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How To Choose The Right Degree of Grinding.

An aromatic coffee can only develop its full flavor with an optimal grind and a suitable dosage.

The degree of grinding selected has a decisive influence on the taste of our coffee. Here we show you what it’s all about.

The correct degree of grinding differs depending on the preparation method and the type of coffee. If you want to prepare an enjoyable coffee, you should consider a few tips. If the dosage or grinding is incorrect, fewer aromas develop and the quality of the coffee is significantly reduced. The art of the right preparation is not that difficult to learn. Below we give you some helpful tips for a perfect grind.

In order to be able to choose the right degree of grinding, you first have to understand what grinding is all about. Let’s take a closer look at how coffee is made. The degree of grinding can significantly influence the extraction process. During this, water is poured through the respective ground coffee at a certain flow rate. Depending on the permeability of the flour, more or fewer aromas will unfold and be released into the coffee.

The degree of grinding should be individually adjusted depending on the desired taste and the type of coffee selected. Incidentally, flour that is too fine can lead to over-extraction, which would result in a bitter and unpleasant taste. The degree of grinding is therefore decisive for optimal coffee enjoyment.

Everything about coffee extraction

In general, a maximum of 30% of the ingredients in a ground coffee bean can be extracted. However, with such a strong extraction, a very intense flavor is achieved. The bitter substances of the extracted beans are so pronounced that one can hardly speak of an enjoyable coffee. The Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, SCAE for short, sets the benchmark for perfect extraction at around 18-22%. In this way, all the essential aromas dissolve and the coffee gets its typical aromatic taste. If you like your coffee a little stronger or weaker, you can of course choose a different grind. If aromas and strength are in a perfect relationship to each other, then all ingredients have dissolved optimally. Incidentally, the SCAE recommendation is based on a 50-year-old American study. Experience has shown that the extraction of most coffees has leveled off at these values ​​even today, so that the study provides a really good basis.

According to the SCAE study, overextraction occurs from 22%. From this point on, fine nuances no longer stand out and the bitter, unpleasant taste overshadows the individual flavors of the different types of coffee. The color of the coffee also changes to a disproportionately dark tone. So, during the grinding of a coffee, the extraction affects the final flavor and intensity. An espresso, for example, has an extremely dark crema and sometimes even tastes a little burnt. On the other hand, light and thin coffees are characteristic of under-extraction. These have very few components of the coffee bean. According to the SCAE definition, this occurs with extractions below 18%. The crema of the coffee in question is also light and thin. With very low extraction values, this can even be absent and only watery coffee water remains. When choosing your degree of grinding, you should therefore be between 18-22%. Experimentation also helps to find the right grind and thus create an individual coffee taste.

Individual coffee taste

The grinding degree of coffee does not alone determine how the coffee tastes afterwards. Of course, factors such as the choice of coffee bean and the brewing method as well as the dosage also play a decisive role. The grind also depends on the moisture and freshness of the coffee – you should always adjust the degree of grind here. The individual coffee taste has its origins in the coffee bean itself. With the right preparation, you can bring in more and more individual nuances and thus put together your personal favorite coffee.

Whether portion grinder, coffee grinder or other type of preparation, the degree of grinding is defined by individual specifications and personal taste. While many people like strong coffee, others prefer light nuances and a low intensity of taste. Choose a grind that suits your preferences or simply try different grinds.

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Cooking Tips

If You Have The Choice, You Are Spoiled For Choice: Which Type of Coffee Should I Choose?

There are almost countless methods and variants of coffee types. If you have to make a decision, it can be very difficult. We have put together the most important ones for you.

What it may be? Coffee types with milk – they are not all the same!

Coffee is coffee, you might think. If you order a latte in a café, for example, you might be served a café au lait in one and a café macchiato in the other, because although both types of coffee are made of coffee and milk, there are still differences – both in terms of taste and what it is preparation is concerned.

Let’s start with the popular and at the same time easy to prepare milk coffee. This type of coffee usually consists of filter coffee with a little milk. There aren’t many more regulations when it comes to milk coffee.

However, it is different with the other types of coffee with milk: French café au lait is also made from filter coffee and hot milk, but you have to be a little more precise here: 50-50 is the mixing ratio and both components should also be filled into the cup at the same time . The Frenchman also has clear ideas when it comes to the cup: Strictly speaking, the café au lait is not drunk from a classic cup, but rather from a drinking bowl.

The ratio of milk to coffee is also precisely defined in the Italian counterpart, the cappuccino: one third espresso diluted with hot water, one third milk and, to top it all off: a topping of milk foam, which should also make up one third.

The latte macchiato consists of these three ingredients. Here, however, great importance is attached to the correct preparation, or to be more precise, the sequence: hot milk, milk froth and finally the espresso – albeit in the undiluted form here – is allowed to flow very carefully into the glass. This brings us to the next point that distinguishes the latte macchiato from the cappuccino: A latte macchiato is served in a tall, usually thin glass with a long-handled spoon.

Filter coffee, mocha, espresso, instant coffee – for those who like it black

Those who prefer not to use milk in their coffee can also choose from a considerable selection of different types of coffee.

Filter coffee is still very popular with us, it has even recently experienced a real comeback.

If it has to be quick, you can also use instant coffee. The fast-dissolving type of coffee, which only requires hot water, is also available as decaffeinated coffee.

However, for those who prefer to celebrate their coffee hour, the classic Turkish mocha is probably the right choice: fine coffee powder is brought to the boil with water in an open pot, the so-called ibrik, briki or cezve. It is important with this type of preparation that the mocha should boil not just once, but twice. Then comes the trick: before you pour the coffee – mind you, along with the powder – into a cup, add some cold water. The reason? The powder should settle more quickly at the bottom of the can.

Another classic coffee variety is Epsresso. It is available in several variants. Contrary to popular belief, however, it is no stronger than conventional filter coffee. However, if you want a caffeine kick, you can use the espresso doppio, because here you have two espressos in one cup. On the other hand, if you prefer the gentle version, the espresso lungo is suitable, because it usually consists of twice as much water as the original.

So now all you have to do is decide…

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Cooking Tips

5 Secrets How to Choose Meat for a Steak

Cooking the perfect juicy steak at home “like in a restaurant” is the cherished dream of many. However, after several unsuccessful experiments with preparing “rubber soles” instead of soft pink meat, it is so easy to despair and abandons this venture forever. But you just need to use the tips of the professionals and take into account all the subtleties.

  1. Choose seasoned meat

Many people mistakenly believe that steak meat must be fresh. However, this is not entirely true: for the steak to turn out soft and juicy, the meat must be matured. The fact is that the muscle in a piece taken straight after slaughter is not relaxed, and the steak will turn out to be tough.

  1. Focus on the slaughter date

When buying meat in a supermarket, be guided not by the date of packaging, but by the date of slaughter, which should also be indicated. The ideal steak comes from a piece that has been aged for more than 20-25 days after slaughter. You can also check the maturity of the meat by simply pressing a piece with your finger: if at first a dent formed, which then quickly returned to its place, then such a cut is suitable for cooking steak.

  1. Consider the type of future steak

The most popular types of steak cuts are filet mignon, t-bone, and ribeye. Choose meat in vacuum packaging or visit the butcher – there they will give you competent advice and help you make the right choice.

  1. Pay attention to the thickness

A good steak is made from pieces no thinner than 2.5 centimeters. And to prepare the perfect fillet mignon from the tenderloin, which is served in the form of “hemp”, pieces should be chosen with a thickness of 5 centimeters or more.

  1. Examine fiber and body fat

The thicker the muscle fibers on a piece of meat, the tougher the steak will end up. Our choice is thin, dense fibers. As for fat, what is the best way to buy meat with thin layers of white color, which will melt during cooking and give the steak juiciness and tenderness?

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Cooking Tips

10 Tips on How to Choose Meat for Steaks

If you search on the Internet, you find an illogical, albeit explainable, pattern: there are so many recipes that you cannot cook in a lifetime, and you will not find sensible information on how to choose the right products for this recipe during the day with fire. Meat is a special product that requires the right approach, and therefore, in no way considering myself an expert, I will still give a few tips that I follow myself.

First tip – the market, not the store

Meat is not yogurt or biscuits in a standard package that you can take from the supermarket shelf without looking. If you want to buy good meat, it is best to go to the market, where it is easier to choose and the quality is often higher. Another reason not to buy meat in stores is various dishonest tricks, which are sometimes used to make the meat look more appetizing and weigh more. Not that the market doesn’t do this, but at least you can look the seller in the eye.

Second tip – a personal butcher

Those of us who have not embarked on the path of vegetarianism eat meat more or less regularly. The best thing to do in this situation is to get “your own” butcher who will know you by sight, offer the best cuts, give valuable advice, and order meat for you if it is not available now. Choose a butcher who is humanly pleasant to you and sells decent goods – and do not forget to exchange at least a couple of words with him with every purchase. The rest is a matter of patience and personal contact.

Tip three – learn color

The butcher is a butcher, but it doesn’t hurt to figure out the meat yourself. The color of the meat is one of the main signs of its freshness: good beef should be confidently red, pork should be pinkish, veal is similar to pork but pinker, lamb is similar to beef, but of a darker and more intense shade.

Tip four – inspect the surface

A thin pale pink or pale red crust from drying meat is quite normal, but there should be no extraneous shades or spots on the meat. There should be no mucus either: if you put your hand on fresh meat, it will remain almost dry.

Fifth tip – sniff

As with fish, the smell is another good guide when determining the quality of a product. We are predators, and the barely perceptible fresh smell of good meat is pleasant for us. For example, beef should smell so that you want to immediately make a Tatar steak or carpaccio out of it. A distinct unpleasant smell suggests that this meat is no longer the first and not even the second freshness; in no case should you buy it. An old, proven way to sniff a piece of meat “from the inside” is to pierce it with a heated knife.

Sixth tip – study fat

Fat, even if you intend to cut it and throw it away, can tell a lot by its appearance. Firstly, it must be white (or cream in the case of lamb), secondly, it must have the correct consistency (beef must crumble, mutton, on the contrary, must be dense enough), and thirdly, it must not have an unpleasant or rancid odor. Well, if you want to buy not only fresh but also high-quality meat – pay attention to its “marbling”: on a cut of really good meat, you can see that fat is dispersed over its entire surface.

Seventh tip – elasticity test

The same as with fish: fresh meat, when pressed, bounces, and the hole you left with your finger is immediately smoothed out.

Eighth tip – buy frozen

When buying frozen meat, pay attention to the sound that it makes when tapping, and even cut, a bright color that appears if you put your finger on it. Defrost meat gently, the longer the better (for example, in the refrigerator), and if it has been properly frozen, then, cooked, it will be almost indistinguishable from chilled.

Tip nine – cunning cuts

When buying this or that cut, it is good to know where in the animal carcass it is and how many bones it contains. With this knowledge, you will not overpay for bones and will be able to correctly calculate the number of servings.

Tip ten – end and means

Often people, having bought a good piece of meat, spoil it beyond recognition when cooking – and there will already be no one to blame but themselves. When choosing meat, have a clear idea of ​​what you want to cook, and feel free to share this with the butcher. Frying, stewing, baking, boiling to obtain broth, jelly, or boiled meat – all these and many other types of preparation involve the use of different cuts. Of course, no one will forbid you to buy beef fillet and cook broth from it – but then you will overpay the money, and ruin the meat, and the broth will turn out so-so.

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Cooking Tips

11 Amazing Tips How to Choose and Cook the Perfect Steak

How to choose good meat

On the market

  • The first thing you should pay attention to is the color of the meat. It should be deep red. The color may vary: fresh beef is just red, lamb is a little darker, pork is pink, veal is deep pink.
    Take a closer look at the color of fat and bones. Some unscrupulous sellers refresh stale meat by soaking it in a solution of potassium permanganate. In this case, the fat will be pinkish, and the bones will be yellow. Very yellow fat is a sign of an old animal. This meat will be tough and will take much longer to cook. Good young beef has white fat and crumbles, and fresh pork has white-pink elastic layers of fat.
  • Do not be afraid to taste the meat with your finger: it should spring back when pressed.
  • Another important nuance is the smell. If you even feel a subtle unpleasant scent, go to another seller. But there is a subtlety here: for example, the meat of non-castrated pigs can look and smell just perfect when raw, and when frying will give a terrible stench. Ask the butcher to cut a small piece and light it with a lighter. If it smells like barbecue, you can take it.

In the shop

  • In the store, the situation is different: in most cases, meat is now sold in vacuum packaging. The main thing is that it is not swollen.
    The piece of meat must be solid and of the correct thickness. For example, for ribeye, it is 2.5-3 centimeters.
  • After unpacking, the meat must be allowed to breathe for 15-20 minutes, and it is better to wrap it in parchment and leave it overnight: in the morning you will see a significant color difference.
  • But it is better not to buy ready-made meat in marinades – not the freshest pieces are most often used there.

Cooking

  • The steaks are best grilled on an open grill, but a grill pan will work at home.
  • Take the meat out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking and let it sit at room temperature.
  • For Medium roasting, first crust on both sides and then roast the meat for another 2-3 minutes on each side. You can turn it over every minute – so the juices are better distributed inside.
    If cooking in a skillet, add fresh thyme, rosemary, and garlic during frying, and at the very end add a lump of butter (3 x 3 cm).
  • Transfer the meat to a baking sheet with a wire rack and let it rest for 4-5 minutes. It is now that the meat can be salted.
  • Serve the steak with a light green salad or mint avocado, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil.
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Lifestyle

Which Mural to Choose for the Bedroom?

The arrangement of the bedroom should not only be eye-catching but also conducive to relaxation and rest. It is important that the room puts us in a positive mood, and ensures a pleasant evening and cheerful morning. Room decoration influences our well-being much more than it appears, so we give you tips on room decoration with photo wallpaper.

Photo wallpaper as a clever decoration

The best, because the most elegant and quick to implement solution is a photo wallpaper. The bedroom changes in an instant, as if touched with a magic wand. Surely none of us wants to waste time with a tedious renovation that turns everyday life upside down. Thanks to an eye-catching, large-scale decoration, we can bring a whole new quality to our existing space with minimal effort.

The bedroom is our oasis of calm, a sanctuary where we can forget our worries and problems. Here we read a book in the evening and on Saturday and Sunday mornings we relax with a cup of coffee or read stories to the children. A picturesque landscape, exotic plants, or a pattern in the spirit of glamor will not only become a beautiful backdrop for our daily actions. It also improves our mood and allows us to enjoy an atmosphere that soothes the senses.

1) Enchantment through monochrome home design

Colorful advertisements on the streets, loud music in shopping malls, constantly ringing smartphones and social media notifications bombarding us all day long – this is the reality we live in. And although most of us are used to it by now, such heavy bombardment is not good for health as it puts the body in a constant state of tension. Therefore, our first idea is a monochrome arrangement of the bedroom, i.e. a room decoration that is completely furnished in different shades of the same color. This can be off-white, beige, green, or blue.

The so-called beige total look is very popular. Cream-colored walls in combination with furniture in the natural color of light wood create the perfect place not only for relaxation but also for meditation or yoga. An excellent crowning feature is the currently very popular pampas grass or dandelion. However, wallpapers can not only present plants. A pattern imitating wicker is a great idea. So we can bring a cozy atmosphere into the bedroom. You can also beautify the living room.

2) Soothe your senses with nature wallpaper

The fact that spending time in the countryside has a positive effect on human health and well-being has been widely researched. Take advantage of this knowledge and bring nature into your home, right into your bedroom. If we don’t have many opportunities to be outdoors, or if we love nature so much that we want to be surrounded by it indoors, a mural depicting a picturesque landscape will be a hit.

Or if we have the soul of a conqueror and a hiking enthusiast, we bet on mountain tops. Or choose tranquility and balance with a seashore with calm waters; and if we are dreamers, perhaps a forest shrouded in morning mist speaks to us. Matching wall decor to our character is one of the best ways to create a beautiful and timeless interior decor.

Another suggestion is wall decorations with depictions of plants. We have chosen motifs with a retro spirit. This aesthetic is experiencing a renaissance and has the advantage of not only fitting in with old arrangements but also with modern or even industrial-style interiors.

For fans of the exotic who want to enjoy a holiday atmosphere all year round, we recommend this interesting solution – a tropical mural. Reminiscent of old botanical illustrations, flowers of hibiscus or bird-of-paradise are attractively presented. For fans of local nature, on the other hand, we have an idyllic photo wallpaper. Dandelion gray in combination with other field plants brings a carefree atmosphere to the bedroom.

3) Timeless elegance in the home

If we prefer elegant solutions or there is also a desk in our bedroom where we work from home, it is worth introducing a stylish decoration into the interior, which will ensure that an ordinary arrangement gains flavor. Where should we look for inspiration? It depends on what we like!

We start with the most elegant solution, a mural imitating precious marble. This is a great suggestion for a glamor-style arrangement. A white, black, green, or maybe powder pink colorway? Pastel colors are very popular this year, but the white or black stone also provides a timeless effect. Terrazzo, which has been known since ancient times, is also an interesting variant. The many versions of this pattern – in shaded or colorful versions, with expressive or fine patterns – allow everyone to find a perfect motif for themselves.

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Lifestyle

Choose the Right Bathing Suit Based on Your Body Type

As spring draws to a close and temperatures rise, many people think of the upcoming bathing season. Numerous outdoor pools open their doors at the end of May, weather permitting. It’s high time to look around for the latest swimwear models.

Time for a new swimsuit?

The bathing season officially begins in most regions of Germany at the end of May and the beginning of June. Outdoor pools throughout Germany open their doors and give residents of the country the opportunity to cool off in the water when the temperatures are hot. In the outdoor pool, every woman wants to show her most beautiful side.

Although not every woman corresponds to the 90-60-90 ideal of beauty, that doesn’t mean that every woman can’t look good in a bathing suit – quite the opposite. With the right choice, every woman can show her most beautiful side in the outdoor pool.

Cover the O-figure with the tankini

Women blessed with an O-shape are curvy in the hip and waist area. Some of them have a small belly, an above-average décolleté, and expansive hips. The legs are comparatively slender. Neither legs nor the décolleté are a problem when choosing a bikini. Women can only conceal the abdominal region with a suitable swimsuit.

The bikini is and will remain the favorite in swimwear. However, it is not ideal for women with an O-shape. Stylists tend to recommend the tankini instead. It is a good choice for women with this figure to cover the problem area “stomach”.

Tankinis are the best choice for women who weigh a little more. That doesn’t mean that the tankini can’t be worn by slimmer women – quite the opposite. Their figure is particularly emphasized by the tankini. Women with a lush décolleté choose a variant with a halterneck top, which is low-cut.

When buying the bikini alternative, make sure that it is made of a material that dries quickly, as this swimsuit is made of a lot of fabric.

Accentuate the X-shape with the bikini

Women with the X shape have a physique where the hips and shoulders are about the same size. This comes very close to today’s ideal of beauty 90-60-90. Women who have such a body have feminine thighs, a firm bottom, and a beautiful chest area.

For women with an X-body shape, the bikini is without question the right swimwear. Practically every shape, look and color choice of bikini is suitable for this year’s bathing season. The selection of the bikini should be based on personal preferences in terms of design and material. In this online shop, women can be inspired by the current bikini fashion and get an overview of patterns that are in demand this year.

Ladies with large bust sizes should not only pay attention to the pattern. For them, it is important that the top fits well and does not slip when bathing.

Emphasize the A-figure with sporty tops

Ladies with an A-figure are very curvy underneath and their upper body is rather narrow and delicately built. Many women whose bodies are A-shaped also have strong buttocks and thighs.

Those who belong to this figure type wear sporty tops, as they conceal the problem area of ​​this body type (from the hips). The aim is to direct the focus to the upper body with a sporty top.

To achieve this, women have the option of choosing eye-catching tops with patterns. From the waist down, women can hide a little with bikini bottoms that have high-cut legs.

Showing off the Y-shape and her slender legs

The Y-shape is the opposite of the A-shape: these women’s shoulders are broad, but the waist and hips are narrow. Women with a Y-shape usually have long, handsome legs that are slender in shape. Any woman who has such beautiful legs should accentuate them with a matching bikini. But with the Y-shape, the focus is also on the hips. In addition, women buy eye-catching bikini bottoms with colorful patterns or elaborate seams that draw everyone’s attention.

Create sexy curves for the H-shape

Women whose bodies are H-shaped have less rounded curves. That’s why these ladies should wear monokinis that have side cut-outs. The aim is to create volume so that the waist is more visible.

Large-busted women create volume by opting for a deep décolleté. High-waisted pants give the impression that the waist is feminine and curvy. This effect can be enhanced by using playful patterns and bold colors.

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Lifestyle

Choose the Right Tailor’s Dummy to Sew Yourself

Tailor’s dummies are the be-all and end-all for people who like to tailor and sew themselves and form the basis for creative sewing work. Both professionals and amateurs work with appropriate tailor’s dummies in order to be able to mark out their sewing work in the best possible way.

Especially if a direct fitting is not possible. But finding the right tailor’s dummy for you and your sewing skills is not always easy and requires a number of criteria to be taken into account.

Only a tailor’s dummy makes it fit perfectly

If you want to make sure that the tailoring result is as accurate as possible when sewing yourself, you will probably not be able to avoid buying a tailor’s dummy. Because in most cases, a flesh-and-blood person is not always available for fitting.

A tailor’s dummy is indispensable for sewing work because tailors can use it not only to check and plan their patterns but also to drape the fabrics and pin them out for sewing. You don’t need a dressmaker’s dummy for smaller jobs like patching small holes in T-shirts or repairing loose stitches and pulling threads.

When choosing a suitable tailor’s dummy, consumers should pay attention to a number of criteria, such as the dimensions of the dummy or whether the dummy has various adjustment and movement options. The cost of a tailor’s dummy can also differ significantly from one another and depend, among other things, on the material properties.

Adjustable dress form

Anyone who counts sewing as a permanent hobby or who tailors professionally usually needs an adjustable tailor’s dummy since the sewing work is largely intended for different people. However, if you primarily want to tailor for yourself, you will also be happy with a fixed tailor’s dummy to create your own individual garments. Long-term use of tailor’s dummies works best with an adjustable variant since the dimensions of many people do not remain constant over time.

Before purchasing, it is highly advisable to take the measurements of the person in question so that the choice of the appropriate bust size is not based on pure estimates. The selection of models of tailor’s dummies is very large with most suppliers, there are female and male busts, but also children’s torsos for children’s clothing. Some tailor’s mannequin manufacturers even offer models for maternity wear and elaborate designer mannequins.

Pay attention to the material properties

Earlier tailor’s dummies were mainly made of wood and were very robust. Most commercial dolls today are made of polyurethane foam or Styrofoam. Ideally, the cover of the doll should be removable and therefore washable so that new patterns or fabrics do not get dirty.

When it comes to choosing colors, light colors are ideal, as the marked patterns stand out better with light tones. Otherwise, the look of the tailor’s dummy is a matter of taste, many dummies are also used as decorative elements if the dimensions no longer match.

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Cooking Tips

Choose the Right Baking Pan for Cakes

Instructions and tips for choosing the right baking pan for cakes. The cake is still one of the most popular delicacies: There are plenty of delicious recipes for the most diverse types of cake. What many people forget, however, is that it’s not just the recipe that counts, but also the right baking pan.

Choose the baking dish according to the recipe

When baking, it’s not just about the right recipe, but also the right cake pan. This is determined by the baking mold and there are many different ones: silicone baking molds and sheet metal molds made of various metals, with and without a special coating.

There are also ordinary standard forms, as well as very complex motif baking forms. And in a wide variety of sizes. Not only the material is fundamentally different, but actually also the later cake form. Therefore, think about which cake recipe is used to find the right shape. For an affordable canned fruit cake, you can use a baking sheet or round springform pan. These molds are also ideal for grandma’s simple plum apple cake. While other cakes cry out for more unusual shapes.

Know-how of the right baking pan

But which form of buck is the right one for the individual? Every baker and every hobby baker has its own preferences and requirements. This applies to the taste of the cake, but clearly also to the texture of the baking pan.

For example, I prefer silicone baking pans, but my sister-in-law has always sworn by metal baking pans with a high-quality enamel coating. So far we have tried both variants – always with good and less good results. In order to be able to make an individual choice, you should take a closer look at the properties, advantages, and disadvantages of each type of baking pan.

Silicone or metal? With or without coating?

As mentioned, my favorite is the silicone baking pan. Molds made of silicone are very flexible and heat-resistant and there is no need for annoying greasing beforehand and then attaching cardboard afterward. After baking, the finished cake can almost always be removed from the mold easily and without much effort – and above all without unsightly crumbling. In addition, silicone can be used not only in the oven but also in the refrigerator. Today, however, this also applies to many sheet metal shapes.

Metal baking molds, on the other hand, are a lot more robust than silicone baking molds. They wear out slower and last a lot longer than a silicone cake pan. Here, however, the quality of the individual mold is very important – the lifespan of the baking mold can therefore vary greatly. But that doesn’t have to mean that a cheap baking pan has to be a bad one. When buying, simply check the workmanship, the impression of the material, and possible seams or transitions. With the right care, you can conjure up delicious cakes and tarts even with a cheap baking pan and you will enjoy them for a long time.

By the way, if the dough sticks to the mold despite everything, it often helps to simply put the still lukewarm mold in the fridge or on the cool balcony for a few minutes. In my experience, a wet towel wrapped around the mold only helps to a limited extent and only with a metal mold.

Which baking pan and which cake go together?

Finally, the question arises as to which baking pan is the right one for which cake. Here, too, there are numerous variants, motifs, and types of sheet metal. My children love playful shapes for their birthday cakes, but these are really only suitable for very simple and dry types of cake: for example marble, chocolate, or sand cakes. Unfortunately, sensitive and rather sticky types of dough quickly stick to the “details” of a motif mold – even if it is very well greased or made of high-quality silicone.

The commercially available standard forms are somewhat less complicated: springform tins, baking trays, and loaf tins. Incidentally, cool and fresh fruit tarts are best baked in springform pans, warm fruit cakes on a baking tray or also in a springform pan, and sand or bundt cakes in a Gugelhupf or loaf pan.

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