| How to Boil an Egg in an Electric Kettle Posted: 04 May 2020 01:00 AM PDT Boiled eggs are a delicious and nutritious way to add some extra protein to your meal, or they can be enjoyed on their own as a tasty snack. Believe it or not, you can actually soft-boil or hard-boil your eggs using an electric kettle. It's super simple and easy to do, and all you need to make it happen is an electric kettle that doesn't have exposed coils in the bottom of it, which will burn the eggs. [Edit]Soft-Boiling the Eggs - Place the eggs in the electric kettle. Pop open the lid of the kettle, take the eggs out of the carton or container, and gently place them into the kettle so they don't crack. Don't fill the kettle more than halfway full with eggs or they may not cook evenly.[1]
- Be careful not to shake the kettle or allow the eggs to roll around to keep them from cracking.
- Cover the eggs with of water. Carefully hold the kettle beneath a faucet and pour cool water into it. Make sure you don't shift the eggs around too much so they don't crack. Fill the kettle until the water is above the eggs.[2]
- Use cool water so you don't overcook the eggs.
- Turn on the kettle and allow it to come to a boil. Make sure the kettle is plugged in and flip the switch to turn it on. Wait until the water comes to a boil and the kettle turns off on its own. If your kettle doesn't turn off once it reaches a boil, then turn it off yourself as soon as the water starts bubbling.[3]
- Remove the eggs and place them into a bowl of cold water. Fill a medium to large-sized bowl with cold water and place it near the kettle. Use a pair of tongs or a large spoon and take the eggs out of the kettle and gently place them into the bowl of cold water so they stop cooking.[4]
- It's important that the water in the bowl is cold so the eggs don't continue to cook after you remove them.
- You can toss a couple of ice cubes in the bowl of water to cool the eggs even faster.
- Peel and eat the soft-boiled eggs once they're cool to the touch. Start peeling a soft-boiled egg by tapping the top of it lightly with a spoon to crack it. Then, use your fingers to carefully lift the shell off of the egg. Continue lifting the shell from the surface of the egg until it's completely removed.[5]
- Soft-boiled eggs can be enjoyed on their own with a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper, or you can add them to a tasty dish like the top of some avocado toast or in a bowl of ramen noodles.
[Edit]Hard-Boiling the Eggs - Place the eggs into the kettle and cover them with water. Carefully set the eggs inside of the kettle, making sure you don't drop them or shake the kettle so they don't crack. Fill the kettle with cool water until the eggs are covered with about of water.[6]
- Make sure you use cool water so you don't start cooking the eggs!
- Avoid filling the kettle more than halfway full with eggs so they cook evenly.
- Turn on the kettle and let it come to a boil. Plug in the kettle and press the button or switch that turns it on to start it up. Leave it undisturbed until it comes to a boil and turns off automatically. If your kettle doesn't automatically turn off once the water reaches a boil, wait until the water is bubbling away and then turn it off.[7]
- Leave the eggs in the kettle for 15 minutes, then transfer them to cold water. Set a timer for 15 minutes and allow the eggs to simply soak in the hot water and cook. Fill a bowl with cool water and place it near the kettle. Once the timer goes off, use a spoon or a pair of tongs to remove the eggs from the water and place them into the cool water.[8]
- The cool water will stop them from cooking further and will allow you to pick them up without burning your hands.
- Set a timer on your stove or on your phone so you can hear it and the eggs won't overcook.
- Peel the eggs and eat them or store them in your refrigerator. An easy way to peel stubborn hard-boiled eggs is to tap the bottom of the egg a few times on your sink or countertop to crack it, then use your fingers to start lifting the shell from the bottom. If bits of the shell are stuck on the egg, hold the egg under running water as you peel to loosen them. You can then eat the eggs, or place them in a container in your refrigerator for up to a week.[9]
- Hard-boiled eggs are great on their own with some salt and pepper, but you can also chop them up and toss them into a salad to add some extra protein!
- Holding the egg under a running faucet as you peel it can make it easier to remove the shell.
- Set a timer so you don't overcook your eggs!
[Edit]Warnings - Use a pair of tongs or a large spoon to remove the eggs from the hot water so you don't burn yourself.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Electric kettle without exposed coils in the bottom
- Medium to large-sized bowl
- Pair of tongs or a large spoon
- Container (if you plan to store them in the fridge)
[Edit]References |
| How to Design a Logo Posted: 03 May 2020 05:00 PM PDT A great logo is more than images and words, a good logo tells a story about your company--who you are, what you do and what you stand for. That's a lot to ask of one piece of art, which is why it's important that you take the time to do it right. Fortunately, you don't have to do it alone. The steps below will take you through the process of designing a logo that will successfully brand you in the marketplace. [Edit]Brainstorming - Determine the primary function of your logo. A logo represents your brand through the use of shape, fonts, color and images. Being clear on why you need a logo can guide your design.
- Boost recognition. Is your company new or competing in a field with a lot of other players? Having a strong logo can help clients recognize your brand more readily.
- Create memorability. Consumers shop with their eyes and logos can be easier to remember than names, products and services. Over time, a customer comes to associate your logo with your company.
- Create trust. Part of bringing in and keeping clients is based on their willingness to trust you. A solid logo that conveys your honesty and integrity can help put clients at ease.
- Enhance admiration. If clients already have a good impression of your business, you can build on that by creating a logo that is well-regarded for its good looks, cleverness or effective simplicity.
- Think about your target market. It's important to be clear on who your client is and customize the look of your logo to appeal to those who will be using your services.
- A logo for a florist shop could incorporate a whimsical font and a bright color scheme; this wouldn't work so well for an auto body repair garage.
- A logo for a law firm must communicate integrity and strength; not necessarily the look that would work well for a catering company.
- Decide whether to incorporate your company's name into the logo. Of course, you want to build name recognition for your business, but making the name part of your logo design may not always be a good idea.
- Include the name if it is reasonably distinctive but not yet a household word or if your marketing funds are limited and your goal is to build name recognition.
- Do not include the name if it is too generic, too long, doesn't translate well globally (if that's a consideration) or lacks personality. Leave the name out, too, if you must put your logo on a product, such as a sneaker or a handbag.
- Think of all the different ways you plan to use your logo. Picture the smallest size you may need; if the company name won't be readable when the logo is the size of a favicon, it may be best to leave it out of the design.
- Follow the company's color scheme. If your company has already established the use of certain colors in its signage, advertising and other materials, it's important that those colors are reflected in the logo.
- Consistent use of colors builds familiarity. You want customers to be able to mentally "link" your logo to the company.
- If your company has branded itself with specific colors, the public will have developed a subconscious association with those colors. For example, wikiHow's color scheme is green.
- If you don't yet have an established color scheme for your business, do some research on the psychology of colors so that you can choose appropriately. For example, red signifies strength, passion, energy and confidence but it can also signal danger.
- Be inspired by but don't copy successful logos. While it might be tempting to create something that looks like your favorite corporate logo, it will communicate an unintended message to your audience—that you're lazy and uninspired.
- Look at logos of other business similar to yours. Ask yourself what you like and don't like about them. What works and what doesn't. Don't get overwhelmed by looking at too many examples—10 or 12 should be more than enough to give you ideas of what to do and what to avoid.
- A successful logo should be simple, memorable, timeless and appropriate. Keep these as goals as you play around with ideas.
- If you're struggling for ideas, trying using different key word to conduct searches online or use a thesaurus to move your thinking in some new directions.
- Doodle. Sketch things out and play around with them. Write key words in different fonts. See if something visual sparks an idea.
- Keep it simple. Designing a logo is an exercise in restraint. While it may be tempting to try to convey a multitude of messages with your design, trying to do too much will sabotage the success of your logo.
- Avoid too many colors, multiple fonts and layered images. A confusing or cluttered logo won't convey a clear message.
- If there are too many visual elements in your logo, it will be difficult for the customer to process. They won't know where to look or what it means.
- Practically speaking, a simple logo is easier and less expensive to reproduce. Since your logo may appear on a variety of items—from letterhead to advertisements to tote bags—simplicity could save you money in the long-run.
[Edit]Testing the Design - Create multiple designs. In the early stage, you may have several ideas that you want to express in your logo design. Commit them all to paper so that you can see what works and what doesn't.
- Even a design that's a dud can spark an idea or offer one element that you want to retain in the next version of your design.
- Draw a rough sketch of the design. You're better off putting pencil to paper in the initial stages of your logo design process. Sketching is a quick and easy way to get the ideas out of your head and on to paper where you can evaluate them more easily.
- Plain white paper or simple graph paper make good backgrounds for your pencil sketches.
- Don't erase. Designing is not a linear process. Keep the pages with the designs that you didn't like. They may spark an idea or, upon later examination, offer something of value.
- Large design companies will often sketch out dozens of pages of logo concepts before they even touch a computer mouse. Take a tip from the pros and focus on your sketches first.[1]
- Show the design to a test market. It may be tempting to move forward once you've come up with what seems to you to be a winning logo, but it's important to get feedback.
- Get feedback from people in your target market. Show your design(s) to a sampling of people who fit the profile of your ideal customer. You may show them multiple designs or simply the one you feel to be the strongest candidate.
- Ask key questions that will reveal their reaction to the logo. Do they think it's boring or exciting? Ugly or attractive? Generic or unique? Also check to see what image or message the logo conveys to them, whether they find it easy to read/recognize and if it seems consistent with what they know about your company or about your industry.
- Be wary of relying too heavily on family and friends. While you may want to informally get the opinion of those close to you, their comments may not offer the kind of feedback you'll find to be most useful.
- You can use family and friends to test your logo's memorability. Let them look at the design for a few seconds and then ask them to draw it. If they can remember most of it, then it's memorable.
- Make sure that the design is scalable. Consider all the different ways you may use your logo—in newspaper ads, on signage, on your website. Your logo must function well whether it's being reproduced in a large or a small format.
- If a logo has too much detail or lines that are too thin, those elements may get lost or the logo may look too fussy at small sizes.
- If a logo is drawn to look good only at a business card size, it will tend to appear clunky when reproduced larger.
- Graphic design programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape will allow you to test the scalability of your design. If you're working by hand initially, try making copies of your design at different size settings.
[Edit]Finalizing the Design - Create a final draft. Ultimately, you need to have your logo digitized. You can do this yourself or hire a professional to make it happen for you.
 - Learn a graphic design program. The most used program is Adobe Illustrator but Inkscape is another offering, and it can be downloaded online for free.
- There are a number of instructional books and websites that can help you learn Illustrator. Community colleges and some continuing education programs offer classes in this design program.
- Hire a professional graphic artist. If you already have a background in graphic arts, computer-assisted design or you're a quick study, then you may be able to do it yourself; otherwise, you're better off putting your work in the hands of a professional.
- Visit designers' websites to see their portfolios. You want to choose someone who has experience working with logo design.
- Ask about turnaround time. Depending on what stage your design is in, you may go through another revision with an artist or he or she may simply reproduce your idea "as-is." In any case, find out how long it will take from the time you give them your design until you see a finished product.
- Find out about costs. Again, where you are in your design process will impact the cost of this service. If you need someone to go back to square one with you in your design, that will be more expensive than if you are happy with the logo you've created and simply want to have it professionally computerized.
- Check online services. There are a number of online graphic design services that allow you to pay a set fee and in return receive several logo designs from artists trying to win the job. You choose the design you like best and work with that artist through the completion of the project.
- Keep listening. Once your logo is finished, it's important that you stay open to feedback on the design.
- Use social media. If your company has an established online presence, run your logo past those who are connected to you and listen to what they have to say.
- Try your logo out on your website first. If the response to your logo isn't positive, it's easier and less expensive to revise and republish it on your website than to redo printed materials.
- Get details. If clients say the logo is "confusing" or "difficult to read," press them for details. The more you can find out before you invest in all of your print collateral, the easier it will be to tweak the design.
[Edit]Sample Logos [Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Open a Durian Posted: 03 May 2020 09:00 AM PDT Durians, fruits that are a delicacy throughout Southeast Asia, have a tough skin and are covered in sharp spines all over. They can look, and smell, imposing if you don't know how to open one up. However, there is a tried-and-true way to open durians by following the natural patterns on the fruit's skin. First, check that your durian is ripe enough to open. Then, by cutting along the star-shaped gap between the spines, you can loosen up the durian just enough to crack it open with your hands and get to all the delicious fruit inside. [Edit]Making Sure Your Fruit is Ripe - Thaw the durian if it has been in the freezer. A frozen durian will be almost impossible to cut open. If your fruit has been in the freezer, you'll need to place it on a towel resting inside a bowl to absorb moisture. Let the durian sit out for at least 6 hours so that it can soften up and become both tastier and easier to open.[1]
- Frozen durian is also considered a delicacy. If you want this ice cream-style version, let it thaw for 3 hours and see if you can cut into it.
- Shake the fruit to see if you hear anything. If you don't hear any noise, your fruit is most likely over-ripe and no longer good to eat. Too much rattling, however, means that the durian is not quite ready to be eaten.You should hear a slight rumbling or rattling that you have to strain your ear to hear.[2]
- You can use a cloth or towel to hold the fruit as you shake it.
- The noise is caused by the seeds. Unripe durians have large seeds and a small amount of flesh that leads to a noisy rattling, while ripe ones have enough flesh to cushion the seed a little, softening the noise.
- Check the stem for a light color and moist texture. Fresh and ripe durians should have light-colored stems that feel a little bit wet to the touch. If the durian has been off the tree for a long, the stem will darken and dry up.[3]
- Frozen durians won't have moist stems, however. You'll have to go based on color alone.
- Smell the durian right at the stem to see if it has a strong aroma. Unripe durians have little-to-no smell, while ripe and over-ripe ones have the signature pungent scent. Without experience, it can be difficult to distinguish a ripe durian from an over-ripe one by smell, as the fruit will smell extremely potent either way.[4]
- After you've smelled a few ripe and over-ripe durians, the difference will become much clearer.
- Before you have this experience, the smell test is best for identifying unripe durians, as the lack of smell will give it away.
- Feel the durian to make sure the skin is hard and tight. An over-ripe durian will have soft and loose skin, and the spines will be easy to move. You should be able to tap on the fruit and feel solid, tough skin that bounces your finger back up.[5]
- This is a good last-line-of-defense check to see if your durian is too ripe, rather than just ripe enough.
[Edit]Loosening up the Durian - Find the 5-pointed star-shaped lines on the fruit. Check the opposite side of the durian from the stem to find the seams or grooves between the spines that all commercially-sold durians have. The lines extend out from a center point that is usually right at the base of the fruit.[6]
- There will be five lines coming off the center point, arranged in the shape of a star.
- The gaps indicate where the different pods of fruit inside are located, so this will also ensure that you don't accidentally cut into the edible part of the fruit.
- Hold the durian steady with a towel or cloth. As you begin to cut into the durian, it's important to protect your hands from harm with a piece of fabric like a cloth, rag, or towel. Make sure whatever you choose to use is clean and thick enough that the spines won't pierce through it.[7]
- You can also use gloves, for extra protection.
- Use a sharp, sturdy knife to pierce the center of the star. While holding the fruit steady, stab the tip of the knife directly into the base of the durian, right where the gaps meet.. The skin will be tough and difficult to pierce through, but if you are holding on tightly to the durian and the knife you should have success.[8]
- Try to press the knife at least into the durian to get all the way through the skin.
- If you can't pierce the skin with a knife, you can use a screwdriver and a hammer by pointing the screwdriver at the center point and using the hammer to pierce the skin.
- Twist the knife in each direction to dig into the seams. After the knife or screwdriver has gone down into the fruit, rock the tool back and forth, as well as left and right. This will allow you to make small cuts into the seams and loosen them up, making them easier to slice and break apart.[9]
[Edit]Slicing and Cracking the Durian Open - Cut along each line with the knife. Once you've loosed up the skin, use the knife to cut along the gaps between the spines all the way down the durian, all the way to the stem. You can stop just above the stem, as that tends to be the toughest part of the plant. You'll have to make 5 different cuts to slice open each seam.[10]
- Some people simply pry the durian apart with their hands after piercing it, but this is not the easiest approach.
- Pull each incision apart with your hands to separate and open the fruit. Once you've made the 5 cuts, you should be able to open up the durian will very little trouble by pulling down on each of the wedges made with the knife. You may be able to do this without cutting all the way down, but it will be much easier if you do.[11]
- Use a cloth or towel to protect your hands. If you are especially concerned for your hands, you can use a clean pair of gardening gloves.
- Remove the "pods" from the durian. After the durian is open, you will notice a number of tan or yellow "pods" inside. These fleshy, pear-shaped parts of the plant are the edible part. They should separate from the rest of the flesh easily with just a little prying, but you can use a knife to cut off any parts that stick together.[12]
- The fruit is ready to eat as soon as you open it.
- Check to make sure the pods don't have any brown discoloration. If one is slightly discolored, but the rest appear normal, they are still safe to eat.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Sharp and sturdy knife
- Towel or cloth
- Screwdriver (optional)
- Hammer (optional)
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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