Capresso Kettle Boils Water Better

An electric tea kettle always makes my list of handy, green appliances, because it boils water with less fuel than a cooktop, shuts off automatically, and it’s not just for tea. The best ones also boil water faster than water on a stove, are cordless and the heating elements are completely self-enclosed (meaning almost no fuel is wasted, unlike on a gas or electric range). The Capresso H2O Plus Water Kettle does all of this, and more.

It sports a glass carafe, so you can see the progress without lifting the lid (and it’s fun to watch the bubbles: like an aquarium without the fish). It holds a manageable amount, letting you boil from 2 to 6 cups. We drink a lot of tea, so we use it daily, but I also use it whenever I need hot water in the kitchen: to rehydrate dried mushrooms, tomatoes, and soups; or to jumpstart a pot of water for pasta, steamed vegetables, or potatoes. It’s one of my handiest kitchen appliances, in its snazzy black and silver design.

• Capresso H2O Plus Water Kettle

Top Chop: Architec Cork Cutting Boards

Cutting boards get greener, and handsomer, everyday. The latest model to cross my countertop is the Architec Cork Cutting Board. According to the company, it’s made of small particles of cork adhered together using heat and pressure, like traditional wine corks.

Cork comes from the bark of oak trees in Spain, Portugal and China, a sustainable and renewable green material, produced with minimal environmental impact. The cork is hand-harvested by gently peeling the bark off the tree, leaving the tree intact and ready to produce again. In the kitchen, cork is naturally antibacterial and easier to clean.

Cork is a wonder of nature. Each cubic inch of cork is made up of over 625 million 14-sided cells. Suberin, a natural substance, makes it impermeable to gases, liquid, dust and odors, and it is naturally fire retardant. Its ability to recover from compression means it doesn’t suffer marring like most woods do, while being gentle on the knife blade.

The Cork Cutting Board can be used for all cutting and carving needs, from fruits to vegetables to raw meats and cooked roasts. Wash by hand with non-antibacterial soap, dry before storing, and season with mineral oil about every ten uses. The Architec Cork Cutting Board comes in two sizes: Large (12 by 18 inches) and Small (9 by 12 inches). A round aluminum insert located in the corner of the board serves as a handle. Suggested retail prices: $29.99 (large), $19.99 (small). They are sold at specialty and online retailers including Crate and Barrel stores and architecproducts.com.

Greener Valentines

If you’re considering sharing a Valentine’s Day moment this year, paint your roses green.

Start with “To Pull a Thorn from the Side of the Planet.” (May require free registration.) This New York Times article reports on florists and growers who specialize in organic flowers. To which many people ask, “Why would it matter? We’re not eating them.” Clearly, we still need to reach out to those missing the message that pesticides can be harmful to the planet and other living things.

But there’s more to the issue of organics when it comes to earth-friendly, commercially grown flowers. As with food, which is better: local conventional or organic transported? Beaucoups of bouquets burst from South American soil, then travel outwards to florists worldwide, cutting a swath of transportation carbon along the way. But, as the Times article asks, “what is greener: large loads of flowers transported over long distances efficiently or a smaller number grown locally, but requiring a heated greenhouse and a trip to a farmers’ market in a pickup truck?”

The article also taps into related issues: better worker conditions on certified farms in South America; California’s growers who shun pesticides by growing in hydroponics greenhouses; and online sources for USDA certified organic flowers.

Of course, flowers are just one consumable associated with Valentine’s Day. You’ll find plenty of romantic meals and sweet treats at GlobalGourmet.com’s Valentine’s Handbook, and there’s a whole world or organic, fair-trade chocolates to savor. So whatever you do, if you make your February 14 footprint a little (or a whole lot) greener than you did last year, we’ll all be feeling the love.

Epicurean Cutting Surfaces: Hip, Green, and Good for Cooks

Epicurean’s eco-friendly cutting boards may be a chef or cook’s new best friends, and they’re ultra design-sexy. My first pick: Their brilliantly conceived Modular Sets (they link together like a jigsaw puzzle). I use the two board set that fits together to measure 29×11 inches, which creates a surface that’s extra long but not too wide. It’s great for whole fish or big pieces of meat, or just to have a lot of space for pushing piles of chopped food around. If you want a wider board, they also make a 29×15-inch Modular Set Cutting Surface. But wait, there’s more: one side of the boards is flat and smooth; flip them over and you have a juice groove on one piece, and a juice run (parallel deep grooves, handy for draining liquids into an adjacent sink). From flat to groovy, you can flip the boards into a variety of configurations that fit your specific needs.

They make dozens of other boards, in natural, nutmeg or slate, or nutmeg with slate accents, in all sizes:

*Epicurean Cutting Surfaces 21-by-15-Inch Carving Series*

Carving Series Cutting Board, Slate/Nutmeg Core

Carving Series Cutting Board, Natural/Nutmeg Core

Carving Series Cutting Board, Natural

Some are thin enough to tuck nicely into a drawer, others are thicker, with roast-grabbing details. The Epicurean Carving Series (think turkeys and roasts) looks like art (especially the two-tone version): It’s got a central rhombus studded surface to hold meat in place; an inner canal to trap much of the juice; and an outer juice groove to prevent the rest from pouring onto the countertop. It even fits most dishwashers.

What makes Epicurean’s boards so eco-friendly? Besides being made in the USA from sustainably harvested trees (and being better for sanitary cutting in many ways than traditional wood or plastic boards), they’re made of layers of paper which are soaked in a food-safe resin and cured to create a solid sheet. The layers of paper are bonded with each other to create solid, durable boards, with a handsome warm, natural look. Features: bacteria-resistant, dishwasher-safe (approved by the National Sanitary Foundation/NSF), stain-resistant, and the company itself is dedicated to green initiatives in every phase of the business, from their offices, to their power, to their materials.

Full List of Epicurean Cutting Boards

Equal Exchange Nuts and Berries: Meet Your Growers!

On the goodness scale, Equal Exchange’s almonds, pecans, and cranberries float to the top: They’re not just organic and Fair Trade Certified, but they’re domestic Fair Trade, from small growers right here in the U.S. Check out their cool “Track Your Snacks” feature:

First, go to Equal Exchange’s track-your-snacks page, type in the use-by date on the back of the package, and you’ll see exactly which farm in their collective grew your food. (My almonds came from Big Tree Organic Co-Op in Carmel; a co-op of black Georgia farmers grew the pecans; and the cranberries came from Monika and Keith Mann’s organic bogs in Buzzard’s Bay, Massachusetts.) Compared to conventional competitors, these products really do taste distinctively better. Look for:

Tamari-Roasted Almonds—Some snack almonds can be so heavily processed or flavored with additives that they taste artificial. Not so with these babies. They actually taste like almonds, lightly salted with the flavor of tamari (for an extra umami kick). No other ingredients.

Roasted, Salted Pecans—Just pecans, sunflower oil and salt. Delicate and utterly tasty.

Dried, Sweetened Cranberries—Organic cane juice and cranberries. Spoiler alert: A happy ending; you’ll never go back to Ocean Spray.

Equal Exchange Nuts and Berries

Robin’s Chocolate Sauces

They won 2007’s Best New Products Award at the New England Products Show, and we like Robin’s Chocolate Sauces for many reasons. Three of their six sauces are Fair Trade Certified, including the elegant Orange Spice and Tropical Dark (our personal favorites), made with 70 percent dark chocolate.

All of Robin’s small-batch sauces are made with organic cocoa, vanilla and cane sugar, using local dairy products. Serve straight from the jar, or better yet, simply remove the lid, warm the jar in the microwave, and drizzle the velvety sauces over ice cream, bread pudding or cheesecake.

Robin’s Chocolate Sauce partners with National Wildlife Federation and Sustainable Harvest International, helping to conserve tropical habitats for migratory songbirds, and promote sustainable cocoa-farming practices. Unlike Betty Crocker, Robin Jenkins is a real person, whose holiday gifts of chocolate sauce grew into a true family business, starting in 2004. Today her husband and two sons pitch in, using organic, shade grown and local or Fair Trade Certified ingredients whenever possible.

As Robin says, “These standards are crucial to maintaining a sustainable environment, protecting migratory birds and creating healthy communities—and your children and grandchildren will notice the sweet difference.” So stick that in your (or some else’s) sweet holiday stocking! If you don’t live in Maine, where most stores carry their products, buy them online:

Robin’s Chocolate Sauce

An Expert Gift: Taylor Thermometers

Sometimes an instant-read thermometer just isn’t enough. With inventive cooking techniques on the rise, coupled with all too common incidents of food contamination, performing a science-check of all stages of food temperatures seems prudent. Take your pick of Taylor’s Refrigerator-Freezer Thermometers in commercial and consumer versions, and monitor to see if your freezer and refrigerator are truly storing foods in the safe zone. (Buy one for each: freezers should be at or below 0 degrees F., and refrigerators should stay between 34 and 40 degrees F.)

But don’t stop there.

All ovens are subject to hot and cold zones, and calibration alters over time; so double-check for accuracy with Taylor’s Connoisseur Series Oven Thermometer, which hangs, sits, or clips wherever it’s needed (and is easily readable through the oven window). But wait: there’s more! Visual clues give way to precise cooking with Taylor’s Digital Infrared Thermometer. This baby measures surface temperatures, and it does so from a distance; just point and click for a digital reading.

Why is this important?

Because solid pieces of meat (roasts and whole turkeys, for instance) typically carry bacteria on the outer surface, so a check of the exterior temperature is as important, or even more so, than reading internal temperature. And here’s something else to think about: use it to measure a pan’s surface temperature. Now you can tell if a griddle has reached 350 degrees F., the optimum temperature for pancakes, and do away the guesswork of dancing water droplets (which bead between 320 and 440 degrees); and candy making becomes less messy (no contact thermometer needed, just point and click). Cool!

Taylor Classic Freezer-Refrigerator Thermometer

Taylor Commercial Freezer-Refrigerator Thermometer

Taylor Connoisseur Oven Thermometer

Taylor Digital Infrared Thermometer

Lodge Casts New Ideas in Iron

Green as the Hills, Cast Iron Cookware Lasts Lifetimes

Reviewed by Kate Heyhoe

Consider this: Some of Lodge’s cast-iron cooking pieces made over a century ago are still in use today. In an era when reduce, reuse and recycle are buzzwords, Lodge cookware stands out because it literally lasts for generations. It’s also made right here in the USA*, near the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, by the same original family, the Lodges, in a town barely approaching 3300 people. But history aside, the superior performance endears this cookware to professional chefs as well as home cooks. And though it’s been hard to improve their quality, the folks at Lodge have made some notable changes for the better.

Lodge is famous for their cast iron Dutch ovens, skillets, and other cookware pieces. But one obstacle for many consumers was always the simple but extra step of “seasoning” the pan before use, meaning coating with oil and baking it to seal the finish. Now, all of Lodge’s cast iron pans are sold pre-seasoned, ready to cook with. The more you cook in cast iron, the better the seasoned patina becomes, creating a natural nonstick, non-toxic surface. Plus, cast iron may take longer to heat than other materials, but once hot, it retains heat superbly, with even distribution. You can turn off the burner or oven and finish your cooking just with the iron’s retained heat. After use, simply clean the cookware with hot water and a stiff brush (without soap, biodegradable or otherwise), dry it, and lightly spritz or rub with oil.

New items bring Lodge’s cast-iron wisdom and expertise to contemporary designs and enamel-coated cast iron. I’ve personally tested the pieces below and think they’ve got a place in every home, with every style of cook. Plus, the company’s forward-thinking green practices make me pleased to support them even more. Check these out:

 

Chef’s Skillet: Loved by both gourmet and home chefs, the all-purpose10-inch skillet with curved edge lets spatulas and spoons glide across the entire surface, with no hard corners or edges, so food slips right out. And again, it’s pre-seasoned so it’s ready to go.

Lodge Pro-Logic Seasoned 10-Inch Skillet

Cast iron is naturally stovetop and ovenproof, so you can sear foods over a burner then pop the skillet into a hot oven to continue the cooking process. The classic Southern cornbread recipe typically requires pouring the batter into a hot, greased cast iron skillet then baking until done. The crust is crisp and crackly, with the center perfectly moist and tender. (Use any cast iron skillet, or their Wedge-Pan and make these Cast-Iron Cornbread Recipes: Coyote Cafe’s Skillet Pinon Cornbread and John Ryan’s Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread.)

Wedge Pan

Lodge’s Signature Series brings contemporary design to cast-iron, with shiny stainless steel handles, and a range of pre-seasoned skillets, grill pan, and Dutch ovens handsome enough to go from kitchen to table. I’ve found their Covered Casserole to be especially handy. It’s the size of a 12-inch skillet and can be used on stovetop. With two short side lifts, instead of one long handle, it fits easier in the oven and on the table.

Lodge Signature Seasoned Cast Iron Covered Casserole
      with Stainless Steel Handles

Lodge’s Enamel-on-Cast Iron cookware blends the heat attributes of cast iron with the sleek surface of enamel. Lodge’s Color series of skillets and Dutch Ovens come in three rich hues (Caribbean Blue, Island Spice, and Cafe), and are truly multi-functional. They’ll withstand not just oven and stovetop cooking, but also marinating and refrigeration. While other Lodge cast iron pieces are made in the USA, their enamel cookware is manufactured overseas (which is typical of most other enamelware brands).

Lodge Enamel on Cast Iron 3 Quart Covered Casserole, Caribbean Blue

Lodge Enamel on Cast Iron 6 Quart Dutch Oven, Café

 

Stocking Stuffers

Okay, you’ll need a large, heavy-duty stocking to hold the Lodge Cast-Iron Grill Press, but it’s a worthwhile goodie for the cook who has almost everything. Use the press to keep bacon from curling, flatten panini, and quick-cook a spatchcocked chicken or chicken breasts for the “chicken under a brick” effect. I also wrap mine in a plastic bag (to keep it dry), to press liquid from eggplant, vegetables, tofu, or salmon when making gravlax. The round press is 7-inches in diameter (they make a rectangular one, too).

Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Round Cast-Iron Grill Press

For any size stocking, pick up Lodge’s Miniature Cast-Iron Skillet, about 3-1/2 inches across. Sure, it’s cute, but it also makes a terrific spice toaster, for a couple of tablespoons or less of spices, sesame seeds, or nuts at a time. Or melt butter in it. Or buy several and bake itsy-bitsy little cakes. Lots of good uses for such a tiny little pan.

Lodge’s Miniature Cast-Iron Skillet

 

*Lodge _enamelled_ cookware is made in China.

Lodge’s Green Initiatives

One benefit of cast iron is that the seasoned surface is naturally nonstick and non-toxic at any temperature, unlike bonded surfaces like Teflon.

It’s not just enough to make products from green materials, or design cookware that’s more energy efficient. The greenness of the manufacturing process also comes into play, and every cookware company makes some degree of environmental impact. But at Lodge, they’re environmentally vested. Here’s the company’s report:

How Green is Our Foundry?

Lodge Manufacturing Company’s Pollution Prevention Success Stories

*Increased Use of Biodiesel:* In 2005, Lodge began using biodiesel to power several pieces of equipment, progressing to a 90% blend before cutting back to 20% in winter months. Biodiesel reduces ozone forming potential and also reduces emissions of sulfur, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and hydrocarbons compared to diesel.

*Cardboard Recycling:* Lodge began cardboard recycling by allowing outside companies to pick up cardboard at no charge. In 2001, the amount of cardboard recycle was 34.5 tons. In 2005, it was 48.1 tons. The program continues today.

*Establishment of Beneficial Use of Foundry Sand:* Lodge Mfg, the American Foundry Society (AFS), and the Environmental Committee of the AFS worked with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Solid Waste to request and help draft a beneficial use policy for non-hazardous foundry sand. The policy was adopted in April 1996 and is an example of industry and government working together for good of the environment.

Beneficial Reuse of Foundry Sand/Marion County Landfill: Lodge Mfg coordinated with Marion County government to have 9,225 cubic yards of foundry sand to create the required 12-inch protective cover over the liner in the first phase of two new cells. Completed in March 2003, the County saved $191,311.75 by using the sand.

*Settling Ponds Support Plant & Animal Life:* A stream flows from South Pittsburg Mountain through the Lodge foundry and into the Lake Guntersville Reservoir Watershed. Working to enhance the stream’s water, Lodge constructed three storm water settling ponds to support plant and animal life. Water lilies, cattails and fish have been introduced to the ponds and are thriving. Water quality is now above requirements.

*Planting Trees for Site Beautification & Ozone Attainment:* A total of 121 trees have been planted on the Lodge Mfg campus to help improve air quality and beautification. The establishment of 1.4 acres of trees is equivalent to removing one motor vehicle from the highway.

*Lodge Manufacturing receives the 1994 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Hazardous Waste Reduction:* In 1991, Lodge President Henry Lodge replaces the cupola melting system with more environmentally friendly induction melt system. The result was that Lodge Mfg changed its status as a Large Quantity Generator of Hazardous Waste to Small Quantity Generator.

Fissler: The “BMW-Hybrid” of Cookware

Gourmet Performance Meets Energy-Efficiency
in Pressure Cooker, Pots, and Skillet

Reviewed by Kate Heyhoe

Fissler cookware has me racing to, and through, the kitchen. Their German precision engineering has cooked up some radically efficient features, saving time for the cook and fuel for the planet. If you want to be a greener gourmet, take a look at the energy-saving aspects of these Fissler pieces, and while the cost is high-end, these pieces should deliver a lifetime of quality for the price.

Smart, Solid Base: Starting from the ground up, Fissler’s proprietary CookStar base integrates nifty energy-efficient aspects, while enhancing the cooking performance on all types of cooktops, including induction.
The CookStar base is slightly concave when cool so that it lies perfectly flat when heated, maximizing the contact between pot base and heat source, thus saving energy. Plus, the super-conductive, extra-thick base heats up quickly and retains heat so well, you can turn the burner down (or off) early and let residual heat in the base finish the cooking. Like a bridge, the base features expansion joints, and consists of stainless steel and aluminum bonded by 1500 tons of heated pressure into one single unit (not triple layers as in other cookware), with no hot spots, so it’s guaranteed never to warp and to stay flat on any type of stove forever. The Cookstar base is built into most of their new cookware, including the items below.

Blue Point’s Pressure is On, or Off: Compared to conventional pots, pressure cookers inherently reduce fuel consumption by cooking foods faster, and they retain more nutrients. Fissler’s Blue Point Pressure Cooker design takes the pressure cooker concept a step further: It’s totally silent during operation, because the cooker seals completely and won’t release steam unless over-pressurized. The less steam released, the cooler the kitchen; and less water is needed because of the lower degree of water loss. Nutrients are also less diluted. Result: healthier, tastier eating and improved energy-efficiency (what’s not to like?). In fact, you can save up to 50 percent of the energy used in conventional cooking, and cook up to 70 percent quicker. Plus, the unit does double-duty: the Blue Point pressure cooker can function as a conventional pot and lid, simply by not sliding the pressure seal button forward. It’s like the hybrid model of pressure cookers, like having two pots for the price of one. (Blue Point pressure cookers also benefit from the efficient CookStar all-stove base, and come in several sizes.)

Fissler Blue Point Pressure Cooker 4.8 Quart

Fissler Blue Point Pressure Cooker 6.4 Quart

The Intensa Investment: Fissler designed their Intensa cookware (also with the CookStar base) with unique, efficient features not found in other pots. The lids feature a “ThermoStar” temperature indicator, which turns completely red when the boiling point is reached and partially red when liquids are near boiling (good for low-water, lid-on cooking and simmering). Keeping the lids on helps minimize heat loss, maximize nutrition, and lessens fuel consumption. That’s not all though. Turn the lid ninety degrees in one direction and the pot’s completely sealed. Turn it back and you can pour out liquids with the lid on, using the gently curved rims of the pot. And you don’t need potholders to do it, given the stay-cool handles. The handle on the lid is big, comfortable and open (see the picture), so you can grasp it with your whole hand. Okay, I was more than adequately impressed at this point. Then I discovered that the side handles function as lid holders, too, and the underside of the lids are conical, so condensed liquids drip back into the pot. (No more messy drips from a hot lid, or searching for a place to rest it.) Other details, like stackability and measuring levels (in liters) no doubt helped this cookware win multiple awards for design. I use their stewpot and stovetop casserole pots almost every day now, and they also make saucepans and lower-depth serving pans with the same Intensa features.

Fissler Intensa Casserole, 4 Quart

Fissler Intensa High Stew Pot, 6.9 Quart

Fissler Intensa 11-Piece Cookware Set

A Crisp Idea in Fry Pans: Perhaps the most frequently used pan in the kitchen is the skillet, and the German ingenuity in Fissler’s Crispy Steelux Frypan makes it cool to look at and a hot piece of cookware. Again, it’s got the CookStar base so it heats up quickly and holds heat evenly. The interior has a thick honeycomb texture, so you can fry/pan-grill foods with no or little oil. When I cooked salmon in the skillet, the exterior was perfectly browned, and the skin was crispy-delicious.

Optional Equipment: Fissler makes a nifty splatter shield (usable on all size skillets), that mounts upright on their skillet handles, while you’re peeking or turning the food. It’s handy and less messy than standard splatter guards. Their glass lids let you view food as it cooks, and come with stay-cool handles, so no pot-holder required.

Fissler Crispy Steelux Frypan, 11-inch

Fissler’s Protect Steelux Frypan boasts their Protectal Plus as the strongest of all nonstick surfaces, with the heating benefits of the CookStar base. But the real test of a nonstick surface is how well it endures over time, without bubbling or peeling. Fissler’s confidence comes with a five-year No Peel Guarantee under any circumstances (check back with me within that time and I’ll give you on update). Be sure to temper the pan when you first use it (it’s easy, takes minutes and you only do it once.) As with all nonstick surfaces, avoid cooking above medium-high heat or heating an empty pan for long periods. (Use the Crispy pan above for high-heat cooking.) So what makes Fissler’s nonstick surface better than others? I asked for details, and I got them. According to their spokesperson:

Fissler’s proprietary Protectal Plus is extremely hard because of its ingredients (ceramic, titanium, and microparticles), and durable because the way the coating is applied and bonded (pretreatment, three-layer composition, and pressure). Competitor models may only use two layers of sealing on a smooth pan surface, and many sealings do not have the microparticles that permit a longer, more effective nonstick lifespan. Ceramic and titanium are present in only the highest-quality coatings, and Fissler’s application technique and proprietary blends of materials set us apart from our competition. Protectal Plus won the highest rating as the strongest nonstick coating from the Stiftung Warentest testing body in Germany (comparable to Consumer Reports in the United States).This translates into better nonstick properties for a longer period of time. Even if the consumer scratches one of these pans, the surface damage is minimized because of the pretreating technique and the hardeners in the coating formula (it will not peel). Protectal Plus is not a DuPont product, and is present only in Fissler pans; it contains PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), but is not unsafe, does not release toxins unless heated to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, and is also not digestable by the human body, so if the user manages to remove small amounts of coating through harsh use, the substance will simply be passed through the body. We guarantee that there will be no chipping or peeling for 5 years of use. Bottom line: Consumers who want a premium nonstick product, that diffuses heat evenly, will last a long time, and is less susceptible to damage, then they’ve found a solution in Fissler’s pans sealed with Protectal Plus.

One last word: Fissler’s Steelux skillet handles stay cool, but can only withstand oven temperatures up to 285 degrees F (okay for warming drawers but not ovens or broilers). If you need a skillet for oven use, I suggest augmenting these with a Lodge cast-iron skillet.

Fissler Protect Steelux Frypan (nonstick), 11-inch

Fissler Protect Steelux Frypan (nonstick), 9.5-inch

(Fissler’s Intensa cookware, Blue Point pressure cookers and Crispy Steelux frypan range from $120-300 MSRP, and also come in sets. They come with a limited lifetime warranty.)

« Previous Page — Next Page »