Friday, February 26, 2010

Lu Yu Brewers


Lu Yu Automatic Porcelain Tea Brewer
12.5 oz Brewer
Lu Yu Automatic Porcelain Tea Brewer Inner Chamber
Inner Brewing Chamber
If you love loose leaf tea this is the perfect tool for you. Lu Yu Porcelain Tea Brewers, available in a 12.5 oz. and 8 oz. size, feature a patented brewing chamber that steeps your tea for the perfect amount of time, every time. If you've ever over brewed your tea, you are familiar with how quickly it can go bitter. Lu Yu's precision brewing time of 2 minutes and 30 seconds ensures you always get great tasting tea. One thing to remember however, is that adding boiling or very hot water to your brewer will burn your tea. Depending on the type of tea you are brewing, your water temperature should generally be between 175 F and 195 F.


Lu Yu Automatic Tea Brewers also make great gifts for any tea lover or new tea drinker. They are easy to use, reliable, beautifully gift boxed, and make brewing loose leaf tea a breeze.


Shop all Lu Yu HERE

Thursday, February 25, 2010

An All-In-One Grill Tool

The Grill Station from Charcoal Companion
the Grill Station from Charcoal Companion
Meet your new best friend, the Grill Station from Charcoal Companion. A unique tool that does more than meets the eye, the Grill Station marinates, stores, chills and serves food. The tool caddy attachment keeps all the necessities like thermometers, tongs and spatulas close at hand while the trays keep raw and cooked foods separate to avoid cross contamination. The Grill Station's trays have ridges inside which prop meat up slightly allowing marinade to freely flow and evenly coat all your meat. One lid is included, which fits both clearly marked 'RAW' and 'COOKED' trays. Another great feature of the Grill Station's trays is their ability to be written on. You can use a dry erase pen to write dates or notes on the side of the trays, then simply wipe them off with a mild cleaning detergent or throw them in the dishwasher.


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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A Must Have Kitchen Tool






Microplane has been around for 20 years now and the history is pretty interesting. In 1990 brothers Richard and Jeff Grace jointly owned a manufacturing facility in Russellville, Arkansas. It was there that they invented the first Microplane as a woodworking tool. But that is only the first part of the story. In 1994 Lorraine Lee, a homemaker in Canada, became frustrated with her traditional grater while making a cake. She noticed a new tool on the counter that her husband had brought home earlier from the hardware store. She took her orange that she was trying to zest and slid it across the blades of her husband's Microplane. She was amazed at how easily zest fell from the orange like snow. It was that moment that gave birth to the modern day Microplane kitchen tool.


What makes a Microplane different that other zester/graters you ask? Microplane tools have tiny razor-like edges that are formed by a unique process called photo-etching. During this process tiny holes are dissolved with a chemical, leaving edges that finely slice foods instead of tearing or shredding them. Microplane tools are safe, easy to use and indispensable in the kitchen.


I have a Microplane Classic Zester/Grater (pictured first) and it has become the go-to tool in my kitchen. I use it most frequently for grating cheeses onto things like pasta dishes and potatoes. My Microplane gets its second most frequent workout as it easily zests lemons, limes and oranges. Its unique design allows me to easily prop it up and zest/grate right onto a cutting board, over a pot or pan, or right onto my plate. I would highly recommend a Microplane kitchen tool to anybody that grates and zests. There are plenty of colors, styles and different options to fit your exact culinary need.

Shop all Microplane Graters, Zesters and Shavers

Monday, February 22, 2010

Srping + Grill + Sliders = Fun!


Make fun and delicious sliders at home with Charcoal Companion


Make fun and delicious sliders at home with Charcoal Companion

As the crisp, cold air begins to fade and summer quickly approaches it's hard not to think about grilling. While some wait for the chill to diminish completely, others fire up their gas or charcoal grills and brace the cold. All this just for the delicious flavor, taste and comfort grilled food yields.

One of the most popular and timeless grilled food items has always been the hamburger. However, the more recent "slider" burger has been quickly gaining popularity thanks to restaurants and avid home grillers who are serving them up as appetizers or as the small main dish. The name "slider" is said to have originated due to the mini burger's size because they can easily slide down your throat in one or two bites. Whatever the history and reason for their origin, sliders are undeniably great for parties, kids and adults of all ages.

With the Deluxe Mini Burger Slider Basket & Press Set from Charcoal Companion you can easily make sliders at home. The set includes a 9 slot grilling basket for easy grilling and flipping, a triple patty burger press to create uniform sliders and a mini-bun cutter to trim full buns down to size. The Deluxe Slider Set also makes a great gift for any lover of all things grilling.

Shop all Charcoal Companion BBQ Tools, Grillware and Grill Accessories