Stainless Steel vs Glass Mixing Bowls

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Are stainless steel or glass mixing bowls better

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Glass Mixing Bowls
Transfers temperature to food - best for whipping stiff peaksTolerates high heat
Hand washing recommendedDishwasher safe
No acidic foodsAcidic foods ok`
LightHeavy
Scratches and dents possibleChipping 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.

Best Piping Bag to Use

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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
best piping bag

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.

best piping bag to use for cupcakes

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.

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.

best piping bag to use

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.

bear macaron batter how to pipe

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.

Best 9 Bar Coffee Machine

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

9 bar is the gold standard set by Italian Institute of Espresso.

The best 9 bar coffee machine is the Rancilio Silvia coffee maker.

The pressure is set at 12 bars when it is shipped to you. But sometimes it does only brew as a 9 bar, depending on pressure and how much water is flowing.

It brews as one of the best 9 bar coffee machine with a little practice. See our espresso troubleshooting guide if you need help.

Why is the Rancilio Silvia the best 9 bar coffee machine

Rancilio Silvia produces espresso that is:

  • hazel to dark brown foam (see video of Rancilio Silvia brewing espresso below)
  • smooth texture
  • floral aroma mixed with toasted bread/chocolate notes as it brews

The Rancilio Silvia is only manufactured in Italy. They test every machine to make sure it’s working perfectly before they send them out. It might even come with a few granules of coffee on it when you get it.

The compartments are made so that any part can be replaced or fixed if needed.

They want you to have this machine for a long time, it’s built to last. 

You can expect to have this 9 bar coffee maker for over a decade.

How do you get the best espresso crema

  • brew using a double filter basket to pull 2 shots at once
  • use a bottomless filter basket
  • freshly roasted coffee beans
  • measure dose of coffee before brewing
espresso brewing

What is the maintenance on a Rancilio Silvia

There are only 2 maintenance procedures that need to be done on a regular basis:

  1. Backflushing (recommended 1 x week) 
  2. Changing the rubber gasket/cleaning screen (1x year)

When the coffee starts tasting not as good as it usually does, you should clean the screen. The screen will get built up with coffee over time, use a bit of cleaning detergent and a toothbrush to make it shiny and new. This will give you the aromatic flavor from your Italian coffee maker that you love!

I purchased my own Rancilio Silvia in November 2012 and I absolutely love it. I had never owned a coffee maker before this so it was a steep learning curve. Watching videos and practicing daily made me be able to improve my skills and pull delicious crema for my morning coffee.

See video here.

What’s the difference between 15 bar and 9 bar espresso

The best extraction for espresso is between 8-10 bars. This is dependent on your espresso machine, type of espresso beans, grind, water temperature and tamping pressure. Fine tune what works best for you, but 9 bar espresso is the Italian standard and won’t make too much of a difference at 15 bar.

coffee-made-by-rancilio-silvia

Best Almond Flour Sifter for Macarons

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Macarons have a smooth outer shell that are chewy and melt in your mouth when you bite into them.

Almond flour is a clumpy flour that needs to be sifted in order to create a smooth macaron batter.

macaron before baking

The best almond flour sifter to use for macarons is the ExcelSteel Heavy Mesh Colander.

  • Medium sized mesh – sifts almond flour fast (see video below)
  • Sift enough almond flour in less than a minute for 1 batch of macarons
  • Creates velvety smooth macaron shells

See video here.

how does a sifter work with almond flour

Sifting with a heavy mesh colander will make it a lot easier to break up the clumps of almond flour.

Otherwise, you’ll spend hours sifting almond flour just to make a couple of batches of macarons.

Your hands will get tired and frustrated because you won’t be able to get all of your almond flour sifted.

When you don’t sift your almond flour for your macarons, the shell will be lumpy and will not turn out.

When baking macarons, the almond flour is crumbly and clumpy.

If your almond flour is too clumpy, you can blend it in a food processor for a couple of minutes until it’s a bit finer of a grind. This will make it much faster to sift the almond flour.

Best Almond Flour Sifter for Macarons

Another option is to try selecting an almond flour that has been sifted or is labelled superfine for your macarons.

Be sure to sift the almond flour again when you go to make macarons, just in case they clump up again by the time you use them.

You can also sift your icing sugar with the same sifter.

Best Almond Flour Sifter for baking Macarons

Icing sugar clumps up into balls of icing sugar. You want your icing sugar to be like powder, aerated, and feel like dust when you mix your macaron batter together.

The ExcelSteel Heavy Mesh Colander is built keeping in mind best practices for ergonomics. If you’re someone who bakes a lot of macarons, this is the sifter you’ll want to save your hands.

  • Handles on both sides – easy to hold steady while sifting
  • Ergonomically friendly
  • Made so it can rest on the top of a bowl
  • Stainless steel – strong, resists wear and tear, dishwasher safe
How to Sift Almond Flour Faster

Are there other reasons to use a sifter

A sifter increases the surface area available for mixing to the liquid ingredients. This means the ingredients will be more evenly spread throughout the mixing process, creating a balance of flavors and textures.

cookies and cream icing recipe

What is a sifter used for

A sifter is a kitchen accessory that usually has a handle and metal basket. The basket has metal criss crosses creating a bowl shape that allows small pieces of food to pass through.

This breaks up chunks of food into tiny pieces.

The process of sifting adds air and lightens the food (flour, icing sugar).

This is especially important when making a cake. This allows the cake to cook with small air bubbles throughout the cake. The cake has a bouncy feeling when you push your finger into it. You can feel and taste the difference of a cake that has had the flour sifted.

When do you measure your ingredients, before or after sifting

Measure your ingredients for baking always after sifting. Sifting aerates the food, making it lighter. If you measure beforehand, you could be putting too much of the ingredient in your recipe.

Why do you measure your ingredients after sifting

This is the accurate measurement. Spoon the sifted ingredients into a bowl on your scale to get the weighted measurement. 

Even when baking a cake where you are using your measuring cups, you need to spoon the sifted ingredients into your measuring cup. Then level off the excess with the back of a knife (flat edge). This way, you will not be packing your flour into the cup and may inadvertently over-measure the amount of flour and then have your recipe not turn out how you want it to. Too much flour or not aerating your flour will result in a dense cake which will be difficult to chew. It wont give you that light, spongy texture that you picture when you’re eating cake. 

How much should you sift at once

  • Only ⅓-½ full basket

Otherwise, your flour or icing sugar will go over the sides and make a huge mess. 

How do you use a sifter

  1. Fill your basket ⅓ – ½ full of your first ingredient.
  2. Move the sifter side to side using your hands.
  3. Tap the edge of the sifter gently to let the food fall into the bowl.
  4. For excess food that isn’t coming through the sifter – the dregs of the last bit – discard this. Don’t try to force it through.
  5. Spoon and measure your ingredient – either with a scale, or with a measuring cup and level off with a knife. 
best almond flour sifter for macarons

How to clean a sifter

  • Bang the excess into a sink or into the garbage can
  • If it’s very dirty, wash it with soap and water. Allow to dry fully before using. Never use a sifter when it’s still wet.

Tips

  • Only sift and measure one ingredient at a time
  • Use your sifter over a larger bowl than you think you need
  • Don’t overfill the sifter – this will take more time than if you only sift a little at a time
  • Use a spoon to gently measure out your sifted ingredient

Think about your own ergonomics when selecting a sifter

  • Do you want an extending handle
  • Do you want handles on the side
  • How big are the holes for what you’re sifting – do you need small or large holes
  • How large of a sifter do you want
  • The larger the sifter, the bigger the bowl needed to catch the sifted food
How to Sift Almond Flour Faster

What foods can you use with a sifter

  • Flour (almond flour, all purpose flour, bread flour)
  • Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
  • Cocoa powder

A sifter is one of the tools you need in the kitchen at certain times – making a cake, macarons, etc. Select a sifter for your kitchen that you know will work for the desserts you will be baking, and that will last a long time. You will have your sifter for years to come.

Blanco vs Kraus Granite Sinks

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Blanco Silgranit vs Kraus Granite Sinks

Type of SinkBlanco Precis Silgranit SinkKraus Undermount Granite Single Basin Kitchen Sink
Heat ResistanceHeat resistant up to 536° F Heat resistant up to 650° F
ProsHuge selection of different colors and stylesUV protection to keep the colour strong after being subjected to sunlight
ConsPossibility for stains in lighter colorsLimited Colours available
Rating5/55/5

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 sink

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.

Best Italian Coffee Machine for Home

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I started my search for an espresso machine after I moved out. I had started having Starbucks a little too often for my wallet to handle, and I figured I would like to have coffee to wake up in the morning. I started researching Italian coffee machines for home use for 3 weeks straight, several hours a day. I was trying to find one that was going to last me a long time. 

Styles of espresso machines.

  • Automatic
  • Semi-automatic
  • Super-automatic

I wanted one that I could still steam the milk myself, and do the dosing/tamping myself (semi-automatic). I didn’t want to just push a button and have the coffee made for me (automatic).

How to learn how to make a latte at home

Here are a few videos to help you learn how to make a latte at home. Learn how to grind, tamp and steam milk.

I came across one machine that was a semi-automatic and it was more of a professional grade machine. It took some time for you to get the hang of it, but once you did could achieve quality coffee for years to come

I wanted an espresso machine that was going to last me awhile. I didn’t want to just buy the cheap one and throw it out in a year or two. 

The best Italian coffee machine for home use is the Rancilio Silvia.

It is only manufactured in Italy. They test every machine to make sure it’s working perfectly before they send them out. The compartments are made so that any part can be replaced or fixed if needed. They want you to have this machine for a long time, it’s built to last. 

I wanted a machine that I was going to have little maintenance to do on it. I’m not one for cleaning every little thing all of the time, so this was going to have to be something I could handle but not interfere with my busy life.

After thoroughly researching the Rancilio Silvia, I discovered there was only 2 maintenance procedures that needed to be done on a regular basis:

  1. Backflushing (recommended 1 x week) 
  2. Changing the rubber gasket/cleaning screen (1x year)

When the coffee starts tasting not as good as it usually does, you should clean the screen. This will give you the aromatic flavour from your italian coffee maker that you love!

I purchased my own Rancilio Silvia in November 2012 and I absolutely love it. I had never owned a coffee maker before this so it was a steep learning curve. Watching videos and practicing daily made me be able to improve my skills and pull delicious crema for my morning coffee.

pulling espresso shot

I’m so glad I put in the time and effort to learn this machine because looking back, I never knew I was going to have this machine for years to come. 

I visited my aunt at her house 6 months after purchasing my espresso maker and I noticed that she had the exact same machine and grinder I did!! (Rocky grinder)

I had no idea she had the same one! She told me how her brother had owned the same machine as her for longer than her. My aunt at the time had already owned her Rancilio Silvia for 10 years. She still owns it today and loves it!

One thing that isn’t the greatest is that the drip tray is very short. You have to drain the tray every few days or it overflows. I try to do it every time I use the machine so I don’t have it overflow on me. I’ve had a huge mess to clean up when I’ve forgotten about it! 

One of my favourite desserts to make with my espresso machine is affogato.

homemade affogato
Homemade Affogato

Affogato is made with a couple scoops of ice cream, freshly brewed espresso and white chocolate shavings on top. It’s to die for!! 

Another dessert I like to make with my espresso machine is Espresso Ice Cream. It’s decadent and rich with flavor!

vegan espresso ice cream

I also love making iced coffee with my espresso machine. I typically add 4 pumps vanilla, 2 shots of espresso, ~6 ice cubes, and 1 cup of milk. Throw it all in a blender and enjoy your freshly made iced coffee! For an extra treat, put 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream or birthday cake ice cream for more of a creamy flavour. Yum!

If you’re looking for a new skill to learn and a coffee machine that will last you a long time, the best Italian coffee machine for home use is the Rancilio Silvia by far! You will love learning how to make coffee and maybe one day you’ll be able to create beautiful latte art with your milk steaming skills. I have not mastered this at all…. It’s been almost 8 years so maybe I’ll get there one day! 

Best Candy Thermometer

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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!

best candy thermometer

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. 

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. 

oxo candy thermometer

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. 

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.

Bread Maker Pizza Pretzels Recipe

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Bread maker pizza pretzels are lathered in pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese, and then baked in the oven until the cheese begins to bubble.

Bread machines can do much more than just bake loaves of bread.

You can use you bread machine to make pretzel bread dough, and then top your pretzels how you like them.

If you’re making regular pretzels, give them an egg wash with a bit of salt before baking them.

bread maker pizza pretzels recipe

For our bread machine pretzel bread we’ll be making pizza pretzels.

Pizza pretzels are topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Yum! You can also add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to the top of them as well if desired.

The key to making a delicious pizza pretzel is making sure to completely cover the pretzel in pizza sauce.

Cover the pizza pretzel right until the very edges of the pretzel, even let some of the sauce seep on to the parchment paper lined pan.

The pizza sauce helps retain the moisture of the pretzel, ensuring they are tasty, and not dry.

Bread maker pizza pretzels

Bread Maker Pizza Pretzels Recipe

How to use your bread maker to make pizza pretzel dough. Bake your pizza pretzels in the oven with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Prep Time30 minutes
Active Time15 minutes
Bread Maker Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Snack
Keyword: pretzel
Yield: 8 Pretzels

Equipment

  • bread maker
  • Oven

Materials

  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 7/8 cup water

Topping

  • 1/3 cup pizza sauce
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese grated

Instructions

  • Pour water into bread pan.
  • Place flour into bread pan covering all the water.
  • Add salt and sugar to bread pan.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour and put yeast into the well.
  • Select dough setting on bread machine.
  • Once dough is finished, preheat oven to 450˚F.
  • Separate dough into 8 even pieces.
  • Roll each dough into a long rope shape ~6” long.
  • Twist each dough into a knot shape. Place knots onto a baking sheet.
  • Brush each knot with pizza sauce. Cover the entire knot in pizza sauce, bringing the sauce right down to the bottom of each knot. If you don’t fully cover the knot this will result in a dry pizza pretzel.
  • Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese onto each knot.
  • Bake at 450˚F for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Blanco Silgranit Sink Review

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.
silgranit-sink

Blanco Silgranit Sink Colors

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

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.

silgranit-sink-with-white-quartz

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.

blanco silgranit sink

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.

blanco-silgranit-sink

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.