Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More

Non food items of interest for your kitchen

New Kitchen Gadgets Shown at the Inspired Home Housewares Show

Once a year at Chicago's McCormick Place, the International Housewares Association's (IHA) Home + Housewares Market occurs in March. The organization often has a New York preview showcasing about 50 new products the companies introduced at the show. What follows are some of the new items that I'd like to share with you. As a New Yorker with a tiny kitchen, my eyes lit up when I saw the GreenPan Ovenware that would fit in my toaster oven, which I admit is where I do most of my baking. This ovenware is pricey yet durable with its ceramic nonstick coating, heavyweight gauge and one-piece design. The 8- X 8-inch square baker [...]

Bialetti Mini Press, A Portable Stovetop Espresso Maker + Coffee

Walking around the 2019 Preview exhibits of The International Housewares Association I stopped by the Bialetti booth, the Italian cookware and coffee maker company, as I saw the Mini Express. This cute tiny aluminum press is a perfect espresso maker for those with teensy kitchens who don't have space for a large one, or to even take camping! Imagine fresh espresso before fly fishing. This is a 2-cup portable stovetop espresso maker with dual spouts. Meaning it makes two 2-ounce cups of espresso in 5 minutes after filling the lower chamber with water and the metal filter with a favorite espresso grind. The SRP is $34.99 but is available for [...]

Moscow Mule Origin + Ayesha Curry Mug Set

In the early 1940s or late 1930 — as the story goes — John Martin then president of G.F. Heublein & Brothers — the company that brought A-1 Steak Sauce to America, purchased a small vodka distillery called Smirnoff for $ 14K. Martin lamented to his friend Jack Morgan, Sunset Strip pub owner that he couldn't move the vodka, while Morgan lamented that his ginger beer was collecting dust. A customer at the pub mentioned that she had copper mugs she no longer wanted. Hence, the birth of the Smirnoff Mule. To make a (now called) Moscow Mule,  I use Pickett's #1 All-Natural Ginger Beer Concentrate. I combine 1 ounce [...]

By |2019-01-20T09:30:50-05:00February 2nd, 2019|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|0 Comments

Hutzler Cheese Saver

What should you do with leftover cheese? Wrap in plastic? Wax paper? Aluminum foil?  Cloth? I generally use waxed paper -- as it breathes a bit more than the others. The inexpensive ($10) yellow-plastic Hutzler Cheese Saver is worth a try, especially if you're a cheese lover, like me. I found that for the most part, my cheeses stayed fresh longer, as it also allows them to breathe. To use it,  place a moist paper towel beneath the perforated plastic shelf and put the cheese on it. The cheese does stay fresh longer, whether hard or soft.    

Sabatier Edgekeeper Forged Knives with Self-Sharpening Sheaths

Sabatier Edgekeeper Forged Knives come with Self-Sharpening Sheaths, offering a solution to the top consumer complaint about cutlery: dull knives. Each knife features a built-in sharpener that, not only protects the blade during storage, but also  hones the blade’s edge every time it's used. Save Save

By |2017-08-31T15:41:19-04:00August 2nd, 2017|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|1 Comment

DrinkMate Carbonation System

Here's another way to make carbonated drinks — unlike other systems DrinkMate let's you carbonate many drinks, not just water. It features a patented detachable Fizz Infuser and dual-stage valve system for better control on release of CO2. The system comes with a starter food-grade CO2 carbonator and BPA-free bottles, fizzing everything from fruit juice, lemonade, tea, wine, and beer to cocktails.

Back To The Roots Organic Self-Watering Tomato Planter

Easily grow tomatoes indoors with the new Organic Self-Watering Tomato Planter. It uses an ancient North African self-watering technique using a microporous, unglazed low-fired container that's buried in the soil next to the tomato plant that automatically releases water when the surrounding soil gets dry. Just top off the pot with water once a week and don't about watering your indoor tomato plants.

Hamilton Beach TruCount 12 Cup Coffee Maker

The Hamilton Beach TruCount 12 cup coffee maker automatically measures the amount of coffee added to the brew basket so if you lost count of how much coffee you've added, no need to begin measuring again. You get the desired brew strength every time. Other features include three brewing strengths, a special small carafe setting, advance programming and an auto pause.    

By |2017-09-01T17:22:00-04:00December 27th, 2016|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|0 Comments

Nutri Ninja Nutri Bowl Duo

Use the versatile duo Nutri Ninja Nutri Bowl Duo as a Nutrient and Vitamin Extractor or a Nutrient Fusion Processor to blend whole fruits and vegetables into a vitamin and mineral rich drink. Or, use to combine ingredients to make flavorful snacks, meals or desserts. The Auto-IQ Boost controls the texture and consistency, from juices and smoothies to dips, doughs and more. Save Save

By |2017-09-08T10:53:29-04:00December 2nd, 2016|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|0 Comments

Hamilton Beach Professional Dicing Stack and Snap Food Processor

The Hamilton Beach Professional Dicing Stack and Snap food processor has two speeds, a pulse function and can slice, dice, mix, shred, and chop. The processor comes with an adjustable slicing, dicing , dough, shredding and S-blade and has a large feed tube. It's easy to assemble and to use with its electronic touchpad.   Take a chance before mid-December 2016 to win one at our FREEBIE page. Save

By |2017-09-08T10:53:59-04:00November 14th, 2016|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|0 Comments

T-fal Ingenio 5-Second Chopper

The manual T-fal Ingenio 5-Second Chopper can cut up fruits, vegetables or meats and prepare salsas, sauces and guacamole in seconds. The easy-to-pull knob gives you complete control over the chop/puree level of your food. The unit has a non-slip base, ultra sharp stainless steel blades, with a dishwasher-safe cutting case and blades  and a lifetime warranty. A great option when you don't want to pull out your large food processor.

Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Spiralizer

The 3-in-1 Spiralizer includes spiral, ribbon and grater discs to be used with fruits and vegetables such as zucchini, potatoes, apples and cucumbers. With 200 watts of power and two different speeds, this spiralizer is fully automated, unlike most others making spiralizing easy and quick.  

Crisp Knives

Crisp knives have ergonomically designed handles for safe, sturdy and controlled cutting. The Crisp Cooking knives come in three versions: a straight, bird's beak and serrated paring knives. The included safety cover features a built-in sharpener for the straight and bird's beak knives to keep the non-stick, stainless steel blades sharp. Save

Floor Mats Comparison: to Bite or Not to Bite?

I waited until I got my book club friends settled in before I sat down on one chair and put my feet up on another. Every bone and muscle in my body hurt. “Are you okay?” “The tile floor did me in!”  I responded, having been standing for a couple hours prepping for the gathering. Before discussing the book, advice immediately turned to soft floor mats to cushion the hard floor and reduce achy joints. After that discussion, I decided to compare some of what’s available. I contacted a couple companies for samples to find out whether floor mats are worth the cost. Or as we ask at BiteoftheBest.com, to [...]

Ekobrew

bonnie_webBonnie: Because they're easy to use in making a freshly brewed cup of java, single-serve coffee brewers have popped up almost everywhere. I've seen them in gyms, salons, banks, hotels and, of course, homes.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters makes more than 250 varieties of K-Cups for the Keurig single-serve coffee brewers that includes major brands like...

BOTB BloggerBryan: Single-serving coffee makers are certainly all the rage. Point of fact, they represent the fastest growing segment in the coffee market; a multi-billion dollar enterprise to say the least. There are stars of the category, and we've even recently written about one, noting Keurig's line of home brewing machines. At that time, I acknowledged the...

eric5Eric: Keurig coffee drinkers unite: Ekobrew has arrived. In this day and age I’m looked upon by most home-brewers (we’re talking coffee) as a traditionalist. My morning ritual consists of medium roast coffee beans, a coffee grinder and a large French press. For most modern coffee drinkers, my ritual is comparable to....

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Chef’sChoice ProntoPro Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener

bonnie_webBonnie: Chefs and most serious cooks know the importance of keeping their knives sharp.

I generally keep the edges of mine sharp using a knife steel; the steel cannot sharpen a dull knife, but keeps sharp a knife that's already sharp. Oddly, I find it somewhat cathartic and mesmerizing to ...

BiteoftheBest bloggerBryan: dgeCraft is pretty much the standard-bearer when it comes to knife sharpeners. The company, based in Pennsylvania, manufactures its Chef’sChoice brand of small kitchen gadgets, including the world’s largest selection of electric and manual knife sharpeners. EdgeCraft actually pioneered the category, introducing its ...

Eric (2 sunglasses)Eric: The newest addition to Chef'sChoice's knife sharpener portfolio, the ProntoPro Diamond Hone manual sharpener, is all about convenience. Upon trying it, I almost had flashbacks to the era of the door-to-door salesman touting this product for its "revolutionary"...

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Chop2Pot Plus

bonnie_webBonnie: I stopped by the Joseph Joseph booth at a NYC show earlier this year, and spoke to Richard — one of the twin brothers who own the company — about all its innovative products. I like its new space-saving products: the Twist Whisk ($10, a whisk that closes flat for compact storage) and the new Nest 7 Plus and Nest 9 Plus ($30; $50 - a set of nesting...

BLOGGER-B_2Bryan: Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003... I guess they just couldn't decide on whose name would come first! The company specializes in contemporary kitchenware, currently putting out a number of technically innovative, stylish products that will make you think twice about the everyday look and feel of kitchen gadgets.

Browsing JJ's...

BOTB bloggerEric: I consider myself an avid cook. When I began moving around the country, jumping job to job, I started to "collect" pieces for my moveable kitchen. There were a few essential items that always traveled with me:

1. Cast iron pan...

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Microplane Meat Tenderizer

bonnie_webBonnie: If you’re a meat eater, I’ll bet that you’ve tried various methods of tenderizing various cuts of it… from pounding the meat between sheets of wax paper using the back of a cast-iron pan to hitting it with a metal-spiked mallet, or just asking the butcher to do it. I know I’ve done them all at one time or another with some methods being effective, others pretty messy, none perfect.

When I received my sample of the Microplane Meat Tenderizer, I...

Bryan 3aphoto - Version 2Bryan: The subject of this bite is kinda strange-looking. The Microplane Easy Prep Meat Tenderizer looks sort of like a ninja fighting weapon or maybe even a torture device used in the Spanish Inquisition. I have to say that my first thought was certainly not "kitchen utensil." Don't judge a book by its cover, I guess, because kitchen utensil is exactly what it is (though it could still double for...

Eric (2 sunglasses)Eric:I thought they were a pair of the baddest ass brass knuckles I had ever seen, then I read the product information and realized they were indeed brass knuckles, just designed for meat — more so, a meat tenderizer. Most people who eat meat probably don’t realize that the majority of what they consume is tenderized — the muscle....

By |2017-09-04T17:46:45-04:00February 14th, 2012|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|4 Comments

Keurig Platinum Brewing System

bonnie_webBonnie: Tassimo was the first single-cup coffee machine I sampled and liked, but only to brew Starbucks Africa Kitamu. I found most other T-discs too weak for my palate, as I like a strong cup of coffee.

When I heard the news last year that Kraft (the corporation behind Tassimo) and Starbucks were parting ways, I started stocking up on my favorite Africa Kitamu T-discs — until I heard that Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee Roaster, makers ...

BLOGGER-B_2Bryan: I don't know if I am in the minority or not, but right up until the time I got my Keurig in the mail, I still hadn't been won over to the K-Cup revolution. Thank you Keurig; you have certainly changed my mind. In all honesty, I was still not fully sold on pod-based coffee production when we considered writing about Keurig. And it's not the machine that's the actual problem. There is no arguing with the simplicity of a system that utilizes a single-use coffee pod (also known as a K-Cup) coupled with a foolproof method for measurement of water and heat... it's just that lack of freedom you end up with that I always found...

BOTB bloggerEric: This product boils down to a simple equation: Morning addiction + instantaneous gratification + quality coffee (of your choosing) = the Keurig Brewing System. What's not to love about having your morning coffee at the press of an incredibly elegant, sleek-looking button? And what differentiates the Keurig coffeemaker from other brands such as the Tassimo, DeLonghi and Cusinart? Not much, aside from an affordable price tag and the option of using your own coffee in refillable coffee pods.

What's unique about the Keurig (aside from ...

By |2017-09-04T17:51:30-04:00January 24th, 2012|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|5 Comments

Ravi Go-Cool

bonnie_webBonnie: In last week's FeaturedBite, we suggested Entwine Pinot Grigio, which as you know, should be served well chilled. So what do you do if you want to bring it as a hostess gift and want it ready to serve at the correct temperature?

In the past, I would wrap the...

bryan5cBryan: Ravi Solutions originally made its name in the overly crowded world of wine gadgets by introducing a completely new invention. Ravi didn't just build a "better mousetrap." When it hit the market, it redefined a category. Once, there were ice buckets to chill your wine, but after...

eric...Eric: Wine is one of the few beverages that is "designed" to be served at a certain temperature (not to hot, not to cold); it is incredible how changes in temperature can help dictate, or overshadow, the subtle nuances of a particular varietal. What's even more amazing are the products available to the everyday consumer for ...

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By |2017-09-04T18:31:37-04:00November 22nd, 2011|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More|1 Comment
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