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Plan The Move Correctly, Avoid Mistakes, Save Time: That’s How it Works

If you plan your move properly, you can avoid mistakes and save a lot of time at the same time!

Good planning: Here’s how!

Remember the address changes. These affect banks, insurance companies, but also friends and family. The residents’ registration office and the kindergartens and schools must also be informed and all people who move must be re-registered. In addition, you should plan many things several weeks before the move so that there is no stress later.

If you organize the following things some time before you move, you are guaranteed to be on the safe side and you can move into your new apartment completely relaxed:
Do you need a moving truck? Rent it in good time and find out about the prices.
Get enough moving boxes and packing materials. You can gradually collect newspaper or organize it with friends and family.
Pack a bag with a toothbrush, a change of clothes and deodorant so that you can get to the most important things immediately after the move without having to search.
Organize enough helpers for the moving day early on! It is often difficult to carry the heavy furniture alone or in pairs.
Compare and find out more about moving companies. These can sometimes be very expensive.
Plan enough time for the renovation of your old apartment. Painting, cleaning and handing over the apartment often take a lot of time.

You can avoid these mistakes

In addition to good planning, you can also avoid some mistakes when moving:
Don’t pack too heavy! Many make this mistake. You would like to fill the boxes as full as possible, but then you can hardly lift them or they even break on the ground. Therefore, always pack light and heavy things mixed up in a box and check whether you can still lift it.
Don’t use bags to pack: Bags are often difficult to carry and not really fit much. It is best to pack everything that is possible in boxes.
Do not forget to label: If you do not label the boxes correctly, you will have to spend a lot of time and nerves afterwards to put everything back in the right place. Make it easy for you and your helpers and label everything well, with room information and content. So you always have an overview.
Don’t forget your helpers! A moving day can be long and tiring. Don’t forget to provide your helpers with enough food and drinks. It doesn’t matter whether you order a pizza for everyone or make something yourself.
If you pay attention to these things, you will certainly have a relaxed move without any big surprises! Good planning and organization are the decisive factors.

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Load the Fridge Correctly and Avoid Mistakes

Important rules and a simple guide to the fridge will help you to avoid common fridge mistakes. As a result, storing food properly saves you time and money. You can also find out what absolutely shouldn’t be in the fridge and what fridge size is right for you.

Proper storage of food is important

If you follow a few simple tips when storing the fridge correctly, you will not only save time that would be spent searching but also money. Because the food has a longer shelf life. And in extreme cases, even harmful germs can form. The rules of physics also apply to the refrigerator. Warm air rises. That means there are different temperatures in the refrigerator and there are different cooling zones. You should consider this fact for the correct storage of food. But what does the correct storage of food in the refrigerator look like and what mistakes can I avoid?

Correct instructions for the refrigerator

Refrigerators have different cold zones, which can differ by up to 7°C. Accordingly, it is warmer in the upper compartments than in the lower compartments. It’s coldest on the back wall and on the glass shelf above the vegetable compartment. And it’s warmest in the refrigerator door. Since some foods need to be stored cooler than others, it makes sense to follow a few rules here.

Avoid common fridge mistakes

Storing food incorrectly in the fridge is a common mistake. When storing the refrigerator properly, the milk should never be in the refrigerator door, as the temperatures here are too warm. In addition to these mistakes, there are others that you should definitely avoid:

1) Do not store tropical fruits in the refrigerator

When storing the fridge correctly, remember that tropical fruits such as bananas or mangoes do not belong in the fridge. Because that would spoil the taste. Tomatoes and courgettes also react negatively to the climate in the refrigerator. Therefore, it is better to store them in a shady place in the kitchen. Eggs don’t necessarily have to be stored in a cool place either unless they are washed. You can put them in the fridge after a certain time stated on the packaging. Also, read tips on storing eggs. In addition, cucumbers should not be stored in the refrigerator because of their high water content. Likewise, potatoes are not suitable for the cold. Fresh herbs last longer in the crisper, with the exception of healthy basil.

2) Avoid hot food in the refrigerator

Mistakes often happen even with correct storage. Who does not know it? There was a lot of cooking and half of the lunch left. Quickly in a Tupperware and the warm food in the fridge. And now we have an error. Refrigerators remove the heat from the products. The warmer an object is, the more electricity is used to cool it. So let the food cool down first. Then you can save electricity.

3) Stock the fridge properly with the right packaging

Well packed, you protect your food from drying out. You also prevent odors and germs from forming. Therefore, use cling film or storage boxes to store the products properly. In addition, storage boxes create a good basic organization in the refrigerator. A “sausage box” and a “cheesebox” are recommended. Nothing is lying around openly and everything can be stacked better. You should also defrost and clean your refrigerator regularly. This way you can avoid a musty stench in the fridge.

  • Use cling film to preserve flavor and prevent germs
  • Use storage boxes to avoid chaos and save space

4) Pay attention to hygiene when storing the fridge correctly

In order to avoid germ formation and damage to health from spoiled food, you must ensure adequate hygiene. Consequently, make sure that when storing meat and products with raw eggs, juice cannot leak. These should be packed well. Food that is placed in the refrigerator for defrosting should also be placed in a bowl that catches the defrost water. This is very important with meat and poultry because hygiene is the be-all and end-all here. The refrigerator can be washed out with lukewarm water once a month. A splash of vinegar essence in the wash water prevents the formation of bacteria and mold. You can read more about this under the tips for cleaning and cleaning the kitchen.

5) Bought the wrong refrigerator

In order to avoid mistakes when buying a refrigerator, you should estimate the required refrigerator size. In general, you can assume that size of 120 liters is sufficient for a single person. Tests have also shown that an additional 60 liters are required. This means that a refrigerator for 3 people should have a capacity of around 240 liters. Of course, these are only guidelines. Here it depends on my own shopping behavior and how often I find time to shop. If you enjoy doing a large weekly shop, then the above estimates are realistic.

Fridge size guidelines

  • One person: 120 liters
  • Two people: 180 liters
  • Each additional person + 60 liters
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Mistakes When Choosing Lighting for an Apartment

As tech-savvy as the average person may be these days, when it comes to lighting in the home, it often becomes apparent that there seem to be some gaps in their expertise.

Incorrect lighting in the apartment

Gundy Lichtdekor has set itself the task of closing these gaps with professional competence and a lot of experience. Have you also experienced one or more of the following top 5 mistakes when installing and aligning LEDs on your own four walls?

1) the Wrong size LED lights

Large rooms are not fully lit as soon as you press the light switch? There seems to be too much space for too few LEDs? It doesn’t have to be! Use advantageous, appropriately sized LED lighting from the start and never again worry about blind spots, the need for additional light sources, or other results of rushed planning. Take advantage of a wide selection and friendly, knowledgeable service! There are almost no upper limits to your imagination. Whether it’s a huge LED ensemble or just individual light spots – you’ll always find exactly what you’re looking for here. Consequently, with the right lighting, you can create a cozy living room.

2) There is no way to adjust the LED lighting

Today, the question of customization options is becoming more and more important for everyone. Be it the refrigerator, the contents of which can be viewed from the other end of the world, or when it comes to good and inexpensive LED lighting. Instead of just flicking a switch and finding yourself in the same cold light from a ceiling spotlight, customers today want to exhaust all conceivable options for adjusting their lighting design elements: From the choice of color temperature to the frequency of the light, there are no limits to the imagination. Consequently, it takes a little time to choose the right lighting in the apartment. You can also read clever ideas for a cozy living room light.

3) Wrong positioning of the devices in height

As with almost everything, the assembly of light-emitting diodes depends on the detail. In order to achieve a perfect result, LED lighting must be installed at the required height. Taking into account your personal habits and wishes, it can be determined where, how, and, above all, which diodes can render you proper service. Let your domicile shine in new, undreamt-of splendor, and set new trends in your circle of friends. You can also cleverly save electricity with LED lights.

4) Mismatched colors and large shadows

Precisely because LEDs can be bought in all sorts of (color) variations, you might find yourself standing in the living room of a friend or acquaintance who meant it a little too well. At times, one could think that the installation was done in an absolute rush, often as a result of installing at the wrong height or choosing completely contradictory colors. Benefit from a large selection as well as a quality of lamps that is second to none. You will be amazed at what can ultimately be made possible.

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The Most Common Dishwasher Mistakes

In order for the dishwasher to be able to do its job properly in the household, a few procedures must be observed. If the machine is used frequently, it also requires regular care to prevent malfunctions or failures.

Washing dishes in the household is often very annoying, but there is a dishwasher that does its job reliably. Such a device is a real work-saver, especially for families with several children. Since the dishwasher is used often, errors or problems can occur during use. Most of the time, these are small things that you can fix yourself without hiring an expensive repair service.

The built-in heater is defective

If you notice that the dishwasher only works in the cold mode for the respective washing processes, something is wrong. Either the heater is defective or the built-in thermostat. In order to repair this, the necessary spare parts are required. Before doing this yourself, the mains plug should be pulled out of the device and the device should be disconnected from the existing water connection. The components to be replaced must fit the respective device exactly. Exact information can often be found in the user manual.

Water is no longer pumped out

If the water is no longer pumped out properly after the rinsing process, this makes a bad impression at first. But in most cases, this problem can be fixed quite easily. To do this, the existing sieve should first be checked at the outlet in the machine. This can be taken out easily. If it is clogged, cleaning must be done. Another cause can be a kinked drain hose. This should then be straightened again so that the water can drain properly. If this was not the cause either, there may be a defect in the drain pump. This must then be replaced with a new component.

The dishwasher cannot be opened

A very common source of error is that the machine door can no longer be opened. There can be several possible reasons for this. It is possible for the child safety lock to be switched on automatically. A defect in the door lock can also be present here. To deactivate the child lock, the programming must be changed accordingly. It can also help to switch the device off and on again. If, on the other hand, there is a defect in the door lock, it must be repaired accordingly.

Flashing error message

If a flashing error message suddenly lights up on the device, this is often not a very big problem, in most cases, it is necessary to fill in a new rinse aid or appropriate special salt. The error messages can vary depending on the manufacturer. The operating instructions provide a very good overview, where the exact meaning of the symbols is explained and what needs to be done afterward.

Clean rinsing is no longer possible

If the dishwasher is no longer able to wash the dishes absolutely clean, thorough cleaning of the sieve and the spray arm is usually necessary. If there is a blockage, the functionality is significantly reduced and a clean flushing process cannot take place. In addition, there can be an unpleasant smell in the dishwasher. The sieve only needs to be removed from the bottom and cleaned by hand. The spray arm can usually be easily removed and the dirt can be carefully removed. However, if limescale deposits or a fairly gray tinge have formed on the dishes, this can indicate a lack of salt. There is usually a defect in the ion exchanger.

No more water is drawn in

If the dishwasher is no longer able to draw in water, it does not always have to be a fault in the device. It is also possible that there is a defect in the faucet. To do this, the water tap should first be turned off and the hose removed from the machine.

There is usually a strainer at the top of the hose which could be clogged. If this is not the case, the faucet should still be checked again by placing a bucket under it. If only a few drops of water come out after activation, it is advisable to call an installer for help. He can check the line carefully and insert a new faucet if necessary.

Detergent is too old

A big mistake is often made when buying dish soap in very large bottles. Buying in advance is not a good idea, because the longer the dishwashing detergent is stored, the more the enzymes it contains break down. These are absolutely important so that the dishes can be washed thoroughly.

After just a few months, the cleaning performance decreases significantly and the dishes are no longer really clean. If, on the other hand, the dishes come out of the dishwasher very cloudy, this is usually due to the degree of hardness and lime content of the water. Here it depends on the right dosage of the detergent used. It can also be useful here to descale the dishwasher. Natural home remedies will help you with this.

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6 Common Laundry Washing Mistakes

Wash laundry properly now! With these 6 clever tips, you will succeed in washing and discoloration will be a thing of the past. We’ll show you how to best avoid typical mistakes when doing laundry.

Let’s be honest: Which housewife has never had anything go wrong? A lot can go wrong, especially when doing laundry – without the right information, problems are inevitable. We give you the six most common mistakes when doing laundry and how you can avoid them.

1) Disappeared socks

Who doesn’t know this: You put your socks together after washing and – lo and behold – some are missing. This is a mystery to some. Is there a sock dimension into which these disappear? There’s even a lost sock day. In reality, the lonely socks are in the machine. They are pressed against the window of the washing machine during an overloaded wash cycle and then pressed between the slot by the rubber of the washing drum. Then they often end up on the heating element and are often gradually dissolved there.

Since this happens particularly often with an overloaded wash cycle, we advise never filling the washing machine completely and washing small items of clothing such as socks alone in manageable quantities. Another tip: Get special sock clips and clip the socks together. If you don’t have a sock clip, you can also take a hair tie and wrap it around the socks or just tie the socks together. By the way, here you will find a miracle cure for smelly socks and stockings.

2) Laundry is discolored

It is well known that you have to sort by color to avoid discoloration. You wash white laundry separately from multicolored, colored laundry and this separately from single-colored, colored laundry. In addition, black or dark brown laundry should always be washed separately, since the risk of discoloration is very high here. Red laundry used to be known to tend to bleed, but these days you can wash it with other colors as a lot of red laundries doesn’t bleed anymore. You can use this simple trick to test whether the laundry is rubbing off: put red laundry in a bucket of warm water for half an hour. If the water turns reddish, then the clothing will stain. You will also find out how you can get yellowed laundry white again.

  • Whites/Lights: Light colors from white to light blue.
  • Light colors: pink, orange, yellow
  • Dark colors: red, green, blue
  • Black wash/dark wash: Black and dark brown

It is also important to sort by materials. Silk fabrics, shirts, or wool sweaters should always be washed extra gently or even by hand. Often it is also on the label if you should wash something by hand and it makes sense to pay attention to this. Jeans should never be washed with wool or sensitive materials, always turned inside out and only washed with other jeans in the same shade of blue and never with fabric softener. Also, follow our overview of fabrics for clothing with properties and care instructions.

3) Non-deflated pockets

The classic is the forgotten handkerchief in the trouser pocket. You know it, especially with children: hair clips, hair ties, or other things are often overlooked in the trouser pocket. These can get wedged in the sieves of the washing drum and cause damage. Pointed objects are particularly dangerous, but handkerchiefs can also ruin the inside of trousers or jacket pockets. Therefore: Turn all pockets inside out beforehand and check carefully whether there is anything hidden somewhere. Don’t forget the inner pockets! Was something damaged? How to sew small holes in t-shirts

4) Damaged clothing

To all women: remember to fasten your bras before putting them in the washing machine. Another tip: Pack your bras in a cloth bag or in a laundry net. This completely eliminates the risk of damaging clothing with fasteners. In addition, button plackets and zips should be closed, as they can also damage other clothing in the form of small holes. Always turn clothing with applications such as rhinestones inside out. This not only protects the decorations on the clothes but also the other clothes in the washing drum. You can find more tips here: Washing and caring for bras and lingerie properly.

5) White spots and fading

Dark and especially black clothing should never be washed with heavy-duty detergent, as heavy-duty detergent bleaches. Furthermore, washing powder often cannot dissolve completely, which is why you should wash dark laundry with liquid detergent. There are special detergents for black laundry, but you don’t necessarily have to use them and a color detergent or a mild detergent is also sufficient. You may be using too much detergent, so the rule of thumb is to only use as much detergent as you need.

A lot doesn’t necessarily help a lot and can also lead to the opposite: Too much foam is formed and the laundry doesn’t get really clean as a result. Furthermore, the washing program should not be too short and you should use enough water. If you then turn dark laundry inside out, there shouldn’t be any more light spots! By the way: the fading of dark laundry is often due to drying in the sun. You should therefore put dark laundry in the dryer or dry it in a shady place. Do you have any further questions about drying? Here you will find tips for drying laundry quickly and correctly.

6) Shrunk laundry

Also a classic: the new pullover has become too small when washed at 50°C. How can this happen? Our tip: Read the information label inside the clothing. There are often indications that laundry should only be washed by hand or at a maximum of 30°C. These tips are ignored by many, although they save some trouble. Here you can find help with the question Do you use a washing machine or hand wash? Heavily soiled clothes need to be washed at higher temperatures than clothes that have been worn for a day and just need to be fresh. Even if you wash dirty clothes with relatively clean clothes, laundry shrinkage can occur. You should therefore not only sort the laundry by color and material, but also by temperature and degree of soiling.

  • 90°C: Heavily soiled cotton only
  • 60°C: towels, bed linen, pajamas, underwear (made of cotton)
  • 40°C: dresses, skirts, T-shirts, shirts
  • 30°C: wool sweaters, silk shirts
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9 Common Diet Mistakes to Avoid When it’s Hot

The right food and drink can help us to better endure the current temperatures. We show 9 common mistakes that you should avoid.

We have trouble sleeping, feel lethargic, get headaches or can’t concentrate – our bodies react strongly to the hot summer weather. Eating the right diet can help you endure the heat better.

However, we often eat exactly the wrong thing and make our condition even worse. You should pay attention to these things:

1. Heavy eating in the evening

When the temperature is high, we often don’t feel an appetite during the day – and then compensate for this with a barbecue in the evening. But be careful: A high-fat meal in the evening can prevent us from getting a restful sleep at night. Therefore, before going to bed, we should primarily eat light foods, such as rice with vegetables or salad.

2. Drink a cold beer

In order to cool off when the temperatures are high, people like to have a cool beer, especially in the evening. However, alcohol is not a good idea in the heat: it also removes water and valuable minerals from the body – and we are more susceptible to heat stroke, writes the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).

3. Eat low in salt

You really shouldn’t eat too much salt. However, if we sweat a lot at high temperatures, we also need more salt. So if you are suffering from circulatory problems at the moment, you can consciously add a little more salt to your food.

4. Drink hot coffee

Hot coffee also makes us sweat in a hot summer. The caffeine it contains also has a diuretic effect. Normally, the body can compensate for the loss of fluids well. When it’s hot, however, our body loses a lot of water anyway due to a lot of sweating. You should therefore be a little more careful in summer: drink a little less coffee than usual and let it cool down before you drink it.

5. Leave your groceries at home and transport food to be grilled far away

Bacteria multiply particularly well in the heat and high humidity. Meat, poultry, egg dishes, dairy products and fish are ideal breeding grounds for microorganisms. Anyone who interrupts the cold chain for too long runs the risk of salmonella.

Therefore: groceries belong directly in the fridge. At least salmonella cannot multiply below six degrees. In this way you not only save your health, but also your food from the garbage can.

6. Refresh yourself with lemonade

This doesn’t just apply to heat: those who frequently consume sweetened beverages supply the body with unnecessary calories. Lemonade, for example, can contribute to obesity. Better to use so-called infused water: tap water with a squeeze of lemon juice or a few slices of cucumber. It tastes much better and comes without sugar.

7. Eat fatty meat and sausages

In order for our body not to overheat at high temperatures, it has to work hard. Heavy food, such as high-fat meat, is an additional challenge because it takes a lot of effort to digest – we should therefore particularly avoid such meals when it is hot. In general, it makes more sense to eat little or no meat anyway. This is better for the climate, the animals and the environment.

Opt for fruit instead. This provides vitamins, minerals and water. Melons, tomatoes and cucumbers are particularly suitable as a snack in summer because they have a high liquid content.

8. Avoid spicy foods

Chili, garlic, paprika, pepper – hot spices make us sweat. Especially chili makes us sweat on the skin. In fact, the pod cools the body down. It works like this: The pungency molecule capsaicin it contains signals to the brain that there is a heat source in the mouth. This so-called phantom heat triggers a cooling reaction in the body.

When it is hot, however, we benefit from another property of spicy foods: they often contain ingredients that inhibit bacterial growth. You should therefore not do without spicy food in the heat.

9. Drinking (ice) cold drinks

Drinking a lot is important, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends around 1.5 liters of water. In high heat, the body needs a lot of fluids.

However, cold drinks should only be taken in sips, as these drinks have a cooling effect. If you drink too much cold water quickly, you risk stomach ache – and rob the body of additional energy because it has to warm up cold liquids in order to be able to process them. It is therefore best to drink lukewarm beverages when it is hot.

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Cooking Tips

9 Common Pasta Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them

Everyone loves pasta. But you can do a lot wrong with this supposedly simple dish. We explain what you should pay attention to if you want to indulge in pasta happiness in a sustainable and enjoyable way.

“Making pasta is also cooking!” Anyone who wholeheartedly agrees with this student motto is not alone: ​​pasta is at the top of many people’s list of favorite foods. But from the purchase to the preparation to the use of leftover pasta, you can do a lot wrong.

If you keep a few things in mind, pasta is not only a delicious dish, but also a healthy and sustainable one. You should avoid these common mistakes:

1. Always choose “normal” spaghetti

Durum wheat semolina pasta is delicious, but if you stick to it, you’re missing out.

2. Mismatching sauce and pasta

Not all noodles are the same – and combining them with the right sauce is a chapter in itself. Because only when both are coordinated can the taste really come into its own. As a rule of thumb, long, thin pasta like spaghetti or linguine are perfect for oil-based or creamy sauces.

Thicker or slightly chunky sauces and pesto combine well with short, thick, textured pastas like rigatoni, fusilli, or penne. The sauce sticks to the windings of the noodles, and ingredients such as pieces of vegetables can be mixed in perfectly – while long noodles quickly sink to the bottom of the plate.

3. Cooking pasta wrong

One would think that cooking pasta is not the fine art of gastronomy. Nevertheless, there is a lot to consider, because common mistakes reduce the enjoyment.

Many hobby cooks use a pan that is too small or too shallow, too little water and too little salt. If you add the salt at the beginning, you prevent the noodles from absorbing it optimally – so it’s better to only add salt when the water is boiling. Another mistake: putting oil in the water. Although it ensures that the pasta does not stick together, it also seals the surface of the pasta and the sauce can no longer be properly absorbed.

If you stir too little during cooking, the noodles will stick together – a wooden spoon is good for short varieties, and a fork is recommended for spaghetti & co. You should also be careful not to exceed the correct cooking time, otherwise it means “arrividerci al dente”.

4. Pour away the pasta water

Pasta water is far too valuable to be thrown down the drain – and has the potential to become a liquid all-purpose product for cooking and baking, for your plants and even for your skin and hair.

5. Quench pasta

Once the noodles are in the colander, the sources of error continue: You shouldn’t quench your perfectly cooked, al dente pasta with cold water – this will wash the starch off the surface and the sauce will no longer stick to the noodles as well.

6. Serve pasta wrong

Now it’s a matter of timing: If the sauce isn’t ready yet and the pasta waits too long in the sieve to be used, it will quickly become sticky. When serving, you should not spread the sauce separately on the pasta, but mix both in the pot beforehand – this is how the elements fuse perfectly.

7. Discard leftover pasta

Most hobby cooks portion pasta by eye. And it is not uncommon for the quantities to be misjudged when the stomach is growling. However, if you have leftover pasta after eating, don’t throw it straight into the trash – it’s a waste of food that really isn’t needed.

You can store a small amount in the fridge for a short time and turn it into a new meal with some freshly cooked pasta. You don’t want to eat any more pasta in the next few days? No problem either: you can freeze pasta without any problems.

8. Buy conventional pasta

The basic noodle consists only of durum wheat and water.

9. Buy pasta in plastic packaging

A mistake that most pasta comes with: it is wrapped in plastic. Anyone who buys pasta currently has few alternatives to avoid this plastic waste.

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Food

10 Common Mistakes When Making Coffee and How to Avoid Them

Brewing good coffee is not that easy – there are many factors that can influence the taste. Some of these are common knowledge, others perhaps less well known. We introduce you to ten common mistakes when making coffee.

Coffee is one of the most popular hot drinks in Germany: For many, the daily cup for breakfast and in the afternoon is a matter of course. Coffee is not only an everyday drink, but also a luxury food.

However, the enjoyment quickly becomes clouded if coffee is prepared incorrectly. It then tastes too bitter, too thin or even burnt. This is due to various mistakes that often happen when making coffee. In this article we will show you which coffee mistakes are particularly common – and how you can avoid them.

Store coffee incorrectly

You should always store coffee in a dark, cool and dry place so that it does not lose its taste and quality. Heat, moisture and oxygen damage it. Many people therefore fill the coffee into a container. It is best to leave the coffee in its original packaging, seal it well and also store it in an airtight container. Coffee isn’t in good hands in the refrigerator if air can get in: it quickly absorbs the smells of other foods and changes its taste.

Caution: Even if stored well, coffee loses its aroma over time. So only ever buy as much as you need and use it up within six to eight weeks.

The wrong type of coffee

If you don’t like your coffee, it might not be because of the machine, but because of the type. Because coffee is not just coffee: there are over 100 known types of coffee with different flavors. For example, Arabica beans have a milder and less bitter taste than the robust beans of the Robusta plant. Robusta coffee usually also has a higher caffeine content than Arabica coffee. You can find out what you personally like best by trying it out.

The wrong degree of roast

The type of bean doesn’t taste like it does in your favorite café? This could be because you use a different method of preparation. Depending on whether you brew your coffee with a filter machine, an espresso maker or a French press, different degrees of roasted coffee are recommended.

For filter coffee, you should use beans with a medium or light roast.
A dark roast is recommended for espresso.
If in doubt, seek advice from a specialist retailer or take a look at the coffee packaging. Often you will find additional information there.

Mistake: Buy conventional coffee

When buying coffee, not only pay attention to the type of beans and the degree of roasting, but also keep an eye on the production conditions. Conventional coffee is repeatedly criticized because it is often contaminated with pesticides. This is doubly problematic: On the one hand, chemical-synthetic pesticides that are spread over large areas damage the environment. On the other hand, coffee contaminated with pesticides can also have a negative effect on your own health.

It is therefore best to buy organic coffee. It comes from sustainable cultivation and you avoid harmful residues because chemical-synthetic pesticides are banned in organic farming. Various test results also suggest that organic coffee is better for your health: Oko-Test, for example, took a closer look at 22 espresso roasts and found that many beans contain critical amounts of acrylamide. The substance is produced during roasting and is considered carcinogenic.

Grind coffee beans in advance

You can get coffee either ready-ground or in the form of whole beans. Many coffee lovers swear by the second variant and like to freshly grind their coffee at home. It should then have a more intense and pleasant taste than pre-ground coffee powder.

However, this is only true if you actually grind the beans right before brewing. Grinding a whole pack of coffee beans in advance may be more convenient, but it makes little sense: ground coffee loses its aroma faster than whole coffee beans. Therefore, pre-ground coffee does not differ significantly from conventional coffee powder.

Grind bean coffee with the wrong degree of grinding

When you grind your coffee yourself at home, it’s not only important to do it fresh every time – you should also consider the correct grind size. If the powder is ground too finely, the coffee releases too many bitter substances into the water, resulting in an unpleasantly bitter taste. On the other hand, powder that is too coarse does not release enough aromas into the water – the result is a rather thin coffee with little taste.

Basically, you should use medium-fine ground beans for the filter coffee machine
and use finely ground beans for hand filter coffee.
A coarser grind is recommended for espresso makers and French presses.

Mistake: Buying unfair coffee

In addition to the organic seal, you should also look out for the Fairtrade seal on the coffee pack of your choice. Poor working conditions often prevail on coffee plantations and local coffee farmers are often badly paid by bulk buyers. Fairtrade coffee, on the other hand, is traded and exported under fair conditions: For example, fair trade sets a minimum price for coffee that is not subject to the usual price fluctuations on the world market. This guarantees that the farmers can cover their production costs and their existence is not threatened. Other goals of fair trade are to enable coffee farmers to receive further training, to strengthen their negotiating position with customers and to combat child labor on coffee plantations.

In addition to the social aspect, Fairtrade coffee is usually also more sustainable, because fair trade focuses on environmental protection and bans certain pesticides. In addition, Fairtrade companies are more careful with valuable resources such as water. Our guide gives you an overview of the best places to buy Fairtrade coffee.

Incorrect amount of ground coffee

Coffee often gets too strong or too weak because you use too much or too little powder. For a pleasant taste you can use the following rule of thumb:

You need seven to ten grams of ground coffee per cup of coffee (125 to 150 milliliters). Ten grams is approximately one heaped tablespoon. For a more accurate dosage, you can also use a special teaspoon to help you measure.

Brew coffee with water that is too hot

You should avoid this mistake especially if you brew your coffee with a French press or prepare Turkish coffee. Boiling hot water weakens the aroma of coffee and more bitter substances are released. Ultimately, the finished coffee tastes much more bitter.

It is better to use water with a temperature below 100 degrees Celsius for these types of preparation; 90 to 95 degrees are ideal. If you don’t have a way to measure the water temperature precisely, you can simply let the water cool slightly after boiling before using it to brew the coffee.

Water quality is also important

What many people don’t take into account: It’s not just the coffee powder itself that contributes to the taste of a cup of coffee, but also the quality of the water. Be sure to use fresh and pure water to brew your coffee and pay particular attention to the calcium and magnesium content. If it is particularly high, we speak of hard water – this has an unfavorable effect on the taste of the coffee and can also calcify the coffee machine. Too soft water with very little mineral content is not recommended either. The ideal water hardness is a maximum of 8 °dH.

If you are unsure about the composition, you can have your tap water tested. If it’s high in calcium and magnesium, you can soften it by using a water filter. Alternatively, you can brew your coffee with mineral water. In principle, however, tap water is better for the environment than plastic bottles.

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Food

Lamb’s Lettuce: You Should Avoid These 4 Mistakes

Lamb’s lettuce is one of the few vegetables that can be harvested in winter. We give you four tips on how to properly harvest, wash, store and prepare leafy greens.

Lamb’s lettuce is healthy and one of the most nutritious types of lettuce. It contains valuable vitamins and minerals that contribute to a balanced diet.

However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when storing and preparing lamb’s lettuce. Only if you harvest, store, wash and use them correctly can the leafy vegetables unfold their healthy effect, preserve them and stay fresh for a few days.

We explain which mistakes you should avoid and give you tips on how to do it right.

Mistake #1: Not harvesting lamb’s lettuce properly

You can easily sow lamb’s lettuce yourself in the garden. It is undemanding and with proper care you can harvest it all year round. The main season for lamb’s lettuce is from October to December. So you can still prepare delicious dishes with the leafy vegetables from your garden even in winter.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind when harvesting:

Cutting: Cut the rosettes of the lamb’s lettuce individually. Always use a sharp knife for this. This way the cut will be smooth and the plant will be less susceptible to diseases and pests. Also, make sure you never cut too deep so the lettuce can grow back properly.
Picking: Lamb’s lettuce can grow back best if you pick individual leaves and do not cut them off. Pick the large leaves so that young shoots can grow. Take just a few leaves from each plant at a time so they can keep growing year-round.
Nitrate: Lamb’s lettuce stores nitrate in its leaves. Nitrate in water and food is initially harmless. It only becomes critical when we absorb too much of it. In the evening, the nitrate in lamb’s lettuce is lower because it has been broken down over the course of the day. Therefore, harvest the lettuce in the evening to be on the safe side.
If you don’t grow lamb’s lettuce yourself, but buy it, then make sure it’s organic. Especially tender leafy greens can easily absorb pesticides or chemical-synthetic fertilizers – these end up in and on your food. When shopping, you can use the organic seals from Demeter, Bioland and Naturland as a guide, as they require particularly strict criteria.

Whether from your garden or from the organic market: Wash the lamb’s lettuce thoroughly before eating.

Mistake #2: Wash lamb’s lettuce under running water

Before eating, it is important to wash the lamb’s lettuce properly. The leafy greens are often full of sand or soil and may have fertilizer residues on them.

You should not wash lamb’s lettuce under running water. The soil often hides on the individual rosettes of the leaves and is not rinsed off under running water. In addition, the sheets can quickly stick together under running water and thus prevent thorough cleaning. Anyway, you save water if you don’t wash the lamb’s lettuce under running water.

Prepare a cold water bath for the lamb’s lettuce instead:

Remove wilted or dried leaves from the lamb’s lettuce rosettes.
Fill a large bowl with cold water (it will go limp quickly in warm water).
Submerge the lamb’s lettuce in the cold water and let it soak for five minutes. The heavy earth sinks down.
Carefully remove the leaves from the surface and discard the water along with any soil that has collected at the bottom. Tip: Catch the water and use it to water the flowers.
Fill the bowl again with cold water and add the lamb’s lettuce. Now toss the individual leaf rosettes in the water and check them for sandy residue.
Place the washed leaves on a clean tea towel and let them dry.
Remove the roots with a sharp knife so that only the individual leaves or fine rosettes of leaves remain.
Spinning in a salad spinner is not recommended for lamb’s lettuce, or if so, then only very carefully. The lettuce quickly loses its loose structure and sticks together.

If you do not prepare the lamb’s lettuce directly, it is particularly important to dry it well and store it appropriately.

Mistake #3: Storing lamb’s lettuce incorrectly

Lamb’s lettuce is delicate and doesn’t keep very long after harvest. That’s why you should eat it as fresh as possible. If you do want to store it for a few days, then follow these tips to keep the leafy green crisp:

Store lamb’s lettuce cool. This keeps the leaves crisp and fresh.
Avoid wetness. Lamb’s lettuce quickly becomes mushy and can only be stored if it is well dried.
Condensation damages the lettuce and causes it to rot quickly. Therefore, do not store lamb’s lettuce in airtight packaging. If you buy it in a box, always unwrap it for storage.
It is best to wash and dry the lamb’s lettuce thoroughly before storing it. Wrap it in a kitchen towel and put it in the fridge. It can stay fresh for up to a week.

Tip: Place lettuce that is a few days old in a cold water bath for a few minutes. This has an invigorating effect and makes the leaves fresh and crisp again.

Mistake #4: Preparation without vitamin C

Lamb’s lettuce is a real vitamin bomb and rich in valuable minerals and trace elements. It is valued above all for its high iron content and can counteract iron deficiency during pregnancy (caution: do not eat pre-packaged and/or pre-cut lettuce during pregnancy, as it can provide an increased surface area for bacteria to attack. If you are unsure, also avoid lamb’s lettuce in the restaurant – you don’t know how freshly and thoroughly washed it was.). Iron is an important trace element that influences many bodily functions.

The body needs vitamin C to properly absorb iron. Therefore, always prepare the lamb’s lettuce with a dressing containing vitamin C.

You can easily make dressing for lamb’s lettuce yourself. Orange or lemon are particularly suitable as they contain a lot of vitamin C.

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Food

The 5 Most Common Mistakes When Making Coffee

A good coffee fills the room with its delicious aroma, impresses with its round, aromatic taste and awakens the desire for another with the first sip. Do you remember your last excellent coffee? If you have to think about it, you’re probably making one of the top five coffee-making mistakes. Regardless of whether you use a filter coffee machine at home or operate a fully automatic coffee machine in the office, serious errors in the preparation of all coffee machines can spoil the coffee enjoyment.

Buy a high-priced filter coffee machine and brew cheap coffee

A common misconception is to buy an expensive filter coffee machine for the home or to set up an expensive fully automatic coffee machine in the office, brew the cheapest coffee in it and think that the high-priced coffee machine will gild the hot drink in terms of taste. Unfortunately, an excellent filter coffee machine cannot do magic at a high price. No high-quality fully automatic coffee machines in the office can do that either. Don’t skimp on your favorite gourmet food, coffee. When choosing, pay attention to quality. At Coffee Perfect you will find an excellent range of aromatic coffee beans and high-quality coffee powder. When buying, pay attention to the purity of the variety, the roasting and the type of bean.

Pre-ground coffee and then store

If you pre-grind coffee for the filter coffee machine with the coffee grinder so that it can be prepared more quickly the next morning, you lose aromatic substances. Once the coffee has been ground, the air extracts the aroma from it. As long as the aroma is in the bean, it is protected. Only grind as much fresh coffee as you drink. If grinding takes too long for you, you can also use a fully automatic coffee machine in the office or at home, which will do this work for you. Regardless of whether you use the fully automatic coffee machine in the office or the filter coffee machine in your free time, drinking coffee is more digestible and tastier when the coffee is aromatic and fresh. The freshness makes the taste, regardless of whether you prepare the coffee in the filter coffee machine or in the fully automatic coffee machine in the office.

Store coffee for the fully automatic coffee machine in the office in the refrigerator

It’s almost unbelievable what people keep in refrigerators at work. In many companies, the coffee for the fully automatic coffee machine in the office lies carelessly in the refrigerator, next to the cheese and opened sausage packages. Coffee quickly takes on foreign aromas. It only takes a few minutes and the coffee tastes like other foods. Then you can no longer think about preparing it in the filter coffee machine or in the fully automatic coffee machine in the office. Store the coffee at around 10° to 18° C, dry and protected from light. Ideally, the coffee packaging has an aroma protection valve and the coffee can release CO2 and keep the aroma longer.

Transfer coffee powder for filter coffee machines at home or fully automatic coffee machines in the office into a can

Do not fill the coffee for the filter coffee machine or the coffee machine in the office into a can. Coffee should always be kept in its original packaging. When refilling, oxygen gets into the ground coffee or the coffee beans. Once that happens, the coffee oxidizes and deteriorates. The coffee fats, which are flavor carriers, can become rancid due to the oxygen, which greatly affects the taste. Whether you keep ground coffee for your filter coffee machine at home or coffee beans for the fully automatic coffee machine in the office, neither should ever be put into a can.

Brew coffee with boiling water

Boiling water burns the coffee and robs it of its aroma. Only brew coffee after allowing the boiling water to cool for two minutes. It should be around 93° to 95°C. If the water is too hot, the aromas evaporate and bitter substances are released. The taste becomes slightly bitter and acquires a burnt note. To avoid this, you should not let the water cool down for too long. The temperature should not be too low, then the taste will be sour.

Summary:

Neither the filter coffee machine at home nor fully automatic coffee machines in offices can improve the taste of bad coffee.
When buying coffee for the filter machine or the fully automatic coffee machine in the office, pay attention to the following characteristics: purity of variety, roasting, and the type of bean. Arabica is high quality, Robusta is not.
Do not pre-grind. Better to drink fresh coffee.
Never keep the coffee for the filter coffee machine or the coffee machine in the office in the refrigerator.
Do not transfer coffee. As soon as air comes into contact with the coffee, it loses its aroma.
Do not brew coffee with boiling water. The ideal temperature is between 93° and 95°C.

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