Category: Microwave

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4 days left to get up to $1,700 in Appliance Stimulus rebates

Warners' Stellian Appliance

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appliance-stimulus-sale

The Appliance Stimulus is back, at Warners’ Stellian through Sunday, March 3

Warners’ Stellian re-created the government’s Cash for Clunkers-style appliance rebate program that was so popular, it crashed the state’s website a few years ago. Not everyone got to take advantage of the limited rebates, and customer requests for similar savings was huge.

Plus, many needed new dryers, microwaves and ranges, which were excluded from the government’s program. Our event has become wildly popular, so we’ve made it an annual mainstay and continue to make it bigger each year.

Like the state’s program in 2010, rebates must be reserved online at warnersstellian.com. Participants may receive up to $1,700 in rebates total but will receive at least $100 in many cases per appliance.

Sample rebates include:

$150 rebate on a refrigerator that costs between $1,000 and $1,4999
$100 rebate on a dishwasher that costs between $499 and $999
$200 for a cooking appliance which costs between $1500 and $2499.99

$50 for a freezer which costs between $299 and $499
$50 for a vacuum which costs more than $328

Rebate total details

Dishwasher (limit 1):

  • $499 to $999.99 – $100 rebate
  • $1000 and up – $150 rebate

Cooking – Ranges, cooktops, ovens, microwaves, etc. (limit 2)

  • $699 to $999.99 – $100 rebate
  • $1000 to $1499.99 – $150 rebate
  • $1500 to $2499.99 – $200 rebate
  • $1500 to $2499.99 – $300 rebate
  • $2500 and up –  $300 rebate

Refrigerator (limit 1):

  • $699 to $999.99 – $100 rebate
  • $1000 to $1499.99 – $150 rebate
  • $1500 to $2499.99 – $200 rebate
  • $2500 and up – $300 rebate

Washer and/or Dryer (limit 1 washer and dryer):

  • $499 to $999.99 each – washer $50 rebate, dryer $50 or $150 for a qualified laundry pair
  • $1000 and up each – washer $100 rebate, dryer $100 rebate or $300 total for a qualified laundry pair

Freezer (limit 1):

  • $399-599.99 – $50 rebate
  • $600 and up – $100 rebate

Vacuum (limit 1)

  • $329 and up – $50 rebate

Water Softeners and Water Heaters (limit 1; can be combined with utility rebates for even greater savings; check with your provider)

  • $499 to $1399.99 – $50 rebate
  • $1400 & up – $200 rebate

Participating brands we are advertising: Bosch, Electrolux, Samsung, Frigidaire, Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, GE, LG, Bertazzoni, Liebherr, Capital, ULine, Asko, Speed Queen, Panasonic, Dyson, Blomberg and more.

Beyond the Stimulus rebate savings, there will be deep discounts on all categories of appliances. A few examples:

  • Frigidaire front load laundry pair for only $899 (regularly $1399)
  • KitchenAid stainless steel dishwasher for just $599 (regularly price of $999.99)
  • Save $1000 on a 4-piece stainless steel kitchen package (fridge, range, dishwasher, microwave) from GE Profile, now just $4249

Aggressive discounts on kitchen packages hope to encourage consumers to replace their existing refrigerators, ranges, microwaves and dishwashers all at once. For example, shoppers can get $1000 savings on a GE Profile stainless steel kitchen package, making it just $4249.

As always, local delivery (including free-standing appliance installation) and appliance recycling are free on orders $499 and above.

WHEN:  Now through Sunday, March 3. Customers can reserve their rebate online  

WHERE:  Eight Warners’ Stellian locations, including our:

appliance-stimulus-rebates

cooking · HOW TO · Microwave

Baking tips: how to soften butter

Warners' Stellian Appliance1 Comment
microwaving-butter
Betcha didn’t think Christmas cookie baking could be improved with your microwave.

This weekend, the ladies in my family attempted to start a tradition of Christmas cookie baking.

Baking Christmas cookies takes a lot of planning and shopping and measuring and mixing and of course, baking (which includes cooling and sometimes rotating, if your oven lacks convection).

My soon-to-be sister-in-law chose to make these Russian Tea Cakes for the first time ever. The recipe calls for a cup of softened butter, but because we were making 6 dozen instead of 4 dozen, we needed a cup and a half of softened butter (that’s a lot). And although I am  horrible baker, she asked me a question I could actually answer:

“How do you get butter to soften without melting it?”

Because of our early morning start, the butter I brought to my mom’s was still refrigerator-hard. So we needed to intercede.

Perhaps your experience with softening butter in the microwave involves you — nose pressed up against the glass — nuking the flavorful fat ingredient in short intervals and praying it doesn’t melt.

Softening gone wrong
Softening gone wrong

But that’s not how it’s supposed to be at all.

Soften a stick of butter by microwaving it for a minute at 10% power.
Soften a stick of butter by microwaving it for a minute at 10% power.

 

To soften our cup and a half of butter, we microwaved each stick for a minute a piece at 10% power.

Based on your microwave, you might want to amp up to 20% and adjust the time or even use the defrost setting (which is 30% power).

Later, we also adjusted our microwave power to soften cream cheese for Peanut Butter Balls (which are amazing, by the way).

Microwave power levels can also come in handy for reheating foods, I’ve found. Foods like pizza and French fries revive less soggier when microwaved longer at lower power.

Try it out!

Budget-wise · Discount appliances · Dishwashers · Freezer · laundry · Microwave · Refrigerator · Washer

Shop Black Friday appliance deals before Black Friday

Warners' Stellian Appliance

 

Many think that Black Friday shoppers are out scooping up discounted gifts for their loved one’s holiday wishlists.

And they are, don’t get me wrong.

But the day after Thanksgiving is becoming a day savvy shoppers use to score deals for themselves, as well. Think Black Friday refrigerators. Black Friday washers. Black Friday dishwashers. Yep, I’m serious. If you discount it, shoppers will come!

And savvy retailers and brands are hatching Black Friday appliance deals early to ensure the catching of that worm.

So shop now while the supplies are still available. (Hint: we have our lowest deal on a stainless steel kitchen package since…well, at least a couple years — I can’t even remember. But we can’t advertise it!)

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, after all.

 

 

Energy Efficiency · Food · HOW TO · Microwave · Ranges · Refrigerator

AS SEEN ON TV: Appliance tips to maximize your kitchen

Warners' Stellian Appliance1 Comment
Rena Sarigianopoulos of KARE and Carla Warner of Warner Stellian chat about how to help your appliances help you.

Carla Warner visited KARE 11 News@4 on Monday to share some tips for making the most of your most-used kitchen appliances.

In case you missed us, here are those tips:

Microwave

1. To get rid of that popcorn smell or other odors, squeeze a lemon into a bowl of water and boil it in the microwave it for several minutes. Allow the bowl to cool before opening the microwave door and then wipe down the interior with a soft cloth.

2. Take advantage of different power levels. Most people only cook using 100% of the microwave’s power and just nuke everything. But you can effectively use your microwave to soften and melt gently, too. To quickly soften butter, cook 1 stick for 1 minute on 10% power level.

Refrigerator

1. A small amount of condensation on the fridge or freezer is normal, especially during humid weather and summer vacation, if you see more condensation than normal, check the seal (or gasket) for any obstructions and clear them. If there aren’t any, try moistening the gasket with Vaseline by rubbing a thin layer on the seal where it meets the cabinet of the fridge. This should create a stronger, air-tight seal.

2. Brands might create the perfect space for gallon-jug storage on your refrigerator door, but consider how quickly you will use highly perishable foods (like milk) before storing them here. Why? Consider the temperature fluctuations of this region of the refrigerator. Accordingly, produce like broccoli, asparagus and apples benefit from colder temperatures located near the rear, while corn and berries — for example — benefit from the warmest spot in the refrigerator, so choose those for the front. (Alternatively, fresh herbs like basil thrive in slightly warmer-than-fridge temperatures, so I keep mine in the door!)

3. Use your crisper. Those clear drawers in your fridge aren’t just for convenience. Many models allow you adjust the humidity of your crisper drawers to suit their contents. Consult your use & care manual for specifics on your model, but in general, separate your fruits from vegetables and set humidity to high for green, leafy vegetables and low for fruits and vegetables with skins. Meats should be colder – often just above freezing – so keep them in your deli drawer, which is usually designed to stay colder.

Range

1. Keep your burner caps and drip pans clean. Maintaining a tidy cook surface isn’t just about impressing company. Dirty surfaces don’t reflect heat as well as polished surfaces, thus wasting energy and potentially your time. We sell range top cleaner made specifically for cooking surfaces that will help you keep your range or cooktop looking — and cooking — well.

2. Match pots and pans to the size of your burners
Unless you’re using an induction cooktop or range, you’re heating a lot of air while you try to heat your food. For instance, induction cooking – which only heats the cooking vessel and not the air — is 20% more efficient than electric and 70% more efficient than gas. To lessen energy loss, choose the appropriate-sized pot or pan for the size of burner you’re cooking on (i.e. don’t put a 1-qt saucepan on a ginormous “power burner”).

3. Cover your pots while boiling water
When you think about it, it makes no sense to boil water in an uncovered pot. Using a cover helps water boil faster while creating pressure and preventing evaporation. Saving lots of time and energy.

 

Cleaning · HOW TO · Microwave

Microwave odor? How to get smell out of microwave

Warners' Stellian Appliance

You know how sometimes you microwave food and it ends up smelling like something you made last week?

No one wants broccoli vaguely reminiscent of burnt popcorn or that super greasy pizza.

But as much as you clean it, you just can’t get rid of that darn stinky odor in the microwave.

Until now.

Frigidaire passed along this odor-removing solution that requires little more than pushing buttons.

You’ll need:

  • 1 cup water
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • grated lemon peel
  • several whole cloves

Combine all ingredients together in a glass measuring cup and boil for several minutes in the microwave on full power. Allow the hot mixture to sit in the microwave until cool (this is when the magic happens).

Wipe interior with a soft cloth.

Voila!

 

About Warners' Stellian · cooking · From our cookbook · Microwave

Microwave cooking recipes: Risotto

Warners' Stellian Appliance2 Comments

How much do you actually cook in your microwave, versus reheating and defrosting?

All this week, my sister and appliance specialist Angela Warner has been judging the “Twin Cities Live” Microwave Cooking Challenge, which challenges contestants to create delicious and fun meals cooked only in the microwave.

Guess which one is my sister Angela Warner.

Contestants like “Next Food Network Star” contestant Justin Davis and Cities 97’s BT came up with really creative microwave recipes — even microwave cake recipes!

Yes cake…and nachos.

Angela’s on “Twin Cities Live” (on KSTP Channel 5) again at 3 today and tomorrow. You can find the contestants easy microwave recipes (and the not-so easy, too) here, here and here.

AND you can win this Danby stainless microwave from Warners’ Stellian by entering on the Twin Cities Live website.

Coincidentally, we got a microwave cooking book from Panasonic this week, and I thought I’d share this recipe for risotto.

Risotto, that creamy rice pasta, sometimes scares people off because it’s heavy on the “active time” equation of the process (you basically stir for at least 30 minutes nonstop). So the idea of making it in a microwave intrigued me. Let me know if you try this!

Risotto a la Parmigiana

From MasterChefs Microwave Recipes Made Easy

Ingredients

5-1/2 cups stock
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 minced yellow onion
2-1/4 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
3/4 dry white wine, warmed
1 cup grated Parmesan
5 tbsp. butter cut into 1 T. pieces
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions (note: P10, etc. refers to the power level setting on your microwave)

1. Place the stock and salt in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and simmer at P10 for 8 minutes. Reserve, keeping the stock covered and hot.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the oil and onion and cook covered at P10 for 2-1/2 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the rice to the onion and oil mixture, stir to combine and cook at P7 uncovered for 4 minutes, stirring every minute.

4. Add the warm wine and cook at P7 for 3 minutes, or until wine is mostly absorbed.

5. Add enough stock to barely cover rice and cook at P7 uncovered for 3 minutes, or until about 75% of the liquid as been absorbed; stir. Repeat this process until all the stock is used.

6. When the rice is cooked to al dente, remove from the microwave and quickly stir in the butter, grated Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Budget-wise · cooking · Microwave · Ovens · Ranges

Appliance trend: multitasking appliances

Warners' Stellian Appliance3 Comments
Buy based on how you cook most days.

When buying appliances, people often focus on two days of the year: Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What matters at that moment to you is finding a range whose oven accommodates a massive turkey.

Or, thinking about overflow casseroles and Christmas cookies, you opt for double ovens.

But what about the other 363 days of the year? If you’re not a serious baker, that second oven sits cold. And warming up that range with the huge oven capacity for a couple of baked potatoes wastes time and energy.

Instead, a trend we’re seeing is assembling a team of  appliances that can work alone during normal operations but also can multitask for occasional holidays and parties.

So instead of a giant range, combine a double oven range and convection microwave.

The smaller upper oven of the range can be used for one-dish meals. Come Christmas, you can bake a dessert up top while a roasts monopolizes the lower oven. The convection microwave can bake a casserole. My mom did this successfully for years with her Jenn-Air convection microwave (after she finally got rid of the old range she kept in the laundry room, only to be used during the holidays).
A convection microwave also works overtime when paired with a single oven, perfect for those who won’t make enough use of a double oven.

Better yet, make that second oven a speed oven for the ultimate versatility.


This GE Advantium (model PSB1001NSS; Miele makes an upgrade if you’ve got the dough) cooks up to 4 times faster than your grandmother’s oven – covering all 4 bases: warming/proofing, true convection, sensor microwave (that can rotate a 9×13 casserole on its turntable!) and of course, speed cooking.

Until I can upgrade to a convection microwave, I use my Crockpot for anything that doesn’t need “crisping,” but I’d love to hear how others really make use of their multitasking appliances.