Electrical Geysers

Geyser is an important installation in any household especially in winters. There are various options available in this product category. The scope of this post is electrical geysers only. One should look at following two factors while purchasing a geyser:

1.Types of Geysers: One may choose between Instant Geyser and Storage Geyser depending on one’s need. Instant geysers come with very high wattage like 2000W and 2500W to give you warm water instantly. These are especially useful where there is constant electric and water supply. Besides, these are a boon in kitchen for doing the utensils.

Storage geysers, as the name suggests, store water in a tank fitted into and then heat it. Because of its superior heating coils these machines give you water that is quite hot as compared to instant geyser. Intermittent water and power supply doesn’t prevent you from getting hot water from your storage geyser any time you need the same.

2.Capacity of Geysers: Storage water heaters normally come in capacities from 5 ltrs to 50 ltrs. Sizes of 20 ltrs to 35 ltrs are most popular. These days there are many good options available in the market that come with features like anti-scaling through ceramic coils, dry tap protection and colourful outer body. Selecting star rated products will help in energy conservation and hence will result in saving of money.

One should check for the features like metal body or fiber body, copper or steel inner tank, fuse plug, vacuum release, valve, pressure release valve, thermostat and auto cut off etc. It’s important to enquire about ease of serviceability while making the purchase decision. Proper installation of the product is essential for the best use of the product. The price range for an instant heater is around Rs. 2000/- where as the storage heater ranges from Rs. 2500/- to Rs. 10,000/- depending upon size and features. The leading brands offering this product are Racold, Bajaj, Singer, Birla Lifestyle, Lexus, Inalsa, Symphony, Crompton Greaves, Haier and Venus etc. While selecting a local brand one must ensure that it is ISI certified.

Washing Machines : A Necessity for Every Home : How to Select Right Model

This is the age of nuclear family and women empowerment. A house without a Washing Machine misses one count to be a ‘Home’. The Washing Machines have advanced a lot and deliver satisfactory results. Washing in these machines takes place as per one of the three principles of washing technology to provide turbulence to the clothes in order to separate dirt from the fabric using centrifugal force. These are :

A. Pulsator Wash
B. Agitator Wash
C. Tumble Wash

All these types are available in Indian Market. Different manufacturers endorse any or all of these depending upon the technology available with them and as per their marketing communication and sales strategy.

There are four options available in the market :

1. Washers : These are single drum machines which only wash the clothes with the detergent and remove dirt. Everything else has to be done manually. Its availability is low. Available Capacity : 3.0 Kg. Price Range : Rs. 2000/-

2. Semi Automatic Washing Machines : These are twin chamber machines which offer total solution from wash to rinse and then drying. As the name suggests being semi automatic, these require manual intervention in shifting the clothes from one chamber to other and changing the flow of water etc. You may select your wash cycle depending upon the clothes you are washing viz gentle, normal, heavy or denim. These may be used effectively even if there is irregular water supply. Pulsator and Agitator models are available in this category. Available Capacity : 3.5 Kg to 9.0 Kg. Price Range : Rs. 3500/- to Rs. 9000/-

3. Fully Automatic Machines : These are total rejoice. The principle is ‘fill it, close it, forget it’. You have to put your clothes and detergent into it only to get dried clothes approximately in an hour’s time. That’s the convenience. These machines also come with memory back up to handle irregular power supply as these may start again from the point where power tripped. You may effectively control these machines using the programmable options to suit your requirement in terms of wash cycle, rinse cycle, timing, load, water level etc. Normally, top load Pulsator and Agitator models are available in this category. Available Capacity : 5.0 Kg to 8.0 Kg. Price Range : Rs. 8000/- to Rs. 15000/-

4. Front Loading Washing Machines : These are also fully automatic machines with two differences. One, that the clothes are loaded from the front and not from the top. Two, these work on tumble wash principle. These are supposed to be the premium machines and some customers claim to have experienced best wash quality in these machines because of its technology being near to the hand wash technique. Available Capacity : 5.5 Kg to 6.5 Kg. Price Range : Rs. 18000/- to Rs. 26000/-

Some models from GE and Siemens etc. are also available in Top Load Tumble Wash in capacities around 6 Kgs and price around Rs. 20000/-

For a family of 2+2 a washing machine with 5.0 to 6.0 kg capacity is sufficient to take care of that occasional weekly/fortnightly/monthly load of towels, sheets and curtains etc. besides the regular washing. Choose the models depending upon your budget and requirement. With these machines at home you will never go by your watch for washing and will never feel tired.

The leading brands widely available in India are Whirlpool, LG, Samsung, Godrej, Videocon, IFB.

Washing Machine in all sense is a companion.

Microwave Oven in Winter : How to Select Your Model

Microwave Ovens are value for money in Winters. The question is how to choose a model that suits the requirement of my family?

There are three classifications in MWOs :

Solo Microwave Ovens : These are complete ovens and serve the full purpose except grilling. These machines are perfect for re-heating. All the cooking that does not involve grilling can be done at ease with it. One can cook rice, boil eggs/potatoes, prepare vegetables, roast papad and make idlis.

Grill Microwave Ovens : These have the additional feature of grilling. This is very useful when you bake a cake. The grill adds that special brown colour to your cake. You can grill your paneer, tomato, sausage and meat into it. You may roast brinjal and potato and can toast your bread too.

Convection Microwave Ovens : These are the top end models. These have got a fan above the grill for uniform distribution of heat in the oven chamber. If you are a non vegetarian and love cooking your dish, this is the answer. You may roast and grill the dishes to your complete satisfaction similar to that roasted in a tandoor.

These ovens are available in various sizes starting from 17 liters to 34 liters. The prices for these small home utilities start for a Solo Microwave Oven of 17/19 ltr from as low as Rs. 2200/- up to a Convection Model of 34 ltrs at Rs. 18000/-. A good Grill model is available for Rs. 4000 – Rs. 5000 and Convection range starts from Rs. 8000/-.

Look at your family size and take a decision. For an ideal family of 2+2 a 24 ltr is sufficient enough, however if your budget permits then go for a little bigger one to ensure a complete enjoyment when your guests visit you. Don’t forget to insist your dealer for a demonstration by a company trained chef at your place when you buy it.

Keep all the cooking stuff and ingredients handy when the chef visits you. Let him cook some 3-4 different types of dishes so that you get a complete flair to use the machine.

The leading brands widely available in India are LG, Samsung, Godrej, IFB, Kenstar, Whirlpool.

You are now ready to impress everyone with your cooking.