Nothing sweeps through the holiday cobwebs and revives my spirit more than jumpstarting my holiday cooking. It’s the time to crack open the attic and pull out that special reserve of family recipes that bring you back to the delicious holiday feasts from childhood.
While food is lovely to eat, preparing it can be much more stressful! Don’t fret though, technology is on your side. There are plenty of gadgets on the market that can help minimize prep and cook times for all of your favorite dishes so you can get back to relaxing with the family. Many of our local Virginia Beach stores carry each of these items so if you wait until the last minute, you may still be able to run out and pick up a time-saver! Buy one for yourself and if you feel like playing Santa, buy one for your second favorite cook. (Click the links to pull up a Google Product Search)
The average person spends 30% of meal prep time looking for supplies to cook with. Cut your time looking for your most used utensils with the ergonomic Click-n-Cook. This useful gadget organizes the detachable heads of a flat spatula, slotted spatula, extra-wide slotted spatula, mixing spoon, and a slotted spoon along with a handle in one attractive block. This device retails for $39.99 and is available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Virginia Beach.
How else can you organize your recipes, find new ones, and share them with your favorite cooks? Every kitchen needs a Nook Color for its size, convenience, storage capacity, battery life, and development flexibility! Mount it on your wall, fridge, or the inside of a cabinet with various mounts on the market. Visit your closest Barnes & Noble, Target, Best Buy, or even Walmart for a great deal on a Nook Color.
Bella Cucina Triple Slow Cooker
Make your hot appetizers, soups, and other slow-cooker dishes all at the same time with the Bella Cucina Triple Slow Cooker. The unit boasts three 2 ½ Quart-sized stoneware pots with lids so you don’t have to borrow your mother’s and your sister’s crockpots to do a complete feast at your house. Drop by Dillard’s, Macy’s, or Bed, Bath, and Beyond to pick up your triple slow cooker.
Cuisinart Hand Blender, SmartStick
Disturbed by energy it takes to mix desserts? Your favorite part of the meal doesn’t have to be such a stir with the SmartStick by Cuisinart. It’s 200-watt motor quickly blends your meringues, icings, glazes, batter, soups, and so much more. The SmartStick is available in corded and cordless varieties with different attachments across three different models and retails between $29.94-$79.95. You can find one at your local Best Buy, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, Kohl’s, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
Every kitchen should have a stand mixer. They are perfect for all mixes—bread, pancake, brownie, cinnamon rolls- you name it! Mixing time is reduced and because of its ergonomic design, it’s easy to clean! KitchenAid Stand Mixers come in a variety of sizes with different accessories and range from $169-$500 dollars. They are available in most department and electronic stores including Macy’s Dillard’s, Kohl’s, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Best Buy, HH Greg, and even Big Lots.
Presto Griddle, The Big Griddle
Dishes pile up quick when preparing all your favorite breakfast foods. And if you have a problem with things getting cold while cooking other things, the electric-powered Big Griddle can solve all of your problems. Fry your eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes in one convenient place. It’s available at Target, Sears, Macy’s Dillard’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Walmart for $69.95.
Nespresso Espresso Maker, Citiz Single Serve with Milk Frother
Finally, an affordable espresso machine that caters to milk fans! This automatic brewing machine is guaranteed to make the perfect cup of rich espresso every time! It also has an automatic function for its on-board milk frother. Rich flavor, top quality, and sleek design are right at your fingertips for $349. What more could you ask for? It’s available locally at Williams-Sonoma and Bed, Bath, and Beyond!
Cuisinart Electric Knife – CEK-40.
I recommended using no other device than the Cuisinart Electric Knife to cut your turkey or ham this year. This knife boasts top reviews from trusty sources on Food Network, Amazon, and many other gadget superstores, but is available at your local Sears, Lowe’s, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s, and Macy’s. Price point: $50.
Make the perfect portion of brownie delights without taking up the precious space in your oven. The Bella Cucina Brownie Maker allows you to pour your batter into perfectly measured and even dividers and bakes your brownies all in one self-contained unit. At $20, convenience has never been so affordable. All of the Virginia Beach Macy’s and Dillard’s stores carry it.
EuroCuisine Automatic Yogurt Maker
This is the best tool for health-conscious individuals ever. This electric machine enables you to prepare fresh all-natural yogurt using heated milk and a yogurt starter. The device makes 7 individual portion glass jars so you can have one for breakfast every day of the week. It takes between 6-10 hours to make a batch and the yogurt maker shuts off automatically when the cycle is complete. The machine retails around $60 and the Starter (which is sold separately, and makes enough for 21 jars) retails for $15-$20.
Happy cooking, gift giving, and feasting!
Have a gadget interest, speculation, or discovery? Send an e-mail to escobar.lauryn@gmail.com.
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