Kitchen Hearts Silicone Baking Mat Set

I do more baking than anyone I know. As a result, I’ve got a wealth of tools to assist me and I’m always on the lookout for something new and innovative to help me along. Over the years I’ve graduated from wax papers and sprays to parchment and silicone mats. If you’ve used one, you know they quickly become indispensable. But Kitchen Hearts had something I’ve yet to try: A ROUND silicone pizza mat!! Oh, baby!

Silicone mats are probably one of the most versatile tools in a kitchen. They can be used for a multitude of things, and be used hundreds of times before needing to be replaced. From a splatter-catcher in the oven, to making french fries, cookies, macaroons, or biscuits, there’s almost no limit to the goodies one can make on a silicone mat. They clean up with a little warm soapy water, need no oils or sprays to be non-stick, and virtually nothing sticks to them. Fats and oils bead up, and little crispy bits fall right away. They are also oven safe up to 475 degrees, so the limit is really your imagination!

Ideally. Sadly, 9″ Kitchen Hearts Pizza mat came with a critical defect. See, silicone mats are almost just that: silicone. The silicone, however, encases a fiberglass mesh weave that gives the mats some tensile strength and help to hold it’s shape better. But when you puncture the silicone, the fiberglass is exposed and it’s time to toss the mat, both for health and safety reasons. And my round mat had exposed fiberglass all around the outside edge. Not only would that let water in and ruin the mat, but it’s unsafe. One should never consume the fibers from fibergalss, and putting a sticky dough on exposed fibers a sure-fire way to do just that. So I didn’t even get to try it, sadly. The large mat (a now-standard half-sheet 16.5″ x 11.6″ size) did not have these issues. I may contact the company about this because I’m really hoping to a new tool in my kitchen!

Connect with Kitchen Hearts:

• Online
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Kitchen Hearts.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Kitchen Simple: Danish/Dutch Dough Hook #Review #DoughWhisk

I always wanted a Danish Dough hook but was unsure I needed one. I have a nice collection of whisks, spatulas to even pastry cutters but that dough hook was the one kitchen tool I did not own. My baking magazines and catalogs always displayed a gorgeous pastry with a Danish Dough hook sitting proud and pretty by it’s side, but when my mixer came with a dough hook attachment, it sort of rained on my Dutch Hook Dough dreams. With all the kitchen tools we own, adding another means making room or someone’s gotta go bye-bye and I have separation anxiety because in my world, every tool does a job or jobs! My Husband keeps that rusted hammer outside to abuse while the prettier hammer gets used only when something pretty goes up, and back it goes to hang on it’s hook and never left outside!

I came cross several Danish Dough hooks but some were just weak that I could imagine them snapping when used. Bought one at one of those discount outlets and it broke when the cashier went to bag it and it fell. I thanked her for testing it out for me because I need a tool that does not need to be babied and it was not a far fall!

In comes Kitchen Simple’s Danish/Dutch Dough Hook. It has a nice weight and is hefty enough to work with. I was trying a new cinnamon roll recipe and it grew into trying different cinnamon varieties, so I baked and baked one weekend. I needed a tool I can count on and because I was working with a yeast dough, cleaning the stainless steel one that came with the mixer meant waiting for it to cool off enough or come into the right temperature before I even started. I did not have time to wait while I was trying to proof 4 dough bowls at the same time, but the Kitchen Simple’s Danish Dough hook kept up with me and as I used all my large bowls to make and make cinnamon rolls.

Retail Price Point: $8.95 via Amazon but when I clicked the link, it went down to $7.95

The hook was easy to use and I needed no instructions. I just pretended I was the hook on my mixer, set my timer, and produced the perfect sweet dough time and time again. Easy to clean and it’s also sort of pretty looking in my eyes. It’s the tool you are happy to have and did not know you needed until you have one. Plus, I got a good amount of exercise and I figured that made up for taste testing :).  I also found uses for making quick breads to even just scrambling eggs, it does the trick and easy to clean and stands nicely just air drying after washing.

Get your Kitchen Simple Danish Hook today:

• Amazon
• #DoughWhisk

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Kitchen Simple.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

The Simple Baker: Premium Silicone Baking Mat for Macarons #Review #macaronmat

 

Being a baker means I need products I can count on and a multi-tasker is a must in my kitchen. The Simple Baker does everything my expensive silicone baking mats do, plus as much as I did not appreciate the circle pattern at first, I became to really like the convince it provided. My cookies never touched each other, so I have to admit I’m not the best spacer I thought I was!

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The mat yielded the same results as my french branded mat and clean-up was a cinch. The mat cleans up instantly with a little soapy water and I just fill the sink 1/4 way up, make some bubbles and suds on top of the mat and this I find is the most gentle way to clean the mat with no sponge and/or sink brush needed. I simply roll the Simple Baker mat (without creating fold or creases) and use a silicone band to keep it in place.

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I wanted to test the silicone mat out with by making dark chocolate ganache cookies. The cookies are a butter base recipe and I tried both round shapes and heart shapes when baking. My baking time was adjusted, as these silicone mats provide even baking, which tends to accelerate the baking but produces what I call the “perfect cookie”. You get a soft flaky texture on the inside with a cookie top crust that stays in place and only crumbles until you take a bite.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

Cookies in all shapes can be baked

Perfect results every time!

 

Retail Price Point: $17.97 via Amazon

The Simple Baker Mat will save you money in the long run and pay for itself. I use parchment paper and that gets costly over time and can be a wasteful expense. These silicone mats are reusable, do not hold odors, and are also safe because they are non-toxic. The silicone used is food-grade quality and no need to add extra fats or oils to make them non-stick……their finish stays non-stick time and time again!

Connect with The Simple Baker at:

• On-line
• Amazon

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from The Simple Baker.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Gurin: Touch Professional Digital Kitchen Scale KS-100 #Review #DigitalKitchenScale

Anyone who reads my blog knows I do a bit of baking. And a bit of cooking. Maybe a touch of kitchen activities here and there. So when Gurin offered me a chance to test a kitchen scale, I jumped at it with both feet. I’ve tried a few cheap-o kitchen scales, some really nice ones, and once I even bought one from a national kitchen and bath retailer. I was happy with a few, disappointed in most. When your recipe calls for exact measurements, “close enough” isn’t good enough. Accuracy counts.

This Gurin Model KS-100 Kitchen Scale is accurate to the gram thanks to 4 high precision GFX sensors. It will also max out at over 12lbs, which is insane. I hope and pray I never bake so much as to max out this little guy! But it’s still a really, really nice feature. And the stylish tempered glass face means no flour or sugar or particles of any sort get lost in seams or cracks. It’s no-good rubber feet keep it solidly anchored in place, and it’s touch screen controls mean you can switch units or tare with a knuckle, when one is sporting the dreaded “club finger” from mixing or mashing or shaping. Hallelujah! The scale sports a back-lit screen with large, easy to read numbers that can be seen from any angle. Such a nice little feature when one has to glance across a kitchen from computer screen to recipe book, because let’s be honest, it’s easy to lose track with several things going at once.

If I were forced to point out some negatives, I would initially point to the CR2032 lithium button cell batteries, as you can’t just grab those from anywhere. And the fact that the tempted glass surface is black, which means every speck and fingerprint shows. It’s so nice to look at, one can’t help but be a little OCD with cleaning it.

Retail Price Point: $19.95 via Amazon

The pluses here highly outweigh the niggling little minuses. It came securely packaged, and with batteries too. I so do not miss the old “batteries not included” days! At just $19.99 I would say that you might find a scale a little cheaper, but with a satisfaction guarantee and free shipping, I can safely say you probably won’t find one better. I’d label this one a “buy”, with no regrets.

Connect with Gurin and their products at:

• Amazon
• On-line
• #DigitalKitchenScale

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Gurin.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.