Kitchen Gadgets - Charles Viancin Silicone Lids and Seals

These Charles Viancin silicon sealing lids - in hibiscus, lily pad, or sunflower design - are ingenious! With one simple press down on top of a bowl or container, the silicone lid seals completely shut. Comes in small, medium and large and is incredibly useful as a cover while heating in the microwave, or sealing a bowl or container for storing in the fridge.



A small size is available to seal coffee cups, or glasses - perfect for outdoor entertaining this summer, when you don't want any (ahem...uninvited) guests arriving in the drinks! Yes, mosquitoes and flies, I mean you! Also a simple little topper for heating up coffee, tea or water in the microwave.

Charles Viancin is selling out in the kitchen store where I work - get your hands on these amazingly designed products. They make ideal gifts, too.

Kitchen Gadgets -What is a Mezzaluna?

Want an easy way to chop, chop, chop those herbs? What you need is a mezzaluna! Basically a dual bladed rounded knife with handles on either end, a mezzaluna makes chopping even piles of herbs a breeze. You might've seen Nigella Lawson (or other famous Food Network chefts) chop herbs this way.

Need a fun and unique gift for your favorite foodie? (Yes, that can include yourself! We all need to treat ourselves once in a while, right?) A mezzaluna might very nicely fit the bill...Check out this classic version I found for under $10:






A rounded-middle chopping board that is especially designed for use with a mezzaluna makes chopping herbs and garlic all the easier! This one is by Nigella Lawson, who (like I mentioned before) I've often seen on Food Network using a mezzaluna.







And, pizza lovers - here's an oversized mezzaluna just for slicing your favorite cheesey food! Just roll the mezzaluna a few times over the pizza, and voila! Perfect slices, all ready to pick up and chomp down on.

Kitchen Gadgets - Trudeau Pot Clip Spoon Holder

Sometimes the greatest gadgets are the simplest ones, the ones you wonder: "Why on earth didn't I ever think of that?"







This handy gizmo by Trudeau is one of those gadgets. This handy little pot clip attaches easily to the side of any pot or pan, and securely holds your wooden spoon (or other utensil) in place over the pot, allowing any drips to drop right back inside the cooking pot. A fantastic gadget that really works! And prevents a lot of stovetop clean-up later on...

Kitchen Gadgets - Easy Jar Openers

Let's face it - there are a lot of people out there who have a very difficult time opening jars. Maybe (like me!) you just don't have big, strong hands. Or, maybe arthritis has set into your hands, and makes it very difficult to ease open jars anymore.

Jar openers are a very popular and helpful kitchen gadget - and they make a very thoughtful gift for a friend with arthritis. Jar openers come in a variety of styles, but I've chosen two of my favorites...

1. The JarKey or JarPop jar opener -

I've seen both of these brands and the concept is pretty much exactly the same. The Jar Key or Jar Pop basically pops open the seal of the jar, making it a breeze to open! These are bestsellers in kitchen shops everywhere, because these work so well! (We had one customer in one day and he bought up the rest of our stock - about six of them, I believe...because he wanted to give them as gifts to all of his friends.) And the current price of $3.49 is unbeatable.

2. Easi Twist Jar Opener


This style basically allows you to get a good grip on the jar lid, thus allowing you to remove the lid without such a struggle. Also popular are little grippy pads that you can find at hardware stores, that basically do the same thing - give you a real grip on the lid, which is often the reason why we can't remove the jar lid in the first place.

Kitchen Gadgets - Butter Warmers for Dipping Lobster and Crab

Oh, seafood lovers - I'm beckoning you with a beguiling odor: melted butter. If you love nothing more than fresh lobster or crab, you have no choice but to stock up on some seafood essentials - butter warmers!

Butter warmers can be exquisite and refined, like these stainless steel numbers:







Or, a good butter warmer can be as simple as these little ramekin-type devices (by Progressive International) with tealights underneath to keep the melted butter smooth and silken.





No matter what your style, a great butter warmer takes the delights of eating seafood and turns it into an epic event!

Kitchen Gadgets - Cheese Gadgets - The Perfect Cheese Slicer

A nice piece of cheese is a gorgeous, gourmet event to me. Whether it's rich aged cheddar, or a chunk of pungent blue cheese - it's all cheese heaven to me! Which means that I like a good cheese slicer as much as the next cheese lover...



For a lovely version complete with a hardwood board, try this cheese slicer by Prodyne. It has a superior wire for cutting through hard or softer cheeses with ease. Handheld slicers are okay, but once you try this baby you'll be eating more cheese than ever!