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Curl your own carrot ribbons

More than a few restaurants seem to have some kind of artistic genius working on salads: plates come out with artfully arranged vegetables, decorated with curls of carrots and other items that could be garnish, or could be part of the salad, or could even be both. Apparently there not just an art to making those ribbons of carrots. There's also a special tool involved. The Carrot Curler enables you to make ribbons of carrot yourself. Slide a carrot into the tool and turn sideways--the Carrot Curler uses a small blade to separate ribbons from the carrot sticks, adding … Read more

Stop spills with the CaliBowl

I'm kind of a klutz. I can set a beautiful table, and then drip salsa on it the first time I dip a chip into the bowl I've so carefully set out. Even if you personally are more graceful than I, you probably have friends or occasional guests who share my clumsiness. The CaliBowl from SimpleWave will keep your table looking lovely by preventing drips and spills.

The simple, patent-pending design features an inward-curving lip--the company compares it to the tide of a wave--that scoops food and dips onto your chip, utensil, or food, or back into the … Read more

A cake server with flair

At first, I wasn't sure just what the Magisso Cake Server was: the elegant curves of the stainless steel shape seemed meant for something fancier than your typical cake. But it provides several benefits over the typical knife and server pair you'll see next to most cakes. This cake server is all one piece. You press it into the cake, slicing out a neat piece. Then you press gently on the sides to hold on to the slice as you lift it out and set it on a plate. Layer cakes don't fall apart when you're … Read more

Eat more popcorn, fewer hulls

Ever wondered what would happen if a dentist invented a popcorn bowl? Well, wonder no more, and behold the Kernel Katcher, which neatly collects your unpopped kernels and excess hulls so that you can enjoy a net popcorn experience, with no worries of chipping a tooth on an unpopped kernel.

Pop your corn any way you like, then dump it into the Kernel Katcher. Snap on the lid, shake the bowl in a circular motion, and your popcorn waste falls into the catcher compartment at the bottom. You can fit about 13 cups of popped corn in there and still … Read more

Dive back into fondue

Fondue is fun. Sitting around with family and friends, jostling for position over a bowl of melted cheese or chocolate can be quite entertaining. Add some good wine and better conversation and you got yourself a complete evening. However, as enjoyable as this communal experience may be, there are at least two things involved with fondue parties that nobody enjoys: setting up and cleaning up.

When people think of fondue, generally cheese and chocolate come to mind, but also a small flickering flame. The Swissmar AlpenGlow 11-Piece Electric Fondue Set bypasses the convention of utilizing fire, and instead relies on … Read more

Let your utensils biodegrade

Disposable spoons and forks seem to be a fact of life: whether packing a lunch or picking up take out, they're everywhere. We all know that they aren't particularly good for the environment, but they are useful. World Centric has developed an alternative that is far more sustainable. The Biocompostable Utensils are made from corn starch and polylactic acid (another corn derivative.) When you're done using them, they can be composted. They do require higher heat than most home composting systems offer, but can be composted in a commercial composting facility. The corn starch utensils are safe … Read more

Wine on your time

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 … Read more

Rechargeable mills keep salt superstition at bay

Salt and pepper seem to have a lot of superstition attached to their existence. For example, there's that whole thing about throwing salt over one's shoulder after spilling it. Another one is that apparently, salt and pepper need to be kept together at all times. What happens if your throwing arm goes out, or if you are on a salt-reduced diet, I'll leave for other brave souls to test out, but when it comes to the world's most common spices, there is no end to how we keep them at the ready.

Not only is it … Read more

Free yourself from the confines of the stovetop

Sometimes one stove isn't enough. That's not to say an additional stove is always necessary, but sometimes you just need a little more. Or, perhaps even more importantly, you need your cooktop to just move over there. Whether it is a matter of space or convenience, a portable cooktop is an excellent way to expand your options.

The Fissler CookStar Induction Pro Cooktop, PROX61 features 1,500 watts of power and nine heating levels to ensure quality results no matter what or where you need to cook. A boost function and a keep-warm setting provide precision control, either … Read more

Fondue without the fuss

It's not hard to throw together a fondue party. All you need are a few friends, some easy-melting ingredients, and bread, fruit, or something of the like to dip in it. Oh, there's one more thing that would make the evening go down as easy as a vat of melted cheese or chocolate: the fondue pot. Even if you have such a device, creating the velvety centerpiece would probably require the use of a saucepan on the stovetop. That is, unless you have a fondue pot that does double duty.

The All-Clad Fondue Pot with Cast Aluminum Insert … Read more