Kitchen Accessories

The best sifter for powdered sugar is the 9″ Large Fine Mesh Strainer from Yummy Kitchenware

• Fine mesh
• Ergonomic handle
• Rounded edge – prevents food from being trapped
• Made with a hook opposite the end of the handle – sifter can be placed on top of a bowl to rest
• Dishwasher safe

What is a sifter used for

A sifter is used for breaking up lumps of food into smaller pieces. A sifter has a mesh basket that you can place food into. By gently tapping the side of the mesh basket, the broken up lumps of food will fall through the mesh creating smaller pieces. A fine mesh sifter will make the food into a powder. Powdered sugar is frequently used to top desserts to give it a finishing touch using a fine mesh sifter.

Why do you have to sift powdered sugar

Powdered sugar is an ingredient that ends up turning into clumped balls of sugar. This will not be evenly distributed sugar throughout your recipe. Make sure to sift your powdered sugar, then measure out your amount and add it to your recipe. Any excess sifted powdered sugar can be placed back into its container to reuse in the future. Learn how to dust powdered sugar on your favorite desserts.

What does it mean when a recipe calls for sifted flour

When a recipe calls for sifted flour, it’s asking you to first sift enough flour for your recipe into a bowl. Take your measuring cups and gently spoon the sifted flour into your measuring cups. Level off the excess of sifted flour using a flat surface, like the back of a knife. Once you’ve sifted and measured your flour, you can place it into your recipe.

Recipes that ask for sifted ingredients are measured after you have sifted them. You always need to measure your ingredients after you have sifted them because if you don’t, you’ll have measured too much more your recipe. Sifting your ingredients adds air to the food. Sifting makes food light and fluffy, not packed and dense. When you sift a food this increases the surface area of the food, giving it a lighter feel to it. Be careful spooning, measuring, and leveling off your freshly sifted ingredients. Keep all of the air by gently measuring your sifted ingredient.

What is the meaning of pre-sifted flour

Pre-sifted flour has already been sifted before packaging. By pre-sifting flour, this makes the manufacturer be able to put less flour into their package since the flour is not packed densely into the packaging. 

Do you have to sift pre-sifted ingredients

If you’ve purchased pre-sifted ingredients, you still need to sift your ingredient again for your recipe. Once the ingredient has been sitting for awhile, or moved in transit, it’s likely the food has become dense and clumped. Use your sifter to sift your ingredient, and then measure for your recipe is best practice.

Can you use a flour sifter for powdered sugar

Yes. You can use the same flour sifter as you do for your powdered sugar.

How to measure powdered sugar

You can measure powdered sugar by measuring it after sifting. Spoon the powdered sugar and place it into a measuring cup. Level off the excess powdered sugar by using a flat surface (back of a knife) to push off the excess powdered sugar.

You can measure powdered sugar by measuring it by weight. After you have sifted your powdered sugar, you can spoon it into a bowl on a kitchen scale to measure it’s weight for your recipe.

Are stainless steel or glass mixing bowls better

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls	Glass Mixing Bowls
Transfers temperature to food - best for whipping stiff peaks	Tolerates high heat
Hand washing recommended	Dishwasher safe
No acidic foods	Acidic foods ok`
Light	Heavy
Scratches and dents possible	Chipping possible

Temperature

Glass mixing bowls can tolerate high heat, and can be used with acidic foods. Glass mixing bowls can be used in the microwave, unlike stainless steel mixing bowls. This makes baking easier when you need to start your recipe with melted butter. It saves you a step having to get a new bowl out to microwave butter, and then having to place it in your stainless steel mixing bowl.

Glass such as Pyrex are made of borosilicate glass. The makeup of borosilicate glass allows it to resist stresses like thermal shock or thermal expansion. This type of glass is also used by labs and household cookware since it will tolerate high heats without cracking.

Stainless steel mixing bowls are able to transfer their temperature to the food they are carrying better than glass. When mixing foods that are cold such as egg whites or whipping cream, a stainless steel bowl is preferred. The bowl will become the same temperature as the food and will hold the temperature, allowing the food to be whipped to stiff peaks better than a glass bowl. 

Dishwasher Safe

Stainless steel mixing bowls are dishwasher safe, but it is recommended that they are hand washed to prolong the life of the bowl. Glass bowls are easily washed in a dishwasher, with no need to hand wash them.

Damage

Stainless steel does have a tendency to get scratches and dents, whereas glass mixing bowls can get chips in them over time. Be sure to monitor your glass mixing bowl before using it to ensure it’s free of any chips before using it.

Stainless steel mixing bowls are resistant to stains and can be used for everyday use, not just with your stand mixer. 

Heavy vs Light

Stainless steel mixing bowls are light and can be easily placed onto your stand mixer.  Glass mixing bowls are much heavier, and will ensure your stand mixer remains in place. If you are using your stainless mixing bowl and vigorously mixing, it has the potential to be unsteady on your countertop.

Bonus Uses

Stainless steel bowls are preferred when using a double boiler as well. The high heat from the steam created by the boiling water will transfer to the stainless steel bowl. Stainless steel is a low conductor of heat which is ideal for making custard. The slowly heated bowl does not overcook the eggs needed for custard, making it the perfect choice for a double boiler.

Glass mixing bowls can be used for mixing other baked goods, and not just for your stand mixer. Glass mixing bowls come in handy when making dips and sauces.

When not to use metal mixing bowls

Do not use metal mixing bowls for foods that are high in acidic. Do not use metal mixing bowls for citrus, tomatoes, apricots, rhubarb, or vinegar. It’s best to use a glass or ceramic mixing bowl when baking rhubarb crisp, apricot pies, or lemon tarts.

Mixing bowls with measurements inside

You can find glass mixing bowls with measurements you can easily ready from the inside. Since glass is transparent, you can read the measurement markings on the outside as well.

Glass mixing bowls with measurements on the outside are difficult to find. If you’re lucky you can find one with a lid that fits on top.

Glass mixing bowls and Stainless steeling mixing bowls have their place in the kitchen. Depending on what you plan on baking with your mixing bowls, you could select either one. Stainless has more drawbacks when it comes to foods you can use in your mixing bowl. But stainless steel is a necessity when whipping cream or egg whites. Glass mixing bowls can be used with any type of food, but will struggle when using it for whipping egg whites or whipping cream. Glass mixing bowls are versatile and heavy duty for your every day use.

What is the best piping bag to use?

The best piping bag to use is the DayMark PipingPal Disposable Pastry Bag.

• Heavy duty – will not split, even with thick mixtures
• Surface prevents slipping and folding over. Maintains its upright shape
• Fits both tips and couplers
• Dispenser for easy access
• 45 degree angle – ideal for piping decorations
• Sizes = 12’’, 18’’, 21’’
• Disposable bags, no risk of contamination with washing reusable bags

How do you choose the size of a piping bag?

Select your piping bag based on how large your recipe is. There are 12″-21″ piping bag sizes.

Usually for icing a dozen cupcakes you can go with the 12″ bags.

For macarons, you should be using a 21″ sized piping bag. This gives lots of room for twisting the bag and control with your fingers to pipe the macarons effectively.

How do you fill a piping bag without making a mess?

1. Get a tall, wide glass and set it out with plenty of room around it.
2. Place the piping tip into the bag.
3. Twist the end of the tip and a few inches of bag and tuck it into the glass. This is to make sure the mixture does not go to the end of the tip yet.
4. Fold the edges of the bag over the glass.
5. Fill the piping bag.
6. Twist the piping bag to seal it closed.
7. Take the piping bag out of the glass and hold it sideways.
8. Cut the piping bag roughly in the middle of the metal tip so that the tips edges have no bag around it.
9. Pipe the first bit of batter out to get any air out.
10. Pipe your mixture.

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Should frosting be cold before piping?

Frosting should be room temperature when piping. This will make it more malleable and able to be manipulated easier than if it was cold.

How do you get air bubbles out of a piping bag?

• run your fingers up the sides of the bag where the air bubbles are
• twist the bag until almost closed
• run your fingers up the sides again to remove the air bubbles
• pipe the first couple centimetres of your mixture onto a plate to make sure all the air bubbles have been removed

How do you seal a piping bag?

Twist the top of the piping bag to seal the piping bag.

Can you use a piping bag with store bought frosting

Yes. You can use a piping bag with store bought frosting. Store bought frosting is usually quite dense and thick, so pick a piping bag that is strong and durable enough that won’t break.

Are reusable silicone piping bags good to use?

• no risk of breaking or bursting
• rough exterior for easy gripping and piping – no-slip material
• smooth inner surface for icing to glide out of
• environmentally friendly
• use warm or cold mixtures in them

They are not dishwasher safe. You have to clean them by hand, which can be quite time consuming.

What can you use instead of a piping bag

Instead of a piping bag, you can use a resealable plastic bag for piping. Cut the tip of the bag small-large hole depending on how thick you want your icing to come out. Sometimes resealable bags are more difficult to keep closed and the icing can spill out the top of them.

How do you use a piping bag with a ziplock bag

1. Place ziplock bag at an angle in a glass.
2. Fold the edges of the bag over the glass
3. Fill the ziplock bag with your mixture to pipe.
4. Close the ziplock bag, make sure to try to get all of the air out of it.
5. Take the bag out of the glass and hold it horizontally.
6. Cut the tip small – large depending on how thick you want the icing to come out.
7. Pipe.

Do you need a piping bag for macarons

Ideally yes. It makes the macarons easier to pipe uniform circles with less jagged edges from a cut bag.

How to Pipe Macarons Without a Tip

Cut the bag to give it a 1/2” large hole. Best to cut smaller hole than a larger hole as you can always cut a larger hole if needed.

How Long can Macaron Batter Sit Before Piping

You can let macaron batter sit for 30 min – 1 hour before piping the batter. Keep the batter at room temperature before piping out.

What is the Best Piping Bag for Macarons

The best piping bag for macarons is the DayMark 21” PipingPal Disposable Pastry Bag. You want the largest, strongest piping bag you can get for macarons.

The batter is very thick, and there is a ton of batter. You don’t want to over-mix the batter when you are placing it into the bag.

Placing the macaron batter into the bag only once will give it the best chance of turning out. You don’t want to be refilling the bag as this may cause the macarons not to turn out from over-mixing.

How to Pipe Macarons

1. Get a tall, wide glass and set it out with plenty of room around it.
2. Place a 1/2″ piping tip into the bag.
3. Twist the end of the tip and a few inches of bag and tuck it into the glass. This is to make sure the mixture does not go to the end of the tip yet.
4. Fold the edges of the bag over the glass.
5. Fill the piping bag with macaron batter.
6. Twist the piping bag to seal it closed.
7. Take the piping bag out of the glass and hold it sideways.
8. Cut the piping bag roughly in the middle of the metal tip so that the tips edges have no bag around it.
9. Pipe the first bit of batter out to get any air out.
10. Pipe the macarons onto a 1.5″ template. Pipe the macarons by holding the top of the bag and squeezing the batter with your fingers that are holding the seal at the top of the bag. Pipe holding the bag straight up. When you’re wanting to move on to the next macaron, make a U to smear the tip on the top of the macaron. This will create less peaks and valleys for you to bang out later. Leave a few inches before piping the next macaron. Add any sprinkles or cookie crumbs. Then, let them sit for 30 min before baking.

Blanco Silgranit vs Kraus Granite Sinks

Type of Sink	Blanco Precis Silgranit Sink	Kraus Undermount Granite Single Basin Kitchen Sink
Heat Resistance	Heat resistant up to 536° F	Heat resistant up to 650° F
Pros	Huge selection of different colors and styles	UV protection to keep the colour strong after being subjected to sunlight
Cons	Possibility for stains in lighter colors	Limited Colours available
Rating	5/5	5/5

Blanco and Kraus create premium top of the line granite kitchen sinks.

Granite sinks are one of the newest trends for kitchen renovations.

Why pick a granite kitchen sink

• Sleek, stylish and modern look
• Undermount- seamless clean lines
• Deeper bowl than stainless steel, making it easy to clean large items like baking pans and roasting pans
• More color choices than plain stainless steel
• Stainless steel sinks acquire scratches over time, granite sinks remain smooth
• Upscale and high grade choice over stainless steel

Why choose a Blanco Silgranit sink

Blanco has perfected their silgranit sinks with over the course of the last 30 years.

Blanco sinks come with a lifetime warranty which shows their longevity and durability for your everyday needs.

• Resists scratches
• Repels stains
• Withstands high heat
• Stands up to heavy items being dropped into the sink

Blanco silgranit sinks are durable and hold up well when exposed to high heat.

No need to worry about pouring hot pasta water into the sink. It will not burn the surface or change it in any way. The color will hold up and the surface left unchanged.

• Heat resistant up to 536° F 

What are silgranit sinks made of

• They are made with acrylic, pigments (color), and granite.

How to clean a blanco silgranit sink

• Use a little baking soda and water with a cloth and wipe clean

When cleaning your sink, usually just rinsing it down with water will do the trick.

Baking soda and water is only for more of a deep cleaning routine.

Silgranit Sink Colors

Styles of Sink Blanco Silgranit

• farmhouse
• sinks with drainboards built in
• cascading divide in the sink
• long sinks for your custom kitchen needs
• laundry room sinks
• low divide sinks
• round sinks
• smaller sinks for a petite kitchen
• double bowl sinks
• bar sinks

We purchased an Anthracite Blanco silgranit sink for our kitchen renovation. We’ve had our Blanco black granite sink for over a year already and we absolutely love it.

Our sink is in pristine condition, and still does not have a single scratch or dent in it even after a year of use.

Blanco silgranit sinks are the best choice for your new kitchen if you’re looking for more or a variety of colors and styles. Blanco silgranit sinks are budget friendly, and will last you the life of your kitchen.

Why choose a Kraus Granite sink

Kraus granite sinks are one of the top of the line sinks on the market. If you want a luxurious sink handcrafted in Italy for your new kitchen, a Kraus granite sink is the way to go.

It comes with a lifetime warranty so you can be sure of it’s strength, and resilience over the lifetime of your kitchen.

• UV protection to keep the color strong after being subjected to sunlight
• resists stains and scratches
• absorbs sound- making it much more quiet
• holds up to extreme temperature changes

Kraus granite sinks have a higher heat resistance temperature than Blanco Silgranit.

• Heat resistant up to 650° F

What are Kraus granite sinks made of

• granite and ceramic nanoparticles

Some of the Kraus granite sinks have a ledge on the outside ring of the sink. The ledge holds a custom cutting board for your prepping needs! This saves you some of your precious counter space.

The drain is positioned in a way that completely drains the sink dry. Their sinks are made of a non-porous material which makes them easy to wipe clean!

How do you clean a Kraus granite sink

• Use soap and water and wipe clean with a cloth

What colors do Kraus granite sinks come in

• grey
• black
• charcoal
• brown
• white

What style of sinks do Kraus granite sinks come in

• farmhouse with cutting board area
• single bowl with cutting board area
• double bowl sinks
• low divide double bowl sinks
• long kitchen sink

Blanco vs Kraus Granite Sinks

Kraus granite sinks are the top of the line sinks when it comes to reliability and strength for your new kitchen. Although, there aren’t as many different sinks to choose from or as many colors as Blanco.

However, Kraus withstands higher heat temperatures than Blanco Silgranit sinks. Kraus has taken functionality to heart with its added cutting board capabilities to most of their granite sinks.

Depending on your needs for your new kitchen, if you can find a size and color of sink you like, Kraus is the best way to go. If you’re looking for a different color and more of a variety with styles, you’re best to go with Blanco.

The best quality candy thermometer is the OXO Good Grips Glass Candy Thermometer.

I started making caramel for an Almond Roca recipe years ago. But, it never quite came out how I wanted it to. It was delicious, but it was just too soft. The consistency wasn’t quite right. 

This year, I decided I was going to try out using my new candy thermometer for my caramel sauce to make my almond roca recipe. Maybe they would actually turn out!

I asked my husband to purchase the best candy thermometer for caramel for me.

He got me the OXO Good Grips Glass Candy Thermometer.

When I went to use it, I realized that the bulb didn’t go all the way to the bottom of the pot. But of course, you don’t actually want the bulb to be touching the bottom of the pan. This can cause the bulb to shatter.

So the OXO thermometer he got me, sits a few centimeters above the pot using the adjustable clip. 

When I was making my caramel sauce the bulb was above the level of liquid in the sauce pan so I wasn’t sure how it was going to work.

I started mixing my ingredients, and then I realized that I could just stir the pot and push the caramel sauce over the bulb so I could get an accurate measurement of the temperature.

Therefore, even though it’s large, it’s the best candy thermometer for small batches. 

When I was done making my caramel sauce I watched the Mercury come to an even 300 degrees Farenheight and I poured the caramel sauce into the baking pan. I added the chopped up almonds to it, and then I spread the melted chocolate over the caramel and sprinkled the rest of the chopped almonds to the topping and let it cool. 

Finally, I had made the most incredible Almond Roca. I had no idea that I really needed a candy thermometer to make the Almond Roca that I’ve been dreaming about for years. I always purchased my almond roca at local Christmas markets because it’s my absolute favourite!! Now, I can officially make as much as I want to at home!

I’m an avid baker, and I have tried making macarons, but they never turned out the way I had seen them in pastry shops.

When I took a class making macarons in Vancouver they showed me that when making the sugar sauce for the Italian meringue, it needs to be an even 115 degree Celsius. 

I decided to try out the candy thermometer again. I always had issues making macarons in the past, but I was using the French style recipe. By using the Italian style recipe, the meringue is much more stable so it’s easier to get them to turn out how you like. 

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I started making the sugar sauce and I watched the Mercury climb up to an even 115 degrees Celsius. I poured the sugar sauce down the side of the metal mixing bowl with my egg whites. I folded the meringue into the almond mixture and finished off making my macarons, patiently waiting to see how they would turn out. I wondered if this was really going to make the difference between them actually turning out. I put them in the oven and baked them for 12 minutes. 

I pulled them out of the oven when they were finished, and there it was, my first batch of perfect macarons. I was so proud. I was so grateful to have my new candy thermometer. 

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This candy thermometer has been so easy to use, it handles high temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

It has stages on the thermometer of hard-crack, giving you an idea of how hard you want your candy to be.

I prefer this candy thermometer over a digital one because there is no battery to change, no risk of the display becoming black at high temperatures, and I find it just as easy to read the temperature.

When we were reading up about candy thermometers I thought for sure a digital thermometer would be the easiest. 

I started reading up on the CDN digital candy thermometer 

You can easily program it to an exact degree. It will alarm at specific points during the key temperature stages when making candy.   

It’s approximately 8 1/4″ tall, much smaller than the OXO Candy Thermometer.

However, most people who have used this thermometer find that it doesn’t last very long. Some people have said that it only lasted them 3-30 uses, and then it just stops working. The screen will go black when it’s used at high temperatures. The clip for the gauge can break off and then you have to hold the thermometer by hand to take the temperature of your candy.

It doesn’t seem like digital thermometers have come very far in terms of longevity, or durability.

The tried and true older style thermometers are a better bet for your candy making needs long term. They are easy to clean, simple to use, and give accurate readings.

The OXO Good Grips Glass Candy Thermometer is the best quality candy thermometer for your baking needs.

Blanco Silgranit sinks are known for being sleek, stylish, and classy. Your kitchen sink is going to be one of the drawing points in your new kitchen.

You want to be sure you’re picking our a quality sink that is going to last you for years to come.

So how do they measure up?

The Blanco Silgranit sink has a non-porous surface which is anti-bacterial. Food will not be absorbed into the material and begin to smell. You can leave dishes to sit in the sink safely and do them at your leisure without worrying about if you’re damaging your sink.

The surface of the sink prevents pots and pans from clanging. You can be assured that this sink won’t be too loud from dropping things in the sink. 

Do Blanco sinks chip

• Blanco sinks are durable and can withstand having sharp objects dropped in them. They resist chipping, but it can happen over time.

Do Blanco Silgranit sinks stain

• The Blanco Silgranit sink is resistant to stains.

Do Blanco sinks scratch

• The Blanco Silgranit sink is resistant to scratches.

Blanco Silgranit Sink Colors

Blanco offers a diverse array of colors for granite sinks when compared to other top sink brands.

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When we were renovating our kitchen we went through a lot of research and took the time to figure out which brands are the most durable, and which ones are going to last us a long time. 

Our cabinets and counter-tops gave our kitchen a modern look to it. There’s a luxurious feel to it when you walk in the room. The sink we selected had to match this. Therefore, we wanted to go with a higher quality sink.

When we met with our designer she recommended a Blanco Silgranit sink.

One thing I noticed when I came across in my research was that some sinks can crack when high temperature foods are poured into the sink like pouring hot water after making pasta.

The Blanco Silgranit sink is heat resistant up to 536° F.

After visiting a few different stores and feeling the quality of each granite sink I could see that Blanco was the best choice for us.

It took me by surprise how beautiful and modern the sink looked in person.

Types of Blanco Silgranit Sinks

Blanco has a huge selection of different types of sinks:

• farmhouse
• sinks with drainboards built in
• cascading divide in the sink
• long sinks for your custom kitchen needs
• laundry room sinks
• low divide sinks
• round sinks
• smaller sinks for a petite kitchen
• double bowl sinks
• bar sinks

We decided on the Blanco Silgranit single bowl kitchen sink in Anthracite.

I love the look of the single bowl sinks that are undermounted. The sink and counter-top have clean lines which looks more aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Not only that, I can clean the counter and push all the food scraps into the sink when cleaning up after a meal making it easy to clean the counter. 

How deep is the Blanco Silgranit sink?

• Bowl depth: 8 5⁄8”

Since the bowl is so much deeper than I was used to, I didn’t realize how many dishes I was going to be able to soak in the sink. 

I can soak some dishes while I’m washing other ones at the same time! This makes clean up much quicker than I anticipated.  

We haven’t had a dishwasher in about 5 weeks so this was a game-changer for me!! 

Another benefit to having such a deep sink…. You can place a few dirty dishes in the sink to be cleaned later and you don’t see them. I can be at my stove cooking away and I don’t see any dishes in my sink, making me feel more calm and relaxed since they are out of sight and out of mind. 

One of my favourite things to do in my spare time is making baked goods. I decided to try my hand at making macarons after taking a class locally to see how I would do at making them. 

After I was done making macarons about 4 hours later I was cleaning the baking pan and I put it right into the sink. What shocked me is the whole pan fit into the sink and I still had room for other dishes as well. I was able to clean the pan and rinse it off so easily that it seems like doing dishes takes a lot less time for me now.  

I never thought that getting a new sink would allow me to do dishes in less time but here we are. 

When I drained the sink for the first time I noticed was that it drains the sink completely dry. There isn’t a pool of water waiting at the bottom of the sink. It self cleans by draining itself dry so you can leave the sink perfectly clean when you’re finished with it. 

With having new pipe under our sink, it can be drained in about 8 seconds depending on how deep you fill it.

When you do your kitchen renovation you want everything to be perfect, you want everything to go well, and you want to know that you made the right choice. 

One thing I know for sure, is I know I made the right choice picking the Blanco Silgranit sink. It fits so well into our modern kitchen and I can’t imagine picking another one. 

It’s just perfect for our life.