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

Espresso Machines VS Stovetop Espresso

Espresso Machines VS Stove top Espresso makers
Where to begin. Well this is a question asked by many coffee drinkers. The first question most ask themselves "is how much to spend?". When compering cost you have many different ranges from $20 all the way up to $2000. The way to answer the cost question is to think how many times a day/week/month/year I will use this.
If out of these four if you are asking how many times a year the answer is easy buy the best & the cheapest one you can afford. For that once or twice a year your brother comes over and say "How about an espresso" knowing you like coffee better you will be prepared. Just keep the beans/grounds in a sealed container in your pantry and for God's sake not in the FREEZER.
If you'r asking how many times a day, well you have some thinking to do. Do you want the ease of just pressing a button and "PRESTO" you have an espresso. Well the answer is also easy. A machine that has the beans and water already for you to press that button would be the best for you. If you want to spend some $$$ have a plumber come in and have a water line installed.
If you're an in between type of person then you have some options. The machines that are about $200 that make coffee at the same time are great. The only thing you have to make sure is that the watts are high because if you do not you will be waiting some time to make that steamed milk. Make sure it also has a water tank that makes a few espresso's or it will take forever for that water to get up to the right temperature. Be careful of those pod makers, because it may be great now but what if they stop making those pods, you may have to fend for yourself on that one some day.
For you old fashion types you can not go wrong. Just add water and tamp the grounds and in five minutes on the stove you have a great espresso. You may not have a place to steam your milk but if you are resourceful with a whisk and some milk you can figure that one out.

Silicone bakeware

Silicone bakeware

This type of bakeware is rated the best of the best. Well they are right. Silicone bakeware is so easy to use and easy to clean. With silicone the options of shapes and sizes are limitless. We have even seen companies make them for special orders. There is not much to say about these but some people are very cautious when they see new things on the market these days. The only draw back is when you place it in the oven you have to use a pan underneath so the silicon does not collapse to one side. Some also say they have a numberless use but we have heard that this may not be true. If you bake that much and know the answer to that "Want a Job?".

Wusthof or Henkels?

Wusthof or Henkels?

That is a question that most people will ask there friendly neighborhood Chef and get an answer that makes you say WHAT! Or you have ten more questions. It is not because the Chef does not want you to cook at home and rather you eat at his restaurant, it is because it is a very tough question to answer. The question is like asking a professional baseball player what type of glove to use. He or she would say that if he was playing first base he would use a first baseman's glove, or if he was a catcher he would use a catchers mitt, and so on.

So for us to answer that question we have some different opinions to say the least. But to come up with the best answers on buying a knife or a set goes as follows. DO NOT BUY JUST ON PRICE!! If some one says to us a knife is a knife no mater the cost our best answer to that is "You do no cooking what so ever". We are reminded of a great quote " if you buy cheap S@#*! you get cheap Well you know". As a review of the two best knives made in the world for there price is a hard thing to do. Some will say it is high but not to today's standards. When you have ceramic, special metal, and so on to spend about $100 on a Chef knife is getting away with a steal. If you can part with a few dollars and are ready to take a stab at buying a good knife and the last knife you will buy, and want to decide between which one is best for you, the best answer is what ever fits best. Go to the store ask to see, touch, and feel the same knife from both companies. Feel the different types of handles, see how your hand feel after putting pressure on the blade, is your finger sore or not, is the weight to light, to heavy.

When buying these knives you are making a commitment to yourself and to your food. To make your food taste, and look as best as you can make it, and for you to feel as comfortable as possible making it.

All-Clad Pots

All-Clad pots and pans are considered the best made pots to date. This handcrafted cookware is made in the good old U.S.A in Southwest Pennsylvania. Each pot and pan is inspected by human hands to ensure the best quality.
From a Chef's perspective, well they vary. Some Chef's say they are the best they ever used, some say they work great for the home, but for the restaurant, "not for me". Now that's not because they do not work well for cooking but some industrial ovens get very hot and for Chef's the hotter the better we say. Some Chef's found the use of All-Clad in there restaurants that the layers became separated when heated at a high temp. for a long period of time. The other problem is making them look nice. They are some what hard to keep clean, but if you clean them properly you will have them close to forever. We at Chef Chat Cafe used these pots at the C.I.A. and some of those pots have been trough the ringer to say the least.
If you ask yourself when you cook "why my food does not cook like the people on T.V.?". Maybe it's not you it's your pans. All-Clad keep some of the best temps. So when searing meats, or you just want to caramelize a whole bunch of onions for onion soup you start off with a good hot pan and finish with a great meal.