Yesterday, General Mills announced a recall of 10 million pounds of flour because it was potentially linked to an outbreak of E. coli that affected 38 patients in 20 states. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that they have linked Gold Medal and Signature Kitchens flour to illnesses in this outbreak. [More]
baking
Bakers Want RI Lawmakers To Make It Easier To Buy Wine In Bulk For Special Biscuits
By 5.18.16
Professional bakers don’t shop the way the rest of us do. When they want to make a delicious treat, they’d rather buy things like flour, sugar, chocolate, and other ingredients in bulk to satisfy consumer demand for desserts. In Rhode Island, bakers are trying to get lawmakers to make the bulk buying experience possible for another ingredient they use a lot of: wine. [More]
Perhaps You Need A Monotasking Twinkie-Maker
By 4.28.15
Why would you use your oven when you could have an entire pantry full of baking devices that are devoted to one extremely specific food item, and often don’t make that food item all that well? That’s why we’re fascinated with these appliances, which can make anything from ice cream sandwiches to pretzels, but cannot create more storage space in your house. [More]
Girl Scouts Cookie Oven Is A Real Thing You Can Use To Stuff Your Face With Homemade Thin Mints
By 2.24.15
For many, Girl Scout cookie time is the most magical time of the year — the boxes come a’tumbling off the cookie wagon, bringing mouthfuls of sugary joy for as long as they last in the hands of greedy customers, and all is well… at least for a little while. But what if you could make your own Girl Scout cookies at home, no matter the season? [More]
Rad Or Bad: The Individual Pie-Making Machine
By 11.16.10
For anyone that ever wanted to make a pie but doesn’t want to share with others (or spend several days feasting on pie leftovers), there might be an answer — the Breville Pie Maker. [More]
Babycakes Makes Baking Cupcakes More Convenient, More Stupid
By 11.12.10
This isn’t really a “new” product–it’s been around since at least this past spring, but it just recently came to our attention. Yes, if you are too impatient to wait the fifteen minutes or so that it takes to bake cupcakes and other small baked goods in a regular old oven, this monotasking, space-hogging glorified George Foreman grill is here to help you expand your waistline. [More]
Grocery Shrink Ray Strikes Chocolate Chips, Leaves Recipe Unscathed
By 9.10.09
Reader Mike discovered that Private Selection brand chocolate chips were a recent victim of the Grocery Shrink Ray. However, the company forgot to remove a key piece of evidence after the fact. That, or they’re just trying to sell more bags.
Prepare Yourself: The Cupcake Bubble Is About To Burst
By 9.9.09
One industry that has grown in the recession is set for a fall. No, not vehicle repossessions or shoe repair. I’m talking about the mid-decade cupcake boom. According to Slate, the industry is due for a bust.
How To Cook A Meal In Your Hotel Room
By 8.24.09
We’ve never looked at a hotel’s bathroom counter and thought, “I could probably roll out some dough right there.” We’ve also never tried to use an iron for a hot plate, or shoved uncooked spinach into the coffee maker. But now that we’ve watched this proof of concept video from George Egg, we may consider going grocery shopping the next time we’re stuck in a hotel with an overpriced room service menu.
By 8.12.08
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Here’s a “fun” summer project: make your own homemade Oreo cookies! Will you save money? Who can say! Will they be healthier? Probably not! Will your friends think you have too much time on your hands? Yes, but they’ll appreciate the free baked goods. [Post Tribune]
Harness The Power Of Terra Cotta To Keep Brown Sugar Soft And Granulated
By 6.2.07
We hate getting halfway through a recipe only to find our brown sugar solid as a rock. Thankfully, Curbly has discovered a way to keep us rolling in lusciously soft brown sugar.
So, some genius Canadians came up with this adorable option: a bear-shaped chunk of terra cotta that keeps your brown sugar pliable and granulated. And at the best price of three dollars (plus shipping), it’s a pretty good deal. But three dollars is three dollars, and when you can DIY one for 29 cents, you could better spend the remaining $2.70 on postage to send me the delicious goods you’ve baked with your eternally soft brown sugar.
We never knew terra cotta soaked in water for 30 minutes could suppress brown sugar’s petrifying urges. Check out Curbly for the full instructions. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Pillsbury Offers Conflicting Biscuit-Baking Information
By 2.24.07
Aaron’s Pillsbury 12 Flaky Layer Biscuits say bake for 11-20 minutes and 20-28 minutes. Aaron, confused and hungry for flaky layer biscuits, tried calling for help.
When I called their customer support line, they were gone for the day. You’d think they’d have someone working when people are most likely to be using their products.
Should Aaron bake his biscuits for 11-20 minutes or 20-28 minutes? What other products offer conflicting information? Tell us about them in the comments. Send pictures to tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
