Advantages: kids love it, teaches kids hygiene and satety
Disadvantages: you have to clean up the kitchen after they've tried to cook stuff!!

...they give warnings about the dangers in the kitchen for instance when venturing near the cooker Big Cook Ben will say "Always get your grown up helper to use the oven as its HOT HOT HOT!" They also encourage children to wash their hands and clear up afterwards! Now if after watching it you are inclined to take your little terror into the kitchen and cook up some of these delicious treats the DVD has its own recipe book with easy to follow instructions and pictures of each ingredient so that the children can recognise them. Oh and beware there is lots of Big Cook Little Cook merchandise including scales, ice lolly kit, Big Cooks Cookery Book and they are all available in the Early Learning Centre and other outlets! PS The ratings are given from my 3 yr olds prospective - not mine! Except Value for money - thats my view, it keeps him... Read review

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Advantages: Colourful, easy to follow recipes and useful general ideas.
Disadvantages: Sometimes needs a bit more detail.

...If you want to learn how to cook, then in this mag have a look. There's lots of recipes for you to try, and doesn't leave your kitchen like a pig sty. Whether it's sweet, healthy, veg or meat, this guide for you will be hard to beat. It gives you lots of cooking tips, and soon will have you licking your lips. It's got lots of ideas, from chefs of the telly and they give you great ideas for filling your belly. You don't need to be a Ramsay or White, just quick simple ideas that turn out just right. With lots of ideas and a reasonable price, you'll soon be making food that's dead nice. So don't hang around, have a quick look, you'll be surprised what you learn by reading easy cook.... Read review

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Advantages: Simple and easy to understand, fun to cook
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...This cookbook is the sort which has simple recipes that anybody can cook. Jamie Oliver, a working chef at London's River Café, strips back the recipes to their bare essentials, and basically cooks simpler versions of food he might cook everyday, but without the precise measures. He applies this to all his recipes - from salads to roasts, desserts to pastas, and avoids using culinary jargon. In the book you'll also find suggestions for ingredients to keep in your larder and herbs to grow on your windowsill. There are also tips on how to cook live lobsters, how to make gravy, preparing pulses for cooking, and how to make the perfect roast chicken. A terrific cookbook, and interesting read, and a book you WILL use in the kitchen.... Read review

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Advantages: Good to cook with. Easy to clean.
Disadvantages: Rather large to store.

...Kenwood DF520 I have found this fryer to be an efficient addition to my kitchen. It is rather bulky so advisable to have a cupboard to store it in, for, if you are like me, it will only be used on a few occassions. It cooks well with a good range of temperatures and has a reasonable sized basket for the food to be cooked. It is rather spoilt by the viewing window becoming hard to see through once cooking has commenced as it appears to steam up which makes it more difficult to tell when the food is ready without opening the lid. It is easy to keep clean and takes apart with lillte difficulty to enable most componants to be placed in the dishwasher.... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to read with something for everyone
Disadvantages: None

...in each magazine for all, Many of the recipes are aimed at family cooking and with tips and ideas it makes Easy Cook a must have kitchen bookshelf accessory. To be honest you don't even need to cut out the good recipes and paste into a cookery Notebook anymore as most editions I would be cutting and keeping over 3/4 of recipes, so instead I just add the whole magazine to the bookshelf, and as its not packed full of adverts like similar cookery magazines online, its makes for a must better kitchen companion. why not punch holes in each magazine and create your own Easy Cook filing system for each of the seasons. Another great feature of Easy Cook is that the recipes can often be made from ingredients that most of us would already have in our kitchen, and often under 20 minutes cooking time. (Fantastic) I am already looking forward... Read review

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Advantages: great results
Disadvantages:

...Sharps R872 convection micro wave is a family sized micro wave which is a dream come true for me! This micro wave is simply one of the best! The micro wave has made my normal oven practically redundant! This gives you the quickness of microwave cooking but the results lok as if you have cooked it in your normal oven ie no more soggy looking roasts - you can brown them off so they are nice and crispy! The micro wave itself is simplicity in tiself to use. This one has a large capacity of 0.9 cft which means you can cook practically anything in thre eg the xmas turkey! Its a 900 watts micro wave with a 1000watts grill. Usual set menus eg defrost but its also got a special pizza setting! This is the ultimate in lazy cooking!... Read review

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Advantages: Fast cooking and healthy
Disadvantages: Can leave food Dry

...I recieved a Lean Green fat reducing grilling machine for Christmas 2 years ago and since then has become an integral part of my kitchen. 'George' as it is effectionatly known resides in the corner of my kitchen where he is periodically called into action to cook all manner of things when I dont want to dirty the grill. Ideal for all manner of foods, but especially steaks, Burgers, Sausages and Bacon. Fish and Vegetables can also be cooked on the grill. The wearing of Boxing Gloves whilst cooking is not recommended! Currently retailing at £39.99 (www.currys.com) but available much cheaper online and can be found regularly on Ebay, second hand. George comes comlete with the following specifications and functions: -Non stick coated cooking plates, Food will not stick to this thing, it has a ridged cooking surface which leaves those... Read review

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Advantages: No more fatter foods
Disadvantages: Drip tray to shallow

...on, and then leave for approx ninty seconds for the appliance to warm up. Then open it up to reveal the top and bottom grilling pans and place on the bottom grill pan what ever it is you wish to cook and then following the cooking guidelines lower the top grill pan and just simple leave the food to cook, all you need do is simple keep an eye on it, just as you would when cooking on the cooker top. There is no need to turn the food product over like you would in an ordinary grill, and you can cook just about most foods and vegetables. As the food cooks you will notice the fat drain out of the machine front, as the whole machine is angled for the fat to run out and be caught in the plastic drip tray ( I would also put some kitchen roll under the drip tray) Once you have finished you simple unplug the machine from the wall, and to clean... Read review

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Advantages: Compact, speedy, eco friendly
Disadvantages: none

...I've just bought a wormery for composting kitchen waste and it is absolutely great. For about 25.00 you get a special dustbin, fitted with a shelf and tap, a supply of special compost worms (which you never have to touch) some earth to start them off and full instructions. Basically after a week or two letting the worms settle in you start filling the bin with all kitchen waste, raw or cooked, and the worms eat their way through it, producing liquid feed for plants which you harvest via the little tap, and after a few months a bin full of sweet, rich brown compost for the garden. It's so efficient and doesn't smell at all - you could keep it in the kitchen if you have the space.... Read review

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Advantages: Peace and quiet
Disadvantages: None

...that will help them to keep the grass short - it`s a goat! When Mary Mary arrives at the cafe, Small finds out how boiled sweets are made, and Ben adds these as a finishing touch to her Fancy Flower biscuits. WHAT MYSELF AND MY KIDS THINK: My kids love this programe it is on all the time on BBC2 in the mornings and if you are a Sky or Digital viewer you can also find it on Cbeebies on weekdays. This is aimed at kids under the age of 5 years. I find my older kids like this aswell they like to learn how to cook all the nice treats. I also find that when the songs are on myself included will sing along, The tidy up song is a good one as it teaches the kids to tidy up when they are done not like my older to listen. This show teaches kids to ask for help of an adult when in the kitchen as the oven is HOT HOT HOT !. Before big and small get... Read review

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