The WAY KITCHENS W RK. The Science Behind the Microwave, Teflon Pan, Garbage Disposal, and More ED SOBEY

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1 The WAY KITCHENS W RK The Science Behind the Microwave, Teflon Pan, Garbage Disposal, and More ED SOBEY

CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION ix xi Aluminum Foil 1 Bag Sealer 3 Blender 6 Bread Machine 11 Can Opener 15 Coffee Grinder 18 Coffee Maker 20 Coffee Roaster 25 Coffee Urn 28 Cork Remover 31

2 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION ix xi Aluminum Foil 1 Bag Sealer 3 Blender 6 Bread Machine 11 Can Opener 15 Coffee Grinder 18 Coffee Maker 20 Coffee Roaster 25 Coffee Urn 28 Cork Remover 31 Crock-Pot 34 Deep Fat Fryer 36 Dishwasher 40 Dustbuster 44 Electric Grill 47 Electric Knife 51 Electric Teapot 55 Espresso Maker 57 Faucet 61 Fire Extinguisher 65 Food Processor 69 Garbage Disposal 73 Garlic Chopper 77 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Switch 79 Hot Plate 83 Ice Maker 86 Juicer 91 Kitchen Torch 95 Knife 99 Microwave Oven 103 Mixer 108 Oven (Electric) 111 Oven (Gas) 115 Pepper Mill 118 Popcorn Popper 121 Pressure Cooker 125 Range Hood 128 Refrigerator 131 Refrigerator Magnet 137 Salad Shooter 139 Salad Spinner 142 Saran Wrap 145 Smoke Detector 147 Steamer 150 Stove 154 Teflon-Coated Frying Pan 159 Timer 161 Toaster 165 Toaster Oven 171 Trash Compactor 176 Turkey Timer 179 Waffle Iron 182 Water Filter 186 Watercooler 192 Wine Saver 198 BIBLIOGRAPHY 203

ALUMINUM FOIL History of Aluminum Foil Alfred Gautschi of Switzerland invented aluminum foil and was awarded a U.S. patent in 1909 (patent number 917,285).

3 ALUMINUM FOIL History of Aluminum Foil Alfred Gautschi of Switzerland invented aluminum foil and was awarded a U.S. patent in 1909 (patent number 917,285). His patent claims the utility of aluminum foil for packing chocolates and other eatables and outlines a process for making sheets of aluminum foil that are thinner than 1 10 of a millimeter. The first use of aluminum foil in the United States was to protect candy, such as Life Savers. It replaced the thicker and more expensive tin foil in American kitchens in How Aluminum Foil Works Aluminum is a metal, and as such it is malleable you can bend it without damaging it. It also doesn t corrode easily. Unlike iron that rusts in the presence of oxygen, aluminum 1

4 2 Á The Way Kitchens Work Shiny Up or Shiny Down? Which side of aluminum foil should face the food? Common physics sense suggests that the shiny side should reflect more radiative heat, and therefore should be on the outside for refrigerated food (to keep the heat out) and inside for cooking (to keep the heat in). But in actuality there is very little difference between the amount of reflection from the two sides certainly not enough to concern the leftovers chef. is slow to react with oxygen, and when it does, it forms a surface barrier of aluminum oxide that protects the aluminum atoms below it. Kitchen aluminum foil, which is manufactured to a thickness of about 2 10 of a millimeter, protects food by keeping out oxygen, light, bacteria, and water. Other favorable properties of aluminum are its material strength and low weight, and its high heat conductivity which means that heat passes easily through the foil. Don t wrap your body in aluminum foil before going skiing! You will notice that one surface of aluminum foil is shiny and the other is dull. This is the result of the manufacturing process. Two sheets of foil are squeezed between rollers and later separated. The inside surfaces of both sheets are dull, but the sides that were facing the rollers are shiny.

5 BAG SEALER History of the Bag Sealer The plastics revolution brought us, among other things, thermoplastics. This family of plastics melt with the application of heat and then refreeze when they cool, making them wonderful materials for creating permanent seals. Robert Hubbard invented a plastic bag sealer intended for kitchen use. His 1974 patent (patent number 3,847,712) mentions sealing plastic bags for sandwiches and other food items. His patent was assigned to Dazey Products, the company that made the model that is disassembled in this chapter. Earlier inventors had discovered a variety of ways to seal thermoplastic bags; one of the earliest is U.S. patent number 3,214,317. However, Hubbard s design appears to be the first intended specifically for home use. 3

6 4 Á The Way Kitchens Work Patent no. 3,847,712 Patent no. 3,214,317 How Bag Sealers Work The model depicted in this chapter switches on when you lift the lid, but it takes a couple of minutes for the heater to warm up. Then you lay the end of the bag full of leftovers on the sealer s metal edge and close the lid. This compresses the two sides of the mouth of the bag together. With the lid open, current flows through the heating element, a high resistance wire wrapped in a white insulator, which is under the metal edge. (For more information on how

Product Range Specifications of the products are subject to change without prior notice

Product Range Specifications of the products are subject to change without prior notice Product Range 2015 1500 Watt With adjustable thermostat Max. 215 degrees Aluminum Grill plate Diameter Grill plate: 41cm With non-stick coating PRN.163000 Saj Maker 1500 Watt 45 Ltrs Capacity 60 Minute