Why it Makes Sense to Have a Go at Fixing Things Yourself

If you, like most people, have never tried fixing a broken washing machine or replacing a part on your car, this article for you. It is all about why it is worth having a go at repairing your appliances, phones, cars, and furniture yourself. It’s a chance to learn something new, which you might find that you actually enjoy! Read on to find out why fixing things yourself makes sense.

It is easier than you think

Top of the list is the fact that it is not as hard as it used to be. There is a growing fixer movement that is having an impact and making things a lot easier for those people who are not afraid to have a go. You can find out how to fix virtually anything by searching YouTube. 

Parts are widely available

You can easily track down the parts to repair your broken dishwasher yourself. Almost regardless of where you live you will find an online supplier who will send you what you need. 

Buying the right part is easy 

Provided you can find the serial number or the make and model number, tracking down the right parts is not difficult. Especially if you use suppliers that have a live chat line or another kind of support facility available. All of the best ones offer this additional service.

You will save money

In most cases, repairing things yourself will save you money. You will not have to pay a call-out fee. Something you will usually have to pay even if it turns out your appliance cannot be fixed. You will also save because you will not have to pay the repairer for his or her labor. It makes sense.

A word of caution

Although it is always worth getting a quote, to see what is the best option for you. Particularly, if the repair is a complicated one. When you are looking at the pros and cons of fixing something yourself, be honest with yourself. If you think something looks too difficult in the YT video for your skill level the chances are it is. In that situation, or if you need special tools to fix things you will likely be better off calling in a professional.

You will learn new skills

Whenever you do something new you learn new skills. Being a continuous learner is good for your mental and emotional health. Plus, in many cases, the skills you are learning will help you to get other things done.

It helps the planet

Last, but by no means least, repairing things yourself helps the planet. Every year, millions of tons of appliances and white goods still end up in landfill sites. Much of which will take thousands of years to break down and will cause pollution as it does so. Instead of just getting a new appliance and throwing out the old, try to fix the one you currently have.

There you have it, several reasons to give repairing your stuff a go. So, the next time you crack your phone screen or your dishwasher breaks why not give repairing it yourself a go?

Choose the Best Rice Cooker in the Modern Technology Era

Thanks to modern technology, cooking has become easier and easier, even for people who don’t actually love to cook, but want to eat healthy. One great appliance for cooking nutritious meals is the rice cooker, appreciated by many for the fact that it’s easy to use. There are a couple of requirements every buyer wants to have in its cooking appliance: simplicity, efficiency, quality materials, safety and keeping the nutritional value of their food. You can always find useful recipes on several websites, such as http://ottawamommyclub.ca/, for example. However, is rice in a Rice Cooker is the best for you?

Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer

Among the advantages you can find on this Zojirushi appliance you can count the reasonable price, the trendy and stylish design, the multiple functions and the sturdy construction. All together make up an excellent appliance which is particularly useful if you want to cook in a modern and healthy way. You can cook enough rice for one meal, which is 3 cups full of rice.

The machine only weighs 7 pounds, so it’s quite lightweight, but it compensates through a sturdy stainless steel body. Besides the preset menu programs, you can also customize your own program depending on what you want. For example, you can use the quick cooking option if you need to cook something urgently, such as brown rice, porridge, white sushi etc.

All in all, it’s a great rice cooker, durable and portable, suitable for all kinds of needs.

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker and Warmer

This model is more suitable for whoever has a large family and needs to cook a lot of rice at once. In this case, a 3-cup rice cooker would prove insufficient, so you should step up the game and head over to a 5 and a half cup one. This is the case with the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 model. Even though it looks round and quite delicate, it is in fact a very powerful machine that works as a computerized device.

There are multiple menu settings available, for example quick cooking, porridge, mixed or white sushi or browning. Moreover, you enjoy an easy to use interface that comes together with an LCD display, digital controls and a panel you can program. There is even a delay timer setting, all for your convenience. The pot holds 1 liter of water, and it measures 14x8x10 inches in size. It weighs 8.5 pounds, so it’s quite manageable.

Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD Cooked 8-Cup Digital Rice Cooker

Perhaps the most attractive thing about this Aroma appliance is the fact that it has a competitive price. It’s a lot cheaper than many other rivals on the market, plus it offers an amazing, versatile and durable experience. Many people are also delighted by the fact that it has a one-year warranty. It is quite a massive monster, holding 8 cups of cooked rice at once. The dimensions are 8.5x9.3x8.7 inches.

It weighs 4.2 pounds, so you can say it’s portable and easily manageable. You can cook for the entire family, or approximately 4 persons in one go, so it’s a time saver. Naturally, you have digital control and you can program it for browning, steaming or other basic options for white rice. It has an automatic keep-warm function and a delay timer that works for maximum 15 hours. This is helpful if you want to cook the rice in the morning, but serve it in the evening.

Aroma Housewares Stainless Steel 6-Cup Cooked Rice Cooker

We have to admit that Aroma is one of the best competitors on the market, and it’s hard to beat with the price and capacity it offers. The best thing about the Aroma Housewares Stainless Steel 6-Cup Cooked Rice Cooker is the fact that it has a surgical-grade cooking pot. It’s not just an ordinary pot, but it’s made of surgical-grade stainless steel 304.
It’s kind of lightweight, with only 4 pounds, which is awesome for its capacity. Though it has a traditional design, it compensates for the one-touch features that simplifies everything. It also brings the automatic keep-warm function that preserves the nutritional value of rice for hours in a row. All in all, this is a must have in every kitchen!

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer

The NS-TSC10 model includes Fuzzy Logic technology. It is quite versatile, having a LCD display and digital controls. The best part about it is that it’s customizable, so you can program it as you wish. Of course, it has a stainless steel exterior and a 2 delay time settings, together with the automatic keep warm feature.

I Finally Got Over My Biggest Cooking Fear

I have been cooking since I was about 10 years old. I had a natural passion for it and have not been afraid to experiment or try new things. The one thing I was not able to do was cook in a traditional stove top pressure cooker. The anxiety and fear was too much, so I avoided it at all cost. I wrote a post about it a couple years back and I cringe looking at it.

Fast forward to now. I have seen the whole Instant Pot pressure cooker craze circulating around social media, so I took a look and did some research. I added like 8 different ones from different brands to my wishlist. Honestly, I didn't think I would ever buy one. The fear was too real and I had no idea what an electric pressure cooker would do. Would it be noisy? Will it explode? I had a few blog friends buy one during one of those big Amazon one-day sales and they swore it was the greatest thing ever. One day I was looking on Amazon and decided to jump on the bandwagon take the plunge. After hours of comparing and researching, I settled on the Cuisinart brand. It was on sale for under $70 and roughly $20-30 less than the comparable Instant Pot. I added it to my cart and patiently waited for the delivery. When it arrived, pure joy and fear washed over me at the same time. I did not know what to expect.

I happened to have a chuck roast in the fridge to cook that day so I figured I would try my new pressure cooker out. I watched a couple YouTube videos so I could get a good idea of what to do. I managed to get the roast cooked and something really surprised me. Although I was scared to death the entire time, it turns out that the cooker doesn't make that evil hissing noise while on high pressure. I couldn't believe it! I managed to cooked a perfectly tender pot roast in half the time it would have taken on the stove top and learned I have nothing to fear. I have been missing out on this fabulous kitchen appliance all of this time! As a matter of fact, I've been cooking curry twice a week and it comes out perfect each time!

I have had my pressure cooker for a few months now and use it 3-5 times per week. It quickly became my absolute favorite appliance in the kitchen. Below are the reasons I love my Cuisinart pressure cooker:

• You can brown, saute, and simmer. 
• It can be used as a rice cooker and takes only 3 minutes too cook for white/basmati/Jasmine rice. 
• It has high and low pressure settings with timer.
• Keep warm feature is perfect for keeping food hot if you're not eating right away
• I use it even when not using the pressure option
• Even, fast cooking 
• You can make soups, stews, curry, chili and more. 
• Perfect size, not too big or too small
• Easy to clean with a non-stick pot. Didn't think I'd care for the non-stick surface, but it's really great.
• Self-locking lid prevents accidents. This helped with my fear
• The pressure knob can't pop off while cooking. You have to manually jiggle it and pull to get it off. 
• The texture of food doesn't change like it would using a slow cooker
• It is SO EASY to use
• Pretty stainless steel finish that shockingly stays clean 
• I AM NO LONGER AFRAID! YAY!! 

If you have been thinking about buying an electric pressure cooker or if you are scared to death of them, I highly recommend the Cuisinart CPC-600 6 Quart 1000 Watt Electric Pressure Cooker (Stainless Steel). I am going to purchase a second one so I can use them both at the same time. I know for a fact that this will be the most used appliance in my kitchen. I need to donate my old dinosaur pot now that I think about it.

This cooker would make a great gift for yourself, a wedding, house warming or for the holidays. Trust me, anyone would be thrilled to unwrap this from under the tree! If you are on the fence, you should try this one out. If you decide to purchase one, please let me know. 

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The Poor Man's Keurig

For 3 years now I have bugged  nicely asked my husband for a Keurig coffee brewer. Being the frugal man he is, he reminds me of my old school Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker. He's like why spend $80-$100 when you already have the original version? You know what? He is so right. I bought this gadget about 12 years ago for about $15 at Walmart. I have even purchased additional ones as gifts.

Strangely enough it has hung in there after numerous uses, and even traveling on road trips, being used in the office at work and of course at home. It still makes a steaming hot cup of strong coffee. I can use any ground coffee I want and don't have to purchase the little pods and I can brew to my desired strength. I don't think one little K-cup would work for a gal like me. I am used to drinking coffee as strong as motor oil!  I guess it really makes sense after all to stick with my old school machine. I haven't seen these brewers around in some time but if I do, I might need to purchase it as back-up!