Around your house 10/24/07

KITCHEN

The once lonely world of stand mixers is getting crowded. Recently, KitchenAid's long dominance of this kitchen appliance niche (in some circles "KitchenAid" has become a synonym for stand mixer), has been challenged by Cuisinart and monster stove giant Viking. To date, KitchenAid's beefiest mixer is the 575-watt, 6-quart KitchenAid Professional 600 series ($399). But this year, Cuisinart introduced its Cuisinart SM-70, which packs 1,000 watts and a 7-quart bowl ($449). Meanwhile, Viking offers its VSM 7-Quart Stand Mixer, also with 1,000 watts of power ($577.50). Testing of the Cuisinart (the newest of the three) against the KitchenAid found that power has its perks. While the KitchenAid whipped heavy cream to stiff peaks in just over 3 minutes, the Cuisinart did it in just over 1 minute. Both machines stalled when kneading a heavy batch of bagel dough. The KitchenAid recovered, but the Cuisinart's dough hook jammed and would not release. The Cuisinart's tall, narrow bowl is nice for preventing splashes during high-speed mixing, but it also creates a narrow opening through which to add ingredients. A nice feature of the Cuisinart is a timer with auto-shutoff.

NEW GEAR: Cuisinart 7-quart Stand Mixer available for $449 at http://www.cuisinart.com/

-- AP

GARDEN

Plant tulips now. Trees may be fertilized now. This is best done following soil test guidelines. Place wire guards around trunks of young fruit trees for protection against mice and rabbits. End of peak fall color. Sow cover crops such as winter rye after crops are harvested. Store apples in a cool basement in old plastic sacks that have been perforated for good air circulation. Winterize lawn mowers before storage.

-- mobot.org

HOME

Q: I'm refinishing the stairs in my turn-of-the-century home, and when I pulled off the carpet I found this black stuff underneath. I don't think it's paint. What could it be?

A: This could be one of two things. It could be shellac, which would be easily removed using alcohol. But the black substance is probably a varnish that was popular to use on wood in the era when your house was built. This varnish is thin and doesn't penetrate the wood, and will be easily cleaned with a mild paint remover.

-- AP