Hello!

Join Login

Jamie Oliver HomeCooker by Philips. Louise's Review.

  • Creamy Pasta Sauce

    So today I decided to test the Jamie Olive Homecooker to cook a creamy pasta sauce.
    Usually cooking a pasta sauce that involves fresh cream requires constant stirring to prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom of the pan as well as prevent it from separating.
    The stirring arm played a good part in this recipe.
    First it browned the chicken well without sticking and burning. While it was doing this I had time to sit with my kids and look at their homework. i had set the time to 20 minutes and the machine beeped when the time was up. Secondly when I added the freah cream cheese to my pasta sauce the stirring arm helped to combine the sauce together into creamy goodness.
    I tried out the steamer basket to steam pasta ravioli, this was a hit and miss as it required a lot of time to steam the ravioli then I had anticipated. I learnt that in order to cook pasta ii really neededtoboil it rathe than steam.
    i learnt that food such as pasta reauires a lot of time so it is best to boil pasta using the pasta insert ove hot boilling wate in the homecooker.
    The steamer basket worked perfectly fine to steam vegetables ove a hot simmering curry though..
    I loved the results and would definately reccomend the homecooker to anyone.
    I have uploaded a video of my cooking experience on youtube which you can view by copying andpasting the url below onto your browser.
    Cheers
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_m9Y4BCNIfA

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Chicken Cacciatore with Garlic Mash

    This recipe is one of my favourites. Its so easy to do & follow even the teenagers could do it! Did contemplate that……only for a minute……..but it was cleaning day today & the kitchen is sparkling so I didn’t want mess every where (party on weekend so wanted to try & keep things in order). To spice things up a little I added a few chilli flakes – just enough to give it a little kick. Tasted delicious with the mash – did make it a little chunky & drier than normal so the sauce could be mixed in! All that I can say is YUM YUM YUM! Now while teenagers slave @ part time job, I’m sitting back with a cider waiting for my creamy rice to cook.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Beef Goulash oooh la la!!!!

    I knew I had a busy day today with teenager no2 so I thought I’d better cook dinner in advance! Tonight was going to be Beef Goulash! Everything seem to flow like clockwork. I think I might be getting the hang of the Home Cooker & what it can do! The chopping tower sliced the onions in seconds, I added the spices & oil & I was off with 20mins to prepare the meat & other ingredients. After adding the final ingredients I had plenty of time for something else before I had to reset the timer for the next stage. Arghhh- I had left 5 loads of washing to do. The Home Cooker gave me some time to hang, reload & hang again (hmmm is that what my “another set of hands” has done – more time for housework).
    Recipe was very easy to follow. The best thing was coming home knowing dinner was done. The vote from the contented family was 5 stars for the recipe (no leftovers). The process of cooking was very simple! Its time to clean the pan & cook the beetroots for salads this week 🙂

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • No more creamed rice in a can

    Creamed rice is one of my favourite childhood memories. My Mum made it as it was a relatively easy desert to make but required one of the 6 kids to stand and stir so the milk /rice didn’t stick or burn on the base. It was a job that I quite often got lumped with being the youngest. The older siblings just made it sound so exciting. We always had stewed rhubarb & apple with our rice.
    Jamie’s recipe is delicious! Very creamy & full of flavour! I did add a little extra sugar as I wanted sweet rice. Topped it with a little drizzle of maple syrup. I had never used vanilla beans so was excited to taste & see how much they flavoured the rice. Never will I buy creamed rice again. I will be using the HC for this.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Mastered!

    Well we have mastered the rosemary potatoes! they are so easy & delicious to make that the boys have suggested we make them every night! LOL……have to say that a good hard waxy potato is the best to use to hold its shape & doesn’t get shaved by the stirring arm. Just love to add the ingredients & walk away, come back later to delicious crunchy roasted potatoes. All smiles in this household.

    Have been using the HC to make our Japanese curry. Its so easy now as I’m not constantly running back to stir the sauce & ingredients. No more sticking to the base of the saucepan because I’ve forgotten to stir. Love that I have a “little helper”.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Spaghetti

    The process was very easy to make this sauce. In the past, I would normally be watching & stirring every now & again just so my sauce wouldn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Not today – just walked away & let the Home Cooker do its thing.
    Our sauce just didn’t turn out as rich & full of flavour as I would’ve liked. Not sure why – I did however use Pork mince for the first time ever. Normally only ever use beef mince but someone told me to try the pork. Thats OK – I’ll just use my favourite recipe in future. Teenager 1 has enough sauce for Wednesday school lunch!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Is it dinner time yet???

    I have just put my crispy potatoes on and the house is smelling so amazing that I am salivating. I am planning on adding in some carrots, sweet potato & parsnip with 30 mins to go so hopefully they turn out ok! I love the fact that having the vegies in the home cooker has freed up the space in the oven for my chicken and fish and I don’t have to worry about having different temperatures. Can’t wait for dinner, will fill you in on how it goes 🙂

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Perfect Risotto

    Wow weeee! Have just finished eating the most delicious risotto ever! I was so impressed by the Home Cooker tonight – 5 stars from me. Have never tempted to make a risotto as I thought it was so time consuming standing there stirring the rice. So just thought “Too hard basket”.
    The Home Cooker along with Jamie’s recipe made life so much simpler. The stirring arm of the Home Cooker fascinates my family (&me). Its quite mesmerising watching it.
    Tonight I spent a bit more time, probably because i was quite nervous tackling a risotto. I did use quite a few extra pieces – saucepan, baking dish & fry pan. I didn’t mind as we have a rule in our house – if you cook you don’t clean up! So I just sat back while the family cleaned.
    The thing I love the most is the cutting tower which I used for the onions, celery & cheese. The celery was a little awkward but I quickly worked out the best way to grate it. It makes less mess with no more little pieces flying around the kitchen (this is usually the kids job). Love the design of the cutting tower, fitting nice & snug against the pan.
    Great recipe! Look forward to making this one again.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Broad Bean & Asparagus Risotto & Chorizo Sausage

    Well I must say I am really loving these 2 appliances. I was going to put them in the cupboard when not in use but I am using them most days especially the chopping tower! I think I have used the chopping tower every night since I received it. Very easy to assemble blades that just click into place & click to remove!
    Tonight was the Broad Bean & Asparagus Risotto (didn’t have the peas so just deleted them). Very simple & easy recipe to follow. I was feeling confident as had used the Home Cooker to create a previous Risotto. Last time I nervously watched & hoped it was going to work. Tonight I just followed the recipe and walked away confidently. The Chorizo Sausage was for teenager No 1 who is not quite sure about the “risotto” meal. I thought if I added the chopped sausage it would appeal to him more. But still had no success in winning him over. Teenager No 2 however enjoyed it thoroughly – which is surprising as he is normally the fussy one. Husband loved the whole minty, zesty lemon flavour.
    Have found the clean up to be easy as have had plenty of “spare” time during the cooking phase to clean up before dinner, just leaving the pan to clean.
    Have found a recipe for some steamed ginger cakes so am thinking I might try that tomorrow night when teenagers are at work :).

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Being brave - Chilli Garlic Chicken & Chorizo Sausage

    Teenager no 1 has always been a big eater! To combat the lunch time appetite has been making a large salad with chicken strips. I thought I might try & cook the strips in the Home Cooker. After infusing the oil with chilli, garlic, thyme & rosemary for about 15mins, I added a chopped chorizo sausage (I didn’t realise how much oil these would release) & fried them for about 10mins, turned the heat down & added the chicken for about 15mins. Probably need to experiment some more but the chicken taste tested by the teenager has got the thumbs up! Teenager cant wait to have his turn on Wednesday for some more experimenting chicken strips. It was much easier than standing by the BBQ and turning the strips. Chicken has remained moist. Lately teenager had been overcooking his chicken. Now with the help of the Home Cooker he will have moist chicken strips with his salad.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • How easy was that!

    I have done a bit of a cook up today a lasagne to put in the freezer and risotto for dinner tonight. What a breeze the Homecooker is to cook with. I haven’t cooked risotto since before I fell pregnant with my children who are 19 months old now because it takes so long ladling in the hot stock and stirring constantly. Who has the time??

    Well the Homecooker did it all I didn’t even need to gradually add the stock. And it smells delicious. I am beginning to see how versatile this machine is and how much easier it is cook with. Allows you to maximise time and cook and clean – ok I’ll be honest – cook and sit down with a hot cup of tea and and rest for a moment.

    Looking forward to using it for my next creation.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Fun with Fajitas

    Hi all
    I wasn’t planning on using the HomeCooker tonight as we got home from dancing at 5.45pm, but my kiddies asked what “Jamie Oliver” was cooking us tonight, and thought “he” could help cook our fajitas.

    I had put the cutting tower together on the weekend, but hadn’t used it yet. So I changed the cutting plate to the large slice, and easily put it all back together again. I must say I am not confident in changing the plates and am a little nervous that I will slice off part of my finger:(

    Using the chopping tower was easy, my older kiddies even helped. We just sliced the capsicum and mushrooms, and cooked them with some olive oil. I did get distracted whilst cooking with a Barbie emergency, so they perhaps cooked for a few minutes more than preferred. I was really happy to have the extra helper I the kitchen tonight, and the veggies for our fajitas were yum.

    Finally, cleaning tonight was SO much easier. I did remove the bowl from the heating element, there was no burning or even soaking required….thank goodness!

    Stay tuned tomorrow for Granola for breakfast and Bolognese for dinner.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • DAY 2: CREAMY CHICKEN KORMA

    I was a bit nervous about tonight’s dish, as prep and cooking time were set at almost 2 hours. We usually eat dinner at 6:30pm (so my toddler can be in the bath by 7pm), and considering we wouldn’t be home until at least 5pm, there was a very good chance we would be eating late.
    For those who have a toddler who won’t sleep, you’ll understand why getting them into bed and sticking to a routine is imperative. So I was hoping that if I cut at least 10mins off the cooking time for tonight’s curry, it wouldn’t impact the flavour too much.

    I’ve made a Chicken Korma many times before, but not using Jamie’s recipe, and of course not using the Home Cooker.
    Let me just say now, this was THE BEST Chicken Korma I’ve ever made. I used the same Patak’s Korma paste I have used countless times before, but tonight it tasted vastly different. There was something about the layering of fresh coriander, ginger and green chilli, and mixing it with onions, chicken and coconut that made for a truly fabulous dish. Better still, the Home Cooker seemed to help enhance the flavours, because while the aromatics were creating the most amazing base for the chicken, everything was kept moving/stirring, so I could save time by prepping the other ingredients while cooking.

    The only substitutions I made (apart from cutting 10mins off the cooking time), was to halve the amount of recommended chicken, and bulk up the dish with carrots and cauliflower. I also omitted any almonds, as my son has a nut allergy. Also, the recipe called for Coconut Rice, which would have been a delicious accompaniment, but we already had left-over jasmine rice in the fridge, so I used that instead.

    All in all, this was another big thumbs up for the Philips Home Cooker. And based on my experience tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever cook a curry the same way again.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Being brave - Chilli Garlic Chicken & Chorizo Sausage

    Teenager no 1 has always been a big eater! To combat the lunch time appetite has been making a large salad with chicken strips. I thought I might try & cook the strips in the Home Cooker. After infusing the oil with chilli, garlic, thyme & rosemary for about 15mins, I added a chopped chorizo sausage (I didn’t realise how much oil these would release) & fried them for about 10mins, turned the heat down & added the chicken for about 15mins. Probably need to experiment some more but the chicken taste tested by the teenager has got the thumbs up! Teenager cant wait to have his turn on Wednesday for some more experimenting chicken strips. It was much easier than standing by the BBQ and turning the strips. Chicken has remained moist. Lately teenager had been overcooking his chicken. Now with the help of the Home Cooker he will have moist chicken strips with his salad.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Day 3. Restaurant Quality Risotto whislt i sat and talked!

    So tonight i thought i would give one of my all time favourite dishes a go in the JO Homecooker. i love risotto but never make it at home as i cant give it the proper attention it needs to be done right. risotto’s take about 20 mins or more of standing at the stove top giving it lots of love, and i just dont have the time to do this so i just don’t make it at home anymore. so as i am sure you can understand that i did go into tonights meal with a little bit of scepticism about how this was going to turn out. my main worry was with the stirring arm and adding in all my hot stock at once, rather than a ladle at a time and my first thought was a vision of a gloopy, overstirred and starchy glob of a rice dish that looked nothing like risotto.

    So the end result of our Chicken, Chorizo and Pea Risotto was perfectly cooked al dente rice with a slightly oozing consistency as it was spooned onto our dinner plates. may i say i was one very excited and happy chef tonight. i never thought it would be possible to throw all my ingredients into a cooker, set the timer and come back to such a beautifully cooked dish that could have been mistaken for exiting out of a restaurant kitchen. (even if i do say so myself) this is the most fool proofed way of cooking a great risotto that i have ever done with little effort.

    AAA+ marks for the JO Homecooker tonight from me and the family!
    Nothing negative at all about tonights meal, just lots of positives. i so enjoyed sitting and chatting whilst we waited for dinner to cook and stir itself! i could get used to this…….

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • My First meal with the Homecooker

    I cooked my first meal with the Homecooker and it was delicious! It was ready in 30 minutes and It was so easy to use I was able to clean up as I went so there was no washing up to do when we had finished dinner. I made the steamed asian fish and as with Jamie’s meals it was delicious. Can’t wait to cook my next meal with it.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • This thing makes me look good!!!

    Tonight we had Jamie’s potatoes, they were delicious, I did as he suggested and added a red onion, it was so tasty!! Once again it was a great result with minimal effort from me – perfect!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Beetroot

    Roasted beetroot has always been a big hit in our household. So I was happy to see a beetroot recipe. It was so easy just to srcub, chop, oil & season the beetroots. Simple. All the prep work done in less then 5 mins. That part was easy. I did however cook my beetroots for longer than the recipe as they were a little too firm – maybe my pieces were too large. I think this is one recipe that I will defiantly be experimenting with.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • My Hubby hijacked the HomeCooker!

    Well off I went to search online for a great recipe to try in the HomeCooker but little did I know that my husband had other plans!

    On Saturday morning he woke early and because the Jamie Oliver HomeCooker just sitting there on the kitchen bench he decided to have a go at using it himself (with one of his favourite non-recipe meals).

    Of course he didn’t read instructions on how to use the HomeCooker but found it easy enough to operate without them and before long he was cooking one of his devine casseroles for the whole house to smell and later eat – Mmmmm, yummy! (I’ve included a picture of it)

    So I guess this just proves how easy it is to use the HomeCooker. Plus I note that Philips permits children from age eight to operate the appliance so next year I’ll be lining up my son to follow in his father’s footsteps and he can start creating a few meals too!

    On the weekend I also cooked Jamie’s Rosemary Potatoes in the HomeCooker to go alongside our sausages and salad. They tasted very yummy but I did cut the cubes a bit smaller than what was recommended so they actually cooked in less than half the recommended time! Luckily my husband was in the kitchen and alerted me to the fact that they were ready 40 minutes earlier than what I’d programmed. So what I’ve learnt from this is:
    1. If the recipe is liquid based I can go away and forget about it and I’m guaranteed of no overcooking
    BUT
    2. If I’m cooking something like potatoes or other vegetable without a sauce it will be necessary to keep a closer eye on it if I have not followed the recipe and used smaller pieces of vegetables.

    The stirrer did prevent the potatoes from becoming burnt and I will use this information to my advantage. Now I know I can cook the Rosemary Potatoes in 30 minutes instead of 70 minutes!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • It's a wonder!

    Until now,I have got very much familiar with my Jamie Oliver Home cooker and I am loving it. so easy to wash and clean,I can cut and slice vegetables directly in the pan with from the cutting tower,and a continuous stirring hand inside are the most favorite features for me. Temperature control feature is so well designed for different kind of cooking.like when I want to boil my chickpeas curry ,as it takes more temp to cook well,I just put it on 175 degrees,and set the timer and stirrer on ,and done,nothing to worry.I can do all of my other work while it’s cooking.
    for soups and other gentle recipe’ s I prefer temp 130 degrees as it makes them simmer on slow and gentle heat.so nice and versatile!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Perfect weekend with spicy lamb curry!

    I couldn’t wait really to try my signature recipe,a lamb curry. I invited my friend also to try it.she loved my new Jamie Oliver home cooker so much,she was totally amazed by all the functions it can perform ,steaming ,frying and all kind of cooking.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • My first dish.

    Isn’t it look Yummy? it’s a soup of Red lentil and I have added a bit of spicy kick to it with garlic and ginger.so simple to make,and goes perfect with rice.
    recipe:
    Ingredients
    150g red lentils
    1 cm cube of ginger, grated
    2-3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
    1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or red chilli powder to taste
    2tablespoons olive oil or butter
    2 tablespoons minced onion
    1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    green coriander to garnish
    procedure:
    Rinse lentils thoroughly keep aside soaked in water for 10 minutes.preheat the home cooker or gas,put butter or oil,let it be hot enough,then add all the ingredients one by one,fry them with stirrer on or with spoon .Now add rinsed lentils. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and soupy, about 20 minutes.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Chicken Korma!

    Another recipe by Peter (he was on a roll)..chicken Korma. The one is 100% a keeper, had stacks of flavor and the chicken was cooked perfectly, so juicy.

    The best thing about the cutting tower was not having to cut up chili’s! There is nothing worse then cutting up chili and then forgetting it’s on your hands- chili in the eye is NOT a fun thing!
    Oh and another positive, it perfectly browned the nuts. If I had a dollar for the amount of times I have burnt nuts in a pan I would be a rich woman.
    Anyway this recipe will be a keeper for this family.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Rice pudding

    My lovely husband LOVES rice pudding and often making it for us on the weekend. He used to make them in large quantities for a fish and chip shop so you think he would be sick of rice pudding but apparently not!
    I must say this was the one recipe that didn’t really work out. The rice was crunchy in parts and it didn’t seem to thicken up enough, not sure what went wrong! also next time I would add more sugar and cinnamon as it needed more flavor.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Crunchy Munchy Granola!

    I LOVE granola with yogurt and fresh fruit in the morning BUT I don’t bother making it anymore (until now). It goes from browing in the oven to burning within minutes so you have to keep a very close eye on it which is hard when you are busy!
    I made Jamie’s granola with apricots, macadamias, coconut, almonds, gluten free oats and chia seeds. I also cut back on the amount of honey because I don’t like it too sweet. The only problem I had was some of the oats got caught underneath the sitrring arm and burnt so my tip to those making it would be just to stop the stirring arm and make sure there is nothing caught under it half way through the cooking time. I actually think it could do with about 5 minutes less as well as it was quite brown but I guess that is all down to personal preference.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Daddy and Jack cook spaghetti!

    On Saturday night I had a girls night out so my son and husband were left to fend for themselves. Hubby decided the slow cooked spaghetti looked good so with my sons help they put it on, sat down and watched a movie and then it was done! Thumbs up all around from them and me too (I had left overs the next day).

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Eagerly Awaiting

    I still haven’t received my home cooker 🙁 I have been reading the other Mum’s reviews with envy. I can’t wait to get started on my first meal and find out what all the fuss is about! My two little chefs are in their kitchen as I write, eagerly awaiting it’s arrival!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • So much for not burning on the bottom

    Hi again
    This review is just about cleaning the HomeCooker bowl, and I have attached a photo of the bowl after several hours of soaking. All the crispiness, the garlic and rosemary all seemed to stick to the bottom. Another reviewer mentioned she put some boiling water in the bowl and turned it on low to soak. I tried this as well, but it certainly didn’t remove it all. So I next had to soak it in the kitchen sink with lots of detergent for hours. As per the instructions, I didn’t want to use a scourer, so lots of elbow grease and a good workout with my scrubbing brush, and eventually it was clean.

    What to try next time – I will take the bowl off the heating plate as soon as the food is removed and let it cool and soak then.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Roast Potatoes for a Sunday Roast

    Unpacking the box and assembling the HomeCooker seemed very straight forward, without the need to look at the instuction booklet . The box does seem a bit big with lots of cardboard packaging, compared to the size of the HomeCooker.

    We had a change of plans for dinner tonight and decided on a Sunday roast. The Crispy Rosemary Potatoes looked scumptious in Jamie Oliver’s cookbook so I attempted them instead of normal roast potatoes with our pork in the oven.

    The recipe for 4 said 600grms of potatoes, but this was only 2 large potatoes, and we normally eat at least 6 between the 5 of us. So I doubled the recipe exactly.

    Turning the cooker on for the first time seemed easy, although I thought that just by inreasing the temp it would automatically start heating up. Even the instruction booklet doesn’t mention to press the Play button, which I worked out by accident.

    The smell as they cooked was scrumptious, and we were amazed by the ease of cooking and the turning arm. The potatoes looked yummy, and tasted even better. But they didn’t turn out crispy at all, and my 8YO son said “these don’t look like Mum’s roast potatoes”. He did however eat every scrap, as did my 2 daughter’s, Hubby and I. The girls even took my pototoes off my plate before I finished!! I don’t know if it because I doubled the recipe or used creamy pototatoes instead of wax ones?? Next time I will just make a single recipe with the waxy potatoes and see if it is any better. Once served I found out where all the cripiness went, on the bottom of the pot. See next review for cleaning.
    Overall, we loved the potatoes, even though they weren’t crispy, and found cooking them easy.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • My Mission: To Cook Like Jamie Oliver In Less Than A Week

    THE BRIEF:

    It was a simple task. Use the Philips Home Cooker and the accompanying cook book to create a series of meals Jamie Oliver would be proud to call his own.
    Well, that wasn’t actually the task set for me by the Mouths of Mums team. Rather, it was a goal I set for myself.
    So over the course of the week, I will select one meal from Jamie’s recipe book and use the Philips Home Cooker to see how (and if) this product changes the way I cook.

    DAY 1 – CLASSIC PAN COOKED BREAKFAST (Basically bacon, eggs, tomatoes and sausages)

    Jamie’s recipe book says the prep time for this recipe is 5 mins, while the cooking time is 30mins. Initially, I thought this was odd, because I can usually cook a similar breakfast in under 15 minutes using a regular frying pan.
    In reality, the prep time took me more like 15 mins (which was fine), but the extra time the food spent in the Home Cooker REALLY paid off. Basically, you put the heat up to 250 degrees, turn the stirring arm on and every 5 mins, pop another ingredient into the pan. The timer on the Home Cooker beeps at the required intervals and the stirring arm keeps everything moving.
    And the result?
    Usually bland Coles sausages suddenly turned into magnificent, moorish bites, purely because they had spent time absorbing the flavours of the bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms and thyme. Everything was bursting with flavour and I was amazed at how sweet and caramalized everything tasted!
    The only downside was trying to keep the eggs in a decent shape as I removed them from the pot. As the Home Cooker has a stainless steel surface, the eggs did stick to the bottom of the pan, despite the oil. And so my plating up didn’t look too flash. However, this small niggle aside, I was thrilled with my first attempt to cook like Jamie Oliver!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use
Click here to post a review

Reviews on this page have now been disabled.

To register for reviews that are not open yet and for future reviews, enter your email below and we'll send you an email as soon as a review is open for application.

Article ‘They Taste Amazing, I’ll Definitely Be Stocking Up Again’

‘They Taste Amazing, I’ll Definitely Be Stocking Up Again’

Having three young kids, juggling their commitments and her own as a school teacher means Kristie Young’s days revolve around snacking on-the-go. And she admits she’s not always reaching for the best options! So she was thrilled to try out new Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars and says she’ll be restocking next time she’s shopping.

Kristie is right in the middle of one her busiest seasons of life – juggling three kids (two at school), a job, partner and household. But this year, she’s made a commitment to herself.

“I’m always running around. Always a million things on my to do list, but wouldn’t have it any other way.” Kristie told Mouths of Mums.

“But I’m turning 40 this year and I thought I really need to start prioritising myself, because for the last seven years, I’ve been pregnant, breastfeeding, busy with the kids, I have not looked after myself at all.

“So this year, I’m really starting to get back into my own fitness journey, health journey, and eating a lot better and starting to eat more regularly and eat more protein filled meals and snacks that will fill me up. So I’m not just reaching for sugary snacks, especially around that afternoon, where I’m getting tired from being awake with the baby all night and just finding myself reaching for junk in the cupboard.”

A self-confessed snacker, Kristie says her snacking habit is worse during school holidays when she’s constantly making in-between meals for the kids. So she decided to give Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars a try, as part of the Mouths of Mums review team.

“They were actually filling. I like that they had eight grams of protein, because that’s something that I’m really trying to increase this year, having more protein. And they taste amazing, which is obviously great and I like that they have chocolate, because normally in the afternoon, I’m reaching for something sugary, something chocolatey, and this way I know I’m getting that protein hit as well. So they’re a bit more filling.

“They help me last until dinner time without reaching for all these other little snacks in between.”

“I also like that they’re easy to take out and about. So when I’m doing kinder drop off, dancing. I always pack snacks and food for the kids and forget myself. It’s been good put myself first and have something in the bag and on the go for me too.”

Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars not only satisfy those constant cravings throughout the day, they’re temptingly tasty. With layers of nuts and soy crisps and enveloped in milk or dark chocolate, it’s every sweet-tooth’s dream.

“I’ve tried quite a few different protein bars, and some of them I don’t like the aftertaste or the textures too hard. Whereas I found this had a nice amount of crunch, the flavour was really nice, and the perfect amount of chocolate too.”

With three delectable flavours to choose from, Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars make mum me-time an indulgent treat, with no artificial flavours or colours:

Salted Caramel, Cashew & Choc: Crunchy cashews, peanuts and soy crisps, topped with a delicious caramel layer and coated in rich milk choc.

Cookies & Cream Dark Choc: Crunchy peanuts and soy crisps, topped with a delicious cream layer and coated in rich dark choc.

Almond & Double Choc: Crunchy almonds, peanuts and soy crisps, topped with a delicious white choc layer and coated in rich milk choc.

How amazing do these flavours sound?! Kristie tried a couple of the flavours, and for her the Salted Caramel, Cashew & Choc was an absolute standout!

“I’ve got the Almond & Double Choc, which I love and Salted Caramel, Cashew & Choc. And at first I thought this one might be too sweet with the salted caramel, but it’s actually not. It’s perfect, the perfect balance. Probably my favourite!’

nice and natural deluxe protein bars salted caramel, cashew and choc

“They’re so good for having the desk draw at work, those little snacks. I’m not just reaching for sugary rubbish. I know they’ve got protein, especially in the afternoon, when I am running low on energy from being kept awake all night. It’s good to have these in the drawer and just have one each day, which I’m enjoying, something to look forward to at work.

“I’m putting them on the shopping list, so when I run out of these, I’m off to get some more for myself. My partner tried them, and he’s approved them. He wants some too. I said he can’t have my stash, so I know I’ll definitely be stocking up again at the supermarket. I’m recommending them and really enjoying them.”

Purchase Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars from Woolworths and Coles.

This Real Story was provided as part of a paid sponsorship opportunity. Kristie was chosen to share her story because she was sent out and tried Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars and genuinely loved them!

Share this

    Post a comment

    To post a review/comment please join us or login so we can allocate your points.

    Join Login

    ↥ Back to top

    Thanks For Your Star Rating!

    Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

    Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
    Join