Lifting the Lid on Lifting a Lid

If you suffer with arthritis or a weakness in the hand or wrist department, then opening a jar lid can be a major problem and some of the solutions available are like pieces from a manual of medievil torture. The most common utensil on offer is the scissor style clamp with a variety of different integral lid sizes to choose from. The first thing to point out is that if you buy a cheap one, you may well have wasted your money and a more expensive one still might not work for you since it requires some strength in your grip to squeeze the handles together and at the same time twist to release the lid. It might sound petty, but this can be most frustrating. The solutions come thick and fast, Boa, different sizes and shapes of bits of rubber sheet, trap it in the door frame, damp cloth, clamp it between your knees, wait for someone strong to call by, run it under a hot tap, wind out steel strap, and on and on. The problem with most jar lids is the vacuum created when it is sealed at the factory. The absolute best solution I have found which suits just about all hand and wrist ailments and does not cost the earth is the JARKEY, rather like a beer bottle opener for jars. Simply place it under the edge of the lid and lift, and with little effort the vacuum is released and the lid is easily unscrewed. Thereafter wipe around the top of the jar to keep the thread free of becoming sticky and all should be well.

Gastromax Kitchen Tools

There are always a couple of favorites in every range of kitchen gadgets and utensils, and the spatula and tongs are the two here. Having said that, the rest of the range is made up of a superb collection of good value for money useful tools and gadgets. This is a range that is ideally suited to non stick cookware and that is equally at home with all other ranges as well as they do not scratch any surface. They are heat resistant to 265c / 500f and dishwasher safe as well. Buy these with confidence.

Its Corn On The Cob Time Somewhere

Fresh or frozen, corn on the cob is available all year round. There are many ways to cook it and here we will show you some of those ways and some ways to serve it too. Two things spring to mind when I think of corn on the cob, butter and how am I going to enjoy it without getting butter all over my fingers so it becomes like gripping a bar of soap. Corn on the cob holders is the answer to holding the corn. As ever there are some pretty poor offerings around but I have found a really good set from Tovolo, they have a strong stainless steel pin and coil to screw into the corn so it wont slip out and chunky non slip handles to keep a grip.

Mashing Potatoes

It can be a bit of a chore, specially if you are using a poorly designed potato masher. There are some good mashers out there and we do list a couple that we rate on the website. But, the champion has to be the potato ricer, again you can end up with a badly designed one but a good one will help you to produce the best mashed potato. Admittedly this is not a fashion item but the one I strongly recommend is the smart looking Faringdon potato ricer which comes with three different discs for fine, medium and coarse textures. The action is firm and it is comfortable to use with the lower handle having a well formed finger moulding. The pressure you excert will be rewarded with the potato being pushed through the plate of your choice. It only takes a minute or so to do a kilo of potatoes through the ricer, then mix in the butter and milk. Rinse it under warm water to remove the excess potato and either hand wash it or put it in the dishwasher. There will be a short YouTube video soon showing it in action and how easy it is to use. We are currently selling it at less than half price, just follow the link.