Gear Patrol

Technology is constantly striving to indulge our inner sloth. Manually setting reminders on your phone was deemed too arduous, so now you can speak them. Pulling out keys, inserting them into the ignition, and twisting was just pointlessly strenuous, so now we just push a button. Going to rent a movie at Blockbuster defined drudgery,…

A practical way to store not just knives but also spices, keys, power-outlets, iPods or even a small TV, the S-Box (costs vary) can be installed into any surface with cabinet space beneath. Think: end of a kitchen island, breakfast bar or near the primary workspace you like to do your best Mario Batali. With…

Spoons, forks and knives, have admirably served western eaters well for centuries — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for innovation. Following in the prestigious footsteps of the spork, the product think tank at Quirky has devised a new eating utensil that combines the shoveling benefits of a spoon with the spreading skills of…

Compared to standard drip methods, the French Press (or cafetiére as it’s known in the rest of the world) does an excellent job of brewing a great tasting cup of coffee. But it isn’t perfect. In fact, many java-elitest feel the process results in overextraction and dislike that used grounds often wind up thwarting the…

Sous-vide (pronounced soo-veed) is a rather nerdy, but effective cooking submovement in the world of haute cuisine. The term literally translates to “under vacuum” in french, and involves sealing food in airtight plastic bags which are then placed in a precisely maintained hot water bath for extended periods of time. Typically the water temperatures are…

If you weren’t one of our eagle eye readers that spotted them in yesterday’s Tasting Notes feature (there’s a hint after the jump), this should make things a bit more obvious. A collaboration between Nau and the BPA-free boffins at Kleen Kanteen, these stainless steel ($39) chalices are made from food-grade stainless steel and feature…

DeLonghi’s new 12-cup food processor with blender ($300) is designed to combat the kitchen gadget sprawl that plagues many yuppie households. Thanks to a dual-drive motor system, the die cast metal base unit supports speed variations found on most blenders and food processors. With that power issue out of the way, users just have to…

Auto-drip coffee is entrenched in American culture for three reasons. It’s cheap, easy to make, and has a relatively consistent taste wherever you order it, apart from the random Chicory-spiked landmines you can stumble on down south. Those benefits have been compounded now that the process of measuring grounds, water, and finding a filter has…

Sure, your tablespoon does a fine job toting grinds from the bag to your jo-ppliance, but that’s not quite enough now is it? The Kapu Coffee Scoop ($26) takes what might be an otherwise ordinary piece of birch plywood and applies a fine dose of Finnish design, but this scoop isn’t just a one-hit wonder….

Most people will take beer in any container they can get it in. Purists, however, tend to place the traditional pint glass above all us. The Silipint ($10) is an indestructible incarnation of the popular cup (sadly it’s the American 16 oz, not a 20oz British Imperial). Made from flexible, food grade silicone, it can…

The intelligent new Breville BDC600XL YouBrew ($280) is a grinder and brewer designed to dish out the perfect amount of coffee your jittery caffeinated-heart desires (as long as it doesn’t exceed 12 cups at a time). Yes, you can do this today by adjusting the amount of coffee and water in your standard dripper, but…

Typically we avoid covering anything that could anchor a 45 minute infomercial at 4:00 a.m. Based on your response to the King Arthur mini donut maker last spring, though, we had to share this automatic mini donut factory ($180) — which takes a vastly improved assembly line approach to creating the addictive breakfast staple. Simply…

Kramer, who holds the title as the only chef in the U.S. certified as a Master Bladesmith, has spent 20 years forging raw materials into custom artisan knives sought after by the pros. His custom knives, which take several years of waiting and cost thousands of dollars don’t exactly equate to an easy acquisition for…

The Gaggenau BL 253 Lift Oven ($3,000+) is the hoopty of the appliance world that was originally released back in 2007. Instead of forcing cooks to deal with opening doors and reaching into an oven’s heated core, this appliance features a LiftMatic glass ceramic base which lowers down from the oven. This allows users to…

There’s nothing groundbreaking about snow cones. They’re just shaved ice topped with colored syrup. Still, shaving ice at home isn’t the easiest task in the world. That’s why we had to share Nostalgia Electric’s Retro Series Snow-Cone Machines ($45). The enterprising kids on our block may put a price on our heads for spilling the…

The TB Groupe Evercut Knife ($235) is arguably the best kitchen knife money can buy. Yes, that’s a pointed statement, but according to CATRA (Cutlery Allied Trades Research Association), the Evercut busted the chops of over 450 other knives in its tests, and slashed all cutting records held by steel and ceramic blades. For those…

The only connection the Fridge Monkey ($7) has with primates is that it’s rather skilled at organizing our favorite beverages. Measuring 9 3/4″ x 4″, this glorified rubber matt is good for holding 10 cans or beer bottles, or up to five wine bottles perfectly in place thanks to some purposeful ridges. Translation: it’s a…

Tabasco Family Reserve ($25) starts out life as the finest peppers grown on Tabasco’s Avery Island home, handpicked by the family. These superior specimens are then smashed and combined with Avery Island salt and set to age in white oak barrels for a minimum of three years. Certain amounts age for an additional five years…

The duties of a traditional cast-iron range are typically three pronged: prepare food, provide ambient heat and heat water. They also happen to look like a million bucks. The trouble is, most take hours to reach proper operating temperature making them a poor match for busy households or those not fully entrenched in the slow…

Water bottles have come a long way in the past hundred years. After hauling hydration in animal skins and glass for centuries, men started using steel canteens in the two World Wars –- sturdy but heavy, they were a reliable way to schlep your water around the battlefield. Metal bottles, first steel, then aluminum, were…

We love camping as much as the next guy, but there’s no reason why the consumption of one of the world’s greatest deserts should be restricted to just jaunts in the woods. Enter the S’More To Love STL-600 S’More Maker ($15). Up to six stacks of marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers can be locked-down securely…

Kitchen scales aren’t critical for all cooks, but they come in handy for those who prefer to count salt grains pre-spinkle. The Caso X3 kitchen scale ($45) takes an interesting design approach to the typically boring product category. As a scale, it can weigh up to 6.6 pounds in 0.03 oz increments — meaning it’s…

Some men are grill-capable the day they leave the delivery room. Others have an uncanny ability to turn great cuts of meat into fresh sets of mud-terrains. If you or someone you know falls into the latter bucket, these Steak Button Thermometers ($20) will help. Their big, easy to read dials are essentially idiot-proof, even…

We love an expertly pulled espresso as much as the next guy, but when morning scrambles get hectic (and when don’t they?) there’s nothing wrong with just wanting a no-fuss shot. Our regular go-to capsule based maker recently unveiled their latest Swiss made single cup machination, the Nespresso Pixie ($250) and it’s diminuitive design has…

While you may not think twice about mounting a wilderness excursion without your Benchmade knife, what about a more domestic adventure, like the kitchen? Benchmade has a knife for that. These knives may not include typical Benchmade features like a locking mechanism, pocket clip or sheath, but what they lack in outdoor grit the three…

A few beers, a bucket, and one of these RH Forschner by Victorinox Oyster Knifes ($11) can make for a great night given the right company. Each knife features a high carbon steel blade with an ergonomic, and slip resistant supergrip handle — ideal for prying open even the toughest fruit of the sea. Sold…

Are you drinking straight from the gallon jar of Tabasco without even flinching? Then why not upgrade to cooking with the Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper. As the hottest pepper on the planet, it only has a Scoville heat rating of 1,041,427 — which happens to be over three times hotter than the Habanero and over…

Traditional knife blocks look great, but unless your a feng shui master, their position in the kitchen is rarely optimized for grabbing cutlery mid recipe. Magnet strips definitely speed up the process, but there’s always that risk a quick grab could lead to Simpson’s hands. That’s where the Wüsthof Rotating Knife Stand ($320) steps in….

Aprons and oven mitts in many ways perform similar functions. One prevents stains from scarring your clothing, while the other prevents scars from ruining your hands. This brilliant design combines both features in one convenient product, making it a bullet-proof vest of sorts for chefs. It even has two buttons at the waist for hanging…