The Future Of Microwave Cooking: What To Expect?

The odds that you have a microwave at your home is pretty much high. Microwave has become one of the most useful appliances which are used by the people. In recent times, Microwave has become an indispensable part of the kitchen and rightly so. The appliance has got multiple uses and reduces the work of a person very much. In addition to this, the appliance is also pretty simple to operate. The question that arises now is, will this thing be useful in the future as much as it is now. Many people have a doubt regarding the future of microwave cooking. What will it be? What to expect? Will a replacement come? Well, let’s find out.

Replacement of magnetron based Microwaves

Well, we all know that Microwaves that are used today are based on magnetron technology. The microwaves with this technology have ruled into the kitchen of a common household for quite some time now, but it seems like things are about tochange. In the not very distant future, the magnetron based Microwaves are set to disappear. They are going to be replaced by solid-state RF energy. The magnetron based Microwaves have been in use for so long, that it might seem impossible that something can replace them, but believe us, it’s soon going to happen.

The benefits of solid-state RF energy

 

Well, there is a wide range of benefits of the solid-state RF energy which cannot be ignored and it is the major reason because of which it is speculated that it will replace the magnetron based microwaves. The biggest advantage that solid-state RF energy has over the magnetron based Microwaves is that it cooks food more precisely in comparison to the latter one. Another aspect is that more amount of healthier food can be prepared on the solid-state RF energy. This is one of the functions because of which it will find a connection between a large group of people nowadays. The vast majority of people are going for healthier alternatives for food nowadays. The problem with microwaves is that when you think about it, healthy food will come into your mind.

Increase of players producing solid-state RF energy

When companies come to see the possibility of a product they are automatically attracted to it. Similarly, it is happening in the case of solid-state RF energy. There are multiple organizations such as the MACOM and REFA that are hell-bent on unlocking the full potential of the solid-state RF energy.

The magnetron based microwaves might be ruling the households for some time now, but with the onset of the solid-state RF energy, it is surely going to lose a large number of its users. This is because the solid-state RF energy has got way advanced features as compared to the magnetron based Microwaves. It is also able to cooking food which is tastier as well as healthier. …

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The Most Peculiar Of The Peculiars – The Queen’s Chapel Of The Savoy

Tucked away behind London’s Savoy Hotel is one of the country’s most unusual churches – The Queen’s Chapel Of The Savoy. This 16th century building (the last remnant of a hospital established by Henry VII for the homeless) has a unique status as, unlike its compatriots in the surrounding streets, it does not belong to the parish and diocese system of the Church of England – it is directly owned and controlled by the Queen in her capacity as Duke of Lancaster. She personally appoints the priest, a post currently taken up by the Reverend Professor Peter Galloway OBE who is a noted historian and educator, and directly funds the upkeep of the building.

As you might expect, the chapel has myriads of royal connections. For example, it houses two thrones at the rear which, while they’re not used by the Queen (she usually sits on a throne near the altar) have seen their fair share of royal bums on seats over the years – most recently by Michael, King of Romania, and his daughter who attended a service here towards the end of 2012. The stained glass windows also reward close examination, in particular the windows over the altar which mark the Second World War and the contribution of the Armed Forces, and the most recent addition – a glorious installation marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

This was designed by Scottish artist Douglas Hogg and was installed in November of last year – look closely and you’ll even discover corgis and a scene showing the Queen on horseback. In my opinion, the soon-to-be-installed window at the Palace of Westminster, made for the same purpose and funded by contributions from members of both Houses of Parliament, isn’t a patch on this one!…

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Londoneer: Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

I was enjoying one of my regular visits to Belfast this weekend, and we took some time out earlier today to visit the transport section of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, just a few miles northeast of Belfast City Centre.

Located a few minutes from the local railway station (which is incredibly run down – very uninviting when you consider that this is the gateway to Belfast’s largest museums and one of its premium 5 star hotels) the Transport Museum’s main building houses the Irish railway collection, where you’ll find huge steam trains and their carriages, along with mocked up platforms and tableaus (one of which includes nuns!) and even a reconstructed station tea room. A section of the building is also dedicated to other forms of public transport, including trams, trolleys and buses that have been lovingly restored and feature working vehicles from Belfast and further afield in Ireland. An adjoining annex explores the history of cars and motorcycles, with the centrepiece of course being the iconic DeLorean motorcar with its characteristic brushed steel frame and gullwing doors, which was manufactured in the early 80s at the Dunmurry car plant just on the outskirts of Belfast.

A walk down the hill through some pleasantly landscaped gardens, bursting with huge rhododendrons, brings you to the general transport galleries which focus on earlier forms of transport including carts, stage coaches and even shanks’ pony. Here you’ll also find the air transport gallery (complete with flight simulator) and a dedicated exhibition tracing the history of the White Star Line’s RMS Titanic, which like the DeLorean has local connections, having been built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard on the edge of Belfast’s city centre.…

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Andaz Hotel Liverpool St

Today I’m going to tell you about the interesting evening I had last night, being shown around the boutique 5-star Andaz Hotel right next to Liverpool St station in central London.

Back in the late 19th century, this building started its life as the Great Eastern Hotel, built to support the expanding British rail network – it’s from the same era as the grand edifice that sits over Kings Cross St Pancras for example. A few years ago the hotel was purchased by the Hyatt group and given an extensive refurbishment – the result was the first of their new concept ‘Andaz’ hotels (Andaz, by the way means ‘style’ in both Hindi and Urdu). There are now four others in the group, all in the States – one in San Diego, one in West Hollywood and two in New York, on Wall St and 5th Avenue. In London they’ve taken great care to be true to the area – you’ll find work by East London artists throughout the hotel, such as this for example, which runs around the circular stairway at the hotel’s centre.

Anyway, on to my experience at the hotel. I always feel a tinge of trepidation when accepting invitations to tour hotels and the like, particularly classy establishments because I don’t feel that I can whole-heartedly recommend venues that I can neither afford to eat or even sleep in! For the most part that’s not a problem here, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Let me tell you first about Andaz’s distinguishing features…

For a start, the check-in experience here is rather unique. Walking in through the main doors you find yourself in a double-height reception area with subdued lighting and full of comfortable seats scattered around the space, but there’s no check-in desk in sight – the staff actually come over to you, netbooks in hand, to sort out all the details. An intriguing approach I’m sure you’ll agree! The surprises don’t end there either – while on the outside the hotel has that unmistakeable Victorian grandeur, on the inside it’s all very chic and modern. They’ve only retained the original features of the building where it actually adds to the experience – for example, the grand Italianate marble staircases remain as does the Masonic Temple on the building’s first floor (yes, where genuine Masons used to meet!). Most of the time this unique room hosts dinners and corporate events, but there are no weddings allowed in the space because of all of the Masonic symbolism. It’s all here – the astrological symbols, all-seeing eye, compasses and so on, and only intact because the room was forgotten, remaining hidden behind a boarded up doorway for many years… how spooky!

Elsewhere in the hotel you’ll also find a double-level atrium overlooked by some of the rooms and which has the hotel’s exposed industrial-style lifts in one corner, and a very funky open-plan ‘New York loft’-style space with a completely exposed kitchen at one end which …

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Coming To London? Consider Wimdu And ‘Travel Like A Local’

Are you considering a trip to London but aren’t keen on the costs of a hotel room or want a more personal experience of the UK’s capital?

If so, then Wimdu.com might be for you. Wimdu, whose motto is ‘Travel like a local’ is the alternative accommodation site which makes private apartments and rooms available for sale in London and elsewhere. Established in 2011 they have already helped 100,000 people to experience cities in a way that’s not normally accessible to visitors staying in cookie-cutter hotel rooms.

Travelling with Wimdu offers very good value for money – on average booking a room or apartment through their website is cheaper than staying at hotels of a similar quality.  You can also be assured that the property has been checked by Wimdu’s service team before it is listed on the site, and there’s also a ratings system for guests to leave feedback on their stay.

As part of the package Wimdu also offers peace of mind with a comprehensive insurance package which will insure you against damages up to £500,000, all included in the price. 

In London, the available accommodation includes rooms in Brick Lane, Chelsea, London Bridge and even along the Regent’s Canal in Tower Hamlets. Many home-owners offer their spare rooms through the service, so in addition to getting good accommodation you also get the inside track on the best places to go in the local area and advice and tips on getting around London – ideal for someone who has visited the capital before but now wants to go beyond the tourist traps of the West End and really discover what our great city is really about.

You can find out more about Wimdu’s service on their website here. It offers a great alternative to the traditional hotel stay.…

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South Place – A New Hotel For The City of London

New hotels don’t pop up in the City of London very often, so I was eager to see what D&D London, the celebrated restauraters, are bringing to the Square Mile from September with the opening of the South Place hotel.

A new boutique hotel, the South Place hotel will feature eighty rooms and two very special restaurants. On the ground floor the restaurant and bar, called 3 South Place, will be open to the public and continue the popular ‘British diner’ format – featuring dishes prepared with quality produce sourced from across the UK, the initial menu includes lobster, turkey and even longhorn burgers. Up on the 7th floor, and opening in late September is Angler – a seafood restaurant, Angler is the hotel’s jewel. It has floor to ceiling windows on three sides and a large outdoor area complete with barbecue where diners can eat al fresco – it’s an amazing space, really light and airy. Angler will be overseen by Tony Fleming, who most recently was the Executive Chef at One Aldwych.

South Place’s eighty rooms are furnished by Conran in a very sleek and contemporary style and have bathrooms to die for – corner suites in particular feature separate rainforest showers and tubs of truly gargantuan proportions. Every room also has an enormous Bang & Olufsen TV and, from what I saw, a rather generous mini-bar. At this point I should probably mention what I think separates the South Place hotel from its London contemporaries – they’ve decided that bold and quirky details are what will appeal to their guests. In reception the first thing that you see is a chandelier featuring silver spitfires for example, and throughout the building’s public spaces there are striking steel and mirror installations by Grace And Webb. The hotel’s rooms have 1960s-inspired chandeliers, paintings and illustrations by contemporary East End artists and rather fun resin blocks containing odd objects – the completed room that we saw had a display containing a 7″ single of Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This and an old Graham Greene paperback!

Would I stay at the new South Place hotel? Well to be honest with rooms at around £250 and upwards on weekdays and just below £200 on weekends my budget doesn’t allow it – my hotel stays always tend towards the more cheap and cheerful. I can certainly understand its appeal to the well-heeled traveller who wants something other than the bland corporate feel of a Marriott or Hilton however, and I would certainly consider Angler for a special occasion where I wanted to impress…

The South Place hotel is currently scheduled to open in early September – keep an eye on their Twitter feed and Facebook page for updates.…

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