Peeling at the speed of a button press

I am a DIY type of guy. If something needs doing, I do it. Perhaps that is why I became interested in cooking in the first place. One needs to eat; might as well make it at home and make it the best it can be. Of course, with an independent nature, not only comes confidence but a fair share of mistakes–especially in the kitchen. I have reported before about my arch-nemesis, the peeler, and its aggressive nature. Perhaps owning an electric peeler would be of some benefit.

The Zyliss Multipeeler Electric Peeler could be just such a gadget.

Featuring a serrated blade operated via the touch of a button, the simple peeler takes all the strain out of the common task of peeling. The electric motor spins at a rate of 8,000rpm, creating a fast-moving action for the double-bladed peeler. With 70 sharp teeth per blade, the peeler is capable of removing skins from both thick- and thin-skinned produce, with very little effort required.

Sometimes it’s nice to have a tool that actually makes the job easier. With the fast-moving blades and excess of sharp teeth, this peeler would cut down on peeling time, not to mention the strain-saving factor when peeling a large pile of fruits or vegetables. As we all know, attention is required when working with sharp tools. The ease of use provided by this peeler creates an environment where attention stays focused and there is little fear of rogue, overly aggressive peelers.

Fit a whole lot more hot dogs on your grill

KitchenAid has given us another reason to celebrate the coming of summer (as if we needed another reason). With a massive cooking area of 48 inches, this Freestanding Grill has the potential to make your barbecues the talk of the town.

Its triple burner system provides higher heat to your burgers so they can have a nice char for maximum flavor. If the old-fashioned way of charring doesn’t suit you, you can use the integrated infrared sear burner, which reaches superhigh temperatures faster and lets you sear food much faster. The grill also touts something called Even-Heat, which provides for more even heating across the cooking area, so you won’t have to make people choose between dogs that are either underdone or charred and peeling.

Another neat feature is the integrated warming drawer, which keeps foods that are already cooked warm. So, your guests can all eat at the same time, and no unlucky soul has to be the last in line for dinner.

You can pick one of these bad boys up at any appliance dealer that sells KitchenAid. And if you do, let me know when you’re hosting a cookout.

Slice veggies fast, and keep your fingers

I’ve watched enough cooking shows to really want to be able to chop entire piles of vegetables quickly. However, I don’t have years to spend in a kitchen, honing my slicing skills. That, combined with the fact that I like having my fingers attached, led me to the Asian Mandoline Slicer from Benriner. This mandolin comes with three blades–fine, medium, and coarse–along with a pusher that keeps fingers away from the blades. The combination turns out perfectly sliced vegetables. The fine blade can turn carrots, radishes, and other treats into delicate garnishes, while the coarse blade cranks out chunky pieces of vegetable (perfect for soup) or fruit (ideal for pie). It’s just a matter of placing your vegetables or fruits on the Asian Mandoline Slicer and using the pusher to run them over the blades.

The Asian Mandoline Slicer is a lightweight model, made from plastic. It measures 12 inches long by 3.5 inches wide by 1 inch tall and is easy to clean. While there are certainly bigger mandolins on the market, including models made from metal, most of those options were designed with a professional kitchen. Instead, the Asian Mandoline Slicer will fit in most kitchen drawers, and costs about $25.

Vanilla or chocolate? Have both instead

Ice cream lovers are well accustomed to indecision. A seemingly endless range of flavors exist solely to confuse the eater. Well, perhaps this variety isn’t designed to confuse, but it can sure make choosing a flavor difficult. Clearly, flavors like Neapolitan with its triple flavor combination are a direct result of consumer confusion. Quite often, having more of any particular item is a good thing; in the case of ice cream, having more is always a good thing.

Satisfy all of your ice cream cravings with the Double Treat Ice Cream Maker. Capable of making two separate quarts of ice cream at a time, you can ensure you will always get the flavor you want. Add your ingredient, hit the start button and place in the freezer. In two short hours, your ice cream will be ready for you to choose. Of course, with two flavors at your fingertips, you could always have both.

Additional features include a sliding trap door, through which the easy addition of mix-ins is accomplished. A thermal sensor automatically activates the churning process at the correct time. The churning blades remove for easy cleaning, while the base of the unit is dishwasher safe. Uses 4 AA batteries.

Cookies with coffee in mind

I have a bad habit of dunking my cookies in my tea, hot chocolate or even hot cider. There’s just something about hot drinks and cookies that go together. I try to have at least a few cookies on hand whenever I serve coffee or tea, and the Coffee Cup Cookie Cutters add a little something special to those cookies–no matter how fast I had to whip them up. The cookies that these cutters make provide a handy notch so you can hang the cookies on the side of the mug: they’re available in four different shapes that hint at a heart, a flower, a star and a tree. While those options can seem a little seasonal, options like the star really can work year-round. The resulting cookies are approximately 2.5 inches square, minus that missing notch. That’s just about the perfect size for a sugar cookie.

The Coffee Cup Cookie Cutters are made from 18/10 stainless steel and are dishwasher-safe. They have a handle to make the cookie-cutting process that much easier, although those notches may require a little extra care when you’re transferring cookies to a baking sheet. The cookie cutters are available individually for $5.99.