Borosilicate Glass Containers

When this 12 cup Borosilicate glass container with handle was featured on LNL's happy hour deal, I have bought one without a second thought. I always had this on my mind. The reason? Well, its huge enough to hold dishes for my Lock N Lock party (learn more about my LNL party here). I prepare the dish usually a day or two before the party, store it in the refrigerator. Because of the airtightness, food stays fresh. The best part is that this container has a handle which makes it easier for me to carry it to the party. All I have to do is pop it in the microwave/oven at the party and it is safe to do so without the lids. Since it is glass, it is stain (& odor) resistant which is one of my top priorities as I use turmeric while cooking my food. The floral pattern on the lid is adorable which makes the dish look more presentable. And I am glad that I received one more through the LNL supporters program. I also bought this 16.6 cup Borosilicate container with handle. This is BOROSEAL while the other one is BOROSEAL II. I cant get the difference between these two containers except for the capacity and change in the floral pattern on the lid. But, DH says that this container is little bit lighter than the 12 cup one. It has the same features as the 12 cup container - stain & odor resistant, oven & microwave safe and has a cute little blue handle too. Just perfect for carrying food to a party/potlucks.

Well, I am glad I bought these cuities, after all they are from LNL.

New friends in the Kitchen

I would like to show you all my new found friends in the kitchen. Drum roll.......

Lock N Lock Air, airless container When they went on sale, I bought a couple of these containers. You put the food in these containers, lock the four sides, lock the clip on the top of the lid and push air out (and you hear a sound when the air is pushed out). It is claimed that this prevents air from reaching the food and it deters the growth of bacteria. It's true, I mean I don't understand all the science behind this, but I am pretty impressed with what this container does. I saved curry leaves, coriander leaves and some mint leaves and they all stayed fresh for about 2 weeks. For the first time (and because of preserving my herbs in these containers), I haven't thrown any of the herbs into the trash bin which is a very good achievement for me. This container also has an arrow mark, which can be rotated to set the date. This gives you an idea on how old the food is, really liked this feature. This way, I don't have to write on the containers using a marker.

Bar Keepers Friend The main reason I bought this is to clean my Cookplus Charming stainless steel cookware that I bought during the Thanksgiving sale from LNL. I should say, that this is one very good product and it definitely does what it says. I was boiling some milk and thanks to my DS, i forgot that the milk was boiling and then a few minutes later, I realized that something was wrong. I went in to see the steel bowl turning to a dark (non stick coating like) thing in it. I applied BKF paste and that's when I was really impressed. I wish I had taken a BEFORE and AFTER picture just to give you an idea. Nevertheless, I would recommend this to all my friends. One thing, you have to be really careful is to wear your gloves while using this product.

My Review- Cookplus SS cookware

Originally submitted at locknlockplace.com

Easy to clean and Safe for your health

By bnhmom from maryland. on 9/17/2011

4out of 5

Pros: Quality Materials, Easy To Use, Durable, Safety Features, Good Design
Cons: Heavy bulky
Best Uses: Outside, Inside, Gifts, Best to cook a meal for 2, Big Jobs, Small Jobs
Describe Yourself: Casual Do-It-Yourselfer

I have mostly used non stick cookware in the past. However, with all the health risks the non stick cookware is posing, I thought that it's time to get some stainless steel cookware. I have ordered this when it went on sale and am glad I did so. I think this is the best purchase that I have ever made. These are a few reasons why:

1. 18/10 stainless steel: Steel which is a combination of different metals like iron and carbon cannot be ideally used as cookware because it is not durable, rusting and corrosive. Hence 18% of chromium and 10%of nickel (sometimes 8% of nickel as in the case of 18/8 SS) are added to steel that is used to manufacture cookware. Hence 18/10 SS cookware is always high in quality. I have used one 18/10 sauce pan in the past to boil milk and cleaning was very easy (you know how difficult it is to clean the layer that forms at the bottom if you use a normal SS pan).

2. 3 layer bottom: The 3 layer bottom is a sandwich capsule made of 18/10 SS, Aluminium & 18/0 SS. Experts say that a SS cookware to be effective, it should have an aluminium or Copper base. This would enable quick and even distribution of heat. This reduces the hotspots and food will not stick easily. It will be even better if this 3 layer thickness is not just limited to the bottom.

3. Side rims: This cookware has a side/pouring rim which I think was better thought. When I have to transfer the cooked food (especially if it is liquidy), I can do so without any mess. I don't mind if these rims are little bit broader and smooth.

4. Glass lid: These lids are glass which helps me see the food cooking through it. I don't have to lift it up each time I want to check the status of the food. It also says that the lid is eco friendly and it can't get better. Also, I have noticed that the lids are tight enough to not let the steam escape. They are not too tight and hence you can lift it up easily. And the lid has a knob as opposed to some cookware which have a handle. My old cookware had a handle on it. My hand got caught in between the handle and the lid a few times which is not so comfortable especially when the lid gets hot.

5. Easy to clean handles:I used to get frustrated when I had to clean my old cookware especially the dark stains around the handles where the bolts are connected (sometimes food runs over and gets stuck around the bolts). But with my Cookplus, it IS easier to clean around the handles.

This cookware also has volume markings. I found it useful when I had to reduce the sauces or milk. I know exactly when they are reduced to half their volume or as desired.
However, I found that there is a discrepancy in what is shown in the website and the booklet that comes with the cookware. The website shows that I can use this cookware in the oven, but it didn't mention anything on up to how much temperature I can use the cookware. Hence I referred to the booklet. Surprisingly, the booklet doesn't say that this can be used in a conventional oven. I think that there should be some clarification on this. There is no warranty information either. So I didn't want to take any chances.
Even though this is dish washer safe, I usually hand wash it in hot soap water. And it is HEAVY. Because of its weight, it's tough for me to clean the cookware.For those people who use the dishwasher, this shouldn't be a problem.

The "Use and Care" guidelines provided were good. I suggest that you always cook food on medium heat. If in case the food sticks to the cookware, you can use the cream of tartar and vinegar paste.

I think that I have found a perfect cookware within my budget, easy to clean and safe for my health.

(legalese)

My Review - LNL Cookplus Ceramic Pan

Originally submitted at locknlockplace.com

Easy to clean

By Cooking4two from Boyds, MD on 9/2/2011

4out of 5

Pros: Easy To Use, Quality Materials
Cons: No lid
Best Uses: Big Jobs, Small Jobs, Gifts
Describe Yourself: Casual Do-It-Yourselfer

I have always used a stainless steel frying pan, mainly because of the fact that lot of other pans using PFOA coating. SS pan is good for your health, but not so easy on your hands. The cleaning is hardwork. So I have looked for a pan which doesn't use PFOA in its manufacturing. To speak the truth, there are a lot of other options out there. However, I would prefer Cookplus Ceramic over them because:

1. The Price: The other pans that I looked into would have cost me much much more than this one. This is a very reasonable price and with the deals that have been going on, its just an icing on the cake.
2. The Weight: I dont put my pans and pots in the dishwasher and usually hand wash them. This pan is incredibly low weight which makes it easy for me to handle it while cleaning. It is definitely a good feature that I appreciate.
3. Ceramic coating outside: I like to display the pots and pans that I have, in my kitchen. But this never happened because of all the stains that are caused on the outer side of the pans while cooking food (attaching a picture). As the Cookplus ceramic pans have ceramic coating outside, it has been very easy to maintain the pans.
4. Sturdy handle: Because of the long and sturdy handle, it is easy to hold the pan and toss the contents of the pan. And trust me, the handle ventialtion really (i mean really!)works.

And definitely, there is one thing that would make this one a much better pan. That is the lid.

Also, I use a lot of turmeric in my cooking. I have noticed that this pan (even after cleaning with soap water) has some stains left behind by the turmeric. This is not a big deal for me, as I have noticed that with lot of other pans (except for the Stainless Steel ones ofcourse!!!).

This stains on the outside of my old pan.

The slight discoloration because of turmeric.

(legalese)