Beyond The Kitchen Sink

Grill, Grill Against The Dying Of The Light

BTKS — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:59:47 +0000

It is time to ‘spring forward’ this weekend, meaning the 5’o’clock shadows will be held off until later in the evening. Of course, this means we will be spending more time outside. Outside, and cooking, that is. Even though we are afforded an ‘extra’ hour of sunlight, backyard grillers still know no bounds when [...]

Spin And Dip

BTKS — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:57:29 +0000

Everybody loves dip; not everybody loves everything that goes with it. Carrots and cauliflower pieces are often passed by for a pretzel stick or some kind of chip. In the end, salty and starchy wins over healthy and natural. However all that reaching over the veggies is sure to cause some sort of guilt trip. [...]

Eat By Numbers

BTKS — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:49:34 +0000

I have about as much patience for place settings as I do for utensil drawer dividers. Granted, it’s a lot easier to just reach for a fork or a butter knife when you know where it is, but I’m still going to just toss freshly-cleaned utensils into the drawer and let them fall where they [...]

Everyday Teakettle Looks Good On The Stovetop

BTKS — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:23:19 +0000

Countertop appliances and kitchen gadgets usually get put away after use. Not because they may look funky: while design is constantly in flux, the issue is usually available space. Yet, some everyday kitchen tools allow for perfect placement without a second thought. Topping that list might just be the teakettle. It looks at home when [...]

Sushi Rice Now With More Fun

BTKS — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:50:23 +0000

Plain white rice can be so… plain. While that can be good for everything from digestion to how awesome it works with practically any other ingredient, it’s how it’s served that could use a little sprucing up. Especially when we’re talking about exceedingly cute hearts, stars and bears. The Inomata Sushi Mold Rice Ball Maker transforms [...]

Two Garlic-Shaped Garlic Keepers (And A Garlic Chopper Too)

BTKS — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:02:22 +0000

Garlic is a finicky thing. Some may say that even a little is too much, while others say that there can be no such thing as too much of good thing. Whether you like, love or hate garlic, its pungency isn’t the only aspect that requires a little attention: Where the heck are you supposed [...]

Better Building Of Measuring Spoons

BTKS — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:55:01 +0000

Measuring spoons. Handy little devices–when you can find the one you are looking for. Even the ones that come attached to a plastic ring tend to get separated and subsequently lost. Forget building a better mousetrap, at least when it comes to baking essentials, it’s all about corralling those measuring spoons. This set of Foldable Measuring [...]

Two Op-Art Kitchen Appliances

BTKS — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:44:33 +0000

A kitchen appliance that plays tricks with your eyes isn’t necessarily the first thing you want to see in the morning. However, stunning design is always appreciated. With these two appliances you get both. It’s probably safe to say the Prestige 1.5L Checked Dome Kettle and the Prestige 2-Slice Checked Toaster won’t blend into just any [...]

Grocery Tote With Yoke

BTKS — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:55:59 +0000

Lugging sacks full of groceries home from the supermarket can sometimes really hurt. If you’re walking, you have to gauge just how much you can carry. Then you get to the store and find that they are have a sale on #10 cans of beans. It’ll be okay, you tell yourself: I can carry all [...]

Don’t Teach These Dogs To Play Fetch (That’s Because They Are Knives)

BTKS — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:44:21 +0000

One may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but there are some dogs you probably shouldn’t try to teach any tricks. Aside from knife throwing and that knife between the fingers tabletop thing, there just aren’t that many good things to do with a kitchen knife aside from the preparation of [...]

Go Ahead: Double Dip That Chip

BTKS — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:33:43 +0000

The dreaded double dip: nobody likes it except the dip-ee. But perhaps blame should not only fall upon the offending dipper, but also on the host. People will double dip: it is a fact of life. While there is no getting around human behavior, there is a solution to this understandably important problem. The Ooma Bowl [...]

All-in-1 Chair Lags Behind In Design

BTKS — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:58:19 +0000

I see no flaws with having a portable cooler that does double duty as a chair: you can take it with you everywhere you go. Filled with ice during the hot summer months there would be no better way to fly (or sit). I do however see one major flaw with the All-in-1 Chair. While there [...]

Safe To Touch After Handling: Chili Grinder

BTKS — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:24:32 +0000

Nuclear-hot red chili peppers add a decisive kick to what could be an otherwise boring meal. However it’s exactly the fact that they are so damn hot that can make them too hot to handle. Literally. Releasing endorphins is great and all, but it doesn’t count if they’re triggered via hot pepper in the eye. [...]

Safety First Applies Even To Microwave Bowls

BTKS — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:44:17 +0000

Piping hot food straight from the microwave usually means piping hot dishware. Pop a bowl of soup in the mic, and when it’s done, the bowl could be too hot to touch. Solving this dilemma is the Cool Touch Micro Bowl. The three-piece design consists of a 17-ounce ceramic bowl and a finger-protecting plastic outer [...]

Assert Your Dominance Over Cheese

BTKS — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:21:26 +0000

Blocks of cheese getting you down? Wouldn’t you rather see that solid, imposing block transformed into something more useful and ready to eat? Like shredded cheese, of course; shredded cheese for which to top everything. Even if you aren’t a cheese lover, chances are somebody else at the table is. When it comes to serving freshly-shredded [...]

Your Freezer Still Wants You To Think Of Ice

BTKS — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:42:21 +0000

Yes, it’s cold out there, but inside where it is nice and warm one major kitchen appliance has ice in the brain. (Or at least the upper compartment.) With the distance between the freezer and the water faucet (or the filter pitcher) being directly proportional to the amount of water that ends up on the [...]

Olive Oil And Vinegar Sitting In A Tree

BTKS — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:25:59 +0000

Olive oil and vinegar may come in some of the more attractive packaging that inhabit our supermarket shelves, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon by eliminating it all together (after it gets home from the store, that is). If scooping handfuls of olive oil from a baggie isn’t your thing, you’re gonna [...]

Coffee The Way It Was Meant To Be

BTKS — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:38:26 +0000

Ground coffee in hot water. It’s a simple concept, but the world wouldn’t be the same without it. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, it’s hard to underestimate the impact of the little caffeinated bean that could. While many different brewing methods have evolved, perhaps there is none better than the simplest one: ground [...]