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The UK’s Top Food Imports And Where They Come From

Click the map to view full size image It’s no secret that the UK is a huge importer of food and drink, it’s not like we can grow exotic fruit in our allotments and we’re not exactly known for our vineyards! Just how large scale our import demand is might still come as a surprise to you though, as it did to us when we carried out research on the top food and drink imports to the UK from 191 countries. The import data for the first 6 months of 2018 was collected from HM Revenue & Customs and broken down into countries and categories. What it revealed was that we import a huge amount of food and drink from pretty much every country in…

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Smoke Coming Out Of Your Oven? Here’s Why

The last thing you want when you’ve got guests over for dinner is smoke coming out of your oven. Aside from the embarrassment it can cause, smoke isn’t exactly a flavour you want accompanying every meal you serve. There are a number of reasons why you might have smoke coming out of your oven, so if your gas or electric oven is smoking right now and you’re trying to figure out what’s going on, read on to find out what it could be. Causes of Smoking Ovens Factory coatings or chemicals burning If your oven is new, this is the most likely reason that it’s smoking. When being manufactured, it’s common practice for ovens to have an oil based coating that can cause smoke as…

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Is An Appliance Service Plan Worth It?

Everybody has domestic appliances in their home, from ovens to washing machines and everything in between, so we all know that they can break down at the least convenient times. Sometimes the appliance breakdown itself isn’t even the worst of it – being hit with a large but unavoidable repair bill in a tough month can be expensive. Instead of waiting until your appliance breaks down to think about how you’d deal with doing without or having to pay for a repair, making use of an appliance service plan can give you peace of mind and save you time and money. Benefits of an Appliance Service Plan Cheap – From as little as £2.60 a month, you can have the guarantee that any time your…

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Five Uses for Your Microwave

We all use our microwave for a few regular things; heating up food, reheating our forgotten coffee and defrosting frozen products. But there are other uses for our microwave that you might not be aware of. Here are five tips and tricks to get the most out of one of our staple appliances: Stop those onion tears When we’re cutting up onions, we spend the majority of our time wiping our eyes to ensure we can see what we’re cutting. If you’ve tried all the hacks – including putting a wooden spoon in your mouth – you might be happy to hear that your microwave can help! To banish the tears, put your onions in the microwave for a few seconds before cutting. This will…

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OVEN BAKE
  • July 17th, 2018
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  • Posted in cooking

Five Reasons Why Your Oven Isn’t Heating Evenly

Whatever is on the menu, its extremely frustrating when you’ve followed the cooking instructions, yet for some reason, your dinner hasn’t cooked evenly. Not only is this problem going to ruin your dinner, it could also be a health hazard if food such as chicken isn’t cooking thoroughly. There are a number of reasons this could be happening, and the good news is that most of them are easily identified. Read on to find out six reasons why you’re having oven problems.

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How to Defrost Your Freezer Quickly

When you’re hungry and reaching into the freezer for food, there’s nothing more annoying than discovering that the door is frozen shut. Freezers can suffer from a build up of ice for numerous reasons: faulty door seals, clogged vents or blocked drains are common causes. It is important to maintain your freezer regularly, and this means defrosting your freezer. Whilst this can be a boring task, failing to defrost it could mean that your food doesn’t stay at the right temperature, as well as causing doors to jam which means that the freezer could be easily damaged. This blog describes the best ways to defrost your freezer, so that you can go back to using your appliance to its maximum capability. How long does it…

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Why Does My Washing Machine Take So Long To Complete?

If you live in one of those households with endless amounts of laundry to do, a slow washing machine is a nightmare. The last thing you want when you put a load in is to be waiting hours for it to finish, especially if you have a large pile of muddy football kits or school clothes to put in next! While this is sure to get under your skin when it happens, the good news is that it is usually not an issue which will call for a whole washing machine repair, and the cause is usually quite simple! So if you are you getting fed up with waiting for your washing machine cycle to complete, there is probably a valid reason why it is…

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How to Stop a Fridge Freezer Making Noise

Have you spotted a strange noise coming from your fridge freezer? Although it’s one of the largest appliances in your kitchen, you shouldn’t have to put up with a machine that sounds like a jumbo jet getting ready for take-off! A certain level of noise is to be expected from a fridge freezer. In fact, you might barely notice the regular humming coming from your kitchen if it’s been a common occurrence. However, fridge freezers that make excessive noises can indicate a problem – not just for your ears. In this guide, we’re sharing the common faults which can cause a noisy fridge freezer, and how to fix them to restore peace and quiet in your home: 1. Appliance gets louder when opened If the…

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How to Correctly Clean a Microwave

Being one of the most frequently-used appliances in kitchens all over the world, it likely won’t come as a surprise to learn that microwaves can get extremely mucky, very quickly. …Especially if you don’t know what not to put in your microwave! These small machines are no stranger to old food and bacteria. If you’re using them on a daily basis, it’s important they’re cleaned properly – and frequently. You can use these four tips to clean your microwave, and help to prevent bad smells and unhealthy bacteria-build up, too: 1. Let the microwave cool, first Before attempting any cleaning of your microwave, you’ll need to let the machine cool, first – by not touching it for at least one hour after it was last…

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How to maintain your washing machine

Your washing machine frequently has hot water circulating inside it, so that’s keeping it nice and clean, right? Wrong. Just because it washes your clothes, doesn’t mean the appliance itself, is actually sparkling. The truth is, your washer can still develop mould and residue build-up from soapy water. This can happen quickly due to using too much detergent. Here’s a simple guide to ensure a great-working and clean washing machine: Clear dirty drain filters Always ensure the drain filter is clear! It can easily clog with dirty water, meaning clothes are not being cleaned properly and musty smells can transfer to laundry. The filter is designed to catch small objects like coins, in case they get to the pump and block it. However, if your…

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How Do Diets Differ Over Time?

Food, glorious food. Most of us look forward to our evening meal and enjoy having a full belly before bed but judging by the sounds of some of the diets we have uncovered, this will not be the case for everybody. While we may have stopped sending ourselves sick by swallowing soap and tapeworms, as we did in the early 1900s, some freaky diet fads are still going strong. Health-hindering habits such as the smoking diet have dropped out of fashion, which may mean the teeth and throats of us Brits are getting a rest. However, with Google searches for enamel-eroding juice cleanses rising by 850% in the last decade, and acidic apple cider vinegar diets also increasing, what we’re consuming is still a cause…

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How To Avoid Washing Machine Damage

Being left without a washing machine can cause havoc, especially in a family home. With kids having a habit of getting extremely mucky extremely fast, a washing machine is an essential part of daily life. Nobody wants to spend their day smelling bad, or hiding their stained shirts at work, meaning a washing machine is truly man’s best friend. However, as with most friendships, there are certain things that you can do that your washing machine won’t appreciate at all. Certain laundry mistakes can slow down the way your washing machine functions, shorten the lifespan of your machine or outright break it. So, to avoid a handwashing hullabaloo and resorting to a bathtub and a washboard, it’s important to take care of your beloved washing…

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