Test Kitchen: Gadgets & Tools
Product-testing Team Brandi, Gen, and Gina reunited once again with a new mission: to review kitchen gadgets and tools...We were ready to move past the art of hairstyling, and for this go-around, we wanted to get our grub on. See how we fared in the kitchen armed with a Hamilton Beach Electric Knife, a Hamilton Beach Panini Press, a Slap Chop, an iTouchless Re-sealer, and a Deni Ice Cream Scoop. Special shout-out to drugstore.com for providing us the products to test out!
Post-Lunch: Clean-Up
iTouchless Airtight Bag Re-Sealer, $25.99
The iTouchless Bag Re-Sealer claim:
Bag re-sealers provide an inexpensive and easy way to perfectly reseal unused portions of food packages in seconds. It creates an airtight seal that locks in freshness. You simply seal along the edges of any bag and it is sealed airtight in seconds.
How we used it:
To seal our left-over brie and to re-seal an unrelated bag of chips in the pantry.
Our collective verdict:
It works. You just have to have some patience. Word of advice: you may not get it to work in the first try--the trick is to move slow and at a consistent pace because, glide too briskly over one spot, and the plastic won't melt to seal there. This is a great little stocking stuffer for all the cooks in your life.
Tips for use: After much practice, this tool could become very useful in helping you to keep food fresher for longer. Remember to position the re-sealer a little beyond the bag's edge for a truly airtight seal at the corners.
Lunch Menu Item #1: Roasted Chicken, Apricot, and Brie PaninisHamilton Beach Electric Knife, $29.99
The Hamilton Beach Electric Knife claim:
Make cutting roasted poultry and roasts really easy. This electric knife uses a dual serrated stainless-steel blade that moves back-&-forth so all you need do is guide the knife through all the difficult spots.
How we used it:
To slice our small, roasted chicken for easy panini pressing a little later.
Our collective verdict:
Everything about this electric knife was easy! Assembly consisted of snapping blades in-place. Once plugged-in and we pulled the trigger switch, the blades glided right through the meat, "like buttah"! No sawing action required! Our only challenge? Bones.
Tips for use: The blades are long, so a bigger bird would probably be ideal. Also, you'll want to lay the bird on a lower surface, like a table, as opposed to the kitchen counter, for the best slicing angles!
Hamilton Beach Panini Press, $44.57 The Hamilton Beach Panini Press claim:
Grill your favorite food indoors all year long and faster than you can fire up the charcoal on an outdoor grill. Hamilton Beach Indoor Grills cook up delicious steaks kabobs veggies burgers and more on a nonstick surface that makes grilling easy.
How we used it:
To flatten our sandwich to a delicious, melty crisp!
Our collective verdict:
Loved it. This panini press will make any sandwich instantly gourmet! It's super easy to use, it holds your panini in place, and it can even accommodate highly-stacked creations. Gen is actually a proud owner of this, so you know she's a big fan!
Tips for use:
Brush some olive oil onto the press prior to use for a deliciously toasty, slide-off-the-grill meal. Because there is a dial you can turn to hold the sandwich down, it can be easy to forget about it--set a timer!
Grill your favorite food indoors all year long and faster than you can fire up the charcoal on an outdoor grill. Hamilton Beach Indoor Grills cook up delicious steaks kabobs veggies burgers and more on a nonstick surface that makes grilling easy.
How we used it:
To flatten our sandwich to a delicious, melty crisp!
Our collective verdict:
Loved it. This panini press will make any sandwich instantly gourmet! It's super easy to use, it holds your panini in place, and it can even accommodate highly-stacked creations. Gen is actually a proud owner of this, so you know she's a big fan!
Tips for use: Brush some olive oil onto the press prior to use for a deliciously toasty, slide-off-the-grill meal. Because there is a dial you can turn to hold the sandwich down, it can be easy to forget about it--set a timer!
Lunch Menu Item #2: Spanish RiceThe Slap Chop claim:
The Slap Chop is your all-purpose chopper for all your chopping needs. With Slap Chop, the more you slap it the finer it gets! No Changing Blades! Combine Food as You Chop! Stainless Steel Blades Rotate! Separates Outer Skin from Onions!
How we used it:
To dice our green peppers and onions, to add to our Spanish rice sauté.
Our collective verdict:
We all want one. It is much more durable than it looks, and it chops like a pro! We saved time and our fingers with this gadget. Caveat: some onion skin pieces were left mixed-in with our diced pieces, and you have to really slap with some force.
Tips for use: Practice! Make sure you slap with a enough power for the blades to make it all the way to the cutting board. Achieving a rhythm is helpful, and try slapping on a lower surface for greater leverage.
Lunch Menu Item #3: Vanilla Ice Cream Topped with Fresh Strawberries and Almond Joy CrumblesDeni Ice Cream Scoop, $24.95
The Deni Ice Cream Scoop claim:
Finally, no more struggling to scoop your ice cream! The Deni Ice Cream Scoop cuts through the hardest ice cream with no effort. The scoop heats up in minutes and retains its temperature scoop after scoop. Special corner-ice-cream-reaching design!
How we used it:
To scoop our vanilla ice for a well-deserved, Neapolitan-like dessert.
Our collective verdict:
Awkward. The scooper is bulky to handle and the collar, while keeping our hands clean, gets in the way; so does the cord. This scooper does get warm enough to easily scoop hard ice cream, but there is only one set setting, and it began melting our dessert!
Tips for use: Scoop from a higher angle, and be sure to work quickly to minimize the time the heated scoop is in contact with your cold ice cream. Also, ask a friend to hold the cord out of the way for you while scooping.
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Comments page 1 of 1
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twinsmomof4 said 11-15-2009 @3:37AM
Love this blog! The electric knife is perfect for Thanksgiving Holiday. What would be great for Holiday Shopping in December? There are a few great products like the Help Yourself Feeding Solution for babies 6+ month feeding. It is truly the extra hand every parent needs.
replyhttp://www.feedingsolution.com Over 50 million for Wii Consoles were sold in the past. Mark Industries, LLC has finally created a storage solution for Wii controllers and accessories to protect them from damage or getting tangled. Keeps them visible, accessible, and doesn't take up space. http://www.forwiimotes.com
Happy Holidays everyone!
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ronnie stankowicz said 11-14-2009 @10:15PM
replyI would like to know if you have a grapefruit cutter
where you put a half of grapefruit on a pointed spindel and turn the grapefruit around and the razor or saw blade cuts out the inner part of the grapefruit with the wedge part falling into the container
Thank You
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Mike said 11-14-2009 @10:28PM
A HOT TIP for the panini press, I have one and love it. I take a piece of parchment paper and fold it in half and slide the sandwich in between the folds. It makes it very easy to remove the hot sandwich, and even better, there is NO clean-up for your press. If you're as frugle as me, you can use the parchment for more then one sandwich. Also use this trick to reheat garlic bread, it's great.(Of course around here we rarely have left over garlic bread!)
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THERESA said 11-15-2009 @1:57AM
I love the parchment paper idea! Will you still get the lines on the bread? Can this same idea be used for a George Foreman indoor grill, when cooking meats?
Thank You
Theresa
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fuseini abass said 11-14-2009 @10:40PM
hi how are you doing
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fuseini abass said 11-14-2009 @11:22PM
hi i like that
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Judy Nelson said 11-14-2009 @11:48PM
Where can I purchase the itouchless Bag Re-sealer?
replyI think I would like to have one!
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Judy Nelson said 11-14-2009 @11:56PM
Where can I purchase the itouchless Bag Re-sealer
replyWhat is a URL?
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G said 11-15-2009 @1:09AM
You can order the bag sealer at QVC.com follow the link that's where I got mine. http://www.qvc.com/qsearch/search.aspx
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Quent said 11-15-2009 @12:39AM
Last week you wrote very negatively about the slap chop. Said that a good knife was better, more practical.
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kevin said 11-15-2009 @5:04AM
The Slap Chop has been brought back numerous times since the 1960's. Didn't work then, doesn't work now. I think even ron popeil had a version of that on TV.
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suze said 11-15-2009 @7:12AM
I LOVE the bag resealer!! I use my daily and have for years! I've had mine probably at least 12 years! I got it free from some chef chopper thingy my Mom bought off of an informercial. And the tricks are on the money, You just gotta slide across the bag slowly and about 1/2 in from the top is best! I use mine to reseal chips cereal,frozen fries etc.. anything that comes in bag, Crackers,dry noodles,rice the list goes on and on! Everyone should have one of these babys!!
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wario said 12-16-2009 @5:34PM
SLAP CHOP - The more you slap it the finer it gets .... just like my women!!
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