Mastrad Top Chips Maker and Slicer - Microwave Potato Chip Maker

The Mastrad chips maker makes delicious homemade potato chips right in your microwave oven! People are raving about this new gadget...you slice root vegetables like sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, and in just a few minutes you have delicious, crispy homemade chips!



I like this set in particular, because it comes with a simple mandolin-type slicer, too, so you're getting 2 gadgets for the price of one! Mastrad also sells a set of 2 potato chip makers -- two trays that you use in the microwave. The trays are made of a durable, high-quality silicone, so your chips will crisp up, but won't stick to the tray.

Do you have a Mastrad potato chip maker? If so, please leave a comment and tell us how you use yours!

A Great Garlic Gizmo: Garlic Zoom

Do you consider a garlic press passe? Want to have more fun mincing your garlic? Well then do I have a garlic gadget for you! The Garlic Zoom by Chef'n is a fantastic little garlic gadget that makes chopping and mincing garlic a much easier task. In fact, chopping your garlic will no longer be considered a chore at all!


With the garlic zoom - which comes in a few dazzling colors, such as green and red - you simply pop open the top lid of the gadget, throw in your peeled garlic cloves, and then 'zoom' 'zoom' 'zoom' to your heart's content! The rubberized wheels on the bottom are like the wheels on a toy car, but they work to turn the blades inside the gadget, thus mincing and chopping your garlic. Keep on 'zooming' until the garlic is perfectly minced - either big and chunky or finely minced, however you like it.

Do you have a garlic zoom? Leave a comment and tell us what your favorite features are.
PS. You will need a basic Garlic Peeler to peel your cloves of garlic before using the Garlic Zoom. Garlic peelers are basically a rubber tube - you pop in a regular clove of garlic and roll the tube around on the countertop, and the peel comes off.

More Garlic Goodies: Joseph Joseph Garlic Crusher

Even EASIER than a garlic press is the new garlic crusher by wonderful Joseph Joseph. How easy can it be?

Just place a peeled garlic clove on your countertop or cutting board. Use the Joseph Joseph garlic crusher to rock back and forth over the garlic - using that rocking motion until the garlic is minced as finely as you like. Scoop the crushed garlic into the end (the end is shaped sort of like a spoon) and then add to your recipe.

Rinse off your Joseph Joseph garlic crusher and use the end bit to rub your fingers on - since it's stainless, you'll effectively remove the stinky scent of garlic from your hands.

Great Garlic Press! Oxo Stainless Garlic Press

Looking for a fantastic garlic press that will really get the job of mincing garlic done in a flash? You've found it! Oxo Good Grips is one of my favorite brands (the black grippy material makes it easy to use these kitchen tools over and over again - they're comfortable, sturdy and well made)...and this garlic press is a fave. The durable construction of the garlic press makes it one you'll use for years:



And remember a favorite kitchen hint for after you're finished with the garlic. If you have any lingering garlic odors on your fingers and hands then just use anything made of stainless steel - a spoon for instance - and rub your moistened hand on the stainless steel to totally remove the stinky smells left behind!

Kitchen Gadgets - Make Fresh French Fries at Home - French Fry Cutter

Who needs McDonald's? Once you have your own snazzy french fry cutter, you can easily slice fresh potatoes into perfect french fries, ready to bake (drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper at a high oven heat...halfway through baking use a heat-safe spatula to flip the fries) or fry. Delicious!




Just as delicious is the fact that this version is popular with consumers and still costs under $15.00.

Kitchen Gadgets - Westmark Cherry Pitters

Pitting a cherry by hand, with a knife the old-fashioned way is a real pain. On the other hand, finding a decent cherry pitter that does a good job is almost as hard! This little cherry pitter by Westmark is a winner -- it does the job well, removing the pit quite easily, and is lightweight and easy to use for large pitting jobs. If it's a REALLY large cherry pitting task set before you, then research Westmark's large cherry pitter. I've listed both of them, below:

Yes, you pay a little more for Westmark products, but the quality of these cherry pitters and other kitchen gadgets make it worth the cost.

Kitchen gadgets - Gluggle Jugs from the UK (Wade Ceramics)

Okay, so maybe we can't technically call it a 'gadget.' But, Gluggle Jugs from the UK are an old fashioned favorite tha are making a comeback! Literally, the fish (or orca or seahorse) shaped jugs gurgle and gluggle as you pour water or other liquids from them. Great fun for kids of all ages, and they are fantastic to look at. Makes a fun statement on any table...And apparently Prince Charles uses a tiny one to pour his liquor. Who knew?

Kitchen gadgets - rotary cheese graters

Imagine delicous platefuls of steaming pasta just aching for a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese to add the perfect cheesey finish. Rotary cheese graters are commonplace at Italian restaurants, and now you can enjoy the same ease of grating at home - grate fresh cheeses over your family's dinner tonight, and just maybe they'll confuse you for a friendly waiter and hand over a tip!

Kitchen Gadgets - Mini Mortar and Pestle by Norpro

This is just too cute for words! This mini mortar and pestle will be your go to gadget when you want to crush a pill (seriously)...or, only need to crush or grind a few herbs or spices.




It holds about a couple of tablespoons, so with this in your gadget drawer, you may not always need to go for the "big mama" mortar and pestle.

If you're unsure of what exactly a mortar and pestle is used for, check out this definition from Wikipedia:

A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances (trituration). The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle.

Hot Kitchen Gadget Right Now: Trudeau Perfect Mix Oil and Vinegar Pourer

As soon as these come in, they're sold out! The Trudeau Perfect Mix oil and vinegar pourer is unique in that it pours out the exact right proportions of oil and vinegar to make a perfect blend on any salad. Simply pour, and you're done! If you just want a little oil, simply press the 'O' button on the top of the cruet to drizzle. The same goes for vinegar: just press 'V'. The hottest new vinegar and oil gadget of the season...perfect for a salad lover.

Kitchen Must Haves: WMF Bistro Ice Cream Spoons (for Sundaes, Iced Tea and More)

When you have a delicious, tall ice cream sundae in front of you, the last thing you want to do is struggle with a stubby spoon to get to all the good stuff at the bottom of the sundae dish! These sublime spoons by WMF are perfect for getting to the gooey goodness of any sundae...plus, they're the perfect length to double as iced tea spoons!

Kitchen Gadgets - Vinturi Wine Aerator Set - deluxe Set

Vinturi wine aerators are amazing gifts, and so perfect for a wine lover. Since introduced, Vinturi wine aerators have been selling out...but, why? Because Vinturi simplifies and beautifies the entire process of aerating your wine and making it perfectly ready to drink and enjoy.




This deluxe set includes the Vinturi tower, sediment filter, no-drip stand and travel pouch. In the time it takes to pour a regular glass of wine, you'll have perfectly aerated wine - delicious. And it does justice to even your finest bottles of vino.

P.S. Click on the above link and read the reviews - Vinturi really is the most popular aerator on the market by far right now!

Kitchen Gadgets - Mortar and Pestle

A mortar and pestle is a useful (and old-fashioned) way to grind up herbs, garlic, chilis or whatever ingredients you like - into a paste like consistency. It's also great for grinding spices. The mortar is the bowl, and the pestle the grinding tool that does all the actual work. For obvious reasons, mortars and pestles are generally made out of very durable materials, such as marble, stone or even cast iron. They need to be durable, because they really take a beating!

Here are a couple of examples of good, heavy-duty mortars and pestles:

Kitchen Gadgets - Cookie Scoops (Stainless Steel)

Perfectly measured cookies or muffins is the goal. A good, sturdy stainless steel cookie scoop will make it easy to create big batches of cookies, muffins or cupcakes. Depended on by professional kitchens, once you use these, you'll come to rely on them too for your home baking.

Kitchen Gadgets - Honing Steels vs. Knife Sharpeners

Ever wonder what the true difference is between a knife sharpener and a honing steels? (Those are the long, metallic devices you see chefs on TV use with wreckless abandon!)

A honing steel doesn't remove any metal from your knives, but hones them by realigning the edge of the blade. It makes your knife more effective at cutting again. Good knives don't need to be sharpened very often - only once or twice a year - as opposed to honing. You should hone your knives every time you use them, and maybe even in between large chopping jobs.

So, quick summary: hone your knives every time you use them, sharpen them (or get them professionally sharpened) only about once or twice a year at the most. Good knives won't need to be sharpened any more often than that.

Herb Snippers - Four Bladed Herb Scissors - Great for Gardeners

Now here's a gadget that really makes sense! Snipping herbs (especially the slender stalks of chives) can take forever, so reach for these herb snippers/cutters/scissors instead, and make the most of the herbal bounty from your garden this summer:

Kitchen Gadgets - Orange Peelers

With all the delicious, fresh and juicy oranges in the markets right now, it's no wonder everyone's getting curious about orange peelers again! I just bought a tiny one that fits easily on your finger, and I'm pretty pleased with how it sections the peel up and then swipes it away. And it cost me around a buck, so I liked the price quite a lot, too.




And this longer handled orange peeler is the very one my Mom had for years! And it's still made by Tupperware, no less. But, I'm pretty sure hers was a bright orange color, while this version is an updated purple.




Ta dah! Delicious segments of juicy orange ready to eat. Go crazy, citrus fiends.

Kitchen Gadgets - Oxo Good Grips Pastry Scraper (doubles as a food scoop)

This Oxo Good Grips pastry scraper is one of those tools in the kitchen that you'll use time and time again. Not only does it work fabulously to scrape up dough after you've made pie or bread, but its sharp edge helps to cut into that dough.








Plus, it also doubles as a handy food scoop - once you've chopped herbs, veggies or meat - you can use it to scrape up the food and get it into the bowl or pot! I've never regretted buying anything from Oxo Good Grips - love that brand.

Chef'n Citrus Zester - Clever Design

Another clever Chef'n product, this time a handy little zester that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. The little container catches all the bits of zest as you go, making it so easy to use. And there's no clean up.

Such a smart design on this one. Comes in cute citrus inspired colors: lime green, orange, and lemon yellow.

Kitchen Gadgets - A Great Knife Sharpener for under $10 (Accusharp)

Those beautiful kitchen knives you have don't seem quite so lovely when they get dull. Once in a while, you need to pull out this handy knife sharpener from Accusharp, which gets rave reviews from users! For under $10, you can get all of your knives nice and sharp again, good as new. Just sharpen your knives once or twice a year, and you should be good to go...to chop, slice, dice, and julienne your way to culinary creativeness.





(Don't forget that every time you use your knife you should use a honing steel. Honing doesn't sharpen the knives or remove any metal from the edges, but it works to sort of realign the edge of the knife, giving you a more precise cut again. Hone every time you use the knife, and sharpen your knives only up to a few times a year.)