Archive for category: Appliance Tips

We know how much you love your glass stovetop, and at Absolute Appliances Repair in San Francisco, we also know how to help you clean it and take care of it so that you reap many good years of service from it. However, our customers may not know the proper ways to clean it without leaving behind unsightly scratches and evidence of rigorous cleaning, which can not only detract from your stove top’s beauty, but can also eventually compromise its integrity.

Read on to learn the proper ways you can shine up your glass top stove without damaging its strength and beauty.

1. Wait Until It’s Cooled Down

Don’t remove pans and immediately move to scrubbing. While you may think this will help remove large food particles, it can actually cause unnecessary damage to the surface. When the stove top has cooled, wipe off any large food particles first with a soft cloth. Never use a steel wool pad or other course tool for scraping! While you want to wait for your top to cool before cleaning, you also want to get to it as soon as possible once it’s cooled.

 

2. Soak Your Cleaning Cloth

Use a microfiber cloth and soft dish sponge to clean your glass stove top, along with baking soda and a little bowl of hot water with some dish soap stirred in. Soak your cloth in the soapy hot water and while you’re doing that, sprinkle the baking soda onto the surface to be cleaned.

 

3. Dribble and Wait

After your microfiber cloth has soaked in the soapy water for a bit, take the cloth and wring out the water onto the stove top. Then, take your cloth and place it right on top of the area(s) to be cleaned. Let the hot water, soap, cloth, and baking soda sit for about 15 minutes to gently lift particles from the stovetop’s surface. For heavily soiled tops, let it soak for about 30 minutes.

 

4. Lift and Wipe

Once the allotted time has passed, simply remove the rags from the stove top and wipe away the particles and baking soda. Begin at the top of the glass stovetop and work your way down towards you. Once that is done, take your soft sponge and wipe away any debris that remains. Finish up with a nice soft, dry towel to get rid of any lingering water.

 

That’s it!

If you need help cleaning your glass top stove in the Mill Valley area, contact our experts for sound advice. You can also count on our professionals in appliance repair in Marin County if you have any issues with your stove, oven, refrigerator, or any other appliances you own. Contact us today and let us know what we can do to help you!

Ice Maker Not Working

It can be incredibly frustrating when you go to get some ice to cool down your beverage on a hot day and you come to find out that the ice maker is not working properly. This could happen for a number of reasons, and it helps to know what to troubleshoot in order to determine why it isn’t making ice as it should. First, you need to determine what the ice maker is (or isn’t) doing. Then you can work to fix the issue if you know what is causing it. Following are some of the most common problems people encounter with ice makers:

Ice Cubes are Too Large or Too Small

When this happens, it means that the ice maker may need a simple adjustment. Take the white plate from the frontmost part of the ice maker and underneath the cover, you will find a “plus” and “minus” indicator, along with a spring and screw assembly. To make the cubes smaller, you are going to want to decrease the amount of water per dose. To do this, move the screw towards the “minus” symbol. Perform the task the same way if you need larger cubes, except this time, move the screw towards the “plus” so your cubes can increase in size.

Ice is Not Ejecting

When ice is not coming out of the maker properly and is instead stuck inside the ice mold, this is because the ice maker is getting water inside of it, which may be an electrical or mechanical issue. To avoid this and to be extra mindful of this in the future, watch out when you move things around in the freezer, because you could accidentally bump the control arm out of its intended position, which can prevent ice from flowing out of the maker.

If this happens, find the metal arm on the ice maker and move it back to the “on” position. This will prevent the ice maker from potentially taking on water and creating the ice mold that is preventing ice from ejecting.

The Ice Maker is Making No Ice at All

If you notice that your ice maker is either not making any ice or if it is having a difficult time producing its usual amount of ice, there may be a clog in the waterline. In order to repair the water line, you have to unplug the refrigerator and locate the water shut-off valve. You can typically find it behind the fridge or under your kitchen sink (or even in the location that the fridge’s water line connects to the house water source line). Turn off the valve and get a turkey baster filled with warm water and pour the water directly out over the water line. If you can’t find your turkey baster, you can always use a hair dryer. Whichever is more convenient to use is acceptable, as long as it melts the ice that is clogging the water line!

The only thing more frustrating than knowing your ice maker does not work properly is having it not work at all and not know why. Knowing what is wrong with your ice maker and the potential cause of the issue can help you solve the problem quicker so you can get back to having an ice maker that is functioning properly.

If you have tried finding the reason behind your ice maker not working properly but can’t seem to pinpoint the issue, contact us today. We can help with your appliance repair!

Tips for Giving You Cleaner Dishes

Have you ever been in a situation where you run the dishes through the dishwasher and they still come out dirty? Was it the dish soap that didn’t clean the dishes properly, or was the cycle wrong? It very well could be a combination of things that lead to the fact that the dishes still came out dirty.

What more can be done?

Here are some tips for you to consider the next time you run your dishes through the dishwasher to ensure that they come out spotless:

Clean Your Dishwasher

Not many people know when to clean their dishwasher, let alone how to clean it properly. Luckily, it is not a difficult task. Once a month, make it a point to check the filter inside the dishwasher and clear out any food and debris that could be stuck inside it. It’s easy to forget to wipe down places like door seals, spray arms, and other hard-to-reach areas to clean it before running your dishwasher. After wiping it down, run the dishwasher on the hottest setting and place a cup full of white vinegar on the top rack. The vinegar is a great deodorizer and disinfectant, and it’s also safe to use for places that come in contact with food. In addition, many people find that using a rinse aid (most dishwashers have a dispenser you can fill) really helps to get their dishes extra clean.

Make Sure to Fill Your Dishwasher Correctly

To ensure that your machine is working at its maximum efficiency, you have to make sure you’re filling it up to the right level. If it is loaded too full, there will not be enough detergent or water to be able to thoroughly clean your dishes. Not only that, but when dishes are over-packed, they will overlap too much for water to be able to reach all the places on each dish.

Upgrade or Maintain Your Dishwasher

It is important to make sure that your dishwasher is up to date and possesses the most recent technology. Older dishwashers will not have the soil-sensing technology like newer machines do, and this will result in spray jets that aren’t powerful enough to get tough stains off of dishes. It is also important that your dishwasher is maintained or serviced regularly. When looking for professionals for dishwasher maintenance, make sure you find a reputable company Absolute Appliances Repair that can perform proper maintenance on it every so often.

Quit Handwashing

The only dishes you should wash by hand are dishes that are too delicate for the dishwasher. This is because in order to completely sanitize dishes, they have to be washed in water that is 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which is too hot for anybody to run their hands under. It is also believed that rinsing dishes before running them in a dishwasher will result in cleaner dishes. This is, in fact, false. Dishwashers already do a great job rinsing dishes, so all you need to worry about is preventing scraps from food getting into the dishwasher.

Load Your Dishwasher Correctly

A common mistake when people load their dishwasher is, they put anything anywhere it fits. It is important to make sure that when you are loading your machine you do not obstruct flow of water to other areas. This means try not to place larger dishes in a way that will prevent smaller dishes next to or around it from being reached by water.

One of the most frustrating things is when you run dishes through the washer and they still come out dirty. Following the steps above can lower your chances of having to worry about the cleanliness of your dishes. This will help save time, energy, and money later on. If your dishwasher needs repairs, finding appliance repair in San Rafael is no difficult task – our experts can perform the services you need and have years of experience doing so.

Contact us for more information or questions you may have about your appliances – we can help!

What Makes a Steam Oven So Beneficial?

Though the concept of steam cooking has been around for many years, steam ovens are just now gaining quite a bit of popularity. Today it is all about how you can prepare healthier meals to eat that don’t take ages to cook, and with a steam oven it has never been easier. Whether you’re looking to replace the oven you have now or if you are renovating your kitchen, steam ovens are a wonderful choice.

You may be wondering: What are steam ovens?

The visual aspects of steam ovens are quite similar to regular ovens that you would see in homes. Instead of using a heating element, however, a steam oven uses water. The water is brought to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature at which water turns to steam), resulting in a moist heat entering the oven. Since the primary source of heat in this oven comes from water, it can heat the food quicker at 212 degrees than an oven at 400 degrees. This is because water is a better conductor of heat than air. Following is everything you need to know about steam ovens to ensure you get the right one to suit your cooking needs.

Will my food come out crispy and browned?

One of the snags a steam oven has is that due to the low cooking temperature, you will not be able to expect food to come out crispy. Browning happens at temperatures around 300 degrees and over. For dishes that don’t require meat, this may be acceptable. However, if you want to cook chicken, there may be a lack of texture and overall flavor.

This is where convection steam ovens come in. Manufacturers are offering ovens that combine steam ovens and traditional heating elements. This gives an end result of moist food with an exterior that is crispy. The best part? You can choose whether you want to cook solely with steam or convection.

Where does the water supply for a steam oven come from?

There are two options your can choose from to determine where your steam oven gets its water: either a plumbed water line that goes directly to the unit or a refillable water reservoir. If you are designing a new kitchen, it is recommended to use the plumbing option because this way you do not have to worry about refilling the water tank.

What are the benefits of cooking with steam?

1. Better reheating results than microwaves

Reheating your leftovers with steam can ensure your food is heated evenly, which will prevent it from drying out.

2. Healthier, more nutritious food

With traditional ovens, cooking at high temperatures can destroy essential nutrients like folate and vitamin c, due to them being heat sensitive. Using steam can help retain these nutrients.

3. Save time on preheating and cooking

Due to the cavity of a steam oven being smaller than a traditional oven, preheating takes little time. Due to water being a better conductor of heat than air, cooking also takes less time.

4. No need to use fatty oils

Due to steam providing a natural, moist cooking atmosphere, the use of oils and cooking spray is not necessary with steam ovens. This results in healthier foods with lower calories.

What types of food can I cook in a convection steam oven?

Although steam cooking is often thought of for only dishes like vegetables, there is a variety of foods that you can make in a fast, healthy way. Steam ovens come equipped with many different settings that are for different types of food. There is convection mode, steam only, slow roast mode, and gourmet mode. Here are some things you can cook using a convection steam oven:

• Baking: chocolate chip cookies, pita bread, dinner rolls, pizza
• Dessert: bread pudding, cheesecake, chocolate souffle
• Meats: roast chicken, slow-cooked pork ribs, poached fish, beef tenderloin
• Defrost/reheat: pizza, casseroles, bread
• Vegetables: Potato salad, steamed veggies, scalloped potatoes

The potential that comes with steam ovens is incredible. With modern technology, these ovens can deliver food that has never tasted better. With convection steam ovens you can get the best of both worlds a crispy exterior and moist interior. With steam ovens you are able to enjoy food that is quicker to make and healthier for you.

If you’re looking for a new oven or oven repair in SF, contact us today with any questions/issues you may have with your appliance.

It is often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. But no matter where you live, what culture you spring from, or what family lifestyle you choose, you’ll find that just about everyone loves to hang around the kitchen. For this reason exactly, it’s important to consider “child-proofing” this space. When you have small children, there are many dangers that are lurking around every corner. It’s important that as a parent, you keep your home as safe as possible, and that means that it is necessary to take precautions when allowing your little ones to cross that sacred threshold and enter the kitchen.

 

Install a Sprinkler System

Commercial kitchens are all equipped with a sprinkler system that will automatically activate in case of a fire, but few homeowners actually think about this added feature. However, even an older kitchen can benefit from having a sprinkler system installed or keeping a fire extinguisher handy. Because food preparation often involves oils and heats, the dangers of fires are quite high. Taking this type of preventive measures can help keep your whole household safe.

 

Install Child-Lock Safety Features

Children have a natural curiosity about them. This could put them at a higher risk as they roam around, touching hot surfaces, or experimenting with sharp edges of knives and other kitchen gadgets. Parents can easily put their mind at ease by blocking access to these different types of equipment with handy child safety locks. These can be installed on doors, drawers, cabinets, etc. to restrict access to any gadgets or devices that could cause harm to a curious child.

 

Slip Resistant Floors

Tiles can be very beautiful on the floor, but it can also be quite slippery, which often lead to falls and accidents. When you know that you’re going to have young children underfoot, consider other slip resistant materials instead. Cork, wood, rubber, or slate are good choices. If you’re not ready to lay a new kitchen floor, consider getting rubber mats to lay down in the area in front of the sink where water might drip or splash. These can also prevent accidental breakage of glass that can easily slip and fall out of wet hands. Broken shards can lead to cuts and scratches that have the potential of being quite severe.

 

Keep Knives Out of Reach

One of the most common tools used in the kitchen is the knife. These can quickly cause major cuts and injuries if you’re not careful. Even adults have suffered from severe injury simply because they didn’t take proper precautions. Getting a knife block to store your knives keeps them from being kept in a drawer where you could reach in and cut yourself on the sharp edges.

When it comes to children, no matter how much you plan, there is always a reason to exercise additional caution. In the kitchen, your little ones are exposed to many more hazards that can be found in other parts of the house. For that reason, it is very important that you always be on the lookout for ways to lower the risks of allowing young children into the kitchen.

 

For all of your appliance repair needs in Marin County, Absolute Appliances Repair has you covered; give us a call (415) 388-0690 at our Marin County location today.