For a foodie, eating isn’t just about filling the proverbial tank it’s about stirring the senses and satiating the soul. It’s about sourcing the best ingredients and the perfect way to prepare and present them. For a passionate epicurean, there’s nothing like having the right kitchen tool for the job at hand. For this sect, killer kitchenware is more than a luxury—it’s fundamental. With this in mind, enjoy this tasty buffet of gastronome gadgets and gear sure to satisfy.
Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch (www.us.Jura.com) – $1,399
For those who are truly serious about their java and can’t live without a high caliber cappuccino, the Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch is a dream. Cappuccino and other tasty coffee beverages are just one touch away with this automatic coffee center, which was named “Best of the Best—Silver” and “Best in Category” in the 2013 Housewares Design Awards. Also space savvy, the Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch is the world’s smallest one-touch automatic cappuccino machine, featuring a new micro brewing unit and Jura’s fine foam technology to assure delectable crema coffee, espresso, latte macchiato and more. Jura’s famed fine foam technology froths or steams milk with a feather-light consistency. The Jura ENA Micro 9 One Touch also includes a built-in burr grinder, rotary switch and height adjustable dual spout.
Harley Pasternak Power Blender (www.Salton.com) – $249.99
Perfectionist foodie’s will love Salton’s Power Blender by Harley Pasternak, a Fitness & Nutrition Guru to the Hollywood Stars and New York Times Best-Selling Author. Complete with an 8-Blade Blending System, this power blender’s stainless steel blades blends, crushes, emulsifies, chops, purées, liquefies whole fruits and vegetables, ice, frozen fruit, nuts and other foodstuffs with Japanese precision. The two quart BPA free Tritan jar features a unique cloverleaf shape that creates a vortex, which eliminates pockets of unblended food. This combination of features make it easy to prepare beverages as well as hot foods, including soups and sauces, in minutes. In addition, each Harley Pasternak Power Blender comes with a Harley-approved color recipe book.
Juicepresso (www.JuicepressoUSA.com) – $499.99
Taking cold press juicers to the next level is Juicepresso–a sleeker, easier-to-clean machine with a patented one-piece extraction system that reduces moving parts, is dishwasher safe, and makes using a juicer use easier than ever. Users enjoy all the benefits of cold press juicing–including 40% more juice volume, 72-hour juice life and a bigger nutritional punch than centrifugal juicers–along with the smallest footprint and lowest maintenance of any in-home slow juicer on the market. Juicepresso’s unique three-in-one extractor system merges the auger, strainer and rotating brush components that do the heavy lifting of a cold press juicer into a single, easy-to-clean, BPA-free unit.
Magic Chef 28-Bottle Wine Cooler (www.HomeDepot.com) – $199.00
The Magic Chef 28-Bottle Wine Cooler is a freestanding, classically designed and fully equipped device that adds a sleek and sophisticated look to any kitchen and is a perfect gift idea for the wine aficionado in your life. The cooler’s exterior consists of a sleek black cabinet and elegant door frame, while the interior features six removable chrome racks that secure the wine bottles into place. White illumination stage lighting showcases the entire bottle collection. This device features a thermoelectric cooling system that chills wine quickly and quietly to the desired temperature between 54° – 66° F), set with an easy touch electronic control panel and digital display. The Magic Chef 28-Bottle Wine Cooler also has an auto-defrost feature. It also comes with a one-year warranty.
Rabbit Wine-Chilling Carafe (www.Metrokane.com) – $50.00
White or rosé wine from the fridge can lose its chill and taste appeal rather quickly. In an 80 degree environment, wine can seem too warm in just 15 minutes or less. With the Rabbit Wine-Chilling Carafe, wine drinkers can enjoy a bottle of chilled wine at leisure—for 90 minutes or more. The Rabbit Wine-Chilling Carafe keeps wine cool in a natural way with no plastic ice chamber and no freezable chemicals. It’s a highly effective chilling carafe because the stainless ice chamber is an extremely efficient cold-transfer material that is far superior to glass or plastic. This carafe holds a full 750 ml bottle, and its beautiful design brings a touch of elegance to serving wine both indoors or out.
T-Fal OptiGrill (www.BedBathAndBeyond.com) – $179.99
The T-Fal OptiGrill is a new, one-of-a-kind way to grill healthy indoors, especially when a very small amount of space is required. Perfect for apartment living or rainy days, this counter-top grill features a cooking sensor that ensures a perfectly prepared meal every time by automatically adapting to the thickness of the food and delivering doneness at the desired temp—from rare to well-done. This smart gadget is a great gift for anyone who loves to grill no matter the weather or needs a cooking device for a compact area. The OptiGrill can easily and quickly cook up all those grilling favorites including sliders, wings and more with six convenient cooking settings: burgers, poultry, sandwiches, sausage, red meat, and fish. A frozen food function defrosts and cooks all types of food while a manual cooking function is ideal for cooking vegetables or personal recipes.
George Foreman 240″ Indoor/Outdoor Grill (www.WalMart.com) – $79
The George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Grill is perfect for any feast—those on-the-go or otherwise! It offers more than 240 square inches of nonstick cooking surface, so you can easily cook for a crowd and without a huge clean-up afterward. So spacious is the surface, this grill can fit up to 15 burgers on its 17.5″ diameter cook top. Grease drains out through a center channel so you can lose the fat and keep the flavor so it’s great for the health conscious household. Prepare sizzling grilled meats and vegetables in the comfort of your kitchen or carry the lightweight grill outdoors for al fresco cooking and dining.
Cookina Barbecue Reusable Grilling Sheet (www.HomeDepot.com) – $14.99
Here’s a great idea for the healthy cook and those who prefer to make cleanup a cinch: Cookina Barbecue Grilling Sheets. They look like a sheet of plastic except that they are heat resistant and won’t burn. Their non-stick quality allows you to cook your food to perfection without using oils or sprays to grease the surface. Once you have finished cooking, you only need to wipe the sheet clean or wash it in warm soapy water. It’s then ready to be used again. You can cook healthily and clean up in a minute or less, rather than scraping and scrubbing down a grill surface. This helps the grill stay in newer and sparkling condition, while still leaving those desirable grill marks on food surfaces. The sheets are ideal for grilling nearly anything, including vegetables, meats, fish, seafood, pizzas, shish-kebabs, sausages, sticky marinated food, chicken wings, ribs, eggs and much more. It also keeps small and delicate foods on the grill and out of the fire.
Mr. Bar-B-Q Grill Stone Pizza Kit (www.WayFair.com) – $38.84
Any pizza enthusiast knows the most authentic flavors come from pizzas that are lovingly handcrafted with the freshest ingredients and baked in wood-fired, brick ovens. Happily, the Mr. Bar-B-Q Grill Stone Pizza Kit brings old world taste right to your own kitchen. The kit includes a pizza stone that can conveniently be used with either your outdoor grill or indoor oven. The pizza stone is, of course, the secret to crispy crust and bubbly hot cheese. The gift-worthy package also includes a large folding handle and a pizza cutter. With this Mr. Bar-B-Q Grill Stone Pizza Kit, you may never want to order out for pizza delivery ever again.
Taylor Instant Read Thermometers (www.TaylorUSA.com) – $9.99
Grill masters know the secret to masterfully cooked meat is reaching just the right temperature. Taylor Instant Read Thermometers allow you to do exactly that, featuring an easy-to-read 0.3″ LCD readout for temperatures from 58°F to 302°F. The thermometer comes with durable stainless steel components and a 5″ stem, as well as an on/off button that helps prolong battery life (a 1.5 volt battery is included). A storage sleeve with clip makes the thermometer super convenient. Best of all, Taylor Instant Read Thermometers update every second, so you know exactly when your meat has reached its most flavorful moment. This thermometer will be any barbeque master’s best mate.
IMUSA Lava Rock Molcajete (www.Macys.com) – $59.99
For those who love spicy and ethnic foods, a molcajete is a must-have to develop authentic flavor. Made from ultra-durable natural volcanic lava rock, the IMUSA Lava Rock Molcajete—the traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle—extracts essential oils from herbs and spices whether dried or fresh. The weight of the volcanic stone provides stability, which makes pounding, grinding, crushing and blending a cinch, while the rough surface provides a distinct texture to salsas and dips. This molcajete’s volcanic rock material seasons over time, ensuring even more flavorful salsas and guacamole with each use. Hand wash with warm, soapy water. The IMUSA Lava Rock Molcajete comes with a 30-day guarantee.
Beatriz Ball Collection Handmade Tableware (www.BeatrizBall.com) – Varies by piece
The Beatriz Ball Collection is a premier manufacturer of unique and stunning handmade tableware. Each and every piece is made entirely by hand, one at a time, using the ancient art of sand casting. More than twelve different sets of human hands are involved in the creation of each piece. The Beatriz Ball Collection offers a fresh, surprising twist on timeless designs while encouraging relaxed entertaining with an effortless chic air. In addition to the litany of beautiful designs available, all of the pieces are made of eco-friendly, 100% recycled aluminum that can be used to warm, chill and serve your food. Best of all it never needs polishing! The Beatriz Ball Collection is a wonderful way to serve up a gourmet meal with style.
Holiday Sweets from Cheryl’s Cookies (www.Cheryls.com) – $36.99 – $49.99
What better way to give thanks and show appreciation than with cookies? Cheryl’s “With Thanks” Buttercream Frosted Cookie Pail, perfect as a hostess or thank you gift, includes 16 delicious cut-out cookies beautifully assembled in a shiny gift pail. Also perfect for Thanksgiving and fall is the the delightful Pumpkin Lovers Basket. This yummy seasonal gift basket is overflowing with a tasty assortment of pumpkin shaped butter shortbread cookies, pumpkin cake slices, buttercream frosted pumpkin shaped cut-out cookies, Cheryl’s famous frosted cinnamon pumpkin cookies and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. This 45-piece gift will undoubtedly impress even the most discerning dessert enthusiast! Cheryl’s also offers a wide variety of themed cookie gifts for any occasion.
Steamboy PRO T3 Steam and Scrub Floor Mop (www.CrateAndBarrel.com) – $109
A great meal should start and end with a clean kitchen. For the ultimate in eco-friendly cleaning, the reliable Steamboy PRO T3 Steam and Scrub Floor Mop uses nothing but hot steam to clean and sanitize floors and carpets without the need for expensive and toxic chemicals or cleansers. Heavy-duty scrubbing bristles loosen and remove tough dirt and grime, refreshing floor tiles and grout to like-new condition, while the carpet guide attachment refreshes carpets and area rugs. Its steamer head swivels 180 degrees for easy access to corners and nooks, while a convenient foot switch makes an effortless transition between steamer and scrubber. The powerful heating element feature of the Steamboy PRO T3 Steam and Scrub Floor Mop creates enough serious steam for a 25-minute continuous flow. The unit comes with reusable microfiber cleaning pads that are machine washable.
“The Luxe List” Executive Editor Merilee Kern scours the luxury marketplace for exemplary travel experiences, extraordinary events, and notable products and services. Submissions are accepted at www.LuxeListReviews.com. Follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/LuxeListEditor and Facebook here: www.Facebook.com/TheLuxeList.
Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above were provided and/or sponsored to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.
