It's a toaster from Siemens and Porsche and it means serious toasting business. The TT911P2 2-Slice automatically adjusts itself to the thickness of the bread, has an LED display that counts down until the toast is ready, has 11 different degrees of browning, and it can remember which one was used last. The quartz heating element is one of the most efficient available, plus it has cool wall technology, variable browning, and of course a crumb tray. All that plus it's styled like something out of a space ship. £99
This seems like a great idea to me, a stepped wok that has two separate sections. The bottom part allows searing and sautéing close to the heat source. The higher shelf lets you move food up to the next level and still keep it warm while other ingredients are seared on the bottom. A metal steamer fits snugly into the wok to prepare foods that benefit from moist heat. The stainless steel pan comes with a heat resistant glass lid and sells for $199.
While the phrase "Enter to win!" is often accompanied by eyerolling and a lesson in probability, when it comes to the 2008 Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen -- and dreamy it is, complete with sleek sub-zero fridge, freeze and wine storage alongside $2,000 worth of gourmet goodies from Dean & Deluca, Wolf dual range, Kohler kitchen gear ... the list goes on -- the words just may inspire a foodie frenzy. Until July 31, enter here if you aspire to cook and entertain in this kitchen-for-the-gods (did we mention ambrosia flows freely from those Kohler products? And there is a subscription to the Windsor Sonoma Wine Club?). Winners of the $50,000 in kitchen booty will be notified August 3. I hope I'm invited to your first dinner party.
This is a kitchen gadget made just for me because I love pasta of all kinds but always make too much (and it's not exactly the most waist-friendly food as far as eating too much of it goes or having left-overs around the house). Called The Noooodle (no typo there, unless I missed an "o") it doubles as both a stylish trivet/casserole stand and the loops in the design function as noodle-measuring devices all the way from 1 person up to 4 people. No more guessing! I think it's totally awesome!
In beautiful Tuscany sits Villa Mangiacane, a hotel that in addition to beautiful scenery and luxury sleep accommodations offers its own wine, olive oil, and now cooking classes.
As part of the "Flavours of Chianti" package you're treated the first night to a 4 course candlelit dinner prepared by Mangiacane's acclaimed Chef Massimo Bocus, which prepares you for the following day's cooking lesson with the Chef and a Villa Mangiacane wine and olive oil tasting. Among other treats (like cooking aprons, daily spa access, and fresh fruit in your room) you'll also get a Tuscan Cookbook and a bottle of Villa Mangiacane Chianti. €1270-€2450
Think about it....who really has a second kitchen? A full second kitchen? They're rare indeed, but the new trend in luxury housing is to start changing that.
People with money to spend want kitchens for both themselves and for their personal chefs and caterers, and they don't want to be bumping around together in the same space. But it's not just about whether or not you can afford it, as the building has to be approved and depending on the rules and regulations in the area an additional full kitchen may or may not be allowed. But in the areas where it does work houses generally run in the $5 million range and higher when they include 2 kitchens.
I love getaway packages that balance out fun and fitness. This winter at The Inn at Beaver Creek you can indulge in a package called "Cooking with Yoga and Snow." The weekend package, which is being held January 10-13, 2008 features Yahoo's Mind-Body Expert "Yoga Dave" David Romanelli and cooking classes with Pollyanna Forster, sommelier and owner of dish restaurant. The package includes a three night stay at The Inn at Beaver Creek, a two day ski pass at Vail and Beaver Creek Mountains, two cooking classes taught by Pollyanna Forster including a mountain grilling class at Red Tail Camp, daily yoga classes and one four-course gourmet lunch at Trapper's Cabin, a luxury cabin located on top of Beaver Creek Mountain. Package rates start at $1,350 per person, based on double occupancy.
Given his fiery reputation you might expect chef Gordon Ramsay's cookware, dishes and stemware to have a more individual look. But his collection with Royal Doulton is restaurant ready: simple white plates (except for an aubergine charger) and user-friendly stemware that is classic and meant to let the food take the spotlight. The 10-piece stainless steel cookware set has an aluminum core and sells for $499.99. A dinner plate is $19.99 and the glasses start at $39.99 per pair.
Are you serious about homemade pizza? If you are ready to experience the next step beyond the pizza stone it is probably this handmade wood-fired terra cotta oven which is made in Portugal. When fueled by hardwoods the oven produces spectacular heat which builds up in the oven chamber and and then dissipates through the outer shell. The oven comes with an oven rack, cover, stand, pizza paddle and a brush. It weighs an impressive 350 pounds and sells for $2,000.
One knife does it all. The latest knife from Shun, the U2 Utility knife is an all-purpose knife with a combination straight/scalloped blade that can handle soft surfaces like tomatoes as well as harder tasks like bread slicing. The knife also has a blunt tip that can be used as a spreader, making sandwich making a one knife task. It has a VG-10 steel blade clad with 16 layers of stainless steel and a black PakkaWood® handle with ergonomic D shape. The knife sells for $99.95.
The hot plate you cooked your mac and cheese on in college was nothing like this. Check out the Viking Portable Induction burner. It delivers a fast cooking surface that uses a magnetic coil to produce a high-frequency electromagnetic field with any ferrous pan to set up a current that creates serious heat: 1800 watts (equivalent to 15,000 BTUs). Once the vessel is removed from the element or it is turned off, the heat generation stops. The burner sells for $499.95 and makes a great addition to your summer cooking arsenal because you can use it outside.
Cooking competitions are very popular these days but the Bocuse d'Or is in a class by itself. It is part of the International Hotel Catering and Food Trade Exhibition in Lyons France taking place now through January 24 which also includes the World Pastry Cup. The contest, which is on January 23, is judged by 24 chefs and 24 chefs have the opportunity to compete on three different themes in a timed contest. In addition to the accolades of the crowd, the winner receives a Blancpain hand-engraved Léman GMT Alarm watch worth 14,000 euros. Other events include the International Cheese Competition, which has already crowned a winner, France and the cheeses of Rodolphe le Meunier.
I admit that the measuring spoons I have in my kitchen are either plastic (rainbow colored, at that) or stainless steel. If I had known that there were spoons as beautiful as these Dragonfly Measuring Spoons, I may have rethought my purchases, though. The spoons are handmade from lead-free pewter and have a carefully done dragonfly design on each, as well as a decorated handle. They are food and dishwasher safe and come with a matching pewter hanging rack, so you can display them when not in use. Price: $43.
This may very well be one of the most expensive pieces of cookware in the world, and certainly must be the most expensive fish poaching pan. The La Cintura Fish Poacher is made of heavy-gauge copper and has a nickel plated interior, stainless steel lid, rack and handles. It can hold up to 12-quarts of water and, at 23.5" x 8" x 4", is large enough for most of the fish you can buy commercially, though you certainly won't be able to fit in a swordfish if you're an ocean sport fisherman. Price: $965.
The Wege Grillpan is a creation of Finnish designer Mikko Laakkonen. Made of lasting cast iron and with a heat-resistant birch handle, the grill pan has all the useful features of a traditional iron pan - including even heat distribution, high head capacity and superior searing and browning abilities - with an unusual twist. The bottom of the pan has a raised design, so everything you cook in the pan will bear unique markings. Once properly seasoned, the design should not affect the outcome of your cooking. The pan measures 10.5" in diameter, excluding the handle. Price: $220.
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The Wege Grillpan
