Rice Steamers for Easy Grain Cooking

Do you love rice and the other grains like quinoa and barley, even millet, as much as I do? Then you need an easy way to cook them. And have them come out right every time.

I was terrible at cooking rice and grains. Therefore I only bought the prepackaged, microwave or instant stuff. And rice was the only option going that way. The other grains weren't available in instants.

But, it was my sister who convinced me to get a rice steamer. Yes, I went kicking and screaming. Did I really need another small kitchen appliance? In this case, definitely. A rice steamer was an electrical gift from the heavens. At least as far as my grain cooking.

The best part is that you just set the timer, turn the thing on and forget it. When the rest of your dinner is ready, the rice or grain is too. And so perfect. I couldn't believe it.

My rice steamer turned out to pay for itself very quickly, too. I no longer bought those expensive instant rices. I started spending less on the food by getting the dried rice and grains. I could cook them easily and eat healthier. Yep, really. All of that from one small kitchen appliance - a rice steamer!

The Total Cost Factor for Small Kitchen Appliances

Alright, raise your hand if you like to waste money. Sure, I see no hands raised. Mine isn't either. But, I don't consider buying the right small kitchen appliances as a waste of money. Not when I make informed choices.

I'll grant you, I can spend lots of money on those nifty little devices that make cooking and food prep easier. But I can also save lots of money by using them. A nice way to offset the cost of buying them.

Let me give you an example. I discovered early on in my cooking years that I have a great ability to burn regular rice. I also discovered that my tries at making rice were getting expensive. Not only the cost of the rice itself, but also replacing the pans that got burned. So I skipped making traditional rice. Instead I avoided serving rice to my family or bought those expensive instant versions.

When I decided to try to eat much healthier, that meant more rice, and other grains, in my diet. Enter a rice steamer. I chose one that had the kinds of automatic settings for perfect rice every time. It wasn't cheap, but I saved much in the cost of the rice and other grains I cook in it.

Offset the cost of the rice, and the steamer itself is not very expensive. Plus, my whole family eats healthier. Less medical costs in the long run, too! I'm happier to cook, rather than eating out. Another way to offset the cost. My rice steamer is getting cheaper by the minute.

So take into consideration all the factors that will go into the cost of your small kitchen appliances. You may find they actually save you lots of money in the long run.

Easy Food Prep with Mini-Choppers

Since I started using a mini-chopper in my food preparations, cooking has become much less of a chore for me. I love the easy use and the easy clean up.

Well, I've never found cooking to be a fun event for me, so anything to make it easier is great in my book. That's what my mini-chopper is. Easy!

The chore of cutting up ingredients like vegetables, onions, even crushing nuts, was a big part of why I disliked cooking so much. That was hard to do and took too much time.

When I got a mini-chopper, my first one, things got a lot easier for me. I now have several and they seem to be in use daily for me. I chop up vegetables for salads and soups, I chop up fruits for muffins, and I crush nuts to go in breads, muffins, even brownies.

With a mini-chopper, the more you process the foods, the fine the crushing gets. So when I want to make up a salad, I just chop quickly. Then the ingredients are still in chunks. But when I want to add ground up ingredients to my breads, I can get that fine grinding with my mini-chopper.

This has been a real time-saver and finger-slicing saver for me. Mini-choppers aren't too expensive either so they make great gift ideas for anyone who cooks whether they like cooking or not.

Choosing the Best Bread Machines

Don't we all love fresh baked bread? Just the smell of bread baking in the kitchen can whet our appetites for that delicious taste. But, let's get real. Who wants to bake bread by hand? Certainly not me.

That's why I jumped at the chance to get a bread machine when they first arrived on the market. Since then, these delightful machines have come a long way. The improvements have been amazing.

Today's bread machines now do so many extras, lots more than just bake bread. But, the reality is, we still want them to make the best loaf of bread for us and our families.

For some of us, our own homemade bread takes the place of that store-bought stuff. For others, the bread is a supplement for special meals and occasions. Either way, you want a bread machine that will do just what you want it to.

Since there are so many different choices these days, you want to consider how you want to use your bread machine. How often do you want homemade bread? What extras do you want to use it for? What size loaf do you need? These things are all considerations you need to think about to choose the best bread machine.

If you haven't had a bread maker in the past, you may consider starting with a smaller, less expensive model. After you discover how easy it is to use and how much you enjoy bread making, you can then upgrade to a better model that will fit your needs better.

After years and years of using different bread machines, I have upgraded to the best one available. It's the Zojirushi Supreme Bread Maker. I have never been disappointed in this power workhorse of a machine. It's one of most expensive on the market, but I have found it to be worth every penny over the cheaper machines. You can get your own at Best Bread Machines for Every Day Use.