I must have this. It's like a dream come true. Bread - encased in armor from the movie Excalibur. Why didn't I think of this? Make everything in the kitchen armored? I could use my cutting knife as a sword and probably wear this on my head - maybe even my shoulders??? It not only makes a home for your bread, but it also makes for a terrific conversation piece when everyone congregates to the kitchen and I charge them with my bread armor!
Another week and another Best of the Blogpire. If you haven't checked out GPS Lodge then you're missing some of the best GPS news & reviews on the web. They've got a great review of the new Magellan RoadMate 800 which has an mp3 player built in. Now on with the Best of the Blogpire!
Everyone at Kitchen Contraptions is having one of those - why can't we have BIG gadgets in some giant kitchen of our dreams type of morning! We've decided to dream big and start with the PizzaMax Pizza Oven.
Why wouldn't you want a commercial grade pizza oven in your kitchen? Imagine cooking pizzas in less than 15 minutes and getting giant wafts of pizza goodness. The PizzaMax Pizza Oven is made from commercial-grade polished stainless steel as well and has an easy-set automatic timer. I bet we could make 10 pizzas a day and just sample from them whenever we want. Yum!!!
How about a chopper, whisk, and a blender all in one set? The Smart Stick Blender comes equipped with a powerful 200-watt motor which quickly purees soups, blends batters, mixes beverages, and more. The unit's unique blade provides smooth and even blending, while its protective blade guard helps prevent splattering.
We just liked the looks of the hand blender. We also like the fact it can attach itself to the chopper (we suspect that's how it works). It also has a very nice lightweight design and comes with two mixing items - a 16 oz measuring beaker anda 2 cup mixing container.
We perhaps cover way too many Eva Solo products at Kitchen Contraptions, but you have to love the design, thought, and beauty of the products they sell. Core77 has picked up on their new videos of products they offer - and like their products - they're amazing videos.
Eva Solo, the Danish masters of elegant and functional housewares, has a new video center on their website with promotional shorts for their various wares. What I love the most about these segments is that they come across less like advertisements, and more like short stories about the product's inherent beauty. As designers we should all take note-- we are in the business of story telling when we present concepts-- these videos are worth a thousand gorgeous photos.
You can now turn up or turn down the heat for your cooking pleasure! Dave's Gourmet has released a new bottle design that allows you to mix two sauces - one mild and one uber hot to create your own sauce temperature. By turning the cap you mix the two sauces and then push the top to dispense the hot sauce.
Combine some coffee, ice, and a little milk, and you've also got yourself a powerful Smoothiccino maker!
The 400-watt pulse-power motor quickly turns ice and ingredients into any smoothed down refreshment. The specially designed ice-crushing blades create a consistent smoothie texture so you can whip up your favorite coffee drinks right at home.
Either lift and pour, or use the handy dispenser for effortless, mess-free pouring. Makes up to 48-oz. at one time. Now that's a lot of Smoothiccino!
We covered the dual Zevro Indispensable Dispenser earlier this year but weren't thrilled with the black finish. Zevro has released a new Stainless Steel version and it looks pretty swanky. The patented Easy Morning cereal dispenser prevents cereal or other dry foods from going stale and creates a portion control environment so you won't worry your kids are overeating on cereal.
The dispenser is hermetically sealed which preserves the freshness of dry food. Simply place a bowl under the dispenser and twist a knob to get a controlled portion. The design features one clear, see through, high quality plastic container which holds one box of cereal. Very easy to clean and fit on most countertops.
You really don't want your drink skidding around on a typical coaster so why not find a set of coasters with rubber ends to keep them in place? Look no further than these colorful Star Coasters made of stainless steel and soft durometer plastics. The coasters won't skid with these soft feet and they are sure to keep your drink in one place. The coasters come packed 4 to a set and also stack up to store away neatly.
What's better than flexible salt & pepper shakers? How about FLE-SEXI salt & pepper shakers! We love the idea of twitching your wrists to the beat of some fierce salsa music while you put a little salt & pepper on your guests' salads. You get two flexible tubes: one for salt & one for pepper. Just twist the end cap & sprinkle. Supplied with funnel for refilling.
If you don't have a cookbook holder - then you really really need to get one. This Acrylic Cookbook Holder at PID is perfect. Not made of wood makes this cookbook holder easy to clean up, and much lighter than other models we've seen. You won't be sorry - just get one and cooking will never be easier when using recipes.
Why wouldn't you want a round kitchen? It's like having a huge kitchen drum set where you can rock out with a little stir fry, salad, and perhaps an apple peeling extravaganza.
The Round Kitchen is designed for the center of a room to create a total ergonomic environment. Living in a circle or walking around the kitchen while one cooks takes an entire new meaning with the round kitchen.
Seal the Deal with Seal-a-Meal Vacuum Food Sealers
Seal the deal. My mom had one of these when I was a kid - and you know what? It works. She still has one and is always telling me about the latest thing she's put into the freezer vacuum sealed. I'm pretty sure this is the only way to keep things fresh and not buy a ton of crazy canisters.
Why Seal-a-Meal?
Keep leftovers as fresh and delicious as the day they were prepared.
Prepare make-ahead meals over the weekend, then store them for easy weeknight reheating.
Buy food in bulk then freeze for later—use in meal or serving-size portions.
Marinate meats in minutes instead of hours.
Store delicate or moist foods with convenient canisters.
Preserve wine, salad dressings and more with our specially designed bottle stoppers.
Seal and store meals in serving-sized portions for simple and effective portion control.
The other thing that's changed since my Seal-a-meal youth? How about an entire Seal-a-Meal web site. It's filled with tips, different accessories, and you can even buy different models with different finishes. All of the models range in price from $50 to $100 bucks, and you can even get a cordless version to tote around the house sealing things fate one seal at a time.
Fatten Up for Winter - EZ Clean Deep Fat Fryer from T-Fal
Everyday you wonder - "When will I be able to make fried dough at home? I could just skip the state fair and curl up with an episode of My Name is Earl and get fat on the couch and camp in for winter". Look no further than the EZ Clean Deep Fat Fryer from T-Fal!
Frying food is fun, but clean-up is a hassle - until now. The T-FAL Ultimate EZ Clean Deep Fryer is the only fryer we could find that automatically filters, drains and stores the messy oil without touching it. After cooking, simply place the fryer on top of the oil container. When cooled, the oil automatically drains into the storage container - filtered and ready to use again. Everything except the heating base is dishwasher safe. A charcoal filter reduces cooking odors. Safety features include a cool to the touch exterior, locking cover, and external basket control to prevent splattering. Set the thermostat and a signal light indicates when the oil is ready. Holds 4 1/4 cups of oil, and 1 1/2 pounds of food - plenty in our estimation to get you nice and fat for winter. BULK UP!
I'm ready for some ice cream and especially if it has the patented Dairy Bar twist! The Black & Decker IC-200 Arctic Twister ice cream mixer creates a rainbow of dessert flavors custom made to every member of your family and every one of your friends by letting you mix into the ice cream of your choice whatever topping or flavor you want.
You don't MAKE Ice cream with this Ice Cream Mixer - you use the Arctic Twister to make custom soft-serve ice cream at home. Using the Arctic Twister is not as ambitious as making ice cream from scratch: simply buy your favorite ice cream, sherbet, or frozen yogurt and swirl in the toppings of your choice to make your own original flavor. The dispenser can handle almost any topping you can think up, from the healthy (nuts, granola, fruit, and cereal) to the decadent (sprinkles, chocolate chips, M&Ms, cookies, and candy bars).
We've been trying to find a steamer with some external water filling capacity and also one that has some egg holders. BAM! We just found the Vitamin Plus Steamer from Tefal and it seems to have both. It has no less than 2 external water filling spouts, a 60 minute timer, and an auto on/off. Everything is dishwasher safe, and best of all it has a rice bowl and egg holders. I think you could take a steam in it as well if you wanted!
As we move into the Fall, we've decided to embark on finding the perfect kitchen radio. Tivoli Audio has sent their Silver and White Model One AM/FM Radio. We received the radio last week, and have been enjoying it. Right out of the box there's some great things and some okay things to report. We'll be testing this radio over the next two weeks and will have a review shortly thereafter.
From Tivoli:
"Where performance and simplicity are paramount but space is sparse, the Model One mono table radio fits the bill. With just three knobs, it is the antithesis of today's ever more complex electronic products. But behind the Model One's simple, innocent appearance, hides a multitude of technology facilitating higher sound reproduction and better reception over anything else near it in size or cost."
Spice rack or space rack? The Zevro Zero Gravity Spice Rack helps you store your spices suspended in "magnetic" thin air. It's the only design we know of where you can store spices on both the top and bottom of the spice rack and help to reduce clutter.
Windows on the spice canisters keep you in touch with the contents and each spice canister has locking mechanisms that can stay put on pouring or sprinkling. You can get the spice rack in brushed chrome or a more chrome like silver finish. Sets can be purchased in 6 and 12 spice can configurations.
A cooktop where the cooking surface stays cool and the food gets hot? What is this - the McDLT of cooktops? This new cooktop from Wolf uses induction to cook food efficiently, while the cooking surface stays cool to the touch.
How does it work? The electricity flows through a coil to produce a magnetic field under the ceramic cooktop. When an iron or magnetic stainless pan is placed on the ceramic surface, currents are induced in the cooking utensil and instant heat is generated due to the resistance of the pan. Induction only works with cooking vessels made of magnetic materials like stainless steel and cast iron.
Want to spice up your kitchen (seriously - what else could we possibly write)? These ultra-hot Chilli lights will add that much needed glowing ambience to your cooking festivities. We don't think our kitchen is that dull - but it could be this HOT!
Everyone needs a good "honey" and everyone needs a great Honey Spoon. The Honey Spoon collects big helpings of honey in the spaces between the discs and just a slight twist stops the flow of honey ready for safe transfer onto bread, rolls, or into your cup of piping hot tea - all without losing a drop.
The Honey Spoon has a jar rest on it that provides a secure way to lay the Honey Spoon on the rim of a jar and any honey on the spoon drips back safely - preventing any "HONEY LOSS". The Honey Spoon is quick and easy to clean and it is also dishwasher safe.
What a week. If you haven't read it already, Shaving Stuff has word the Gillette is introducing a Five-Bladed Razor. I'm not sure the world needs a 5 bladed razor, but I'm sure I'll have to try it. We have a new blog we will "OFFICIALLY" announce next week called Liquor Snob. If you want to spend the the rest of your Friday and have something both interesting, naughty, and downright funny to read - check out Liquor Snob.
Bialetti Mukka Express 2-Cup Cappuccino Maker Now at Amazon.com
We've been fascinated with getting our own Bialetti Mukka Express in the cow print pattern since we first featured it earlier this year, but the thought of paying for overseas shipping - well - didn't make our pocketbook feel good. Now the Bialetti Mukka Express is available at Amazon.com for $89.99. We're not sure if it qualifies for FREE shipping because it comes really from Cooking.com, but you won't be paying $30 bucks I'm sure for shipping.
"The "Mukka" express cappuccino maker is designed for use on your stovetop's burner. It's easy to use - just fill the bottom with water up to the indicator, insert the filter filled with ground coffee, screw on the top section and add milk. With the lid closed, place on your burner then press the button on top. Within minutes, your cappuccino or latte is ready. The "Mukka" express makes up to two, 7.4-oz. cups. It's made of enameled, die-cast aluminum."
We tend to agree: Things looked and felt better in the 50's. The Big Chill Fridge is no exception. We currently have a nice stainless steel Frigidaire, but if we ever have to get another fridge or a freezer fridge for the basement - why not get one with some serious retro styling!
"GET OUT OF THE BOX, and into a Big Chill retro refrigerator. Who says you have to hide your fridge by camouflaging it into your cabinetry? Speak personality and make your statement. Unmistakably, The Big Chill will be the conversation piece at your next party. Our refrigerator is like a stylish '57 Chevy Belaire (only the fins are missing), for those who like to express a bit of style, uniqueness and enjoy terrific color."
Not much more is known about this knife block but it does cost a little over $1000 US Dollars and is "massive". We think it's downright beautiful. We've been looking for the last few weeks for interesting knife blocks and this one fits the bill (or all the bills you'll need to shell out for it).
Our current stainless steel can has the following problems:
Lid doesn't stay up when you push the pedal. You can sit there and hold it with your foot and it flops up and down as you try and throw stuff away.
The bags never fit inside the can it it just looks unsightly with them overflowing the lid area.
The can just isn't big enough and the inside container always is coming out when you change bags because it has some handle we never use.
The lid is also stainless steel. You'd think this would be great, but because it endures lots of moisture underneath it has rust inside the lid. Yuck! The lid also is very heavy to use with the pedal because it's made of stainless steel.
Our current can just isn't ideal for the kitchen space we have to allocate to it. It's round but doesn't fit flush to the wall and the lid is always banging the side of the fridge enclosure.
Man I hate stinky hands. I really hate grabbing a piece of fish and having to deal with the smell of fish on my hands for the entire rest of my cooking experience. This very cool and very un-soap like piece of stainless steel will clean up your smelly hands every time.
This stainless steel soap-shaped bar is even better than the real thing at removing odors. Just rub the stainless steel marvel in your hands under cold water, and odors like onion, fish and garlic disappear. Even better, it never wears out, and no additional cleaning is necessary.
Don't have a puss on your face just because it's that time of year again. You know what we mean. Your child is back in school and you need to send some cookies to make other kids and the teacher happy. How about a little leg up and buy a cookie press. Not only will your cookies be automatically dispensed in the right shape, but you can also make 12 different shapes and clean up the mess a little easier. The Cookie dispenser also comes with 3 different decorator tips to fill other items besides cookies like pastry and pasta shells. Hmmm...maybe you could send your kid to school with a canole or two?
We probably grate more parmesan cheese per square meter in our kitchen than any other kitchen on the entire planet. I'm tired of cut up hands from our traditional grater we sit on top of a large bowl. The Pedrini Pleasure Rotary Grater, allows you to in real time - pleasure yourself with grating any cheese of your choice.
Okay the real reason the grater is a pleasure? Because the Pedrini Pleasure Rotary Grater has a large comfortable handle you hold when grating cheese. It's also a real time saver in the kitchen when it comes to grating cheeses or shredding vegetables. This rotary grater comes with three interchangeable drums. One for grating hard cheeses and vegetables such as carrots, another for shredding soft cheeses and vegetables such as cabbage, and one for vegetables such as cucumbers. Made of plastic, with interchangeable stainless-steel drums, all the parts of this grater are dishwasher safe.
It's the Best of the Blogpire time again, but before we sound off with the best of the best, please take time to click the banner above any Blogpire weblog and donate to the Red Cross at Amazon.com. The victims of Hurricane Katrina can use your help and a donation is one of the best ways to do it.
Armadillo Bread Bin
I must have this. It's like a dream come true. Bread - encased in armor from the movie 
How about 
We covered the dual 
Why wouldn't you want a 
Everyday you wonder - "When will I be able to make fried dough at home? I could just skip the state fair and curl up with an episode of My Name is Earl and get fat on the couch and camp in for winter". Look no further than the 
Everyone needs a good "honey" and everyone needs a great Honey Spoon. The Honey Spoon collects big helpings of honey in the spaces between the discs and just a slight twist stops the flow of honey ready for safe transfer onto bread, rolls, or into your cup of piping hot tea - all without losing a drop.
We've been fascinated with getting our own 
Continue reading: 
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