Lemon Squeezer
I'm going to start off this page with a lemon squeezer, but this item will eventually be moved to the Cookery page, as a kitchen gadget.
This year I've been intrigued by the lemon juicer that Iain Hewitson has been using to squeeze the juice from lemons in his afternoon cooking show. It's unlike any fruit squeezer I've seen before, and is more like a garlic press in design.
The squeezer looks like yellow plastic on TV and I wondered if it would be strong enough to be able to squeeze the juice from a lemon without bending and not being able to squeeze properly.
Or perhaps it would break.
So, I was very surprised to find that the squeezer is made from cast aluminium.
It doesn't bend.
Quite simply, it's the best lemon squeezer I've ever used. The juice pours out, and in my use of it so far, the pips remain in the lemon - they don't even come out into the strainer.
Amco also make a lime squeezer and orange squeezer, which are a different size (and colour) to suit the size of the fruit. The lime squeezer doesn't interest me, as I rarely buy limes, and I'm sure the lemon squeezer would do the job well enough. The orange squeezer appeals more, but I've never been into freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, and in any event I wonder if the squeezer is big enough for most oranges.
Rolls Royce Phantom
Now here's a gadget really worth writing about, but unlike the above, not one I can afford. Yet.
Do you notice something very unusual about this car? I mean apart from the rarity these days that the driver can see the front of the bonnet (hood) and the side wings; or the sheer size and majestic appearance of a $1,000,000 motor car; or the location of the door handles, and rear doors that are hinged at the rear; or the huge 21" wheels (the car is so big that its wheels look normal).
No, I mean something unusual that is so obscure that you might never notice it.
I've give you a clue. Check the photo above and the one below. They have something in common.
That's enough clues. The thing that is very unusual is staring you in the face.
You've seen the exterior of the car, but how about the interior?
Wow! But despite the luxury, Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear, who is very critical of almost all cars, said that the best seat in the Rolls Royce Phantom is the driver's seat as the car is so enjoyable to drive. I want one.
Did you notice what is so unusual about the Rolls Royce Phantom?
A: It's the RR logos on the wheel caps. They remain upright at all times.
A million dollars well spent.
Note By Note - The Making of Steinway L1037
A Steinway is another great gadget I can't afford and don't have the space for in my unit.
I had assumed that Steinways are German pianos, but this movie is about Steinway L1037 made at the original Steinway factory in Queens, New York.
The music playing on this page is from the end of feature length (81 minute) documentary.
Sorry, you won't hear the music unless you have Windows Media Player on your computer and your browser can access it.
I've moved the main story to the Piano Page now under development.
Dyson DC16 handheld vacuum cleaner
This handheld vacuum cleaner used to be called the Dyson Root, and still might be overseas in countries other than Australia (where going up to a salesperson and saying you'd like a Root could have an outcome ranging from disastrous to the best time of your life).
As you can see, the Dyson DC16 is far more sophisticated than the usual Dustbuster type handheld cleaners. The Dyson comes in three models (two have motorised heads with rotating brushes). My Dyson is the original model, shown above.
I've had it for several years now, and it ranks as one of those products I regard as a true blessing.
Before I bought it I researched heaps of online comments. Many were critical that the battery only lasted 5-6 minutes. That's true. But the useful thing is that it gives 5-6 minutes of full power before it runs out, and it's so powerful for those 5-6 minutes that you get a lot of serious cleaning done. In three hours the cleaner is ready to go again. Obviously, you wouldn't use it to vacuum the carpets throughout the house. But it's a great way to quickly pick up bits, pieces and crumbs; clean shelves; clean air-conditioning and dusted heating outlet vents/filters. Or clean up a some cobwebs.
The basic model which I have, comes with a crevice tool. This is very useful. Other accessories are available.
The beauty of it for me is that those 5-6 minutes once a day are a great way to clean the tops of the skirting boards, and whatever else needs cleaning. That's some 150-180 minutes vacuuming every month that I might not otherwise do.
Black & Decker 18V Cordless Alligator Lopper
I've always disliked gardening and I'm not a handyman. So it's a very uncharacteristic of me to buy a chainsaw on Friday, 14 Aug 09.
It wasn't a spur of the moment decision as a lot of my purchases are. I'd announced it on my blog page on 5 Aug 09 for reasons that I explained in my post that day.
The concept of buying or using a chainsaw had never crossed my mind in over 71 years on this planet, so I was rather bemused that I'd decided to buy one. And, as I explained on my blog, this idea was reinforced when I last had a haircut, and during conversation, my hairdresser suggested a chainsaw as the best way of dealing with my problem in the garden.
So I decided to go ahead with the chainsaw project. I had no idea of how difficult or dangerous a chainsaw might be when I bought it. When I read the printed manual and noted the warnings repeated on the chainsaw itself, my initial reaction was that my purchase was another of my big mistakes.
I decided to push on, and bought the recommended eye protector glasses, hard hat and ear muffs. I also bought a plastic tarpaulin to make it easy to sweep up all the chips and (literally) saw dust. But I still wondered if it may be too dangerous and risky to use.
Apart from all that, I had no idea how useful the tool might be, even if I felt it were safe to use. Would it be able to saw through one of the branches at all? And if it could, would it take so long, as to be totally impractical?
The photos on my blog page for 19 Aug 09 answer those questions.
Choice published a review of the chainsaw in March 2009. You can read the review if you click HERE. This is a sad example of some of the many incompetent reviews Choice has published over the years.
But it's also a classic example of the incompetence of some Choice reviews.
Tefal Toast n Egg
I'm quoting here from the blurb about this product, with a minor deletion to the text next to the photo, to shorten it for layout reasons:
Put the cereal back in the packet, because the boffins at Tefal have come up with a way to get a brilliant breakfast on the table in less time than an ad break!
This revolutionary appliance combines the features of a toaster and an egg cooker in a machine that really does do it all…
From toasting bread, crumpets and croissants, to poaching, frying and boiling eggs, the Tefal Toast N’ Egg really knows how to brighten up your morning!
The toast, egg and heating functions can either be used together, or separately, making this appliance a very versatile addition to your kitchen.
And you can even re-heat pre-cooked bacon or mushrooms on the heating tray to add to your breakfast buffet- for a spread that simply says- ‘Eat me!’
Who knew such a spectacular (and easy) breakfast was only four minutes away?
You can bet boring breakfasts will be toast with Tefal’s Toast N’ Egg morning multi-tasker!
Features:
- Designed in France.
- Black heat-resistant housing.
- 1200 watts.
- Combination of toaster, egg cooker, and warmer functions that can be used separately or all at once.
- Wide slot toaster perfect for toast, crumpets, muffins, bagels, and croissants.
- Variable browning control for the perfect level of toasting (1-5).
- Mid cycle ‘Stop’ button.
- Hi-lift toast function for easy removal of smaller-sized bread.
- Easy to clean, slide-out crumb tray.
- Steamer tray for hard-boiling eggs, and egg tray for poaching or frying eggs.
- Warming tray perfect for re-heating pre-cooked meats or mushrooms.
- Cool to touch body.
- Toast N’ Egg comes with a measuring cup for excellent eggs every time.
- Comes with Tefal Toast N’ Egg illustrated instruction booklet.
- Extra cord storage at the back of the toaster.
Capacity: 2 slices
Dimensions: 36 x 20 x 16cm
Well, I've added this appliance to this page, because I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it advertised in the Target advertising brochure in my mailbox today. To be honest, I thought the whole idea was daft. So daft that I'd write it up on this page. However, I've since read the reviews on Amazon. Yes, there are some reviews that aren't favourable, and about an equal number rave over it. What amazed me was the remainder of the reviews - the majority - were mostly 5 star reviews.
The main criticism is that slices of high (farmhouse style) or very wide breads stick out the top of the toaster. My toasters all suffer from that. I simply turnover the bread during the toasting.
Anyway, I couldn't resist buying one. And I can report this: It makes good toast, and it really can cook an egg while the bread is toasted. My first effort, using the amount of water shown on the measuring cup for medium cooked yolk resulted in a hard cooked yolk, which I like, but wasn't aiming for. Subsequently I've found that for a very soft yolk I need to use less water than the cup indicates for a soft yolk. I'll keep experimenting.
But my main interest is that it can boil an egg - or up to 4 eggs at once - on a "set and forget" basis. For me, hard boiling an egg has always been a fairly time consuming process. I have to frequently check the saucepan, to note when the water comes to the boil, so that I can then start the timing. And I have to be there when the timing ends. What I like about this appliance, is that all I have to do is add the amount of water required for however many eggs I want to cook and whether I want them soft, medium or hard boiled, and then press the "eggs only" button. After that I confidently leave the Tefal to cook my hard boiled egg/s. The toaster switches off once all the water has evaporated. It takes about 14 minutes from start to finish for hard boiled eggs for a salad. Also, I've now learned the secret of removing the shell easily.
The Tefal Toast n Egg is a success with me. There is no other way I'd use to cook boiled eggs, and it can make toast at the same time. Here's a chicken salad with a boiled egg I cooked in the Tefal Toast n Egg.
Photo by me, taken with my Leica.
A Life Saver
One of my movie star heroes in my teens died after falling off a ladder at home. My home security system was installed and is maintained by a man who fell off a ladder a few years ago, and because of head injuries suffers a speech impediment. And I must confess that I'm drawn to watching Australia's Funniest Home Videos which is a parade of unfortunate accidents (and the best ones are not Australian). I've noticed over the years that a lot of the "funny" videos are of people standing on tables etc, that are not intended to be stood on, and collapse under the weight of the person on them.
The fact is that I've been in my home in Melbourne since June 1983, and have always used a small coffee table from Adelaide to stand on to change light globes in ceiling light fittings. I've never been comfortable with that, and over the years, my concern and nervousness about standing on that coffee table and looking up and trying to use both hands to remove a light fitting and change a light globe has become harder and harder. It usually takes a number of attempts over several days, and sometimes I have a shot of whiskey to see if this will calm my nerves apprehension. The problem got a lot harder in early 2008 when I had air-conditioning fitted to my unit.
I now have to clean the air extraction filter in my hallway every three months. I've tried to do it standing on the small coffee table, even with support from a small step ladder. But I can't get the courage to look up and do it.
I've been looking around casually for years for ideas of how to overcome the problem, by finding something I'd feel confident standing on.
Eventually, a few months ago, I came across a product called the Safe-T-Step which I've seen used by staff in supermarkets, hardware stores and so on. I asked staff where I might be able to buy one, but they didn't know. One person suggested Officeworks. In due course I visited the biggest Officeworks store in my region of Melbourne. They had the SafeT-Step, but only for their use. They suggested Bunnings hardware stores, so in due course one sunny day in September, I set off for the biggest Bunnings store in my region. I'd never been there before so I used my car navigation system. All went fine on the 14km drive until my navigation system told me to turn right into a side street, and then announced I was at my destination.
So I parked the car in the side street and had a walk up and down the street, which was one of those industrial areas with smart new buildings and warehouses, but no sign of Bunnings. So I set off for a walk along the main road as I was sure it wouldn't be too far away. Besides, it was a lovely sunny day for a walk, and the exercise would do me good. As I walked along I noticed it was becoming very windy, and when I looked behind I saw a dark storm just above the horizon, with falling rain. That was a long way away so I kept on walking, and walking and walking. I was then becoming aware of how far I'd walked from my car, and I began wondering if I was taking on too much to carry a possibly heavy and bulky object back to the car. But I kept on walking to find where this elusive Bunnings store was. And then I came to it. It was huge, as was its car park. It was at that moment that few heavy drops of rain began falling, so I decided to head back to the car and drive back to the Bunnings store now that I knew where it was. I didn't get very far on my way to the car when the storm hit - thunder, lightning and drenching rain. I decided to head for the nearest shelter, which was a large office block with steps and a small verandah set well back from the road. So I got there, drenched, to wait out the storm in the shelter of the verandah. A young lady in the office could see me on the porch so she came out to talk to me (and perhaps to make sure that I was not up to no good) and she kindly offered to drive me back to my car. Some people are so kind. I thanked her for her offer, but assured her the storm would be over soon because of the wind moving it along so fast. A few minutes later I was able to set off for my car again in light rain.
After that little adventure, which was quite fun being out in the storm, I returned to my car and drove to the Bunnings and store, and guess what? I was told they used the Safe-T-Step in their store, but didn't sell it.
I'm sure summer is on the way, despite the fact that in Melbourne we lately seem to have lapsed back into mid winter. Earlier this year we had the hottest summer in the recorded history of Melbourne weather, and we had the hottest day (46C) ever recorded by an Australian capital city.
Bearing that in mind I've been anxious to be able to clean my air conditioning filter before the onset of summer, last weekend I made a big effort to find where I could buy the Safe-T-Step. And I did. Officeworks do sell them, but only online and at a price of $249. The main seller seems to be a firm in Sydney which sells them for $192.93 with rubber stops (to use on slippery surfaces). I wasn't all that keen to order from interstate, but late Tuesday afternoon I rang them, found them very easy to deal with, and on Thursday morning the steps were on my from porch wrapped in plastic bubble. Within 10 minutes of unpacking it I'd got up and removed the A/C filter, cleaned it, and replaced it, without a smidgeon of being nervous or apprehensive.