Matestar food processor

As documented earlier in this blog, we bought a Kenwood multi-pro food processor nearly ten years ago. The blender part was not very satisfactory; it started to leak after just a few years, and was very difficult to clean. However, the food processor part continued to work well, despite the beginnings of a crack at the bottom of the main bowl. 

But I was finding myself increasingly irritated by the limited capacity. The bowl could theoretically hold 1.2 litres, but that doesn't mean it can be filled to that capacity before using. I found that if I made pastry with more than about 300g flour total (and 150g fat) it wouldn't mix properly. If I made coleslaw, even with a small cabbage, I had to run it four times, with no more than a quarter of the cabbage, or it didn't fully cut it. 

Not, in the scheme of things, a huge problem. But an annoyance. A food processor is supposed to save time and effort, and it wasn't really doing so. Sometimes I resorted to doing things by hand as it was quicker, and saved washing up, even though the result wasn't as good. And sometimes I decided not to bother with something I had thought about making, as it would be too much hassle. 

In the middle of December last year, we were in Superhome Centre, buying a new microwave. We found one we liked it a better price than we were expecting to pay. And I started looking at food processors. I was thinking how much easier it would be to do some of the Christmas preparation with a bigger, more powerful one. We started checking the reviews online. In the past, we've tended to choose well-known, trusted brand names. But there are many good brands now, and they all have to have a guarantee of at least two years. 

We decided we would treat ourselves, and put our old (still functioning) food processor in the guest flat. We initially, opted for a Moulinex which looked like excellent value, and claimed to have a bowl size of 2.5 litres. Then, when we got it home, we discovered that the bowl size was only about 1.2 litres, no bigger than our Kenwood processor. We put it back in the box and returned to the store, where they agreed that it was a problem. I was disappointed, as it was a nice-looking appliance that felt well-made and strong. 

So we checked what else they had in stock, and eventually chose the Matestar. We had the box opened in the shop so we could check that the bowl actually goes up to 3 litres. It didn't feel quite as strong as the others, but said it had 1000 watts of power. I didn't realise until we got home that the bowl was not dishwasher-safe, but decided that was a minor issue, and we didn't want to replace it yet again.  It was more expensive than the Moulinex, but not extortionate. 

The day after we bought it, we were entertaining our friends, as we do every other Sunday afternoon. I wanted to make carrot soup; in the past I had roughly chopped carrots. But I don't do well with sharp knives, so the pieces would be quite large, and would take a long time to cook. I threw the entire kilogram of peeled carrots, just cut into halves or thirds, in the food processor: 

Thirty seconds later, I had this: 

So much easier! 

I also wanted to make a lemon drizzle cake. My old food processor wasn't big enough to take enough of the mixture for eight or nine people. The new one worked perfectly: 

(And the resulting cake was one of the best lemon drizzle cakes that I have ever made). 

The food processor comes with several attachments. There's no blender - I have not been at all impressed with blenders attached to food processors. But there's a juicing attachments, and the usual slicing and grating discs. There's an emulsifying disc, too. In three months, I haven't used any of those. 

So the only attachments I keep with the food processor are the two mixing tools: a hard plastic one, which works well for cakes and similar soft mixtures, and the metal blades, which are ideal for chopping. Each one slides over the central (removable) part, and they take apart for washing. 

I have to admit I find the metal blades a tad alarming; they're extremely sharp (don't ask me how I know...). And when they're attached to the central unit, it's not easy to remove them without getting cut (no, really, don't ask). But I've worked out how to do it, and haven't had a problem since the early stages. 

Later in December I made the mixture for my favourite vegan 'sausage' rolls using the food processor, and that turned out perfectly. As did both marzipan and royal icing for my Christmas cake. 

So far this year I have made pastry several times - no need to limit myself to small amounts - and other cakes. The bowl is easy to clean, as are the blades, so long as one is careful. 

Overall, I think - at least, so far - that this was an excellent buy, and I'm very pleased that we decided to get it before Christmas. 

Another new microwave (Westpoint brand)

 Microwave ovens are supposed to last about seven years. Some of ours have done so, or even a year or two longer. I wrote a post about the one we bought in October 2020, a Sharp brand, which - at first - we were very pleased with. Certainly the instructions were easier than our previous Carrefour microwave which, despite its complexity, lasted us for eight years.

I very much liked the straightforward options on the front of the Sharp microwave, and regularly used the ones such as baked potatoes or frozen peas. We also liked the fact that we could enter exact timings when necessary - for instance for warming plates with silicon mats, or making mug cakes. It came with a useful instruction guide, but mainly its use was intuitive, and we hoped it would last us at least seven or eight years. 

Unfortunately, within a couple of years the touch-screen 'buttons' had started fading quite badly. It's not all that clear from this photo, but the most-used ones were becoming impossible to read, and sometimes quite difficult to push:

Of course this didn't happen until after the statutory two-year warranty was over. And it wasn't unusable. Indeed, we continued using it for another two years or so. 

During that time, we noticed that rust was beginning to form inside. By December 2024, it was looking like this: 

It really hadn't worn well. We could not recall any of our previous microwaves having such a large amount of rust. Was it dangerous? We hoped not, although metal is not supposed to be exposed inside a microwave. 

And then one day something we had microwaved had a fleck of what looked like paint on it. And when we checked inside, we saw that the roof looked like this:

The enamel was bubbling badly.  Not what one wants in a microwave. We have no idea how long it had been like that; I had noticed a bit of bubbling a few months earlier, but it seemed minor and wasn't breaking away. 

It was only four years old, but we knew, for safety reasons, we had to get rid of it and buy a new one. We decided to go to Superhome Centre, which stocks quite a variety of microwaves, in various sizes and also costs. 

We had a few criteria that were important to us. 

1) Digital rather than analogue timing so that we could be specific for things like mug cakes

2) Big enough that we could fit dinner plates in it for warming, but not enormous. 

3) Not too expensive.

4) Not a touch-screen that was likely to be destroyed by pushing the 'buttons'.

5) If possible, black/silver colour rather than white, to match other appliances. But that was a relatively minor issue. 

In the past, we would often choose a well-known, trusted brand rather than one of the newer ones. But most appliances are reasonable quality nowadays, and quick online checks of reviews suggested that most of the microwaves available would do the job satisfactorily. 

We looked at quite a selection, rejecting the analogue ones, and the smallest. And then we found exactly what we were looking for, fulfilling all our criteria, including being a good price. We didn't know the Westpoint brand, but it looked smart, and had little buttons (which, we hope, won't break) and digital timing down to five seconds. 

It doesn't have the useful quick choices of the Sharp. Instead, to use a specific baked potato (or other) setting, one has to use the 'auto' button and select from menus, rather like the Carrefour one we had prior to the Sharp. It's too complex for me to remember, so I stick with the basics: cook and defrost. Both seem to work extremely well. 

Setting the clock is easy; I've had to do that a few times as we've had brief power cuts more than once in the past couple of months. On the other hand, we had to consult the manual to find out how to actually cook anything. We had to get used to a different way of getting the microwave to work: we first press the 'microwave' button, then the 'start' button, before turning the dial to set the time. 

If we forget the second step and turn the dial without pressing 'start' first,  it tries to set a different power instead. I don't really know why they have this option. Some recipes specify different microwave powers, but I've never really been aware of what wattage is being used anyway. We just go with the default. Apparently the maximum is 800 watts, and the capacity 25 litres. 

After setting the time - and it's easy to move the numbers up and down to get the right time - the start button has to be pressed again. It can be stopped at any time with the 'stop' button, if something has to be stirred or turned.

As for the defrost setting, we can either set a time or a weight; I've used both. Those are also set, by minutes or grammes, with the dial. It's useful and effective, and also easy.

Although I hope that the problems with the Sharp microwave would not be present with this one (we had never previously seen such rust, or roof bubbling on any other microwave), we're being more careful to wipe it out if there's steam after cooking, and also to leave it ajar when not in use. 

Some microwaves leave the light on when the door is open, but this one has the excellent feature of automatically turning the light off after a couple of minutes, even when the door is open. But the clocks stays on all the time, unlike some of our previous microwaves. I find this a very useful (though not essential) feature.

It's not quite three months since we bought our new microwave, but I'm very glad we did so. So far, we like it very much indeed. 

Steaming in the Kitchen...

 Many, many moons ago, when we lived at our old, rental house, my parents had been staying, and wanted to buy us a new appliance for the kitchen. I had been reading about healthier cooking, and had seen several recommendations for electric steamers. 

I thought it would be particularly useful for Christmas puddings, but also for the kind of vegetables which (at that period) we would typically boil: broccoli, green beans, cauliflower etc. We hadn't, at that stage, discovered that roasting works so well for anything other than potatoes, carrots and parsnips. 

There were several possible steamers available in the shop we went to, rather to my surprise, and after some discussion we opted for the Morphy Richards 'health steam', which came with English instructions, a recipe book (also in English) and a two-year guarantee. Plus it was a name we trusted. And the steamer had a fair bit of use over the first couple of years, particularly when we ran out of gas for our oven, as happened sporadically. 

The recipe book wasn't in fact all that helpful; it was produced in conjunction with a slimming agency, and had rather complex low fat ideas, none of which were really appropriate for our family of four. But we cooked vegetables, and - once I had realised that steaming takes a bit longer than boiling - they came out well, and hopefully more nutritious than if we had boiled them and then poured away the water. 

It was also invaluable for cooking my Christmas puddings each year. Previously I had steamed them in large saucepans, with water half-way up the sides, feeling stressed in case the water dried up.  With the steamer, the timer has a maximum of one hour at a time. So I fill it up with water and put it on for an hour. I usually remember to top up the water and turn it on for another hour before it's finished, but if I get distracted and forget, the steamer goes off before the water can run out. 

I had a slight glitch when I realised that the bowls I had previously used wouldn't fit in the steamer. So we acquired slightly smaller ones, and as my recipe makes three, this three-tier steamer was perfect, year after year. This photo has appeared in a previous blog (as has the one above) but it illustrates nicely how very useful the steamer has been:

When we moved to this house, back in the summer of 2006, I kept the lesser-used appliances, including the steamer, in a cupboard. Which is all very well, and makes the kitchen work surfaces look tidy. But when something is packed away, in my experience, it's likely to stay away. 

I would occasionally get the steamer out to cook rice, but then realised it's simpler in either the oven or a regular saucepan - and it's not as if we eat rice more than once or twice a month at most. Occasionally I thought of the steamer for vegetables, but we discovered the delights of roasted veg - yes, even frozen green beans can be roasted. For those that don't work well roasted (eg peas and sweetcorn), the microwave is ideal. 

But the steamer would come out early every December to steam my newly-made Christmas puddings. It would come out again on Christmas Day, to re-steam the pudding we were going to eat, and also the brussels sprouts. I expect sprouts might also be nicer roasted, but the oven is so full on Christmas Day that there's no room for anything else. 

Then... about a month ago, when the 2023 puddings were steaming, I noticed that the one on the top looked rather lopsided. I didn't investigate until the steamer had run for about six hours and then cooled down. I thought perhaps one of the bases had slipped. What I discovered was that it had rather badly cracked and broken:

Richard pondered whether he could create a new base. But it would be a very complex thing to make, with the bits that stick out to hold it in place. And after more than nineteen years, the steamer didn't owe us anything. We researched a bit online then went to two or three possible shops to see if we could find a suitable replacement. But the new ones (including a modern Morphy Richards equivalent) didn't look as sturdy, and cost €65 - €70. That was more than I was willing to pay for something that really only gets used a couple of times a year.

Since the other two bases were fine, I cooked the sprouts and reheated a pudding in the steamer without any problem on Christmas Day. A day or two later, after cleaning and drying it, I packed the steamer away. And would have thought no more about it until next December, most likely...

Then, a couple of days ago, I went out to buy some yarn. And something - or Someone, perhaps? - prompted me go into the Thrift Store, which is not far from my favourite haberdashery. I checked the DVDs, as I do, but nothing looked interesting. I found a couple of mugs I liked for 50 cents each, and as I turned around I saw, on a shelf, another Morphy Richards 'healthsteam' steamer. At €8.50. 

I was on foot, and am never good at spontaneous purchases when I'm on my own anyway. But when I told Richard about it, he suggested we go back first thing Thursday, with the car. The steamer was still there, and looked in excellent condition. It was so clean and free of scale that I suspect it has only been used a handful of times. It might be almost as old as our original one, as they're no longer made in this style. But there's not much to go wrong: the base heats up and boils the water, a bit like a kettle. 

So we bought it: another, identical steamer. 

I washed it all thoroughly, and last night steamed some cabbage and peas, just to try it out. It worked as expected. I've decided not to put it away in a cupboard, but to find space on the crowded work surface; that way, I just might use it more often...

Morphy Richards 'Homebake' Breadmaker

In the past seventeen years, we have had five different breadmakers. This might seem excessive, but when we bought our first one - the Morphy Richards ‘Fastbake’ - towards the end of 2005 we calculated that making bread at home would save quite a bit of money. And, indeed, that machine lasted us over six years, with regular use, and essentially paid for itself within the first six months.

Our second breadmaker, a Carrefour own brand, was not a success. It was inexpensive, and had probably still paid for itself in six months, but we never really liked it and it lasted less than two years. We bought our third, a Lidl ‘Silvercrest’ breadmaker, in April 2014.  It was equally inexpensive but we liked it, and it lasted us four and a half years. In November 2018 it stopped working.

Breadmakers seemed to have gone a bit out of fashion by then, and our search locally for a replacement was unsuccessful until we spotted a used Philips breadmaker with purple trim in the Thrift Store. It made excellent bread, and was still working three and a half years later, but unfortunately the seal in the bottom was leaking more and more, and occasionally the paddles got stuck. We knew it was time to think about a replacement, but I hate getting rid of appliances that still, basically worked.

IMPETUOUS PURCHASE OF A NEW BREADMAKER

Then, in Stephanis, buying our Roomba, we saw a Morphy Richards ‘homebake’ breadmaker, the last in stock reduced to 139 euros. We’d been given a generous financial gift, and decided to be impetuous and a bit extravagant for once. It was more than we had ever paid for a breadmaker, but it had clear instructions (including recipes), it was guaranteed for two years, and we remembered that our previous Morphy Richards breadmaker had been reliable and had lasted fairly well.

Prices in Cyprus for this kind of thing are often significantly higher than UK prices, partly because the products are imported, partly because they're less popular. We're used to that: there's no easy way to buy one in the UK and ship to Cyprus unless willing to pay even more than the cost of buying one here. And then if there are problems under warranty, no easy way to return the product.

EXAMINING THE NEW BREADMAKER

The basic shape of breadmakers is similar, with a removable metal pan, which has a paddle (or two) that are also removable. The lining is non-stick, so washing has to be done by hand, and no metal tools used. We were expecting that. What we hadn’t quite appreciated was that the paddle (a single one) has a flap, so that after the kneading has finished, it flaps down so there’s less of a hole in the bottom of the loaf, and less likelihood of the paddle getting stuck in the finished loaf.

On the front, the display is digital with a large number of different variations of program (I haven’t used more than three of them), a choice of ‘large’ or ‘medium’ loaves, a few other options I haven’t tried, and a ‘start’ button. I don’t much like touch-sensitive built-in buttons (if ‘buttons’ is the word when there’s nothing physical to push) but many appliances have them nowadays.

TRYING OUT THE NEW BREADMAKER

The instructions for all our previous breadmakers had told us to start with fluids, adding flour next, and leaving the yeast until last. This one instructed us to put the yeast in first, followed by the flour, and the liquids last. I decided to follow the instructions, while realising we might end up with a brick. And since there was a recipe for sundried tomato bread, I decided to start with that.

With all the ingredients in the pan, ensuring the paddle was in the upright position, I slotted it easily into the machine and closed the lid. Then I attempted to push the electronic button for programme 3 (wholewheat).

Nothing happened. 

I wondered if I had grease on my finger, so I washed my hands very thoroughly, dried them carefully, and tried again.

Nothing.

My husband walked into the kitchen and when I explained, he pushed the display, and the numbers changed. He pushed the option to make a medium loaf - with only two of us at home, we don’t need a large one - and then the ‘start’ button. He had to hold his finger down for a bit longer, but it worked.

The programme lasted about three and a half hours; it was quite noisy but no more so than any other breadmakers we’ve had, and to my delight, the loaf came out perfectly.

INSTRUCTION GUIDE

Reviews of this breadmaker are very positive about the instructions and recipes, and I would agree with them. There’s a good introduction to breadmaking in the guide, including some useful troubleshooting points, and recommendations about types of flour and other ingredients.

There are two or three recipes for each of the different settings. I mainly use the one for wholemeal bread, with or without seeds, sometimes with tomatoes. I have adapted it somewhat for our own tastes (less sugar, no milk) and they have almost all come out extremely well.

I've also used the dough setting a few times - I made hot cross buns recently, and pizza dough - and once or twice the 'fast' setting, when I have forgotten to start a loaf in time for lunch. The 'fast' setting requires more yeast and less time; it's also better with more white flour than wholemeal. It works well but feels a bit heavy and yeasty.

I haven't, however, tried using any of the other settings. There are 14 in all, including jam, cake, yogurt, sweet breads, and more. I prefer making cakes in pans in the oven, and jam over the stove, and some of the settings seem little different from the basic wholemeal loaf.

THE BREADMAKER AFTER A YEAR’S USE

I don’t make bread every day. Every other week I make two loaves when we have visiting friends, and freeze, in slices, any that’s left. I often make one other loaf in between times, but we don’t eat a huge amount of bread, unless we have guests.

In the year since we’ve had the breadmaker I’ve probably made eighty loaves, and used it a few times for dough (for pizza base or similar).

I’ve mastered the knack of pressing the electronic buttons although it still sometimes takes me a few attempts to get it going, and the display has faded, so I have to remember what to do, or check the instruction guide.

I think it’s probably more than paid for itself now; the ingredients are no more than 50 euro cents, plus a unit of electricity at about 30 cents. Buying a nice loaf of bread at the bakery is around €2.80.

SLIGHT ISSUES

I said, above, that the loaves have ‘almost’ all come out extremely well. However this breadmaker does seem to be sensitive to high or low ambient temperatures. The instructions say that all ingredients should be at room temperature, and for most of the year that is fine. In the heat of Cyprus summer, however, when the kitchen can be more than 30 degrees Celcius, I find the bread works better if the water is from the fridge rather than room temperature. I’ve had summer loaves rise too much too quickly and then sink, leaving a strange-looking loaf that’s a bit heavy. In the winter, by contrast, I have to use slightly warmer water, if the room temperature is 15 degrees or less.

I’ve also found that sometimes the paddle doesn’t go down properly, and gets stuck in the bread. Since that was my experience of all our other breadmakers, it’s not a huge problem: I have a metal tool from one of our previous breadmakers that allows me to remove the paddle easily. The non-stick surface works well and I’ve had no trouble turning the finished loaves out; it’s best to leave them in the pan for a few minutes before doing so, and sometimes I then forget and leave them to cool in the pan: it doesn’t seem to matter.

CONCLUSION

Although we’ve only had this a year so far, the quality feels better than with either of our more inexpensive breadmakers. If it lasts six years or more like our previous Morphy Richards machine, it will certainly have been worth the extra money. I have no hesitation in recommending this breadmaker if you’re able to find it.

Morphy Richards Air Fryer

I have read, more than once, social media memes that reckon prizes should be awarded to anyone who went through the Covid pandemic without having a baby, adopting a pet or buying an air fryer. We certainly avoided the first two, but plead guilty to the third.

I first read about air fryers, early in 2020, as a healthy alternative to deep fat fryers. Since we don't have a deep fat fryer, I didn't think it was relevant. But once I'd seen someone mention an air fryer online, they kept appearing in adverts, and social media pages. Two or three online friends had bought them, and were recommending them highly. 

So I researched a little. It turns out that they're like a small oven; they don't really 'fry' as such, but cook efficiently, and can be used for a lot more than just chips or other traditionally deep-fried food. For just two people, it seemed that it might be a useful appliance which could save us from having to use the oven so much if cooking just - for instance - baked potatoes. 

RESEARCHING THE OPTIONS

I checked the Lakeland UK store, where I've bought some excellent products, and they had a lot of air fryers. They seemed to start at around £120, with some complicated multi-purpose air fryers at over £200. I might have been tempted, but Brexit meant huge import or VAT charges and I'd been warned not to try using companies like Lakeland again to deliver to Cyprus. 

And would I really use one? I couldn't decide. We discussed them, we looked at recommendations, and we didn't do anything. 

But summer was approaching. In Cyprus summers are so hot that we mainly eat cold food during July and August, with a variety of salads and the occasional accompanying hot potatoes. 

Then, in July 2020, we were in a DIY shop and saw that they had several air fryers. I wanted to see one, out of a box, to understand how it worked.  A helpful sales assistant showed us three or four different ones, at varying prices. One was very expensive and looked over complicated, one looked a bit flimsy...

My husband checked reviews online, and the one which looked the sturdiest and which had the best reviews was the Morphy Richards 'Health' Fryer. It was priced at just under €120 and after much discussion we decided to buy it as a wedding anniversary present to each other. 

INSTALLING THE MORPHY RICHARDS AIR FRYER

The instructions were minimal, but it wasn't difficult. The movable parts - a wire basket and a metal container - had to be washed before use, as one would expect. The thing had to be plugged in, and then with the movable parts back in place, it was ready to go. A bonus of this particular air fryer was that it went very well with other appliances on our counter top. 

There are two knobs on the front. One is for setting the temperature - it goes up to 200 degrees Celcius - and the other is for setting the time. 

We learned that for optimal air frying, the appliance has to be pre-heated for about ten minutes before putting food in. Experience has taught me that five minutes is usually sufficient. 

USING THE AIR FRYER

I was a little anxious about using it at first, unsure what to expect. But we'd bought a take-away roast chicken meal the previous Sunday, and had a lot of leftover potatoes. So I first tried the air fryer for re-frying potatoes in slices, and it was excellent. Less fat than using a frying pan - and evenly done, in about twenty minutes. 

Next I tried sweet potato fries, with a recipe I found online. They came out beautifully, and were a very nice addition to some of our salads. Baked potatoes worked well, too. First I pricked them with a fork and cooked in the microwave for about ten minutes, then rolled in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt, and placed in the air fryer basket. In less than half an hour we had crispy jacket potatoes. On the carb theme, I then tried cooking some frozen oven chips, and they came out much better than doing them in the oven. 

I became more adventurous. I roasted a chicken breast to slice in a curried chicken, mango and cucumber salad.  I even cooked a small salmon fillet to flake for a lentil, pepper and salmon salad. I  roasted peppers and onions in the air fryer, then - once the weather was cooler and we were eating hot meals again - I tried mushrooms, carrots, courgettes and more.  

The disadvantage is that it's not very big, so really only one kind of food (at most two) can be cooked in it at a time. When the majority of the meal is cold, it's ideal. It doesn't heat up the kitchen like the oven does, and it's a great deal more efficient to use for just one or two items for two people.

CLEANING THE AIR FRYER

For the outside of the air fryer, a quick wipe with a damp cloth seems to keep it looking good. The removable sections - the inner cooking basket and the outer container - need to be cleaned more thoroughly after each use. There always seems to be some oil which drips through to the base, and if it's not cleaned before the next use, it will burn on and become more difficult to clean. I speak from experience.

The inner basket has a non-stick surface so it's important not to use anything harsh on it; I usually find that washing up liquid and hot water is sufficient, with a sponge or gentle scourer. It can't be put in the dishwasher. As the two parts need to be left on a draining board to dry, and take a fair bit of space, I usually leave them to the end of any washing up, and ensure everything else is put away first. 

Cleaning is my least favourite part of using this appliance. 

THOUGHTS AFTER OVER TWO YEARS OF USE

We've had our air fryer for two and a half years now, and I know we haven't fully explored its capabilities. In the winter I don't use it much (though it's a useful extra appliance on Christmas Day, when cooking a lot of food for several people). I bought a book of air fryer recipes, but didn't find them all that helpful. Having said that, if one of us is away (as has happened a few times) then the air fryer comes into its own; for just one person it can easily manage, say, a baked potato, a few falafel, and some roasted vegetables.

But in the summer, it is very useful. It means I can avoid using the oven entirely for at least two months, yet still have hot potatoes or sweet potatoes once or twice a week, and an easy way to cook chicken or fish to use as part of a salad. 

It's outlasted its two-year guarantee, and the Morphy Richards brand is one that tends to be reliable and reasonably long-lasting so I hope it will be with us for many years. However, I don't know that we would buy one again when it stops working, as will inevitably happen at some point. It's a 'first world' luxury for us, rather than an essential appliance.

Still, for a student without an oven, or someone living alone, an air fryer could be an excellent investment. And for anyone who regularly eats deep fried food, this is a much healthier alternative. 

iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaner

We hadn’t intended to buy a robot vacuum cleaner. Our Bosch Arriva cylinder vacuum cleaner was working perfectly well. Vacuuming is probably my least favourite part of housework, and I limited it to once a week, but then we only have one rug, in our living room. The rest of our floors are bare tiles, which I mostly swept with a broom and mopped a couple of times a week.

But we were in a local shop that sells electrical goods, and I noticed that there was a robot vacuum cleaner being promoted at half price. It was something like 150 euros, which is no more than the price of a regular vacuum cleaner. We had been given some unexpected money and I felt quite enticed by the thought of having a robot trundling about the house and cleaning the floors.

RESEARCHING THE OPTIONS

When we first heard of robot vacuum cleaners, they were very expensive - at least ten times the amount of the special offer we saw. So although one or two online friends had recommended them, it had never occurred to us to consider one. That meant that we had little idea of their capabilities, nor which were likely to meet our needs.

Since there were still dozens of the special offer robots available, and others in the shop that weren’t too expensive, we went home and did some online research. Were they reliable? Did they actually do a good job? Could they be left unsupervised? What happened when they ran upstairs - did one have to instal a safety gate at the top? And could they ‘learn’ the layout of more than one floor of the house? I particularly liked the idea of something that could easily vacuum under the bed, to reduce the incidence of dust and dust mites.

The special offer robot didn’t seem to be too highly rated, and was a brand we hadn’t heard of. A couple of the available robots had mopping options as well, but it sounded complex to change from dry to wet; a quick mop with a wet swiffer isn’t difficult, and would be so much easier if the floors were clean. And we have a carpet shampoo machine, if we need to wash the rug.

All the evidence pointed to the iRobot Roomba e5 as being the one to best meet our needs. It was 275 euros, more than we had planned to pay but there didn’t seem much point spending less for something that wasn’t going to do what we wanted. And by this stage we were enthusiastic about buying one.

TRYING OUT THE ROOMBA

The instruction guide is fairly brief, with a few diagrams, and explanations about how to clean it and when to replace parts. It came with one spare filter, something which we were told to replace every two months. We hoped the local shop stocked spares and that it wasn’t going to prove too expensive or onerous to keep replacing parts.

We learned that the dust container needed to be emptied after each time the robot ran, that several parts needed to be cleaned weekly, and that we might need to move small rugs out of the way. We were told, too, to make sure it didn’t run over water, which would invalidate the warranty. It all seemed a little scary…

So my husband installed the charging station under a convenient window, and after a few hours of charging we set the robot off. We watched it as it moved around the room in apparently random directions, gently bumping off walls and furniture as it navigated its way around. It was quite noisy; we weren’t sure if we would be able to do anything else while it was running, but we did like seeing it picking up crumbs and cat hairs, every so often pausing to turn in a circle with its light flashing, in what is called a ‘dirt event’.

There is an iRobot app which my husband installed on his phone, enabling him to start or stop the Roomba remotely, and giving updates each time it runs, telling us how long it worked and how many dirt events it experienced.

EMPTYING THE ROOMBA

After about an hour and a half, the Roomba’s ‘home’ light started flashing, and it set off towards the charging station. It wasn’t very good at that - it kept stopping to do more cleaning - but eventually it reached home, and started charging again. According to the app, it had done 39 dust events.

When we pushed the button to release the dirt container, we were shocked to find it completely full. It was spring, and the cats were moulting excessively, but even so it seemed like a huge amount of dirt from floors that really didn’t look dirty. 

ADJUSTING TO THE ROOMBA

We decided to run the Roomba daily, at first, to see if the amount of dust collected would reduce. Upstairs, we run it just twice a week, as the cats don’t go there so much, there’s minimal dirt from outside, and of course no kitchen or eating area. And we had to adjust a few things: moving cables and wires out of the way, for instance, or placing them neatly in trunking. The Roomba seems to have a natural affinity for wires and we didn’t want them eaten.

We have to make sure there are no papers or small items anywhere on the floor, and we move shoes in the bedroom onto a box. We have a couple of lightweight rugs which it tends to ruckle up rather than cleaning, so I pick those up and give them a shake before draping them over a chair while the Roomba runs.  Once a week I pick up all the dining room chairs and put them upside down on the table, so the Roomba can vacuum underneath, and I then mop the area.

As for upstairs, the Roomba will stop and send an SOS message to the phone app if it finds itself about to topple downstairs. But we don’t like to risk it falling. So I move the cat litter box to the top of the stairs and sweep up any stray cat litter before running the robot.

It felt like a lot of extra effort accommodating this little device, but it soon became routine. It’s definitely worth the extra effort. Not having to vacuum makes such a difference to my energy levels, and the house is cleaner than it’s ever been. The rug in the living room looks pristine - considerably better than it did with the other vacuum cleaner. We’re sneezing less, and snoring less too.

I don’t know that it’s really learned the floor plans; when we set it off each morning it seems to focus on a different room, sometimes missing one area altogether, although it then makes up for it a day or two later. But it has no problem working upstairs as well as on the main floor.

REPLACING PARTS

We replaced the filter after a couple of months; I have to bang it against the side of the kitchen bin when I empty the Roomba, as it gets quite clogged, but eventually it did need changing. We enquired at the shop where we bought it whether they had the parts, and they said they could order them, at some rather extortionate price. So we ordered cloned parts from Amazon UK, brought out by a visitor, and they work perfectly well. Replacing the green rollers underneath and the white brush were not difficult at all.

MINOR ISSUES

Although we have sometimes gone out before the Roomba has finished, we don't usually run it when we're out, nor do we set it on a daily schedule although the app would allow that to happen. That's because occasionally there are minor issues: a piece of paper that's somehow fallen on the floor, or some other small object. A change in the sound of the Roomba alerts me to a possible problem and I can quickly stop the robot, turn it over, and check to see what it might have discovered.

Another minor issue is that it sometimes gets stuck under the edge of a bookcase or cupboard door, or when trying to get on the carpet. I have no idea why it sometimes negotiates these potential hazards with ease, and sometimes not; possibly it happens when one of the little viewing windows gets a bit dusty and needs to be wiped. Or maybe it's just chance. When it gets stuck, the Roomba flashes a red light and sends a message to the app. If we don't notice that, I'll find it somewhere, unable to move. A little electronic voice will sometimes tell me to clean a wheel, or move it to a new location.

CONCLUSION

I am very glad we bought the robot vacuum cleaner, and love the cleaner, less dusty house. I'm aware that it's still considered a luxury 'first world' appliance, but prices are compatible with ordinary vacuum cleaners nowadays, whether you opt for a mid-range one like ours, or one of the pricier ones.

According to the app, it has run for more than 300 hours in the six or seven months since we bought it, and dealt with more than a thousand dirt events.& So from a financial point of view, that’s less than one euro per hour. Since its warranty lasts two years, we should expect it to work out at about 25 cents per hour even if it doesn’t last more than two years.

I hope it will be with us for many more years, but when it gives up, if it’s not possible to repair, it will be a priority to buy a new one.

Electricity bills and meters in Cyprus

Long ago, towards the end of last century when we first moved to Cyprus, we were told that electricity was 'very expensive'.  The people Richard worked with used gas for all their cooking, and various forms of heating in the winter that didn't include electric heaters. None of them had air conditioning. 

And, indeed, Cyprus was one of the most expensive countries in Europe for electricity, so we, too, were as careful as we could be. We turned off lights when we weren't in rooms, and when we did, eventually, instal one air conditioner in our living/dining room, so that we could use computers without destroying them, we calculated carefully what the cost of running it might be, and didn't use it more than was absolutely necessary.

But costs are lower now, and appliances are more efficient. I like having an electric oven, and various other kitchen gadgets. Lightbulbs now are so long-lasting that we think nothing of leaving them on when we're out, or when we forget to turn them off. We knew, of course, that it would be pricey using our electric water heater in the winter, and the air conditioners in the summer. And, indeed, our bills for those seasons were sometimes double those in the spring and autumn months. 

However we didn't look too closely into the amounts, as they were never unreasonable; certainly not the huge amounts we heard about from some other folk here and elsewhere. 

Towards the end of July 2019, we had to replace the air conditioner in our bedroom. It was quieter than the old one, and considerably more efficient. We started wondering how long it would take to pay for itself, so to speak. And then we wondered whether, if we replaced the elderly and very inefficient air conditioner in our living room, and ran the new one more often, would it in fact cost less than turning it on only when in the room?  

Since the ambient temperature was only about 32 at the time, I wondered if running even the old unit more often at 30 degrees, rather than our usual 28, would make the whole house more comfortable. In particular it would remove the humidity which is often the worst part of the heat. 

So I started monitoring our electricity usage. The meter is outside, in a little box so it's easy enough to read. 

And since I was checking it anyway, I thought I would also keep a note of our guest flat electricity usage. 

After a few days, I realised that although the electricity usage of the main part of the house was quite reasonable, we seemed to be using an inordinate amount in our guest flat, which was empty at the time. We knew it would use perhaps one or two units each day, as all our water pumps and one or two other things are connected to the guest flat electricity.  But not ten or more, which is what we were seeing. 

We went through the entire flat, checking. The fridge and freezer were off. We turned off the wall switches for anything that had an LED light. We made sure the TV wasn't on standby.  We couldn't work out what it could possibly be. Were the pumps using a ridiculous amount of electricity? Was someone tapping into our electricity?  Or was it possible that we had a faulty meter....? 

So Richard found a different kind of meter, one he had used years ago in his office. He said he could check the daily usage of electricity from our guest flat, as well as a couple of appliances. So we plugged it into our freezer - wondering if that was using too much electricity - and our fridge-freezer, which was about fourteen years old, and the guest flat. 

I know. It's pink. I don't much like pink. But it's a useful gadget... and over the course of the next week or so, we learned two things.

1.  Our guest flat, according to this meter, was only using one or two units per day, as we expected. 

2.  Our freezer used less than one unit per day, but the older, less efficient fridge-freezer used between three and four units per day. 

The first of those was of more immediate concern. Richard went to the electricity board, and after being sent to various different departments, finally managed to explain the problem. The person he spoke to said that the electricity board could come and instal a new meter for us, and take the old one away for checking. 

If it turned out that the old one was, indeed, faulty, then this would cost nothing, and we would be refunded a percentage of the past year's bills. BUT.. if it turned out that we were wrong, and that the meter was not faulty, then we would be charged 70 euros. Not unreasonable, in the circumstances, and we were pretty sure that it WAS faulty. However we didn't know how accurate their tests would be...

The new meter was installed the following week, and started giving figures that matched with the amounts on our pink meter:

And to our great relief, we received a letter from the electricity board, informing us that our old meter was faulty, and we would receive a refund on our next bills. Which, indeed, we did.

So we were very pleased that I 'just happened' to start checking the guest flat electricity usage when I did.  

Fast forward to the middle of May this year. When we realised we would not be visiting the UK during the summer, as I wrote in another post, we replaced three air conditioning units - the very old one in our living room, and the two which are the most used, in our studies.  We also replaced our fifteen-year-old fridge freezer, deciding that if we were going to do it, then the best time was right before the heat of summer. 

And I started checking our electricity usage each day. It was quite enlightening. We realised that leaving ceiling fans running all day, as we have done some years, isn't very efficient. Unless we're actually in the rooms, there's little point as they don't change the temperature. They only use about 100 watts but that means one unit is used every ten hours.. which doesn't sound like much, but for three or four ceiling fans, it can quickly mount up. 

However, we did use our air conditioners extensively, including running the living room one almost all day on the hottest, most humid days. It was a very hot summer, with several records broken.  

Our electricity bills are two-monthly, and it happened that our meter had been read within a few days of our having bought the new fridge freezer and air conditioning units. Between the middle of March and the middle of May, usually our lowest usage, we had clocked up 785 units. That was with no air conditioning usage, and very little water heating, as the solar heating works effectively from about March through to November.  

Between mid-May and mid-July, with our newer, more efficient appliances - and a lot of air conditioning in late June and the first half of July - we used just 661 units. That compared to 1119 in the previous year during the same period.  With a temporary reduction in fuel costs in the equation, it was probably the lowest electricity bill we had ever paid. 

The second half of July was hotter still, as was August. And it remained hot in September, so we continued using air conditioning.  Inevitably our electricity usage was higher.  From mid-July to mid-September we used 1049 units; that compared to 1289 the previous year - and in 2019 we had two weeks in the UK at the start of August; I had another two-and-a-half weeks out of Cyprus.  Had I been here, as I was this year, it would have been a great deal higher.  The last time - three years ago - that we were in Cyprus all summer, we used over 1400 units.  

So we have probably already saved, in electricity bills, the cost of one of the new air conditioning units. I know we're fortunate to have been able to do this; the 'Sam Vimes Boots theory of socioeconomic unfairness' holds, as ever.  But as the sterling/euro exchange rate gradually gets worse, and may plummet still further, it's good to have lower bills.  And newer appliances are better for the environment, too. 

Buying a microwave oven in Cyprus

It's nearly eight years since we bought our last microwave oven, although I wouldn't have been surprised to find that it was only four or five years ago. Time seems to be accelerating, the older we get. We bought it from Carrefour, where we tended to buy most of our small kitchen appliances eight years ago. Carrefour no longer exists. Nowadays, we are likely to check SuperHome Centre or Mr Bricolage first. 

I explained in the post linked above that this Carrefour microwave had a grill function, and rather complex instructions which were provided in several languages, but not English. I spent some time searching online for instructions in English, and eventually gave up. I typed the French into Google Translate, then printed the result. It wasn't really any more helpful. 

For instance, if I wanted to cook baked potatoes I had to remember which was the automatic menu knob, and twist that to position A5. (I only know this because I just checked the instructions - I never managed to remember any of the auto settings). Then I had to remember to confirm that by pressing a diamond button.  After that the knob could be pressed to set the weight of the potatoes (assuming I had remembered to weigh them. If not, I had to remove them and start over after weighing).  Then I had to press the diamond again. If I got any of it wrong, it lost the settings.

There was another knob to set different amounts of microwave power, or to choose the grill function, or the two combined. There was a way to set specific times too, but that was just as complicated. Below I have reproduced part of the instructions which I never managed to follow: 

Cook or grill combined cooking.

Press waves on the LED screen. LED Will show G. Press several times on waves or turn the knob to select the power and Desired G, C-1 or C-2 will appear alternately. 

Press Diamond to confirm, and turn the knob to adjust the length of cooking from 0.05 to 95.00. Press again to start cooking.

Example: if you want to use 55% power of microwave and grill power of 45% (C-1) to cook for ten minutes, set the furnace according to this method:

1) press once on waves, and "G" will show.

2) Press again or turn the knob waves to select the Mode 1 combi.

3) Press one diamond to confirm, and the screen will show C-1.

4) Turn the knob to adjust the oven up to the cooking time displays 10.00.

5) Press on the diamond to start cooking.

G - 100% Grill

C-1 - 45% grill

C-2 - 64% grill.

There was no indication as to WHY I might want to cook anything for ten minutes with 55% microwave power and 45% grill, even had I managed successfully to set it correctly.

Besides, when I use a microwave it's because I want to do something quickly. 

So in the end, the only button we ever used was the 'quick' setting, for 30 second bursts on full microwave power.  It was fine. Three 30-second bursts to heat a cup of cold coffee. About ten of them to soften potatoes prior to baking. We made mug cakes, reheated food, melted coconut oil or chocolate or dairy-free spread, cooked frozen peas, or aubergines for baba ganoush.. sometimes opening the door before the 30 seconds were up, and sometimes pressing a few more. 

I suppose it was about a year ago that there was a problem with the buttons, possibly because we had used one of them extensively and nothing else. But Richard managed to open up the front panel, and replaced a part that had fallen out or deteriorated, as a temporary measure. It was very effective, and we continued using it with no problems. 

However we realised that it wouldn't last forever, so we had been looking at microwaves in the DIY stores when we happened to be there. One or other of them usually had a small, basic white microwave on offer. We didn't need a large one, we told ourselves, nor did we need any of the fancy functions. 

On the other hand, Richard did want a digital timer rather than just an analogue knob as he has become an expert at microwave mug cakes, and they have rather precise timing. I care more about aesthetics than precision, and really hoped we would find one in black or silver rather than white.  Nothing grabbed us, and it appeared that the digital ones were over twice the price of the basic white ones. 

Matters came to a head on Monday night, when Richard heard a strange electrical crackling sound in the kitchen, and eventually traced it to the microwave, although it wasn't in use. He unplugged it and the noise stopped. He forgot to tell me about it, so in the morning I plugged it in (assuming it was unplugged by mistake - it's right next to the plug socket that we use alternately for the kettle and frappe maker) and used the microwave to reheat some coffee. Then I heard a strange crackling noise... so I turned it off at the wall and the noise stopped.

Electrical crackling noises are a danger sign, so we knew we had to replace the microwave immediately.  We checked a few places online, and eventually found one we liked the look of, at not too steep a price, at George Theodorou, our favourite local white goods shop. It had a digital panel, and it was black and silver.  This shop has always given excellent service, so we decided to buy our new microwave there. 

We're not very good at disposing of old appliances. Our last non-functioning bread-maker sat on a table for several months before we got rid of it. But this time, Richard decided to be efficient. He put the old microwave oven in the car and we took it to the recycling centre before going to buy our new one.  

What I did not expect was that this is also a dual-function microwave, with a grill or combined way of cooking. But... this time we have instructions in English (as well as about forty other languages), and they are so much simpler.

Instead of having to remember which knob to use, and which of several apparently random functions was the one I wanted, I can do baked potatoes by pressing a single button marked, helpfully, 'jacket potato'. Last night I used the 'frozen vegetables' button, and this morning the 'reheat tea & coffee' button. I can't see us ever needing the 'pizza' or 'popcorn' buttons, and there isn't one for 'mug cake', but still.  I like it. 

This is so much easier to use that I might even try the grill or combination setting at some point if I can figure out why I might need either of them.  And it has the added benefit that the clock stays lit, making it far more useful than the one on our previous microwave, which only showed when the oven was in use. 

I expect appliances to last at least ten years, but when I checked, I found that microwaves are expected to last only about seven years (or less, with frequent use).  So eight years isn't too bad after all.

Another Breadmaker

When we first moved to Cyprus, we regularly bought bread at an excellent bakery nearby. I knew that it would be less expensive and more healthy to make my own bread, but I didn't get around to it very often. Kneading by hand was hard work - exhausting in the summer! - and although I had a food processor with a kneading blade, I didn't like to use it too often as it felt as if the motor was struggling, sometimes.

Then just before Christmas 2005 we bought a breadmaker. After a couple of false starts, it began to make excellent bread, and we used it several times per week until the summer of 2012 when something went wrong with the motor. It had more than paid for itself in the savings on bread over six-and-a-half years, so we decided to buy a new breadmaker. It was a fairly inexpensive one, a shop's own brand:

Then it started going wrong. I don't remember what happened, or why we were unable to take it back, as I'm pretty sure it was still under warranty.  Or maybe it still worked, somewhat, but the bread was heavy. Perhaps we had it fixed under warranty, and it still didn't work properly.

I didn't blog about it.. and so have no reference point, other than in our accounts application, where I can see that we bought our next breadmaker in April 2014.  It was from Lidl, on special offer. I remember having a discussion about whether or not it was a good idea to buy another inexpensive shop-brand one, and deciding that we'd try just one more time.

It was a good breadmaker. It had various functions, although as with most appliances I used just a couple of them probably 99% of the time.  I wasn't making bread nearly as often as I did when we had our sons living here, but every couple of weeks our friends with several children come over for a kind of high tea on Sunday afternoons, and I usually make two loaves then, slicing and freezing any leftovers. I sometimes make a loaf at other times, too.

All was well until just over a week ago when we were hosting a birthday party for a visiting friend. I decided to make a loaf of bread for the evening buffet, so put the breadmaker on, only to realise that only one paddle was working.  I tried turning the tin around, so the dough would mix at both ends, and it made some unpleasant graunching noises.  Eventually I took it out, mixed and kneaded it by hand, then put the dough back in the breadmaker, without the paddles, on 'dough' setting so that it would rise.  I made some bread rolls which I cooked in the oven, and they were fine. But I didn't want to do that every time.

Nor did I want to go back to buying all our bread from a bakery. We like home-made bread, and I love the convenience of a breadmaker. Perhaps this one could have been mended, but it was over four years old, and didn't owe us anything; we worked out that using a breadmaker for about six months means it pays for itself in the savings on buying bread.  We hate the fact that so many modern appliances are 'disposable' - getting it mended would probably cost almost as much as a new one, and with no guarantee of continuing to work.

So I went to the website of George Theodorou, where we usually buy large appliances/white goods. Relationships are important in Cyprus, as is customer loyalty.  And they've always given us good service. However they only had one breadmaker listed; it was over 100 euros, and when we checked against Amazon, it was evidently somewhat over-priced and not very highly reviewed.

Last Friday we decided to see what else we could find in Larnaka. Lidl didn't have any on offer, although they probably will at some point. But I didn't want to wait, possibly months. I looked at the website of another shop that sells appliances, but they didn't have any breadmakers at all.  We went to a couple of big DIY shops that sell electrical appliances: Leroy Merlin didn't have any breadmakers. Super Home Centre had one, but it was even more expensive than the one I had seen online, and looked a bit flimsy. We went over the road to Debenhams, but although they have some kitchen things, they don't appear to have any electrical appliances.

We were almost ready to give up, but I suggested we go to the 1st April Street thrift shop, where we've occasionally bought appliances in the past.  And there, in the corner, was a breadmaker. Phillips brand, twenty-five euros.

It looked almost new, so we thought we would try it. It's not a design I would have chosen:

Nor did it have an instruction guide or recipe book included. I was able to find them online, though - the advantage of an unusual looking breadmaker with a purple stripe is that it was easy to find the model via an image search - but decided that I would try, first of all, my normal recipe which has worked in all my other breadmakers.

It worked.

We've got used to longer loaves with our previous two-paddle breadmakers, but this one has the advantage that the bread comes out very easily, rather than getting stuck (which was the worst problem with the Lidl one).

So we're very pleased with this new (to us) breadmaker, and hope it will last us at least as long as the previous ones. 

Kenwood Multipro food processor

I’ve had various jug blenders over the years, some better than others. I’ve also had a couple of second-hand Moulinex food processors which more than gave me my money’s worth. When my most recent one started making graunching noises, I decided to look for a new one before it gave up entirely. I discovered that the Moulinex varieties are no longer made.

FOOD PROCESSOR HUNTING

We live in Cyprus, and good quality appliances tend to be over-priced here. So I checked the Lakeland website in the UK. They offer excellent service, a useful guarantee if anything goes wrong, and a reasonable fee for postage via courier.

Browsing through their options, I was struck by the Kenwood compact 'multipro' food processor. It has a blender as well as a food processor (some variations also have a herb mill/grinder, but this particular box set doesn’t) and seemed to be highly rated. It was on offer at just under £50. I was concerned it might be a bit small, but then there are only two of us living here now. I entertain from time to time, and like having a food processor for many things I make from scratch.

I found one or two other things I wanted from Lakeland, so eventually I put together the order, including a food processor for me as well as for a local friend who wanted one and agreed to share the postage.

FOOD PROCESSOR SETUP

Within about four days, the courier arrived with my new food processor. It was extremely well packed and everything was in excellent condition. I was slightly puzzled that the box claimed that it had twelve different uses; I could only come up with seven. But apparently the same box is used when other attachments are included, such as a herb mill and citrus juicer.

Putting it together was straightforward, even for some as mechanically challenged as I am. The main part, housing the motor, is bigger than I had expected. The food processor bowl has the usual hard plastic sides, with a well-fitting lid and removable pusher. The main cutting blade is metal, and there’s a grating/slicing attachment that can be fitted too. The blender is also a bit bigger than I had expected, holding over a litre of fluid. The food processor or the blender fit on top of the motor unit and won’t operate unless correctly clicked in place.

MAKING COLESLAW

My first experiment was some coleslaw; rather than using the grating attachment, I simply cut a peeled carrot into a few chunks and threw that in the food processor with the main metal blade, and ran it for a few seconds before adding the cabbage.

I quickly discovered that the capacity isn’t all that big; it would take about half a small white cabbage, but if I tried to add any more it bounced around on top of what was already cut. That wasn’t really a problem; I decanted what I had made already and did the rest separately. I was impressed at the speed and power. The specification is 750w which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s very effective.

MAKING CAKES AND BISCUITS

While I use a hand mixer for standard Victoria sponges, I have other recipes where ingredients are all thrown in together, including some gluten-free cakes that use chickpeas rather than flour. The Kenwood food processor works well for these, ensuring that the chickpeas are chopped so well that nobody would guess that they were present.

Cake or biscuit/cookie mixture processes into a ball in about twenty seconds and is easy to spoon into tins or on a baking tray. A useful spatula was provided with the Kenwood set, which enables me to remove any last  bits of mixture without any danger of scratching the surface.

NUT BUTTERS

I love peanut butter and other nut butters, but commercial brands are either full of additives, or extortionately expensive. We can buy basic nuts in bulk here, but when I tried making nut butters with my old food processor, the results were never all that great. With my Kenwood processor, however, I was able to make beautifully smooth peanut butter in about three minutes, out of nothing but peanuts. Other nut butters are equally successful.

NUT MILKS

My husband is dairy-free so I make my own coconut or nut milks. I’m pleased to find that cashew milk and cashew-based ice creams can be made using the blender. If raw cashews are soaked overnight, and then drained, they can be whizzed with a little water to make cashew cream, with more water added to make an excellent milk substitute for cooking or adding to coffee.

In the past I’ve used my stick blender, but the results were gritty and had to be strained. With this Kenwood blender, no straining is necessary, meaning that all the nutrients of the cashews are present in the nut milk - and if I don’t stir it before using, delicious cashew cream remains in the bottom.

SOUPS AND KETCHUP

I make soups and tomato ketchup at home, too. While I prefer to blend them in a saucepan using my stick blender, it doesn’t give nearly such a good result as the Kenwood blender. I have to weigh up the convenience of liquidising in the pan against the increased smoothness with the blender; usually convenience wins, but for special occasions, or if I can’t get the soup to the smoothness I want, the blender is ideal.

OTHER USES

That’s just a few of my most frequent uses of this excellent appliance. I’ve also used the food processor for making breadcrumbs, for grating blocks of cheese, for chopping onions, and more. It’s so quick and easy, and feels so powerful that I keep it on the countertop and use it regularly.

There’s an emulsifying tool too, for mayonnaise; however I haven’t yet used that.

CLEANING

While most of the parts are suitable for a dishwasher, I usually wash them by hand as they’re quick and easy, and the jug parts, at least, would be a bit awkward to fit in the dishwasher. As soon as I’ve used either the processor or the blender, I fill them with soapy water to soak, and then wash them properly later. They don’t take long and aren’t fiddly at all. It’s not a good idea to leave a sharp blade soaking in a washing up bowl, as I know to my cost.

INSTRUCTIONS

The machine is accompanied by a slimline instruction booklet, with detailed diagrams showing every part of the food processor (including the variations not in this particular box) on the inside front cover. This is followed by the usual safety regulations, warnings about over-hot liquids and the sharpness of blades, and so on. There are then more specific instructions about each of the different attachments, a troubleshooting guide, and a few (very few) suggested recipes.

As with most instruction manuals, I skimmed it rapidly, used it to check that all parts were present and correct, and then put it in my collection of appliance instructions, just in case I ever need them.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATION

My first impressions were of a surprisingly big food processor, for the cost, although it fits quite neatly on my worktop. It’s easy to operate, with two distinct speeds, and while I’ve had to learn not to put too much in the bowl at once, it’s big enough for most of my purposes. The blender part is probably the best blender I’ve ever had.

The suction on the feet is very strong, which is good while in operation, as it stops the appliance from jumping around, but I found it slightly annoying at first; I keep it at the back of my work surface, but want to move it forward to use. The suction is so good that it was hard to move until I had the idea of keeping it on an old place mat. That makes it easy to slide forwards and backwards to use, but still stops the thing from moving around on its own.

All in all, I am extremely pleased with this machine. Highly recommended.

2022 UPDATE

The food processor, I am happy to report, still works well over seven years after purchase. I suppose I use it on average two or three times per month; I particularly like it for making pastry, although it's slightly annoying that the capacity is limited, so I can't make a large amount in one go. I still use it for coleslaw, for my annual marzipan and royal icing for the Christmas cake, and one or two other things. I have successfully made vegan mayonnaise using the emulsifier attachment, but never use the grater attachment. It's quicker to use a hand grater, and much easier to clean.

The blender part, however, started to leak after about three years. Just a few drops at first, but it appeared that unscrewing the base to clean weakened it - and the seals do become very dirty if not cleaned, no matter how well one washes the blender as a whole. I couldn't find replacement seals, and a replacement jug was going to prove almost as expensive as a new food processor.

So I decided to buy a new high-speed blender for our nut milks, to use the stick blender for soups and ketchup, and to keep the food processor part. It has been a good decision.

The food processor won't last forever; but nowadays seven years seems to be a good lifespan for any electrical appliance. While this particular model is no longer available, Kenwood still do a range of compact 'multipro' food processors.