. The steps is simple to be followed.

 

I have also check out some of the feature of the Zuroshiji rice cooker sold  in Amazon and most of the Zuroshiji rice cooker are constantly rated highly in Amazon. 

Zojirushi Rice Cooker Model	Star Rating in Amazon	Type of fuzzy logic	Menu Setting
NS TSC 10/18 5 1/2 Cup (Micom Rice Cooker) and Warmer , 1.0 Litre	4.5/5.0	Microcomputer	white/sushi, mixed, porridge, sweet, brown, cake, steam, and quick cooking
NS-LAC05XT 3 Cup (Uncooked) Rice Cooker and Warmer, Stainless Steel	4.70/5.0	Microcomputer	White/Mixed, Sushi, Porridge, Brown, and Quick Cooking.
NS-ZCC10 5.5-Cup (Uncooked) Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer, Stainless Steel	4.50/5.0	Advance Neuro	white (regular/sushi, softer or harder), mixed, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, brown, rinse-free and quick cooking

Blend it like a Pro!

Blender is one of those gadget in our kitchen which we took for granted. They say blender is the simpler version of food processor.According to Wikipedia, a blender is a kitchen appliance used to mix, puree and emulsify food and other substances. 

Most of the modern blender comes with variable speed which can be adjusted depending on how fine we want our food or other substances. There is also hand held blender which have the same function albeit its handheld controlled. 

 

This is a great video in youtube on how a Blender works;

A Blender is so powerful that it can really tear golf ball into shreds.

There was one time I was watching River Cottage by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall on the TV. There was one recipe which is called banana and lemon lollies which is simply banana and lemon juice pops on stick and super easy to make. To make the banana and lemon pops, we need to the blender to mix both lemon and banana together. Here is the extract of the recipe from Channel 4

Ingredients

• 3 large bananas
• Juice of 1 lemons
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method

1. Blend bananas with lemon juice and taste. If mixture requires sweetening, add icing sugar and blend.
2. Pour into 8 small lolly moulds, add sticks, and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Fuss Free Rice Making.

In certain part of the world, rice making or cooking of rice is a big part of everyday life. Each and every household must have a rice maker or rice cooker in their kitchen. There is no substitute for the soft and fluffy white rice which must be served on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Most of the latest model of rice cooker comes with digital timer and the more advance one, comes with fuzzy logic. This would ensure the rice can be cooked with minimum monitoring and according to the correct time duration.

Basic rice cooker comes with 2 mode, ie to cook or just to keep warm. The basic step in using a rice cooker is just to measure the quantity of rice and water needed to be cooked and just set the rice cooker to cook the rice. The cooking will be completed within 30 minutes. After the cooking is completed, the rice cooker mode is switched to keep warm to keep the cooked rice warm until the mealtime.

 
  Some fun fact about rice cooker in Japan (extracted from WSJ)

• Toshiba sold the first automated rice cooker in 1955 

• Good rice is cooked properly, shiny and fragrant. There have to be the right amount of stickiness to clump together between chopstick. The ideal rice can be enjoyed first with the eyes, then with the nose and finally with the tongue as the sweetness spreads upon chewing

• Japanese consumer are willing to pay $1,000 for ultra high end rice cooker.

Another inexpensive way to simmer a nice stew!

I remember during my mom time which is like 50 years ago, she would spend almost 8 hours just to simmer some stew in a clay pot over the charcoal fire, looking over the fire constantly so that the stew does not end up burnt. This was way back before the time when slow cooker made it ways to many kitchen in this part of world.

A slow cooker is basically used for cooking of food by simmering them at low temperature over many hours without any constant monitoring. The chinese use the slow cooker to make soups and simmering of chinese herbal concoction as it takes hour for the herbs to release their elements.

The inside of the slow cooker is basically made of ceramic pot to retain the heat over a long period of time and the heat in a slow cooker can be set to low, medium and high.Although many people thought the slow cooker simmering food for such long hour must have consumed a lot of electricity, the truth is using a slow cooker only consume 250 watts of power compared to simmering food in the oven which consume 4000 watts of power.

Ceramics pot inside of Slow Cooker

Other advantages of slow cooker is the cooking does not need constant monitoring which mean it can be left unattended for a long period of time and it saves time and effort. The meals is tasty because the long simmering caused the food to release their intense flavor. After each cooking using slow cooker, only the ceramics pot inside the slow cooker needed to be cleaned.

However there is one drawback of slow cooker, according to Wikipedia some vitamins and other trace nutrient particularly from vegetable is lost during cooking in slow cooker.This is due to enzyme action and heat degradation.

Slow cooker are also an inexpensive gadget which can be bought at below $100 and can last many years if well taken care off. My first slow cooker was bought 30 years ago and is still working like new.