ChefTools.com Blog

Eat To Win On Super Bowl Sunday!

2012-01-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Make a football shaped cake! Laces out, Dan!

My perfect Super Bowl Party? It would involve an open fire pit, a La-Z-Boy Clayton LUXURY LIFT® Power Recliner (with heat and 6-motor massager), an 80-inch TV, the Detroit Lions, a never-ending bowl of Doritos, and an experimental chef proficient in everything from pizza to profiteroles. In other words, food, comfort, roasted meats … and the Detroit Lions.

Unfortunately, I can’t control all of those elements – except food. My couch is my couch, my TV is my TV, my landlord won't let me light a fire in my apartment, and the Lions are awesome, but not in the Super Bowl. But! I still have one week to plan an excellent, epic Super Bowl feast. Here’s a food timeline for next Sunday*:

9 a.m.

You’ll need to condition your stomach for a feast, so start stretching early. A bagel sandwich honors the New York Giants and your taste buds. Slice, toast, and butter a bagel (salt is my favorite, followed by cinnamon-raisin), pile high with lox, tomatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese. Pair with coffee, of course.

The Chicago Metallic Pizza Crisper, $6 for a better crust.

12 p.m.

It is pizza time. It is also chicken time. Hopefully you’ve made about 56 gallons of Buffalo sauce (butter + Frank’s), so add some to your pizza sauce. Slather it on the pizza, top with Monterey jack cheese and bits of buffalo chicken (preferably cooked on Saturday and refrigerated overnight). Plop it on your Chicago Metallic Pizza Crisper (on sale for $6) in a 500-degree oven, cook, then eat. Buffalo wing pizza is a New York thing, too, giving you another chance to honor the Giants.

1 p.m.

Shoot, that pizza was good. But you need something cool to wash it down. How about a margarita? Frozen or on the rocks, sit back and sip on that that frosty drink as Bob Costas’ pre-game analysis washes over you.

2 p.m.

The game is about to begin, which means it's snack and dip time (snacks defined as salty, starchy, nutty, from a bag, or quickly cooked). You’re going to need Doritos, honey roasted peanuts, popcorn popped in bacon grease, sour cream and onion dip (SCOD), Ruffles, tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, some kind of crazy chip style (like Utz crab chips), and cashews. Pile high in chips bowls and nut bowls, serve on trays, and watch all that food disappear.

Henry Ford would be proud: now one man can make 3 sliders in one swoop for only $5

5 p.m.

By now, you’re going to want to bring in the big guns: scorched meat, deep-fried and cheese coated vegetables, small but powerful sandwiches. You should’ve halted your snacking at around 4 p.m., giving you enough time to digest. But after pizza, bagels, beer, and endless handfuls of chips, you’re probably realizing the spatial limits of your innards. Buck up! Choose just 3 or 4 main course items. Me? I go for Buffalo wings (I made 56 gallons of sauce!), jalapeno poppers, nachos, and pork/beef sliders with melted provolone. I love nachos, and I think I have a good technique: roast tortilla strips on a baking sheet for 5 – 10 minutes at 450 degrees; take them out of the oven and add cooked ground beef, cheddar, mozzarella, diced jalapenos, pineapple salsa, lime juice, cooked pinto beans, plus salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste. Toss (gently) together for even distribution, and then cook at 450 for another 10 – 15 minutes. I like my tortilla chips charred, so bake to your liking.

6:30 p.m.

You’re full up to your eyes and there’s a wasteland of dirty, empty plates in front of you. What now? Dessert, of course. I don’t care how full you are, the deliciousness of sugar will make your mouth water after hours of eating salty snacks And if your team is losing, you’re looking to drown your sorrows (in sugar). Appropriately, I found this recipe for Hoosier pie, honoring the site of this year's Super Bowl. Make sure you buy a nice, deep pie pan, because a deep pie is a delicious pie.

7:30 p.m.

You worked so hard all-day, masticating, digesting, and walking from the kitchen to the TV room. So, it’s time for bed. We hope you’re taking Monday off, because there are a lot of dishes to do – and at least 4 leftover sliders to finish.

Need to stock up on gadgets and serving items for your Super Bowl party? Buy from Chef Tools today and get it in time for Sunday. We have everything you need, from slider presses to pizza pans!

*Pacific Standard Time. East Coasters, Midwesterners, Southerners, and Rocky Mountainites should adjust accordingly. None of this applies to San Franciscans or Baltimoreans.

Check Out The Chef Tools 2012 Clearance Sale

2012-01-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

Have you checked out the Chef Tools 2012 storewide clearance? If not, go now. There are hundreds (thousands maybe?) of incredible products anywhere from 20% to 70% off. Here are some choice items (hurry, quantities are extremely limited!)

Ilsa Dietella Cast Iron Rectangular Grill - $30

A stovetop grill is indispensable – especially if you live in one of the many places in this country where outdoor grilling during winter is … uncomfortable. This grill also allows you to cook fat free; so, you’re roasting vegetables and meats instead of sautéing or frying them in fat. Plus, this grill heats up in seconds, so it’s faster than cooking in the oven. Always wanted homemade Panini, grilled corn, and perfectly seared steak? Now’s your chance, and for only $30!

Epicurean Kitchen Series 15” x 11” Slate Black Cutting Board- $12.48

This durable Epicurean board is the perfect size for any task from cutting vegetables to rolling out dough. It’s made of wood fiber from managed forests, and has a bacteria resistant surface. Pick up 2 or 3 so you can prep food safely – one board for veggies, another for meats, and a third for dessert.

Chicago Metallic Basic 9” x 3” Nonstick Springform Pan -$7.48

Once you make a cheesecake (or any cake) with a springform pan, you won’t go back to regular pans. Never worry again about shimmying a knife or spatula inside the pan, trying to pry the thing loose. When your cheesecake is done, simply unbuckle this springform pan and serve. Made of durable aluminized steel and coated with a special nonstick coating, Chicago Metallic pans come with a 25-year warranty – but you probably won’t need it.

Charcoal Companion Gourmet Corn Grilling Set - $14.98

Speaking of grilling, it’s never too soon to start preparing for summer barbecues (or to start dreaming of summer grilling). This set by Charcoal Companion makes it easy for you to grill the sweetest, juiciest part of the barbecue: fresh corn on the cob. The adjustable wire grilling rack holds 4 pieces, allowing perfect roasting of the corn in its husk. Use the rosewood brush to slather on butter, and the 8 accompanying corn-shaped picks to hold the corn as you chow down.

Hopefully we’ve whetted you appetite – go check out our clearance sale and find the essential items you need for your kitchen and home!

Save on Food Expenses Now!

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

One of my major goals for 2012 is to save money. I can see from perusing my bank statements from the last year that one of my biggest expenses is food –from grocery shopping, to eating out, to grabbing coffee in the morning.

Food expenses can take small bites out of your bank account, adding up to a lot in the end. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to save. Although it might seem go against your instincts, investing now in a few key items will save you money in the future. Here a few inexpensive tools that you should buy now to save on food expenses:

Bodum 12 oz. Porcelain Mugs

1) Travel coffee mugs: Sure, spending $2 every day at your local coffee shop before work seems inconsequential, but it’s not. Depending on what drink you get (I’m talking just plain cups of coffee, not double-tall mocha skinny soy chai latte cappuccino lattes) you can spend up to $500 per year on just coffee. Buy these great porcelain travel mugs by Bodum, make your coffee (or tea) at home, and take it with you to work. Get two of these mugs nowon sale for only $17. (You can still support your local coffee shop on the weekends!)

2) Home canning kit: One of my biggest peeves is wasting food. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found a half-used bag of baby carrots or a box of wilted mushrooms in the back of my refrigerator. One solution: can your veggies. Made a salad and have some cucumber left over? Can it for a July picnic (and save yourself from spending later). Canning is a fun way to turn unused produce into delicious pickled or jellied treats. ChefTools.com has every piece of canning equipment you need.

3) Water bottles and pitchers: You want to stay healthy and hydrated, but you don’t want to keep wasting money and hurting the environment with disposable plastic bottles. Get a reusable water bottle – take it camping, take it to work, take it to the gym. It will last forever and you’ll go back to getting your water for free. ChefTools has a number of great stainless steel Alfi water bottles on sale now, for you and for the kids.

4) Spray bottles and towels: Stop buying $3 bottles chock full of crazy chemicals. Get yourself a spray bottle (like this atomizer), a couple of microfiber cloths, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some white vinegar. Clean and disinfect any surface with just the peroxide and vinegar in a spray bottle. The microfiber cloths absorb much more than any paper towel, and are washable and reusable until they fall apart (which won’t be for a very long time).

Norpor Compost Container

5) Composting tools: For a long time I was one of those people who marched down to the local garden supply store every spring and bought things like fertilizer, topsoil, and all the rest. But I haven’t done that for years since I started composting. It may take a year or so to start up, but countertop composting can provide you with enough rich soil for your flowerbeds or vegetable garden – just 2 months’ worth of scraps add up to pounds of soil; you’re turning what was once garbage into plant food. Compost is free and it’s loaded with nutrients - your basil never tasted so good, your flowers never bloomed so bright.

These are just a couple of ways to save, and some have the benefit of being environmentally conscious, and a fun activity. Do you have any tips to save on food expenses?

Happy New Year! Enjoy These Champagne Cocktails

2011-12-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

Nelson's Blood

When I was a little kid, I would sometimes browse through my father’s big book of cocktail recipes (I think it was “Bartender’s Black Book”), dreaming about all the cool drinks I could one day have as an adult. The Pointsetta, a mixture of cranberry juice and Champagne or sparkling white, always stood out to me. Maybe it was my love of cranberry juice, or my fear of the taste of whiskey or vodka, but that drink always sounded so refreshing.

Years later (after I was 21, of course), I actually had a Poinsettia at a New Year’s party. The verdict? Extremely delicious. I went on to discover that there are many cool things you can do with Champagne and sparkling white wines.

Here are a few of my favorite Champagne cocktails, some with my own additions. And don’t forget to visit ChefTools.com and buy a champagnekey or cocktail tools so you can make these drinks right!

Mimosa

A classic Champagne drink, usually served during breakfast or brunch, but tastes good any time. It’s just one part Champagne and 2 parts ice-cold orange juice. I like to add a splash of ginger beer if I’m making these at home. Or, mix the orange juice with some ice, peeled ginger, and sea salt in a blender (to taste) and serve as usual.

French 75

To me, this is just ice, gin, and Champagne. Some recipes call for powdered sugar and lemon rind. If you really want citrus in there, I would use lime or orange; they complement the Champagne better.

Bellini

I’ve only had this drink a few times; it’s a little too time intensive. Mix peach schnapps, peach (or pear, if you want to go nut) juice, lemon juice, and Champagne. The classic recipe calls for fresh picked, fresh squeezed pears – that sounds great, but I neither have access to fresh peaches, nor do I own a juicing machine.

Nelson’s Blood

I’ve only had this once, and it was a long time ago, but I remember it fondly. Mix 1 part Portuguese dessert wine with 5 parts Champagne. The result is a sweet, interestingly colored drink.

Do you have any good Champagne cocktail suggestions? Let us know! Have a happy New Year!

2011 Top 10 Chef Tools

2011-12-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

With only ~~2-ish weeks~~ 1 week to go before 2012, it’s that top-10 list time of year. There are many lists for books, movies, quotes, etc. We noticed there’s a dearth of top 10 chef tool lists. So, using data from our website and Google, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 products sold on ChefTools.com this year.

This isn't a critical overview; it's based solely on popularity - in other words, you made this list possible! without further words, here's the top 10:

I hate peeling garlic! No. 10 on our list.

10) E-Z-Roll Garlic Peeler Tube (red): What is it about red? For whatever reason, the red version of this handy garlic peeler (it also comes in blue, white, and green) was popular all year. Is peeling garlic is such a frustrating activity that it makes people see red? ($7.95)

Hot summer, cool treats. No. 9.

9) Norpro Frozen Ice Pop Maker: Last summer was one of the hottest on record for much of the country, thus it was a big summer for frozen treats. This simple device produces 10 ice pops (at a time) in any flavor you want. As a bonus, it comes with 24 wooden sticks. ($16.69)

8) India Tree Food Coloring: Natural Decorating Colors: These brilliant colors are made of all-natural ingredients; you won’t find any Lake #40 or Yellow #23 here. To make red, blue and yellow, India Tree extracts the natural colors of beets, red cabbage, and turmeric. That’s it! ($22.39)

7) RSVP Clear Glass Spice Jars: One of the worst things in the world is a disorganized spice cabinet (or rack). Until I picked up a bunch of spice jars, I had a whole shelf full of spices in plastic bags and random jars; it was a mess with cinnamon and basil spilled everywhere. Buying just 10 of these jars changed my life. No more mess, and a lot easier than pouring spics out of an old plastic bag! ($1.25/each)

Avocado seat belts! No. 6.

6) Evriholder Avo Saver: This guy was one of a couple of products that just exploded this year. We sold about a dozen of these handy things until around Nov. 1 – and then demand just exploded. Buy why not? Avocados are expensive and delicious, but sometimes you can’t finish a whole one. This solves that problem, and even has a cute little seatbelt your avocado halves. ($3.95 each)

5) RSVP Endurance Stainless Steel Drink Straws: Reusable-drinking straws fell out of favor between 1928 and the early aughts. Now they’re back with a vengeance. It certainly helped that Oprah Winfrey named these particular straws as one of her “favorite things.” These are the drinking equivalent to shopping with reusable bags. (Set of 4 for $9.95)

Perfect mashed potatoes at No. 4

4) RSVP Potato Ricer: The verdict is in: we like our mashed potatoes on the chunky side. This handy, sturdy tool creates wonderful little pearls of potato (mixed with butter, salt, pepper, garlic, and whatever else is in your secret recipe). Use it to puree most root vegetables by hand. ($13.95)

3) RSVP CookMarks: Wow, RSVP is doing well here, huh? Thanks to a feature in Cooking Light magazine, these handy cookbook bookmarks were a year-end smash. These keep your cookbook pages clean (grip the ring and use the long part of this guy to change pages), and you won’t have to frantically flip through pages if your cookbook slams shut – a can of beans can’t always hold the pages open. ($9.95/set)

2) Tovolo King Cube Silicone Ice Cube: 2011 was the year of big, frosty ice cubes, and this tray (if you can call it that) delivers. It's as flexible, like a rubber band, so no more banging your tray on the counter. Second, it makes big, honking cubes that melt slow, keeping your drink cool longer. (Featured in the Wall Street Journal earlier this summer as a best bet for homemade cocktails.) ($8.45)

Davy is No. 1!

1) Norpro Davy Crack’it Squirrel Nutcracker: Who would’ve thought that the master of all chef tools in 2011 would be an 8-inch-tall stainless steel squirrel? Cuteness and a knack for cracking nuts from almonds to Brazilians won Davy the top spot. But, for a moment, let’s ponder Davy’s cleverness. Squirrels are known for their love and hoarding of nuts. And, squirrels are pretty efficient at opening nuts. So, a human (probably unable to catch an actual squirrel), replicated those abilities in a cute statue with a handy little lever attached; he looks great perched inside a China cabinet, or standing on the dining room table next to a bowl of cracked nut shells. And, he has a hilarious pun for a name. Davy, Davy Crack’it; king of the chef tools this year! ($13.95)

Have a great Christmas and a fun New Year! See You in 2012!

Pick The Perfect Cookware Set

2011-12-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Finding the best cookware set – as a gift or for your own kitchen – can be a challenging task. There are astoundingly expensive sets; there are sets that contain a daunting array of saucier pans, Dutch ovens and teakettles; some sets have nonstick coating, others don’t. Which cookware set is perfect for you?

Good news: buying a cookware set is a great investment, and is often cheaper than buying pans one at a time. Even the most basic sets fulfill many of your cooking needs, from boiling pasta to making an omelet, or frying chicken.

We’ve compiled a short guide to help you choose the best cookware set for your or that special someone this holiday season. When selecting a cookware set, consider several factors: are you willing to spend more for longer-lasting pans? How many pans do I actually need? What will I use these pans for?

Whichever set you choose, buy from ChefTools.com and get free shipping for the holidays. Make the chef you know happy with a set under the tree - or treat yourself and outfit your kitchen right!

Quality on a budget

Aeternum 8-piece set

Want a seriously innovative 8-piece (including lids) pan set for next to nothing? All pans in the Aeternum series by Bialetti (the Italian maker of espresso pots and French presses) are free of chemicals found on most nonstick pans (PFOA, PTFE, cadmium). Instead, these pans have a razor-thin ceramic nonstick coating. This set includes a Dutch oven for stovetop or oven roasting, 2 size sauté pans, and 2 saucepots. Melt chocolate, sear scallops, brew some chili – thousands of cooking permutations with this set. $158.95.

Use: gas stovetops; always with a little fat in the pan; cook anything from burgers to Brussels sprouts.

Cooking With Copper

Emerilware 14-piece copper set

Copper cookware is the gold (or copper) standard among chefs. That’s because it conducts heat exceptionally well. Copper pans give you exacting control over temperature and cook time. The pots and pans in this 14-piece set by Emerilware – the line of cooking tools curated by Emeril Lagasse – all have copper bases and stainless steel bodies. This design is an advantage: stainless steel is much sturdier than copper, so these pans won’t need as much care as all-copper pans. And, since these pans are all-metal, you can use them on the stove, in the oven, with an induction range, or under the broiler. Includes every pan you need: 2 fry pans, 3 saucepans, 1 sauté pan, 1 casserole pan, and a tall stock pot (all include lids; stock pot comes with a pasta strainer).$299.95.

Use: anywhere where there’s heat with any food; always use fat to lubricate the pan; for dishes that require intense heat and a quick cool-down.

Cast Iron Forever

Le Creuset 6-piece cast iron set

Want a cookware set that will last into the next millennium? Then get this 6-piece set by Le Creuset – the masters of cast iron cookware. Serious, Julia-Child-smashing-open-a-lobster, European-style cooking is what this set was made for. The enameled cast iron surfaces perfectly brown and caramelize vegetables, meats and baked goods. An extra benefit? They look beautiful at the dining table. This set includes a saucier pan, a Dutch oven (cook anything in it), a griddle, and roasting pan.$559.95.

Use: take care to season these pans at least yearly; the Dutch oven is excellent for slow-cook dishes like brisket, and stews; griddle is perfect for Panini.

Nonstick for a Lifetime

Calphalon hard-anodized 13-piece set

The pans in this hard-anodized set by Calphalon have a natural nonstick surface. Soaking pans in an electrolyte bath and charging them with direct current (DC) causes a layer of aluminum oxide to grow, and that’s anodizing. Essentially, it’s a nonstick layer that won’t wear down. You’ll find hard-anodized pans in many commercial kitchens. Like cast iron, these pans will last a very long time, but at a lower price point. Aluminum heats up fast, making it ideal for sautés and searing. This set includes 3 omelet pans, 2 saucepans, 1 sauté pan, 1 chef’s pan, and one 6-quart stockpot. (Also, for starters, check out this 2-piece hard-anodized omelet pan set for only $60.) $398.95.

Use: great for fish filets and omelets; avoid using metal spatulas and turners; these classic pans are great for breakfast – pancakes, hash browns and fried eggs.

Greener Nonstick

Scanpan 8-piece set

Like Bialetti Aeternum, Scanpan (or, if you prefer, Scandinavian Pans) has found a way to make nonstick pans without questionable chemicals. The surfaces of the pans in this 8-piece set (unlike Aeternum) have a nonstick coating, but (like Aeternum) are PFOA and PFOS free. These pans are a super-strong alloy of titanium and aluminum, which means they heat up fast and distribute heat evenly. These pans are good in and out of the oven, and the nonstick surface is guaranteed to last longer than conventional nonstick pans. Set includes 2 fry pans, 2 saucepans, and 1 Dutch oven. $399.95.

Use: to cook nonfat, simply wipe just a penny-size drop of oil on the pan and cook as usual; use the Dutch oven to make paella, chili, or beef stew

Buy A Bag of Uncle Woody's Popcorn Right Now

2011-12-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

An excellent stocking stuffer or gift.

There is no time to mess around: If you like popcorn, or if you just like food that tastes good, you need to get on this Uncle Woody’s popcorn.

We’ve had this stuff in stock for a couple of months now, but I just got around to trying it. I polished off a bag of the truffle-salted variety, and I feel like I’ve tasted the future.

For too long I’ve been a drone of microwave popcorn, mindlessly munching the exploded kernels drenched in whatever ridiculous mixture of vegetable oil and salt they pass off as "butter." And microwave popcorn tastes OK, but Uncle Woody's is - like I said - the future; it has awakened my taste buds.

I don’t have the brainpower to describe how wonderful the truffle salt variety tastes. It has the pleasant, salty sting of cheddar cheese with the deep, deep, rich taste of truffles. In fact, the popcorn has the texture of a mushroom – moist and dense, but still filled with air, and all its microscopic chambers filled to the top with flavor.

Best of all? Uncle Woody’s is made by the Seattle Popcorn Co., and is just a couple of doors down from the Chef Tools HQ. That means I have access to this stuff all the time – and by the miracle of interstate shipping, so do you.

I have an exciting task ahead of me: trying the 6 other Uncle Woody’s flavors. There’s chipotle, butterscotch, caramel (2 types, original and butterscotch-caramel), white cheddar, and – the unspeakable – butterscotch-caramel-cinnamon. I can’t wait.

I urge you to forget microwave popcorn, eschew the giant Christmas tin of mass-produced “popcorn” floating around your office, and get a bag of Uncle Woody’s! Get one (or 2) for yourself. Put them in your kids’ stockings, or give as gifts to your mailman or officemates – you will delight them and enlighten their taste buds in one action. Taste the future of snacking now!

The Best Black Friday Deals @ ChefTools.com

2011-11-23T10:47:00.000-08:00


Come On, Pilgrim! Head to Chef Tools For Black Friday Deals!

It’s time to answer an important question: do you really want to get up at 3 a.m. (or stay up until midnight) after Thanksgiving, your belly full of starch, cheesecake and tryptophan, just to save a couple of bucks?

Of course not! You want to spend Friday in your pajamas, in front of the fireplace, with a nice big leftover sandwich.

But you still want Black Friday deals, you say? Then just grab your laptop, open up your web browser, and head to Chef Tools.

I don’t want to tell you about all of our deals just yet – it’s a surprise. But, of course, the deals are going to be good. I can tell you that there will be some steep (steep) discounts on housewares like glass bowls, plates and drinkware. There are also going to be some cool discounts on famous brand cookware, practical cooking gadgets, and – my favorite – Christmas decorations.

So come join us on Friday. Your reward will be excellent deals, and a quick, easy shopping experience. For now, head over to our BlackFriday preview sale where you’ll find a ton of fine Revol white porcelain sets that we’ve put together especially for Black Friday.

And our Cyber Monday deal? That’s an even bigger secret – we promise, it’ll be worth taking off a couple minutes from work to do some shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Chef Tools Suggestions

2011-11-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is quite possibly the best holiday: Food, football, napping, beer, snacks, parades, tryptophan, etc. Even if the turkey’s dry, the potatoes don’t mash right, and someone decides to make “real” cranberry sauce (I digress: real cranberry sauce is great, but it’s a food entirely separate from the canned, jellied cranberry sauce we’re used to, and it cannot be replicated in a home kitchen – it’s like someone saying they’re going to make “real” Doritos, or “real” Sprite. At any rate, I frown when someone makes it instead of just sticking with The Can.), the Lions lose and the Charlie Brown float goes down over Central Park, you still get to spend time with friends and family and bask in the glow of The Holidays.

But we here at Chef Tools want you have a perfect Thanksgiving. And since we’re in the business of providing people with cooking tools (or, chef tools, as we of course refer to them), here’s a list of necessary Thanksgiving cooking tools, plus a few cooking pointers. If you order any of these items today, you’ll get them before Thanksgiving. Visit our Thanksgiving Essentials Department for even more useful gadgets. Happy turkey day!

Norpro Poultry Timer

The Norpro Reusable Turkey and Poultry Timer: Because you can cook a turkey any day of the year. This little guy is both cute and functional – its timer is set to go off when the interior hits between 160 – 165 degrees. That’s the perfect temperature for a moist bird; it’s also the recommended cooking temperature from the USDA. ($11.95)

Chicago Metallic Commercial II Nonstick Roast N Broil Pan (withrack): A reasonably priced turkey roaster pan that will hold up for generations. Made of aluminum, this roaster pan distributes heat evenly; the removable rack sits just above the bottom of the pan, allowing juices to accumulate (and later turn into delicious gravy). But the best part? It’s entirely dishwasher safe, minimizing cleanup. ($44.95)

Trudeau Gravy Fat Separator & Strainer (4-cup capacity): This tool is self-explanatory; use this fat separator so you’re healthier and thus live longer to experience more Thanksgivings! ($12.95)

RSVP Potato Ricer

RSVP Potato Ricer: Can you say “perfect mashed potatoes?” P-E-R-F-E-C-T M-A-S-H-E-D P-O-T-A-T-O-E-S. If you mix potatoes in a food processor they get gummy, and no one wants to eat potatoes with the consistency of roofing tar. If you mash potatoes with a hand masher, they come out lumpy (some people like this, and that’s fine, by we think your guests will enjoy creamy potatoes better). The ricer squeezes potatoes into fluffy little jewel that you can mix with butter, salt, pepper, sour cream (dear lord I’m starting to salivate), milk, garlic … whatever your recipe. Perfection. ($13.95)

Fat Daddio's 12” Pie Pan: My family was big into pies. My mother, aunts, great aunts and grandmother(s) would each bake a pie at Thanksgiving. And though everyone in the family was within a 45-minute drive, no one liked to leave their precious pans at Aunt Pat’s or Cousin Jim’s. You won’t have that problem with the Fat Daddio’s Pie Pan. Why? The low price means you can get 3 or 4 – enough pie pans for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and July 4 (red, white and blue cheesecake). These pans are made of anodized aluminum, so they distribute heat evenly and won’t scratch. On second thought, keep an eye out that Aunt Pat doesn’t abscond with Fat Daddio’s pie plate. ($7.95)

The versatily LamsonSharp slicing knife

LamsonSharp Pro 10" Slicing Knife: Ultra sharp, reasonably priced, and made in America. Use this LamsonSharp knife to carve turkey, duck, roast beef, tofu turkey or anything else you want to serve up in slices. This knife features a hygienic polypropylene handle– it does not absorb bacteria, oil, and flavors like a wood handle. ($22.95)

Not getting the ChefTool du Jour? Sign up now!

2011-11-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

Not signed up for Chef Tools’ daily deals? Click here, sign up and start saving on excellent kitchen gadgets and housewares!

As Groupon’s imitators continue to pop up and its stock continues to trend downward, we here at Chef Tools decided to go DIY and run our own deals. We call it ChefTool du Jour (get it? Chef Tool of the day?), and we’re very happy to report that our customers have been quite pleased. Our daily deals have quickly become one of the most popular parts of ChefTools.com.

Here’s how it works: Each Wednesday we send out a newsletter that contains updates, new products and the Chef Tool du Jour. All you have to do to get the deal is sign up for the newsletter and click the link when it arrives in your inbox. Oh, and we know how annoying it can be to get constant, daily emails from a website, and we’re not going to do that to you (and, of course, we don’t share your email address with anyone). This is a weekly email.

If you head over to ChefTools.com right now, you’ll see we have two deals going this week, both centered on designer Jill Butler’s Parisian-themed Rendev-Vous collection. With one deal, you buy 4 high quality placemats for only $29.99, and you get 6 machine-blown glass tumblers for free. With the other deal, you buy an awesome serving tray for $19.99, and you get a set of 4 appetizer plates for free.

I don’t want to spill the beans on future deals, but they’re going to be good. When we put these deals together, we’re thinking of you, but we also have the holidays in mind. Many of these sets would make great gifts for friends and family.

Don’t miss out: Sign up for our newsletter and get in the loop on the Chef Tools deal of the day!

Choose Meri Meri V&A collection for your next holiday party

2011-11-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

V&A Reindeer Place Card

It’s never too early to start thinking about decorating for holiday parties and dinners. November and December are the best months of winter because we get to spend so much time with friends and family – best of all, most of that time is spent in our homes, around a dinner table packed with scrumptious food.

For sure, food is a main attraction. But what about the rest of the table, the rest of the house? Are there elegant ornaments hanging from the ceiling? Are your cocktail napkins in the spirit of the season? Are your cupcakes shrouded in beautiful silver and gold wrappers?

New this year from Meri Meri, one of the world’s leading party decoration makers, is the Victoria and Albert collection. These pieces were inspired by textiles from the famous Victoria and Albert Museum of design in London, and are appropriate for any holiday party between now and New Year’s.

V&A Cocktail Napkins

Meri Meri’s V&A collection has all the items you’d expect: from cocktail napkins to ornaments, place cards, luminaries, plates and centerpieces. Each piece features an intricate silver and gold pattern; like what you’d imagine the Queen of England’s wallpaper must be like.

Browse the V&A collection and buy a few pieces to make your next holiday party more wonderful and more beautiful. String the snowflake garland around the living room, place the cocktail napkins next to the appetizers, put the place cards around the table, and enjoy the warmth of a holiday party with loved ones.

Mad Bakeware: Fat Daddio's Mad Dadder Cake Pans

2011-10-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Image from Colette's Cakes

What!? That cake looks crazy! It’s so tilted and delicious looking that I’m getting dizzy!

It’s called a Mad Hatter cake, a style popularized by baker Colette Peters of Colette’s Cakes. It totally broke the cake mold (pun!) and I don’t see how anyone could go back to baking regularly-shaped cakes after seeing this.

And now, thanks to Fat Daddio’s Bakeware, you can make a Mad Hatter cake at home. Fat Daddio’s has constructed a pan that bakes tilted cakes that can be stacked to create the Mad Hatter cake effect. The closest object I can compare it to - and this is not meant to be appetizing – is a pool: one end is shallow, one end is deep, which creates a kind of right triangle with its top cut off.

The innovation with Fat Daddio’s Mad Dadder pans is that it comes with a stand to hold up the shallow end so that cakes bake up level. These pans come in square and round shapes and in 4 different sizes (6, 8, 10 and 12 inches).

The Mad Dadder. Notice the stand on the left that keeps the pan level.

Buy one pan and you can use frosting to illustrate different tilted layers (good for creating a Cat In The Hat hat cake). But even better, buy several different sizes and you can stack the cakes up like a pyramid, creating that wonderful whirling effect.

Square, round and rectangle cakes have had their day. They are bland (not in taste, just the way they look), staid, old news. Buy a Mad Dadder pan (or pans) and start having fun with your cake and eat it, too.

Hot Chocolate With Whipped Cream

2011-10-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

iSi 1 pint

I was half watching the evening news on Monday when I witnessed the weatherman make a grim prediction: “lows in the mid-30s.” He was talking about a town tens of miles from where I live, but it’s inevitable that chilly temperatures are coming. (And will stick around for, oh, I don’t know, 5 months?)

The best defense? Hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Maybe apple cider with whipped cream is appropriate right now or at least until Nov. 1. Then it’s time for hot chocolate with whipped cream. Deeper into winter I’ll go for an Irish coffee with whipped cream. The point is: whipped cream can get you through most grim situations.

iSi 1/2 pint

Those fluffy, sweet clouds of aerated heavy cream complement almost anything (toast, strawberries, and even hot dogs). So would it not be prudent to have a device handy that can produce whipped cream in seconds?

Chef Tools recently added several fine whippers by iSi. These attractive, durable little stainless steel devices (“little” is an understatement, they have up to a 1 pint capacity) use nitrous oxide to produce whipped cream. You can also store your cream inside them in the refrigerator.

More, they can whip almost any liquid in a frothy cream. Turn butternut squash soup into delicious topping for vegetables (or butternut squash soup!). Cut down on calories and whip soy or coconut milk for a delicious non-dairy topping. You could even whip hot chocolate and use it as a topping for hot chocolate. These are just examples. Prepare for winter the right way and get an iSi whipper to keep your mind, body and soul from freezing in snowstorms and frigid temperatures.

Beware! The Chef Tools Halloween Department!

2011-10-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Lucks Dec Ons cake decorations

Forget vampires, zombies, ghouls, haunted houses and tiny, tiny candy bars – Halloween is all about the pumpkin. The gourd’s wonderful orange hue adorns everything from aprons to cast iron baking dishes (and a lot of other stuff). Even better, that sweet/savory pumpkin flavor works its way into everything from muffins to coffee to donuts to beer. Even oven-roasted pumpkin is a treat on a cool, rainy fall evening.

Thus, Halloween – and the weeks before - is still sweet for folks who are a little too old to dress up like Shrek and collect pounds of candy from the neighbors.

Here at Chef Tools, we're well aware of the wonderfulness of Halloween, pumpkins, the color orange and caramel apples – so we’ve created an entirely new Halloween-themed department for all your Oct. 31 needs. And, we’ve reduced prices on many key items - you'll 15% off all items.

Start with this LamsonSharp carving knife (made in the USA) and slice a scary grin into an orange gourd, or use it to turn that tasty pumpkin meat into a pie. Or flavoring for cupcake …

We have a great selection of Paper Bakeware Halloween-themed baking cups. Just fill the wrappers with batter and place in the oven. The paper is oven safe, so there’s no need to dirty a pan and the cupcakes (or cake) come out in a lovely wrapper.

Serve the cupcakes at your Halloween party with decorations by Meri Meri. Get intricate cupcake holders, like that giant spider below; plus, we have plenty of plates, napkins and cups for all your guests. My favorite, the haunted house table centerpiece complete with ghosts, witches and craggy trees.

Meri Meri Spider Cupcake Holder Set

Check out our Halloween department. There are over 75 items, from cake molds to serving trays to food coloring. Everything you need to enjoy (a pumpkin-flavored) Halloween. Order today and get your items weeks ahead of Halloween!

Hey bakers and cake decorators, stop squandering pastry bags!

2011-10-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Bag Adapter Kit

The Bag Adapter Kit is one of those ingenious products that could only come from the mind of someone who’s intimate with a particular trade. This trade happens to be cake decorating and the inventor is Michelle Hageman.

A baker/decorator for 30 years in the San Diego area, Hageman got tired of having pastry bags that could only accommodate one size coupler. To wit:

“At the end of the week, when you work in a bakery, you’re down to bags that will only get used if you’re putting icing on a cake or cupcake,” she told a the host of a morning TV news program. “When you go to get a coupler to put through the bag itself, you’ll find you have a bag you can’t use.”

“I got tired of that. Who wants to stop what they’re doing and go buy more bags?”

So, Hageman invented the Bag Adapter Kit (“we’ve got your BAK” seems to be company’s motto). It’s a simple, inexpensive device: a conical plastic piece that slides inside any pastry bag allowing you to use any size coupler (and thus decorating tip) with the bag – no matter how big the hole you cut. The BAK essentially returns the pastry bag to its original, uncut form. Here’s a video with Hageman demonstrating the BAK:

You can get a BAK at Chef Tools right now. We’re very excited about it. A long season of holiday baking kicked off last week with Rosh Hashanah, so what better time to try the BAK? Save time, save money, save pastry bags, save a trip to the store. Above all, create awesome baked confections. If you decorate cakes, cupcakes or anything else – whether as your job, hobby or for your grateful family – the BAK was made for you.

(And trying BAK benefits a good cause: Hageman donates 2 percent of all proceeds to the charity, Autism Speaks.)

Architec: stylish and durable, a plastic alternative

2011-09-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Architec Purelast mixing bowl set (cool)

You’ll see these bowls by Architec start to pop up everywhere, including Chef Tools (available 9/30). At least, I hope you'll start seeing them more (especially in your kitchen), anyway.

That’s because these bowls are special. They look like plastic, feel like plastic and are as easy to clean as plastic. But, you can’t call them plastic. These bowls are made of 98 percent natural materials. The exact recipe is secret (and it’s probably too complicated for a non-chemist brain to understand), but they’re kind of like those Sun Chips bags made of corn … without all the noise.

Man has created many plastic things. Look around you and you’ll see that almost everything close to you is made of plastic. There’s probably a lot of plastic in your kitchen, too. It’s almost freeing to find a product that’s not made of plastic. These bowls mean less pollution and less waste. Let's hear it for innovation!

Not to mention, these bowls are really stylish. The colors are cool, the curves are cool, the manufacturing process is cool (made in the USA).

Head to Chef Tools this weekend and pick up some durable, non-plastic essentials. We have added:

3 mixing bowl sets

3 sets of prep cups

3 sets of condiment cups

We’ve also added some other fine Architec products; made of plastic, but still incredibly useful, durable and stylish. These cutting boards won’t dull knives – and the kicker (pun intended) – have hundreds of tiny feet on the bottom so the board won’t slip.

Architec Gripper Cutting Board

Check out our “What’s New” page to find out about all the great stuff we’ve added in recent weeks (just go to our homepage, scroll down and click the “What’s New” box):

All new OXO Good Grips gadgets, mixing bowls and small appliances (coming 9/30)

Emerilware Pie and Cake Maker

WMF Profi Ball Whisks

Shun cutlery

A Plethora Of Plums

2011-09-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a girlfriend's house for dinner and finally got to ravage her Italian Plum trees. I've been waiting for weeks for these little beauties to ripen and finally, finally, I got to pick all the little black beauties my heart desired.

Since it was girls night and we all bring something to share for dinner, I decided to make dessert. While my favorite plum dessert is an upside down cake with sour cream from my idol: Ms. Martha Stewart. But while perusing Facebook yesterday afternoon (for work of course, I am the social media girl ya know) I found a great looking recipe from one of my favorite magazines: Coastal Living. Plum upside down pudding cake. Sounded fantastic, so I ran off to the store to grab a few things and got to work on dessert.

I did make a couple mistakes. I used too large of a baking dish and not nearly enough plums - which is just plain silly since I had an entire bushel of plums at my disposal. duh. And I would also change a couple things in the recipe. I'd substitute brown sugar for the white refined sugar and I'd use way more butter and brown sugar. I mean why not? Everything's better with butter (and brown sugar)!

But even with my couple of mistakes, the dessert turned out fantastic and was completely gobbled up, with not a crumb leftover! So if you have some plums at your disposal, try this recipe for a quick weeknight dessert. It was fast, easy and very yummy! Thank you Coastal Living.

Plum Upside-Down Pudding Cake

Ingredients:
4 small red or black plums, sliced

1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Sweetened whipped cream

Directions:
1. Combine plums, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl, tossing gently.

2. Grease sides and bottom of a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or deep-dish pie pan. Cover bottom with plum slices, overlapping slightly.
3. Whisk together eggs, remaining sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and butter until well blended.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; whisk into egg mixture. Pour batter over fruit. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan about 30 minutes.
5. Run tip of knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert onto a platter, and serve with sweetened whipped cream.