Appliances and Kitchen Gadgets

The art of roasting a bird with a flashlight requires much more than the typical yellow shiner found at your parent's house; in fact, you need something more than a hundred times more powerful.

While we don't know exactly how many exact lumens -- a standard of measurement used for lighting (where 1 lumen usually equals the power of one candle) -- you need accomplish the zany task, we do know through an informative YouTube video that cooking a turkey with a flashlight is possible.… Read more

It's that time of year again when things are about to get real busy in the kitchen. The holidays usher in an endless stream of grocery bags being hauled into the kitchen, most filled with recognizable favorites of food-to-be. Tradition may dictate turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy to be on the table come dinnertime, but that doesn't mean a soon-to-be classic can't get thrown in the mix.

Watching a cooking video and following along with the steps is a natural use for tablets and mobile devices. The Williams-Sonoma Smart Tools Bluetooth Speaker ($149.95) offers an easy … Read more

You know the aroma. It beckons as if it were a magical cartoon hand, wafting through the air until it finds its destination: you. There is no choice but to follow the waggling smoke fingers until you find its source: popcorn. But there is something different about this enticing scent. Tinged around the edges is the distinct sense of sugar and salt. And furthermore, this is not an outdoor event; this is your own kitchen.

Bringing kettle corn to the inside, the Nostalgia Electrics KCP100 Carnival Kettle Corn Maker ($49.99) mirrors the magic of the popular treat without the … Read more

The ability to reach out and pluck fruits and vegetables off of a nearby branch, for many, is an unrealistic dream. Yet fresh food that is grown nearby continues to be a desirable commodity. As well it should; food that is fresh is far superior to that which has been hanging around during transport or otherwise. As delicious as freshly picked food may be, the hurdle of actually growing it is not one to be ignored. Unless of course, the whole process is automated.

Two new self-monitoring plant kits have been added to the Click and Grow kitchen countertop grove. … Read more

Food generally isn't too big of a deal in the "Star Trek" universe unless you're talking about tribbles eating all the quadrotriticale or Picard ordering up a hot cup of tea to go with his space scones.

All those Enterprise crew members still have to eat and that means there's going to be some hot food coming out of the replicators. That also means you're going to need a space-worthy oven mitt. A Spock oven mitt. The $14.99 oversize Spock hand has just enough blue uniform on the cuff to designate its rank.… Read more

It sounds like a dieter's dream. Drink soda and lose weight. It's junk food with a healthy sheen and it's a real Pepsi product coming out in Japan.

Pepsi Special is special because of an added ingredient: dextrin, the same stuff found in Benefiber. It's a water-soluble fiber supplement that may also have some extracurricular effects with feelings of fullness and a reduction in fat absorption.

According to a study published in Appetite in 2011, soluble fiber dextrin increased participants' sense of satiety and decreased the amount of energy absorbed from the next meal. How that finding translates to a dextrin-charged soda is up for discussion.… Read more

Perhaps more so than any other single fruit, vegetable, or herb, garlic gets its own dedicated gadgets. It should probably not come as much of a surprise that garlic has demanded so much attention. After all, the pungent little cloves do tend to stand out amongst everything that they come in contact with. Yet, we cannot seem to stay away from the species Allium sativum even if we try. However, we can avoid touching it.

Prepping garlic is one of those kitchen tasks that is easy to do yet can be time-consuming. The Chef'n Garlic Machine Garlic Press ($10.95) … Read more

Our long national nightmare of vending machines only delivering cold items is almost over. Once EatWave vending machines take over the break rooms and hotel lobbies of the world, we will no longer have to wait in line at the microwave.

EatWave offers a complete junk food meal from a single machine. You can get a cold soda, a bag of chips, a hot pastrami sandwich, and a chocolate bar all at once. Each EatWave machine is equipped with a built-in microwave unit and a gravity delivery system for moving the food.… Read more

The election may be over, but that doesn't have to mean the end of competition. In fact, in at least one area of kitchen concerns, there exists a race that is still heating up. Or in this case, chilling down.

Perhaps it's seemed like there has recently been an influx of non-water ice drink chillers. It has not been your imagination. Water ice may still be the most effective chiller, but the fact that it dilutes as it chills is, for many, is an issue. The recent past has seen an emerging trend in that now drinking chillers … Read more