Appliance Tips to Maximize Your Kitchen

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

In case you missed us, here are those tips:

Microwave Tips

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

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 Tips

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. Use refrigerator space wisely. 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 Tips

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.

What are your best appliance tips and tricks? Share them in the comments section below!

Award-Winning Assists from Warners’ Stellian

The people behind the Parade of Homes (the Builders Association of the Twin Cities) awarded 14 of the best homes on the tour with the coveted Reggie Award, as chosen by peers and the members of the public.

Because of our help with two of those projects, we’ve got a Trillium Award for each hand (in case one gets jealous).

Carla Warner, VP/Director of Sales; Bob Rohweder, Contract Sales Representative

Carla Warner, VP/Director of Sales; Bob Rohweder, Contract Sales Representative

We’re so proud to be involved in these award-winning projects and honored to be recognized. Thanks to all involved!

Grilling doughnuts on ‘Twin Cities Live’

Carla Warner and I got to spend some time grilling outside with the awesome people at KSTP’s “Twin Cities Live” yesterday.

>> See the video

A rare picture of me, left, posing with TCL's Emily Engberg and Carla Warner in front of the Grilled Doughnuts on the Viking gas grill.

I love to cook, so I volunteered to whip up 3 unconventional recipes on 3 of our favorite grills.

On the Big Green Egg, we made Bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers

Hollow jalapenos and completely fill with cream cheese. Wrap with raw bacon and secure with toothpick. Grill on the Big Green Egg or other grill using indirect heat at 350-375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

On the Vermont Castings, we made Margherita pizza

Heat grill to medium heat. Sprinkle with cornmeal and roll out fresh, refrigerated pizza dough ball to no more than 1/4-inch thickness. Either oil grill grates or place pizza stone on grill. Grill dough covered for 5 minutes. Top with Kowalski’s Signature Pizza Sauce, slices of Kowalski’s fresh mozzarella and sliced Roma tomato. Grill for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Top with fresh basil and serve.

And on the Viking Grill, we made — you’ll never guess — Grilled doughnuts

Grill Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuits on a cookie sheet (or well-oiled grill grate) using indirect heat at about 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, melt a stick of butter in a grill-safe bowl away from direct heat. Dip warm biscuits in the melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.