Star Wares
By Vicki Jo Radovsky
The kitchen is no holiday this time of year. While the stove will always be hot, however, these cool gadgets will free you from slaving over it in the same old ways.
Tap This
Make your place feel like the local pub. The Krups BeerTender tabletop “kegerator,” which dispenses beer from five-liter mini kegs of Heineken and Newcastle, keeps the suds frosty and fresh for up to 30 days.
Price: $99.95
Crate & Barrel
crateandbarrel.com
Satisfy your hunger for something fun by whipping up diminutive desserts like brownies and cupcakes in less than 10 minutes with the Nostalgia Electrics Bakery Bites Express. Sweeeet!
Price: $29.99
Bed Bath & Beyond
bedbathandbeyond.com
For Good Measure
Grab the last dab of dough-and learn dry and liquid measurement equivalents-using the Tovolo Silicone Bowl Scraper with Conversion Charts (a.k.a. Spatulart). In green, pink, purple, red, turquoise or white, it’s also great for even spreading.
Price: $7.95
Sur La Table
Forum at Carlsbad
1915 Calle Barcelona #103
surlatable.com
Chopping Center
Using one board for prepping all foods doesn’t cut it. The color- and symbol-coded Joseph Joseph Index Advance chopping board helps you slice and dice raw meat, fish, veggies and cooked foods separately and safely.
Price: $65
Bloomingdale’s
Fashion Valley Mall
7057 Friars Rd.
bloomingdales.com
It’s BBQ Thyme
Grill or garden? You decide. Black + Blum’s Hot-Pot BBQ is a terracotta pot for growing herbs-until you remove the top to reveal the stainless steel barbecue grill underneath.
Price: $124
aplusrstore.com
Cook fuss-free meals quickly with FusionBrand’s FoodPod, a convenient silicone vessel that lets you boil, steam strain, and drain nearly two quarts of food at once.
Price: $15
aplusrstore.com
Stirring Beat
Add international flavor (and amps) to your cooking with Sonoro’s award-winning Elements W Internet radio. Connecting to streaming stations worldwide, including Pandora, it channels sounds from your computer (via LAN or WiFi), MP3 player and phone.
Price: $500
uncommongoods.com
The Twilight Zone turns tabletop attraction with the Museum of Robots Silver Flying Saucer Bowl. Made of aluminum and nickel-plated steel, with a removable lid for displaying fruit and other edibles, this sleek flight of fancy costs almost as much as a coach-class airfare-and sorry, liquids aren’t permitted onboard.
Price: $300
uncommongoods.com