Our friends over at Perpetual Kid have some truly awesome stuff, so we thought we’d do a top 10 list just for them!
Top 10 Salt & Pepper Shakers
One of the perks of having a small kitchen (perhaps the only perk) is that I don’t have to go very far to clean up my dishes at the end of the night. I would probably go crazy if I had to clean up a proper kitchen space or, heavens to betsy, a dining room. Even now I usually try to grab as many things as I can carry all at once so I don’t have to make another trip. Imagine if you could manage that without the constant fear of breaking all your dishes?
The Table Tidy Tray and Bin (Not On The High Street, $48.99) has space for your dishes as well as silverware so you can carry clean ones to the table and dirty ones away from it. The plates stack on top of a rubber grid that keeps them from jostling and the silverware fits neatly in the side bin. When you’re ready to clear the table, scrape the scraps into the bin itself and replace the cover. Then put the silverware business-end down into the side bin and restack dirty plates onto the rubber grid. One trip to the sink/dishwasher and you’re set!
Now only if there was a way to integrate glasses into this!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12.5cm x 27.5cm x 24.5cm
-Easily carry dishes to and from table
-Rubber grid for plates
-Side bin for silverware
-Waste bin underneath rubber grid
-Made of plastic and rubber
As a master chef, or rather a cooking enthusiast of the novice variety, I make a lot of messes. You can try all you want, but you don’t usually have time to be meticulous whilst cooking. I can deal with the fact that I generally need to hose down the kitchen after a particularly tasty meal. What I really hate is trying to scrub off cooked on grease from my counter top and stove – it’s a pain in the ass.
Unless you want to stop cooking splatter-inducing foods entirely, you’ll have to come up with a better solution than a top to bottom scrub down at the end of the night. The Non Stick Splatter Shield (Taylor Gifts, $8.98) will keep your cooking surfaces safe with its handy folding design. Simply place the splatter guard around the dish you are cooking and the mess will be contained within that area. That means you’ll pretty much only have to clean that one section instead of the whole stove. It also means that if you’re cooking a separate dish on the adjacent burner, it won’t be covered in unwanted splatter.
The shield itself is obviously open on one side to allow access to the stove top so that means that while your stove is splatter-free, you are not. Perhaps you could invest in a welder’s mask?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 9.5″ x 8″
-Splatter guard
-Nonstick
-Wipe clean
-Made of coated metal
I’m actively trying not to eat everything in my kitchen right now. I never subscribed to the idea that if I didn’t buy it, I wouldn’t eat it – I’m an adult, I’ll do what I want! If that means running out to Target at midnight to buy a small red velvet cake to eat in one sitting then so be it (True story). I just need to know that there are options should I decide to indulge, and then I’m usually ok. The trick is knowing how to satisfy your sweet tooth with a taste instead of the whole shebang.
Why bother with low calorie desserts when you could have a tiny slice of heaven? The Just A Slice Cake Pan (Perpetual Kid, $9.99) houses eight individual slice cutouts so you can cook as many or as little slices of dessert as you want. This pan is perfect for friends or couples who can’t agree on dessert flavors because you can bake a slice of each! If you use a boxed cake mix like myself, this pan will make sixteen individual slices. Or exercise amazing self-restraint and bake one slice of cake when the mood strikes you.
It might seem like a waste to bake only one slice of cake, but that’s poppycock. Sometimes, one slice is all you need.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 1.75″ x 10″ diameter
-Individual slice cake pan
-Makes 8 slices of cake per mold
-Makes 16 slices per box of cake mix
-Colors vary
-Made of 100% silicone
I was making dinner last night and I made a giant mess. This is basically the norm except I was using a new recipe so I was extra sensitive to any missteps. Needless to say, when I broke an entire egg onto the counter I was less than pleased. You people think I’m kidding when I go on and on about kitchen gadgets that make life easier, but I need all the help I can get.
Less mess is always preferred, which is why the Cut & Collect Chopping Board (Latest Buy, $33.95) is a cooking enthusiast’s dream. I tend to cut up all my veggies for the meal at once, which is a great tactic except there’s never enough space to do that. I end up with carrots spilling out onto the counter next to dirty onion skins and it just drives me crazy. This cutting board features an integrated drawer, so you can slice and dice, then slide the pieces into the drawer for safe keeping. If you prefer, you can also use the drawer as a waste bin and save yourself multiple trips to the trash can. The drawer pulls right out so anything you put in there is easily emptied at any time. The cutting board itself is dishwasher safe (my fave) and has non-slip feet so it won’t slide around while you’re chopping (also a plus).
You know how Rachel Ray uses a trash bowl while she cooks? Rachel Ray ain’t got nothing on me.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11.8″ x 8.6″ x 1.4″
-Cutting board with integrated drawer
-Slide food directly into drawer
-Removable drawer for emptying
-Non slip feet
-Available in green or white
-Dishwasher safe
