Month: September 2018

Take Your Cooking to the Next Level With These Must-Have Kitchen Tools


Cooking a great meal is a combination of inspiration, passion and having the right tools. If you frequently visit kitchen stores, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of gadgets on each aisle. Whether you want to pound, grate, puree, blend or chop, the following 10 tools are vital for taking your cooking to a new level.

Digital Scale

While digital scales are often used by people who are dieting, they can also help if you are baking and using a recipe that requires ingredients by weight rather than by volume. This tool is also handy when you buy bulk meat and need to divide it evenly.

Coffee Grinder

This gadget is so useful, you will want two of them. You can use one to prepare the beans for your morning cup of coffee while the other can crush herbs. This process brings out the flavor that is lost while they dry out and makes them more powerful in cooking.

Immersion Blender

If you often use a traditional blender, you know it does not work well with certain food types and can be difficult to clean. An immersion blender is essentially a stick with blades on the end that you place directly in the bowl or pot of food you are working with. This gadget works well with your purees and soups, and it is easy to maintain with detachable, dishwasher-safe blades.

Oil Mister

When you are cooking with oil, it is sometimes better to use less than more. An oil mister is a bottle with a pump that allows you to add just the right amount of oil to your pans and your foods.

Mandolin

Cutting vegetables can be a tiresome task, especially if want the slices to be thin. A mandolin does the job quickly and efficiently, and some models have a julienne attachment. When choosing a mandolin, ensure that the slicing plate can be removed for cleaning, and there is a hand guard to protect you.

Double Mezzaluna

Herbs are important to every cook, and a double mezzaluna will help you prepare them in record time. The tool has double curved blades that are connected by a handle on each end and comes with a special indented cutting board. You place the herbs on the board and rock the mezzaluna to chop them up. This is more efficient than using a chef’s knife.

Microplane

This is one of the most useful tools you can have in your kitchen. You can fine grate cheese and garlic and also zest citrus with a microplane. When deciding on a model, choose one that comes with a storage cover.

Baking Mats

Baking mats are made out of a silicone material that provides even heating and prevents sticking and burning. You can use them for almost anything that you put in the oven, and they will fit any standard-size baking sheet. Baking mats also work wonderfully for rolling out dough.

Garlic Peeler

Peeling garlic takes a great deal of time, and a peeler will make this task easier for you. The gadget is a silicone tube that removes the skin from the clove while crushing it. This peeler is essential if you enjoy the taste of garlic recipes but do not want to spend large amounts of time in the kitchen.

Anti-Fatigue Mat

This is not technically a gadget or a tool, but it will help you with your cooking by reducing the fatigue that often occurs from standing for long periods of time. Your legs and joints become tired because the weight is not distributed evenly. An anti-fatigue mat corrects this by providing even distribution through the use of a foam interior with thick rubber. The mat can even be an accent piece in your kitchen.

Whether you are a professional chef or just someone who enjoys cooking, adding the above tools will bring more joy to the experience.


How To Buy Your First Paintball Marker


After winning many paintball games, you feel that now is the time for you to buy personalized markers. Since you have used different markers throughout your playing career, they seem too mundane. Different markers prevent your from taking your game play to another level.

If it’ll be the first time for you to buy paintball markers, follow the following guidelines to make sure that you don’t make any rookie mistakes.

1. Have a Budget

Before you make the purchase, create a budget and stick to it. The market is flooded with markers of different prices, and you can get easily confused if you don’t control your spending – some sell for as little as $40, while others go for more than $1000. Do your research and find out which markers are highly recommended, then write down their prices. Then, come up with a budget based on these prices.

2. Know Your Style of Play

Are you a risk taker or someone that prefers to take their time when playing paintball? If you love to charge into the battlefield, look for a marker with a fast shooting speed since it will help you hit the target before they get to you. Alternatively, if you are a ‘slow player’ search for a marker with high accuracy so that you can hit your target from any position.

3. Location

Before you purchase your first paintball marker, know where you’ll use it. If you frequent a paintball site with strict guidelines on the markers used, it is wise that you check in with them before buying the product. Doing so allows you to use your marker without any restrictions. Furthermore, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a marker, only to leave it at home when you go to the paintball site.

4. Filling Your Paintball Tank

Not all paintball markers are filled up in the same way. There two main ways to fill up your markers: through compressed air or carbon-dioxide (CO2). Luckily, your local paintball site can fill up your marker without any problems. Therefore, before you make the purchase, find out whether your site uses compressed air or CO2 for its markers. If you don’t do so, you might end up with a marker that you can’t fill up because there’s no one to do it for you.

5. Marker, Balls or Both

Depending on your budget, you can decide to buy the marker plus the balls or by itself. It’s not surprising that the marker plus balls sells at a discount, and it can be to your advantage. Such a purchase will help you avoid extra ball fees at the paintball site. However, if it doesn’t fit with your budget, avoid taking the entire package.

6. Maintenance Costs

An important thing to know before buying the marker is that it’ll break at one point and you have to be ready to fix it when that happens. For example, find out how much it would cost to replace your marker’s air hose in case it spoils. There’s no point in buying an expensive paintball gun, only to have it cost more to fix. Buy something that can accept parts from different manufacturers to lower your maintenance costs.

7. Accessories

Find out whether the marker you choose needs additional equipment to function properly. For example, some paintball guns need regulators to work better. Others, like electro-pneumatic, need electronic hoppers instead of gravity fed hoppers. Therefore, choose your gun wisely.

8. Shop Visit and Product Testing

Once you have identified the type of paintball marker that you want, go to the seller’s premises and check out the item. Hold the gun and have a feel. Is it light or heavy when fully loaded? Some people like their markers light because that makes it easy to handle. Others like their markers heavy out of personal taste. Have a feel and discover your preference.

9. Make the Purchase

Once you are satisfied with the how the marker feels and functions, you can buy it. Find out if there are any special offers on the product, for example, warranties and free servicing for the first year.

Since buying your first paintball marker is important for your gaming needs, you have to do it right. Talk to an expert if you feel stuck at any point during your decision making.