Cooking

Once upon a time, microwave ovens were only a concept. Now, freezers everywhere can be stocked with frozen food as easily as taking a trip to the local market. But it still requires a trip to the store. Sure, frozen foods can be ordered and delivered, but since frozen foods are frozen there lacks a certain urgency of need; they can be stockpiled for months on end. But what about freshly-made convenience food?

There exists a gap between microwaveable meals and restaurant delivery. While some might say, "yes, that is called 'cooking,'" others might ask "how many … Read more

Of all the kitchen appliances that make their home in the busiest room of the house, there is one that refuses to budge during mealtime. Sure, the refrigerator and the dishwasher aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but the big meal-maker is the oven, and it historically hasn't been very mobile. Unless, of course, you have a mobile phone.

Expanding the capabilities of its wall oven line, GE has introduced True European Convection with Direct Air. Available for 30-inch models, the addition of a top interior vent allows for better circulation of heated air in the oven cavity. The … Read more

Waffle evolution has had a long and twisty course. First, there was the waffle iron; somebody poured batter in it and all was well. Eventually somebody took a freshly cooked waffle and rolled it up, inventing the ice cream cone. After that, not much happened until one enterprising fellow ruined his wife's waffle maker and changed athletic footwear forever. Now, there is a new course set for the home kitchen with upside-down, inside-out waffles.

The CucinaPro Bubble Waffler (around $45) offers a fun take on traditional breakfast waffles. Modeled after the street food, eggettes, or even their cousin, ebleskivers, … Read more

What goes into an oven isn't necessarily what comes out. One may think they are placing a pizza in the oven, but the dough, cheese and sauce combination that comes out quite often is not pizza. Sure, it may be that the dough, cheese and sauce will have been cooked and transformed into crust, melted cheese and cooked sauce, but that doesn't mean it deserves to be called pizza. Pizza is more than the sum of its parts.

The Teka wall oven (model: HL 45.15) looks to turn the home kitchen into a pizza parlor. The two-compartment … Read more

Grilling is an active endeavor that requires making choices. Like any other cooking method, decisions must be made about what to prepare. For the grill, the options are seemingly endless. This is how it should be: a versatile heat source should be capable of producing versions of almost anything. However when looking to cook a quality meal on the grill, the list of choices to make usually do not include whether to go outside or to stay inside. Or if one should mortgage the house.

The Lynx Downtown Electric Grill ($1,499.95) is rated for indoor or outdoor use. … Read more

Beverage and food coolers come in all shapes and sizes. And for good reason too; a nation with hearty appetites needs somewhere to put all that food (before it settles around the waistline, that is). Lugging delectable foods from point A to point B requires planning. Since there will no doubt be need to bring something to wash it all down, the big cooler will be required. But what about the little stuff?

A large cooler filled with ice makes for a great transportation device for beer and soda cans, but can wreak havoc upon foodstuffs placed within. Battered and … Read more

The hunt to find contrast in the kitchen is a never-ending one. Luckily, it is also a delicious one. Well, usually. For every wonderful taste combination that is uncovered, chances are a few mistakes litter the path that was taken to get there. That's OK, though; meandering away from bland and homogenous food is worth the effort. All it takes is a little imagination and a willingness to take an extra step -- but that doesn't have to mean traveling very far.

The small confines of the average home kitchen don't embrace excessive maneuverability, but that doesn'… Read more

It's not hard to come across a serving of well-lit food. After all, we eat with our eyes first, as they say. Following this line of logic it might make sense to peer a little deeper into the process. No, not the process of food styling, but food prepping instead. If all the world's a stage, all the players need to start eating the props at some point. Best to have the props well lit.

Hidden under the weighing stage of the Mastrad Electric Backlit Scale ($29.99) lurks three LEDs just waiting for the curtain to rise. … Read more

Sadly, I find it easier to build a computer than a kick off a successful grill fire. The up-and-coming BBQ Dragon could be the breath of fresh air -- literally -- to change my poor fire-starting fortune.

Essentially working the same way as a fan, the cordless BBQ Dragon shoots a large amount of cool air into a fire and accelerates the burning process. The stainless steel device, which has a variable air speed controller and flexible arm, easily clips onto the side of a grill or smoker. The designers say the Dragon works great with bonfires, the Big Green Egg, wood stoves, and more. … Read more