Appliances & Kitchen Gadgets

A 12-pack ready to enjoy.

(Credit: EuroCave)

Wine is best enjoyed when it is shared among family and friends. However, the wine experience itself can be improved upon simply by having a bottle (or more) at the ready. After all, nobody is going to want to go on a wine run when the fun is just starting. Add to that the fact that chances are the wine will need to be chilled, and suddenly it becomes apparent that a little forethought goes a long way. However, having wine chilled and ready to drink can be bothersome, clumsy, ineffective and most importantly, space-challenged. That is, unless you have a small dedicated appliance for the task.

The EuroCave La Petite Wine Cabinet is a diminutive compressor-driven wine refrigerator. The small chill chest, which measures less than 12 inches across with a depth of about 18 inches and a height of about 32 inches, stands ready no matter the occasion. With two temperature zones, and a capacity for 12 bottles of wine, the wine cabinet keeps the party going whether your guests prefer red wine or white wine.

The small size is definitely a positive feature for this wine storage option, but the best part is that it has the capability to store two open bottles of wine. By extracting oxygen from open bottles, the wine stays good for up to seven days. The system even monitors the seal to ensure the vacuum is preserved. Perfect for wine fans or for those who just enjoy the occasional glass, this dedicated wine refrigerator makes it easy to enjoy wine at the best time: when you're ready to drink it.

Same grind, day in and day out.

(Credit: Sur La Table)

Serious coffee enthusiasts will agree that coffee is both an art and a science. Time and temperature play crucial roles during the roasting process of the raw bean. While we may not usually be able to control what comes out of the bag, we can control what happens after that point. Just as time and temperature determine what kind of bean you get, the variables also come into play during the brewing process. Of course, there's the grind to consider: coarse, medium and fine. However, an additional factor for the coffee lover to consider is how to grind the coffee.

Coffee grinders generally are divided into two camps: those that use blades, and those that grind by crushing between two abrasive surfaces. The latter, called burr grinders, are then subdivided into two categories: wheel and conical. Of the two, conical grinders reportedly produce better tasting coffee with more aromas because of their low speed when grinding. Overall, burr grinders are generally preferred to blade grinders for the consistent grind they produce.

No matter how strong you like your coffee, you are going to need a way to get it into your coffee cup. The Capresso CoffeeTeam TS digital coffee maker combines a conical burr grinder and a coffee maker into one convenient system. Grinding directly into the filter chamber, the coffee maker (complete with thermal carafe) maximizes flavor and aroma every time. It is even programmable, allowing the art and science of coffee brewing to intersect--no matter how foggy you may be in the morning.

Don't stir the pot.

(Credit: Breville)

There is very little that is more comforting that having a warm pot of food slowly simmering away on the stovetop. The smell permeates the house, while the heat given off in the cooking process warms our bodies straight to the bone. During the cold winter months that lay ahead, this axiom will be put to the test over and over again. There can be little doubt as that this will be an enjoyable test to all. However, there is one additional ingredient that takes all warmth and comfort of a home cooked meal, but somehow makes it more comfortable: the slow cooker.

Having a slow cooker slowly bubbling forth the promise of a hearty meal throughout the day trumps stovetop cooking (at least in the comfort department) in both time and ease. Just put all the ingredients in the pot and let it cook away. The lack of a need to stir the pot makes cooking in a slow cooker as easy as can be. For all its ease and simplicity, however, the slow cooker usually needs some extra attention in the form of browning meat on the stove and then transferring it into the pot. This extra step may produce a depth of flavor that cannot be achieved in any other way, but the added preparation requires dirtying another pot or pan--a thought nobody finds comforting.

The Breville Slow Cooker with Easy Sear eliminates the need to transfer ingredients from stove to slow cooker. The die-cast aluminum cooking insert is stovetop-safe, and easily transports to the slow cooker without fear of scalding thanks to the removable silicone grips. When set in place, the slow cooker extends its usefulness, by not only supplying the usual choice between High and Low settings, but it also offers a third choice. The Dual setting begins cooking on High, and then after two hours automatically switches to Low. With such ease of use and versatility, it would be easy to sink into the sofa for about 8 hours (or all winter) with no concern about the frost outside.

Makes evenly cooked food from edge to edge.

(Credit: Sur La Table)

How we cook food is always changing. Gone are the days (mostly) of cooking over an open fire, with little more than a stick to act as a "kitchen gadget." Though nothing can replicate the taste created by fire on food, new methods of cooking have always inspired chefs to take their recipes to the next level. From the hearth to the microwave oven, this journey has not been fraught with peril. (For every worthwhile kitchen gadget, there seems to be a dozen that aren't.) However, every once in a while, the home cook is faced with a new challenge (cooking method) from which to build upon and grow.

Sous vide literally translates to "under vacuum" in French, but that's only half the story when it comes to sous vide cooking. Using a water bath as the cooking medium, the method requires consistent temperatures over a long period of time. While most people will skip the recipes that take two days to complete (yes, a very long time to wait for dinner), most recipes do not require so much forethought. What has been a growing trend in professional kitchens is now available at home.

Enter the SousVide Supreme Water Oven.

The countertop unit works in tandem with a vacuum sealer. Simply seal your food in a bag, and then pop it in the water bath. The machine regulates the temperature of the water to a 1-degree accuracy. The food cooks evenly from edge to edge. This is the main difference between this method and others. Consider chicken, fish, beef, or pork: when cooked by traditional methods, the inside is never cooked exactly as the outside. With sous vide cooking, food has no other option but to heat consistently; the temperature never rises above a set point.

Good things never go out of style; as proficient as sous vide cooking may be, the final results still benefit from a quick sear over an open fire to give it added taste and flavor. There's something comforting in the fact that no matter how far we progress in cooking technology, we still always come back to fire.

An opener for everybody.

(Credit: Hamilton Beach)

Machines that open cans have always confused me. Sure, I understand that for some people opening canned goods can be physically challenging, but as a common kitchen item, its popularity escapes me. For me, it's just quicker and easier to use the handheld can opener. Granted, it's not always easy to find the handheld opener, but when you train yourself to always put it somewhere specific (like car keys), it's the quickest, most efficient tool available. Other than acting as a hard-to-misplace anchor, a can opener weighed down by a motor seems to me to be frivolous--unless, of course, you pile on additional openers.

The Hamilton Beach OpenStation Can Opener is a well-named contrivance designed to facilitate all your opening needs in one location. Not content to stop at cans, the opener supplies the means to open jars, bottles, cans and even those frustrating hard, clear plastic blister packs that so many gadgets come in. By integrating a removable multiuse tool (along with a jar opener) into the design, the can opener extends its usefulness and encourages users to go to one particular spot for all of their opening needs. Just be sure to put those removable tools back where they belong when finished.

The Hamilton Beach OpenStation Can Opener can be found online for about $25.

For real couch potatoes.

(Credit: Keita Watanabe & Shota Matsuda)

You know how, during the two minutes or so that you're waiting for your microwave popcorn to pop, you find yourself thinking, "If only I could be watching a video on YouTube right now"? No? Oh. Well, if you ever do find yourself wanting to take advatage of those few moments of forced waiting, you'll love the idea behind the CastOven.

From the developers' Web site: "Watching movies, playing video games, and browsing Web pages are fun, but all of them require a certain amount of time of us to spare." To solve this problem, this future microwave oven with the 10.4-inch LCD display plays YouTube clips that fit your cooking time.

The concept machine looks ridiculously cool, and you can even watch a demonstration video, in case you're having a hard time understanding how you can cook food and watch videos simultaneously. Props for the design and the presentation, but I'm just not sure there's a real need for this product.

Whistle (along) while you work.

(Credit: Electrolux)

Cleaning is no fun. Making a mess is sure fun, but the aftermath can be a downer. But, regardless of the state of the house, the cleaning simply has to (at some point) get done. Cleaning while listening to music is one way to make the chores go by in a more enjoyable manner. However, sooner or later you're going to have to put down that duster and plug in the vacuum cleaner--and there goes the music. Unless of course, you have a vacuum cleaner that also plays music.

The Electrolux UltraSilencer Music Edition Amplified iPod Vacuum is a concept machine designed to make the chore of vacuuming as pleasant and efficient as possible. The musical vacuum cleaner not only features an iPod dock, but also--thanks to exceptionally silent operation--comes complete with two integrated speakers.

Backed up by data (click here for a PDF of the data, or here to watch a video), Electrolux has figured out that the best way to clean is to listen to music. And yes, it depends what type of music. Measuring such variables as Precision, Efficiency, Mood, and Fortitude, the test concluded that "overall, classical music was the best music style for vacuum cleaning." As an added bonus, no matter what type of music you prefer, the results determined that in all cases, the chore was less stressful and even burned more calories than vacuuming without music.

(Via Appliancist)

All clean!

(Credit: USA Technologies)

My freshman year of college, I lived on the third floor of my dorm. The laundry room, of course, was in the basement. I definitely got a lot of exercise running up and down the stairs, checking for empty machines, checking if my machine was done, or checking if my clothes were still there.

Kids these days just don't know how good they have it, especially if they have eSuds, a new technology that is changing the entire experience of public laundry facilities. When a facility installs eSuds, users can then use any Internet-connected computer to check real-time machine availability, get notifications when their laundry is ready or when a specific machine is available, and even pay via PIN code or credit card in some cases.

Universities are an obvious place for eSuds to take hold, but upscale apartment complexes are also getting in on the action. Imagine if ordinary laundromats put the system in place--you could easily find a place to wash your clothes on vacation and spend more time enjoying yourself.

Live in a building with shared laundry facilities? Might want to pass the link on to your landlord. The system provides operators with online, real-time cash and card reporting and generates detailed diagnostic reports when machines are in need of service, so technicians can proactively address issues.

Here comes the soup.

(Credit: Irawoods.com)

This time of year, there's a lot of cooking going on. While roasts, turkeys, hams, and side dishes galore mean lots of food on the table, they also mean there will be lots of leftovers in the refrigerator. When faced with a well-picked-over turkey or ham, one final dish comes to mind: soup. By using the leftover protein to make a stock or broth, a flavorful base is created that can be taken in any direction. However, to get that smooth consistency to which you can later add veggies, meat, or noodles, first you are going to need to puree it.

This Viking Hand Blender (VHB300SG) features a powerful 300-watt motor that makes it easy to create soup from all your leftovers. With the ability to blend directly in the cooking vessel, there is no need to work in batches using a blender of food processor. The ergonomic design incorporates a no-slip handle, assuring a firm grip as you blend your soup to preferred consistency.

While soup-making may be its highlight, the blender features attachments allowing it to be used for other tasks. A chopper attachment makes quick work of fruits and vegetables (perfect for adding to soup). Additionally, a stainless-steel whisking attachment is also available--just in case you get tired of all that soup.