Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, which is known for their grills and outdoor kitchens, has just introduced a new product that will have pizza lovers pining: an artisan pizza oven. The oven has a 30,000 BTU burner (gas or propane) to get the heat level just right, and a wood-chip drawer so you can add in some of the smoky flavor a wood-burning oven would naturally provide. Under the low, domed roof, the floor of the oven is a professional composite baking stone that will turn out perfect crusts on pizzas (and breads) every time it is used. Unlike smaller stones that are used for baking in regular ovens, according to the manufacturer, this one will not become brittle or crack even after repeated or extended use.

It is made of stainless steel with a double-wall insulated design, so one of the best features of the oven is not just that it will produce pizza that is much better than you could make with a standard kitchen oven, but that it is very safe, despite the high heat that it operates at.

The ovens will be available for purchase next month, with a price tag of $3,900 each. They certainly aren't cheap, but if you really love your pizza, it might just be worth it.

[via Trendir]

Labor Day is less than a week away and is the last big grilling day of the summer season. It is a weekend of picnics and barbecues, which means that hot dogs and hamburgers will be popping up on everyone's menus. These hamburgers already made an appearance on my grill, but I'm sure that I'll be cooking up a few more over the weekend. I used sharp cheddar and provolone (except for the lone cheese-less burger topped with bbq sauce in the back), adding the cheese during the last few seconds of cooking, keeping the burgers on the grill just long enough to melt it onto the patty.

Cheese is just the start of a good burger, though. Some of my favorite toppings are basics, like lettuce, tomato, onions and avocado, though bacon, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce are always out alongside the grill for anyone who wants them. You can't go wrong with those options, but what else do you put on your burgers to make them the best they can be?

Before you consider investing in La Caja China, there are a couple of questions that you need to ask yourself. The first is, how serious are you about cooking pork? The second is, how much meat do you want to cook at one time?

La Caja China is - quite literally - a large box that is used for roasting a pig in Chinese fashion, though it is hugely popular in Florida's Cuban community and anywhere else that people want to roast whole pigs. The medium sized model costs almost $300 and can hold up to a 70-lb pig (the large can handle a 100-lb swine). If you don't want to go the whole hog, it can also be used to roast 16-18 whole chickens, 4-6 turkeys, 8-10 pork ribs slabs, 8-10 pork shoulders or any other type of meat, all at the same time.

The way that it works is that a dressed pig is laid inside the box. The box is shut and covered with charcoal. After a few hours inside the aluminum-lined Caja China, the meat of the pig is cooked. At that point, the pig is flipped over - getting the skin side nearer to the indirect heat source - and the skin crisps up to be a dark golden color. The whole process takes a few hours, but connoisseurs say that the juicy meat and crispy skin is worth every minute of waiting time, although you may want to run errands or something while the pig cooks.

As for getting a whole pig, you're on your own.

Let's face it: if you're not in the house, you're probably not using silverware. But eating with your hands is not only messy, but sometimes it's just not all that convenient. Fried chicken and burgers are fine when eaten out of hand, but what about potato salad or pie?

This nomad traveling silverware set attaches to a lanyard that you can wear around your neck when out hiking or keep in the glove compartment of your car (for emergencies). It includes a miniature stainless steel fork, knife, spoon and bottle opener, all of which tuck neatly away in a plastic case when not in use.

You could use plastic silverware, but this is not only more practical, but it's more eco-friendly, since there is nothing to throw away. A few uses, and this $20 gadget will pay for itself - not to mention that it would made a great gift for anyone who is outdoor-oriented and not taking all their meals at a dining room table.

Don't spend all your time thinking about what you're going to barbecue for the 4th of July – what about dessert? After all, you're going to want more than just a beer to wash down all those hot dogs and potato chips when you are out with friends and family, waiting for the fireworks display to begin.

Anything with Jello – as one of the few foods that actually comes in the color blue, Jello is the perfect choice for making red, white and blue desserts, not to mention that it's always a kid favorite. Try a patriotic Jello pie, red white and blue terrine or an All-american trifle.

Shortcake – there is something classic about shortcake after a barbecue. You can use almost any fruit, but opt for strawberries, blueberries or raspberries on the 4th. For the cake, make a traditional biscuit base or just use a slice of pound cake. Try this recipe or this one.

Chocolate chip cookies – maybe the expression should have been "as American as chocolate chip cookies," because not only were these invented in the US, but they're a favorite with everyone. And you can't go wrong with the famous Tollhouse recipe, which started it all.

Though it looks like a bucket (ok - the bottom is a bucket), this setup from Eva Solo is a miniature tabletop grill that is styled after the much larger barrel-type hibachi grills. The handle on the base makes it easy to carry around, so it is entirely portable, and the teak base protects your outdoor furniture from the heat. Inside, there is an easy to clean removable compartment to hold charcoal. This little grill would make a romantic and intimate dinner for two barbecue lovers on a hot summer night. Granted, the power of a full-sized grill is hard to resist, but so is the appeal of grilling while sitting side-by-side.

 

 

The Pot-de-Feu grill is eco-friendly and foodie-friendly - that's what we like to see in our various cooking gadgets/equipment whenever possible. The grills, weighing in at only 6.5-lbs and 7x12-in., are hand-crafted from used up 20-lb propane tanks and each one features a unique flame design. All exterior surfaces of the heavy steel are painted with black, high heat paint, while the insides are unpainted. Charcoal is the best material for grilling with a Pot-de-Feu and a cooking grate is included with each one. Smallish foods like kebabs, grilled fruits for dessert or simply meals for a small group of people are the best things to cook on these and, if you set a paving stone or other protective material under the grill, it can be set on a tabletop. Be careful, though: the grill itself gets very hot during cooking!

Check out a picture of the grill in action after the jump.

It's hard to say precisely why grilling and golf seem to be the two most popular themes for Father's Day, but we're not complaining because this BBQ set is fantastic. The 5-piece set was designed with golf in mind, for someone who loves the sport but also likes to cook. All the handles are soft and insulated, modeled after the handles on real clubs, and top cylindrical, stainless steel shafts that end in the grilling tools. There is a spatula shaped like a club, grilling fork and tongs that have a remarkably golf ball-like look to them. In addition, the set includes two plastic golf ball salt and pepper shakers.

 

The Talos Outdoor Cooking Suite cannot be called a grill. This stainless-steel outdoor grilling system is better equipped than many professional kitchens are. It offers 42-inches of grilling space and 75,000 BTUs of total cooking power. The 20,000-BTU searing station includes a commercial-style griddle and the ceramic infrared rotisserie can easily fit entire, large roasts. In addition to packing some impressive firepower, the grill can maintain specific temperatures for extended periods of time. For example, with the hood down, it can double as an oven, steadily holding a temperature of 350F (or any other temperature). The unit has tons of storage space, a warming drawer, a solid-wood cutting board and a bartender module, which features a full sink and cooler well. Customizations are also available to suit your particular needs.

The only drawback, aside from the $35,000 price tag, is the tremendous amount of energy it uses. Talos buyers have been known to run a separate gas line out of their house to power it, instead of trying to use tanks.

Frontgate, the maker of the grill, is not kidding when they say that it's more than the grill of a lifetime. But at that price, you might want to consider simply replacing your kitchen with it, rather than replacing your Weber.

 

As the season goes on, the days are getting longer and barbecues come out of storage in preparation for the grilling season. No matter how late it stays light, sometimes there just isn’t enough time to fix dinner before the sun goes down. This isn’t a problem when cooking indoors, but it can be a problem when you’re grilling. In the dark, it is hard to see what your meats and veggies look like. Timers and guess-work can help, but nothing is better than being able to take a good look at what you’re doing.

Enter the Flashlight Grill Tongs from Red Envelope. The tongs are stainless steel and have a battery powered LED flashlight built into them. With the press of a button, you can easily monitor your foods on the darkest night as they cook up on the grill.