Cool Designs
Great Gadgets
Toss your square toasters and metal steamers.
Today’s kitchen tools are both stylish and smart.
bottle top quality
The glowing green of ArtCook’s Zinc Bottle Opener makes it stand out in a crowd—a plus in the wee hours of your next neighborhood bash. Available at Chef Central in Hartsdale ➤ $12.99
safe and sound
The IFA-80 and IFA-90 cooktops from FagorAmerica not only offer speedy cooking but use 90 percent of the energy they produce—much more than traditional gas or electric cooktops. Smart safety features include an anti-overflow detection system that shuts off the power if food spills over the touch controls, and an auto-stop feature that turns off the cooktop if you forget to do so. Available at
mixed company
Known for the rainbow of color options in its iconic stand mixer line, KitchenAid just added a host of new hues, including trendy persimmon. The five–quart, 10-speed mixer comes with a flat beater, a dough hook, a wire whip, and a pouring shield. For local retailers, call (800) 541-6390 ➤ $349.99
cheering sections
The Grapefruiter from Chef’N is a cut above, sectioning citrus in seconds flat. Operation is so simple you need only one hand: just insert the tool into a halved grapefruit or orange and squeeze. Available at www.chefs
resource.com ➤ $9.99
hot wired
The Espressione Café Retro has toggle switches with indicator lights, a temperature gauge, a sturdy pull-down lever for steaming/frothing, and plenty of flash. With its hot orange shade, it’s not just the caffeine that will wake you up in the morning. Available at www.target.com ➤ $399.99
compact fact
For chilling drinks super fast, Liebherr’s trim 24-inch-wide freestanding CS 1350 refrigerator-freezer can lower the refrige- rator section to 35°F for six hours. (It also can drop the freezer temperature to -26°F for flash freezing.) The EnergyStar-rated fridge is built with SwingLine doors with side-edge lighting, giving the small-sized fridge a cutting-edge look. Available at Albano Appliance & Service in Pound Ridge ➤ $2,900
good time
If you can’t decide between a traditional timer and a digital one, why settle? The silver OXO Good Grips Times Squared Double Timer has both. In addition to a 60-minute analog timer, a 100-hour digital timer also acts as clock. Available at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s ➤ $24.99
glowing reviews
The Hamilton Beach Liquid Blu Blender, equipped with an 800-watt peak-power motor, integrates blue illumination into its design, lighting up a five-speed touchpad,
as well as your countertop. Available at
Wal-Mart and Kmart, both in White Plains ➤ $129.99
“cool” entertainment
The new LG HDTV—complete with DVD and CD player and a digital, cable- and DVD-ready television tuner with a 15-inch high-definition LCD screen—is a step ahead of the previous model: it offers time, temperature, and weather, plus a digital photo album to fill up with family pictures. A recipe bank from the Culinary Institute of America is like having a mentor in the kitchen. Available at Best Buy and Home Depot ➤ $3,999
turn the tables
A turn of the knob on the stainless-steel Cook-N-Dine exposes a grill that replicates the Japanese “hot table” method of cooking (think Benihana, but with less noise). Just outside the cooking center is a warming area; the outer perimeter—the dining area—remains completely cool. For dealer information, call (305) 893-1560 or click on www.cookndine.com ➤ $4,995
cold comfort
The Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker churns out up to one-and-a-half quarts of fat-free sorbets, low-fat frozen yogurts, and rich ice creams (depending on your willpower du jour) in merely 30 minutes. Available at Fortunoff in White Plains ➤ $49.95
yellow fever
This all-metal toaster in exotic
pineapple from Hamilton Beach’s Eclectrics Collection comes with extra-wide slots, an auto shutoff button, three settings, and a vivid retro design that gives a nod to mod. Available at www.hamilton
beach.com and www.amazon.com ➤ $89.99
down and out
The Viking Professional Rear Downdraft Ventilation System not only hides cooking odors, but hides in your streamlined kitchen: it rises and lowers into the countertop at the touch of a button. Available at Leibert’s Royal Green in White Plains ➤ $2,500
give a whistle
Le Creuset’s Ogive tea kettle’s shape was inspired by European Gothic architecture. The 1.7-quart kettle has a heat-resistant handle and comes in seven colors (shown here in kiwi). Available at Charles Department Store in Katonah ➤ $75
full-steam ahead
Swap the metal relic for the Chef’N VeggiSteam, a cherry-red silicone steamer that protects rather than scratches non-stick cookware. Both microwave and dishwasher safe, the steamer, with its flat design, stores in a cinch. Available in three colors at Chef Central in Hartsdale, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Linens ’n Things ➤ $9.99
