Kitchen Gear Explainers: How It Works, in Plain Terms

Explainers

How kitchen gear actually works, answered in the first two sentences and backed by the figures our guides already publish.

Each explainer takes one question a buyer types into a search box and answers it with the published numbers from the products we have compared, then links to the guides that go with it.

Do any of the Instant Pot models still have a 3-prong plug? This site has not compared Instant Pot models, so it cannot say which of them ship with a 3-prong plug. Is a dedicated air fryer going to be better than a Breville Air Fryer/Toaster Oven? A dedicated air fryer concentrates hot air in a small basket, while a toaster oven with an air fry setting spreads that function across a larger… How easy is it to repair a rusted or chipped enamel layer on Weber grills? Weber does not publish repair or refinishing instructions for its porcelain-enameled finishes, and none of the grills compared on this site is sold with a touch-up… Can pressure cookers also be used for canning? Stovetop pressure cookers and pressure canners overlap, but electric multi-cookers are not built or rated for pressure canning. How do you safely clean an air fryer? Unplug the unit and let it cool completely, then clean only the parts the maker lists as removable and washable, keeping water and spray away from… Can you start the electric pressure cooker with frozen food in it? Yes, an electric pressure cooker can be started with frozen food inside, but the maker instructions and the amount of liquid decide whether it comes to… How do I cook fluffy grains (millet, buckwheat, bulgur) and lentils in an Instant Pot? Use the pressure cook setting with the right water ratio for each grain, and let the pot release pressure naturally so the grains finish steaming instead… How do you make dal (lentils) properly in an Instant Pot? Rinse the lentils, add water and aromatics, cook under pressure until soft, then finish with a tempering of fat and spices stirred in at the end. What healthy meals can you make with only an air fryer and microwave? You can build vegetable, grain, egg and lean protein meals by splitting the work: the microwave for steam, reheat and defrost, the air fryer for browning… What temperature do you cook homemade meatballs in a slow cooker at? Set the slow cooker to its Low or High setting and let the meatballs come up to a safe internal temperature of 160°F, which is the… Does the water quality matter when water bath canning? Water quality matters less than most guides suggest: what the jar holds is what you eat, and the water outside the jar only has to boil… Which stainless steel juicer has been durable for you? No juicer on our list is made of stainless steel throughout, but the Juilist centrifugal model is the only one whose maker states stainless steel finishes… Is a glass air fryer as efficient as a regular air fryer? No maker in our smart air fryer guide publishes an efficiency figure for a glass model, so the comparison cannot be made on published numbers; what… Is stripping a preowned cast iron skillet always necessary? No. A preowned skillet with an intact, even seasoning can be washed, dried and cooked on as it is; stripping is for pans with rust, flaking… How do I stop destroying pancakes with a cast iron pan? Season the pan, heat it low and slow, and use enough fat so the batter sets before it grips the iron. Would pressure canning water make fresh lake water safe to drink? No. A pressure canner sterilizes what is sealed inside jars, and it cannot remove the dissolved contaminants, sediment, or chemicals that lake water carries. Are steam air fryers the next generation of air fryers? Steam air frying is a real combination, but neither guide cited here compares a steam air fryer, so this site cannot yet call it the next… How do you keep beef from drying out in a slow cooker? Keep the beef submerged in liquid, cook it on the low setting, and use a cooker whose pot holds enough food that the roast is not… Are enameled cast-iron pans just as sought after as the black cast-iron pans? Enameled cast iron and bare black cast iron are both in demand, but the two draw different buyers, and the guides on this site compare neither. Are all slow cookers now running piping hot even on low? No. Only one pick in our slow cooker guide publishes low and high temperature figures, and its low setting is listed at 201.2°F, so the makers… Do people actually preheat the air fryer? Some air fryer makers build preheat into the program and some leave it out, so whether people preheat depends on the model and the recipe. Why does French press coffee taste so much better than drip? A French press steeps grounds in full immersion and filters through metal mesh that lets oils and fine particles into the cup, while a drip brewer… Is French press coffee better than percolated coffee? A French press gives you fuller control over steeping and filtering, while a percolator cycles brewed coffee back over the grounds, so the two methods produce… What features identify a good French Press? A good French press is identified by its filter stack, its carafe material, and how cleanly its parts come apart for washing. Why is French Press considered to brew better coffee? A French press keeps the coffee oils and fine particles that a paper filter traps, and its full immersion steep gives the grounds even contact with… What is the difference between a moka pot and a drip coffee maker? A moka pot pushes hot water up through grounds under steam pressure on a stove or element, while a drip coffee maker pours water over a… Can You Use Ground Espresso Beans in a Drip Coffee Maker? Yes, you can brew ground espresso beans in a drip coffee maker, but the grind is finer than drip machines are designed for, so expect a… What are some alternatives to using bleach in a drip coffee maker? Use a descaling solution of white vinegar and water, or a citric acid solution, run through a full brew cycle, instead of bleach, which is not… What single cup coffee maker brews the hottest coffee? No maker in this site's coffee guides publishes a brew temperature, so the hottest cup cannot be named from published figures; the Keurig K-Café SMART is… Are all automatic drip coffee makers the same in terms of output? No. Automatic drip coffee makers differ in carafe capacity, batch size settings, brew strength options and warming time, and the five picks in our guide show… What espresso machines last the longest? No maker in the cited guide publishes a lifespan figure, but the De'Longhi Stilosa is the only pick whose maker describes a boiler built for durability. What woods other than maple and cherry make good cutting boards? Beech, walnut, ash, and teak are the common alternatives, but the boards this site has compared are plastic and titanium, so no wood figures are published… What are the different types of cutting boards found in a kitchen? Kitchen cutting boards fall into a few material families: plastic, wood and bamboo, composite or wheat straw plastic, and metal such as titanium, and each family… What material is considered the most sanitary for a cutting board? A nonporous surface is the most sanitary choice, and the makers of plastic and titanium boards both describe their surfaces as nonporous, so liquids, odors and… What type of wood and thickness should you use for cutting boards? Hard, closed-grain woods such as maple are the usual choice for wood boards, but none of the five picks in our cutting board guide is wood,… How do you choose the right cutting board for cooking? Choose by size for the food you cut most, by material for how you clean and store it, and by features like juice grooves and non-slip… How do you know which cutting board is right for your kitchen? Match the board to the job: pick by size, material, and whether the maker publishes the dimensions you need. What are the benefits of a self sharpening knife set? A self sharpening knife set keeps a consistent edge angle with less effort, but the sharpening mechanism inside the block or handle is the part that… Is a knife set a good gift for a newlywed couple? Yes, a knife set is a practical wedding gift, and several makers describe their sets as wedding gifts, but the right pick depends on whether the… What are the highest quality knife sets for precision and accuracy in the kitchen? Precision in a knife set comes down to what the maker states about blade steel, edge angle and construction, and the Brewin set is the only… Do you make sauces in your nonstick frying pan? Yes, a nonstick frying pan can be used to make sauces, but the coating and the heat limit set by each maker decide which sauces suit… What is the worst nonstick frying pan? No maker publishes a failure rating, so the honest answer is that this site has not ranked any nonstick pan as the worst, and the guides… Are nonstick frying pans better than well maintained stainless steel ones? Neither wins outright: nonstick releases food without added fat and cleans quickly, while well maintained stainless steel takes high heat and metal utensils, so the better… What are some uses for Dutch ovens? Dutch ovens braise, bake bread, fry, roast, and hold heat for serving, and the five picks in our guide show how makers describe those uses. What is better, a Dutch oven or an Instant Pot? Neither is better in general: a Dutch oven is oven safe and works on the stovetop, while an Instant Pot is a sealed electric pressure cooker,… What are some Dutch oven cooking tips? Use the pot for both stovetop searing and oven braising, keep the heat at or below the maker's stated oven limit, and let the lid's condensation… What are the benefits of using stainless steel or cast iron Dutch ovens and skillets? The benefit is heat: cast iron holds heat and releases it slowly, and the enamel coating on most Dutch ovens adds a nonstick, no-seasoning surface that… What is the standard Dutch oven size? There is no single standard, but among the five picks in our Dutch oven guide the most common capacity is 6 quarts, with one 6.4 quart…