"kitchen utensils" news and stories

Obviously, we have the refrigerator to keep our foods nicely stored at a chilly 42 degrees or so. However, if you're a grazer like me, you might be opening that refrigerator every hour throughout the day just to grab a nectarine.

Industrial designer Klara Zavadilova has Coool, a food cover which keep fruits and pastry fresh, protected, and easily accessible during the day. The base plate contains a mild cooling system that sets the temperature inside the domed cover from a control. According to the product description, "The cooling system is CFC-free and free from polluting cooling liquids. An additional ventilator inside the cooling chamber ensures that the cold is distributed optimally inside the cover."

[via: Yanko Design]

Sometimes, cooking for one or two every night is just as much of a challenge as cooking for a large family of six. Whereas cooking for a large family requires savvy stretching of dollars and food, cooking for one or two requires the ability to cook in small quantities without wasting food. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't get creative with leftovers.

The micro rice cooker helps out by allowing you to cook a small amount of rice, and conveniently, too, since the ceramic pot goes in the microwave oven. Once the rice is cooked, you can eat straight from the bowl. It's certainly not any faster, since the uncooked rice still has to be washed/rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes before cooking. If you want speed, then just go for the pre-cooked ready packed rice available at Asian markets.

The micro rice cooker is available at Compact Impact for $44. 

[via: popgadget]

Alright, so maybe it doesn't really say "I love you" to anyone else except yourself since this heart-shaped egg frying pan cooks one egg, but it sure is cute, nonetheless The pan is non-stick and has a lid, though I''m not sure what you'd ever use a lid for when cooking one egg!

The pan is available from Pink Gorgeous Shopping in the UK for £5.00. The shopping site also has a number of other cute and kitschy items for the kitchen and home. 

The online store for the Museum of Modern Art has some beautifully designed things for the home and kitchen that if they weren't useful at all (another garlic crusher!) they're all little works of art.

These stainless steel salt and pepper shakers are $28 for the pair. They're sleek, yet adorable with their rounded design and "weeble wobble" effect. The base is heavy, so they never topple over.

More salt and pepper shakers:
Ice cream cones
Sleek and magnetic
Pretty little pigs
Self-shaking shakers for the lazy
Peugeot's electric pepper mill

We can make purty shapes like hearts with fancy waffle irons, and even do free-form pancake art, but what about simple toast?

The Pop Art Toaster has stainless steel stencils that you insert into their toasted with bread, and "tattooes" a birthday cake, heart, snowflake, flower, or smiley face onto your toast. It even lets you brand "Luv U," if you want to send that special guest a message the morning after. Just don't ask us if white or whole wheat will give him/her the wrong idea.

The Pop Art Toaster is $40 and comes in red or white.