One of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to face as an amateur chef is my own laziness. Sure, a home cooked meal made from scratch sounds delightful but it’s a lot of work. More ingredients mean a better melding of flavors as well as more preparation and opportunities to make a mistake. I mean, I know the difference between teaspoon and tablespoon but you’d be surprised how many times I grab the wrong one when I’m frazzled in the kitchen.
What I need, what I’m always looking for, is a product to make cooking less intimidating. The Sink Drainer Cutting Board (Uncommon Goods, $32.00) marries an organic bamboo cutting board with a silicone strainer and I can instantly breathe easier. I don’t have to worry about dropping all the vegetables I just chopped into the sink when I transfer them from the cutting board to the strainer because it’s built right in. The whole thing fits over your sink so you can slide your vegetables or meat directly into the strainer as you go. Usually I end up doing this in batches because my cutting board is too small to sustain an entire meal’s raw materials. Because this cutting board is meant to be used over the sink, it’s quite large and could be a bit tricky to store – something tells me it won’t be spending that much time tucked away though.
It’s probably a good idea to get a jump start on your Father’s Day shopping, so if Dad isn’t into cooking you can still find a bunch of other great ideas at Uncommon Goods.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 24″ x 12″ x 0.8″
-Cutting board with integrated strainer
-Fits over sink for easy chopping
-Wash in warm soapy water
-Made of silicone and organic bamboo
Is there anything better than the smell of a barbeque on a summer day? Whenever I smell burgers and hot dogs on the grill, it just makes me happy. To make a quality burger, you have to do just that – make it. You can’t expect perfection from a frozen meat patty!
If you’re gonna make your burgers from scratch, then you might as well go all out. Go ahead, get the grass-fed beef, add only the freshest spices, and use the Mini Deluxe BBQ Burger Set (Convenient Gadgets & Gifts, $19.95). With this set, you get everything you need (other than the burger itself) to prep and cook your super tasty sliders. First, use the triple hamburger press to release pockets of air and ensure uniform grilling. Then place the flattened patties into the nonstick wire basket and you’re ready for maximum grillage without any burger casualties. While your burgers are cooking, you can trim the hamburger buns to regulation slider size with the bun cutter. All that’s missing is a surly teenage to overcharge you!
Watch out for the Hamburglar!
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Make sliders at home
-Includes burger press, grilling basket, and bun cutter
-Nonstick basket cooks 9 patties at a time
-Triple press ensures uniform grilling
-Hassle free grilling
-Hand wash
If the idea of summertime barbeque seems far away to you, I can assure you it’ll be here before you know it. Not only is January basically over, but the forecast this week is downright balmy weather. Seriously, it’s like Mother Nature is playing a sick practical joke on us and we’ll wake up one day in June to a snowstorm.
Grillers, arm yourselves with the Grill Sergeant Apron (Perpetual Kid, $19.99)! More than just your traditional apron, this bad boy has space for everything you could possibly need to make that awesome barbeque idea a reality. Alright, so it doesn’t have meat pockets (wouldn’t that be disgusting), but it does have three extra large tool pockets as well as four sauce pockets and six (!) beverage can slots. This manly apron also includes a bottle opener and two spice pockets, which I think should just about cover all your grilling bases.
Don’t worry if you’ve grilled yourself one delicious steak too many because this apron is one size fits all.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Holdall apron
-3 XL tool pockets, 4 sauce pockets, and 6 beverage can slots
-Includes bottle opener and 2 spice pockets
-One size fits all
-Made of 100% cotton
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve ruined dinner because I had something to do that would “only take a minute” – it always takes longer than that, and by the time I’d get back to the kitchen it’d almost be on fire. Setting a timer seems like it would work except when I’m running around different parts of my house I can’t exactly see the stove, if you know what I mean. I need a quick and easy visual cue to keep myself on track…
…which is exactly what the Color Alert Kitchen Timers (Vat19, $9.99 – $14.99) do. Instead of relying solely on a faint beeping noise, each of these timers uses color codes to signal how much time is left before your kitchen bursts into flames (or, dinner is done). Whether you choose analog or digital, the method is the same: simply twist the timer clockwise to add time or counterclockwise to deduct it. The timer has a 60 minute set time maximum and will glow green when there are more than 10 minutes remaining. Once you hit that 10 minute mark, the color switches to yellow and will stay that way until you whittle your way down to a minute. At this point the timer will glow red, sounding an alarm to signal the end of the allotted time and continue to glow red for another full minute. Basically as long as you can remember to look at the timer, you and your food should be fine.
“Danger, Will Robinson! Your souffle is burning!”
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4″ x 2.5″
-Color changing timer alert:
-Green: 10+ minutes remaining
-Yellow: 1-10 minutes remaining
-Red: 0-60 seconds remaining
-Turn clockwise to set time
-Available in analog or digital
-60 minute maximum timer duration
-Digital timer can be paused or restarted
-Digital timer features 12 hour clock
-Batteries included
Are you ever in the car thinking, “Gee, I’d love a cup of coffee right now” but there’s not a Starbucks in sight? Probably not because Starbucks is everywhere, but it would still be nice to be able to have a piping hot cup o’ joe whenever, wherever you wanted.
Although I’m not sure about the safety issues here, I’m still totally down with the Car Kettle (Latest Buy, $17.95) because it is the epitome of mobile brewing. Yes, there are a plethora of coffee shops, but why pay a bundle for one cup of java when you could make four cups yourself? This electric kettle plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and takes just a little bit longer than your standard tea kettle to heat up a pot of hot water. If you’re not a coffee drinker, you can also use this baby to make tea or even soup! The set includes two cups and a strainer (for coffee grounds or loose tea) so you can even use this kettle to entertain via automobile.
Please please please don’t kettle and drive – it’ll be just like when that woman spilled McDonald’s coffee in her lap except you’ll have no one to sue but yourself.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
- -Dimensions: 10″ x 3.7″ x 3.7″
- -Make hot beverages in your car
- -Includes kettle, 2 cups, strainer, and mounting bracket
- -Plugs into cigarette lighter
- -12V DC suitable for automotive application
- -Makes 4 cups (up to 550ml of water)
- -Ideal for hot water, instant coffee, tea, or soup
