Good looks and it cooks, too.
(Credit: Dacor)Certain appliances are used so frequently they just blend into the background. This is a good thing. When heavy-use appliances integrate seamlessly into our lives, that means they are working as they should. It's best not to notice them, because that usually means something is wrong. But just because they blend into our surroundings, that doesn't mean we don't want them to be attractive when we do look at them. Considering how central the oven is to daily life, efficiency and design go hand in hand.
The new Dacor Distinctive 30-inch Single Wall Oven is an eye-catching centerpiece in the kitchen. Featuring contemporary styling that includes a handle design that sits flush with the wall oven door and a stainless steel finish, the oven offers the good looks that makes any kitchen feel complete. The inside features hidden bake and recessed broil elements, creating not only a smooth appearance, but also more workable area in the interior. The 3.8-cubic-foot capacity oven also features an innovative baffling system that channels consistent heat throughout the oven.
With six cooking modes (Convection Bake, Convection Broil, Convection Roast, Pure Convection, Bake, and Broil), the features make it easy to achieve desired results when cooking. The electronic touch-control panel offers cooking functions (Start Time, Cooking Time, Stop Time, and Temperature Hold) that facilitate meal planning. There's even an integrated meat probe thermometer, assuring that you get the most out of your oven.
Every time I have to carve a roast, slice some bread, or generally take a knife to any part of dinner, I wind up with pieces that vary in thickness. It seems like the Victorinox Precise Slice Knife was made with me in mind. The knife has an adjustable guide that helps you to slice just about any type of food into pieces of even thickness. You can adjust the guide from a thickness of 1/16 inch to 1/2 inch. With the Victorinox Precise Slice Knife, you can cut meat thinly enough to easily use it for sandwiches.
The Victorinox Precise Slice Knife includes a precision-stamped, high carbon, stainless steel blade with a serrated edge that will help you to easily slice everything from bread to vegetables. The blade is conically ground and goes through a special tempering process, creating a blade that will hold its razor-sharpness. The blade measures 8 1/4 inches long, with the whole knife measuring 13 3/4 inches long. You can run the knife through the dishwasher, although the maker recommends hand washing in order to extend the life of the knife. The Victorinox Precise Slice Knife is priced at $80.
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?
Sometimes it's the simple things that make the biggest difference. Ever used a chip clip on a bag and been disappointed to find that your chips are stale anyway? Next time, try the Banana Seal, which essentially turns any bag into a zip-top resealable bag.
Press a tube into the sealer on the opposite side of the bag to seal in freshness, even in the freezer. The clip is virtually unbreakable and creates an airtight seal for bags of snacks, crackers, frozen foods, brown sugar, and so on. It's particularly useful for anyone with dexterity issues, because it's much easier to use than a chip clip.
If you find yourself with lots of holiday leftovers, pick one up so none of your food goes to waste! Find a package of 18 seals at retailers nationwide or online for around $20.
Keep the good times rolling.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)The World Series may have come and gone (for some reason earlier this month), but that doesn't mean the real national pastime has to roll over. In fact, "rolling over" is exactly what this particular pastime excels at. While baseball may not be the same without hot dogs, you can take them away from the game and enjoy them throughout the long cold winter. Of course, if you want that authentic flavor that can only be had from uncountable revolutions on the heat source, you are going to need something special.
The Nostalgia Electrics Retro Series 50s Style Hot Dog Roller keeps the good times rolling all year 'round. Featuring classic styling reminiscent of a bygone era, the candy-red 15-inch-by-9.5-inch (it measures 15 inches tall) roller is sure to elicit interesting conversations (and demands for demonstrations). The two large dials on the front of the machine are for power and an adjustable heat control. For easy cleaning, the rollers are removable, as is an included drip tray.
With five nonstick stainless-steel rollers, perpetually cooking eight hot dogs (or 12 breakfast sausages) at a time, the hot dog cooker is sure to keep the party going. Hot dogs may be the flavor of baseball, but they taste just as good during football season--as long as you don't use the same ones, that is.
(Credit:
Bed Bath & Beyond)
Those hot dog buns you buy at the supermarket have been traveling for awhile. They may be a little flattened out by the time you get them home and will definitely taste a little bland. This isn't necessarily a problem, until you realize it is easy to make your own and they taste much, much better.
There are many recipes for whipping up a batch of hot dog buns; the only hard part about any of those recipes is making sure you have the right pan. The Americoat Nonstick Hot Dog Bun Pan is ideal for turning out a whole batch of buns at once. Even better, you can make just the number of buns you need at any given time, avoiding superfluous buns.
The Hot Dog Bun Pan is made of aluminized steel, which allows an even distribution of heat, and is coated in Americoat, an environmentally friendly nonstick formula. The pan measures 15 inches long by 6 inches wide, separated into 10 sections by raised ridges. When you pull your buns out of the oven, you can separate them with barely a touch. You can safely use the pan in ovens up to 450 degrees. You should wash it by hand. The Hot Dog Bun Pan costs $41.99.
Professional kitchens, like the ones found in restaurants, usually have a prep station. A person can stand at a particular part of the counter, chop vegetables, and push the scraps directly into a bin. The prep area is clean in seconds, letting the cooks focus on cooking instead of cleaning. While your kitchen may not be big enough for a dedicated prep area, you can temporarily convert some counter space into a prep center in seconds. The Scrap Trap hangs over the edge of a drawer or cabinet door underneath your prep area, letting you push your scraps into the trap without having to mess with major cleanup.
The Scrap Trap holds up to 2 quarts of scraps so that you aren't constantly running back and forth between your prep area and your trash can. It comes with a scraper, which you can keep in the front pocket on the trap when you aren't using it. It also has a stiff-bristled brush to help you clean up your prep area as needed. The Scrap Trap is made from plastic and can go through the dishwasher in between uses.
What's the first thing you do with a new kitchen appliance? In our house, I go for the instruction manual, but my husband tends to plunge right in. This has resulted in more than a few mishaps over the many years of our marriage.
The Primula Speak n' Brew, the world's first talking coffee maker, aims to simplify the coffee brewing process and eliminate the need to push a dozen buttons to program the machine. Instead, you can just tell this 10-cup stainless steel coffee maker when you want your coffee made.
It's pretty straightforward: press Talk, then tell the machine you want to set the coffee brewing time, and tell it when to brew. The machine repeats the time back to you as confirmation, and then, at the proper time, it goes to work.
Too tired to talk? The machine also uses old-school button-type programming.
It's available now for about $80.
Hot edamame with just a little bit of salt is one of my favorite appetizers. When I go out for sushi, one of the first things I order is a basket of edamame. You can pick up frozen edamame at some Asian markets, but you now also have the option of growing your own at home with the Edamame Growing Kit. The kit is meant for a sunny window, meaning that you can have fresh edamame all year round. The kit includes a container, seeds, a wicker basket, and a growing medium. All you need to add is water.
Your plant will grow to about 16 inches tall, sprouting the pea pods known as edamame. The plant itself is actually a soybean plant--the edamame are actually soybean seeds. When the pea pods have rounded out and the peas pop out when you gently squeeze on the pods, they're ready to eat. Cooking them is as simple as boiling the pea pods whole, sprinkling salt over them and eating them as if you were at the local sushi restaurant. The kit comes with more in-depth directions, if needed. It is made in Japan. The Edamame Growing Kit is $15.
When I have people over, I find that a cheese tray is the easiest way to prepare a tasty treat without having to put in a lot of effort. The Butcher Block End Grain Board just made that task even easier. Not only does it include four cheese knives that will allow guests to help themselves without having to touch the cheese with their bare hands, but it also offers a stainless-steel cutting wire, mounted on the board with a built-in chrome arm, that makes slicing cheese very easy. The cutting wire is replaceable, if need be, although the board comes with a lifetime warranty against breakage. The knives are held in place by a magnetic fence.
The Butcher Block End Grain Board is essentially a one-stop station for cheese aficionados, making it a useful item for your holiday entertaining. The board measures 14 inches by 10 inches, with enough room for several different types of cheese. It's also very attractively designed, with contrasting wood grains and polished handles for each knife. You will need to clean the board and the knives by hand--the pieces of the Butcher Block End Grain Board are not dishwasher-safe. The cheese board is priced at $38.99.
