Cooking

The rise of the tablet device as a quick go-to kitchen helper has come as no surprise. Having information available at the fingertips is a good way to improve kitchen skills. The only problem with said fingertips is that often they end up coated in whatever happens to travel from the pantry and the refrigerator to the countertop. Baking can be messy business, but despite the danger of a destroyed tablet, the practice continues.

There are plenty of plastic sleeves and other accessories are available to help keep the device from being contaminated by food. So, we grab the expensive … Read more

What could be better than the smell of a loaf of bread baking? The answer is as simple as it is obvious: the smell of two loaves of bread baking. Yet, in home kitchens everywhere, there is a major stumbling block hindering this wonderful and enticing experience. Alas, the bread machine can only handle one loaf at a time. The answer, again, is as simple as it is obvious: use two bread-making machines. Or just double down on one.

The Cooks Essentials Dual 1 lb. Bread Maker w/12 Programmed Settings ($99) is a double-barreled bread maker that can bake … Read more

In a world of cookie-cutter cookie cutters, it is not uncommon to find uninspired shapes. But then again, who cares? Cookies are delicious; it doesn't matter how they are cut. End of conversation. Except it does kind of matter; cookies not cut into circus animal shapes may taste the same, but don't tell that to the kids (or the adults who lamented the near death of that classic cookie). But even more unforgivable than carbon-copy cookie cutters, is when they become unrecognizable shapes. That is unless they combine to form a new whole.

The 3D Dinosaur Cookie Cutters from Suck UK … Read more

It's time to talk turkey. A lot of turkey. As in turkey sandwiches. It is that time of year, after all. However, as high as the leftovers may be piled up in the refrigerator, that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to figure out what to do with them. One can only eat so many sandwiches. Unless of course, there can be found new ways of constructing them.

The Frigidaire FPPG12K7MS Professional Panini Grill (about $120) takes an old classic and smashes it -- in a good way. But panini sandwiches are just the start. The indoor grill … Read more

It's that time of year again when things are about to get real busy in the kitchen. The holidays usher in an endless stream of grocery bags being hauled into the kitchen, most filled with recognizable favorites of food-to-be. Tradition may dictate turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy to be on the table come dinnertime, but that doesn't mean a soon-to-be classic can't get thrown in the mix.

Watching a cooking video and following along with the steps is a natural use for tablets and mobile devices. The Williams-Sonoma Smart Tools Bluetooth Speaker ($149.95) offers an easy … Read more

Food generally isn't too big of a deal in the "Star Trek" universe unless you're talking about tribbles eating all the quadrotriticale or Picard ordering up a hot cup of tea to go with his space scones.

All those Enterprise crew members still have to eat and that means there's going to be some hot food coming out of the replicators. That also means you're going to need a space-worthy oven mitt. A Spock oven mitt. The $14.99 oversize Spock hand has just enough blue uniform on the cuff to designate its rank.… Read more

Our long national nightmare of vending machines only delivering cold items is almost over. Once EatWave vending machines take over the break rooms and hotel lobbies of the world, we will no longer have to wait in line at the microwave.

EatWave offers a complete junk food meal from a single machine. You can get a cold soda, a bag of chips, a hot pastrami sandwich, and a chocolate bar all at once. Each EatWave machine is equipped with a built-in microwave unit and a gravity delivery system for moving the food.… Read more

Cookware can be deceptively simple. Deceptive, because it usually is simple. But then something comes along and adds another piece to the puzzle. Then another. Eventually, a set of interlocking pieces comes together, promising to do anything and everything. The problem is, sometimes when things get too complicated, their original utility gets lost in the fold.

Not so with the Twiztt by Joan Lunden Cut, Cook & Serve Set ($79.99). Like a puzzle, the set of kitchenware comes together to form something greater than the sum of its parts. As the name implies, the multitasking set goes from prepping … Read more

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but that doesn't mean you have to know how to make it. For many, a bowl of cereal or some type of food in bar form does the trick. Others opt for a short wait in a fast-food line. Somewhere, between the chaos of wrestling with ingredients and the order of ordering from a drive-through, there must be a happy medium.

The Nostalgia Electrics FTW200 2-in-1 Breakfast Treats Maker is a no-nonsense, easy-to-use morning machine. The countertop clamshell-type gadget consists of two sets of cooking plates; one set is … Read more