How the United Kingdom’s Lockdowns Made Me a Tourist in My Own Neighborhood

Published on Fodor’s Travel on 16th March 2021

On the southern bank of London’s River Thames sits Battersea Park, a protected green space that first opened to the public in 1854. Within its 200 acres of parkland are several hidden gardens, a boating lake, and even a children’s zoo, making it one of the city’s most interesting parks. Its northern perimeter is a promenade that opens out onto a view of the river and the grand Chelsea mansions beyond that. On its other three sides, dense apartment blocks plug the gaps.

I’ve lived in a tiny studio apartment in one of these blocks for the last four years. For me, the park has always been a place of peace and joy, a replacement for that rare commodity in central London—a private garden.

That all changed last March when the U.K. entered a national lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The entire country was told to stay at home, and only go outside once a day for essential reasons such as to shop for groceries or to exercise. To ensure we complied, police were sent to patrol the streets, ready to hand out fines to those who broke the rules.

Read more at Fodor’s Travel

FRY-TASTIC Proscenic T21 smart air fryer review: An almost flawless smart kitchen gadget

Published on The Sun digital on 15th March 2021

AIR fryers are quickly becoming must-have kitchen gadgets. Why? Because they making cooking perfectly crispy chips so, so easy, with a fraction of the oil you’d use in a deep fat fryer.

But what about an air fryer that you could hook up to your smart phone? We review the Proscenic T21 smart air fryer to see if it’s worth your money.

Best known for their fleet of robot vacuum cleaners, home appliances brand Proscenic has now ventured into the air fryer market and their first product is the T21 smart air fryer, which recently landed in the UK.

Read more at The Sun digital

DOUGH GOOD Morphy Richards MixStar compact stand mixer review: compact, lightweight and great value

Published on The Sun digital on 12th March 2021

THE Morphy Richards MixStar has reimagined what stand mixers should look like with a design that closely resembles a food processor.

But is it as powerful as traditional stand mixers? We put it to the test in a home kitchen to find out.

The Morphy Richards MixStar’s design is simple – a 650W machine forms the base with the 4l mixing bowl plus lid docking into place on top.

Read more at The Sun digital

9 best food steamers for quick, easy and healthy meals

Published on The Independent on 9th March 2021

For quick, easy and healthy meals, it’s hard to beat steaming. Thanks to the gentle cooking process and the moist cooking environment, vegetables are able to retain more of their nutritional value, while meat and fish stay tender and juicy.

Traditionally, steamers have been inserts that go over a pan of boiling water, but there are now smart machines that can take care of all the timings for you so you can just set it and forget it. As they come in a huge range of sizes and price points, the type you get will depend on what you plan to cook and how often; the size of your kitchen; and, of course, your budget.

Smaller steam baskets are perfect for cooking vegetables for one or two people, for example. They’re cheaper, don’t take much room and can be used with your existing pans. But there are also bigger options for those who are more adventurous and want to experiment with different recipes or create entire meals.

Read more at The Independent

BAKERS’ HELPER KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS 4.8l stand mixer review

Published on The Sun digital on 5th March 2021

KITCHENAID is well known for their range of colourful stand mixers, which are loved by home bakers everywhere.

We put the KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS 4.8l stand mixer to the test to see whether it stands up to the hype.

One of the best things about KitchenAid’s stand mixers is that they come in a range of sizes – small (3.3l), medium (4.3l or 4.8l) and large (4.8l or 6.9l) – and colours to suit your kitchen.

Read more at The Sun digital