5 New Year Gift Ideas for the Master Chef

Consistent adherence to recipes is a major key to success in many dishes, especially when they contain many ingredients in small dosages. Kitchen scales from Germany — Beurer KS19 — provide their complicity in the accurate weighing of the components of the prepared dish.

The division price of the electronic assistant in determining the weight is 1 g. At the same time, the maximum load on the scales should not exceed 5 kg — the glass panel of the model simply cannot withstand more. The balance reports the fact of overload by means of an indication on the screen. The symbols on it are displayed at a size of 2 cm in height, which allows people with visual impairments to read weighing readings without resorting to glasses.

The control of the scales is at the mercy of two touch buttons: one of them combines the functions of switching on and tare compensation (zeroing the weighing readings when adding ingredients to the container), and the second is assigned the mission of determining the volume of liquid(measured in mL). The units of weight measurement are classical grams or ounces, which are less common in our area.

The auto-off feature prolongs the life of the CR2032 battery used as the battery for the balance. The energy accumulated in it is enough for a long time, and the battery replacement procedure will need to be done less than once a year with the active use of the model at home. The only nuance associated with the operation of the Beurer KS19 concerns the possible overlapping of the readings on the display with bulk containers, which are to be weighed, since the scales have compact dimensions (20x14.5x1.7 cm). On the other hand, such a form factor turns into a virtue, because models of small sizes are much easier to allocate a piece of free space for storage than giant scales.

Grilled steaks are, if not tastier, then certainly healthier than pan -fried steaks. For example, on the Russell Hobbs 19921-56 electric grill, you can cook without using oil, and the fat that is already in the meat drains into a special pan during cooking.

The device starts up immediately after being plugged into the outlet — there are simply no controls on its fiery red case (with the exception of the heating indication). In view of this, the user will have to be content with a constant temperature of the plates (about 200°C), which is reached fairly quickly. The power of 1600 W is enough for quick cooking of meat dishes, and the simultaneous heating of the upper and lower panels ensures uniform frying of the prepared products on both sides.

Modest dimensions (32x32x10.5 cm) allow you to harmoniously fit the electric grill even into a small kitchen. Nevertheless, there is enough space in its working area to cook several servings of food for all members of a small family of 2-3 people. The grill plates are coated with a non-stick coating, making them easy to clean. It also helps to ensure that food does not stick to the work surface during cooking.

The position of the electric grill varies from flat (useful when preparing sandwiches) to a slight angle of inclination (to drain excess fat when cooking meat or fish). The top cover of the device is mounted on a hinged mount, respectively, products of different thicknesses are placed in the grill, and there is no need to worry about the uniformity of their frying. In the bottom line, Russell Hobbs 19921-56 can be recommended to anyone who cannot imagine their life without steaks and is eager to eat delicious healthy food.

Kitchen utensils from the Belgian brand BergHOFF are on store shelves in more than 60 countries around the world. Each of the company's products has its own role in the kitchen, which will be discussed using the example of a set of knives from the Studio series.

The blades of each of the 6 items in the set are made of high-strength hardened steel, and the material for the manufacture of handles of all elements is ABS plastic. All this is not only in the seventh item, which is a deck of light wood. Ergonomic knife handles fit well in the hand and do not slip out of it. The same words can be attributed to scissors for cutting poultry or fish 25 cm long.

The top row of "seats" in the L-shaped stand is designed for three 20-centimeter knives: chef's, for meat and for cutting bread(with characteristic teeth like a saw). On the lower deck there are “cabins” for a universal knife (12 cm), a compact knife for peeling vegetables and fruits (8 cm) and for the above-mentioned scissors.

The shortcomings of the set are attributed to the fact that the knives quickly become dull, including with occasional use. And if their number is not enough, you can always look at more numerous sets in the line. For example, close attention bothers BergHOFF Studio 1315058 with 14 items to complete the toughest kitchen tasks. All types of knives are described in detail in the material "Choosing gourmet knives".

The brainchild of Redmond with the RMC-PM503 model index replaces a whole arsenal of kitchen appliances. In addition, two devices are combined in his face at once: a multicooker and a pressure cooker (reduces cooking time).

The chef has 15 programs at his disposal: 9 of them work in the multicooker mode, and the remaining 6 are designed for cooking under pressure. The latter include “Stew / Aspic”, “Rice / Cereals”, “Stew”, “Soup”, “Pilaf” and “Steamed”. For the safe use of the device in pressure cooker mode, a four-level protection system is used, which consists of a steam release valve, a shut-off valve, a temperature fuse and an overpressure sensor.

Along with the usual baking and frying, the modes for cooking yogurt, bread and vacuum-packed dishes stand apart in the list of programs on board the Redmond RMC-PM503 (a newfangled "trick" of many modern multicookers). Moreover , the cooking time in most modes, as well as the temperature, can be changed directly in the cooking process thanks to the Masterchef Light function. The extended functionality of the model also includes auto-heating modes (up to 12 hours, it can be turned off as unnecessary), delayed start (up to 24 hours) and warming up cold dishes.

The category of shortcomings of the model, judging by the feedback from users, is the heating of the body and cover during operation. There are no other complaints about the multicooker, rather, on the contrary, it deserves praise for the easy-to-use control panel with programme indicators and display, as well as for the illustrated recipe book in the package. Following the recipe, it will turn out to cook a huge variety of goodies (120 dishes are described in the book). Also, do not be afraid to experiment, improving your culinary skills.

The small Steba KB23 electric oven, the size of a typical microwave oven, is in no way inferior in functionality to full-size built-in electric ovens. And in some ways she is head and shoulders above them.

The volume of the working chamber of the furnace is indicated directly in the model name (23 L). In the interior there are three levels for installing a baking sheet and a grill, as well as grooves for a skewer, which is useful when roasting meat or whole fish. Unfortunately, along with a large bird or a large fish, the skewer often spins unevenly and sometimes jumps off its seat.

The mission of controlling the oven is assigned to three mechanical "twists" located on the right side of the hinged door. The upper rotary knob is responsible for selecting the required temperature (up to 230°C), the middle one is for the operating mode of the electric furnace, and the lower one acts as a timer (up to 90 minutes). The lower and upper heating elements, combined with convection and a spit, create 5 operating modes for a compact electric oven.

A non-stick coating is applied to the walls of the working chamber of the oven, which greatly simplifies cleaning the oven from dirt after use. The main thing is not to use metal scrapers, so as not to inadvertently damage the non-stick layer. Of the wide variety of dishes, Steba KB23 does not cook except for kebabs (there are no compatible skewers), but with all other culinary whims it handles with a solid "five".