On The Hob

Nigella Lawson is an inspiration to many with a growing range of TV cookery shows and cook books.  She has also released her own range of kitchen tools under the Living Kitchen brand.

Nigella Lawson Living Kitchen Herb Chopper Brushed

Product Features

Here’s what Nigella says – “I don’t think I could operate without a mezzaluna – that two handed curved blade of a knife – so-called because it means ‘half moon’ in Italian. Most people erroneously believe that you need to be pro-standard dexterous to use such a lethal-looking implement, but the opposite is the case; because both hands are off the chopping surface, gripping the handles, it is actually impossible for even the terminally clumsy to cut themselves. This mezzaluna matches form for function: it has an almost classically beautiful shape, and because it is made entirely out of stainless steel, can go in the dishwasher.” –Nigella Lawson

Click to buy the Nigella Lawson Living Kitchen Herb Chopper

In 1996 the first George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine was launched and has gone on to sell over 100 million grills worldwide. Its phenomenal success was down to its patented fat reducing design, ease of use, versatility and speed. By grilling from both the top and bottom grill plates simultaneously, cooking times were more than halved, plus unwanted fat and grease is channelled away from foods as it is cooked into the drip trays provided, for a much tastier and healthier bite.

We chose to feature the Next Grilleration Health Grill “On the hob” as it has removable grill plates.  This makes it much easier to care for and keep clean, dishwasher safe.

George Foreman Next Grilleration Health Grill

Grill channels carry run-off grease and fat into separate tray. It has a variable timer and 5 temperature settings. It can grills up to 4 burgers, 4 chicken breasts or 2 steaks in minutes. Includes a drip tray to catch run off fat and a specially designed spatula which fit perfectly into the grooves of the grill plates.

Product Contents

Click to buy the George Foreman Next Grilleration Health Grill with Removable Plates 12617

This is an old George Foreman Grill advert

Click to buy the George Foreman Next Grilleration Health Grill with Removable Plates 12617

Click here to see all George Foreman Grills available from Amazon UK

Christmas will soon be upon us.  Struggling to find the perfect present for someone?  Kitchen gifts are always well received and needed.  Below we’ve run down some of the top Christmas gifts of 2008 for the Kitchen.

Under £20

Culinare One Touch Automatic Jar Opener

The Culinare One Touch Automatic Jar Opener is a really useful gift to give or receive this Christmas.  Many people both young and old can have trouble opening jars.  This does it for you.  We featured the One Touch Automatic Jar Opener previously On The Hob, Click here to read the article

Ginger Cat Crumb Pet Novelty Tabletop Vacuum Cleaner

The Ginger Cat tabletop vacuum cleaner is a fun gift perfect for an office secret Santa falling just under the £5 mark.  Also practical too as it vacuums up left over crumbs to keep your surfaces clear!

Screwpull By Le Creuset Waiter Friend

The Waiters friend by Screwpull and Le Creuset is a must have for any wine enthusiast.  Small enough to fit in your pocket but also big enough to open any bottle this is a great gift for the home wine lover or for the professional waiter.

Bialetti Moka Express Espresso Maker

Bialetti are leaders in the Manufacturing of Stovetop Espresso makers.  The Moka Express Espresso maker comes in different sizes.  A stovetop espresso maker is a gift that keeps giving as there’s nothing like a freshly made coffee in the morning.

Under £50

Ken Hom 31cm Traditional Carbon Steel 10 Pce Wok Set

The Ken Hom 31cm Traditional Carbon Steel 10 Pce Wok Set is perfect for anyone who wants to prepare good food quickly.  With this 10 piece set they can be enjoying stir frys in no time.

George Foreman Next Grilleration Health Grill

The George Foreman Next Grilleration Health Grill is the perfect gift for anyone interested in healthy eating.  Its two grill plates cooking both sides of the food half cooking time.  The sloped grill also lets fat drain off creating a healthy dish.  Even better once you have finished eating no hard cleaning as the grill plates are removable and dishwasher safe.

Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 8 Pce Block Set

Kitchen Knives are often forgotten but good knives make a real difference to you in the Kitchen.  Help someone start the new year with the Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 8 piece Knife block set.  These knives have unique hardened flexible corrosion resistant stainless steel blades and man made riveted handles for comfort and cleanliness.

Under £100

Marco Pierre White, Green Pan and Russell Hobbs Hard Anodised Cookware Set, 5 Pieces,

Marco Pierre White, Green Pan and Russell Hobbs Hard Anodised Cookware Set, 5 Pieces. There’s nothing better than having a complete set of Saucepans.  We have already featured this amazing set of 5 Hard Anodised Marco Pierre White pans On the Hob, Click here to read the article

Panasonic SD255 Breadmaker with Raisin/Nut Dispenser

Panasonic SD255 Breadmaker with Raisin/Nut Dispenser.  There’s nothing like the smell of fresh bread and with this bread maker you can bring that to your home!  Once you taste your own bread you won’t want to go back to the supermarkets!

Morphy Richards 48780 Intellisteam Steamer

The Morphy Richards 48780 Intellisteam Steamer features 4 compartments which you can set at different heats.  Steamers are great gifts as by steaming the food rather than boiling the flavour isn’t lost into the water, giving you all the goodness from the vegetables and flavour you didn’t think was possible.

Over £100

Tefal ActiFry Low Fat Electric Fryer

The Tefal ActiFry Low Fat Electric Fryer is a revolutionary deep fat fryer.  When frying the the Actifry gently turns the food allowing healthy frying by using the minimum amount of oil.  Just one spoonful is needed for 1kg of chips!

Magimix Nespresso M100 Coffee Maker & Aeroccino

The Magimix Nespresso M100 Coffee Maker & Aeroccino uses the Nespresso pod system to give you a fresh tasting perfect cup of coffee every time.  This is the perfect gift set as it includes the Aeroccino allowing you to froth milk for the perfect cappuccino or Latte.

De'Longhi Prima Donna Bean to Cup Coffee Maker

The De’Longhi Prima Donna Bean to Cup Coffee Maker is the king of Delonghi coffee makers.  This machine does everything!  It will operate with Beans (internal burr grinder) or ground coffee.  It also has a milk jug and can create the perfect Cappuccino at just one press of a button.

Those are our choices of perfect presents for the Kitchen this year but what are yours?  Have you bought a kitchen gift for a friend?  have you asked for one?  Let us know what your perfect Kitchen Christmas Present is by leaving us a comment – Just click comments at the top of this article.

The Banana Guard a fun product with a serious use.  We often find that bananas are too big for lunchboxes so the banana guard protects them against harm!

The Banana Guard

Product Details

• Transport your banana in a BananaGuard and never throw your banana away again.
• This sturdy plastic case is designed to fit the majority of bananas.
• Great for use in Rucksacks, School Bags, Briefcases, Golf Bags
• Makes a great gift for banana lovers everywhere
• Dishwasher Safe.

Click to buy the Banana Guard

Many people complain of a busy lifestyle and never time to cook good food, this should never be the case and a slow cooker can help.  The healthy alternative to ready meals, slow cookers offer a convenient way to make fresh food. Easy to use, a slow cooker can be left safely cooking away while you are out and about so you can enjoy freshly cooked meals without being tied to the kitchen. Simply add the ingredients to the crock pot and the slow cooker will gradually cook your meal over the course of several hours meaning you’re in control of the ingredients and when you eat.

Morphy Richards Oval Slow Cooker 3.5L

• Capacity 3.5 litres – Other sizes available
• 3 settings – low, medium and high
• Toughened glass lid to monitor cooking without letting heat escape
• Dishwasher proof/removable ceramic pot
• Cooltouch handles
• 150 Watt
• Non-slip feet

Click to buy the Morphy Richards Oval 48710 Slow Cooker

The Flavour Shaker™ is designed to crush, mix, and release flavour from whole spices, herbs, garlic, nuts, citrus rind or even lime or bay leaves. In just a few seconds you can create and add flavour to all kinds of everyday dishes.

Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker

Simply pop your ingredients inside, add the magic ball and give it a good shake. The ceramic ball does all the work crushing, grinding and bruising the contents, releasing amazing aromas and zingy flavours. You can also add liquids like oil and cream to create delicious dressings and marinades. The Flavour Shaker™ is sized to give you just the right amount of marinade or dressing (you don’t need a lot) so that you can pour the contents straight over your food.

Just follow these four steps and you’ll soon see how quick and easy it really is to get great tasting food…

• Step 1: Add your ingredients, then drop in the ceramic ball.
• Step 2: Screw the halves together securely. (Make sure that the two little arrows on the grips are correctly aligned and that the sealing ring is in place. You risk damaging the product if you don’t.)
• Step 3: Give it a good shake.
• Step 4: Open up and pour, scoop or rub on to your food.

Product Features

Click to buy the Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker

It can be difficult to know what makes a saucepan better than others, what you should look for and the difference in price.  Never fear though as help is at hand.  We’ve put together our own On The Hob Saucepan Buying Guide to explain the key things you need to know when looking for a new saucepan range, something which can be both a product which will last for years and a long term investment.

What do you need?

The first question will be what do you need?  There are so many different types of saucepans and cookware on the market and one size doesn’t fit all.  Good starting points are

• Do you need dishwasher safe pans?
• Are they suitable for your hob?  Eg Induction and Gas hobs may have cookware which is better suited, equally some will also be suitable for oven use
• How do you like to cook, which pans are best for you?

What type of hob do you have?

The hob you use will affect your choice of cookware.  Here are the key things you need to know.

• Solid Fuel Hobs – Eg Rayburns and Agas.  These hobs will produce intense heat and the pans must be capable of withstanding it.
• Gas hobs – Any type of Saucepan is suitable for a gas hob.  just be wary of the handle – do not let the gas flame near it as it may be to hot to pick up.
• Induction Hobs – Induction hobs work by the transfer of heat magnetically from the induction coil.  Pans will state whether they are suitable for this type of hob, they must be magnetic – eg Cast Iron.  Aluminium and Copper are not suitable.
• Ceramic Hobs – Any pan can be used but they must be lifted and not slid as sliding may damage the ceramic plates.  With this in mind consider weight, cast iron pans may not be suitable.
• Halogen Hobs – Similar to ceramic except thick saucepans should be used as they may be subject to intense bursts of heat.
• Electrical Radiant Spiral Hobs – All types of Cookware can be used on Radiant Spiral Hobs
• Solid Hotplate Hobs – As these hobs are a solid plate it is best to use a flat based Pan for the most even heat coverage.

That describes the type of Hobs now on to the types of Cookware.

Stainless Steel Pans -  Stainless Steel pans can come in a variety of metal combinations, so be sure to check the quality – 18/10 (18% Chromium 10% Nickel) is considered high quality.  Stainless Steel Pans can be highly polished, Scratch and dent resistant, suitable for induction hobs (as a general rule but always check the product details), usually dishwasher safe.  Also many stainless steel ranges come with non stick coatings.

Aluminium Pans - Aluminum Pans can be coated or uncoated.  Aluminium is an inexpensive lightware marterial which heats quickly.  Coated pans will have an enamel coating to make them easy to clean and hard wearing.  Many Aluminium pans have non stick coatings.

Hard Anodised Pans – These Aluminum pans have been through a chemical process to make them smooth and non porous.  They are resistent to scratches and peeling, stronger than stainless steel with great durability and heat distribution.

Cast Iron Cookware – Cast Iron pans are heavy as they have thick walls.  As such they retain heat well.  A popular brand of Cast Iron cookware is Le Creuset.  Usually Dishwasher safe

Buy Online

Amazon – Click to buy Saucepans from Amazon

John Lewis – Click to buy Saucepans from John Lewis

Heals – Click to buy Saucepans from Heals

These are the key points to bear in mind when buying Saucepans.  Do you have any favourites?  Leave a comment with your views.

Joseph Joseph together with Damian Evans have jointly designed this revolutionary and ingenious chopping board categorisation system. The boards are stored in a stylish Silver case made of ABS plastic.

Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards

The base of the case has a silicone strip to prevent it from slipping. The base is also open so that no food residue collects at the bottom.There are four colour coded chopping boards each having it’s own illustrated tab. The red board would be used for raw meat, the blue board would be used for fish, the white board for cooked food, and the green one would be ideal for vegetables and herbs.They are all made of Dishwasher safe polypropylene. All the tabs are staggered for visual ease. This has fast become one of the companys fastest selling chopping boards, winning many design awards around the world.

Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards

Joseph Joseph was founded in 2003 by twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph. Specialising in contemporary kitchenware, the company is now internationally recognised for producing some of the most stylish and technically innovative products on the market.

Click here to buy the Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards