October 31, 2005
Keep Your Faucet Clean with EZ Faucet
You've come to expect automatic faucets on your travels - why not in your kitchen? We think this is a killer way to keep your faucet clean while you cut up meat (especially nasty chicken!).
The EZ Faucet - EZF001C™ has a built-in infrared sensor that turns your water on automatically when you put your hands in front of it, making it easy to use for children, seniors, or just busy people whose hands are full or dirty. The EZ Faucet is powered by four AAA batteries (sold separately).
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) agrees that hand washing is an important means of preventing the spread of infection. Keeping your faucet clean and avoiding touching it are smart ways to prevent cross-contamination. The EZ Faucet also conserves water by stopping water from running when not in use, a smart idea for any home with kids!
At The EZ Faucet - EZF001C
October 31, 2005
Rösle Paper Towel Holder
Elegant and interesting - this classic Rösle paper towel holder holds paper-towel rolls up to 11.3 inches wide and 6 inches in diameter. Made in Germany of 18/10 stainless steel the paper towel holder is dishwasher-safe and hangs by its hooks from one of Rösle's Basic Rails.
At Rösle Paper Towel Holder
October 28, 2005
See Your Tea
We can see our tea clearly now with this original 1920s Bauhaus tea pot. The clear tea pot allows you to enjoy the subtle beauty and delicate hues of your favorite tea as it diffuses through the water. Made from durable Pyrex glass that retains the heat of the water, the tea stays and comes out hot. Very hot.
Via productdose.com at Bauhaus tea pot
October 28, 2005
Gira & Gratta Rotary Cheese Grinder
Why buy a grater and cheese when you can just get the Gira & Gratta Rotary Cheese Grinder. The new cheese-grater comes packed with Grana Padano cheese and features the twist and grind we've all come to love from cheese-graters.
From Italy comes a new design in cheese-grater fun, the Gira & Gratta Rotary Cheese Grinder.Inside the bottle is a fresh block of Grana Padano cheese, with a twist-style cheese grater cap. It allows pasta lovers to enjoy a convenient way of dispensing freshly grated Grana Padano cheese in a hygienic and stay-fresh format.Agriform Scarl, the product's marketer, says in its product literature, "litle consumers like its easy and funny use." Great, but what about us big consumers?Each container comes with 250g of cheese, and retails for €4.50 ($5.45 USD)
Via Junk Food Blog
October 28, 2005
Julia & Jacques Cooking At Home DVDs
It simply does not get much better than cooking with Julia & Jacques. We have been watching episodes of this PBS gem for over a year now. If you love cooking, you'll love how much this pair of friends love each other and cooking. The compassion they have for each other is followed by total compassion for the food they prepare.
The complete Emmy Award-winning series. 10 hours, 22 Episodes and over 85 recipes. Julia Child and Jacques Pepin join together with fire, fun and culinary genius in what has become another classic hit for public television. Viewers are charmed by the special magic America’s favorite cooking duo conjures up in Julia’s legendary kitchen and enticed by the mouth-watering great food they prepare and enjoy. Julia’s and Jacques’ warmth and conviviality shine through the programs along with their spirit, whimsy and remarkable skills, as they offer techniques, tastes and recipes at the heart of today’s cooking. From Hamburgers and Halibut to Chicken Pot Pie and Artichokes, they reach the hearts of the audience who loves them for their easy camaraderie, step-by-step instructions and great talent.
At Julia & Jacques Cooking At Home
October 27, 2005
The iTunes of Recipes - MacGourmet
If you've got an Apple computer and OSX we think you'll need MacGourmet. We've been using it for over a year now in the kitchen on our Apple PowerBook and find it without equal when it comes to organizing our recipes. There's even a cook viewing mode that makes the recipe full screen and large when cooking. We also love the ability to organize and pair wines with all of our recipes with the linking feature. Amazing application and it's a total steal at $24.95.
You organize your digital photos, you make playlists of your mp3s. Now bring your recipe organization into the 21st century with MacGourmet™. Think of MacGourmet as "iTunes for recipes." MacGourmet helps you create and edit recipes, wine notes and cooking notes, easily browse your entire collection and build your own custom lists for categories like appetizers or desserts.
In addition to recipes, MacGourmet lets you save notes and labels for wines you've had, creating a digital "wine scrapbook." Had a great wine that would go well with a certain recipe? MacGourmet lets you make a relationship between them. In fact, make one or many relationships between every kind of recipe box item.
And like your wine notes, you can keep lists of your cooking notes, those nuggets of wisdom that are general and not necessarily specific to any one recipe or wine.
At Advenio LLC - Mac OS X Software Development
October 26, 2005
Dishwasher without Plumbing
I can see the practical use of this in many places where you might want some extra dish washing or perhaps you're summer cabin where you do things by hand (not as much fun as you want to make it out to be so stop!).
Just attach the included “Water Supply Socket” directly to your faucet, and run it until the dishwasher’s LED lights up and its buzzer sounds. Inside the unit are two storage tanks, which eliminates the need for a valve to control the flow of water to the dishwasher. A full load will use 9 liters (2.37 gallons) of water, which, last we checked, isn’t a lot compared to other washers. Otherwise, you’re looking at a standard dishwasher.
Via Engadget at Sanyo
Wolfgang Grain Mill
Who doesn't need their own personal grain mill? I ask you - who doesn't? If you insist on fresh juice because you know that is provides you with the maximum nutritional value. Why should you settle for less with your flour?
The German-engineered Wolfgang is a Grain Mill is a height of only 13.25 inches allowing it to fit easily into your kitchen. It can grind 3.5 ounces of grain in the finest flour every minute. Its extremely hard ceramic/corundum millstones and strong industrial motor ensure maximum performance for years to come. It is made in Germany with solid Beechwood cabinetry.
At Tribest Life: Wolfgang Grain Mill
October 25, 2005
Martini Wine Glass
Wine or martini? Martini or wine? Martini and wine? With this glass or glasses in one you can do it all. We're a little afraid of the built in hangover but we also like to have our drinking bases covered.
Via design*sponge at Moma
Pumpkin Cake Molds
We didn't expect to find such a groovy pumpkin mold at QVC - but we took our chances and BAM! Pumpkin mold of the gods! We like the ability to add some interesting cookie shaped treats along with our giant pumpkin cake.
With Halloween brewing around the corner, it's time to trick up some treats with these ghoulishly haunting kitchen accessories. What could be more frighteningly perfect than a pumpkin-shaped cake for Halloween? This cake mold has ridging to show off the detail of the pumpkin and stem. The cookie cutters help you bake a variety of spooky treats.
At QVC.com
Sebastian Bergne: Kitchen Designer Madness
What's not to love about great design meeting in your kitchen and then serving up a perfect cup of coffee. Sebastian Bergne is a designer that can do all that and more.
After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1990, Sebastian Bergne opened his own studio in Bologna, Italy. His projects are often clever and delightfully simple. Zio, Zia and Nipotino are an ingenious family of lighting tables designed for Luceplan, Kult is the breakfast collection that, over the years, has become a classic for WMF, and starting in 2003 he collaborates with french company Moulinex designing a large range of appliances. Among his latest creations; Micro Garden and a wood action figure for Muji. GP
More at Sebastian Bergne
October 24, 2005
Super Sprouter
Need some fresh wheatgrass? Need a lot of fresh wheatgrass? The Tribest Life: FL-2000 may be for you. The Tribest's FreshLife Sprouter is automatic, easy to use, and costs only pennies a day to run. It delivers a continous supply of fresh water and air to provide a simple, convenient way to grow fresh, tender and natural live sprouts in the convenience of your own home. When you use organic seeds, you will especially enjoy fresh sprouts free from chemicals or pesticides. Sprouter features an automatic sprinkling system to produce fresh, nutritious and tender sprouts. FreshLife Sprouter enables you to grow your own nutritional sprouts and wheatgrass. Wheatgrass has been proven to be one of the most nutritional foods on the earth and we love to have some each morning. I think now we can.
At Tribest Life: FL-2000
Perfect Apple Slicer
Okay - we know it's $38 bucks but it sure does look amazing. It says it makes perfectly sliced apples, but we aren't SOLD yet. Maybe someone could pick this up for us? :-)
Position this ingenious disc-shaped slicer on any apple and rotate to release perfect slices for snacking or cooking. Don't need a whole apple at once? Just leave the disc pressed against the fruit, and it will not dry out or turn brown. Made of stainless steel. Dishwasher safe.
Via Popgadget at MOMA
October 21, 2005
Metrokane Super Juicer
Juice pressed out a machine does in fact taste better. We've had this juicer in our kitchen since we first read about it at productdose.com and in the LA Times article. We love fresh pressed grapefruit juice and sometimes a nice mix of orange and grapefruit some times.
As an article in the LA Times this morning declared, “We don’t know why, and science can’t seem to explain it, but the juice out of a press just tastes better.” Try it and you’ll believe us. We recommend the Metrokane All Chrome Mighty OJ Juicer. The juicer leverages 600 lbs of pressure and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Do yourself a favor and get juicing.
At Metrokane Mighty Mini Bar Juicer and at TableTools
Super Efficient Ottoni Stovetop Kettle
Heat water up to 50% faster than traditional tea kettles with the Ottoni stovetop water kettle. The specially designed base is built to focus the heat and assist in boiling water faster. With an elegant wood handle and design, the Ottoni water kettle is a true example of combining design with functionality. We like how it looks both regal and also like a weird wedding cake with a spout on the side.
At Bodum Ottoni Stovetop Kettle
Get Pressing! Bacon Press & Pancake Rings
What's not to love about a bacon press and pancake rings? We often want our bacon flat and our pancakes round but we also love to have out eggs come out round for a nice homemade egg mc muffin. This heavy-duty 3-piece set includes a cast-iron bacon press and two chromed-steel rings. The 6 ¾" x 4", heavy-weight press keeps bacon strips from curling as they cook, while the two 4" diameter rings create perfectly round fried eggs and pancakes.
At Bacon Press with Egg / Pancake Rings
October 20, 2005
12-Bottle-Capacity Table-Top Wine Cellar
Why go downstairs for wine when you can have it on your table top. Perfect for chilling both red and white wines, this table-top wine cellar stores up to 12 bottles and features an ultra-quiet thermo-electric cooling system. The unit's adjustable thermostat allows for precisely controlling the temperature, and its silver-trimmed, double-pane insulated glass door is designed with a recessed handle for easy opening and closing. Three full-chrome wire storage racks are housed in the unit's elegant black interior, providing the ability to organize and easily view wine.
At 12-Bottle-Capacity Table-Top Wine Cellar
Ettore Sottsass Pepper Mill
I have a hive modern on this morning. The Maple Wood pepper mill from Ettore Sottsass is simply amazing. Alessi makes it but they sure didn't design this one. The pepper mill is a piece of art in its own right and makes quick-work of your gourmet peppercorns.
At hivemodern.com
Perfect Extra Kitchen Chairs
What's not to love about the perfect set of extra kitchen chairs. They stack. They remind you of being in school, yet they harken back to a time when everything could be wiped off and cleaned with a simple cloth.
Long out of production, Modernica reactivates the original 50 year old presses that made the originals... again producing armshells one at a time using the old-school high-fiber process with fiber patterning unique to each shell.. Creating true fiberglass chairs that display fiber prominence and translucency is all but a lost art and these chairs are made by the original craftsmen on the original machinery. The Side Shell Chair is a true icon of American modernism."
At hivemodern.com
October 19, 2005
Top Rated Pressure Cookers
GoTo Reviews has a run down of the best of the best pressure cookers. We haven't converted to the pressure cooker club but it's good to read about what's good and what's not.
"Pressure cookers are sealed pots which cook food faster because the liquid inside rises to a higher temperature before boiling. Cooking times can be reduced by a factor of three or four. Pressure cookers also save energy, they are up to 70% more efficient than conventional pots. Stainless steel pressure cookers are preferred over aluminum because the stainless steel does not interact with the food."
At Top Rated Pressure Cookers by Goto Reviews
October 18, 2005
Clear Espresso Hand Tamper
We are on a clear tear this morning! This tamper is formed of high grade stainless steel has a convex tamping surface and a colored acrylic handle with a stainless steel crown. We love the dreamy blue middle that seems like a warp core from Star Trek and harkens to the future of tamping devices everywhere! The clear espresso tamper is dishwasher safe and fits espresso and coffee machines from: Astoria, Astra, Azykoyen, Bezzera, Brasilia, Bravo, Bunn, Caramali, Cimbali, Compak, Conti, ECM/ Giotto, Elektra, Expobar, Faema, Futurmat, Gaggia, Grimac, Isomac, La Marzocco, La Valentina, Magister, Nuova Simonelli, Pasquini, Rancilio, Rio, Salvatore, VBM, VFA, Wega and more...
At Blue Espresso Hand Tamper/ Coffee Tamp
Clear Bread Box
Now this makes sense - why hide your bread when you can see it and also know the mold factor! One part traditional, one part new. This bread box is unique in that it's part wood, part acrylic. The bottom, sides and back are made of finely finished maple; the top and lid are acrylic, joined by hinges that open wide for storing and retrieving fresh breads, rolls and other baked items.
At Clear Solutions Breadbox
Star Grill-Max™ 20 Hot Dog Roller Grill in Chrome
We're not sure for $695 bucks you really need a 20 dog capacity grill for your kitchen - but boy do we want one. The Star-Grill Max Hot Dog Roller Grill Hot dog grill roller has infinite temperature controls to provide accurate cooking and holding from high to low. Sectional heating for front and rear rollers and heavy duty roller bearings and seal combination. Comes complete with 6' cord and plug.
At Star Grill-Max™ 20 Hot Dog Roller Grill Chrome
October 17, 2005
Oliver Hemming Espresso Maker
We can't imagine a better morning than one filled with this polished wonder making us a nice cup of espresso. The Oliver Hemming 18/10 polished stainless steel NIO stove top espresso maker can make up to 6 cups of your favorite coffee. British designer Oliver Hemming studied silver-smithing and product design in art school and since then, he has been making innovative and accessible designs, most recently with the nio collection. Conceived over a decade ago, this award-winning collection – teapot, water kettle, espresso pot, creamer, sugar, teaspoon, and serving platter – echoes Art Deco motifs with a modern vision.
At Fitzsu.com
Time for A Kitchen Timer
It's about time we got a less annoying kitchen timer than the one built into our stove. It's so relentless. It just keeps beeping and making a fuss when we don't get up to check what we've timed. I think this little timer from Alessi might be a bit more forgiving and it looks like the snout of a mouse combined with a top.
At Fitzsu.com
October 16, 2005
Kitchen Contraption Makes Dishes on Demand
MIT Media Lab's Counter Intelligence Group, which develops innovative kitchen designs, has created a machine that makes dishes on demand and recycles them after diners have finished a meal. I can't tell you how many times I wish we could have recycled dishes after a large dinner party, but I thought they would never make "dishes" that would be better than styrofoam or paper plates. These dishes are made from food-grade, nontoxic acrylic wafers, which are shaped into cups, bowls and plates when heated, then resume their original wafer shape when they are reheated and pressed.
The DishMaker frees space in dish cabinets and reduces landfill trash and uses less energy to recycle dishes than factories use to make them. And, because the machine can produce up to 150 items, a dinner host would never be short of table settings when unexpected guests arrive: Cooks can select the number of place settings needed using a simple push-button control panel.
The prototype DishMaker is the size of a standard dishwasher, and uses the heating element of a toaster oven to shape the items. We can imagine this thing as yet another item in our kitchen, but how amazing would this to have for the times when you need it - big parties - etc. To recycle the dishes, it heats them to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit to soften the acrylic, then a press restores them to wafers for easy stacking.
We think the bowls in the picture look amazing. You could probably get a whole range of acrylic colors and also press your own name, picture, or seal into the plates and cups. WILD!!!
Story Via Wired
October 14, 2005
Asparagus Cooked to Perfection
We eat asparagus at least 2-3 times a week. You can steam, grill, or wok it with ease. It's nice to see a specialized product to steam your asparagus. This All-Clad Asparagus Pot comes equipped with a steamer basket that keeps the vegetables out of the water and nutrient-rich. We think you'll also enjoy this product for steamed vegetables of any kind.
Via productdose.com
October 13, 2005
Zevro Perfetto™ Pasta Cooker
Some mornings we find a gadget that blows our mind. It's not that the kitchen contraption is so amazing - it's just amazingly simple. The Zevro Perfetto™ Pasta Cooker is such a product. How many times have you cooked pasta and jammed the pasta down the sides of the pot trying to get it cook. Now you can save up to 70% of energy and up to 50% of water by using Perfetto™ compared to cooking pasta in a traditional pot. Only 1 liter (slightly more than 1 quart or 32 fluid ounces) of water is needed and there's no need to stir or watch the pasta while cooking. Plus there's no risk of water boiling over while cooking pasta. Best of all? You can store pasta in it when not using it to cook pasta. Brilliant!
At Zevro Perfetto™ Pasta Cooker
Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Gift Set
We think it might be the week of chrome and silver here at Kitchen Contraptions. I'm pretty sure we've covered no less than 10 things in this week that come in brushed nickel or stainless steel. You've got to love the Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Gift Set. It's just the same old great Metrokan Rabbit wine opener but now in a brushed silver.
This powerful, award-winning tool effortlessly extracts the cork from any wine bottle in 3 seconds with simple lever action. Handles with comfortable rubberized padding easily clamp onto a bottle's neck; the lever drives the tough worm into the cork with a push and then pulls the cork out cleanly with a simple pull. Releasing the cork involves the same action, only with the handles clamped onto the cork.
This model of the Rabbit has a velvety, silver finish, as do the four tools accompanying it. The tools include a squeeze-and-twist foil cutter to strip away the foil covering a cork, a drip-stop ring that fits onto any size wine bottle to prevent stains on table linen, a sealer that twists so tightly into any size bottle's neck it preserves even Champagne bubbles, and a "wax whacker" that flips the wax tablet off a wine cork. Also included is a replacement worm--the installed worm wears out after 20,000 or so corks.
At Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Gift Set
October 12, 2005
Cold Prep Essentials Storage Set from Tupperware
We love to make deviled eggs. We also hate to store them on plates with plastic wrap. We sought out a better solution and found the Prep Essentials Storage Set. It has a modern New Look for Tupperware and comes with three inserts you can use to store various cold cuts, eggs, and other food stuffs.
- ClassicPrep Essentials™ Cold Cut Keeper
- Cosmos seal Egg Tray Inserts
- Cold Cut Keeper Jr. Smaller version of the Cold Cut Keeper
We think after you get your own prep essentials set, you'll never have problems storing eggs or cold cuts again.
At Tupperware
Bluetooth Wine Collector 150
We love our wine and love to know what's in our wine collection. Typically we really want to know what we've had for wine and whether or not we've liked it. The Wine Collector 150 is for the person who's serious about their wine collection.
The machine uses Bluetooth wireless technology to allow you to scan the retail barcode on the label of your bottles for automatic identification of the name, varietal, winery, country, type, color, region, and more. Included software can automatically calculate optimal maturity periods, print detailed reports, and lets you add your own custom ratings. When you've finished the bottle, just scan it again to take it off the list.
Via Uncrate at Wine Collector 150
October 11, 2005
Finally - An Uplifting Teakettle!
The OXO "Good Grips" Uplift Teakettle is designed for exceptional comfort, instead of the exceptional pain and burns that most tea kettles put you through. Lift and tip this sleek, stainless steel whistling kettle and the spout pops open automatically for effortless pouring. The soft, non-slip handle is heat-resistant for added safety. It also features a 2-qt. capacity and a large opening for simple filling and cleaning.
At OXO "Good Grips" Uplift Teakettle
Eva Solo Kitchen Memo Board
If you don't remember everything you need and you don't think about everything you remember, then the Eva Solo Memo Board is a perfect addition to your kitchen.
You can make the memo pad the center of messages and shopping lists for you kitchen. You can place the memo board made on the wall or you can carry it with you - thus avoiding any inconvenient memory lapses. The pencil holder is made out of rubber and perfectly fits your old pencils. The pad used is an ordinary A6 standard pad on a pasteboard back so a trip to Staples will get you a fresh new source of paper for your memo board.
At Eva Solo Memo Board
Grcic Espresso Machine
Sometimes just the shape of an espresso machine makes me want to buy it. The Grcic Espresso Machine looks like it just came out of a classic Star Wars Trilogy movie and would be used to make hot drinks for the Death Star Guards.
Grcic's design features a 15-bar pump espresso machine with removable water tank, high-convenience filter holder, stainless steel drip tray, programmable interface, and stainless steel mill container. The machine also functions as an automatic cappuccino maker. We love the automatic cappucccino option many of these machines are starting to come with. Now...where's that power generator I need to shut down?
At Grcic Espresso Machine
October 10, 2005
Cameron's Stovetop Smoker
Oh Cameron! Why are you smoking again? We know why - to make amazing smoked chicken breasts and other meats in your oven.
Cameron's Stovetop Smoker features seamless, heavy duty all stainless steel construction. Stay cool fold-away handles, drip tray and non-stick rack. Use with any heat source to hot smoke virtually anything: fish, meat, cheese, poultry, sausage, ribs, nuts or vegetables. Includes sample wood chips.
At Dean & DeLuca
October 7, 2005
Egg Slicer
We love hard boiled eggs and we love chrome hard boiled egg slicers. You can make wedges or slices with this egg slicer from Dean & DeLuca. Best of all it can be packed in a signature gift box so you can send the gift of egg slicing around the world. BURP. Okay - let's slice up another egg.
At Dean & DeLuca
October 6, 2005
Metrokane Bullet Cocktail Shaker
It looks like a giant silver bullet you would need at a party featuring werewolves who are very very drunk. The 28-ounce Metrokane Bullet cocktail shaker won't necessarily protect you from werewolvers but it's art-deco-style might inspire you to befriend one. The Bullet is made of polished 18/10 stainless steel, with smooth lines and a gleaming surface that give any kitchen or den an air of sleek sophistication. Cocktail shakers work by reducing the alcohol's temperature in crushed ice without diluting the taste of the beverage. Bartenders merely pour their martinis, margaritas, or Manhattans out of the integral strainer and voila--an attractive, flavorful beverage that looks almost as good as the Bullet itself. The drip-free spout ensures a minimum of spilling, and the entire unit--which comes packaged in a clear gift box--is dishwasher-safe.
At Metrokane Bullet 28-Ounce Cocktail Shaker
October 5, 2005
Whirlpool Flat Screen TV Microwave
Now we're talking!!! A TV and a microwave oven in one! I liked the kitchen LCD TV idea but I think this is even better.
On a flat screen built-in into the front door, you can watch TV or watch what's cooking thanks to a little camera inside. This concept adds another dimension to an already great g2microven Speedcook microwave from Whirlpool that is also an oven.
Via Trendir
Kitchen Shredder: Protect Your Family's Identity
Why didn't we think of this? We often sort our mail in the kitchen and then throw it into a very unsafe pile of things anyone could go through to steal lots of information about us. Royal's practical KS7 Kitchen Shredder is designed for the kitchen, where most families sort their mail, the KS7 handles household rubbish while offering an easy and effective method to dispose of unsolicited mail containing valuable personal or family information.
The KS7 shreds credit cards, CDs and other data to help ensure household privacy.Since most mail is sorted and opened in the kitchen, Royal has designed its new Kitchen Shredder to offer families a convenient alterative to simply discarding this information, attempting to destroy it with scissors or stacking it somewhere in hopes of shredding it at another time. Royal's KS7 Shredder combines the functionality of a generous 10-gallon general household trash receptacle with the practicality of a 5.3 gallon capacity office shredder to make shredding easy, convenient and immediately accessible.
The new KS7 is 27" high, 10" wide, 18" deep (front to rear) and weighs 22 pounds. A 13-gallon plastic bag is recommended for the household trash compartment. Availability is scheduled for November 1, 2005 at Target, Circuit City, and online retailers.
At Royal.com
October 4, 2005
There's a Witch in my Kitchen!!!
Okay - it's October and that means Halloween and of course Kitchen Witches. This five foot life size figure is of "high quality" and includes a deluxe costume with easy to follow instructions for putting it all together. We think you can't go wrong installing a kitchen witch in your kitchen. If kids break in - she'll cook them. If you have issues with your neighbors - she'll hex them. And best of all - the cackles will keep you in smiles for years to come.
At Halloween Life Size Witch
Make Cappuccinno & Latte Drinks Instantly with the Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center
We've tried the Super Automatic line of Jura Capressa machines but now we're very interested in this new Impressa Z5. We're not exactly sure how it makes an automatic Cappuccino but I'm thinking it can froth milk semi-automatically (did I just type that?) using the side attachment with the insulated milk pitcher. Since you can use your own coffee, we think the coffee snob in you might like this over a Flavia or similar machine.
"The Impressa Z5 features eight pre-set beverage buttons. All your coffee drinks are now just one push button away: Cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate, hot tea, one or two cups of ristretto, espresso, cafe lungo, or even large cups of crema coffee. Highlights include One-Touch Cappuccino System: Cappuccino or latte is prepared without moving the cup. A dual nozzle system with two separate outlets for milk and coffee makes it possible. The nozzle system has a short extension for tall latte glasses and a long extension for wide cappuccino cups."
At Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center
October 3, 2005
Oval Oil and Vinegar Cruet
What's better than a hand blown Olive Oil and Vinegar Cruet? Owning one. I have to admit how amazing this cruet looks. Correctly proportioned Bohemian crystal cruets, hand blown one inside the other, two cork stoppers, and filled with the best olive oil and vinegar? Perfection.
If there was only more products that capture the imagination and provide some decent cooking experiences. I love to have things in the kitchen that make me want to cook and this would be one of them. Hey - isn't Christmas coming soon? Anyone?
At Dean & DeLuca
PEK Wine Steward for Wine Preservation

Imagine being able to open a bottle of wine and then put it into hibernation for long voyages through outer space. Well now you can. The Pek Wine Steward Supremo Model is a wine preservation and temperature management system available for a single bottle of wine that encases your newly opened bottle of wine and then holds the wine flavor in stasis by injecting it with Argon Gas.
The product is automated and extremely with no tedious pumping like the Vacuu Vin, and is designed to enhance a gourmet kitchen setting instead of just being another gadget in your kitchen drawer. The Pek Wine Steward uses easily replaceable gas cartridges of "High Purity" Argon Gas, the same gas mixture used by quality wine makers. Includes (2) two gas cartridges. Fits (1) one 750 ml wine bottle. Some irregularly sized or shaped bottles may not operate correctly so beware!
At PEK Wine Steward
October 2, 2005
The Best of Kitchen Contraptions for September 2005
We had another amazing month of crazy kitchen contraption finds here at Kitchen Contraptions! We found Fireflies in a Jar for Your Kitchen along with things to Prick That Egg when cooking. Zevro Zero Gravity Spice Rack and the new Zevro Stainless Steel Indispensable Dispenser are both worth checking out too!
We continued our efforts to review more kitchen products. Our simplehuman Semi-Round Stainless Steel Trash Can was a hit on the garbage front and Tivoli Model One Kitchen Radio Arrived for Review. We also looked at the Kitchen Robot space and found it a bit lacking.
One of our favorite kitchen contraptions the Bialetti Mukka Express 2-Cup Cappuccino Maker Now at Amazon.com.
And the rest? We think the following are some of the best we found in September 2005!