May 9th, 2012 by Kevin Bradford

A more precise time management display system has been launched by Bosch in its fully integrated dishwasher range. The TimeLight function, unveiled at Milan's EuroCucina, shows the exact remaining time when loading and unloading, without the need for a visible control panel on the front of the appliance. Details about the remaining time, which programme has been selected, and what phase the cycle is on, are projected onto ... Read more

May 8th, 2012 by Mark Bristow

Seen The Avengers yet? In between all the explosions, one-liners, and Robert Downey Jr stealing scenes, there are a few lessons we can learn about appliances. Seriously. If you’re putting together a kitchen, for example, you’ll need appliances that work well individually, but also come together as a team - assemble, if you will - to combine their unique powers and achieve cooking and cleaning greatness. Here's what I mean: High ... Read more

May 7th, 2012 by Kevin Bradford

A dishwasher that only uses six litres of water has been hailed as a "main innovation" from German manufacturer Bosch. The ActiveWater Eco can clean up to 13 place settings in one cycle, and features the lowest water consumption figures on the market. Showcased at Milan's EuroCucina last month, the latest design uses intelligent technology to save up to 20,700 litres of water annually compared to hand-washing. Bosch engineers ... Read more

May 7th, 2012 by Keri Algar

In Australia we seem to have the knack for cooking meat fairly down pat. Of course, we've grilled enough prawns to know a thing or two about that, too. But when it comes to boiling seafood, some of us revert to the old British culinary crime of overcooking. Over-boiling delicate crustaceans leads to rubbery, flavourless flesh; a tragedy that is easy to avoid. At the Sydney Seafood School (SSS) ... Read more

May 1st, 2012 by Richie Black

We're probably going to sound a little prejudice here, but we don't like cockroaches in our appliances. Okay, cockroaches are a fact of life - hey, in Sydney's Inner West some of our best friends are cockroaches - but if you see one walking out of your microwave it's enough to put you off your reheated left-overs. Cockroaches dig warm, moist hiding spaces - hence, they ... Read more

April 25th, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

They say that caffeine charges one's cognitive ability. Perhaps that's what happened to the legends at ThinkGeek who have blended their scientific know how with coffee making for the ultimate brew. It's called the Vacuum Brewer, and it is supposed to make an exceptional cup of joe without sacrificing an iota of aroma, which all stays within the two glass containers. According to ThinkGeek, vacuum brewing avoids the ... Read more

April 24th, 2012 by Keri Algar

Looking over last night's recipe booklet from the Sydney Seafood School there is a sharp sensory reminder of the eve's fare. No, not because of a cut finger, or words or pictures, but smell. The paper is pungent with cooking oil infused with Sichuan pepper, lime, coriander, deep fried squid and prawns. Our task was to prepare salt and pepper prawns with a prickly ash (that's a Sichuan ... Read more

April 23rd, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

He's been on the radio and in the papers, spreading more and more each day, sort of like an infectious virus. Dr Gerba, also known as Dr Germ, has been touting the importance of sterilisation in our lives to stop the spread of germs. It turns out that the kitchen is even grottier than the toilet. People tend to be meticulous in keeping the bathroom impeccable, while the ... Read more

April 16th, 2012 by Louise Carter

Last week The Oatmeal (a popular internet comic) shared advice on how to get more people to click 'like' for your product/service/etc on Facebook. Mr Oats had plenty of useful tips, but our favourite of course was this one: Being in the appliance trade, this is a topic close to our hearts. So imagine our delight when internet entertainer Hank Green rose to the challenge by penning the ... Read more

April 16th, 2012 by Keri Algar

Let the dishwasher do its job! Pre-rinsing is a waste of time, money, and water, Consumer Reports has said. Dishwashers are designed to do the dirty work yet some households are wasting well over 22,000 litres of water a year through unnecessary rinsing, according to the US consumer watchdog. When testing dishwashers, Consumer Reports used dishes "caked with foods such as peanut butter, tomato sauce, oatmeal and egg ... Read more

April 16th, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

Channel Nine's The Block is back for its fifth season starting tonight at 7pm. With it, a range of new kitchen renovation ideas will be revealed. The reality home renovation TV series pitches eight Australian couples against each other to redo dilapidated terrace houses in inner-city South Melbourne. The contestants have 10 weeks and $125,000 to create, design, plan, budget, execute and sell the terrace home. $20,000 is ... Read more

March 28th, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

What's the difference between the 'use-by' and 'best before' dates? In Australia all packaged foods with a shelf life of under two years need to have either a 'use-by' or 'best before' date. More than anything, the dates stamped on boxes, wrappers or bottles will let you know how long the food will last before losing quality. Can I bend the rules? For 'best before' dates the short answer is ... Read more

March 23rd, 2012 by Mark Bristow

In this fast-paced modern world where even the fridge is online, what is the point of steam? After all, the Age of Steam was way back in the 19th century, and today you'll only find useful steam-powered gadgets in the imaginations of steampunk artists, right? Wrong. While it is no longer commonly used to power devices such it was during the Industrial Revolution, steam still has an important place ... Read more

March 22nd, 2012 by Keri Algar

For fun's sake, old is new - and delicious - again in the kitchen. Cooking like a master chef doesn't mean you have to make meals in a monotone, industrial looking kitchen. All that stainless steel can be so serious, so boring! If cooking is a creative art you might be inadvertantly dulling your culinary craft. What better way to get your creative mojo flowing than with a playful, ... Read more

March 22nd, 2012 by Sofia Fernandez

When we're asked to think about how home appliances may work in the future we often fall back on ideas that will satisfy our inherent desire to do less. Yes, we are a lazy lot and we don't really want to use our energy handwashing clothes or dishes. So we recall The Jetsons and cross our fingers that robots like the lovely Rosie (right) will simply do everything ... Read more