It’s that time of year when shoppers hit the road to find the “it” gift for all the culinary friends and family members on their holiday lists.
Not coincidentally, it’s also that time of year when lots of new cooking toys crop up. Some are practical must-haves, such as a rechargeable food thermometer. Others may make you scratch your head. (Crumb vacuum or poaching pod, anyone?)
To get a handle on the year’s most interesting, useful and/or best-selling culinary trinkets, we went to Sparrow Hawk Ltd., 12 E. Bijou St.; Chefs, 5070 Centennial Blvd.; Target stores (several locations); and a few online sources. The goodies, available at these and other stores, come in a range of prices, from less than $5 to $30.
You’ll see a few of our top picks below.
Toucan Scrubby Holder
An attractive way to keep your scrubby handy and your countertop neat. Hand-painted, glazed earthenware holder comes with a nonabrasive scrubby. Hand wash. $9.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Trudeau Crumb Sweeper
This battery-operated sweeper is great for gathering crumbs from the table. It has soft, nonscratch, nylon bristles and takes two AA batteries. It comes in red, yellow or orange. $11.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Hutzler Onion Saver
Keep your cut onions odorless, fresh and moist in this airtight container. Dishwasher safe. $3.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Rick Bayless Avocado Scoop
This unique gadget lets you scoop and mash avocados with ease. The stainless steel head sits atop an avocado-colored silicone handle, making for a comfortable grip. Dishwasher safe. $17.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Progressive Pan Scrapers
These ergonomic scrapers are perfect for cleaning and scraping sticky messes from plates, pots and pans. Safe for nonstick surfaces and dishwasher safe, they come in an array of bright colors. $1.79 at Sparrow Hawk.
Savory Recipe Assortment
Boxed sets of 10 note cards (two each of five designs) plus 11 envelopes. Each card contains a recipe, plus food lore or cooking tips from Tina Wasserman, who owns a cooking school in Dallas. Holiday collections include Holiday Treats Assortment; Holiday Entertaining Assortment; and Hanukkah Recipe Assortment. $18 at www.cookingand more.com.
Polder rechargeable instant-read thermometer
A charging base makes sure the probe is always at hand and fully charged. Includes thermometer, base and protective probe sheath. Has a backlit LCD screen with extra-large numbers. The backlighting changes from yellow to green to indicate that the reading is done. A magnet on the probe keeps the thermometer secured to the base while charging. $29.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Cookie cutters
These durable, nonstick cutters make seamless cuts for cookies and canapés, and they release cleanly and easily. Each set includes one shape (star, tree or circle) in five sizes, and the sets nest for compact storage. Dishwasher safe. $1.99 at Chefs.<
Screwpull champagne cork catcher
Simply remove the foil and cage, place the cork catcher on the champagne bottle, hold firm, twist the bottle, and up comes the cork. Get the “pop,” but not the flying cork. $20 at Sparrow Hawk.
ISI Flexible Mixing Bowls
Molded from silicone, this set contains three bowls with removable lids. The bowls are flexible, lightweight and durable, and work beautifully for mixing and stirring. Plus they’re heat resistant to 490 degrees, and they’re safe for use in the microwave, freezer and dishwasher. Available in red, white or blue. $24.99 at Chefs.
EAT IT! Snacks & Sweets Trivia Game
This board game for teens and adults features fun trivia about the foods that everyone loves to eat: chocolate, candy, cookies, ice cream and other desserts. It comes with thousands of questions about jingles, advertising campaigns, ingredients, nostalgia, origins and pop culture. $27.99 at Target.
Celebrity Chef! The Game
A combination of Cranium and Bravo’s “Top Chef,” this is a board game for those interested in, passionate about and inspired by the world of chefs. It’s fun for both the occasional home cook and the culinary professional. $29.99 at www.celebritychefthegame.com.
Fusion Brands Poach Pod
These handy silicone cups, heatresistant up to 500 degrees, make it easy to poach eggs. Just crack your egg right into the pod and set in a pot of boiling water. The perfectly shaped egg will slip out of the pod easily. Dishwasher safe. $8.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
MISTO Snapi Server
This plastic, hinged device is for single-handed servings of salads, pasta and veggies. Available in assorted colors. Dishwasher safe. $9.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Stay Fresh Pie Keeper
Made of durable plastic, the container will hold any size glass or metal pie plate with enough clearance for meringue toppings. Dishwasher safe. $9.99 at Chefs.
Penzeys 4-Jar Bakers’ Assortment
This set contains the most popular spices for fresh, homemade baked goods. Includes Sweet China Cassia Cinnamon, Dutch Process Cocoa, Baking Spice (a combination of sweet spices) and Double Strength Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract. $27.99 at www.penzeys.com.
Source: http://www.gazette.com/articles/sparrow_30245___article.html/hawk_safe.html
Not coincidentally, it’s also that time of year when lots of new cooking toys crop up. Some are practical must-haves, such as a rechargeable food thermometer. Others may make you scratch your head. (Crumb vacuum or poaching pod, anyone?)
To get a handle on the year’s most interesting, useful and/or best-selling culinary trinkets, we went to Sparrow Hawk Ltd., 12 E. Bijou St.; Chefs, 5070 Centennial Blvd.; Target stores (several locations); and a few online sources. The goodies, available at these and other stores, come in a range of prices, from less than $5 to $30.
You’ll see a few of our top picks below.
Toucan Scrubby Holder
An attractive way to keep your scrubby handy and your countertop neat. Hand-painted, glazed earthenware holder comes with a nonabrasive scrubby. Hand wash. $9.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Trudeau Crumb Sweeper
This battery-operated sweeper is great for gathering crumbs from the table. It has soft, nonscratch, nylon bristles and takes two AA batteries. It comes in red, yellow or orange. $11.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Hutzler Onion Saver
Keep your cut onions odorless, fresh and moist in this airtight container. Dishwasher safe. $3.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Rick Bayless Avocado Scoop
This unique gadget lets you scoop and mash avocados with ease. The stainless steel head sits atop an avocado-colored silicone handle, making for a comfortable grip. Dishwasher safe. $17.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Progressive Pan Scrapers
These ergonomic scrapers are perfect for cleaning and scraping sticky messes from plates, pots and pans. Safe for nonstick surfaces and dishwasher safe, they come in an array of bright colors. $1.79 at Sparrow Hawk.
Savory Recipe Assortment
Boxed sets of 10 note cards (two each of five designs) plus 11 envelopes. Each card contains a recipe, plus food lore or cooking tips from Tina Wasserman, who owns a cooking school in Dallas. Holiday collections include Holiday Treats Assortment; Holiday Entertaining Assortment; and Hanukkah Recipe Assortment. $18 at www.cookingand more.com.
Polder rechargeable instant-read thermometer
A charging base makes sure the probe is always at hand and fully charged. Includes thermometer, base and protective probe sheath. Has a backlit LCD screen with extra-large numbers. The backlighting changes from yellow to green to indicate that the reading is done. A magnet on the probe keeps the thermometer secured to the base while charging. $29.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Cookie cutters
These durable, nonstick cutters make seamless cuts for cookies and canapés, and they release cleanly and easily. Each set includes one shape (star, tree or circle) in five sizes, and the sets nest for compact storage. Dishwasher safe. $1.99 at Chefs.<
Screwpull champagne cork catcher
Simply remove the foil and cage, place the cork catcher on the champagne bottle, hold firm, twist the bottle, and up comes the cork. Get the “pop,” but not the flying cork. $20 at Sparrow Hawk.
ISI Flexible Mixing Bowls
Molded from silicone, this set contains three bowls with removable lids. The bowls are flexible, lightweight and durable, and work beautifully for mixing and stirring. Plus they’re heat resistant to 490 degrees, and they’re safe for use in the microwave, freezer and dishwasher. Available in red, white or blue. $24.99 at Chefs.
EAT IT! Snacks & Sweets Trivia Game
This board game for teens and adults features fun trivia about the foods that everyone loves to eat: chocolate, candy, cookies, ice cream and other desserts. It comes with thousands of questions about jingles, advertising campaigns, ingredients, nostalgia, origins and pop culture. $27.99 at Target.
Celebrity Chef! The Game
A combination of Cranium and Bravo’s “Top Chef,” this is a board game for those interested in, passionate about and inspired by the world of chefs. It’s fun for both the occasional home cook and the culinary professional. $29.99 at www.celebritychefthegame.com.
Fusion Brands Poach Pod
These handy silicone cups, heatresistant up to 500 degrees, make it easy to poach eggs. Just crack your egg right into the pod and set in a pot of boiling water. The perfectly shaped egg will slip out of the pod easily. Dishwasher safe. $8.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
MISTO Snapi Server
This plastic, hinged device is for single-handed servings of salads, pasta and veggies. Available in assorted colors. Dishwasher safe. $9.99 at Sparrow Hawk.
Stay Fresh Pie Keeper
Made of durable plastic, the container will hold any size glass or metal pie plate with enough clearance for meringue toppings. Dishwasher safe. $9.99 at Chefs.
Penzeys 4-Jar Bakers’ Assortment
This set contains the most popular spices for fresh, homemade baked goods. Includes Sweet China Cassia Cinnamon, Dutch Process Cocoa, Baking Spice (a combination of sweet spices) and Double Strength Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract. $27.99 at www.penzeys.com.
Source: http://www.gazette.com/articles/sparrow_30245___article.html/hawk_safe.html
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