Kitchen Gadgets - Chef'n Silicone Switch It Spatula

What it is: Chef'n Silicone Switch It Spatula
Why It's Different: Great design, durable product
Why You Need a Few: Handy for everything from folding, to scraping the last bits of mayo or mustard out of the jar
* Great Gift Alert!*








Chef'n brand products are some of my new favorites. Many are made from durable silicone, which just makes any cook's life a lot easier. Why? This SwitchIt spatula, for instance, is handy for every mixing job in the kitchen - and it's heat resistant, meaning you can use it in any of your beautiful cookware. With nary a concern about scraping and scratching!

The Chef'n products also just LOOK great, and let's face it - we love to fill our kitchen with cute (and functional) gadgets. Pick up a few of these, because friends will want to 'borrow' one once they try it at your place...

Kitchen Gadgets - Mezzaluna - Herb Chopper with Special Matching Cutting Board

What it Is: Rachael Ray Mezzaluna
What it does: easily chops everything from fresh herbs (which is truly what it's ideal for) to garlic, shallots, small onions - anything that needs to be chopped!
Why you need it: The dual blade mezzaluna does the chopping work for you quickly and easily.




Popular TV chef Rachael Ray not only creates fun and easy-to-read cookbooks, but now she's venturing into her own kitchenwares line. This 'Froggy' mezzaluna, takes the old fashioned, incredibly useful mezzaluna and makes it just as adorable as it is functional. The green grips are easy to hold on to, and makes a breeze of normally tedious chopping jobs - especially chopping up herbs. And the specially designed chopping board has a rounded groove in the bottom, so as to fit the mezzaluna perfectly. Chopping has never been so easy!

Kitchen Gadgets - Cuisinart Mini Food Processor

What it is: Cuisinart Mini Food Processor
What it does: Chops, blends - everything a monstrous food processor does, but in smaller portions






Why You Need It: Works GREAT...and makes everyday tasks like whipping up salad dressing, homemade hummus and homemade salsa a breeze. And hey, it looks adorable while it does it. Seriously - do you need a full-size food processor for all of your daily chopping and mixing? I didn't think so - so this one, you DO need! Also great for smaller kitchens.

Kitchen Gadgets - Aerolatte Frother - Handheld for all your lattes

Fast, delicious, foamy, frothy lattes in a flash with this:



Yes you CAN create a delicious latte with little effort! This little gadget is a necessity to impress all your friends with your Starbuck-esque abilities...you groovy Javahead, you.

Kitchen Gadgets - Epicurean Cutting Boards

Epicurean Cutting/Chopping Boards
Why I love them: They won't dull your knives as much as regular wood AND you can bung them in the dishwasher

Epicurean Boards are a chef's best friend. A regular everyday-use board will cost you about $30 give or take a few bucks. They're easier on your good quality knives (like Wusthof) than regular wooden chopping boards. And, they're dishwasher safe - making clean up a breeze! I love the idea of how sanitary a good wash in the dishwasher will make these boards too.

If you've tried one, please post a comment about your results with Epicurean boards!

Kitchen Gadgets - Silicone Pinch Bowls - Easy Prep Bowls (and great for little chefs...)

What it is: Silicone Pinch bowls
What it does: Gives you a handy little bowl to use during food prep - when you need a pinch of this, and a pinch of that. (Also incredibly cute and handy for little chefs in the kitchen.)
Why You Should Get Some: For under $4.00 these are amazingly useful little kitchen gadgets that you'll use time and time again

Kitchen Gadgets - Swissmar V-Slicer Plus (Mandolin/Mandoline)

What it is: Swissmar V-Slicer Plus Mandolin
Why It's Fantastic: Because it slices and dices everything you need in the kitchen
Why You Should Get One: Because it's $21.99 for a very reliable mandolin. Every kitchen needs one of these gadgets!







Whether you need to slice, dice or julienne - this Swissmar V Slicer does it all for you. Neatly and with minimal effort. Plus, the huge hand guard thingamajiggy keeps your fingers all protected from the big, bad (and very sharp) blade. This is a good thing, as only professional chefs should use a mandoline without a guard on for protection.

The thing that impresses me about this model is not only that it's well designed and made, but look at that price! We sell mandolines in the kitchen shop where I work for $300. This is less than 1/10th of that price, for a very decent kitchen must-have.

Right, it IS plastic. But really, unless you plan to use a mandoline all the time, you don't need the pricier stainless steel versions.

Kitchen Gadgets - Oxo Good Grips Mango Splitter

What it is: Oxo Good Grips Mango Splitter
Why You Need It: Because it WORKS! This handy little kitchen gadget easily and quickly cuts a mango in two, neatly removing the pit as you go
Who It's Great For: You, if you happen to love mangoes half as much as I do






At the kitchen shop where I work, we could not keep these mango splitters/pitters in stock. Mangoes are an incredibly hard fruit to cut the pit out of - it's one of those kitchen tasks that you just had to get on and do, without a great gadget to help. Until now! This Good Grips mango splitter is fantastic - it removes the pit easily, and leaves the maximum amount of delicious, juicy mango flesh behind. It really does an excellent job, and I highly recommend it.

Kitchen Gadgets - Cool Frog Teapot - Just Because It's SO Cute

What it is: Adorable frog teapot
Why You Need It: Because this little fellow is way too cute to resist
Or...Give it as a gift to a tea & frog loving friend (hey, there's more of those than you'd ever imagine!)






I'm a sucker for cute gadgets and kitchen must-haves and so this little frog teapot absolutely grabbed my attention! How can you resist this adorable teapot? If you love teapots, visit Teapots Teapots for more to choose from.

Kitchen Gadgets - Zyliss Shake 'n' Go Shaker (for Protein Drinks, Smoothies, Dressings, more)

What it is: Zyliss Shake 'n' Go Shaker
What it does: Shakes things up (in a wonderful way)
Why you need it: It's ideal for taking a smoothie to go with you in the car...or for making lovely homemade dressing and vinaigrettes at home for your healthy salads.

Zyliss, 29440, Shake 'n Go Shaker, Green


Can you tell yet that I'm a little obssessed with Zyliss products? I just love them. Zyliss makes smart products that work well and feel right in your hands while you're using them. This Shake 'n' Go shaker is a perfect example of just that.

I have this little green shaker container, and use it for whipping up quick homemade dressings (thanks to the little attachment inside that helps make blending a breeze) or to take a smoothie to go with me wherever I happen to be going.

This is a real bargain too - for under five bucks you're getting a true multi-tasker for around the kitchen. I find that the spout makes sipping easy AND the lid stays on true and tight. I've never had this little shaker leak even a drop! (At work, where we sell these - a box usually doesn't last a week. Customers have caught on to these amazing little gizmos too, and so they never last long.)

Kitchen Gadgets - A Bodum French Press

A must have for any coffee lover is a Bodum French Press coffee maker. A Bodum makes delicious coffee, and hey - no electricity required! Today's Kitchen Gadget (MUST HAVE) of the day is a Bodum Coffeemaker. Their Chambord line is the one we typically think of when we think of a Bodum - it is the real classic.

Enjoy, coffee lovers!

Kitchen Gadgets - Danesco Silicone Cupcake Liners

Danesco Silicone Mini Muffin/Cupcake Liners
Why you need them: They make mini muffin and/or cupcake baking far easier. (Read that: no more stuck cupcakes! Which means no more wasted cupcake yumminess...)





Just use these on top of a regular baking sheet, or in mini muffin pans to line your delicious cupcake creations. Once you try these, you'll be hooked - especially if you love baking cupcakes, but want them to come out of the pan in one piece. These handy little silicone liners ensure excellent results.

Kitchen Gadgets - Zyliss Palm-Held Pizza Slicer

What it is: Zyliss Pizza Slicer (in the handy little round shape that fits neatly into your palm)
What it does: Slice easily through thick or thin crust pizza. And look stylish at the same time, if that happens to matter to you (as it does to me...)
Why you need it: It's the grooviest little pizza cutter/slicer that I've tried




When we first received a box of these Zyliss pizza cutters/slicers at the kitchen shop where I work, we sold out within a few days. People came back wanting to buy more as gifts for pizza-loving friends and family. Why were they so popular? Because the sharp edges of this handy little slicer will zip right through any pizza...and it's small size makes it easy to hold AND easy to store in even tiny apartment kitchens. The stylish look of the cutter certainly doesn't hurt either.

Kitchen Gadgets - Zyliss Ice Cream Scoop

What it is: The Zyliss Ice Cream Scoop
What it does: Create perfect scoops of ice cream - and I do mean perfect!
Why you need it: Yeah, I know it's the middle of winter - but I'm a firm believer in ice cream consumption all year round.





In the market for a fantastic new ice cream scoop? This is by far my favorite of all time. The Zyliss Ice Cream Scoop just feels right in your hand, so if you're scooping ice cream (or frozen yogurt, etc) for a crowd, your hand won't be left feeling completely numb. It has a nice weight to it, and it swoops out perfect little scoops of ice cream. Great for stuffing into a cone, piling up in an ice cream bowl and smothering with hot fudge...or adding on top of steaming hot apple pie.

Kitchen Gadgets - Danesco Garlic Peeler Reviewed

What it is: Danesco Garlic Peeler (In a gorgeous shade of green - yes, other colors are available)
What it does: Easily peel cloves of fresh delicious garlic
Do you need it? YES
Why you need it: Because it makes peeling garlic an absolute breeze. And your friends won't have a clue what that green tube is doing in your gadgets drawer...







If you ask me, garlic should be a mandatory ingredient in every recipe. Yes, even your Mom's lemon meringue pie. (OKAY...maybe I do have a bit of a garlic dependency. But can you BLAME me?) If you have a deep and loyal love for the smelly stuff too, then you'll want to pick up one of these handy little garlic peeler tubes. For five bucks you get a handy little gadget that does JUST what it should. Just pop a fresh garlic clove in this little green tube, place on the countertop, and roll it around with your hand and all the papery garlic skins will come right off. Leaving you with a cute, naked little garlic clove. Ready for any recipe!

Kitchen Gadgets - Hershey's Kisses Chocolate Fondue Set

What it is: Hershey's Kisses Novelty Chocolate Fondue Set
What it does: Cover everything in delcious melted chocolate. How can that NOT be insanely good?
Why you should get one: It makes a fantastic gift. And hey, it costs under $10.




It's cute, it covers all things edible in a gorgeous velvety coating of rich melted chocolate fondue. It's a fabulous bargain - I'd say these are all incredible reasons to invest a few bucks in a cute little chocolate fondue pot.

Have a fondue night - it's incredibly trendy right now to fondue. Start off with a great cheese fondue, then top the night off with a chocolate fondue. Need inspiration on WHAT to dip in chocolate? (Wow, you must live on an entirely different PLANET than me...but I digress...) Fresh fruit, hearty chunks of pound cake, roasted nuts - the list could go on forever. Enjoy!

Kitchen Gadgets #3 - a Microplane Zester/Grater

What it is: A Microplane zester/grater (the kind you see ALL the time on popular Food Network shows)
Why You need it: Because it's an ultra sharp little grater that makes everyday prep tasks in the kitchen fast & easy.






This handy little MUST HAVE in the kitchen is useful in all sorts of ways:

• the Microplane grater/zester works quickly to remove the delicious zest of citrus fruits. All the natural oils in the zests make them a must in so many recipes - from baking, to salad dressings
• Great for grating (har har) - hard chocolate or cheese is no match for the sharp little teeth on the Microplane. It also works well to finely grate nutmeg to sprinkle into cream sauces, or to top your fancy Coffee Creations.
  
  
  

Kitchen Gadgets #2 - A $6.00 Candy Thermometer for Fudge and Candymaking

What it is: A good old-fashioned thermomenter, likely very similar to the ones your Mom & Grandma had
What it does: Help you to create consistenly decadent homemade fudges and candies
Kitchen Gadgets Rating: 5/5 (Yep, it's REALLY that good!)





You COULD go and spend $25, $50 or more on some fancy thermometer for your candymaking adventures, but why bother? This version will only set you back a very reasonable $6 and the results are consistent and reliable. And yes, fudge making in particular is far easier with a good candy thermometer - no more guessing if it's hardball or softball stage...

Kitchen Gadgets #1 - Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Liner for Cookie Sheets

Kitchen Gadgets #1 - Silpat Nonstick Baking Liner
Why You Need It: Because don't you have BETTER ways to spend your time than laboriously greasing cookie sheets and other baking pans?
Kitchen Gadgets Rating: 4.7/5





Yep, you've found the first gadget or kitchen must-have that you really WILL absolutely need. Once you try one of these Silpat silicone baking sheets, you'll be going back for more. Because either you'll WANT more, or a family member or friend will have swiped yours...they're THAT good.

Silpat sheets make cookie baking an absolute breeze - no more sticking to the tray, no matter what sort of cookie sheets you use. The cookies even seem to come out fluffier somehow. For $14.99 for a large size (that you can also pop in the dishwasher to clean, hurray!) it's a bargain for gadget addicts.

Kitchen Gadgets - All the Latest and Greatest Must Haves for Cooks

If you're addicted to the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets, then you have found a fantastic new home! I'll be posting both the newest and coolest gadgets that you'll WANT, plus all the old stand-bys that you can't get by without. :) Working in a kitchenwares shop has only increased my own addiction for gadgets, so this blog should be a lot of fun...

Happy cooking, gadget lovers!