This is one of those items that’s been on my wishlist for awhile now, but I just haven’t gotten around to buying it. It could be because I’ve already got quite a …

This ball whisk might look a little bizarre at first glance - sort of like one of those children’s lighted toys they sell at amusement parks. However, they’ve certainly hit upon something as far as usability goes in the kitchen.

The thing that most people talk about with the whisk is that it’s much, much easier to clean than an average closed loop whire whisk where its difficult to scrub between the loops. Each of the 11 stainless steel ball bearings is attached by sturdy but flexible wires to the metal handle. There is a larger ball bearing in the center to give it more heft.

This is a great 5 piece set of the popular Oxo brand utensils. The set comes with serving and slotted spoons, a ladle, a spatula and a spaghetti noodle scoop. They …

I’ve always been interested in an ice cream maker - but like many other people, this type of gadget falls into the category of “occasional gift from rich relative” or “wedding registry obligatory splurge”. Sort of like Fondue Sets…

This is a fully automatic compressor ice cream maker (no cranking required) that will do 1 1/5 quarts of your favorite frozen treat. The stainless steel housing looks commercially hefty and awfully boxy, and Cuisinart has not spared expenses in designing it. It has a 60 minute timer and a spout lid for ingredients. It requires neither pre-freezing of any parts (like a work bowl) nor any additional freezing aids (salt, alcohol, ice, etc.). Because of that, it’s easier to make batches one after the other, with the average time for a freeze said to be a little more than half an hour.

I’ve always thought that “Griddler” was sort of a funny name for this portable grill line by Cuisinart. It just reminds me too much of Batman’s “Riddler”, hehe.

The George Foreman notwithstanding, the Riddler is one of the most popular portable clamshell-type grills. You can just read all the amazon comments to see the fans that it has. One of the most important things about this model is that it has removeable plates which is a reason in itself to get this over its lower priced siblings (GR-2, etc..) Not being able to remove the grills could get extremely tiresome after awhile.

We’ve had our OXO Potato Ricer for a good number of years now and are pretty satisfied with the overall quality and performance of the device. In addition to making short work of potatoes, it can also be used to squeeze out excess water from cooked veggies like spinach and mash up fruit into pulp for toppings, desserts or baby food. I haven’t tried it, but apparently it makes pretty decent applesauce as well.

The handles have a nonslip soft rubber handles for extra comfort when squeezing. One thing to keep in mind is that because the output holes on the bottom are so tiny, you can’t really crush up uncooked or harder vegetables very well without using an inordinate amount of force. It just wasn’t made for that type of work.

This is a pretty standard looking baster made by KitchenAid but I like it because it’s more sturdy yet flexible than some other models. Featuring a silicone bulb that’s resistant to heat, …

I’ve often wondered about the viability of vegetable chopping gadgets like this one. I sort of wonder if by labeling it an “onion” chopper instead of a “vegetable” chopper they’re dooming it to “unitasker” status. However, I read a lot of people use it for other things like celery, bell peppers and even tomatoes (inserted cut side up).

I dunno though. I’ve got decent knife skills so if you add the time in that it takes to wash it and the storage space needed to keep it out of they way until needed, I think I would pass for myself. I’ve also heard that it takes a good amount of arm strength to force the vegetables down through the blade. If you can use that much force, then you can probably use a knife to chop reliably, right?

This might be one of those holiday gifts for kitchen folks who have everything. It’s a festively colored red 12 inch Quesadilla Maker. It sort reminds me of a George Foreman Grill. You just place …

Part of me is thinking this is a “uni-tasker” if I ever saw one. However, if you make a lot of gravy then you might want to check out this Fat and Gravy Sparator from OXO. It has the classic “Good Grips” look for the handle. It holds 4 cups so it’s big enough to process enough gravy for a crowd.

So how does the gadget work? You pour gravy into the separator through the strainer on top which eliminates the solids. Then you wait for the fat to rise to the top. A spout plug prevents the fat from getting into the spout. Then you just remove the strainer and pour the pure gravy out. There’s also a shield guard around the top to prevent the fat from spilling out.