Grill Pans

Grill Pans

We have received a few questions about grill pans because the summer is over and people want to grill in there homes. Before we make our suggestions we can not emphasize on the ventilation of your kitchen. The reason that this is important is if you try to blacken or to get really nice grill marks, the smoke will set off all of your smoke alarms or you will get a visit from you local fire department.

For the grill pans, the best type to buy is not really by the name but by the weight. What we mean by this is the heavier the better. The reason for the weight is the pan will keep the heat when you try to sear your meat. By having that heat you will sear the meat instead of steaming it, and making a good cut of meat into a shoe. A cast iron is well made but hard to maintain. You need to season it and you can not really wash it. One of the best made ones now are the non-stick ones. They are easy to clean and can take some abuse to the surface.
For your home chef we suggest to buy a single burner style. The reason is it will keep it's heat very well and you will not have any cold spots in the middle like with a two burner style.

We hope this answers your question on grill pan. If you have any other questions on this please let us know.

Sincerely,

Chef Chat Cafe

Best made Mixer

The Best made Mixer?

That is a tough question! Why that is a tough question is because it depends on who you talk to. That is because some say "they are all the same" and some say "you get what you pay for". You can buy one of the best ones like a Kitchen Aid or a Cuisinart. But you can pay a pretty penny for them but you get what you pay for. If you make cookies by the dozen, bread by the loafs, or you like to have other options then they will be the best for you. If not, and you make those items once a year then a lesser priced one is for you, but watch the watts because you may want more power to make larger batches. Just a hand mixer will be another option for you.
If you want a Chef's opinion, [that's why you are here] the biggest bowl, and the most power is the best regardless of price. We recommend the two top brand ones because that is what we use in the kitchen. They are reliable, and take the abuse of everyday and all day use.

If you have any other questions on this please let us know.

Sincerely,

Chef Chat Cafe

Pizzelle maker

We have received a few questions on Pizzelle makers. Most of the questions are about how well do they work and if they are worth buying. The best answer for that is "it is up to you". What we mean by that is if you will use it go right ahead. If you buy a non-stick one you can have it for almost forever. They have a very unique purpose though. Most of them are just for ice cream cones, bowls, or cannolis. For the creative cook you can use this unique cookie for fruit possibly with a thick cream filling. For the way they work some of the best ones have different setting for how brown you want them. Other then that there is really no difference. If you have room on the counter or in the pantry, a Pizzelle make will make a great addition.

If you have any other questions on this product please let us know.

Sincerely,

Chef Chat Cafe

Good food Magazines

Dear Jodi,

We have received this question before so don't worry. There are quit a few to choose from. You first have to decide what you want from the magazine. Do you want basic food or do you want gourmet food, or do you want food plus wine? For basic ones the best are, Easy Home Cooking, Simple & Delicious, and even your favorite celebrity one's will work out good.

For you up scale one's some of the best are Saveur, Bon Appetit, or even Gourmet will work out just fine. Just watch out for the fancy ones they can be costly but they are well worth the cost.

If you are looking for one that has more than just food our suggestions are, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, or Wine Spectator which is costly but it is the best when it comes to the wine world.

Now if you want every detail about food and we mean every detail you best one to go with is Cook's Illustrated. It is very technical but easy to read and has some good ideas but be ready to learn about the food world.

To purchase these the best bet is to go through the Internet most of the time, shop around and find the best $.

If you have any other questions on this please let us know.

Sincerely,

Chef Chat Cafe

Splatter Guard

We get a lot of questions on Splatter Guards but we do not post them because most people ask us not to. So here is our answer for everyone.
The best one to buy is really up to you. Most if not all Splatter Guards do about the same job but just come in different sizes. The best suggestion is to buy the size that fits most if not all your pans. They usually come in a set of two [11-in or 13-in]. Some may cost a little more but that is because they just look better or have a fancy name on them. You are better off getting the set because, we find that if your stove is off kilter and the guard is too big, the grease may collect to one side and just fall off. Also when you remove it from the pan DO NOT flip it over fast or you will have projectile grease all over and it may be hot.
If any one has more questions on this, please let us know so we best answer your question.
Sincerely,
Chef Chat Cafe