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For real couch potatoes.
(Credit: Keita Watanabe & Shota Matsuda)You know how, during the two minutes or so that you're waiting for your microwave popcorn to pop, you find yourself thinking, "If only I could be watching a video on YouTube right now"? No? Oh. Well, if you ever do find yourself wanting to take advatage of those few moments of forced waiting, you'll love the idea behind the CastOven.
From the developers' Web site: "Watching movies, playing video games, and browsing Web pages are fun, but all of them require a certain amount of time of us to spare." To solve this problem, this future microwave oven with the 10.4-inch LCD display plays YouTube clips that fit your cooking time.
The concept machine looks ridiculously cool, and you can even watch a demonstration video, in case you're having a hard time understanding how you can cook food and watch videos simultaneously. Props for the design and the presentation, but I'm just not sure there's a real need for this product.
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.
The best of both worlds.
(Credit: Chef's Catalog)Choosing between a toaster and a toaster oven can be difficult. Toaster ovens are incredibly versatile, convenient for warming up leftovers or even cooking entire meals. On the other hand, regular toasters are usually very good at what they are designed to do: the toasting of bread. However, that's pretty much all they do, so our kitchen counters are usually furnished with toaster ovens. However, some people may miss that good old-fashioned toast popping action, so for them, it's not an easy decision.
There can be only one true answer to this conundrum when seeking out a new toasting appliance: get both. The Waring Toaster Oven/Toaster solves this toaster dilemma by combining the two into one. It is perfect for those that have a hard time making a decision, the toaster combines the best of both worlds: the flexibility of a toaster oven with the tradition of a pop-up toaster. But this combo is not only handy for the undecided among us, but also it can help to ease morning toaster congestion. Suddenly, there is room for a slice of bread and a frozen pastry treat. While other combination appliances are generally mash-ups between two totally different devices, the fusing of a toaster and a toaster oven is one that actually makes sense.
The Waring Toaster Oven/Toaster costs about $100 online.
Yes, it's a toaster oven.
(Credit: Sanyo)Kitchen appliances tend to play "follow the leader." When somebody comes out with an innovative product or feature, other manufacturers soon follow suit. Think of it as a form of Darwinism: the good features multiply, and the ones that don't work are phased out. One result is kitchen appliances tend to always look the same. For example, toaster ovens are usually long and rectangular and so it always shall be. That was until Sanyo decided to make a toaster oven that stands up.
The Sanyo Space Saving Two Level Super Toasty Oven is taller than your average toaster oven. At first appearance it looks odd, but some kitchens would really benefit from the toaster-oven-on-a-toaster-oven design. Counter space is a premium in any kitchen, some more than others. However, I can see it posing a problem for certain foods; a slice of pizza may not feel too welcome in there.
Everything you would expect from a toaster oven is incorporated: a shade selector, slide-out racks, and a crumb tray. A selector switch allows control over which part of the oven to heat up: top, bottom, or both. A bagel setting toasts the cut side of a bagel, while warming the other side. A toaster that understands there are two different sides to a bagel is one that certainly has a feature worth keeping--no matter how strange it may look.
Oven mitts make me feel clumsy: they may protect my hands, but I have a hard time feeling what I'm trying to hold on through the thick fabric. The Silicone Pinch Grips provide a safe hold on hot pans, pots, lids, oven racks, and anything else I need to move around in my kitchen without burning my hands. While the grips are smaller than a traditional pot holder, each one has ridges on the inner surface that will let you hold on to even the most slippery items. While the outside of the grips don't have quite as pronounced a pattern as the insides, they do have enough of a pattern to make it easier for fingers to hold tight to the pinch grip. The Silicone Pinch Grips are available in green, red, blue, yellow, and black.
The Silicone Pinch Grips are made entirely from silicone, which remains cool even when holding on to particularly hot items. The silicone is dishwasher-safe, letting you avoid adding your oven mitts to your laundry load. Each grip measures 3.5 inches by 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches, fitting comfortable into most users' hands. They're $5 each, allowing you to pick up several without breaking the bank.
Want to give your cooking some street cred? Spice up your kitchen with the 48-inch Residential Nova Burner (RNB) stove from BlueStar Cooking Equipment. Available in red (and 190 other colors) BlueStar's 22,000 BTUs of cooking power is the highest powered open burner on the residential market.
Not enough to impress your crew? Maybe they'll reconsider when they hear it's being used on season two of The Next Iron Chef, starting this Sunday on the Food Network.
For lighter cooking, the home chef will appreciate the 130-degree simmer burner, perfect for ensuring your delicate sauces don't burn and your soups cook evenly. The oversize capacity oven lets you cook turkey for the masses at holiday time. And if 48 inches of range is too hot for your kitchen to handle, you could choose a 24-, 30-, or 36-inch model. Or, if you believe that bigger is better, go all out with the 60-inch range.
BlueStar ranges are handcrafted in my hometown, Reading, PA, so you know they're cool. Or hot.
If you live or work somewhere with limited space, the 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker from Sunpentown can breakfast a lot easier. It incorporates a coffee maker, a toaster oven and an electric frying pan all in one small appliance. The coffee maker can hold 4 cups and offers a reusable coffee filter. The frying pan is nonstick and ETL-approved. The toaster oven has a removable rack and tray, along with a 15-minute timer. It has a capacity of 5 liters. And all of this is in an appliance that measures just 15.5 inches by 8 inches by 9.5 inches.
The 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker is ideal for a dorm room or an office. While a few meals might still be out of reach, you can cook up a surprising number of dishes in it, and you certainly aren't just limited to making breakfast. If you can pair it with a miniature fridge and possibly a microwave, you can cook most things that come to mind. The 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker has a power output of 500 watts, meaning that it won't be a major part of your electricity bill, either. The appliance is black and stainless steel. It's priced at $50.98.
Tell the truth.
(Credit: Chef's Catalog)Ovens are notorious for not telling the truth. They tell us that their internal temperature is 350 degrees F, but when in actuality, they are really burning hot at 400 degrees F; or even worse, they report a temperature too cool. The result is overcooked meals or underdone meat, resulting in meals that are never as good as they can be. Over time, we learn the idiosyncrasies of our ovens and learn to compensate for the discrepancy--but that doesn't mean we have to.
The Maverick Dual Sensor Digital Meat and Oven Thermometer is a two in one probe that gauges not only food temperature, but also oven temperature. Capable of registering temperatures from -32 degrees F to +572 degrees F, the thermometer makes it easy to precisely control cooking time and temperature. The handy unit features a 99-minute countdown timer and sounds an alarm when the target temperature has been reached.
With a 5.25-inch stainless-steel probe connected to a 42-inch cord, the thermometer mounts on the outside of the oven and displays factual temperatures via a large, easy-to-read screen. It even has a low-battery (it uses one AA) alert, assuring you that even when the power is running low, it won't give you a false reading without warning. I would have saved many a meal if my oven did as much.
It's easy to find convenience in the kitchen. Everywhere you look, gadgets and appliances are designed with ease of use in mind. This is a good thing, as cooking should not be intimidating to anyone; it is communal, fun, and something we all have in common. Having a device that has preset modes for easy operation makes kitchen chores accessible to anyone, including children. Having a device that offers preset cooking modes, and advanced options makes sure that particular appliance offers something for everyone.
The Black & Decker Digital Rotisserie Convection Oven is one such device. Sure, you could use the countertop oven to simply make some toast, but this compact appliance offers more. Other one-touch cooking functions put this oven on par with microwave ovens for simple to use features. Preset buttons allow for the choice of options from bagels to frozen snacks, potatoes, and even cookies. When it's time to delve deeper into what the oven can offer, a handy internal fan allows for convection cooking. When it's time to really see what a countertop oven can do, the included rotisserie equipment makes exploring what the compact device is capable of both fun and delicious.
Measuring about 18 inches tall, almost 23 inches across and with a depth of just over 14.5 inches, the oven is capable of handling a variety of meals. The nonstick interior surface makes cleaning a breeze, whether you are exploring spit-roasted poultry, taking advantage of the curved interior to make a 12-inch pizza, or just making the morning toast.
One of my favorite desserts to cook is cheesecake, but I always wind up spilling at least a little of the batter as I put the pan in the oven. I can't clean it up until the oven cools down and, by that time, it's baked on to the bottom of the oven and takes major cleaning to remove. The Chef's Planet Oven Liner eliminates that heavy-duty cleaning. It sits on the bottom of an oven and catches any spills, protecting your appliance. For minor spills, the oven liner wipes clean. For major messes (like baked-on cheesecake), it can go in the dishwasher. The mat is fully reusable and reversible.
The Chef's Planet Oven Liner is made to fit 23-inch ovens, but you can trim it to fit in a smaller oven. It's made from PTFE-coated fiberglass and can stand temperatures as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven liner sits on the bottom of your oven, if your oven is gas or does not have visible heating elements. If it's electric and has a heating element, the mat can simply slide underneath. The Chef's Planet Oven Liner is $16.99.
