I recently had the opportunity to represent Australia at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards in New York. I was able to see how many other businesses operate and to engage with a global network of peers to drive our businesses and society forward.

I’ve come back refreshed and reinvigorated and have a lot of plans for 2012.

In 2012 you will see from Avancer:

• Even greater transparency of the people behind the company, and how we operate
• More products hand picked by the team and sourced directly from the manufacturer
• Heaps more competitions and giveaways for our loyal supporters
• Community engagement to build, develop and test products that YOU want

In the current economic climate many commentators are fearful for the future, but where others are scared, I am hopeful.

The current forces at play in the world are both constructive and destructive and as the destructive forces intensify we must counter that with even greater intensity.

My mission is to demonstrate that a socially conscious, community driven approach to business is ultimately more successful and beneficial than a corporation motivated purely by profit.

“To state that the role of business is to make a profit makes as much sense as to say that the role of a person is to eat or to breathe. If a company loses money it dies, as does a person without food, but that does not mean that the purpose of life is eating”
- Dalai Lama

I rely on you, our customers and stakeholders, to let us know whenever we fail to meet that promise.

I’d love to hear from you all so feel free to get in touch whenever!

Cheers,

Shervin Mossammaparast
C.I.G (Chief Ideas Guy) @ Avancer

The recent surge in popularity of cooking shows has generated a lot of interest in the latest tools to turn you into a Masterchef. The latest craze in Europe is Ceramic Cookware which has the potential to replace teflon as the dominant type of cookware in use.

These days cookware is not just for cooking – Most pots and pans have a decorative value which lots of people want to capitalise on. The advancement of technology has also lead to new developments and types of cookware to surface. All types of cookware have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages.

The good thing about ceramic cookware is that it offers more advantages than other types of cookware. For instance, ceramic cookware has great insulation capacities. Thus, you can cook food well – even at low and medium temperatures.

Ceramic cookware also has very good heating distribution capacities. Designers of ceramic cookware have made sure to provide a design or frame that is very resistant to cracking despite the alternate cooling and heating process. Resilience to cracking is mainly done through a special technology and formula which controls the materials, shape and process throughout the production process of the ceramic cookware.

Take note that all materials are prone to react to chemical changes. If the cookware is not properly designed or manufactured then it is possible for the elements in the cookware to respond to the cooling process – resulting to unpleasant food color and even flavor. To prevent this from happening, ceramic cookware is treated using finishes thereby reducing the reactivity of the components comprising the cookware.

Another important thing to note about ceramic cookware is its thermal properties. Thermal properties refer to the heat transfer capacity of an element. Most of the time, cookware is designed to manage a lot of heat. Ceramic cookware has been tried and tested against international standards on thermal capacities and it is has been graded high. Not all cookware can manage with extreme heat but ceramic does.

As opposed to Teflon, ceramic cookware does not wear out or have its lining peeled off that easily. In fact, it does not make use of that sticker like surface that can come off over time. The finish is very different for ceramic cookware. The finish coats the entire thing thus making it a part of the cookware. It cannot be peeled off easily unless another chemical processing similar to that of the production process is done.

If you are looking for the best type of cookware these days then opt for some ceramic cookware. They are durable, reliable and enhance the overall cooking experience.

Avancer will be launching a range of Ceramic Pots and pans in the near future – Make sure you sign up to our newsletter or follow us on facebook to find out when!

Juicers are a great way for natural healthy meals. There are copious amounts of material in the world that informs us that fresh, raw veggies and fruits are nature’s source to vitamins and minerals that our bodies require.

Juicers are no longer just for those elite few who would like to lose weight, today they have become an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

When it comes to creating perfect recipes for a slow press juicerone does not need to be Jamie Oliver. You can follow the recipes word for word but to truly enjoy a juicer you must be prepared to modify the recipe to suit your tastes and preferences.

So let’s take a look at some yummy juicer recipe ideas.

Sweet Tropical Dancer

You will need the following ingredients:
8 large freshly cleaned carrots
2 large freshly peeled oranges
1 medium sized pineapple that is peeled and chopped.

Method of preparation:
Using your slow press juicer, press all the ingredients together.
Add two teaspoons of sugar and touch of cinnamon.
Whisk all the ingredients together to combine them and then enjoy.

African Berry Sunrise

You will need the following ingredients:
1 cup of black raspberries
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of gooseberries
2 medium sized apples
1 medium sized banana

Method of preparation:
Using the slow press juicer, press all the ingredients together.
Add one teaspoon of sugar, add ice cubes as an optional extra.
Blend all ingredients together and sip away.

The Hangover Cure

This recipe is the perfect solution for that hangover headache that often happens the morning after a good night out partying.

You will need the following ingredients:
1 cup of cauliflower
1 cup of broccoli1 medium sized green apple

Method of preparation:
Using the slow press juicer, press all the ingredients together.
As an optional extra you can add three tablespoons of vanilla ice cream.
Blend all of the ingredients together and drink slowly.

Heartburn Healer

Natures remedy for that irritation and discomfort of heartburn.

You will need the following ingredients:
1 cup of spinach
Half a cup of celery
6 medium sized carrots

Method of preparation:
Using your slow press juicer, press all the ingredients together.
Add three tablespoons of vanilla ice cream and half a cup of full cream milk.
Add a touch of vanilla essence for taste.Mix all together and as you drink it wave good-bye to heartburn.

Juicers make healthy eating fun, hassle free and enjoyable. It’s the type of food that an entire family can enjoy. These recipes are designed to give you more energy and to encourage you to enjoy Mother Nature’s true bounty.

The recipes however are more than just nourishment, they are extensions of your personality, so be adventurous. Don’t be scared to dabble and experiment with ingredients. After all, all the great dishes found in the world were inspired through play and creative dabbling.

With the change of season, let the changes in Mother Nature capture your senses and inspire your creative taste buds.

If you don’t already have a juicer, check out the Avancer Black Label Slow Juicer for only $299

Naturally, Italy comes to mind when people think of the finer things such as great food, wine, fashion and, of course, coffee.  Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy owns the honor of developing the first espresso machine in 1884.  Since then it had been improved and modified by others in Milan.

Today, cafes slinging extravagant espresso concoctions are prevalent across Australia. And no wonder people have grown to love this style of coffee – a warm hot latte in the early morning is much like a fluffy blanket wrapped around the soul as it slides down like satin.

Yet, in this economy who can reasonably afford a $4.00 cup of coffee everyday? To enjoy an Italian style cup of coffee at affordable prices, many home brew with a stove top espresso maker, most commonly known as the moka pot.

Moka pots (also referred to as machinettas or caffettieras) are the most common household item found in Italy because they are affordable and deliver a comparable cup of espresso-like coffee due to the use of pressurized steam. Originally invented and patented by Luigi De Ponti for Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, the stove top espresso maker is inexpensive in comparison to a piston or pumps and pull espresso machine.

Moka pots can range anywhere from $20 for the simplest pot to $89.95 for a fancy Bialetti Mukka Express 2-cup with cow print. This is quite more affordable than the piston or pump espresso machines that can range anywhere from $50 to well over $2000 depending on a variety of features.

The simplicity of the stove top espresso maker is what appeals to most consumers about home brewing. It is compact, simple to use and affordable. The coffee maker is usually aluminum or stainless steal and is comprised of three chambers.

The bottom chamber is filled with water; the middle chamber is filled with coffee grounds and fits into the bottom chamber. The top chamber screws into the bottom chamber creating the pressure seal. When heated, the steam rises through the coffee grounds and the coffee fills the top chamber. The pot then can be washed with just hot water.

However, for a true coffee connoisseur, stove top espresso makers have been accused of being imposters. Some contend that the moka pot does not truly make espresso because it has only one water chamber rather than two and does not produce as much crema (or coffee froth) as an espresso machine.

Yet, numerous Italians love their moka pot despite the espresso controversy. How can people question Italians on taste – they’ve never steered us wrong before. Of course, each individual has their own preferences; therefore, the only thing to do is perhaps try a stove top espresso maker.

Avancer sells a wide range of Stovetop Espresso Makers starting at just $16.99 for a 1 Cup Aluminium model up to $31.99 for a 9 Cup Stainless Steel model.

Everybody loves fresh juice; it is a nutritious side for breakfast, goes well with a social drink and is a much healthier alternative to fizzy drinks. Traditional juicers have many inherent issues; they are loud, messy, wasteful and worst of all destroy a portion of the vitamins, proteins and minerals. That’s why there is an alternative to the traditional.

A slow press juicer is different to a traditional juicer. Older juicers use the centrifugal method of spinning blades going at a high speed, as fruit goes in they are finely diced, the juice is filtered out and the pulp is dumped to the side. With a slow press juicer however, the main action is crushing helping to avoid many of the old problems. Some of the ways that a slow juicer improves on a regular juicer is as follows:

Loud and potentially dangerous

In order to get a blade through the tough skin of an orange or banana, a blade must move incredibly fast, causing a loud whirring noise from the motor. A crushing mechanism can be much more slow and deliberate, creating less noise. The lack of a sharp blade also means less risk of accidentally cutting yourself when it comes time to clean the product.

Limited

Cutting up fruit to help the juice fall out is a great idea, but what if you want a non fruit/vegetable item like seed oil or wheat grass? With a slow press juicer you are able to add these delicious and nutritious ingredients to your beverage.

Messy and Wasteful

The high speeds of a traditional juicer cause pulp and skin to be thrown around, causing skin, pulp and juice to splatter on the chamber of the machine, making cleanup difficult. With the methodical slow press the mess is much more contained, allowing for easier waste disposal, less mess and less waste.

Defeats the purpose of drinking juice

While it is true that fruit and vegetable juice tastes delicious, by far its greatest draw is its nutritional value. Plants produce and store many enzymes, nutrients, vitamins and minerals that we need for healthy living, and juice is a delicious way to incorporate that into a regular diet.

Enzymes and proteins can be denatured and thus rendered ineffective by high levels of heat. A spinning blade operating at a high rotation per minute causes the production of heat and thus traditional juicers can result in a juice that is less nutritious than if you manually squeeze the fruit or use a low-speed extraction system.

By comparison a Slow Press Juicer is much gentler and produces much less heat meaning juice produced is actually healthier and more nutritious.

And so for the above reasons the idea of buying a traditional juicer seems silly, almost not worth the money. Not that a traditional juicer is completely pointless, some juice is better than no juice at all, but with a slow press juicer being so much quieter, safer, useful, cleaner, more efficient and healthier, a slow press juicer really does seem like the best option.

The Avancer Black Label Slow Juicer is available now for $299 – Buy on presale and save $50

We’ve changed our pricing model today in a move which we think will provide greater transparency and make it easier for you to compare our products and prices with others in the market.

We now offer FREE shipping to any location within Australia on EVERY item across the range!

In order to accomodate this you may have noticed our prices are higher than before. Prices have risen by no more than $10 and in some cases by far less. When you take into account the TOTAL price, there has actually been a cut of about 5% across the board (the average delivery charge for 2011 through our website was $13.58).

On top of this we have also put in place some changes for combined purchases. These changes reflect the fact that as you order more our costs increase by a smaller amount so we’re going to make sure we pass this saving on to you!

If you order 2 or more items you will now receive an automatic 10% discount at the checkout.

For purchases of 6 items or more that discount will increase to 15%

Anyone who has been to Japan will know the importance of tea drinking within Japanese culture. In fact Google reports 3,480,000 search results if searching for the keywords Japanese tea ceremony.

Japanese Teapots (or Tetsubin) are cast-iron teapots characterised by a pouring spout and a handle-crossing which appears above the teapot. In contrast, the standard teapot (whether Chinese or English) is made of porcelain with a handle at the back of the pot.

It may seem like a minor detail, but tea brewed in a Japanese Tetsubin Teapot is said to taste sweeter and tea connoisseurs say that it makes green tea visibly greener. Using a cast-iron teapot also allows the water to absorb iron into the tea which is a great source of dietary iron and is known to have health benefits, especially for anaemics.

On top of all that, Japanese teapots add a sense of style and cultural allure to the tea making and tea drinking experience.

Japanese Teapots (Tetsubin) are a great gift for anyone who loves their green tea!

View our range below:

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 1000ml – $44.99

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 300ml – Teapot for One – $34.99

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 650ml – $39.99

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 700ml – $39.99

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 800ml (Maple Leaf Design) – $39.99

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 800ml (Nail Head Design) – $39.99

Japanese Cast Iron Teapot 800ml (Prosperity Design) – $39.99

After reading the last post about Ceramic Knives one of our readers asked why Bamboo Chopping Boards are a good idea in the kitchen. Well Sally, this post is for you!

Although it could be argued depending on the use and culture of a chopping board, we believe there are three key elements that make a good chopping board:

1. Hardness
2. Hygiene
3. Eco-Friendly

Hardness – A chopping board fairly obviously needs to be tough enough that you can cut upon it without damaging the board and most of the common materials (glass, marble, plastic, steel, and wood) will suit this purpose. However, if the surface is too hard it can cause damage to knives and this is why a lot of people avoid using glass, marble and steel chopping boards. It’s definitely not fun chipping your new set of ceramic knives on an old marble chopping board.

Hygiene – A good chopping board should be hygienic enough that chopping meat upon the chopping board does not impact human health. While it clearly rules out toxic materials a few studies have suggested that wooden and grass-based chopping boards (including bamboo) are better at repelling bacteria and germs than materials such as plastic.

Eco-Friendly – While perhaps not so much a benefit in the kitchen we believe in a sustainable planet and want to ensure that future generations are able to look back at our civilisation as the ones who kept the planet alive. Bamboo is a naturally occurring grass which grows very rapidly, which prevents over-harvesting and greatly minimises the impact on our Earth.

So based on the key attributes of being a good chopping board, it’s clear that Bamboo comes out ahead.

Hope this answers your question Sally. Feel free to let us know if you have any others!

As the cooking craze sweeps the nation with My Kitchen Rules, Masterchef, and even The Iron Chef we’re all being bombarded with new methods of kitchen wizardry from the finest culinary masters throughout the land.

One sign of a great chef is their ability to handle a knife, and while watching a cooking video passed on by a friend I was amazed at the chef’s ability to slice and dice so quickly and efficiently. After watching the video I just knew that I needed a new set of ceramic knives for the kitchen as my tarnished stainless steel knives seemed fairly inadequate compared to the knives in the kitchen of a true chef.

While I’m pretty convinced that the ceramic knives make me a better cook, I thought I’d list some fun facts for anyone out there comparing them to a stainless steel set. It’s still handy to have a set of stainless steel knives but since getting my ceramic knives I’ve actually been finding reasons to slice things – fresh lightly salted tomato slices for all!

A few facts about ceramic knives…

Ceramic knives are typically made using zirconia and sharpened using a diamond-dust coated grinding wheel – so these should be a lady’s best friend by association.

Ceramic knives are much harder than stainless steel knives so they will keep their sharpness for much longer but will require special tools to resharpen the knife if it ever does become blunted.

Interestingly, an apple or lettuce sliced using a ceramic knife will brown slower than if cut by a stainless steel knife. When cutting with a metallic knife the ions transfer from the steel knife to the food which speeds up the oxidation process.

Similarly, zirconia is not a metal which is why ceramic knives do not rust.

Using a ceramic knife is healthier as the denser surface of the knife will not catch and breed as much bacteria, or odours as a stainless steel knife.

But importantly, ceramic knives should NOT be used for cutting into hard surfaces such as boned meat or as it can cause unwanted chipping.

Hopefully this has helped a few people decide whether they should stick with stainless steel or grab a set of ceramic knives.

If you’ve got any questions about kitchenware, feel free to send ‘em through to us at sales@avancer.com.au