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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.
No stir stick needed.
(Credit: Think Geek)After all the shopping and cooking and traveling, the end of the year can be a real time crunch, and it's easy to overlook the little day-to-day things we regularly attend to without a second thought. Thankfully, when it comes to the most basic consumables of our daily lives (coffee), there is a product designed to help those of us who need to save every minute (or are incredibly absent-minded).
The Self-Stirring Mug from Think Geek can help us shave precious seconds off of our daily routine. Powered by two AAA batteries installed in the base, the mug accomplishes this amazing time-saving trick with the press of a button. A fast-moving motor installed in the base spins a small mechanism, creating a whirlwind of your favorite beverage. No matter how you dress up your coffee, this fun little gadget will give you the time (not to mention the caffeine boost) to get through your day--or at least save you from using up a stir stick.
Tablecloths, carpets, clothing--red wine can leave stains anywhere it's spilled. The Wine Away Spray Stain Remover can clean up those stains and, since the kit is small enough to fit in a purse or a pocket, you can have it on hand whenever you need it, even if you're out to dinner. The kit's tin contains three mini spray bottles. An individual, purse-size bottle is also available. The spray can instantly remove stains from clothing and carpets, leaving a citrus scent behind. Rather than harsh chemicals, the cleaner is made from water and fruit and vegetable extracts. There's no bleach in the ingredients and is entirely nontoxic.
The Wine Away Spray Stain Remover is manufactured by Evergreen Labs and is available through Sur la Table. The cleaner makes it easy to enjoy a glass of red wine without worrying about drips or spills. It could make a useful gift for a wine aficionado or a host who does a lot of entertaining--either way, a simple way to clean up red wine stains is sure to come in handy. The individual Wine Away Spray Stain Remover is $6, while the kit is available for $9.
If you're used to drinking filtered water, you may not want to fill up your water bottle from the office sink or a building's water fountain. The Self-Filtering Water Bottle offers a way to have filtered water no matter where you go. The water bottle has an integrated filter that can remove chlorine, silt and other impurities from water. It can even filter any freshwater sources into potable water, like a stream along a hiking trail. You can filter up to 100 gallons of water in the Self-Filtering Water Bottle before you need to replace the filter. The filter uses adsorption and chemical bonding, as well as 1/500-millimeter perforations to clean water. The techniques used can remove 99.99 percent of microbes, making water healthier as well as improving the taste.
The Self-Filtering Water Bottle is made from nonleaching stainless steel, eliminating concerns about BPA and other chemicals that can leach out of plastic bottles into your water. It can hold up to 27 ounces of water. The water bottle has both a screw-on lid and a flip-out spout. The Self-Filtering Water Bottle is priced at $49.95. Each replacement filter is available for $29.95 and filters the equivalent of 757 half-liter water bottles before being replaced.
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.
Blending by pictures.
(Credit: Amazon)I remember the blender my mom used from the time when I was young. Not only was it surprisingly loud for something that seemed to have only one moving part, but it also sure had a lot of buttons for that one little blade. They were push-style buttons, lined up neatly in a row. The 10 or so settings all had esoteric meanings, certainly for a young kid who couldn't fathom why one spinning sharp thing needed so many options. While I am still not sure about Grate as a blender function, I have come to terms with others like Frappe, and to some extent, Liquefy.
The DeLonghi DBL650 54-Ounce Blender uses symbols to get its point across. The stainless-steel blender with 54-ounce jar features five function settings enabled via symbolic pictures on the front. Included are settings for dips, soups, sauces, and beverages. Naturally, the all-important ice-crushing function is present and accounted for, easily identifiable as a single snowflake.
The blender features some nice modern touches in addition to the iconography. The sturdy housing and control layout signify a no-nonsense approach and impress a workhorse quality. The blender features a built-in strainer or filter, a well-thought-out inclusion that eliminates the need to root around the kitchen for an accessory. And as far as blending options go, don't worry if what you need isn't represented by what is on the buttons; the blender features three speeds and a pulse setting for all your blending needs.
Periscope not included.
(Credit: Irawoods.com)Few eating or imbibing customs are steeped so deeply in ritual as is the making of tea. From little cucumber sandwiches on one side of the world to medicinal uses on the other, tea has long been held as much more than simply being some leaves soaked in water. As tradition dictates, even a simple modern cup of tea must be attached to at least some sort of process; one that automates the steeping like a submerging submarine seems as good as any.
The Zarafina Tea Maker Suite entertains users while it brews a proper cup of tea. The automated machine features steeping settings for different types of tea. Depending on whether you are making a pot of black, oolong, green, white, or herbal tea, the time and temperature will vary.
The device--which sells online for $60 and up--accomplishes this variety of tea-making by floating an infuser basket full of tea over the heating water. When the temperature is right, the basket is released directly into the tea, sinking much like a submarine would into the ocean.
Featuring a payload of your favorite tea, the maker doesn't stop at simple mechanics when the water is just right--there is the steeping time to consider. Complete with a ceramic teapot, teacups and a serving tray, the do-it-all appliance automatically pours your tea directly into the teapot when it has been steeped for the appropriate amount of time. With or without ceremony, your favorite tea is now ready to enjoy.
My husband is one of about six people on the planet who drinks Vanilla Coke Zero. This flavor is so unpopular that it's extremely difficult to find in bottles, which means we buy a lot of 12-packs of cans of soda.
On occasion, my husband doesn't finish a whole can at once. And the leftover soda loses its carbonation and eventually gets dumped down the drain. And then I get annoyed because I hate wasting money. And food. But mostly money.
So as much as I might enjoy making fun of late night informercials, I was intrigued when I saw an ad for the Bottle Top. It looks like the top third or so of a plastic water bottle, with a lid that seals shut. Snap the top right onto your soda can to keep your soda carbonated and prevent spills. A south Mississippi TV reporter evaluated the Bottle Top and found that it did meet most of the ad claims.
The Bottle Top comes in six different colors. The ad says a set of six is $10, but what you can order online is actually a set of 12 (plus a pop-top opener in case you've never mastered the fine art of opening a can of soda) for $10, plus $6.99 shipping and handling...plus another $6.99 shipping and handling for the second set of six. Or, head to the store and grab a box of 12 for $10.
It seems like unusual coffee mugs are a good fallback plan if you can't think of a holiday gift, but even among all those unique mugs that get given out every year, the Link Mugs stand out. The ceramic coffee mugs are white and generally look like typical mugs, except for the sides, near the base. Each coffee mug in the set of three links together by way of a plus-shaped plug on one side of each mug and a corresponding socket on the other. Link your mugs together and you can carry them all over your home or office without needing to worry about spilling hot tea or coffee on yourself or on the floor.
The Link Mugs were designed by Johnathan Aspinall, with the intention of solving how one person can carry several mugs at once without resorting to a tray. The design is based of a standard builders mug. The mugs are approximately 3.75 inches tall, with a diameter of about 3.25 inches. The Link Mugs come packaged in a gift box that includes instructions on how to connect the mugs, making them a useful choice for holiday present. The set is priced at approximately $54.
No ice needed.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)While nothing beats enjoying a cooler full of ice-cold beverages at the park, beach, or backyard barbecue, there is a bit of a downside risk: wet cans. As drinks are plucked from the murky depths of the ice chest, ice that is no longer ice clings to the can. It's something even cold-activated cans cannot fix.
Since the dawn of mankind (or at least the invention of the tailgate party), people have looked for a way to enjoy the crisp, clean taste of their favorite drinks without the inconvenience of wet fingers. Now, finally, there is a way.
The Wine Enthusiast Koolatron Rechargeable Bar On Wheels provides a way to cool your drinks anywhere, without the use of ice. The rechargeable cooler cools contents to a "near refrigerator" temperature of 40 degrees F.
Plugging into a standard home outlet, the 41-pound portable cooler also includes an AC/DC adapter for vehicle charging. One charge is good for up to four hours of active, quiet cooling, and for easy portability, two wheels are attached at the base.
With three removable shelves and space for in-door bottle cooling, the portable party-maker has a versatile interior capable of cooling all types of beverages. Complete with a flat work area on top and a hanging basket for accessories on the side, this cooling solution is sure to be a hit at your next outdoor event.
But it will cost you--$449.99 in at least one listing we saw. What do you think? Is saving the ice for putting in your drinks instead of on them worth that tag?
