Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Product Testing

Salter Electronic Kitchen Scale – Review & Giveaway

There’s very little room left for anything in the kitchen at home, so when I was looking last summer for a new kitchen scale, I knew that bulky, heavy mechanical scales – however iconic – were never going to make the shortlist.

I needed a kitchen scale that I could store with ease, but that was reliable enough to survive being taken out and used pretty much every day. The Salter Slim Design Electronic Kitchen Scale (sometimes sold as the Salter Disc Electronic Kitchen Scale) was cheaper than I had budgeted (update: it was £19.99 last year, but at the time of writing this review is now available for £10 here). It looked smart in the online pictures in black and in white (I chose white), had the features I was looking for in a set of everyday scales, and was advertised with a Salter manufacturer’s fifteen-year guarantee.

Salter Slim Design Electronic Platform Kitchen Scale - Black

When I took the Salter Slim Design Electronic Kitchen Scale out of its box, I was immediately pleased that at 16cm x 18cm x 2cm it was small enough to be stored in a kitchen cubby hole, but not so fragile and wafer-thin that you worry that it will get damaged by a clumsy hand within the week.

The top of the scale is dominated by a large, wipe-clean stainless steel disc platform for measuring ingredients directly. In front of the disc are two usefully large buttons, located either side of a central, easy-to-read LCD display.

You press the left button to turn the electronic scale on and, when held down, off again.

The right button is used to cycle metric and imperial measurements:

– grams (per gram up to 5Kg)
– pounds and ounces (11lb in 0.1oz steps)
– millilitres (per ml up to 5l)
– fluid ounces (175fl.oz in 0.1fl.oz steps)

The left button can be pressed at any time when the scale is on and the reading will promptly zero. This is a huge time saver. Rather than having to weigh an empty bowl and mentally note the weight you’ll need to take off the combined ingredients and bowl, Salter simply lets you put the bowl on the scale and press to zero, before adding the ingredient until the required amount is showing on the LCD screen. If you need to add a further ingredient to the same bowl, zero the weight again before adding away. As often as you need. No maths required.

Having used the scale hundreds of times now, I have two tips to pass on that will help you:

– to keep the scale thin, Salter located the LCD screen on the top side. This means that very wide bowls have the potential to cover the LCD. Most of the time you are fine, but it’s something to be aware about.
– the LCD screen displays the current weight in large, easy-to-read digits but the unit measurement is in small text. You’ll sense quickly which is which but until then, don’t forget your glasses if you require them.

I’ve found my Salter scale to be incredibly straightforward to use. It is accurate and the weight displayed always settles quickly. If you are moving away from mechanical scales for the first time you will be amazed at how much time and hassle you save. Highly recommended.

Giveaway

For your chance to win one of two brand new Salter Slim Design Electronic Kitchen Scales (£19.99 RRP) complete with a fifteen-year Salter guarantee, please enter telling me which colour scale you would like, black or white.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Own purchase, I was not asked to write a review, nor offered any incentive. Giveaway sponsored by Ren Behan. Affiliate link included. Giveaway featured on sites including loquax.co.uk and ThePrizeFinder.com

 

Tefal 8 in 1 Multi Cooker – Review

As I’m sure is the case for most home cooks, space it at a premium in my kitchen and I find it very hard to justify new equipment, especially gadgets that take up room on my counter tops. However, I had been on the hunt for a slow-cooker and after a bit of research, I came across the Tefal 8 in 1 Multi Cooker, which immediately appealed because it offered to do more than just slow-cook. Tefal were happy to send me the cooker on loan and after a short trial-period, I was happy to buy this product for myself.

In the US, the equivalent machine is the Emeril by T-Fal 8 in 1 Multi Cooker. However, you may also want to check out the Instant Pot, which too has become a best-seller, with the added advantage of adding safe pressure cooking, as well as slow cooking.

For now, here’s more about my Tefal 8 in 1.

The Tefal 8 in 1 multi cooker functions

  • White rice
  • Quick rice
  • Brown rice
  • Grains
  • Oatmeal porridge
  • Slow Cooking
  • Steaming
  • Dessert

Based on these functions, you can cook rices, pulses and grains, porridge, steamed foods such as vegetables, chicken or fish, as well as soups, slow-cooked stews and casseroles and even desserts and cakes. It offers table-top cooking, meaning that it gets plugged into the mains via an electric cable and is self-contained. Inside, there is a non-stick removable bowl (that your food will get cooked in) and a removal steamer tray. The bowl can go into the dishwasher.

It has an electronic settings panel with a red light to indicate which function is in use. There is a ‘delayed start’ function and a ‘keep warm’ function, too.

The cooker uses 700W and comes with a one year Tefal guarantee. It has the capacity to cook 2.2 litres of food or 10 cups.

Initially, I thought it wouldn’t be big enough to cook a family meal, compared to other slow cooker capacities, but in fact, the bowl holds more than enough to feed a family of four, in some cases, with food leftover.

The three ‘rice’ functions (white, quick, brown) and the fourth ‘grain’ function are useful because (if you follow the instructions correctly adding the right amount of water) the cooker will automatically detect how long to cook the grains for without them becoming over-cooked or mushy.

You can also use the white rice function to cook a risotto, opening the lid after twenty or so minutes of cooking the rice to add your chicken, seafood, peas, veg etc to continue cooking. You can make a paella in the same way and you can also make rice pudding with little effort. My kids got over-excited about this fact and now demand rice pudding and jam most nights. As to grains, you can cook anything from bulgar wheat to quinoa, which you can then leave to cool to add to salads.

The porridge function takes around 20 minutes, so it takes longer than cooking oats on the stove top or in the microwave, but the ‘keep warm’ function means that you can put on a bigger batch of porridge which can be kept warm and eaten at different times. So, for example, I usually cook porridge first thing in the morning for the children. I then leave it to keep warm, come back home from the school run, have a bowl myself and it is also still warm for my husband to eat before he sets off for work. I then look like super-wife for having warm porridge at the ready!

The slow-cooking function does just that, it slow-cooks stews, casseroles, Bolognese/ragu sauces, chile con carne etc within minimum input and effort required. You can get quite a big batch, so it is great for cooking larger amounts with a few portions left over to freeze. You can set the timer, or leave it to work it out. It will automatically switch to ‘keep warm’ once the cycle has finished.

The most interesting function is the steam function because using the steamer basket, you add a cup of water to the main bowl, and steam your fish, chicken or veg in just a few minutes, closing the lid. However, you can also use the steam programme to cook soup in the main bowl, which takes around 25 minutes. Or use the steam function to make quicker casseroles,  if you don’t have the time or patience to slow cook. I have also used the steam function to make steamed chocolate and cherry puddings.

You can cook sponges and cakes using the desserts setting, too, although this is the function I have used least, simply because I prefer baking. You can get great results on sponge-based puddings, such as treacle sponge or spotted dick.

Space Saving

All in all, for a kitchen gadget that takes up minimal space on your work top, I have found the 8 in 1 Multi Cooker to be extremely versatile and helpful. The very best thing about it, is its ability to detect when food is cooked. So, if like me, you have a tendency to put a pan on the stove and then forget about it, only to come back to a burnt pan, this will be a welcome addition!

If you have no stove cooker, limited space or perhaps are moving or are having your kitchen renovated, you would be able to plug this in and still have an easy-to-prepare hot meal ready whenever you need it.

The Tefal 8 in 1 Multi Cooker is available through many retailers (RRP £69.99) although Amazon have it for around £35.00. The price is reasonable, in my view, given the number of different functions and the results I have had using it to cook family food. It also comes with a recipe booklet to get you started.  You would spend a lot more buying a slow-cooker, steamer and rice cooker as three separate items, and they would obviously take up a lot more space.

There is a valve to clean, which was a bit fiddly at first, but I got the hang of how to release it after a couple of goes. It is very quiet and doesn’t make anything like the kind of noise a pressure cooker makes. Some steam comes out through the top, so keep it away from little hands.

With many thanks to Tefal for sending me this product for review. I was offered no incentive to write a positive review and I later purchased the cooker of my own accord. 

Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. 

Russell Hobbs Desire Food Processor (RRP £54.99) – Review and Giveaway

I have been very busy testing the entire Desire Collection range of Russell Hobbs appliances. I have used quite a few appliances by Russell Hobbs in the past, in particular, during a competition they ran around Christmas to test their Allure products and come up with some recipes using them. I have to say, I was impressed by the quality overall and so it is nice to be able to have a play with the Desire range, too. The great news is that Russell Hobbs have also kindly offered a second set of products, so I will be hosting a 3-part giveaway for my Fabulicious Food! readers starting today with the Desire Food Processor. The appliances within the Desire range are matt black with red accents. The Desire Food Processor and Jug Blender has a 600W motor.

Space in my kitchen, as in most, is limited, so it is important to me to find products that do the job I want them to do, whilst taking up the least amount of worktop space.  The Desire food processor comes in three main pieces with the following features –

  • The main body (matt black) with a manual dial at the front.
  • Two interchangeable top pieces – the food processor (with red accents) and a 1.5 litre capacity blending jug (with a red bottom and lid).
  • In addition to this, you also get a number of accessories, such as a slicing disc, coarse grater, fine grater, a mixing blade that can be used for dough and a creamer that can be used for sponge cakes.
  • Two speed settings and a pulse function.
  • A small manual including two recipes.

Desire Blender

The jug blender is pretty standard – it will allow you to crush ice, blend soup and make dips or sauces such as pesto, easily.  The lids fits on very securely, as it has a thick layer of rubber around the lid, which I particularly like as it is safe for the kids to stand and have a go at without thinking that the lid will blow off. The jug blender has been a definite winner in our house – “Yay, Mummy, now we can make milkshakes every day!” In actual fact, it is great for a quick and healthy breakfast smoothies and it gets us well away from the temptation of sugary cereals. I have also used it to make a quick Hollandaise Sauce to coat some fresh British Asparagus. The only thing I have noticed is that in full speed, the blender jumps around a little. There are suction feet on the bottom – make sure they are stuck down!

Ren’s Recipe

Strawberry, Banana, Pear and Chocolate Milkshake/Smoothie

What you need –

10-12 fresh strawberries, hulled

2 ripe pears, peeled, chopped

1 banana, peeled, sliced

1 teaspoon hot chocolate powder

Handful of ice cubes

250ml whole milk

How to make –

Throw all the ingredients into a jug blender, blend until smooth, serve and drink immediately.

Desire Food Processor

Aside from the jug blender, you get a second 1.5 litre capacity processing bowl, also with a safety lock lid, though not rubber lined as with the jug blender.

With the discs in place, you can finely slice, shred and blend. You do get a little pusher piece so that you can push any pieces down the tube safely without putting your fingers anywhere near the blades.

There is a creaming disc that you can use to thicken cream, beat eggs and to cream eggs and sugar together to make cakes. I have found that this is fine when using the all-in-one method. But otherwise, use it to cream your butter and sugar together first, then your eggs and then simple mix your flour in with a spoon – otherwise the whisking action will be too harsh. I made one of our family favourites – Nigella’s Marmalade Pudding Cake – in it and it worked a treat. In fact, lots of Nigella recipes call for you to throw everything into a mixer, so this does the job perfectly.

It is also great for making quick summer salads – a great one is Polish classic carrot and apple salad (Surówka) – 3 carrots, one apple, a handful of sultanas, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar and salt. The grater blades are fairly easy to interchange and once in place will shred and grate very quickly.

Overall Impression

All in all, the mixer isn’t too clunky in size, but I have found with food processors that you have to have space to keep them out on the work top otherwise they barely get used. Leaving mine out this week, we’ve used lots more fruit and have made smoothies every day for breakfast. Tonight, we’ll be having homemade pizza using the dough tool.

There is a Jug Blender on its own within the Desire Collection range, but for the sake of an additonal £17 if not less, you would be better off buying the Food Processor which comes with a Jug Blender as well as the Food Processing Bowl.

I was a little disappointed that there weren’t many recipes to try – just two in the manual – and the two links suggested in the book to follow to get more recipes don’t seem to link to any more…

Giveaway

Thanks to Russell Hobbs, I have one Desire Collection Food Processor to giveaway. Here’s how to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Discloure: I was sent the Russell Hobbs Desire Collection range to test/review along with a second set to giveway. No incentive was given to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was received in order for this product to be featured on Fabulicious Food!

Come back tomorrow for Part Two of the Russell Hobbs Desire Review and Giveaway!