Mirro is a division of Wearever cookware, who produce some very nice aluminum cookware pressure cookers as well as canning accessories. Their stainless steel cookware is very much in demand right now, and for good reason.

No matter how much you actually cook in your own kitchen, you should really think about fleshing out your current cookware and bakeware collections with some quality Mirro products.

Pressure cookers are sort of the odd man out when it comes to the kitchen. Most regular cookware sets don’t come with them included, so you usually have to buy one separately. You have a lot of different options from Mirro, including:

• Mirro 4 Quart Pressure Cooker
• Mirro 8qt. Pressure Cooker
• Mirro 22-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker/Canner
• Mirro Get A Grip Aluminum Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set

Mirro 4 Quart Pressure Cooker

I don’t mind saying that this is a slightly odd piece of cookware. It’s only four quarts large and really, if you’re going to use a pressure cooker you’re mostly going to need a larger one. It’s made of rustproof heavy gauge aluminum and features a pressure monitoring device in the handle and over pressure relief valve. Most customers that have reviewed this piece have complained that it’s pretty low quality so even at the $35 price tag, I suggest you stay away from it.

Mirro 8qt. Pressure Cooker

At $50 this is a slightly better model, though it’s still a little too small for my taste. It is also made of rustproof heavy gauge aluminum and comes with a sure locking lid system and pressure monitoring device embedded in the handle. It is dishwasher safe as well. If price is an issue then this may be the cooker for you, but for my money I still recommend the next model…

Mirro 22-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker/Canner

At $95 this is definitely the cooker for you. It’s 22 quart size is large enough to handle just about anything. It holds 16 pint jars or 5 quart jars and is made out of rustproof heavy gauge aluminum. It has three cooking pressure options; 5, 10, and 15 psi, and comes with a reusable over pressure plug, side gasket pressure release valve, and sure locking lid system. You can also can with this beast as well. Unlike the other two models, this one is not dishwasher safe so you’ll have to wash it by hand. Most of the reviews online are 5 out of 5 stars and I give it an aggregate score of 93% A.

Mirro Get A Grip Aluminum Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set

Finally, for fun I thought I would toss in this $50 ten piece cookware set. It comes with an 8 inch sauté pan, 10 inch sauté pan, 1 quart covered saucepan, 2 quart covered saucepan, 5 quart covered Dutch oven, slotted spoon, and slotted spatula making it a slightly oddly configured set. Each piece comes with silicone soft grip handles and tempered glass covers with large touch knobs. You have to ask yourself how good this set can actually be for only $50, and cheapness is a concern… but I give it an aggregated score of 87% B+ based on customer reviews. Some people have had problems with the Teflon coating peeling off after about a year or so, so keep that in mind.

So you see, you have a nice range of options when it comes to Mirro Cookware. They do tend to specialize in pressure cookers, but they also make a few nice sets as well as we have seen, especially if you’re strapped for cash.

What exactly is a garlic press?

Basically it’s a small, easy to use kitchen tool that you use to chop up fresh garlic straight from the clove. You squeeze it through a metal grid of small holes. If you cook a lot in your kitchen then you know how useful they really are on a daily basis. Most are stainless steel though you can probably get away with a plastic one if you have to. If there’s a more useful kitchen gadget, I can’t think of it!

Today I’m going to look at three different garlic press options, namely:

• Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
• Kuhn Rikon Easy-Squeeze Garlic Press
• Kuhn Rikon Easy-Clean Garlic Press w/scraper

Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press

At $28 this is by far the most popular model that Kuhn Rikon sells. It is completely made out of stainless steel and is designed to fit very comfortably in your hand. The sieve hinges out so that you can clean it under the water faucet quite easily and you can also stick it in the dishwasher. Out of 213 customer reviews, 171 people rated it a five out of 5 stars and I give it an aggregate score of 99% A+ you really can’t go wrong with this press.

Kuhn Rikon Easy-Squeeze Garlic Press

At $20 this is a smaller press though still pretty impressive. It has a lever design that is supposed to use 60% less effort, though less effort than what; I’m not quite sure. It’s dishwasher safe and also offers easy hand cleaning as well. I give this a solid 93% A rating but I suggest you spend the eight extra dollars and bump up to the first model I discussed above, and why not?

Kuhn Rikon Easy-Clean Garlic Press w/scraper

Finally, at $16 this is a very basic model that doesn’t feel particularly substantial in your hands. It’s pretty small and made out of plastic. It has a stainless steel sieve, of course, but the body is reinforced plastic that is dishwasher safe but not very impressive looking. This model has more one, two, and three star reviews that it does four or five star reviews and I give it an aggregate rating of 80% B-. It doesn’t make sense to buy this one when for just a few extra dollars you could bump up to the nicer ones.

So there you have the three most popular Kuhn Rikon Garlic Press options on the market today. If you’re in the market for garlic presses then I highly recommend Kuhn Rikon, especially the Epicurean model above. You’ll be very happy that you did because your cooking deserves the best…

What is a pepper mill?

For all you un-initiated, it’s simply a cylinder looking thing that you use to hand grind peppercorn. Peppercorns are what make pepper. It usually looks like a salt shaker and if you do a lot of cooking in your kitchen, then it’s an invaluable item that you’ll use just about every day. It really does make the best pepper. Oh, and they make a great gift too!

Unicorn Pepper Mills are made by the Tom David, Inc. Unicorn company on Nantucket. They are especially famous for being able to grind at both ends of the spectrum, from very fine all the way to very coarse. Most pepper mills do a fairly good job of one or the other, either only fine or only coarse and very few do a good job at both, but this one does.

It also has a fairly large capacity but at the same time dispenses pepper much quicker than you would think possible. It also has a small hole on the side that allows you to easily load the peppercorns which is especially useful and something you don’t always see in other models. It also has a very comfortable design which is a feature that often gets overlooked, but after all you use it by hand so it has to be easy to hold onto.

How much do they cost?

Depending on the size, you can expect to pay from around $30 up to around $50 or so. If you do a little research online, you can usually find them at the low $30 range, that’s for a 6 inch model. An 9 inch model may cost you around $45, give or take.

What do people say about them?

Overall these are some of the most widely reviewed and acclaimed pepper mills on the market today. Anytime you see a list of customer reviews they’re almost always going to be five out of 5 stars. Aggregating reviews across the board, I give them a solid 98% A grade. They hold up for a long time, they perform exactly the way they’re supposed to, they don’t jam, and they always give a nice uniform peppering.

Let’s face it, your kitchen is incomplete unless you own a Unicorn Pepper Mill. Sure, you can probably find a cheaper model but it won’t last as long and won’t be as easy to use; but if you cook often and you really love fresh pepper, then you’re doing yourself a disservice by not purchasing this grinder today.

What is a rice cooker?

Basically it’s a machine that sits on your countertop that you use to cook rice. You don’t need an oven at all to use it, it’s self-contained. They cook via special heating which is done by passing electrical current through an electromagnetic object like a metal. It’s not really important how it’s done, just that it works!

How Much do they cost?

You can expect to pay between $280 up to around $500 for a zojirushi rice cooker depending on the model and the different bells and whistles that come with it. Today I’m going to talk about a few popular models, including:

• Zojirushi NP-GBC05 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer
• Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer
• Zojirushi NP-HBC18 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

As you can see, they seem to be categorized by the size or number of cups that they produce. Whether you prefer cooking white rice or brown rice, long grain or short, or any other kind for that matter, zojirushi has you covered. This is one appliance you shouldn’t live without.

Zojirushi NP-GBC05 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

At $262 this is a nice entry-level rice cooker. It is 700 Watt and uses induct, heating. It has multiple menu cooking functions and an LCD control panel that comes with its own clock and timer which is incredibly useful. You need to wash this machine by hand, so keep that in mind. Out of 13 reviews, this model has 13 five out of 5 star ratings!

Zojirushi NP-HBC10 5-1/2-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

At $290 this may be the most popular Zojirushi model. It will make 5 1/2 cups of rice and uses its own microcomputer technology and superior induct heating that will distribute the heat evenly every time. It will even handle sushi rice and porridge and comes with a new easy to clean coating and a stainless steel exterior. Out of 72 reviews, it has 62 reviews with five out of 5 stars.

Zojirushi NP-HBC18 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

Finally, at $280 this is a slightly larger model than the last one. It comes with its own spatula and spatula holder and also its own rice measuring cup. It has the same microcomputer technology and induct heating system as the last model. Out of 44 customer reviews, it received 38 five out of five star reviews making it just as well received as the last two models.

These are all three great rice cookers. It really is time to throw out your old cooking pan and switch to a full on rice cooker once and for all.

As you can see, people really enjoy their Zojirushi Induction Rice Cooker. The only real choice you have to make is which size you prefer. Personally I would choose the 10 cup rice cooker because it’s actually cheaper than 5 1/2 cup model and is just as well received by past customers. But the choice is yours…

There are a ton of different French press coffee makers on the market today from a ton of different companies and it can be confusing to narrow down the best one.

I’ll be completely upfront with you, it really doesn’t matter which one you buy because these are such simple machines that there’s not much to them. Basically you need a carafe, which is just a glass beaker to hold the water, and you need a plunger that filters the coffee grounds from the water. That’s it!

Of course, depending on the material of the plunger and the filter, there can be a little differentiation between different brands, but here’s what you should look for…

There are two main types of presses out there. The first is a stainless steel coffee maker and the second is rubber. Now your rubber presses are going to be more stylish and funky looking. They’re going to be made out of bright colors with a lot of different color options. They’ll have stylish handles and funky tops. You need to realize right away though that these are not as good as the stainless steel options because you’re working with near boiling water and boiling water and rubber don’t go together all that well.

I suggest you focus on a standard stainless steel looking French press which is sturdy and will last forever. The clear industry leader is Bodum. In fact, their 12 Cup Chambord French Coffee Press is one of the most popular French presses in the world. It has 575 customer reviews at Amazon.com and that’s huge! And to top it all off, 365 of them are five out of 5 star reviews, and 118 are 4 out of 5 star reviews. That’s quite an endorsement for any product!

The Bodum Chambord French Coffee Press cost $45 and will brew 51 ounces of coffee. It’s made out of a chrome plated brass frame that is very sturdy and very easy to keep clean.

Further, if your carafe ever breaks, a replacement beaker costs only $15 and is very easy to order online, unlike some other companies I won’t mention. You can also pick up a replacement filter for around eight or nine dollars if you ever need it, though you probably won’t.

Choosing the 12 Cup French Press that’s right for you doesn’t have to be that hard. If you want a traditional French press that will never go out of style and will last forever then go with the Bodum model I talked about above. If you’re not as serious about your coffee and are mostly interested in how the French press looks, then take any other brand on the market. Either way, you’ll probably enjoy your French press coffee for years to come.

Today I’m going to talk about several different options that you have and the different price ranges you can expect to pay. When we’re done, you’re going to have the knowledge you’ll need to find the press that’s right for you. So let’s dive right in!

First, how do they work

If you’ve never used a French press before, then I want to take a minute or two to explain the basics. If you already know this stuff, you can skip down.

The first step in making French press coffee is grinding your beans. You want to make sure that the beans have a slightly more course ground to them. The finer the beans are ground, the stronger the coffee will be.

Next you’ll heat up your water on the stove until right before it begins to boil. Dump a couple scoops of ground coffee into the bottom of your French press and then fill it to the top, or near the top with hot water and let it sit for five minutes or so.

Next fasten the top on to the French press (the thing with the round filter and plunger). Push down on the plunger slowly to filter the grounds to the bottom of the carafe. Personally I like to let it sit for another five minutes after I’ve done this step. That’s it! Now you can enjoy your coffee!

What popular brands are the best?

There are many different French presses on the market and all of them work really well. The most popular include:

• Bodum Chambord French Coffee Press 10 Cup
• BonJour Hugo 8-Cup Unbreakable French Press
• Bodum Brazil 8-Cup Coffee Press

Bodum tends to offer stainless steel options while Bonjour offers rubber and plastic models, hence the price differences between the two that I will discuss below.

Bodum Chambord French Coffee Press 10 Cup

At $45 this is a very nice French press coffee maker that is incredibly popular. It will brew 51 ounces of coffee and is made of a very sturdy chrome plated brass frame with an easy to clean glass carafe. This model has 365 – five out of 5 star reviews at Amazon, which is amazing. Whether you choose the smaller bodum 8 cup french press or this larger one, you simply can’t go wrong with Bodum.

BonJour Hugo 8-Cup Unbreakable French Press Coffee Maker

At $20 this is a less sturdy and less substantial French press then the Bodum model, but if price is an issue then it’s a very real alternative. It makes 32 ounces of fresh brewed coffee and has an unbreakable polycarbonate carafe and rubberized comfort grip handles with a plastic lid and frame. Out of 136 customer reviews I give this an 80% B- because it has a large number of negative reviews, probably from people who don’t like the rubber and plastic feel of it.

Everyone should have a French Press Coffeemaker and since they’re so inexpensive you really have no excuse not to own one. Bodum is the clear industry standard when it comes to French press and no matter what size you’re looking to purchase, they have options to fit your needs. Plus if your carafe ever breaks, it’s easy to find a replacement very inexpensively.

Today I’m going to talk about the different conical burr grinder options you have from Capresso, talk a little bit about the different prices you can expect to see, and also discuss some customer reviews that may surprise you.

So what’s in a coffee grinder?

Some people like fine grounds and some like coarse. How you handle your beans will directly affect the flavor of your espresso, so it’s pretty important to get it right. A burr grinder is one of the most efficient ways to get the job done.

Jura-Capresso offers several models to choose from, including:

• Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder
• Capresso 580.01 Disk Burr Grinder
• Capresso 556 Stainless-Steel Burr Grinder
• Capresso 501 Cool Grind Coffee Grinder

Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder

At $90 this is one of the most popular design models on the market today. It comes in both black and stainless steel to fit your decor. This is a commercial grade grinder that will hold 8 ounces of beans and 4 ounces of grounds. It comes with a built-in timer and heavy-duty thick die cast wall housing. Out of 584 customer reviews at Amazon, it has 325 five out of 5 star reviews, which is staggering. You really can’t go wrong with this machine.

Capresso 580.01 Disk Burr Grinder

At $50, this is a slightly less substantial and less sturdy piece of equipment, but if money is tight then it should work better than nothing. It has 17 grind settings so that you can make especially fine espresso grounds or more coarse French press grounds. It also has a 14 ounce bean container which is pretty big. I should point out that the majority of the customer reviews are less than flattering for this model and I aggregated them up to a 78% C+ rating.

Capresso 556 Stainless-Steel Burr Grinder

At $90 this little guy is sort of like a stainless steel version of the 580 I just discussed. In fact, I think it’s the same exact model for all intents and purposes. Out of 29 reviews the majority gave it a 1 out of 5 stars and I’ve aggregated the total to a 75% C rating. For the price you should probably stay away from this grinder at all costs.

Capresso 501 Cool Grind Coffee Grinder

Finally we have this lower-end $20 model. It has a very large capacity allowing you to grind up to 15 cups worth of coffee grounds and comes with a pulse action that allows you to grind in either coarse or fine settings. It comes with stainless steel blades which means it’s not really a burr grinder so keep that in mind. On the other hand, customers are generally positive about it and it has an aggregated 90% A- rating.

A Capresso Burr Grinder may cost a lot more than a traditional grinder that you pick up in any regular department store. Heck, the good ones cost as much or more than most people spend on their espresso machines at the lower end of the price range. But if you appreciate ground coffee and espresso and you grind your own beans then you can’t go wrong with a Jura-Capresso grinder.

Before we get into the specific models that are available, I need to say something about these espresso machines. They are NOT like regular espresso makers in one very specific area. They use plastic capsules instead of coffee beans or pods. Each capsule is filled with special Lavazza coffee grounds.

Many people really like this feature because it cuts down on the mess compared to other super automatic and semi automatic machines, while others feel constricted at the lack of coffee bean options.

When it comes to a Lavazza espresso maker, you have a lot of different options but ultimately it comes down to two main choices. Namely:

• Lavazza Espresso Point Machine
• Lavazza Blue (LB 1000 or LB 800 models)

Each of these coffee makers have their own unique benefits and I’m going to spend a few minutes talking about both of them today.

Lavazza Espresso Point Machine: (sometimes referred to as espresso point matinee) at about $700 this is a very unique looking machine. It is very shiny with a stainless steel case that is polished to mirror like quality and has a gold trimmed faceplate that makes the entire thing sparkle in a very retro way. As you would expect, this machine has all the bells and whistles including steam wand for frothing milk to make cappuccinos or lattes. Easy-to-use buttons make brewing coffee easy

Lavazza Blue (LB 1000 or LB 800 models): these are certainly more stylish looking machines that have a more modern feel to them. You can expect to pay a little more for these, around $900 or so. They use capsules but unlike the other model, it requires specific Lavazza blue cartridges. They come with just four buttons that make using them very easy as well as very streamlined and fast.

Where To Buy Them:

The best place to look for these coffee machines are specialty coffee websites. If you look somewhere else like Amazon.com you’re going to find wide price disparities. For instance you can expect to pay almost $700 more for a Lavazza Point machine at Amazon versus most specialty websites. The moral of this story is that it’s important to shop around before you buy your espresso maker.

Another thing that I should clarify is the fact that neither Lavazza espresso machine that I’ve discussed today has grinders built-in like most semiautomatics simply because there are no beans to grind. Remember, these machines use their own special capsules that are pre-filled with coffee grounds from Lavazza.

If you’re looking for a machine to automatically create gourmet espresso and coffee with little to no mess or fuss, then a Lavazza Machine may be right for you. If you absolutely love Lavazza coffee, then it’s a natural extension to use these machines.

The Jura-Capresso 13185 F7 nearly has too many features to describe. This machine grinds, tamps, brews, and even cleans in less than a minute. It has an 18 bar pump and a stainless steel thermo block heating unit as well is a 64 ounce water tank and commercial grade conical burr grinder. It also has a dual frother and steaming wand that allow for easy milk frothing to make a great cappuccino or latte with ease.

This is without a doubt one of the best super automatic machines on the market today and with a price tag of only $700 at most specialty coffee and espresso websites, you’d be crazy not to take a hard look at this super automatic coffee center.

Some people like smaller machines that just brew one shot of espresso at a time, while others enjoy automatic coffee and espresso makers. If you fall into the second category then jura capresso is probably right up your alley.

What’s more, this is a very stylish looking machine. It has brushed stainless steel casings alongside both sides of the machine and a black face plate that adds a nice contrast visually. It’s not too large either, measuring in at 13.6 inches in height and 11 inches in width and 17.3 inches in depth, it won’t take up too much counter space.

The only downside to this machine that I can tell is the drip tray. Since the machine is automatic you tend to forget about the tray but the fact is, it can fill up rather quickly and so you really need to keep emptying it every once in a while. Admittedly, this is a pretty silly complaint but still something I thought you might want to know about; though it certainly shouldn’t keep you from purchasing!

Whether this is your first espresso machine and coffee maker or your 10th, you really can’t go wrong with Jura. In my opinion this is a good solid 4 1/2 out of 5 stars espresso machine. When I researched this article I tried to find as many negative customer reviews as I could because you often learn more from those, but in this case I couldn’t find any, none at all! You can take that with a grain of salt if you want, but it tells me something important.

Jura Capresso Impressa F7 is a very nice superautomatic system that I’m sure you’ll be happy to own. Easy-to-use, easy to maintain, it wins in every category. And the bottom line is that it makes a darn good shot of espresso every time, and it has great flavor no matter what bean you use.