I saw a product called the Lap Counter awhile back, unfortunately with no link given to the designer.  It took only a little bit of effort in Google Images to find that this amazingly simple but brilliant design should be attributed to Tomas Kral, currently living and working in Switzerland.  Tomas has an eye for tweaking a design to its next logical innovative step, and in so doing, he has created several products that would be very nice additions to any kitchen, but especially those that are manned by a physically challenged cook.  Tomas just seems to make things work …read more

Does it take you too long to whisk your egg whites into stiff peaks?  The Squisk might be the answer.  Uutensil claims that it has longer legs and a larger surface than most whisks, which allows you to incorporate more air faster.  40% faster is the claim.

I can’t attest to this, but it does look awfully interesting.  Love to hear if you’ve used one and what you think.  If you’re an early adopter of all things gadgety, you can find them for sale on Chef’s Planet.  They are available right on the Uutensil website also.
via Cook’s Guide NYC
Image: Uutensil

A “war” has been brewing (ha ha) between Katharine Shilcutt and Robb Walsh, two Houston food bloggers.  Katharine doesn’t think too much of many appliances and gadgets, while Robb shamelessly celebrates them.  Katharine wrote about the 10 Most Useless Kitchen Appliances (some of which I agree with, some not…but all are funny), and Robb countered with Top 10 Useful Kitchen appliances That My Foodie Friends Make Fun Of.   Also terribly entertaining, especially for gadget junkies…
A bread machine, an electric tea kettle, crock pots…Robb, I’m totally with you!  An electric egg cooker?  Not so much.  Not that my opinion should matter …read more

Score another for silicone!  The Sili Sling, despite its goofy name, looks like a terrific meat saver.  How many times have to attempted to lift a slow cooked turkey or roast out of the oven just to have to fall off the bone and make a big mess?  It happened to me at Thanksgiving this past year, with my brined turkey.  It was delicious, but it didn’t look very nice all crumbled on the serving platter!

The Sili Sling might just help with that problem.  The bird could still fall apart, but at least it wouldn’t be because you were trying …read more

We are always looking for a better jar opener around here!  Mostly I rely on the “run hot water over it and then gently tap it on the edge of the sink” method, but sometimes that just doesn’t work.  Arieanna has told you about the One-Touch opener and 6-Way opener, which kind of scares me when I look at it too long.
I’ve told you about the Lid Punch jar opener just a little while ago, but now I’ve run across a gadget that is so simple and inexpensive it almost made me scream: The Jar Pop Lid Opener.  Only $6.

Image: …read more

I love my knives, but some chopping chores can benefit from a specialty item.  This little Herb Mincer by Oxo makes chopping herbs into fun time.   It’s got a non-slip grip that allows you to zoom the stainless steel blades back and forth over the herbs until they’re minced to your specifications.  The front end scrapes up the herbs into a neat pile while you’re zooming.  Dishwasher safe, the gadget opens for easy cleaning and has a cover to keep your hands safe from the blades when you’re rooting around the drawer for it.
About $10

Image: KitchenU.com

Well not quite presto…more like twisto.  VacuVin swears that you can core and spiral slice a pineapple in just 30 seconds with their Pineapple Slicer.  The January 2010 issue of Real Simple Magazine calls it one of the top ten specialty choppers…the very best of the pineapple slicers available.

Here’s the really cool part: it leaves the shell of the pineapple intact in case you want to use it as a serving piece.  Available on many sites online, I found it at ChefTools for about $12.  You can find it for a bit less on Amazon and some other sites, and …read more

I do not now, and never have, owned a mandoline.  They have never appealed to me, but every once in awhile I cast a glance in their direction.  Recently I read some reviews of a couple of models by de Buyer, both of which are available at Williams-Sonoma, and I found that the reviewers has just the reactions I might have expected: loved it or hated it.  Very few in between.

I chose to look at the de Buyer models because they had been discussed favorably on a couple of boards and in one magazine article (Real Simple).   The top rated, …read more

Martha Stewart apparently has a beautiful brand new straining ladle out, but it’s ONLY available at Macy’s stores.  Skeptical as always, I checked it out, and it’s true… you can’t buy it online.  At least not yet.

Well.  Martha’s not the only game in town, so I went looking for a straining ladle that you wouldn’t have to run to Macy’s to get.  Here’s a stainless steel Straining Ladle with a 13 inch handle, dishwasher safe and not too bad looking, available at Cutlery&More for about $17.

I usually just use a whisk and a bowl, or sometimes my immersion blender and a glass measuring cup, but I can see the advantage to using this Emulstir Salad Dressing Mixer.  The stirring action is lever activated, so you just give it a few squeezes, and voila!  Emulsified salad dressing.

It is plastic, so keep it on the dishwasher top shelf.  There are recipes printed right on the bottle, but if you stick it in the dishwasher too many times, they probably won’t last.
Image: Crate & Barrel