How To Change Dualit Toaster Elements

With continued use and general wear and tear, you will occasionally need to change the elements in your Dualit toaster.

There are different elements which fit the various models of Dualit toasters so please be sure to select the correct elements for your toaster - you can see the full range of Dualit toaster spares by clicking here.

When you have your replacement elements and you are ready to remove the old ones, follow our simple step-by-step guide below to get your toaster back up and running again.

Changing elements in a Dualit toaster

1. Firstly unplug the toaster and place it upside down on a soft cloth on your work top.

Remove the crumb tray and unscrew the feet to remove the base plate.

2. Loosen the locking nuts on the retaining plate using a 6.5mm spanner and then slide the retaining plate back.

3. Unscrew the brass links and wires.

4. Bend brass links and wires away from the element.

5. Remove the element being replaced.

To re-assemble, reverse procedure whilst ensuring that the parts and wires are correctly positioned. Ensure that the new elemetns are marked the same way as the ones that were removed.

Check that the new element is seated correctly in the channels either side and PAT test before use.

Please Note

The Dualit ProHeat elements are covered in a protective heat proof film. Do not remove this film when inserting new elements as this will invalidate the warranty on your toaster.

If you encounter any difficulties while trying to change your Dualit elements give us a call and we'll try and talk you through it.

You'll be back toasting in no time!

Price Comparison on Catering Equipment

Online Price Comparison on Some Kitchen Essentials

We've had a browse through the AJ Stuart website and after choosing a few everyday kitchen essentials, we've done a quick price comparison with some other catering supplies websites. You can see the results below!

We aim to offer the best value possible on all our online products and the results below show that we do offer many products cheaper than other catering equipment suppliers. Check out the results below, and remember we also offer free delivery on online orders over £50 - even more ways to save with AJ Stuart online!

Please note that all prices are correct as of 27th May 2013 and that in most cases the products chosen from each site are identical or the closest match has been used.

Product	Our Price	Nisbets	Galgorm	Alliance	3663 Catering
Clear Sauce Bottle (8oz)	£0.71	£0.89	N/A	£0.89	£0.75
Ice Cream Scoop (Size 20)	£6.95	N/A	£12.21	£11.64	N/A
Matfer Whisk (25cm)	£8.92	£9.99	N/A	£11.81	N/A
Low Density Chopping Board	£6.40	£10.99	N/A	£11.73	N/A
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl	£1.24	£3.99	N/A	£1.49	£1.36
High Heat Spatula (10")	£3.50	£5.99	N/A	N/A	£4.56
Stainless Steel Colander (9.5")	£4.29	£5.49	£4.61	£4.69	£5.09
Glass Jug (1.3L)	£2.50	£2.50	£2.71	£2.74	N/A
Bourgeat Saucepan (16cm)	£26.12	£29.99	£34.97	£27.21	N/A
Alphin Pizza Bag	£20.13	£20.99	N/A	N/A	N/A
Proserve Pizza Bag	£22.28	N/A	£30.29	N/A	N/A
Tote Box	£5.00	£7.49	£14.25	£11.14	N/A
Space Saving Container (1.9L)	£3.61	£3.99	£4.72	£4.52	N/A

This is only a small taster of some of the great savings you can make with AJ Stuart online. We've also got a 'Special Offer' section with new offers being added each month and we've also created a brand new 'Clearance Lines' section where you can save up to 70% off some items!

Head on over to ajstuart.co.uk and check it out for yourself!

Chat soon! :)

Delia's Classic Sponge Cake Equipment Breakdown

Delia Online Classic Sponge Cake Recipe

With Delia's new range of Silverwood Bakeware flying off the shelves at the moment, there's no doubt that Delia still has a massive following out there! With Delia's first new video recipe appearing on Delia Online, we thought we would give you a helping hand when it comes to baking Delia's Classic Sponge Cake Recipe.

You can watch the video below and we've given you a full breakdown of Delia's recommended equipment, which should make your job in the kitchen that little bit easier!

Episode 1: Classic Sponge Cake from Delia Online Cookery School.

Delia's Classic Sponge Cake Equipment List (You can click each item for more details...)

1. Delia's Silverwood Sponge Tins (18cm * 4cm)

In this recipe Delia uses two of the 18cm Silverwood sponge tins from her new bakeware collection. These tins are perfectly sized for baking light and fluffy sponges and will last for many years of great baking in your kitchen at home.

Click here for more details...

2. Bake-O-Glide Sponge Tin Liners

The Bake-O-Glide liners for the Delia sponge tin are perfectly cut to neatly fit into the base of these tins and help to prevent your freshly baked sponge from sticking to the base of your pan. These are sold in a pack of two, so you'll only need to buy one set of these for the two sponge tins used in this recipe.

Click here for more details...

3. Electronic Weighing Scales

These Slimline Electronic Weighing Scales are a great set of scales for any keen baker at home. With an easy to use digital display, you can accurately measure out your ingredients for any of your favourite recipes, including Delia's recipe above for the classic sponge.

Click here for more details...

4. Large Plastic Mixing Bowl

This large plastic mixing bowl from Paderno is a great bowl for mixing ingredients in any kitchen. As Delia says, larger bowls allow for better aeration when mixing your ingredients for this classic sponge. These mixing bowls are made from hard wearing polypropylene plastic meaning they won't dent, scratch, rust or chip!

Click here for more details...

5. Bowl Sieve

Make sure you sieve your flour and other ingredients just as Delia showed us in the video with this bowl sieve, helping to improve aeration and produce some wonderfully light and fluffy sponge cakes.

Click here for more details...

6. Electric Hand Whisk

This Kenwood electric hand whisk takes all the hard work out of mixing your ingredients with a wooden spoon. Simply get your ingredients in the large plastic mixing bowl and let the electric whisk work it's magic in creating the perfect cake mix. Remember to place a tea-towel or piece of kitchen paper under the bowl to prevent it moving about too much!

Click here for more details...

7. Rubber Spatula

This high heat spatula is the perfect kitchen accessory for scraping every last bit of your cake batter from your mixing bowl and adding it to your cake tins for baking.

Click here for more details...

8. Table Spoon

This large table spoon is normally used to serve vegetables or other foods during table service, but it makes for the perfect spoon for evenly spreading your cake mix throughout the sponge tins.

Click here for more details...

9. Tea Spoon

Delia uses a teaspoon for measuring out some of her ingredients in this recipe, so here you have it - the humble teaspoon.

Click here for more details...

10. Palette Knife

Make sure your baked sponge easily slides away from your tins by softly tracking around the edge of your sponge with this palette knife after it has finished baking. These palette knives are also great for spreading your cake mix throughout the tin before baking.

Click here for more details...

11. Sharp Knife to Cut Cake

When your sponge cake is finished and ready to serve, make sure you don't ruin it at the last minute by trying to cut it with a blunt knife. This Victorinox Cook's Knife is the perfect knife for easily slicing through your sponge cake, while it is also great for other food prep when you aren't baking!

Click here for more details...

12. Cooling Racks (You need two of these remember!)

When your sponge cakes are baked, they will need to cool for a while to allow them to settle. These cooling racks are the perfect place to keep your sponges while they cool and remember you might need two of these to lift your sponges carefully as suggested by Delia in the video!

Click here for more details...

13. Icing Sugar Shaker

Lightly dust the top of your sponge with icing sugar with this icing sugar shaker. The fine mesh allows just the perfect amount of icing sugar to be neatly sprinkled over your baked sponge.

Click here for more details...

14. Digital Timer

Make sure your baking is bang on time with this easy to use digital timer which allows you to track how long your sponge has been in the oven, down to the last second. Remember not to open the oven door until at least three quarters of the way through baking as any reduction in temperature could cause your sponge to sink!

Click here for more details...

You can check out what other equipment options we have online at www.ajstuart.co.uk and if you have any questions at all, just give us a ring or drop us an email, you'll find all our contact details here.

For more information, including ingredients and hints and tips, head on over to Delia Online and get the full low down on the Classic Sponge Cake recipe from Delia herself!

Happy Baking Folks...

Delia Smith's New Range of Silverwood Bakeware

It really is the end of an era with Delia Smith vowing to never make another cookery programme. I think most people with any interest in cooking will at some stage have seen Delia grace their television screen with some wonderfully simplistic but fascinating recipes.

As one era ends another begins, and thankfully it's not the end of Delia's input into the cookery and baking world. Delia has recently announced she is partnering up with Silverwood Bakeware and intends to leave her 40 year television career behind her and plunge into online cookery and tutorials.

At 71 years of age, it is incredibly refreshing to see a cook of this generation start to focus their efforts online and realise the potential that is out there for users at home to cook along with Delia using their iPad, laptop or mobile phone.

Delia's range of Silverwood bakeware was specially commissioned by Delia herself and has been designed to be used along with Delia's new cookbook, Delia's Cakes, a revamped and updated version of Delia's original classic cookbook.

This range of baking tins and matching liners are perfectly sized for the recipes found in Delia's new book, but can of course be used for any of your own recipes as well.

Delia's Cakes is released on Thursday 28th February 2013 and Delia's Silverwood Bakeware collection is available to buy from AJ Stuart today!

For more information, you can visit Delia Online and follow lots of Delia's free recipes.

We think Delia sums it up pretty well herself - click here to view her short introduction to the new range.

Enjoy your baking!

Simple Pumpkin Soup for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner and pumpkins appearing in supermarkets around the country, I think it's time we delved into the annual phenomenon that is pumpkin soup.

Call me old fashioned, but I always appreciated pumpkins a little more when they were made into soup, rather than a scary face on the windowsill. Those who can do both with the one pumpkin are to be highly commended for being both inventive and resourceful!

Anyway, onto the pumpkin soup itself and this is probably one of the easiest recipes you will ever have to follow so there's no excuse for not giving it a go over the next week or so. 

First let's start with the ingredients:

750g of diced pumpkin

250g diced potato

2 medium onions, diced

3 chicken stock cubes, crumbled

3.5 cups of water

250ml of thickened cream

Salt & Pepper

For your prep work all you really require is a good quality kitchen knife and a chopping board to save your worktops.

Next, we move onto the method behind the soup:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan, except the cream. (Don't you just love it when this happens, it makes cooking so much easier!)
2. Simmer the contents of the pan until the vegetables have become tender.
3. Take your pan off the heat.
4. Blend the soup until smooth, using this Kenwood hand held blender will get the job done fine.
5. Add the cream at this stage but be sure not to boil the soup again after adding the cream.
6. Season accordingly.

It's as simple as that! 

This soup normally serves about six. If you have friends and family coming over for a Halloween party why not give it a go and really get in the spirit!

Enjoy!

Choosing The Right Polycarbonate Tableware

Polycarbonate or plastic tableware can be found in use in many different environments ranging from schools and nursing homes or for barbecues at home and picnics during the Summer.

The main advantage of polycarbonate tableware is its ability to resist breaking when dropped, making it ideal for the aforementioned areas where the risk of dropping is much greater due to it being used by young children or the elderly.

When choosing the right plastic tableware there are a few aspects to consider to ensure that all your requirements can be met and you know what you are getting.

Choose the right plastic, there are many available!

There is a huge range of polycarbonate tableware available on the market today and finding the right type of 'plastic' to suit your requirements can be difficult.  A good place to start is to identify your needs and establish what your day to day use of your polycarbonate tableware will consist of.

• Is your plastic plates and glasses truly break-resistant?  Will they survive many falls and tumbles?
• Will your polycarbonate tableware warp in the microwave?
• Can your plastic tableware be washed in the dishwasher?
• Is your plastic plates and bowls scratch resistant?

Knowing how different plastics perform is probably the most important piece of research you will carry out before making your decision and choosing your range of polycarbonate tableware!

A popular  range of plastic tableware which aims to provide a solution to most of the above points is the range from Harfield Plastic Tableware.

Harfield plastic tableware is a virtually unbreakable range of polycarbonate tableware which will not chip, splinter or shatter.  It is also constructed from a non-porous plastic making it exceptionally hygienic as food bacteria cannot absorb into the tableware.

The above features, as well as the fact that it is lightweight and durable, makes Harfield polycarbonate tableware the ideal solution for environments with young children or the elderly such as school canteens, nursing homes or hospitals.  The pattern or colour will not fade over time and the plastic is recyclable.

If you follow these simple guidelines, Harfield plastic tableware will last you a lifetime!

Care and Maintenance of Harfield Polycarbonate Tableware

• Do not exceed temperatures of 85°C
• Never place the tableware near or on direct heat
• Do not use scouring pads or other abrasive materials to wash the tableware
• Safe for use in microwaves when reheating food but NOT for cooking
• All tableware can be sterilised or autoclaved

Cleaning Instructions for Harfield Polycarbonate Tableware

• Harfield tableware can be washed in hot soapy water and rinsed with most hand detergents being suitable.
• Do not use bactericidal detergents when the tableware is to be put in a sterilising sink as this may cause stress cracking of the tableware.
• Harfield tableware can be washed in most dishwashers.  Temperatures in the dishwasher should be 60-60°C for the wash and 75-80°C for rinsing.
• Suitable to be cleaned in sterilising sinks.

You can view our full range of plastic tableware online and do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any more questions about choosing your own plastic tableware.

Victoria Surprise Cake Recipe

Victoria Surprise Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Butter, Flour, Two large eggs, 1tsp Baking powder, 4 Drops of vanilla essence, 110g of caster sugar, 110g of butter, 110g of self raising flour, chocolate.

Filling: Strawberries & Creme Fraiche

Equipment: Victoria Surprise Cake Set, Greaseproof paper discs (14cm dia).

Instructions

Before Use

Wash pans and bases in warm soapy water, rinse and dry.

1. Line the centre of the base with 14cm (5.5") discs of greaseproof paper.  Butter and flour the pans and the bases.
2. Mix together two large eggs, 1tsp of baking powder, 4 drops of vanilla essence, 110g each of caster sugar, butter and self raising flour. Spread the mix evenly across the pan and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
3. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out.
4. For the filling, spread creme fraiche into both sponged, then overfill one with freshly cut strawberries.
5. Flip the other sponge over and onto the filled half and gently but firmly press them together.
6. Ice with melted chocolate and chill before serving.

After Use

Hand wash only, not suitable for dishwashers.