- What is the difference between Drip and Expresso Coffee maker?
- I want to know more about food processors and its usage? Which are the different blades provided for in a mixer?
- Mixer Grinder
- Mixer Grinder Types
- Help me choose a Vacuum Cleaner
How about a small appliance that will sit quietly on your work desk and make fresh, coffee for you every time you felt like one? Or how about a small apparatus that you can easily pack in with your light luggage, something that will provide you with the much-needed refreshment of top quality coffee at any time, at any location?
Sounds good, doesn’t it? In that case, what you need is the one cup coffee maker.
These things are small, light, streamlined automatic machines that have a programmable interface. You can set the temperature, strength, quantity etc and it takes only a minute to pour out your desired drink, exactly as you wanted it. They sometimes come with their own cups, but these are often detachable, and you can fit your own favourite travel mug under the tap.
Basic of Coffee maker Terminology
| Term | Definition |
| Cream | A rich layer of foam, produced by the fast rate at which the water passes through the fine coffee grounds. Cream is the mark of great espresso. |
| Steam | A unit that uses steam pressure to force water through grounds quickly, resulting in better flavour with less bitterness. Though less powerful than pump models, steam machines do an admirable job and cost considerably less. |
| Pump | A unit that uses a powerful pump to force water through grounds at an extremely fast rate for maximum flavour extraction. The pump draws water out of the reservoir and pumps it into the heating chamber at high pressure. |
| Pod | Choose from rotary controls, touch pads, and the newer touch screens. Rotary controls are the least expensive and have a long history of good performance. Other styles will add to the price of the machine, but can be useful once you understand their operation. |
| Measuring spoon / Tamper | A gadget that is used to measure and then compress coffee grounds. |
| Froth Attachment | A separate nozzle that uses steam to foam milk for cappuccino |
| Programmable | Units that come with digital clock / times to present the start of coffee making. |
| Brew Timing | Is used as one of the Indicators of a good espresso shot. Brew time is calculated from the moment the pump switch is activated, until the pump switch is turned off. The guideline for a proper brewed espresso is between 25 and 30 seconds. |
| Reservoir | The reservoir holds the cold water used in the espresso machine. It is not pressure-light or heated, and ii is removable. |
| Foam | Milk aerated with hot steam to make the milk thick and foamy |
Cafe Latte - A beverage that is based on espresso (or moka coffee) combined with steamed milk. This is a very popular beverage in America. The latte also serves as the basis for other drinks like flavoured lattes, where sweet flavoured syrup is added. Traditionally, a latte is topped with foamed milk.
Cafe Mocha - Similar to a Caffe Latte, the mocha includes chocolate syrup or powder added to the beverage, which results in a coffee and chocolate taste combination. Chocolate milk is used sometimes, but is not recommended because flavourings achieve better results and the sugar in chocolate milk tends to crystallize on the steaming wand, making clean up a bit more difficult. Mochas are often topped with whipped cream.
Espresso – It is a type of strong coffee brewed by forcing steam, under pressure, through darkly roasted, powdered coffee beans. A device that brews coffee quickly is known as an espresso coffee maker.
Cappuccino - A standard Espresso with silky foamed milk poured into it, topped with a dusting of chocolate powder.
Macchiato - A standard Espresso with just a dash of milk added, served in a small espresso cup
Coffee maker – Types and how they work
- DRIP COFFEE MAKER
A modern drip coffee maker is a surprisingly simple device. These units consist of a power base, with water reservoir, filter holder, flask, and built-in warming plate or flask stand. Optional features include permanent gold-tone or screen filters, which replace the standard disposable paper filters; digital clocks with timers to preset the start of coffee making; automatic shut-off; and a pause-to-serve function, which lets you halt brewing long enough to pour a cup of coffee.
- ESPRESSO COFFEE MACHINE
If you go to a cafe or espresso bar and ask for an espresso, what you will get is a shot-sized glass holding a small amount of very strong coffee. There are many different types of espresso drinks including cappuccino, cafe latte and cafe mocha. All are made with one or more shots of espresso. A shot of espresso is made by forcing about 1.5 ounces of hot water through tightly packed, finely ground espresso coffee. If everything goes well, what comes out is a dark brown, slightly thick liquid with a small amount of crema.
The simplest espresso machines use pressure that comes from heating water inside a sealed vessel.
In this type of machine, the coffee is packed into a funnel-shaped piece of metal that has a tube extending to the bottom of the reservoir. A few ounces of water are put into the reservoir and the top is screwed on. When the water is heated over a fire, pressure builds inside the vessel, and the only way for it to escape is up the tube, through the coffee and out of the tube in the top.
Since the end of the tube is under water, the pressure forces the hot water up through the tube.
A food processor is a common kitchen appliance that can quickly and easily chop, slice, shred, grind and puree almost any food. Some models can also help in making fruit and vegetable juice, kneading bread dough, beating egg whites, and grinding meats and vegetables. It is mostly used to grind the rice to prepare masala dosa.
Food processors not only save your time, but also take over some of the most labor-intensive tasks in the kitchen, such as chopping, slicing, shredding and kneading, which were previously done mainly by hand. But the food processor can accomplish these tasks in seconds and with greater precision. In a basic food processor, the attachments fit over the shaft inside the bowl. Standard attachments for a food processor are an S-shaped blade and shredding and slicing discs.
The blade sits at the bottom of the bowl. It consists of two small, curved blades arranged on opposite sides of a central plastic pillar that fits onto the shaft inside the bowl. The blades are usually made of metal, but are sometimes made of hard plastic. You may find that metal blades are preferable because they retain their sharpness longer.
The shredding and slicing discs are made of metal and sit at the top of the bowl, over the shaft. You push the food down the feed tube and it contacts the disc, at which point it is grated or sliced into the bowl. The holes on the shredding and slicing discs may yield fine, medium, or coarse bits of food. The shredding disc quickly and efficiently grates common ingredients like cheese and carrots.
The slicing disc yields perfectly even slices of potatoes and apples in no time at all. You just push the food through the feed tube using the plunger.
Mixer Grinder is one appliance found in nearly every kitchen. It blends ingredients to make masala dosa, and other such foods. Because of its versatility, it has become a favourite gift item for people setting up a new household.
The kitchen food mixer is a motorized small appliance. A blade inside a jar is connected to a motor shaft. By varying current to the motor, the blade's speed is controlled. The two most important steps an operator can take are not to overload the jar and to keep the seals tight.
The multi-speed switch in the blender sends current to the motor based on which control buttons are selected. More current means a higher motor speed. Placing hard foods in the blender jar and trying to chop them with a low motor speed can cause the motor to burn out.
Because the jar holds liquids, yet must be disassembled for cleaning, it has seals to keep liquids from escaping. In addition, the mixer has a seal around the coupling to make sure liquids don't leak into the vulnerable motor. Keeping these seals tight and ensuring that liquids don't overflow, the jar can help keep a blender operating smoothly.
Basic Food Processor and Mixer terminologies
| Motor | It is the base of the appliance and it is the heaviest part of the device. Full – sized machines generally have larger, more powerful motors, and can weight more than 20 lbs (9 kg). This weight has a utilitarian value. The heaviness of the base gives the appliance stability and ensures that it doesn’t move around while the motor is running. |
| Body | The food processor bases were clad only in white, hard plastic, today they are available in a range of stylish colours and with metal and plastic finishes, ensuring that your appliance will fit in with your kitchen décor. |
| Bowls | Full-size bowls generally have a capacity of 9 to 13 cups. Compact-size bowls can accommodate 5 to 7 cups. Mini-size bowls can fit 2 to 5 cups. Some models come with large and small bowls for use with the same base. |
| Lid | The lid has a feed tube fitted with a plunger. You can insert food into the device through this feed tube, pushing it down with the plunger. Some models have wider and narrower feed tubes for use with larger and smaller food items. The size of the bowl varies according to the size of the machine. |
| Buttons | Whether large or small, food processors share a similar set of controls, which most often consists of the basic On, Off, and Pulse options, in either a push-button. The single-button units offer the advantage of ease of use, while the variable- control models provide added versatility. |
| WET & DRY GRINDING BLADE | This dynamically designed and balanced stainless steel blade is ideal for wet and dry grinding. Especially angled for Indian needs, it gives a life-long, efficient performance. |
| GRATING / MINCING BLADE | Made tough to last longer, this blade is specially designed for grating vegetables and mincing meat. |
| WHIPPING BLADE | The whipping blade is ideally suited for the preparation of milk shakes & coffee (hot / cold), churning butter, whipping eggs, etc… |
| JUICER BLADE | This sharp blade is specially designed for blending and preparing pastes and juices. |
There are two types of food mixers: portable (or hand) mixers and stationary (or stand) mixers. Portable mixers are lightweight, with small motors for easier mixing and blending jobs.
Stand mixers use larger motors and components to manage bigger jobs, such as kneading dough or mixing large batches of ingredients. It has different jars attachments for various purposes Big jars are normally used for the juice, middle jars for dry chunteys and the small jars are used for wet chutneys.
Aesthetically designed extra thick body made of shock proof ABS material. Electronic feather touch switch control with whipping / inching. Overload Alarm. Safety switch provision ensures that the motor runs only when the jar is fixed properly. A universal heavy duty motor of 550 Watts that helps to grind faster. Micro balanced rotor for low - noise and efficient performance.
Non-stop 30 minute operation. Sparkling, Stainless Steel Jars-3 types, fixed with different blade assemblies for different applications. Unbreakable, transparent dome lid and flat lid made of polycarbonate material. Special grade nylon couplers that grip the jar firmly and withstand enormous strain. Vacuum rubber shoes for extra firm grip. Available in attractive colours.
Plain dusting, sweeping & swabbing does not get rid of fine dust. That’s why vacuum cleaners are an essential part of modern cleanliness. Its has detachable accessories, removes dust & dirt from deep below surfaces and hard-to- reach places.
When you sip soda through a straw, you are utilizing the simplest of all suction mechanisms. Sucking the soda causes a pressure drop between the bottom of the straw and the top of the straw. With greater fluid pressure at the bottom than the top, the soda is pushed up to your mouth.
The same basic mechanism makes a vacuum cleaner work, though the execution is a bit more complicated. But you need to choose a vacuum cleaner that suits your needs, budget and lifestyle.
Basic Vacuum Cleaner terminologies
| Term | Definition |
| Motor | The electric current operates the motor. The motor is attached to the fan, which has angled blades. |
| Fan | As the fan blades turn, they force air forward, toward the exhaust port. |
| Brush | Some vacuum designs also have rotating brushes at the intake port, which kick dust and dirt loose from the carpet so it can be picked up by the air stream. |
| Vacuum cleaner | It passes through the vacuum-cleaner bag. These bags are made of porous woven material (typically cloth or paper), which acts as an air filter. The tiny holes in the bag are large enough to let air particles pass by, but too small for most dirt particles to fit through. Thus, when the air current streams into the bag, all the air moves on through the material, but the dirt and debris collect in the bag. |
It may look like a complicated machine, but the conventional vacuum cleaner is actually made up of only six essential components:
- An intake port, which may include a variety of cleaning accessories
- An exhaust port
- An electric motor
- A fan
- A porous bag
- A housing that contains all the other components
When you plug in the vacuum cleaner and turn it on, this is what happens: The electric current operates the motor. The motor is attached to the fan, which has angled blades. As the fan blades turn, they force air forward, toward the exhaust port. When air particles are driven forward, the density of particles increase in front of the fan and decreases behind it. As long as the fan is running and the passageway through the vacuum cleaner remains open, there is a constant stream of air moving through the intake port and out the exhaust port.
Vacuum Cleaner Brushes and Bag
If the debris is light and the suction is strong enough, then the friction carries the material through the inside of the vacuum cleaner. Some vacuum designs also have rotating brushes at the intake port, which kick dust and dirt loose from the carpet so it can be picked up by the air stream. Upright vacuum cleaners usually have rotating brushes on the bottom to knock dirt loose from your carpet. The brushes may be rotated by the vacuum's motor or simply by the rushing air.
As the dirt-filled air makes its way to the exhaust port, it passes through the vacuum-cleaner bag. These bags are made of porous woven material (typically cloth or paper), which act as an air filter. The tiny holes in the bag are large enough to let air particles pass by, but too small for most dirt particles to fit through. Thus, when the air current streams into the bag, all the air moves on through the material, but the dirt and debris collect in the bag.
Vacuum cleaner attachments serve to concentrate the flow of air as it enters the vacuum. Since suction depends on the size and shape of the passage, different attachments are better suited to different cleaning jobs.
Types of Vacuum Cleaners
Features
- Main unit - ABS Plastic
- Variable power option - Sliding
- Blower function
- On board accessory storage
- Air filtration - 5 Stage
- Hepa filter
- Dust collection type - Bagless
- Dust bag full indication – Manual.
| Voltage | 230 V AC, 50 Hz |
| Input power (ILC) | 1300 W |
| Suction of the motor | 2250 mm of water column |
| Airflow | 40 litres / second |
| Power cord | 5 m |
| Dust collection capacity | 2051 |
| Unit weight | 502 kg |
| Dimensions (L x B x H) | 420 x 300 x 270 mm |
Accessories
| Telescopic extension tube | 1 |
| Hose pipe | 1 |
| Floor cum carpet brush | 1 |
| Corner cleaner | 1 |
| Upholstery nozzle | 1 |
| All purpose nozzle (upholstery & multipurpose) | 1 |
| Turbo nozzle | 1 |
| Multipurpose dusting brush | 1 |
| Precision cleaner | 1 |
| Grill cleaner | 1 |
| Computer cleaning brush | 1 |
| Flexi cleaner set | 1 |
| Spray jar | 1 |
| Aromiser | 1 |
| Vacuumised safe per | 1 |
| Car wash adaptor | 1 |
Features
- Powerful suction - 2000 mm water column
- Auto cord winder
- Dust bag full indicator
- Thermal overload cut-out
- Wide range of attachments
- Available in a choice of three colours
| Motor Wattage | 1100 watt (at mean sea level) |
| Current Rating | 5.3 amps |
| Voltage | 230 V, 50 cycles |
| Power Consumption | 1.1 units / hour |
| Suction | 2000 mm (max.) W/C at VCL end |
| Capacity | 3.5 Ltrs with reusable |
| Size (L * B * H) | 550 * 280 * 230 mm |
| Weight | 6.8 kgs unit only Weight of accessories extra |
| Structure | ABS Plastic Body |
| Cable winding | Automatic |
| Cord length | 5 mtrs |
| Dust bag full - indicator | Yes |
| Hose length | 1.9 without end connections 2.4 with end connections |
| Filter Media | Reusable dust bag – foam filter |
| Thermal Cut-out | Cut off temp- 88 0C + 3 0 C Cut in temp- 74 0+30C |
