Posts Tagged ‘kitchen gadgets catalogs’
Kitchen Gadgets Catalog
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
A Potpourri of Gadget Gifts for the Kitchen
Want to be sure the gift you give will really be used? Then consider giving kitchen gadgets that make food preparation, serving, or storage safer, easier, and/or tastier. To help you find such items, we asked the scientists on our site’s Advisory Board to tell us what their favorite Kitchen Tools are, and we got some great ideas from them. We found a few more appealing items in newspaper and magazine articles. Finally, your Shelf Life Advice guru, married to the world’s greatest gadget collector, added a few used often in her own kitchen. You may like these gadgets so much that you buy some as gifts and some for yourself.
Food scientist Dr. Catherine Cutter’s recommendations are all about food safety—1) keeping cold foods cold and 2) avoiding cross-contamination (from one food to another):
Chillzanne® Rectangle Server: A freezable, reversible tray that can keep veggies and dip on the buffet cold for hours.
http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=7924&categoryCode=ET
Chillzanne® Sectional Server: It has removable gel-filled inserts. Freeze them, insert, and this server will also keep food cold for hours.
http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=253&categoryCode=ET
Chillzanne® Bowl: It also uses gel inserts that you freeze beforehand to keep a salad or whatever cold.
http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=12066&categoryCode=ET
To avoid cross-contamination, Dr. Cutter recommends these color-coded products:
Food Safety Paring Knives:It’s a set of four—red for meat, blue for seafood, orange for poultry and green for vegetables.
http://progressiveintl.com/index.php/details/food_safety_paring_knives
Color-Coded Cutting Boards: Cross-contamination is a common cause of food-borne illness. It often results when microorganisms are transferred from one food to another on a cutting board. Particularly dangerous is the transfer of bacteria from raw meat or fish onto foods that are not going to be cooked after cutting. For safety’s sake, it’s a good idea to use different boards for produce, raw poultry, dairy products (such as cheese), fish and seafood, and raw meat. Hence, this set includes 5 color-coded cutting boards.
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/safetysanitation/p/cuttinbrdcolors.htm
Food process engineer Dr. Tim Bowser provided us with recommendations for preserving an open bottle of wine or champagne.
Epivac Stoppers:The Epivac wine stopper pumps air out of a wine bottle, acting like a bicycle pump in reverse. The removal of air helps to preserve the wine from oxidation. There’s also an Epivac stopper for champagne. It forces air into the bottle and prevents bubbles from escaping.
http://www.bizrate.com/bar-shakers-tools/epivac-wine-saver/
Food scientist Dr. Karin Allen is thinking about cookies this time of year. When she bakes them, she uses portion (or cookie) scoops and parchment paper.
Portion Scoops:These scoops (shaped like ice cream scoops) come in different sizes (Dr. Allen recommends sizes 40 – 70), which can be used for making a variety of foods—meatballs, fruit balls, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and so on—in short, any item you want to come out a consistent size. Another advantage: the food doesn’t stick to these scoops. Commercially, they’re also used for portion control. Scoops can be purchased in kitchen shops, restaurant supply stores, and online.
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Substitutions-Leftovers-Storage-643/portion-scoop-equivalents.aspx
Parchment Paper:Not much of a gift by itself, but, along with cookie scoops, it’s an excellent item to introduce to a friend who’s starting to bake. It’s useful when baking bread, cakes, or cookies. A pan lined with parchment paper doesn’t need to be washed after use! Furthermore, foods cooked on parchment paper don’t stick to the surface. Therefore, the bakery chef doesn’t have to spray the pan with nonstick spray or apply oil, both of which shorten the life of a pan. Also, oil on the pan may make cookies spread out more than desirable. Parchment paper can be purchased in rolls in many supermarkets and in restaurant supply stores (where it’s sold in big, flat sheets in boxes of 500 or 1,000. The 12″ X 16″ size is good for cookie sheets.
Here’s an inexpensive gift item that almost everyone can use to smash some comfort food for holiday meals and/or when those holiday bills come pouring in:
Potato Mashers: These days, some potato mashers look like abstract sculpture. The Chicago Tribune ran an article about six of these products: Potato Ricer (target.com), Bethany Heavy Duty Potato Ricer (amazon.com), Zyliss Potato Masher, Chef’s Planet Simply Mash Potato Masher, Oxo Good Grips Smooth Potato Masher (bedbathbeyond.com) and RSSVP International SPUD Endurance Potato Ricer (cooking.com). The price range for these items is $10 – $17. To reach the photos and author’s comments on each product in the Orlando Sentinel reprint of this article, go to the link below and click on “photo gallery.”http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/food/sc-food-1112-testings-mashers-20101116,0,2808867.story
Private Juice Bar:Does it work any better than a dumpy-looking old-fashioned juicer? We don’t know, but it will look nifty in the kitchen. It’s the Bodum “Bistro” citrus juicer. As Health magazine says, “Pop the fruit on the top, and it extracts the juice in seconds.” If you can’t find that one in the stores, check out the link below for a huge range of other juicers.
http://www.cookware.com/Juicers-C22148.html?refid=MS25197.”citrus+juicer”
Recommended by Shelf Life Advice visitor Joan Friedman:
Mini-Cuisinart Processor: It’s much less expensive, takes up much less space, and is easier to clean than the big version. And its blades are strong enough to meet your chopping and grinding needs.
http://www.zappos.com/cuisinart-kitchen-electrics-housewares~1
To conclude, here are two gadget favorites from the household of your Shelf Life Advice guru:
Bodum French Presses: For a good cup of coffee (or two or more), many folk we know love this gadget. A few times a day, my husband uses the size that makes about 1 cup of coffee, for coffee and for tea (made from tea leaves). He uses the quart size for company. Bodum also has a 16-oz. mug/press combo called the “travel press coffeemaker.” It’s dishwasher safe, BPA-free, and available online only. Note: our experience with the glass models has been that the glass is quite thin and fragile, so we recommend the plastic models. There’s also the Electric French Press-Plus for making piping hot coffee without having to pour in hot water. Contact EdgeCraft at (800) 342-3255.
Food Saver®:This item isn’t cheap, but sometimes, honestly, you have to spend money to save money. The Food Saver lets you make a second meal out of leftovers and a good one at that. Its vacuum packaging seals food in an airtight bag so that the quality will hold up better in the fridge or the freezer. Vacuum packaging not only reduces oxidation (which affects taste and nutritional value), but it can also inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as mold and bacteria. The Food Saver system includes bags, canisters, jar sealers, and bottle stoppers (for wine, non-carbonated liquids, and oils). http://www.foodsaver.com/index.aspx?
Source(s):
Karin E. Allen, Ph.D., Utah State University, Dept. of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences
Catherine N. Cutter, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, Dept. of Food Science
Timothy J. Bowser, Ph.D. Oklahoma State University, Dept. of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
About the Author
ETHEL TIERSKY, the editor and frequent author for http://shelflifeadvice.com,has been a free-lance writer since 1963 and a food safety fanatic for even longer. She has published dozens of magazine articles and co-authored 14 grammar texts and readers for adults studying the English language. Developing http://shelflifeadvice.com has kept her busy since retiring from her teaching position as associate professor of English at Harry Truman College in Chicago. Some of her other writings for the site include “Don’t Let Those Food Expiration Dates Scare You,” product write-ups on mayonnaise and water, and “Pyrex Glassware: Is It Safe to Use?”
|
|
KitchenAid SSA Sausage Stuffer Kit Attachment for Food Grinder $4.75 Prepare sausages packed with superb flavor and nutrition. Includes a 3/8” tube for small links, and a 5/8” tube for large links. the sausage stuffer requires the food grinder attachment. Use these tubes with model No. FGA food grinder. Fits all KitchenAid stand mixers…. |
|
|
BonJour Chef’s Torch with Fuel Gauge $29.88 BonJour Chef’s Torch with Fuel Gauge Preparing delicate creme brulee, brown meringue, or melt cheese over soup with BonJour’s Chef’s Torch with Fuel Gauge. It has a fuel level indicator window so you can refill it when necessary. Instructions included…. |
|
|
Fusionbrands Poach Pods, Set of 2, Green $9.95 Flexible silicone Poach Pods stay afloat and upright automatically to cook eggs in minutes! Simply add a lightly-greased pod to a pan of boiling water, crack the egg into the pod and simmer. Egg pops out with a press of your fingertip. Smooth silicone provides the quick and easy mess-free release. Bake flan, mini cakes or muffins. Pods are heat-resistant up to 675 degrees F. Ideal for molding indi… |
|
|
Stovetop Replacement Drip Pans – Square Gas – CHROME – Improvements Revive the look of your range with Stovetop Replacement Drip Pans.If the drip pans on your stove are looking the worse for wear, it’s time to replace them! Available in black enameled porcelain or chrome, these drip pans will make your stove look like new, plus catch overspills from your pans. Easy to clean by hand washing. Made in the USA.Universal Small Electric: The 6″ Universal Small Drip Pan … |
|
|
Dishwasher Stemware Holder – Improvements Dishwasher Stemware Holder holds 8 glasses securely so they won’t get nicked or chipped. Snapping easily onto the lower rack of your dishwasher, the Dishwasher Stemware Holder will keep wine glasses or goblets from bumping or tipping during the dishwashing cycle. Just slide the stems of the glasses into the specially designed notches of the Dishwasher Stemware Holder so that glasses are suspended … |
|
|
Sink Protector – Medium – Improvements The unique design of these Sink Protectors allow you to use your garbage disposal without removing the rack. You can put your hot pans on a Sink Protector and not have to worry. A Sink Protector has coated feet to prevent the sink from being scratched, while coordinating beautifully with your sink. Use a stainless steel Sink Protector to keep pots and pans from scratching your sink. These Sink Pro… |
|
|
RSVP International BIO6 Biodegradable Plastic Bags 50-ct. $10.99 These 100% biodegradable and compostable bags are the perfect companion for all of our compost pails. Made from a certified biodegradable and compostable material, Mater-Bi, they are GMO free and will biodegrade as naturally as the fruit and vegetable scraps inside. BioBag products meet the specifications found in ASTM D6400 and carry the BPI compostable logo. They are approved by the San Francisc… |
|
|
Better Living Products Signature Dispenser Valet with Stainless Steel Towel Bar, Chrome $24.99 Keep your vanity, tub, or shower orderly and clean with this wall mounted, push-button soap dispenser. Reversible stainless steel bar holds towel or washcloth at the ready; installs easily with screws or adhesive (included). Plastic. 9 3/4″ wide x 7″ high x 3 1/4″ deep; 10-oz. capacity…. |
|
|
Pure Lemon Extract – 2 oz,(J.R. Watkins) $2.96 The unmistakable flavor of real lemon oil shines in: sugar cookies zucchini bread iced tea lemon bars lemon drops blueberry cobbler A great substitute for fresh lemon peel (not juice)…. |
|
|
RSVP 8 Piece Egg Cup & Spoon Set $16.95 Soft-boiled eggs are a special treat which many remember fondly from childhood days. Serve them properly in these egg cups which play with the poultry theme…. |
