"kitchen gadget" news and stories

My birthday is coming up, and so Saturday night I got together with a few friends to celebrate with a potluck dinner. Despite the fact that I told all who asked that I didn't need a thing, several people brought gifts. Because these people all know me so well, nearly all the gifts were food-related.

My cousin Angie brought the scissors you see above. The package calls them Herb Scissors and up until this weekend, I had never seen anything like them. I haven't actually tried to use them yet (although I have plans to use them on a bunch of parsley in my fridge soon), but I find them fascinating (and oddly reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands).

What do you all think? Useful time saver, or space stealing gadget?

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When was the last time you had a soft-boiled egg? It doesn't seem like the gently cooked eggs are as popular as they once were, but perhaps, using the same techniques that were applied to fast food advertising, they can regain some of their former popularity. What techniques am I referring to? Trying to appeal to men. Of course, there is no soft-boiled egg coalition, but this particular egg cup, Mr. Egg, is designed specifically for men. Clearly based on the idea of a toy car, the metal-cast cup is chrome plated and has tiny, working wheels.

We recommend accessorizing this "ride" with a side of toast, rather than trying to find miniature rims for the wheels, but feel free to add racing stripes to personalize yours.

[via cribcandy]

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To cut up a melon, I usually take the following step: slice it in half, scoop out any non-edible innards, place cut side down on a cutting board and remove the rind with a sharp knife. Once the rind is removed, I proceed to slice and serve the melon.

But removing the rind can be tricky, especially with larger melons or for cooks who don't have a sharp knife at the ready, so the Melon Ease melon slicer offers an alternative method of melon preparation. Once your melon is sliced in half and has the seeds removed, the slicer is inserted into the melon and it cuts the melon into even segments. With a simple twist of the top handle, the slices are separated from the rind and ready to eat.

This doesn't seem like a "must have" gadget for most homes, and I won't even get in to the fact that it will be difficult to store, but if you eat a lot of melon, you might just get a lot of use out of it.

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Don't worry - I wasn't cooking up any blue food when I took this picture. I simply colored some water with blue dye so that you could get a clear idea of how the OXO Angled Measuring Cups work . The plastic cups have and angled side that allows volumes to be read from above - so there is no need to lower yourself down to counter-level just to see if you've poured enough milk for your cake. They also have a convenient pouring spout, a comfortable, insulated handle and come in a wide range of sizes.

In addition to some of the larger sizes, I also have a 1/4 cup angled measure, which is perfect for up to 4 tablespoons of liquid. It is perfect for measuring those small amounts when a recipe calls for them, and not many of the more traditional measuring cups seem able to handle such a small volume, making it invaluable in my kitchen.

Alphabet soup is a favorite for many kids, despite the fact that it always seems to look much better than it tastes. And if you taste it after the age of 8? Well, let's just say that the pasta-and-sauce concoction is not meant for adult taste buds. With this alphabet soup cutting board, you can still enjoy the nostalgic look of the soup-like concoction, without having to taste it. It is made of glass, textured on top, and is both stain and odor resistant. It's dishwasher safe, so it is a multipurpose board that can be used for anything.

For a different way to enjoy alphabet spaghetti/soup, check out the giant version at Pimp That Snack!

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