Gear Patrol

There’s a magic cauldron for preparing food — one you’re likely not using — that combines convenience, a near-guarantee against overcooking and the ability to transform inexpensive, tough cuts of meat into tender, flavorful dishes. This fire-and-forget-it tool? The slow cooker. A slow cooker, as the name suggests, takes low heat, moisture and a long…

The last Hamilton Beach made blender we talked about was designed to easily dispense frozen cocktails or smoothies at home. Following in those foot steps, the Hamilton Beach Thermal Cooler 10 Speed Blender ($18) is design to provide similar cold drink sharing convenience anywhere you fancy. Its drab but purposeful 48 oz plastic blending jar…

Though it may not have the power to blend an iPhone, this 500 Watt Wavestation Express Dispensing Blender from Hamilton Beach ($20) does have one distinct advantage for those fond of protein shakes or margaritas. Instead of having to remove the top and pour, simply use the spigot to drain whatever you’re blending into a…