Fried foods are among the most popular comfort meals across the globe. One may even say that they’re the type of food that brings people together the most, as deep-fried snacks are a staple for parties, family get-togethers, or even sports events.

In fact, food or snacks that are cooked in oil are also one of the food groups people crave the most when they’re on a diet.

But, if you’re guilty of using up a gallon of oil to achieve that fast-food-like deep-fried taste at home, you might have a lot of oil that has now been used once. What do you do with all the oil once you’re done cooking? Is that safe to reuse? Many recipes online do not tell you exactly what kind of oil to use; can you use anything? All of these questions are quite common and very valid.

But in order to come to a verdict on whether deep frying is healthy or not, or if you should reuse it; we first need to talk about the different types of oils, what their uses are, and what causes them to behave differently during the cooking process.

Types of Cooking Oils: What’s the Difference?

There are numerous types of oils available on the market. Some, like olive oil, are well-known, while others like grapeseed or avocado oil are less-known or even unknown by most people, but they are slowly gaining popularity nowadays because of their health benefits.

Oil is produced from a wide range of plants’ seeds and fruits. Some oils such as sunflower, olive, and canola oil are widely used and therefore usually produced on a large scale. On the other hand, grapeseed, linseed, or walnut oil can be produced on a smaller scale for personal use. This is because they have more specific uses and are also usually less profitable to produce.

But how can we tell which oil is the healthiest option? Can you cook and fry using the same type of oil? Let’s explore different types of cooking oils and find out.

In order to have a better understanding of why different oils have different uses, it’s a good idea to explain what the “smoking point” of oil is.

What Does “The Smoking Point” Mean?

Different types of oils have different smoking points. The smoking point is the temperature at which the oil starts to create smoke; an indication that it’s starting to burn. At this point, the oil’s qualities begin to quickly deteriorate and the cooking oil becomes unsafe to use.

It’s important to note that going above the smoking point may cause the oil to combust and can lead to serious injuries, so it’s always a safe practice to stop heating your cooking oil once it starts burning.

Smoking points can also vary between the refined and regular versions of the same type of oil. This is because refined oils are rich in various minerals and enzymes and are, therefore, more flavorful.

For example, the smoking point of refined olive oil is higher than regular olive oil. This is why refined oil is more widely sold as cooking oil, although it won’t taste nearly as good as the unrefined olive oil on a cold salad.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular cooking oils’ smoking points, from the highest to the lowest:

• Refined Avocado Oil – 520°F (271°C)
• Refined Olive Oil – 465°F (240°C)
• Refined peanut oil – 450°F (232°C)
• Ghee/Clarified butter – 450°F (232°C)
• Corn/Sunflower oil – 450°F (232°C)
• Canola oil – 400°F (204°C)
• Grapeseed oil – 400°F (204°C)
• Extra virgin olive oil – 375°F (190°C)
• Butter – 300°F (148°C)

Best Oils for Cooking

As mentioned above, unrefined or “raw” oils are oils that have been left in their natural state. These oils tend to be packed with flavor and they also provide more health benefits than refined oils.

Unrefined oils, on the other hand, have lower smoking points and oxidize more rapidly when they are exposed to heat. This is why it’s generally recommended to use these types of oils in low-heat cooking and sauteing, or just heat them up without allowing them to reach their smoking point. It’s also a great idea to use them in salad dressings. Unrefined oils also require better storage conditions as they can go bad easily.

For any kind of high-heat cooking like frying or deep-frying, it’s recommended to use oils with higher smoking points. You can never go wrong here with refined avocado oil or refined peanut oil, which is arguably the most popular oil used in Asian cuisine.

Since the health benefits of the oil come from whether it contains more unsaturated fats than saturated fats, flaxseed, olive, and canola oil are among the cooking oils you can always rely on. To find out more, you can read our article titled Can you deep-fry with olive oil?, which explains the health benefits of olive oil.

How Long Does Used Cooking Oil Last?

Having learned about types of cooking oils and their smoking points brings us to our main question: how long does used cooking oil last? You may have already realized that this question also depends on what kind of oil is being used, whether it’s refined or unrefined, and whether it has been stored properly or not.

Ideally, cooking oils should not be reused. But it’s most certainly not an uncommon practice to reuse deep frying oils. So the next best is this: as long as you take good care of your cooking oil, it should be fine for a couple more uses. The important point here is to remember that even if you have done everything to take great care of it, you shouldn’t cook with used cooking oils for longer than 1-2 months.

Is It Safe to Reuse Cooking Oil?

Whether it’s safe to reuse cooking oil depends on what is the specific oil you’re using, yes, but it also largely depends on what your cooking technique is. If you’ve heated your oil past the burning point during the cooking process, you probably don’t want to cook your food using that oil again.

When deep-frying, maintaining the cooking oil at a certain temperature is not only crucial for getting the right amount of crisp on your snacks but it’s also important to keep the cooking process as safe as possible. As long as you fry your food at around 190°C (374°F), your cooking oils should last longer.

What Changes Does Cooking Oil Go Through After Use?

As explained above, you can only reuse your cooking oil so many times. Once your oil is destabilized by being exposed to high heat too many times, not only will the taste and the color start to change but the oil will also eventually start to decompose.

Although it’s easy to tell when your oil starts decomposing, due to it starting to thicken in consistency and darken in color; it’s not always easy to spot a destabilized oil. To prevent using oil that is no longer healthy, make sure to open up your deep fryer to smell the oil. If it has started to go bad, it may also be bubbly or foamy on top, or its color may change.

It’s always a good idea to check every once in a while to see if your used or unused cooking oils are in good shape and make sure to throw away anything that looks or smells suspicious immediately.

Is It Possible to Clean Used Cooking Oil?

As explained above, taking good care of your cooking oil after you use it is crucial if you want to reuse it. Here are some helpful tips to help you successfully recycle your cooking oils:

• You can strain your cooking oil after it cools down with a fine strainer or cloth to remove leftover food or batter pieces. Leaving these in will cause your oil to deteriorate faster.
• After straining all the leftover bits, store your cooking oil in the fridge to keep it fresh longer.
• When you deep-fry food, try not to use too much batter to avoid further contaminating the oil as much as possible.

How Long Does Unused Cooking Oil Last?

Since we’re on the subject, let’s now talk a little bit about how long you should keep an open bottle of oil. As long as you store your oil in dark, low-temperature storage, the general consensus seems to be that most popular cooking oils like refined sunflower oil, peanut oil, or olive oil can be stored for up to 2 years.

However, this does not mean that your oil will be in the best shape for the duration of 2 years -the taste and color are bound to deteriorate over time. If you want to get the best tate out of your oil, it’s recommended to not use an open container of cooking oil for longer than 6 months.

Conclusion

We all love deep-fried food, but not everyone wants to be involved in the process of actually making it. We get it: it’s a stressful process, you don’t know what to do with the oil after you’re done cooking, and there’s a lot of hearsay about what not to do. But now that you’ve learned the basics, you can safely enjoy cooking your favorite fried dishes!

As long as you maintain a safe temperature while cooking, strain and refrigerate your oil after you use it, and don’t use your cooking oil for more than 1-2 months, you should be fine.

And lastly, remember to check on your deep fryer to see if there’s any abnormal smell coming from the oil, or if it has deepened too much in color. In case of any suspicion, the best practice is to replace the oil to ensure the deliciousness of your food, as well as your safety.

“Those who like sausages and the law should never watch how either one of them is made “ –  an old saying that makes you, even more, intrigued to know what happens behind the scenes. Who invented sausages and what are the main ingredients?

Different countries have their own recipe and version for what we would all agree is a sausage – a highly seasoned minced meat encased in a skin or a casing. Because of this, the ingredients for sausages can be very different from country to country or even from region to region within one country.

This begs the question of whether it’s possible that different cultures around the world invented the sausage independently from one another?

In this article, we’ll try to answer the question “Where does sausage come from?” by looking at the origins and history of sausages. But also, we’ll try to give a brief overview of the different types of sausages around the world and the production process, which reveals insights into the sausage industry.

Origins of Sausages

The word sausage comes from the Latin word salsus meaning salted. And, if you’re wondering why the word “salted” would represent minced meat encased in an animal’s skin, there’s an interesting story of how the sausage got its name.

The first thing you need to know is that sausages have been around for centuries. This means that people have been making sausages even before sophisticated methods of preparation and preservation were available. Because of this, with no refrigerators for centuries to come, people used salt to preserve meat.

So, does this mean that the Roman Empire was where sausages were first made? No, not quite. As it seems, sausages can be traced back all the way back to 3100 BC and the Sumerians in a region called Mesopotamia – or at least, one type of sausage.

Since different types of sausages originated in different parts of the world throughout history. Therefore, it makes sense to construct a timeline where different types of sausages first appeared.

Timeline of Sausage Evolution

People began making sausages around 5000 years ago. This means that the history of sausages is as long as civilization itself. Here’s what that looks like.

3100 BC: The First Sausage in Mesopotamia

The Sumerians were an ancient civilization in southern Mesopotamia (today Iraq) who were considered the creators of civilization as we understand it today. But, they’re also considered the inventors of something else too – the sausage.

There’s evidence that Sumerians used the meat of dead horses or hunted animals such as lions, deer, boar, cattle, and more to make sausages.

However, these sausages are not something that we can see today, and for a good reason. They were made in a very unhygienic manner and without any knowledge of preservation, which means their shelf life was basically non-existent.

1000 BC: Sujuk in Turkey

Around 2000 years after the Sumerians, the Turks were able to improve the ways food was prepared. With this knowledge, they created their own sausage – the so-called sujuk.

The sujuk is a dry, spicy, and fermented sausage typically made from ground beef and a lot of spices such as cumin and garlic. In Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, horse meat was used.

The sujuk is still consumed today in several Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian cuisines.

580 BC – 300 AD: Lap Cheong in China

After the Turks, the Chinese started making their own sausages called Lap Cheong. The term Lap Cheong is a generic word referring to the many different types of sausages originating in China.

The main ingredients in Lap Cheong sausages are fresh pork or liver, although different countries in Asia have their own version and recipe.

Today, Lap Cheong sausages are sold and consumed all around the world.

1300s: Merguez in North Africa

Another type of sausage popular today originated from the Maghreb cuisine in the northwesternmost part of Africa along the Mediterranean Sea. The merguez is a very spicy, red sausage that is typically made fresh from mutton or beef stuffed into a lamb-intestine casing.

Cumin, chili pepper, and harissa are the three spices most commonly used to make merguez, which give the sausage its characteristic red color. Today, the merguez is usually eaten grilled in sandwiches and with french fries.

1313: Bratwurst in Germany

The bratwurst is one of the most popular sausages today in Germany and the world. The word bratwurst is derived from the Old High German meaning finely chopped meat. The sausage is typically made from veal, beef, or pork.

The first documented evidence for a bratwurst recipe in Germany dates to 1313 in Nuremberg, which is still considered an internationally renowned center for production for grilled sausages.

Fun Fact: Did you know that Germany is the country with the largest volume of sausage consumption? In fact, Germans eat three times more sausages (per capita) than the second-largest consumer in Europe – Poland.

1376: Mortadella in Italy

Soon after the popularization of the bratwurst, Italy produced the mortadella, which is their first and one of the most popular sausages.

The Mortadella originated in Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, mortadella recipes included a pork filling (ground to a paste), small cubes of pork fat, and black pepper. However, today, several different variations of the mortadella exist and some of them contain pistachios or, more rarely, myrtle berries. This combination gives the mortadella a very unique taste.

1484: Frankfurter in Germany

As a true sausage-lover, in 1484, Germany invented yet another type of sausage that took the world by storm. The name frankfurter might not mean anything to you, but that’s what Germans call the hot dog! Somewhere in the 1900s, frankfurters were introduced in the United States and quickly became one of the most well-known items of American food.

The frankfurter is a highly seasoned sausage that’s traditionally made of mixed pork and beef. However, unlike many other sausages, the frankfurter is sold ready to eat. You may buy them loose, vacuum-packed, or canned. And, while you can eat them without cooking, they taste best when they’re slightly grilled.

1600s: Chorizo in Spain

In Spain and Portugal in the 1600s, people started experimenting with paprika, which led to the invention of the chorizo – a  fermented, cured, smoked sausage with dried, smoked, red peppers. Because paprika is the main ingredient, the chorizo has a deep red color.

Chorizo is traditionally made from pork. People eat it in a sandwich, grilled, or simmered in a liquid such as apple cider or alcohol.

1800s: Kielbasa in Poland

Kielbasa is a generic term that refers to any type of meat sausage originating from Poland. Because of this, kielbasa sausages come in many different flavors. In fact, every region has its own special recipe for kielbasa, including countries outside of Poland such as Hungary, Slovenia, Ukraine, and more.

Kielbasa sausages are typically represented as a U-shape, smoked sausage made from pork, although you can find kielbasa with other meat as well.

The Polska Kielbasa Wędzona, sausage with sugar and marjoram, is a unique and popular choice.

1830s: Saveloy in England

In the 19th century, England introduced the saveloy to the world. The saveloy is a highly seasoned, bright red sausage that’s traditionally eaten with chips (similar to french fries) and sauce.

The characteristic thing about the saveloy is that it’s normally boiled (pre-cooked) during production, although you can also find it fried in batter.

If you want to try a very traditional saveloy meal, go for a “Sav Dip” sandwich.

1903: Chipolata in France

In 1903, in Escoffier’s Le guide culinaire, the name and recipe for today’s famous chipolata sausage was first seen. The chipolata sausage is a very thin and small sausage intended to be eaten for breakfast.

Chipolata sausages are traditionally fresh sausages made from coarse-ground pork and seasoned with salt, pepper, sage, thyme, pimento, or nutmeg (if you follow the original recipe).

Today, chipolata sausages are very popular in England at Christmas, while in Switzerland chipolata sausages are made with veal and milk, in addition to pork.

How Are Sausages Made?

Mainly, sausages are made from fine minced or ground meat from different animals such as beef, lamb, pork, and poultry in combination with salt, spices, and other flavorings. After making the meat mixture, they are stuffed into casings. The casing was traditionally made from animal skin but is now more commonly made from collagen and cellulose.

From everything that we’ve covered so far, we can conclude that sausages can be made from almost anything. From the finest parts of meat to the scrap that is left on the butchers’ floor such as lips, ears, tails, etc. This is why their price tag can vary greatly. Sausages can either be one of the most expensive treats or one of the cheapest and most widely available items of food.

Regardless of what type of meat is being used, most sausage makers use pork fat to bind the ingredients together. Pork fat is considered to be a great binding ingredient because of its texture and mild flavor.

Aside from the ingredients, sausages also vary in the way they’re prepared, which dictated how they’re intended to be consumed. Based on preparation methods, we have several types of sausages.

Types of Sausages

Sausages can be fresh, made from meat, fat, spices, and multiple choices of flavoring required to reach the wanted taste.

There is also a so-called “cured” sausage and it has some good marketing strategy behind it. Cured sausages have a big amount of salt added into the mixture, after which they are left to dry for several weeks until all the moisture is removed from the mixture. The reason behind this process is to make them ready for consumption without the need for cooking. In other words, you can just buy them and get to eating straight away, without the need to cook them.

And, if you didn’t know, you can also have sausages as snacks! This type of sausage is also known as dried sausages or beef jerky. They are usually made the same way as any sausage with the difference of being enclosed in much smaller casings and dried for a long time to get that crispy taste – just as if fried.

Conclusion

We can thank the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia for the invention of the original sausage, although eating their version is not something we would recommend. Thanks to innovations and discoveries in food preparation, people were able to improve their initial recipes. Then, different cuisines around the world started to experiment with taste and customized the recipe for the sausage to their liking.

Because of this, today, we have dozens, if not hundreds, of different types of sausages available in supermarkets. Whether you prefer fresh, smoked, boiled, cured, highly-seasoned, or not, there’s a sausage for every taste. Today, even vegans and vegetarians can enjoy a sausage thanks to plant-based alternatives.

If you’re someone who only cooks to get by, you probably see buying kitchen tools as a big investment and don’t want to buy a specific tool, utensil, or appliance for every small thing. Sometimes, improvising goes a long way. We’ve all done it. So, you do the best you can with what you have in your kitchen.

But is this always a good idea? Of course, there’s a reason why there are a variety of different tools you can use in the kitchen; ease of use and practicality. Have you ever used a cast iron wok for your homemade stir-fries? They’re great! Sometimes, using just the right tool for the job not only cuts down on your cooking time but can also make cooking that much more fun.

Of course, there are also situations when you don’t want to use the wrong tool when you’re cooking. You don’t want to put your or anyone’s health in danger. And that brings us to the question: can non-stick pans go in the oven? Since non-stick pans can be made out of a variety of materials, let’s see what kinds of non-stick pans there are and whether they are safe to use in the oven or not.

What Are Non-Stick Pans Made Out Of?

Non-stick pans are made out of many different materials. They may even be made out of a combination of materials or there can be layers to the coating. Therefore, there are a lot of things to look out for when you’re checking whether a pan is oven safe.

First, let’s check out the most common materials used in non-stick pan coating:

PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) Coated Non-Stick Pans

PTFE-coated non-stick pans are one of the oldest and probably most popular non-stick pans out there, but you may have never heard of them before. This is because they are much more widely known as “Teflon”  pans, a term that is actually a brand name.

The material itself, PTFE, is safe to use at low temperatures. It’s resistant to heat, moisture, and friction, which makes it so that the food that you’re cooking doesn’t cling to the surface of the material. Because of their durability and convenience, Teflon pans are among the culinary items that many people rely on the most in their kitchens.

When you’re cooking with PTFE-coated pans, one of the most important things to remember is that they should never be used with metal. The oxidation, or rusting, of the aluminum substance that occurs when the PTFE pan or pot is scraped can induce PTFE poisoning. You also shouldn’t use metal or wire cleaning sponges when you’re cleaning your PTFE-coated non-stick pan.

Ceramic (Sol-Gel) Coated Non-Stick Pans

Made from a mixture of silica and clay, ceramic coated pans and pots are gaining more and more popularity and quickly becoming a staple in everyone’s kitchen. They are much healthier than PTFE non-stick pans, but there are still a few things to watch out for when you’re cooking with a ceramic coated pan.

Although it’s safe, it’s important to understand that ceramic pots should not be washed in the dishwasher if you want them to last longer. Dishwasher detergents contain salt and chemicals that harm and deteriorate the ceramic coating. Your cookware will last longer if you wash it by hand.

It’s also a good idea to not cook at high temperatures while using ceramic non-stick pans, as that can also damage the ceramic coating. Using metal utensils may also scratch the surface and weaken the coating. If the coating is damaged, your pan will no longer be “non-stick” and the coating may start to come off.

Enameled Cast Iron Non-Stick Pans

Enamel is a coating material from Ancient Greece. At the time, it was used in the making of jewelry and ornaments. In the recent past, it also has been very popularly used as a coating for cast iron pans, pots, and skillets.

The enamel coating is usually applied to cast iron pans to make them non-stick, and it’s actually healthy to use. But enameled cast iron non-stick pans may distribute heat more poorly compared to non-enameled cast irons.

Anodized Aluminum Coated Non-Stick Pans

Anodized aluminum-coated non-stick pans are another traditional alternative to PTFE-coated non-stick pans. They are known to be safe as long as the coating is applied correctly and the material being used is pure and of good quality.

However, just like PTFE-coated and ceramic-coated non-stick pans, you need to be careful about using metal utensils while cooking with aluminum-coated cookware. If the surface is scratched and aluminum is exposed, it may lead to poisoning.

Seasoned Cast Iron Non-Stick Pans

Cast iron is normally not a non-stick material unless it’s coated with different materials such as enamel, as explained above. But it’s definitely a go-to for a lot of professional chefs and home-cooking hobbyists. So, how can you use your cast iron without it sticking to everything? The answer is seasoning your pan!

This technique, known as seasoning, improves the flavor of uncoated cast iron kitchenware while also making it more durable and non-stick. In fact, some people even recommend baking your newly purchased uncoated cast iron cookware before using it for the first time.

How to Season Your Cast Iron Pan

To shortly walk you through the process;

• First, clean and rinse your cast iron skillet or pot with dish soap and a dish sponge.
• Remove any excess water by rubbing the pan with a dry cloth or a paper towel.
• Then use a heat-resistant oil like sesame oil, coconut oil, or olive oil to grease the inside of the pan. Using a paper towel, wipe away any excess oil.
• Position the pan upside down and bake for 1 hour in the oven at 180-200°C.
• After turning off the oven, allow it to cool for one to two hours before using your cast iron pan.

Superhydrophobic Material Coated Non-Stick Pans

Superhydrophobic materials are not very popular in cookware as of yet. But there are definitely examples out there. Superhydrophobic material-coated pans are expected to gain popularity once they become easier to produce.

Silicone Non-Stick Coating

Usually used in bakeware, silicone, made out of silica, is another type of non-stick coating. Although not used in pans and pots, silicone is very popularly used in baking trays and molds. They are very safe to use as long as they do not contain plastic material as filler, since silicone is a non-toxic material to the human body.

Although it’s not toxic, materials coated with silicone should not be heated up higher than 300°C, just to be safe. And while we’re on the topic of safety, we should also add that using hard or sharp utensils on your silicone cookware can also scratch it. Although silicone itself isn’t toxic, the scratches can house bacteria inside the silicone.

Lastly, you should also remember that silicone is not entirely non-stick by itself. Usually, you need to coat your baking pan with a substance like flour or cornstarch to get a complete non-stick result.

Can Non-Stick Pans Go in the Oven?

Now that we have explored the different types of “non-stick” materials you may come across, we can safely come to a verdict on whether non-stick pans can go in the oven or not. By now, you may have realized that the answer is very simple: it depends!

Firstly, as we have explained above, the term “non-stick” does not refer to one specific material. Your non-stick pan can be made out of any of the materials we’ve listed and their oven-safeness depends greatly on that. If your non-stick pan is PTFE-coated, it is not recommended to use it in the oven. However, some recently made PTFE-coated non-stick pans can be oven safe, due to the fact they’re manufactured using new technology. To be 100% sure, always check the box your pan came in for any indication that particular pan it’s oven safe.

Most ceramic-coated non-stick pans, on the other hand, are perfectly oven safe. As long as the product is of good quality and the coating is 100% ceramic, it should be able to handle extremely high temperatures.

Also, most modern enameled cast iron non-stick pans are oven safe. But it’s always a good idea to check the box that your product came in, or if you can’t find the box, check your manufacturer’s website for information regarding its oven safety.

Regular cast iron pans are oven safe as well,  regardless of whether they’re seasoned or not, as iron is very durable in higher temperatures.

Lastly, anodized aluminum-coated non-stick pans are also generally safe to use in the oven as long as there are no scratches on the surface to cause raw aluminum to be exposed to heat.

Our Takeaways

Now that you know what materials are used to coat non-stick pans, and whether non-stick pans can go in the oven or not, you can safely get to cooking your delicious meals.

Whether your non-stick pan can go in the oven or not relies on the material used for its manufacture. It’s generally not safe to use PTFE-coated non-stick pans in the oven. But the alternatives, such as ceramic-coated non-stick pans and enameled cast iron non-stick pans, are great options if you want the ability to use your non-stick pan in a more versatile way.

Just be sure to not use extremely high heat or use sharp, metal utensils, as both can damage the non-stick coating of your pan.

And lastly, let’s end with a reminder that even if the body of your non-stick pan is made out of oven-safe material, it’s still a good idea to check if the handles, the lid, or any other part is made out of plastic or any other material that can burn in the oven.

In this day and age, when more and more people are looking for healthier cooking alternatives, the air fryer has become a popular cooking appliance that emulates the results of deep-frying using just hot air and little to no oil.

The best thing about it is that everything can be air-fried – from prepackaged chicken wings and handmade French fries to roasted veggies and fresh-baked cookies.

There is, however, one thing you should do before cooking, and that’s preheating your air

fryer and today we’re here to help you learn how. But before we get into that, let’s first start with some air fryer basics.

The Process of Using an Air Fryer

Air fryers have a heating mechanism and a fan in the upper part of the inside. When you turn it on, heated air flows down and around the food in the fryer-style container. The quick hot air circulation allows the food to get crispy, as it’s similar to deep-frying but without the oil. The fact that you can get this result without all the grease makes the air fryer much healthier.

You can, if you wish to, add just a tiny bit of oil, like a few drops or a spoonful, to make the food even crispier.

Step-By-Step Guide on Using Your Air Fryer

If you’ve already purchased an air fryer, or you are on your way to do so, we believe our short and easy step-by-step explanation of how to operate it can give you more confidence in cooking with this appliance.

1. Fill the Basket With Food

There are different sizes of air fryers. The size determines the amount of food you can prepare and how many dishes you can make simultaneously. Open the basket, fill it with food, but don’t overfill it.

Circulating hot air around the food is how air fryers function. The circulation can be limited if you pack food too tightly, steaming the meal instead of crisping it properly, and the end result is that it will be cooked unevenly.

To be sure you don’t overfill the air fryer, don’t pack in all the food you can fit inside it. After you fill the basket with food, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if you want. Although oil is not essential, it will aid in the crisping of the dish.

2. Decide on a Time and Temperature

Depending on the meal you’re preparing, air fryer baking time might range from 5 to 25 minutes.

3. Allow the Meal to Cook

To ensure the food crisps up evenly, you may need to rotate it halfway through the cooking process.

4. Keep It Clean

When you’re done cooking, don’t forget to clean your air fryer.

Why Do You Want to Preheat Your Air Fryer?

We’ll explore why with a simple example.

Let’s compare cooking with an air fryer with cooking on your kitchen stove or furnace.

For instance, you want to make fish or vegetables. When cooking on your stove, you will use a pan; if you use your furnace, you’ll use a pot.

With the first method, you don’t put your meat in a cold pan – you preheat the pan, make it sizzling hot, put some oil in it, and then throw in your meat or vegetables. Or, if you’re baking a delicious vegan casserole, you preheat the oven before you put the food in. That’s the way of cooking, and that’s how air fryers work, too!

The only time you shouldn’t preheat your air fryer is when warming up food leftovers or when baking bread that you can also bake in the oven. You place them in the oven and then check periodically if the bread is done baking or if the leftovers are heated.

But with most food, for instance, fries or chicken, you always preheat your air fryer. Luckily, the preheating only takes a couple of minutes, so it doesn’t cause any delays to your lunchtime preparation.

Types of Air Fryers

Even though there are various models of air fryers on the market, they can be divided into two main types: basket air fryers and convection oven air fryers.

A convection oven air fryer is a turbo oven with an installed air fryer. It makes air frying in your range a breeze with convection fans swiftly circulating heated air over the food, giving it a fine crisp.

A basket-type air fryer is a type that does exactly what it says – it cooks meals in a basket. The basket features a handle for convenient tossing/flipping of the dish at one or more intervals while cooking.

Air fryers can be further divided into digital, analog, and classic, and each of these is preheated differently. Let’s see how.

How to Preheat Your Air Fryer

You might have a robust digital air fryer, and if you put it to the highest setting, it will reach the temperature in two to three minutes. It’s fast and quick, way faster than a regular oven.

If you have the classic air fryer, that one is a little less powerful, but still, it will reach the desired temperature in a couple of minutes, and you’re ready to go.

Digital Air Fryer

Choose a temperature, and hit go. For example, say you want to preheat your air fryer to 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). You only need to set the temperature and the air fryer will do its job. You’ll hear a beeping sound signaling that the appliance is preheated, and you’re ready to start cooking.

Analog Air Fryer

An analog air fryer features two LEDs – one is a temperature indicator and the other indicates that the power is on. You also have a knob for the timer. You can set the temperature and then turn the knob. Usually, this type of air fryer is really quiet, and although the tech is older, it works great.

Initially, the temperature indicator LED is green, and when the air fryer reaches the desired temperature, the green LED indicator will turn off, alerting you that it’s preheated.

Classic Air Fryer

The classic air fryer is the easiest to use. It will signalize when it’s preheated with a bell.

What Happens if I Don’t Preheat the Air Fryer?

If you don’t preheat your air fryer, a variety of problems might happen:

• Cooking time will increase.
• The food won’t get as crispy.
• If you’re cooking in stages, the first batch will take longer to cook, and if you’re not careful, the following batches will burn.
• The meal may be overcooked or undercooked.
• Every air fryer has a unique wattage that warms up at a different rate.
• Follow the instructions in the recipe; if you don’t, your dish might not turn out as planned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I take the basket out of the air fryer while preheating it?

A: You should keep the basket in. Many models won’t even turn on if the basket isn’t in place.

Q: Can I use baking paper to preheat my air fryer?

A: No! Food is used to weigh down the baking paper, or they will burn while preheating.

Summary

Step-by-step guide on using your air fryer

1. Fill the Basket With Food
2. Decide on a Time and Temperature
3. Allow the Meal to Cook
4. Keep It Clean

Conclusion

Due to their convenience, speed, and method of cooking, air fryers are here to stay. In terms of preheating – think of this appliance like a stove that’s quicker and you can’t get wrong!

Most air fryers have their unique method of alerting us when it has reached the desired temperature.

Please be aware that you can also buy an air fryer that doesn’t come with this feature, so shop wisely!

Already have an air fryer? Share your favorite recipe with us! Looking to buy an air fryer? What type looks the most appealing to you?

Bon Appétit!

You know the saying “you don’t want to know how the sausage is made?” Well, if you’re interested in making your own sausages, then the exact opposite is true. Making your own sausages can be enjoyable and gratifying, and choosing which ingredients to use is an important first step. It may surprise you to find that one of the most crucial ingredients to consider when making sausages is the casing. But what is sausage casing, and why is it so important?

What Is Sausage Casing?

Whereas the filler is the blend of meat and spices inside, the sausage casing, or sausage skin, is the casing that holds the inner filling of a sausage. 

Many people believe that the key to a good sausage is the casing, and there are a wide variety of options on the market today. These can be broken down into three primary categories: natural sausage casings, artificial sausage casings, and vegetarian sausage casings.

Natural casings are made from animal skins or intestines and come in a myriad of options. Although artificial casings can also be made from animal products, they are processed differently and come in both edible and inedible varieties. Finally, vegetarian options have hit the market at a time when interest in plant-based diets is increasing every day.

Let’s explore the different types of casings available, their traditional uses, and their pros and cons.

A Brief History of the Sausage

For centuries, the most common sausage casings have come from the intestines of animals. The earliest known example of humans eating animal intestines stuffed with meat – in other words, a sausage – likely dates back nearly 4,000 years, when the stomach of a goat was used by the Sumerians to hold cooked meat.

There are countless types of sausages from almost every culture and culinary tradition. In addition to being delicious, sausages use pieces of the animal that would otherwise go to waste. They are often smoked or preserved with salt, which means that they can last a long time without spoiling. For these reasons and more, sausages are one of the most enduring culinary staples around the world.

Natural Sausage Casings

Today, most sausage makers use a layer of the small intestine called the submucosa as their preferred sausage casing. The submucosa consists of collagen and, when used for making sausage casings, it’s referred to as a natural sausage casing.

Natural casings are the most traditional type of sausage casings and are still among the most popular. They vary widely in length and size, and they’re more porous than artificial casings, which allows for a richer, more intense flavor when smoked.

Natural casings enhance the flavors of the filling without adding too much flavor of their own, and many people prefer their texture to other kinds of casings. Their flexibility makes them easy to stuff, but they’re also very durable, meaning they won’t fall apart during smoking or other stages of processing.

Most natural casings come from pigs, but sheep, cow, and even horse intestines can be used.

Let’s explore the pros and cons of a few popular natural casings.

Sheep Casings

Sheep intestines are naturally smaller than pigs or horses and thus are generally preferred for smaller sausages, such as breakfast sausages or hot dogs. They’re very tender, and an all-around delicious option for a sausage casing. Their small size also makes them a good option for beginner sausage makers.

Pig Casings

Pig casings are the most common and, arguably, most popular option for natural casings.

They are traditionally used for making classic link sausages, such as Italian sausages and bratwursts, bologna, and smoked Polish sausages.

Beef Casings

Beef casings come in three sizes, each one corresponding to different parts of the cow intestine: beef rounds, beef bung caps, and beef middles. Each can be used for different types of sausages:

• Beef rounds are low in fat and often used for blood sausages, a type of sausage made from animal blood and filler.
• Beef middles are slightly thicker and thus are generally preferred for salami and other dry sausages.
• Beef bung caps are made from the widest part of the cow’s intestine and are preferred for larger sausages such as bologna and capicola.

To prepare a natural casing, the submucosa has to be removed during slaughter, scraped, and flushed with water. While in the past this cleaning process needed to be carefully done by hand, today there are fortunately machines that do this. The cleaned, processed intestines are generally sold at butcher shops and in grocery stores, and a wide variety of gourmet options can also be bought online. Although instructions will vary, most natural casings will need to be soaked in cold water or brine before being filled.

Artificial Sausage Casings

These days, most commercially-produced sausages are made with artificial sausage casings. Artificial casings can be made from a wide variety of materials. They are generally stronger, less expensive, and more uniform than natural casings. They are also significantly longer than natural casings: collagen casings. For all of these reasons, artificial casings can be easier to work with, particularly for beginners.

Newer artificial casings can be made from cellulose, animal bones, fish, and even plastic, although these are not edible. Let’s take a look at a few of the different types of artificial sausage casings available on the market today.

Collagen Casings

Collagen is a natural substance found in the connective tissue of animals and is the same material found in the intestines used for natural sausage casings. However, artificial collagen casings are usually made from processed cow or pig hides. They’re a relatively new option – they’ve only been in use for the past sixty years – and are generally less expensive than natural casings.

They can be more ‘user-friendly’, because they are uniform in size and can be bought in packages and used without any extra processing or cleaning. All of these factors may make them preferable over natural casings for many people making homemade sausages.

They are also becoming the preferred option for commercial manufacturing because they can be standardized and produced for a much lower cost.

However, their texture is less ‘snappy’ than natural casings, which can come as a disappointment to anyone looking for a more traditional sausage. Further, different types of artificial casings will have different flavors, which may not work with every type of filling. It’s worth taking the time to do the research and see which type of casing will work best for your purposes.

Cellulose Casings

Cellulose casings are made from viscose, a material made by soaking wood pulp or cottonseed fibers. They’re not edible and should be peeled off after the sausage has been cooked.

Cellulose casings are good for making hot dogs, chorizo, and smoked sausages. This is because they’re permeable, which allows the smoky flavors to fully sink in during the smoking process.

Fibrous Casings

Created in the 1930s, fibrous sausage casings are inedible. They’re made from a mixture of viscose and filament paper and are excellent for larger sausages that need to be held together by firm casings. They are one of the strongest casing options and can allow for a uniform look that isn’t possible with natural casings. Just don’t eat them!

Plastic Casings

Plastic casings are, for obvious reasons, also inedible. They’re generally made from layered nylon and, like fibrous casings, offer durability and give your sausages a uniform look. They are particularly popular for commercial sausage production but can be used for making sausages at home, too.

Although there are some smokeable options on the market, most plastic casings are impermeable and thus generally not a good option for making smoked sausages.

Vegetarian Sausage Casings

Studies have shown that cutting meat and dairy products out of your life is the most impactful way to reduce your environmental impact. With many people concerned about their carbon footprint, it’s not surprising that the popularity of plant-based and vegan meat substitutes is skyrocketing.

Sausage is a classic meat-lovers favorite, and fortunately for vegetarians, there are now a variety of meatless and even vegan sausage casings on the market. In addition to being made from plant-based ingredients, they are a much healthier alternative to natural or artificial sausage casings.

All vegetarian casings are edible and – unlike many varieties of natural or artificial casings – they can be made halal and kosher-friendly. The primary ingredients are vegetable glycerin, sugar, and natural starches, and non-GMO options are available.

Vegetarian sausage casings can be homemade or purchased in specialty stores, although you’re unlikely to find them at your local butcher. Unlike natural casings, which are determined by the animal’s unique anatomy, vegetarian sausage casings can be made to any desired length or width. Instructions will vary based on the brand, but all vegetarian sausage casings can be stuffed with whatever filling you desire.

The Big Picture

If all of these options feel overwhelming, don’t worry! Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, making your own sausages should be a fun learning experience.

Natural sausage casings are made from the intestines of animals, usually sheep, pigs, and cows. These range in size, texture, and width according to the anatomy of the animal they came from. They’re the most traditional option for sausage making, with the technique dating back thousands of years. Some of the pros of natural casings include a superior ‘snap’ texture when bitten, and a porousness that allows for delicious flavor when making smoked sausages.

On the other hand, natural casings can be more difficult to work with, especially for beginners. They are not uniform in size or shape, and thus are often not preferred for commercial manufacturing, either.

There are a wide variety of artificial sausage casings. These include edible options, such as collagen and cellulose casings, and inedible, firmer options, such as plastic and fibrous casings. While the specificities of artificial casings vary based on their type, in general, they are more standardized in size and shape and are easier to work with for beginners.

On the negative side, they are less traditional than natural casings, and many say that they lack the signature, delicious texture of a natural sausage casing.

And speaking of nontraditional, the newest and perhaps most surprising option available on the market is vegetarian sausage casings. These are made from plant-based glycerin and sugars and can accommodate dietary restrictions including kosher and halal lifestyles.

Now that you know how the sausage gets made, it’s time to go out and find the best casing for your sausage-making needs.

As you descend into the deeper circles of coffee enthusiasm, you start picking up on things beyond the basic tag of coffee. Whether you’re ordering beans or ground blends online, or simply perusing the aisles of a specialty coffee shop, you’ve most likely come across the words Arabica or Robusta. This tells you that not all coffee is equal, and in fact – the coffee plant genus has several popular varieties and over 100 species worldwide.

This time around, we’ll focus on the two most popular and widely available types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. These two types of beans have different flavor profiles, caffeine contents, and ultimately – prices – which may influence your decision next time you’re shopping for coffee. You may also come across some blends of these coffee types which are meant to offer you the taste of one species with a sweetened price thanks to the affordability of another species. But more on this later – let’s get to it!

The Two Most Common Types of Coffee Beans

Let’s look at the two most common types of coffee beans. Keep in mind that other than the species, the origin country of the bean also has an effect on the resulting flavor profile. The other 100 or so varieties of coffee are quite a bit rarer, so we’ll leave them for another occasion.

1. Coffea Arabica

Origins and production

Coffea Arabica is the most popular coffee bean on the market, and it accounts for nearly 60% of coffee production on a global scale. This species is likely to have been the first detected and cultivated coffea plant, with its first being documented in the 12th century and found in Yemen, the holy origin land of coffee. Today, Arabica plants are grown all over the world, and mainly in Latin America. Columbia produces exclusively Arabica beans, while Brazil is the biggest exporter of Arabica coffee globally.

Taste

Arabica is the most popular coffee bean because it hits the sweet spot between flavor, acidity, and caffeine content. The flavor profile of a specific Arabica bean will vary depending on the region it comes from and the variety. Still, it’s considered to be quite rich in taste with subtle notes that pop and result in a beautiful, full-bodied cup of coffee.

In general, Arabica beans have a milder, sweeter taste than the second most popular coffee bean, Robusta, and usually carry notes of fruit and berries. What fruits and berries accompany the flavor depends on the origin. For instance, Arabica beans from Sumatra oftentimes have hints of rose and dark chocolate. On the other hand, a lot of Arabica blends that come from Kenya have hints of orange blossom, butterscotch, and fig.

While Robusta beans are more bitter, Arabica beans have more of a pronounced acidity. This gives the coffee a somewhat wine-like dimension. Still, when you’re buying Arabica beans, look for a blend that’s not too acidic, as it can dominate the taste in a not-so-pleasant way.

Arabica is less bitter than Robusta because it has lower caffeine content. While Arabica beans contain about 0.8 – 1.4% of caffeine, the percentage doubles with Robusta beans, which contain 1.7- 4% of caffeine.

Arabica on the Market

As we’ve mentioned, Arabica beans are the world’s favorite coffee due to their flavor and quality. This also makes them more expensive than Robusta beans or Arabica-Robusta blends. Another reason that Arabica beans are pricier is that they’re much more sensitive and prone to disease than Robusta, so they take more care and produce a lower yield. This can mainly be attributed to the lower caffeine content in Arabica beans, as caffeine is a natural insect repellent.

Of course, within the Arabica world, there’s also a hierarchy of taste, quality, and price. For instance, the Hawaiian Kona coffee – a special Hawaiian Arabica strain – is one of the most desired and expensive types of bean on the market.

Drinking Arabica

We especially recommend using Arabica beans if you like your coffee black. While sometimes adding a splash of milk can add to the flavor (especially if it’s a dark roast), drinking this coffee black may help you fully appreciate its flavor palette.

2. Coffea Robusta (Coffea Canephora)

Origin and production

The second most popular subspecies of the coffee bean is Coffea robusta or just Robusta. This coffee bean accounts for about 40% of the global coffee market – so, as you’ve probably realized, Arabica and Robusta dominate the global coffee market. It’s also quite adequately named, as it’s robust and resilient to different conditions.

As we’ve mentioned, it has over twice the caffeine content of Arabica beans, which makes it a formidable foe to disease and insects. Because the Robusta crop produces a higher yield than Arabica and can persevere in less than ideal conditions, it’s also quite cheaper. Robusta beans have their origins in central and sub-Saharan Africa, and today they’re grown in the Eastern Hemisphere, mostly in Africa and Indonesia. Brazil and India produce both Arabica and Robusta beans.

Taste

As Robusta has twice the caffeine content of Arabica, it also has a more bitter taste. So while you’d find Arabica to have acidic overtones, Robusta is on the bitter side.

This bean is generally considered to be of lower quality than Arabica due to the harsher flavor profile. Overall, the taste of Robusta coffee is stronger, with grainy overtones, and has been characterized as having a bit of rubbery, burnt taste. As milder flavors are preferred in most coffee markets, Robusta is bumped further down the commodity scale. It’s only preferred in cultures that enjoy strong coffee. Most instant coffee and mass-produced, cheap, commercial beans are made of Robusta.

There are some exceptions, however. While you won’t be able to find high-quality Robusta beans in a regular market or convenience store, some specialty coffee shops offer exactly that. These are usually single-origin, craft coffees that offer tasty Robusta beans with overtones of rum and chocolate.

Robusta on the Market

As it’s much easier to grow, produces higher yields, and isn’t too popular for its taste – Robusta is much cheaper than Arabica.

Still, there’s a way to kind of get the best of both worlds and strike the right balance between cost and taste. You can easily find blends that are about 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta which carry the overall taste of Arabica with some hints of Robusta, and cost less. This especially works with dark roasts. But we did say kind of, and that’s because if you’re finicky about flavor, you will notice the difference.

Drinking Robusta

If you decide to go for Robusta or a Robusta-Arabica blend, the best way to cut the bitterness is to add some sugar and frothed milk or cream. A good, single-origin Robusta bean also goes great for espresso and espresso-based beverages.

Also, if you’re just looking for a quick caffeine fix to keep you up as you head to work with a bit of hangover, Robusta will do just fine. It will give you the kick you need to really wake up.

Honorable Mentions: Liberica and Excelsa

Liberica and Excelsa coffee beans are quite rare and account for a small part of the global coffee production. Still, their flavor profiles are unique, and should you incidentally come across either of them, you’d do well to give them a try.

Liberica

Liberica coffee beans were originally produced on a large scale in the Philippines during a coffee “plague” called coffee rust that drastically damaged the Arabica population during the 19th century. The Philippines stepped out by mass-producing this tasty coffee bean strain. However, due to economic sanctions by the US (basically a neo-imperialist punishment to the Philippines for declaring independence from the US), this type of coffee bean quickly passed its heyday.

In any case, Liberica beans have an excellently unique flavor, with woody notes. It also has hints of flowers and fruits, with a smoky aroma.

Excelsa

Excelsa is actually a subspecies of the Liberica family, but it has a unique flavor that grants it a unique place in the world of coffee. These beans are generally grown in Southeast Asia and take up only 7% of global coffee production. While it’s rare to get purely Excelsa beans, they’re found in blends for an elevated flavor.

The taste of Excelsa can be characterized as being tarty and fruity.

A Few Words Before You Go…

Now you know what to expect from the different types of coffee beans available on the market. Keep in mind that to get the best tasting cup of coffee, you need freshly ground beans.

Coffee is the staple drink of every morning routine. Well, nearly every morning routine – a 2018 study published by the National Coffee Association reported that 64% of Americans drink coffee, and 79% of those coffee drinkers brew coffee at home. And this year – 2020 – is pretty much the year of staying at home (because you know, coronavirus), so if you weren’t brewing coffee in the comfort of your kitchen before, you’re probably doing it now.

There are quite a few perks of brewing your own coffee. At the very least, it helps save money. But coffee connoisseurs say that the trend with coffee these days is all about taste. It’s less about getting a kick out of your bed in the morning, and more about enjoying the drink. And with so many affordable, readily available coffee makers out there, drinking instant coffee is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Not to mention that one of the biggest instant coffee producers in the world – Nescafé – is owned by Nestle, a company that has a long, long list of transgressions against nature and humanity.

In any case, we’re here to introduce you to the four most popular types of coffee makers that can help you get a beautiful cup of java in the comfort of your home. We’ll go over the pros and cons of each coffee maker so that you can decide which one is the best choice for you depending on your lifestyle, budget, and taste.

1. Drip Coffee Makers

Let’s start off with the classics, and nothing is more contemporary Americana than drip coffee makers. Drip coffee makers can be found in homes, hotels, motels, offices, support groups… Their popularity can easily be attributed to their ease of use, consistent results, and ability to produce a big batch of coffee with minimal effort on your part.

Drip coffee makers are also quite versatile in terms of quantity – you can get one that brews anything between one and fourteen cups of coffee.

How does it work?

Drip coffee makers work using electricity. You plug the machine in, fill up the filter tray with ground coffee, fill up the water pitcher with water, and set the carafe on the heating plate. All that’s left for you to do is to press the start button and wait for your coffee to brew. A shower head at the top drips the hot water into the coffee grounds, allowing it to extract them before it passes into the carafe ready to drink.

Pros:

A drip coffee maker is affordable, easy to use, and produces consistent results.

Cons:

There’s not a lot of variety in taste as far as the brewing process goes, but you can get some variety switching up the beans you use.

Another drawback is that if the carafe sits on the heating plate for too long, the coffee may start tasting a bit burnt.

We recommend it for:

Families, homes, offices, and entertaining. Instead of sitting at the stovetop, babysitting your brew while your guests wait in the living room, you can let the machine do it for you.

2. Espresso Machines

Espresso machines can bring the full coffee shop experience to your home. If you’re an avid espresso lover, you may find the effort and additional cost that come with an espresso machine well worth the cup of full-bodied, rich, tasty espresso brew.

An espresso machine offers a lot of versatility, as you can recreate coffee shop specials like Americano, macchiato, cortado, and so on. If your espresso machine doesn’t come with a frothing wand, you can get your own milk frother to get that beautiful cream which is the signature ingredient in espresso-based beverages like cappuccino.

Espresso is usually made with dark roasts and fine grinds, which results in a concentrated, rich cup of coffee.

How does it work?

Espresso machines are electric-powered. There are different types you can choose from, which vary the level of labor that will be necessary on your part. You can decide between manual, semi-automatic, automatic, to super-automatic. The way they work is by heating water to a high temperature and allowing it to pass through a metal filter cup filled with pressed coffee grounds at quite a high pressure.

Pros:

Espresso machines can help you get consistently delicious, rich cups of espresso.

They also allow a lot of versatility to recreate coffee shop specials.

Plus, a lot of them come with a frothing wand.

Cons:

Espresso machines are usually quite a bit pricier than other coffee makers.

Other drawbacks of manual espresso machines are that they’re quite labor-intensive and require some technical knowledge.

We recommend it for:

Espresso enthusiasts and those who appreciate bold, rich-tasting coffee.

3. Pour-Over Coffee Makers

Pour-over coffee makers are a simple yet delicate way to produce a custom cup of coffee that’s per your taste. Pour-over coffee makers consist simply of a cup with holes on the bottom, which you can place over any mug or carafe to make as much coffee as you want.

Taste-wise, pour-over coffee makers generally produce a delicious, full-bodied cup of java.

How does it work?

Pour-over coffee makers generally consist of a cup with a base that’s meant to go on top of mugs or carafes, and holes at the bottom that allow the coffee to pass through to the container below. The cup-shaped coffee maker has a cone-shaped funnel in which you place a paper filter and fill it up with medium ground coffee. Then, you slowly add water to the pour-over coffee maker in several phases. The first pour is meant to allow the coffee grounds to bloom, i.e. to activate them and extract the initial flavor. The following gentle pours are meant to finish the coffee grounds’ brewing process.

Pros:

Pour-over coffee makers are generally simple to use – although it’s important to take note of the series of pours to get the optimal taste of the coffee. They’re also quite compact and thus easy to travel with.

These coffee makers are also quite affordable.

Plus, they offer versatility when it comes to the amount of coffee you want to make.

Cons:

Making pour-over coffee is a process. It takes a hands-on approach on your part, and may require more time than some other coffee makers to brew the coffee.

We recommend it for:

Pour-over coffee enthusiasts and those who need a single cup of coffee at a time.

4. Moka Pots

Moka pots are my go-to method when I want a rich, full-bodied cup of coffee that gets as close to an espresso as possible without actually using an espresso machine. Although it’s not as dark as an espresso, a Moka pot will give you a thick, deeply dark cup of delicious coffee that’s also made on the principle of using high-pressure to extract the coffee grounds.

Moka pots are one of the most affordable coffee makers you can get your hands on, and you can also use them to make espresso-based drinks like lattes and macchiatos.

Depending on the capacity of the Moka pot you buy, you’ll be able to create anywhere from one cup to twelve cups of coffee.

How does it work?

Moka pots work with stovetops or gas burners. They contain three chambers: the bottom chamber is filled with water, and the middle chamber (a metal filter) is filled with coffee grounds. As the water in the bottom chamber heats up, it generates steam. The pressure from the steam causes the hot water in the bottom chamber to travel up through the middle chamber where the coffee is, and extract it. Finally, it travels through a tube into the top chamber, where you get your lovely, piping hot, finished brew.

Pros:

Moka pots are quite eco-friendly – they don’t create any waste other than used coffee grounds (which you can always find uses for!).

Overall, Moka pots produce a consistently good cup of coffee and they’re a great, much cheaper alternative to espresso makers.

Lastly, they work pretty fast – so you won’t have to wait too long for your coffee to be ready.

Cons:

A Moka pot should be cleaned regularly, which can be a bit of a hassle considering it has three parts. To be fair, you should regularly clean any coffee maker you decide to get (or already own).

We recommend it for:

Anyone looking for an espresso alternative or a richly deep cup of coffee.

We also highly recommend it to campers – with a Moka pot, you’ll have coffee anywhere you go.

A Few Words Before You Go…

Hopefully, you enjoyed our guide to the most popular coffee makers you can get for your home. Depending on your taste, budget, or how much effort you’re willing to put it, you can decide which one’s right for you. And don’t forget – every perfect cup of coffee starts with freshly ground beans!

We generally consider coffee to be an adult pleasure. It has its place in the mornings preceding busy days, late into the night when you’re cramming for a university exam, on the kitchen counter of every office, during casual meetups with friends. But then the day comes when your 11-year old wanders into your home office asking if they can have a sip of your coffee. Can they? Should they?

When I was a kid, I coveted the drink that my grandmother made whenever her friends came over. I coveted the coffee-soaked biscuits that they were enjoying while I was forced to settle for orange juice and dry, unsoaked biscuits. When I was a kid, they would tell me that if I drank coffee, I’d grow a tail.

Obviously, your child won’t grow a tail if they have coffee, but there’s a good reason why we get asked this question so often. The main ingredient in coffee is caffeine, which has psychoactive and physiological effects on the body. If it gives adults that kick they need in the morning, what does it do to kids? Let’s take a look at what scientific research and experts have to say about kids drinking coffee in terms of whether they should, when they can, and what the limit should be.

Coffee, Caffeine, and Kids

The main active ingredient in coffee that causes concern over child use is caffeine. While it’s a myth that caffeine can stunt growth, there are other reasons why the young, developing brains and bodies of kids won’t benefit from drinking coffee. Rather, caffeine can cause some harm when consumed at an early age.

To begin with, there’s really not too much research on the extensive consumption of caffeine in children because, duh, who is going to force kids to do something potentially dangerous? However, there is enough research and expert opinion for us to get a general idea of what the problems are with exposing kids to caffeine.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, and cacao. Less naturally, kids have access to caffeine through soda and energy drinks. Still, caffeine itself has proven to have some positive effects on the adult body. For instance, moderate coffee drinking has been directly associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. It can even reduce the risk of some types of cancer or developing type 2 diabetes. However, the first problem is that these benefits haven’t been proven to apply to children drinking coffee.

The second problem is that caffeine is a drug. Sure, it’s the world’s favorite drug and one of the safest ones you can enjoy – but it is nonetheless a drug. As it’s a stimulant, the psychoactive effect that caffeine has on the brain is keeping it alert and concentrated. However, this can also have negative side effects, especially on children.

The Negative Side Effects of Caffeine on Children

A 2017 report by the USA National Coffee Association showed that about 37% of youths between 13 and 18 years of age consume coffee on a daily basis. But what can caffeine do to the developing, adolescent body and brain? Here are some of the potential negative benefits:

1. Disrupted sleep patterns and insomnia

Proper sleep is key for the growing, developing body of a child (child here includes adolescents, of course). Youths should be getting about 8 hours of undisturbed sleep every night to maximize their growth and development. However, teens that drink coffee regularly have reported sleeping less and waking up feeling much more tired in the morning. Plus, while adults have a higher threshold, kids can develop insomnia from drinking even less coffee regularly. If that’s the case for teens, imagine what high caffeine intake would do to a prepubescent child.

2. Psychological overstimulation and anxiety

According to research, while caffeine does improve concentration in children, it also increases their chances of developing anxiety. In fact, a study done on adolescent rats showed that increased caffeine intake during adolescence resulted in a higher risk of developing anxiety in adulthood. It also showed that early access to this stimulant increased the chances of rats seeking out more stimulating drugs later on in life.

If you’re saying rats aren’t people, you’re right. But oftentimes, science has been able to draw a connection between rat and human behavior – and that’s true in this case also. Research conducted on human young adults showed that increased caffeine intake from energy drinks can cause anxiety as well as a propensity to seeking other brain-stimulating drugs later in life.

It’s not all bad, though – there are certain doses of caffeine that have been deemed acceptable for kids – but we’ll get to that a bit later. First, let’s take a look at another problem that accompanies kid-coffee drinking which isn’t caffeine. Namely…

Coffee Beverages as Vessels for High Sugar Intake

One of the main issues with child and teen coffee drinking is the sugar that comes with a lot of the “special” coffees you’d get in places like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. Fine, so there’s both caffeine and sugar in a can of Coke, but some of the coffee-based barista specials you get at these stores are much, much worse.

I remember when I first started drinking coffee as a teenager I was getting it in the form of a Frappuccino from Starbucks. My mother was very vocal against my new favorite drink, and apparently it was for good reason. A grande Caramel Cocoa Cluster Frappuccino at Starbucks has 68g of sugar! Can you imagine that much sugar in a single beverage? The total caloric count of this drink is 450 calories, which is nearly a quarter of the total daily intake for a child or young adult. Dunkin’ Donuts, on the other hand, offers a Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin latte that has 55g of sugar. This is more than you’d get from a 16-oz serving of Coke. And unfortunately, these are the coffee-based drinks that kids are most commonly drawn to. They’re not (yet) fans of the nuanced bitter and bold flavors of coffee, so they get their caffeine fix in the form of unhealthily sweet desserts.

But let’s put this amount of sugar in some context. According to the American Heart Association, children older than 2 and below 18 shouldn’t consume more than 25g of added sugars per day. These drinks contain more than twice the maximum recommended value. The insane amounts of sugar that accompany these drinks can endanger a child’s health and at the same time increase their risk of developing childhood obesity.

The Bottom Line: Should Kids Drink Coffee?

This is where we get to the not-so-negative side of the answer. So far we’ve covered the possible negative effects that caffeine and coffee-based beverages can have on kids and teenagers. However, coffee, and indeed caffeine, isn’t the enemy. The answer to whether kids should be drinking coffee is the same answer given to most other dietary questions: the key is moderation.

While the AAP says that caffeine doesn’t have a nutritional place in a child’s diet, a little bit of coffee won’t hurt either. And really, when it comes to parenting, imposing too many restrictions can end up having an adverse effect on the child’s relationship to pleasures and experiences, or, worse yet, an adverse effect on the child’s relationship to the parent.

Experts say that in general, kids that don’t suffer from disrupted sleep patterns and aren’t showing early signs of anxiety can comfortably enjoy approximately one cup of coffee per day. This would be about an 8-oz cup of joe. As most adults should limit their intake to 200-300mg of caffeine on a daily basis, the number gets cut in half for kids. About 70-100mg of caffeine in a child’s daily diet (this should include soda or sport’s drinks – so there shouldn’t be both soda and coffee in a single day’s intake) will do just fine.

Still, if you can, it’s best to postpone introducing coffee to your kid’s diet as late in adolescence as possible. And sharing a few sips of your own cup of coffee with your kids won’t cause any problems, either.

A Few Words Before You Go…

The main question when it comes to kids and coffee arises from the ingredient in coffee we all love so much – caffeine. But it’s not just coffee that contains caffeine – it’s also soda and sport’s drinks to a lesser degree, and energy drinks to a higher degree. If anything, you should try to limit your child’s intake of energy drinks, as lots of studies have shown that they pose more of a threat to kids’ health than coffee. This can easily be attributed to the fact that they’re more marketable to children than coffee is.

When it comes to coffee, once your tween or teen starts showing interest in drinking coffee, try to keep them off sugary beverages loaded with calories and try to limit their intake to a single, modest cup containing no more than 100mg of caffeine per serving.