Touch the Future Now at Staples
Always time for tea.
(Credit: Amazon)Tea drinkers understand the art of brewing tea. Though coffee drinkers do appreciate interacting with their favorite beverage in order to make it, the vast majority of coffeemakers are automatic drip machines. They quite often make a fine cup of coffee, but after the initial choices of beans and grind are chosen, the actual brewing process is automated. The same cannot be said for brewing tea.
Different types of tea require different brewing temperatures; hearty black teas do well with a high brewing temperature, and green and herbal teas benefit from brewing at a lower temperature. The Capresso PerfectTea Cordless 48-Ounce Electric Glass Kettle features a five-setting temperature control knob for heating water as low as 100 degrees and on up to a boil. The kettle is free from restriction, as heating is accomplished via the base; when ready, there is no power cord to get in the way. Additionally, the bottom portion swivels full circle, allowing for easy access for both righties and lefties.
Complete with a pull-out drawer showing a guide for recommended brewing temperatures, the unit is a convenient teakettle for tea novices and aficionados alike. Measuring 8.5 inches by 7 inches, with a height of 10 inches, the countertop appliance has a small footprint and makes it easy to enjoy all aspects of tea brewing, no matter how complex the flavor.
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.
When you run the microwave, it's common to hear a pop or two--and when you do, you know that you're going to need to wipe out the microwave again. As food heats up, it splatters as a matter of course. The Microwave Splatter Covers can provide a way to limit the mess without taking longer to cook your food. The thin plastic covers can be set directly on top of any container you put in the microwave, offering a reusable alternative to paper towels or plastic wrap. They're dishwasher-safe, which makes cleaning up the microwave a moment's work. The Microwave Splatter Covers are smooth on one side and have ribbing on the other side.
The Microwave Splatter Covers come as a set of four. The largest cover is nine inches square, the medium cover measures 7 inches square and the two smaller covers are each 5 inches square. The variety of sizes lets you cover a teacup as easily as a casserole. Storing the splatter covers is also simple: they can all lie flat in a drawer. The Microwave Splatter Covers are nontoxic and will not melt in the microwave even with multiple uses. You can purchase the set of four for $7.95.
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.
I would much rather get my vitamin C from oranges and other fruits than have to take an extra pill every day. The fruits with plenty of vitamin C typically require special tools to peel and eat. Citrus fruits are tasty but dealing with the peel is time consuming. The Vitamin C Set includes what you need to deal with orange rind and more. The set includes two spoons, one with a green handle and one with an orange handle. The green spoon has teeth along its edge, allowing you to scoop grapefruit segments and peel kiwi fruit. The orange spoon's edge lets you peel citrus fruits like tangerines, clementines and, of course, oranges.
The Vitamin C Set comes in a gift box, in case you need an easy way to remind a friend or a relative to get their daily recommended amount of vitamin C. The spoons are also small enough that they can be used on the go; even more convenient, the spoons fold into the handles. They don't even reach 3 inches in length when folded up, so they're small enough to fit in most pockets even if you want to carry both spoons at once. The Vitamin C Set is available for approximately $20.
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.
