Kitchen

How to Elevate Your Cooking Experience with a Convection Oven

Why are Convection ovens becoming more and more popular with home cooks? Primarily because they’re faster, more efficient, and they make more delicious results than regular ovens. Even though a lot more homes have convection-capable ovens, many cooks still don’t know how to use them. So we’ve compiled some information that will help you feel confident using your convection oven. Understanding Your Convection Oven First, “convection” is a setting on your oven and your oven has a button that enables the convection feature.  Convection ovens can be gas or electric, so when the convection setting is off, you’ll experience all the advantages and disadvantages of cooking in those respective ovens. What happens when that convection setting is on? The oven uses fans to circulate hot air and cook food more rapidly than a traditional oven. Instead of relying on radiated heat from heating elements, a convection oven spreads the hot air so it envelopes food and cooks it from all sides. There are different types of convection: Convection and True Convection. Convection is your normal oven, but with an added fan on the back to circulate air. When shopping confirm that the oven has this third heating element around the fan. True Convection or ‘European convection,’ features a heating element behind the fan, allowing for better cooking results than standard convection.   Tips for getting more out of convection Adjust the Recipe Follow the rule of 25, when using True convection experts recommend adjusting any recipe in two ways.   1. Lower the oven’s temperature by about 25 degrees and 2. Expect the food to be ready about 25% faster than the recipe suggests, so reduce the cooking time by roughly 25%. Keep in mind variables such as initial oven temperature, quantity of the food, desired level of doneness, and oven model will all affect cooking time. Experiment with the temperature or cooking time, also start checking early and often until you get used to cooking the convection way. Air Supply To be effective air must circulate over and around the food when using your convection oven. Use trays and baking pans with lower sides that allow hot air to flow freely. You should place trays and pans in a way that they don’t hinder effective circulation. Use shallow roasting pans and rimless cookie sheets when possible. Try to keep a two-inch clearance on all sides. Do not cover the ovens shelves with aluminum foil. Avoid overcrowding the oven Remember, convection relies on air being able to circulate air, avoid overcrowding the oven and blocking the flow of air.  When you use multiple racks try not to fill the racks wall-to-wall and make sure you monitor the dishes for browning. When to Use the Convection Setting When you’re roasting Foods like meat and vegetables, convection immediately sears the food, locks in juices and continues to cook it faster, more evenly, and the drier environment yields crispy skin and caramelizes much better. When baking convection heat melts fat and forms steam quicker, which helps create more lift in pies and pastries. When baking a big batch of cookies, with convection you’re not limited to making one tray at a time.   When you’re toasting or dehydrating, convection is efficient at removing moisture as quickly as possible. When Not to Use the Convection Setting Not all foods are suited for convection cooking method. The fan disrupts delicate dishes that start out as batter and set while cooking like cakes, soufflés, breads, and custard. Blowing air on these foods can create lopsided results. Don’t use convection when making these foods: *While some argue that convection creates even browning and a great crust, others say that it dries out the interior of bread. The choice here is really up to you.

Bakers Edition: How to Create a Better Kitchen

Whether you’re whipping up a big batch of extra fudgy brownies for a school bake-sale or crafting a delicate three-tier Orange Cardamom Cake with Rose Buttercream for a special occasion, we have practical tips and advice for the ultimate kitchen layout, tools, and equipment so you can turn your kitchen into a bakers dream. Do you love to bake? Here are some great ways to make your kitchen work for you. Custom Counter Heights  Different tasks call for different countertop heights. Home cooks serious about baking may want to consider custom countertop heights to achieve the most comfortable height. A counter-height surface works fine when mixing or assembling recipes. For kneading or rolling out dough, most bakers prefer a lower surface to get the right amount of leverage. To achieve this, you can Install countertops at a custom height or lower a section of an island so it’s the right height.  For a simpler solution, stand on a step stool and use a counter or use a kitchen table to achieve the most comfortable height. Previous Next Turn to Your Pantry  Baking often requires lots of ingredients and bulky countertop equipment, so pantry organization is the key to maintain a pristine kitchen. Install pull-out and horizontal pantry drawers that help you easily access your baking supplies. If you have enough space, consider putting your baking station inside your pantry. Also consider extra shelving for mixer storage. Organizing the pantry into specific sections and using bins with airtight lids allow for easier access when you need the basics – flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, etc. Previous Next The Right Work Station  Granite and marble stay cool, making pastry dough easy to roll and clean up easily. Other baker-friendly countertops that can accommodate rolling, cutting and direct heat with no fuss are Quartz and Corian. If you can’t afford to install a whole slab, purchase a small marble section specifically for baking, or place marble on the kitchen island. Previous Next Double Ovens If what you are looking for is more baking and less waiting, double ovens are a bakers dream. They’re Spacious and versatile enough to accommodate your needs and allow a baker to cook two dishes at different temperatures at the same time. The double ovens, with convection are a must as the Convection ovens work with fans that recirculate heat, which evenly bake cookies and crusts. Even baked goods such as croissants develop a crispy, even texture with convection heat. An oven with a warming drawer or built-in Proof mode create the perfect oven environment for proving dough, you can also cook a variety of dishes in the warming drawer like meringues or melt chocolate. Extra Deep Sink  The sink is an essential element to keep the kitchen clean. Clean-up will be a whole lot easier with a deep, wide more functional kitchen sink since baking often involves using odd-shaped pans, oversized cookie sheets and large mixing bowls – many of which can’t go in the dishwasher. Previous Next Stand Mixer Serious bakers have more than one, and double or triple up on the bowl attachments so they don’t have to stop to wash them before moving on to the next phase of a baking project. Previous Next Baking Supply Cart It’s easy to run low on countertop space and having your supplies within reach is essential when baking. With a rolling cart you can move around your kitchen more easily and have your baking essentials wherever you’re working. Tech Corner There are thousands of recipes and how-to videos online to access these you can wire in a TV, desktop or laptop computer or an iPad in a small corner next to your countertop. A kitchen desk area works well for multi-tasking bakers so you can monitor the oven when working or catching up on emails and social media.

Kitchen Remodel Ideas for Small Spaces

Learning how to optimize your cooking space is the first step to remodel your kitchen cost-effectively. With limited space, trying to update your kitchen with quality products that work and fit into your home can be a difficult task to accomplish.    Maximizing your kitchen space is a lot easier when you choose the right cabinet and appliance options. Kitchen cabinets can be the most cluttered space in any kitchen because of all the utensils needed for cooking. This is especially true with confined drawers because you end up putting all your eggs in one basket-so to speak! The good news is that there are simple and efficient ways to maximize your cabinet space.  For quick and easy access having food items next to your cooking area is a must! With a spice filler kit, you can neatly place your spices in your drawers at any angle to see each spice or any other food items for easy identification and removal.  Another useful way to organize your kitchen is with swing-out shelves that offer great visibility and easy access. These handy shelves remove the pain of having to search for hard to reach cookware and containers. Finding a place to store small appliances in small kitchens can be a huge challenge when you don’t want your counter space overrun with kitchen devices, you’ve got to get nifty. A kitchen with clutter-free counters is not only more aesthetically pleasing but also offer you the most cooking space possible.  Over-the-range microwaves are the ideal choice for small kitchens, but very few can fit in a compact space. The perfect over the range microwave for limited spaces is the COS-2413ORM1SS by Cosmo without having to settle for low power. This microwave has an impressive 1000 watts for precise control to give you excellent results with a range of touch presets and 10 power levels and sensor cooking to prepare your favorite meals and snacks. Eliminate smoke, steam, and cooking odors from your kitchen with built-in exhaust fans. This OTR microwave’s sleek black glass finish brings an ultra-chic look to your kitchen, and it’s wonderfully complemented by convenient functions like the ability to disable the glass turntable and child locks for safety. To seal the deal it boasts a very affordable price tag.  The refrigerator is the safeguard of produce, frozen foods, meat, dairy products to maintain the freshness of our food items 24 hours a day, but can also take up most of your kitchen space. For small kitchens, our French Door Refrigerator can make your cooking space feel larger and help improve mobility to be at eye-level with your food items. Here is a refrigerator to meet your everyday grocery demands, Cosmo’s FDR225RHSS 22.5 cubic feet 4-Door French Door Refrigerator. A Modern refrigerator that will make a statement but still takes up less space in your kitchen, so you’ll walk through it with ease. This refrigerator provides better storage for oversized and small items, its total storage capacity includes 15.9 cu. ft. fresh food capacity provides ample interior space, while 6.6 cu. ft. freezer capacity allows you to store plenty of your frozen foods with easy access. Sophisticated aesthetic features like a stainless steel finish that’s fingerprint resistant to keep your fridge looking spotless, and digital temperature controls and display for accurate monitoring. Our intelligently crafted refrigerator is here to provide you with easy access to your food items, ample kitchen space, and an automated ice-maker. A kitchen renovation is a formidable undertaking on its own with multiple areas to touch base. Especially choosing what appliances fit best with your cooking space. Cosmo offers a variety of products that make renovating for space easier with appliances that fit each unique kitchen area to maximize the utility and spaciousness of your kitchen.

How to Be an Environmentally Friendly Cook

Cooking sustainably is an excellent step to reduce your impact on the environment. What we eat and how we cook affects our health and the health of our planet. The easiest way to make sure your food is sustainably sourced is to cook it yourself! Cooking at home allows you to make sustainable choices at every step of the process, from shopping for the most sustainable ingredients to reducing food waste as you cook. Shop Smart Food waste is a worldwide epidemic, and it’s time the average person started fighting back. We throw out a jaw-dropping 400 pounds of food per person per year—40% of our food. When you buy food, make sure you buy exactly what you need. Plan meals, use grocery lists and avoid impulse buys. We suggest making a detailed shopping list and plan out your meals before heading to the store. We should just be sure that our shopping carts and grocery budgets aren’t bigger than our stomachs. Use all Nutritious Bits When cooking, use every piece of the food you’re cooking with. Leave the skin on cucumbers and potatoes, sauté broccoli stems along with the florets, your food will still be just a delicious. You can also use vegetable and meat scraps in homemade stocks, and use citrus fruit rinds and zest to add flavor to other meals. Eat Seasonally Produce eaten at the right time and season tastes better, is nutritious, and can also benefit the planet. Buying Fruits and veggies harvested in your region cuts down on the carbon footprint from long-distance transportation. You can find out what’s ready to harvest near you via the new Seasonal Food Guide Optimize Grains Grains and other plant foods are far less resource-intensive to produce than animal foods like dairy, eggs, and meat. For example, Oats already have a low carbon footprint, and overnight oats are more sustainable since it requires no heat. Eat more nutrition-rich heirloom and ancient whole grains because they grow in an eco-friendly way. Better Sweeteners Satisfy your sweet cravings with natural alternatives like honey, maple, stevia, and agave that don’t rely on intense farming practices. Go Organic Organic food is better for the environment and your body. Certified organic foods are grown and processed using farming methods that recycle resources without the use of synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes or petroleum. Buy Your Ingredients Locally As aforementioned buying Fruits, vegetables and other ingredients from local farmers is one of the most environmentally responsible ways to cook. Food products that are produced locally don’t have to be transported long distances, and this helps in reducing fuel and energy consumption. How you use your gadgets and appliances is just as important as the food you bring in to your kitchen. Use the Right Burner When cooking with gas burners, make sure the flame is fully below the pot; otherwise, heat and energy are wasted. When you put a small pot on a large element, you waste heat. Cook with Residual Beat When roasting vegetables or baking cookies, turn off the oven a few minutes before the recipe indicates this will conserve more energy. For casseroles and roasts, turn the oven off five or ten minutes earlier than you expect to remove the food. Cover Pans While Cooking Make sure all of your pots and pans have close-fitting lids, then use them whenever possible. To conserve energy, it’s best to keep your pans covered while cooking. Covering your pans will require less cooking time. Energy-efficiency Upgrades If you’re shopping for a new appliance, look for the Energy Star logo, found on products that can use up to 50 percent less energy or water without compromising performance. An efficient dishwasher, for instance, can use a lot less water than washing the dishes by hand in the sink. Go Paperless It’s easier than you think to replace paper with cloth in the kitchen. Try reusable cloth napkins instead of paper, or choose paper napkins made with recycled materials. Use Environmentally Friendly Cookware Pay attention to your cooking tools, the healthiest options are also the most eco-friendly kitchenware. Cool Leftovers Let foods sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before storing or freezing. Warm food in the fridge or freezer increases energy usage by raising the temperature of other items. Just don’t leave perishable foods out for more than two hours, to avoid contamination. Use Water More Wisely When we cook we tend to use a lot of water but there are ways to shrink your water footprint. Install a low-flow faucet on your sink. Try to wash vegetables and fruits in a large bowl or tub of water and scrub them with a vegetable brush instead of using your faucet as a power-washer. Which tips did you find most helpful to you? Let us know in the comment box below.

Real Life Microwave Hacks

It’s not just for reheating leftover pizza- the microwave has some pretty nifty hacks that you can use to make your life easier. Here is a list of the best hacks we found.  Peeling Garlic Got Easier  Peeling garlic is daunting, however, you can put the garlic in the microwave and heat it up for 15 seconds. The heat will release the moisture from the garlic clove which gets trapped between the skins and loosens it. Once you take it out, the skin just slide off. Get More Juice from Your Citrus Fruits If you need help getting the most juice out of a lemon, lime or other citrus fruit throw it into the microwave for about 10-20 seconds so that the pulp inside becomes soft and you can juice it with ease. Tear-free Onion Chopping Save your eyes from the horrible stinging sensation you get when chopping onions. Ever wondered why that happens? Well, when an onion is cut with a knife, its cells release volatile sulfur compounds that cause tearing. The trick is to trim off the ends with a knife and heat the onion for about 30 seconds before chopping away. Bring Stale Bread Back to Life When your bread or bagels stale simply wrap in a moist paper towel (not soaking) and pop in the microwave for 20-second increments. The moisture from the towel will soak into the bread to make it taste fresh again. Preserve Fresh Herbs If you want to preserve herbs well, wrap them in a paper towel and heat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds allowing them to dry out. This may make them last longer in the refrigerator. To completely dry the herbs continue to microwave in 15-30 second increments until the herbs. Soak Lentils or Beans Overnight All you need to do is place your uncooked beans or lentils in a bowl filled with water, add a pinch of baking soda and microwave them for about 10 minutes. Allow them to rest for 30-40 minutes, after which they are ready to be cooked. Make Frothy Milk for Your Coffee The next time you’re craving a fancy frothy café au lait just make it yourself. A microwave and a mason jar are all you need. Fill the mason jar with as much skim or 2% milk as you’d normally use in your coffee, cover and shake it vigorously to get the frothing process started, then pop it uncovered in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then voila! Silky, frothy warm milk. A DIY Heating Pad for those Cold Nights Make your heating pad at home in two minutes! Pour rice into a sock then tie a knot at the top of the sock. Put it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Reheat as needed. Steam Clean the Microwave We’re sure with these hacks your microwave will be working overtime.  So while you’re at it, steam clean it with some lemon water. Place a bowl of water with freshly squeezed lemon juice into the microwave and set the timer for 5 minutes or until the water boils, let it sit in the microwave for 3 minutes so the steam can loosen any food stains. Remove the bowl then wipe your microwave clean.

Quick Cleaning Tips for Your Kitchen Appliances

Clean your kitchen appliances faster with these quick cleaning tips for your kitchen appliances, show your appliances a little cleaning love, and they’ll look and work as good as new. Clean Your Refrigerator The space behind your refrigerator is notoriously filthy. Dirt, pet hair, and a host of other stuff can build up beneath and behind the refrigerator. This can block the appliance’s motor and coils and restrict airflow. To clean, pull out the refrigerator and mop up whatever you find. Part of my spring cleaning ritual. Is to vacuum the refrigerator coils behind the fridge, which will put less stress on the motor and prolong its life. Here’s how to clean the inside of a refrigerator the easy way. A little soapy water or an equal parts water and white vinegar solution will clean and shine the inside of your fridge. Wipe down shelves and crispers weekly, or whenever you spot a spill. Remove fingerprints on stainless steel exteriors with a damp cloth.  Clean Your Dishwasher  You wouldn’t think of cleaning a dishwasher since its job is to clean but it also needs a good cleaning; In fact, as often as your shower or sink. Sanitizing the dishwasher can be done quickly. To eliminate mold and bacteria run the dishwasher on the hottest, and longest cycle with white vinegar. This will sanitize and loosen food and soap scum. You should wipe around the edges of the door, around the gasket and check the drainage area as well.  Clean Your Microwave Sauce and food splatter inside the microwave constantly and all that buildup is unsightly and gross to cook with. Fortunately, there is a simple solution, the best way to clean microwave messes is to fill a microwave-safe container with water, microwave it until the water boils, and let it sit for a few minutes while steam loosens any caked-on food. Then simply wipe it clean.  Clean Your Kitchen Stove and Oven   Stove-tops are hot spots for oil splatters and food spills, so it’s best to clean it often. The key to cleaning your stove-top is to be quick. Before the bits of food cook onto the surface wipe them away immediately, careful not to burn yourself. If splatters sit for a few days soak with an equal parts mix of vinegar and water or use dish soap and water for built-up grease. Now that the stove-top is clean, you can take care of your oven and it’s quite simple nowadays because most ovens have self-cleaning options. While this feature does a good job of by itself there are a few spots it doesn’t reach. You can wipe them up built-up grime with vinegar or soapy water around door hinges and frames and the space between double ovens.

Why Are Range Hoods Necessary?

So we get this question a lot, and we’ve got the answers here. This is why Range Hoods are necessary. Range hoods are an important appliance in the kitchen despite being often overlooked. They are designed to remove odors, heat, and smoke that can occur while cooking. Luckily range hoods function to improve air quality by eliminating the products of combustion, odors, and moisture from the air. Few people realize, a range hood is the only appliance in your kitchen that’s truly functions to protect the home. Clear the Air Likely the most important job of the range hood is to improve the air quality of your kitchen by removing odors, smoke, grease and other pollutants that are released into the air while cooking. The right Range hood will quickly neutralize odors, and away toxins. According to the National Institutes of Health, exposure to cooking-related contaminants is associated with a significant increase in pulmonary effects and symptoms of respiratory diseases. Kitchen appliances produce carbon monoxide which can build up and become harmful for you and your family. Fortunately, using a range hood will protect your family and home. Keep Your Kitchen Cool A great benefit of range hoods is that they can provide a pleasant cooking environment by removing excess heat caused by cooking. Let your range hood draw all that hot, stuffy air out of the room for you. Whether the heat is coming from steam or radiating off the cooktop itself, your kitchen stays more comfortable and cooler. Easy Clean-up Grease and excess moisture from cooking can buildup on the walls and kitchen surfaces around your cooktop and it can be difficult to clean. A range hood will help prevent the buildup making it easy to keep your kitchen clean. Proper ventilation also helps to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold, a definite plus for anyone with allergies or asthma. With these benefits you can cut your cleaning time in half. Enhanced Kitchen Lighting In the world of cooking, it’s important for cooks to see the food their preparing for best results. An overhead range hood offers additional lighting to ensure cooks can see well. The extra lighting also makes clean-up easier and ensures the removal of all that hard to see grease and grime. A Stylish Upgrade Range hoods are not only practical they are a stylish addition to your kitchen. An updated kitchen will increase your property value if you’re selling your home. Newer appliances ensure home buyers find your property more appealing. Range hoods come in a variety of style options, and the more efficient and higher quality a range hood is, the more value it can provide. Shop around to find the perfect fit for your budget, kitchen space, and personal style to complete your dream kitchen.

Identify Your Ideal Kitchen Design Style

While you may see kitchens in a variety of styles and find them all beautiful in their own way, finding inspiration for your dream kitchen often requires sorting through many different considerations. From transitional to modern and every style in-between, these ideas can help you decide what suits your home while also fitting your personal tastes. Transitional Transitional style is a mix of traditional and modern furnishing. Blending the comfort and warmth of traditional design with the clean profiles and understated colors of the contemporary look. The result is often elegant, sleek spaces that radiate harmony. Taking advantage of this style offers creative freedom when looking to decorate your home with ease. Transitional styling is perfect when you like some characteristics of traditional style but enjoy the simplicity of contemporary. Why We Love This Style? Transitional style encompasses the best of both worlds and fits the style of many homes because of its versatile traits. Modern Modern design emphasizes clean lines and efficiency– with elements of contemporary, modern and industrial influences. Sleek is a collective term to describe modern design. Every element exudes crispness in shape, simplistic décor in generally muted color and fundamentals in materials such as glass, metals, and wood. Open and airy modern kitchens. Colors are explored in soft tones with an accent or two taking center stage. Why We Love This Style? The modern style embraces simplicity, clean lines, technology and the bare minimum required to appropriately handle functional and aesthetic demands. Industrial With its raw, utilitarian appeal, an industrial design style can give modern homes a sophisticated edge. The main feature of industrial styling is the unfinished look that focuses on combining bare and rough surfaces with a clean and flat finish. Industrial style delights in the drama of opposing materials such as wrought iron accents, glass doors, and exposed brick. One of the most obvious traits of an industrial kitchen is open space and high ceilings. Why We Love This Style? Industrial kitchens edgy and elegant and make a huge statement when planned and executed properly. Mediterranean Rustic and warm – but with an edge – the Mediterranean design style blends harmoniously with an exotic feel. Mediterranean styling is characterized by wrought iron, exposed wood beams, multi-colored cabinetry and a mix of metals providing its unique flare. To tie it all together it calls for pleasant, cozy and comfortable earthy shades and natural wood and stone hues. Color palettes may vary from darker shades of brown to whitewashed tones of neutral colors. Common accent colors of teal blues and greens reflect the spectacular colors of the Mediterranean waters. The décor typically features hand-crafted, salvaged or repurposed items made of wood, leather, natural fibers, wicker, and wrought iron. Why We Love This Style? Mediterranean Kitchen style is warm, inviting and a stress free design. Whether your preferences fit perfectly into one category or a combination of several, the goal of creating your dream kitchen is to listen to what style speaks to you.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (Video Tutorial)

Enjoy your summer with fresh fruit like strawberries in this easy Strawberry Shortcake recipe. Watch video to see how to make this simple yet ridiculously yummy recipe! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N3GIaRFc0s Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe 1  can (5-8) Canned flaky buttermilk biscuits 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 cup sugar Strawberry mixture: 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced 1/3 cup sugar Whipped cream: 1/2 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla Heat oven to 375° F. Separate biscuits. Dip tops and sides of biscuits in melted butter. Dip biscuits, covering tops and sides, in sugar. Place sugar-side up on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 13-17 minutes, or until golden brown. To make strawberry mixture: In medium bowl, mix strawberries and sugar. Set aside. To make whipped cream: In small bowl, beat whipping cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and beat into mixture. On plate, split biscuits and put dollop of whipped cream mixture on bottom half of biscuit. Add strawberry mixture. Replace biscuit top and dollop with whipping cream.

Amazon Prime Day Deal – Don’t Miss It

Today is an add to cart kinda’ day, why? because it’s Day two of Amazon Prime Day. Did you catch the good deals yesterday? Well, it’s not too late if you didn’t. Today is your last chance to shop on Amazon and snag those sweet prime day deals. The team at Cosmo is excited because our customers can enjoy prime day savings on one of our popular appliances the COS-965AGC, 36 in. Single Oven Gas Range. So why do people love this Range so much? The answer is simple, it works as well as it looks. It’s a beautiful machine and has amazing features that make cooking a joy. Home cooks and professional chefs all agree that today’s food trends are about enjoyment and simplicity, and cooking with the COS-965AGC makes this possible. With a 3.8 cu. ft. oven offering ample space so you can cook more dishes at once. The oven features rapid convection so you can be certain your food will be made to flavorful perfection. It doesn’t stop there, the cooktop also has its cool features, like 5 sealed high-performance gas burners which allow you to cook from a high heat for boiling, frying or searing to a low simmer for the most delicate sauces. With that kind of versatility you can be as adventurous as your heart pleases. GET YOURS NOW