Tag Archives: Cooking

Top 10 kitchen appliances to kickstart your MasterChef cooking journey at home

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If you love cooking but can never find enough time for it, or you’re completely terrified of cooking but you need to start, and don’t know where to start – then you’ve reached the right place. The first step towards having a streamlined and efficient cooking experience is to have an arsenal of functional kitchen appliances by your side. With the right kitchen tools and appliances, cooking can be a fun and effortless process. The right products can reduce your prep time in half, make the little cooking tasks much easier, and help you with tedious and complicated techniques. From a tiny circular grater that turns cooking into a meditative activity to a sustainable + easily repairable coffee machine – these innovative kitchen accessories are all you need to undertake cooking and become a MasterChef in the comfort of your own home. Happy cooking!

1. The Cavdle WasteCycler

Working both as a garbage disposal system and a compost generator, the Cavdle WasteCycler isn’t the kind of device you’d hide away in the shed. Its cutting-edge design borrows from the aesthetic seen on washing machines, with a clear tinted lid that lets you see the Cavdle WasteCycler go to work at your food waste, breaking it down rapidly using aerobic decomposition.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Cavdle WasteCycler relies on 5 parameters to help turn organic substances into compost – Time, Humidity, Temperature, Dry Organics, and Oxygen. It then goes to work, creating compost without the smell, the mess, or even the sound. Operating at just under 35 decibels, the Cavdle WasteCycler grinds down your food waste while heating it up to the exact temperature needed to help good bacteria thrive while killing off the bad bacteria. At the end of the day, you’re left with a natural fertilizer that you can then use to nourish your plants while resting assured that your food waste isn’t going into a landfill where it generates methane and contributes to global warming.

What we like

  • The kitchen gadget comes with a transparent-window lid that lets you see how full-empty your device is

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

2. NiNJA’s Knives

NiNJA’s fashionable kitchen knives are definitely attention-grabbing, particularly because of their black blades. A color that has always been associated with looking smart and sophisticated, it gives the knives a simple yet effective upgrade when it comes to looking cool and modern.

Why is it noteworthy?

There is almost no other embellishment on the blade other than the discreet “i” logo, removing any potential distraction. Like a ninja hiding in the shadows or a secret agent in a black suit, these knives stealthily move in for the kill, cutting ingredients with precision and grace.

What we like

  • Made of molybdenum vanadium steel, known for its highly durable sharpness
  • Each blade from this collection is made one by one by an experienced craftsman

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

3. The Maruzara

Shaped like a small round plate instead of the typical rectangular sheet of metal, this grater is meant to sit on the table rather than be held up in the air like almost all other graters. Its small design makes it perfect to be placed right on the table, and the unique pattern of the blades gives it a distinctive look even when it’s just sitting unused.

Why is it noteworthy?

That blade arrangement isn’t just for show, though. Unlike a regular grater with rows of blades, you make circular movements to grate ingredients. Rather than falling through holes, the grated pieces accumulate at the sides in full, fluffy lumps. The repetitive action, rather than being tiring and burdensome, becomes almost a mindful practice that puts you in the moment.

What we like

  • Comes with a silicon rubber base that stops it from slipping on the table while you make your circling motions

What we dislike

  • It’s designed primarily for wasabi and daikon radish, making it a bit limited
  • Some people may prefer the form and structure of a traditional grater

4. The Yuanye

When you first see the Yuanye and it’s folded and you have no idea what it is, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s a portable projector that you can bring with you on your trip. It’s actually a portable, outdoor barbecue grilling pan you can bring on your outdoor adventures.

Why is it noteworthy?

When you open it up, you’ll see that there are two partitions where you can grill your meats on one side and your vegetable on the other. The device also comes with a gas tank, fire source, and oil storage module.

What we like

  • The design of this portable grill is inspired by the usual suitcases we bring when we travel
  • You can cook steak, barbecue, and all kinds of meats as well as vegetables so you get a well-rounded meal even if you’re outdoors

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

5. Float

At first glance, this product concept to help kids eat and finish their food seems to have no connection to picky eating. Float looks like regular food storage that kids can bring to school but upon closer inspection, it is a bit more interesting. It is made from sustainable materials with the body itself and the spork that comes with it made from CXP or Cellulose X-linked Polymer.

Why is it noteworthy?

The shape of the container is inspired by a ship and that’s where the helping picky eaters come in. Before starting to eat, parents are encouraged to talk to their kids about the perils of leftover food. After eating, you can then float the container in water, and depending on how much leftover food is there inside, the ship will lose its balance and sink or if they finished everything, it will float. This gives a bit of interactivity in trying to convince kids to eat all of their food.

What we like

  • Adds a playful element to mealtime

What we dislike

  • Not sure if this will actually convince kids to eat food that they may not always like

6. The Irogami Grater

They say that every little thing matters, and that’s especially true for garnishes and grated ingredients. Quite appropriately, this grater is also little, small enough to securely fit in the palm of your hand, almost like a toy. And just like a toy, it is designed to add a bit of fun to your kitchen and dining life while you add a bit of cheese or lemon zest to your dish.

Why is it noteworthy?

The irogami grater is simple in all aspects that you wonder why home kitchen graters aren’t made this way, too. Instead of multiple pieces of metal bent and curved at different places, the grater is a single sheet of aluminum alloy that curls backward in one corner. The design makes it look almost like a sheet of paper, particularly a colorful sticky note or memo pad, that speaks to both its playful and serious demeanor.

What we like

  • Compared to those cumbersome graters that you have to hold tight at their handles, this form gives you a firmer grip
  • Using this playful grater is like a game itself. Simply move the piece of cheese or stick of cinnamon from left to right and watch the tiny pieces fall down on your food

What we dislike

  • Some people may prefer the form and structure of a traditional grater

7. Roll

Roll is an attempt to preserve not only the flavors of food but also their presentation. It eschews the traditional square or rectangular shape of food containers in favor of something round.

Why is it noteworthy?

What makes Roll different from bowl food containers (which do exist, of course) is that it wholeheartedly embraces the culture of using the lid or dish cap as a plate. That’s why the cap itself was made to look presentable, using soft and clean tones like ivory, sky blue, and terracotta. The idea is that you set the freshly cooked food on the lid itself and then later just cover it with the glass bowl when it’s time to put it away.

What we like

  • The next time you want to eat the food, you don’t have to rearrange the food again to make it presentable
  • Roll takes the food container concept upside-down, literally, by making it usable, whether as a bowl with a round lid or a plate with a bowl cover

What we dislike

  • Not the most shape-efficient design/shape

8. The Retro Modern Espresso Machine

The product concept for the Retro Modern espresso machine brings back vibes of authentic American diners, old-school muscle cars and scooters, retro radios and toasters, and all the pastel goodness from the 60s and 70s. In fact, these are what inspired the designer to create something like this that brings together the retro design with the modern machine that supplies liquids to all the caffeine-deprived people who go to coffee shops.

Why is it noteworthy?

The pastel green and cream colors of the renders will look right at home at restaurants, coffee bars, or even kitchens that have a softer aesthetic. It’s very attractive for both coffee lovers and those that love old-school designs with a modern twist.

What we like

  • Perfect for those who love old-school designs
  • Minimal + soft

What we dislike

  • The added functionalities or any other “bonus” application of this coffee maker is unknown
  • It’s still a concept!

9. The Kokãir Cooking Curifier

The Kokãir Cooking Curifier is a device that you use with your desktop cookers if the room you’re cooking in doesn’t have proper ventilation. It is able to absorb the fumes when you’re cooking with oil.

Why is it noteworthy?

There is an internal fan cyclone that uses centrifugal force to collect the oil into a cup underneath for easy disposal and cleaning later on. The oil fumes go through the HEPA filter for cleaning. This will be a huge help especially when you cook a lot in your small space.

What we like

  • It’s small enough that it will not crowd your desktop cooker whether you place it on the side or above the cooker

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

10. Kara

Coffee machines might not be the most common consumer electronics in homes, but their widespread use and the way they operate make them ideal for a thought experiment. Kara is the result of one such process, resulting in a modular coffee machine that’s meant to last forever, even when the manufacturer has stopped producing replacement parts.

Why is it noteworthy?

The secret is that these parts can be 3D printed if access to the original is no longer possible. The more technical components can be replaced or substituted with other electronics, presuming those are still in production.

What we like

  • Unlike most designs that promote repairability, Kara doesn’t require advanced knowledge or skills to make that possible
  • Sustainable design

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

The post Top 10 kitchen appliances to kickstart your MasterChef cooking journey at home first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 Kitchen Appliances gift guide to elevate the cooking experience for every home chef

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Thinking of our best holiday memories, I do believe a lot revolves around the dinner table. There is chaos and joy in sitting and sharing a meal without getting distracted or looking at a phone, especially when the meal is made at home. Granted, there is great convenience in take out, but as all things created with love, cooking at home, made with attention and love may be simple, but it is heartwarming, and that is exactly what you want this holiday season. For everyone who has dabbled with Dalgona coffee to making complicated meals, the appliances here are the sous chef you have always wanted. The guide is impressive, with innovative designs that support and revive the method by which we have been cooking. From a budding chef to an experienced one, use these products to cook a beautiful meal, creating cherished meals for everyone that will be remembered and recreated, making it the ideal gift this season.

1. Cheat Sheets Dividers

While this looks like something you would see in a viral TikTok video, the Cheat Sheets are the cooking hack we have all been looking for! The beauty of cooking in an oven is that you place your ingredients and you’re done, no need to keep stirring or checking on the food. The con however is the resultant meal is a medley of food – some overcooked, some slightly raw with a bite in it – which is granted given how each food has its own cooking time. That was the case, until now! Made from silicone, the Cheat Sheets provide individual, removable containers that sit on your tray allowing each food to be cooked for just the right time. Once that particular part of your meal is cooked, reach into your oven with mittens and bring it out, allowing the rest of the cooking process to go on seamlessly. And for those of us who hate scrubbing at the dry, sticky residue left on the baking tray – using Cheat Sheet keeps your tray clean and being easy to clean themselves, no scrubbing required. Space saving, time saving and power saving, Cheat Sheets is the genius kitchen appliance that’ll amp up your cooking process right away.

Click Here to Buy Now: $29.99

2. Sempli Beer Glasses

Sempli created the Monti-Taste Set for beer connoisseurs who take their glass of beer extremely seriously! The set celebrates and pays a tribute to the various craft beers, and their unique tastes and individuality. Four distinct glasses were designed for four distinct types of beers, in an attempt to elevate the drinking experience. The Monti-Birra is a straight-sided beer glass, that perfectly holds your 120z beer. Featuring a conical inverted bottom, the glass instantly catches that initial splash of beer and allows for the foam to frothily gather on the surface. Next in line is the Monti-Pint which is meant to serve pints as its name signifies. The Monti-Pils was created for Pilsners and features a  tall and lean body that enhances the carbonation in the Pilsners, maintaining a longer effervescence. Lastly, the Monti-IPA is a fun zig-zag-shaped glass with unique angled ridges and is ideal for serving hoppy IPA brews.

Click Here to Buy Now: $50 $55 for Individual Glasses (10% off with exclusive coupon code “YANKO2022”).
Click Here to Buy Now: $90 $100 for a Set of 4 (10% off with exclusive coupon code “YANKO2022”). Hurry, deal ends Nov 22nd.

3. Zip top

Say goodbye to your plastic zip-lock bags, and welcome the Zip Top containers! The Zip Top reusable containers are made from 100% platinum silicone, and can be zipped shut, completely eliminating the need for a lid. The bags are virtually indestructible, endlessly reusable, food-grade and unstainable too! They’re impervious to the heat and cold – can take heat up to 220 celsius, and are freezer safe. The reliable zip/clip mechanism makes them even more secure compared to traditional ziplock bags, and allows them to store both liquids and solids. They can be used directly in the microwave and oven, and not to mention they’re dishwasher safe as well! The Silicone Zip Top bag is a perfect replacement for the harmful plastic bags found in the market. Infact, one Zip Top bag can save almost 5000+ plastic bags from being used. Each Zip Top bag can be used for years, decades even… saving you money and making life infinitely easier not just for you, but for the environment too!

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting from $18 $24.95 (30% off)

4. NanoFoamer V2

There’s something about the coffee made by baristas that instantly hits the right spot! Maybe it’s the velvety texture or the frothy foam…but something about it completely beats the cuppa we make at home. If you want to be your own barista, then the NanoFoamer V2 is what you need. It is the only AA battery-operated handheld milk foamer that lets you make latte-art-worthy microfoam milk at home. Unlike the older NanoFoamer, the V2 has clip-on NanoScreens, which basically means they’ve ditched the pressure fit system for a satisfying snap-fit, which provides a stronger hold on the impeller. The extremely crucial impeller is also replaceable and created from sturdy Polycarbonate material. With a more powerful motor, stronger construction, and all-new internal engineering, the V2 beats its predecessor, by preparing microfoam milk with super fine bubbles, and a wonderful velvety texture. The NanoFoamer V2 also works great with non-dairy milk alternatives such as – soy, coconut, and oat!

Click Here to Buy Now: $90 $100 (10% off with exclusive coupon code “YANKO2022” ). Hurry, deal ends Nov 22nd.

5. Playful Palm Grater

In the list of cooking chores that go into meal prep everyday, grating is not something I would place high on the list, until now! Fitting securely in the palm of your hand, this minimal grater will add joy to your life. Commercially available graters are big, bulky and space consuming with a lot of grating space around the edges getting wasted and lets not even mention the danger to wandering fingers. Made out of a single piece of aluminium alloy, this grater resembles a fun piece of a coloured memo pad while it hangs on our kitchen walls. The angled corner rests the grater against your finger securely while you grate into the hole-free design, leaving behind no food waste. The result? A perfectly modern and minimal addition to your kitchen.

Click Here to Buy Now: $22 $25 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Pre-Black Friday sale ends Nov 22nd.

6. Tero Food Recycler

Are you tired of wasting food? Or feel too lazy to recycle it after every single meal? Well, this is where Tero swoops in, with its promise to make food recycling easy, simple, and fast! Tero can transform your food waste into a dry fertilizer in about 3 hours. It reduces the volume of the food waste by 90%, and creates an odor-free, natural, homemade fertilizer with the help of a controlled grinding and drying process. It can tackle any type of food, including animal-based products, and recycle it in 3 simple steps – fill the appliance with the food waste, start it, and your food is fertilized within 3 hours! The fertilizer can be used to feed your plants, lawn, and garden. The use of activated charcoal, an airtight lid, and an odor filtration system ensure that your kitchen remains clean and odor-free. Tero is also dishwasher-safe and fits perfectly into small spaces owing to its elongated and compact size.

Click Here to Buy Now: $595

7. Frankfurter Brett Kitchen Workbench

The Frankfurter Brett is much more than your ordinary chopping board – it introduces a completely new and improved way of cooking. The Frankfurter functions more as a workbench than a chopping board. The board has neat holes drilled on its side, which allow you to slot metal brackets into them and suspend a row of containers on the front, with another row placed behind them. The containers at the back can be used to store ingredients, while the front section of the board can be used for actually chopping. The chopped-up food can then be transferred into the front left containers, while all the waste and leftovers can be discarded into the front right containers. There’s also a nifty section to place your tablet in if you’re following a recipe online while cooking. The Frankfurter Brett creates an efficient and organized system that simplifies and fastens up one of the most tedious parts of cooking – chopping!

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting from $101

8. Eto Wine Decanter

I hate watching a good bottle of wine go to waste, simply because it wasn’t consumed completely at a party, and had to face the horrors of oxidization for the next couple of days. If you have similar sentiments, then you will thoroughly enjoy the Eto wine decanter! Refined, and sophisticated, the Eto wine decanter exudes a modern and clean vibe with its stainless steel and glass structure, and rose-gold finish. What Eto does besides looking good is, it preserves a freshly opened bottle of wine, by cutting out the air flow to the wine. You simply decant the wine into Eto, press down on the neck of the bottle, and watch as a piston valve lowers down and meets the level of the wine. This creates an air-tight seal inside the decanter, preventing the wine from oxidizing and keeping it fresh for almost 7 days! You can use Eto to directly pour out the wine as well, the smart decanter functions as a wine bottle as well.

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting from $133

9. TOKIT Omni Cook

The TOKIT Omni Cook is the kitchen assistant you secretly want but never knew where to find it. This all-in-one kitchen appliance promises to help you prepare your meals faster, more efficiently, and with an element of fun. Amped with cutting-edge technology, step-by-step digital recipes, and an automated cooking process – conjuring up delicious meals couldn’t be simpler. It features 11+ built-in culinary modes and can function as 21 cooking appliances, such as a slow cooker, steamer, blender, sous vide, fermenter, kettle, scale, sauce machine, and much more! Omni Cook has an integrated 7-inch touchscreen display, allowing you to tweak, customize, and play around with your favorite with the help of your fingers. The compact kitchen appliance only occupies a small footprint of 1 square foot, making it ideal for homes and kitchens with space constraints. You can place Omni Cook anywhere in your kitchen, and it will replace most of the kitchen appliances you usually require while saving up to 90% of space.

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting from $630 $899 (30% off with coupon code “USBFSALE” )

10. Duo Cover

Introducing the Duo Cover…the next best thing after the microwave! Microwave covers have become pretty old-school, and it’s time to ditch them for the next-generation microwave device which provides you with moist leftovers every single time, a clean and splatter-free microwave, chef-approved meals in the nick of time, and burn-free fingers. Amped with an intriguing magnetic element, you can attach Duo Cover to the ceiling of your microwave, and pull it down when needed. You simply cover your plate of food with the Duo Cover, and it ensures that your leftovers aren’t splattered all over your microwave. You can also add some water, or close the knob on top, creating a moisture lock, and serving you with the freshest leftovers. The Duo Cover is created using silicone, which can last for years when treated with care. It completely eliminates the need for plastic, making it eco-friendly as well. The cover perfectly replaces paper towels and plastic wraps, hence helping you cut down on ocean waste, and save some money as well!

Click Here to Buy Now: $39.95

The post Top 10 Kitchen Appliances gift guide to elevate the cooking experience for every home chef first appeared on Yanko Design.

A sleek detachable handle transforms this iron frying pan into a handsome plate

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There’s nothing more appetizing than seeing a scrumptious meal placed in an eye-catching arrangement on your plate. While all food ends up the same way in our bellies, making a good first impression is not something that should be taken for granted. Chefs take great care when arranging food on plates, but those of us who cook at home might not have the same talent. Or perhaps you simply want to cut out the middle man and just eat immediately after a meal has been cooked. Whichever way you want it to go, this iron frying pan and plate in one lets you do exactly that and in a beautiful design that embodies Japanese minimalism.

Designers: TENT and Fujita Metal

Click Here to Buy Now: $54 $69 (22% off). Hurry, deal ends Sept 17!

It might sound ridiculous at first. Why would anyone want to eat out of a frying pan in the first place? Of course, that question is valid if you only consider those large, messy, and sticky frying pans in everyone’s kitchens. JIU, however, is different. You could almost say that it’s a plate that you can cook your food on or a frying plate with a removable handle. Whatever you call it, it’s definitely a novel way to look at cooking and eating.

Part of the secret of what makes this proposition both possible and even attractive is the uncoated, thick iron plate that makes up the body of the plate or frying pan. Thanks to this material, you can cook food slowly under low heat, never letting natural juices go to waste and keeping the crispiness of the ingredients inside. And since you don’t have to transfer the food from pan to plate, you can enjoy your meal while it’s warm.

Of course, one of the reasons why people will think it’s crazy to eat from a frying pan is because of the cookware’s handle that will undoubtedly get in the way. This is easily solved with an innovative, patent-pending design that’s genius in its simplicity. The sliding mechanism will let you easily attach and detach that wooden handle as needed, latching securely onto the wide rim of the plate to give stability when lifting the metal vessel, never touching the food at any point.

As a frying pan, the JIU isn’t “seasoned” or treated, so it’s ready to use right out of the packaging. It’s stick-resistant and easy to clean, so you don’t even need detergent to wash off remnants on the pan. Best of all, it looks quite stylish in its minimalism, the dark iron surface letting the colors of the food really pop out. Now you no longer have to worry about styling your food after transferring it to your plate because your plate is the same pan you cooked your food on. With this iron frying plate, cooking and eating become one.

Click Here to Buy Now: $54 $69 (22% off). Hurry, deal ends Sept 17!

The post A sleek detachable handle transforms this iron frying pan into a handsome plate first appeared on Yanko Design.

This simplified cooking curifier absorbs oil fumes for easy desktop cooking

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Not all apartments or condominium units have proper ventilation, especially in the kitchen (if there’s a kitchen at all). So during the pandemic when a lot of people were stuck in their places and were cooking inside these spaces, the air, smell, and cleaning all of that became a problem. There are now a lot of devices and gadgets that try to solve this issue for desktop cooking since a lot of people are still choosing to cook for themselves rather than eat out or have food delivered.

Designers: Hong-Ta Shen, Yan-Ton Chen, Tsung-Yu Wu & Yu-Ting Chang

The Kokãir Cooking Curifier is a device that you use with your desktop cookers if the room you’re cooking in doesn’t have proper ventilation. It is able to absorb the fumes when you’re cooking with oil. There is an internal fan cyclone that uses centrifugal force to collect the oil into a cup underneath for easy disposal and cleaning later on. The oil fumes go through the HEPA filter for cleaning. This will be a huge help especially when you cook a lot in your small space.

The cooking curifier actually looks like a smart speaker if you didn’t know what it was at first glance. It’s small enough that it will not crowd your desktop cooker whether you place it on the side or above the cooker, depending on where you have space or where you need it to absorb the oil fumes. The controls seem to be easy enough to manage, with the power button and the plus and minus buttons beside each other on top of the device.

While there are several air purifiers specifically made from the kitchen, most of them are pretty big and may not be perfect for desktop cooking. Some will use just a “regular” air purifier so this product concept may be more useful for cooking purposes.

The post This simplified cooking curifier absorbs oil fumes for easy desktop cooking first appeared on Yanko Design.

Tiny cooking appliance can help you cook for one

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A few years ago, most ads and marketing efforts for cooking appliances are mostly for families, specifically mothers. But now that we’re seeing a growing population of single people living on their own and cooking for themselves, we’re seeing a shift not just in the marketing but in the actual products being made for this specific market. We’re also seeing appliances now becoming more conscious about the effect on the health of those using them.

Designer: Yifeeling Design Lab

This latest product concept from Yifeeling is all about making cooking for yourself a part of your daily “ritual” and not just a chore you have to get through. Minepot looks like a food processor at first glance but it actually seems to be an air fryer or food fryer type of appliance. It is noticeably smaller than other similar kitchen tools and it is designed that way so that you not only cook for one but you are also able to have food intake that’s just right for you.

The design inspiration for this concept is to use hazy and mellow colors and in the renders it ends up as mint green but there also seems to be a light yellow version as well. The part where the food is cooked looks to be opaque or semi-transparent which should give you a good view of what’s being cooked inside. The idea is for this cooking or heating appliance to be part of your cooking and eating ritual especially as you’re preparing and eating just for yourself.

As one of those single people who live alone, cooking for one can often be a challenge. So having an appliance like this may solve a bit of the issues faced. Although in my case, it’s really more of an it’s-easier-to-order-out-than-cook type of thing and no cooking device concept can probably solve that, at least for now.

The post Tiny cooking appliance can help you cook for one first appeared on Yanko Design.

This travel cutting board with a built-in knife cuts out the stress of food prep on the go

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We love good food, and we love to travel but why are there so many tools for making food on the go that are inconvenient, difficult to use, and of such cheap quality. You can either get portable camping cooking tools that are compact but don’t last and suck to actually cook with, or you have to lug around a full-size cutting board, while safely carrying a chef’s knife while on the go. When adventuring and traveling, you want to have the best gear possible while still being easy and convenient to travel with. It would be great if you could safely tie a chef’s knife and a high-quality cutting board together, without it being hard to carry, awkward to use and a pain to maintain. AK Studios have elegantly solved this problem with their new high-quality tool for food prep on the go The BACA Board. Standing for Bring Anywhere and Cut Anything, The BACA Board shows how out-of-the-box thinking and acute attention to detail can go a long way in cutting through the problem of a sub-par cooking experience.

Designer: AK Studios Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $100 $149 (33% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

In effect, the BACA Board acts as a knife holder like the ones you might have in the kitchen, except it’s portable and easy to carry around. The knife slots perfectly into the side of the board, and a strong magnetic retention system makes sure that the razor-sharp 440c stainless steel knife stays put and safe inside, no matter how much the board shakes and jiggles, whether it’s in your bag, on the boat or in the RV.

The cutting board itself is a work of engineering and art despite its unassuming appearance. Made from a staggered grain hard maple wood butcher block, the board is specially manufactured to resist warping and cracking. Its perfectly portable size makes it easy to stash quickly inside any bag or compartment, while its minimalist design will make you proud to have it hanging for everyone to see. This product would be a great fit for van life, boating, wilderness camping, or just those looking to enjoy a picnic or equip their city apartment kitchen.

Magnetic Retention System – Secures the knife in the board until you’re ready to use it.

440c Stainless Steel – The knife is honed to a razor-sharp edge.

Drainage Channel – This allows for deep cleaning and proper drying.

Juice Groove – Keep the juices where you want them and your work surface clear and clean.

Bottle Opener – Perfectly sized to pop tops.

The BACA Board’s story doesn’t end there, though, and it’s the little details that really make this cooking tool shine. For example, the groove near the edges of the board isn’t just a random design detail but actually functions as a canal for juices to drain out of and keep your work area clean. There’s also a drainage channel that makes cleaning and maintaining both the board and knife easy and painless. The knife itself also has a secret talent in the form of a bottle opener on the dull edge, removing the need to have another tool you might forget at home.

From the simple design choices to the high quality of the manufacturing, the attention even to the smallest detail makes The BACA Board the sharpest knife in the drawer. Or rather the sharpest drawer for the sharpest knife. AK Studios has a focus on making high-quality products that last. That perfectionism even extends to the maintenance kit, which includes a dual-sided diamond sharpening plate, a 100% heavyweight cotton maintenance cloth, a 2oz amber glass bottle of food-safe mineral oil for re-oiling the board on the go, and even some black paracord for hanging your board if you so choose. The BACA Board come with everything you need for a worry-free outdoor cooking experience as well as the tools to keep the board and knife in top shape. The preorder pricing of $120 is a steal given the quality of these tools, which have a retail price of $150.00. Life is too short to deal with and is an adventurous journey, and it always helps to have top-quality tools that you’ll be able to enjoy for the full trip. Buy once. cry once. Cooking on the go doesn’t have to be a disaster when you have the right tools for the job, especially with The BACA travel cutting board and its built-in razor-sharp knife.

Click Here to Buy Now: $100 $149 (33% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

The post This travel cutting board with a built-in knife cuts out the stress of food prep on the go first appeared on Yanko Design.

The best grills and grill accessories in 2023

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Cookout season is here, so now's the time to make sure you have everything you need for your ultimate grilling setup. To help you prepare to spend more time outside, we’ve compiled a list of the best grills and grill accessories for culinary adventures on the porch, deck, patio or backyard. We’ve reviewed and tested a wide range of grills and other devices, and we’ve selected our top picks to help you stay on top of your BBQ game. There are other outdoor cooking items too, with selections that should help you become a grill master, serving up delicious food all year long and expanding your skills in the process.

Traeger Timberline and Timberline XL

Last year, Traeger went all out for its smart grills. The company completely redesigned its high-end Timberline series, turning its premium pellet grills into outdoor kitchens. While the cooking chamber may look like any other Traeger grill, the company decided to put these new models on a rolling cart instead of four legs. Of course, this gives you more storage, but it also makes it easier to empty the pellet hopper. There’s a rail system on the front and sides of the grill to hold a range of accessories from paper rolls, to sauce, tongs and rub compartments.

In terms of tech, Traeger swapped out the basic controls from its previous WiFi-equipped D2 grills in favor of a color touchscreen. There are more sensors inside to keep tabs on the cooking process and added lighting to help you see the cooking surface better after dark. The new Timberlines will also work with a specially-designed version of the wireless Meater probes (Traeger bought Meater in 2021), so you’re not reliant on the corded version that comes standard. Perhaps most importantly, the company added what it says is the first outdoor-rated induction burner for sauces, sides and searing.

All of those upgrades lead to a starting price of $3,500. If you can forgo some of those niceties (I’d argue your grill doesn’t need a touchscreen, for example), the first-gen Ironwood has been a workhorse for me since I reviewed it in 2019. It still runs like a champ and works well with the company’s full-featured app. It’s a great option for someone looking to dive into pellet grills, offering a bit more than the entry-level Pro series from Traeger. The company still sells the original Ironwood even though it updated the model for 2023, and you can get the larger size for $2,000 less than the smallest of the new Timberlines.

Weber Genesis II EPX-335

In 2021, Weber introduced its first smart gas grills. After developing its Weber Connect platform for the SmokeFire pellet grills and the Smart Grilling Hub, the company brought its Wi-Fi-connected cooking to a more widely used fuel source. Last year, the company refined things a bit with PureBlu high-heat burners, sear zone, side table, expandable top cooking grate and "Nightvision" LED lighting. If the 2022 EPX-335 doesn’t suit your needs, there are other options that come in three- and four-burner configurations with porcelain enamel or stainless steel finishes. Plus, there are both propane and natural gas models, and some come with a side burner if you need it.

Of course, the main attraction here is the Weber Connect integration. Just like it does on the SmokeFire pellet grills and the Smart Grilling Hub, the technology can guide you through every step of the grilling process. A mix of instructions and videos inside the Weber Connect app offer assistance to grillers of all skill levels, right down to when to flip your steak. What’s more, the system offers real-time food temperatures and estimated readiness countdowns right on your phone so you can better time side dishes like veggie skewers (and keep the hangry crowd at bay). On its gas smart grills, Weber Connect can also keep tabs on fuel level so you’ll know when it’s time to swap tanks.

Weber has also introduced a host of grill tool sets and accessories that expand the capabilities of its gas grills. The company makes grilling gloves, searing grates, a grilling basket, rotisserie items and a pizza stone, as well as grill cleaning tools, like a scraper and brush. There’s also a griddle insert that allows you to make everything from breakfast to smash burgers. And if you want to transform the entire grilling area, Weber has a full-size griddle accessory that will do just that.

Ooni pizza ovens

Ooni has built a stellar reputation for its pizza ovens, and rightfully so. The company’s gear is easy to use and it helps you create restaurant-quality wood-fired pies at home. Its latest oven, the Volt 12, is an electric model that can be used indoors but still has the capability we’ve grown to count on from Ooni. In terms of solely outdoor ovens, the Karu 16 can accommodate multiple fuel sources and has room for larger pizzas. Out of the box this model can burn wood or charcoal, but Ooni sells gas burners for $120 and $150 (propane and natural gas versions).

In addition to overall size, the Karu 16 also has some conveniences that differentiate it from Ooni’s other ovens. First, a hinged door allows you to see what you’re cooking through a glass window. Second, there’s a front-mounted digital thermometer that shows the ambient temperature inside of the oven. Like other Ooni pizza cookers, the Karu 16 heats quickly, reaching 950 degrees Fahrenheit in about 15 minutes. And of course, the larger cooking area will allow you to make things besides pizza. If you can stand a smaller oven and analog thermometers, the company recently introduced the Karu 12G that still has the glass door, increased fuel efficiency and can be outfitted with a gas burner add-on ($100).

Thermoworks Thermapen One

Over the years, a Thermapen has become my most-used barbecue tool. I rely on it like a sous chef to make sure I’m cooking things to the correct internal temperature, especially chicken. It’s a versatile and sturdy tool at the grill and in the kitchen. ThermoWorks' Thermapen One is the follow up to its best-selling Thermapen Mk4. This new model shows temps lightning quick, giving you a reading in one second. ThermoWorks also improved accuracy and used a brighter display than the previous model. An automatically rotating screen makes the numbers easy to see no matter how you hold it, plus an auto-wake and sleep feature preserves battery life and IP67 rating protects it from accidental spills.

Meater Plus

A wireless meat thermometer may seem like overkill when there are so many great (and affordable) wired options available. I too was skeptical at first, but I can assure you that not having to avoid those metal cables when you’re flipping or wrapping a large cut of meat is definitely worth the investment. For the Meater Plus, the Traeger-owned company extended the Bluetooth range from the original model. Each probe has two sensors, so you can keep tabs on both internal food temp and the ambient temperature of your grill. Stats are sent to the company’s app, and you can set target temps, view an estimated completion time or get some help with a cook if you need it.

Anova Precision Cooker Nano 3.0

The latest version of Anova’s Precision Cooker Nano still offers sous vide in a compact form factor. It’s an updated version of the best seller I’ve been using for a long time thanks most to its accuracy and reliability. The company has swapped Bluetooth connectivity for dual-band WiFi so you can venture further away from the Nano 3.0. This model also has a two-line touchscreen display, so time and temperature can be viewed simultaneously. Manual controls are ever present here too, if you want to bypass the iOS or Android apps. That software will provide you with recipes and step-by-step guidance, so it’s good to consult it even if you’re experienced with this cooking method.

In order to make the most of your sous vide setup, you’ll want to also invest in a vacuum sealer. I have the FoodSaver FM2000. It doesn’t have some of the flashy features of more expensive units, but it covers the basics just fine. If you prefer something more robust with options like automatic bag detection, retractable handheld sealer and a dry/moist setting, I’d recommend the FoodSaver V4400. With both, you can use them to seal leftovers for the freezer or store other goods you don’t want air to get to in addition to sous vide cooking. I’ve also found vacuum-sealed packs handy for reheating things like pulled pork. When you reheat with a sous vide, the meat doesn’t dry out like it would in the microwave. Sure, you could just use Ziploc bags, but I’ve done that, and a FoodSaver is worth the investment.

Stanley IceFlow Tumblers

I’d argue one of the most important grilling tools is a cold beverage. And as the days get hotter, you’ll need to plan your drinkware carefully so your monster cocktail or water supply remains at a frigid temperature. I’ve tried a number of insulated aluminum cups over the years, but Stanley has been the best. The company is known for its classic thermos, but its lineup of cups, bottles and more are affordable and do a great job of keeping drinks cold for hours at a time.

Stanley has a ton of options that serve as alternatives to popular brands like Yeti, but the IceFlow Tumblers have been my go-to this spring. The larger 30-ounce cup can keep drinks cold for up to 12 hours while the 20-ounce version can do so for up to seven hours. There’s a solid handle and the built-in flip-down straw means the drinking area isn’t exposed to the elements quite as much. At $25 and $30 each, these are a fraction of the cost of the most expensive options, and they have better ice retention than some of those too.

Brumate Hopsulator Duo and Trio

Brumate’s Hopsulator products are warm weather essentials for me. I originally got one for the beach, but it has become a staple in my grilling tool kit. The company’s Hopsulator Trio is a 3-in-1 option that holds 16-ounce cans or 12-ounce cans with a cold insert you keep in your freezer. It also comes with a lid so you can use it as a travel mug. The Hopsulator Duo also doubles as an insulated cup, but it’s designed for 12-ounce cans and doesn’t come with any cooling accessories. What’s more, Brumate has a third model for slim cans. So if hard seltzers are more your thing, there’s an option for you too.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-grilling-gear-143011296.html?src=rss

The best online resources for cooking at all skill levels

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If you’re struggling to save money, one of the easiest ways to do so is to cook your own meals. Yes, we know that going to restaurants or ordering takeout is easier, but that can get expensive — especially if you’re doing it every day. Thankfully, there are plenty of great cooking websites that cater to home chefs of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner or you know your way around a kitchen, we hope this list of recipe sites and YouTube channels will help you on your culinary journey.

Recipe sites

Serious Eats

If you self-identify as a nerd and you’re also into cooking, you probably already know about Serious Eats. The site rose to prominence several years ago under the helm of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who often takes a decidedly scientific approach to cooking. Lopez-Alt has since transitioned to a consulting role at Serious Eats (he has his own vlog, which is well worth following as well), but the site remains strong under new leadership. It offers tips on basics like food prep and storage, as well as a slew of how-tos and step-by-step instructions for everything from breaking down a chicken to kneading your own bread.

Try this: Quick and Easy Pressure Cooker Black Beans with Chorizo

NYT Cooking

This is the only recommendation on this list that requires payment — $1.25 a week or $40 a year — but I personally think it’s worth it. The site and accompanying app (for iOS and Android) is well organized and intuitive to use, with bright and colorful photos along with an ever-changing list of curated recipe recommendations and suggestions. I especially like the search function, where you can not only enter in the ingredients you have on hand, but also filter by the sort of meal you want to make iIs it for breakfast? A snack? Or dinner?) along with any dietary restrictions. If you don’t want to cough up the subscription fee, however, NYT’s YouTube channel is a great resource as well.

Try this: Spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric (YouTube)

The Kitchn

The Kitchn is a daily food magazine that’s been around since the mid-2000s, and it frequently serves up not just recipes but also fun features like a celebrity recipe showdown (check out this one that compares the pot roast recipes between Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Taste of Home and the Pioneer Woman). Of course, The Kitchn also publishes plenty of tips and tricks to help readers be a better cook. 

Try this: Maple Corn Cakes

YouTube channels

Food Wishes

“Hello, I’m Chef John, from Food Wishes dot com” is the familiar refrain that you’ll hear at the beginning of every Food Wishes video, and it never fails to warm my heart. His tone is so welcoming and cheerful that it cheers me up every time I hear it. A YouTube favorite (he has over four million subscribers), he’s also a favorite among a few Engadget staffers, and for good reason. Not only is he goofy and charming, his recipes are also almost always geared toward the novice chef, with clear and concise instructions. He also encourages viewers to experiment, use their senses, play around with food, and to think of cooking as art as much as science.

Try this: No-Knead Country Bread

Binging with Babish

Binging with Babish is a popular YouTube channel (over 9.6 million subscribers) that’s primarily focused on recreating foods from TV shows and movies. Some famous examples include the Krabby Patty from Spongebob Squarepants and ratatouille from, well, Ratatouille. But host Andrew Rea can cook “normal” foods too, and the popularity of his channel led him to host a spin-off series called “Basics with Babish” that’s geared toward the beginner.

Try this: Chickpeas

Food52

The Food52 website can be considered a one-stop shop for cooking enthusiasts, as there’s an online store along with recipes and a community board. But the real highlight for me is its YouTube channel, which features excellent shows such as Sweet Heat by Rick Martinez (the former Bon Appetit editor showcases recipes with both a sweet and spicy element), Big Little Recipes (focuses on recipes with a short ingredient list) and Genius Recipes, which, well, shows “genius” recipes created by notable chefs.

Try this: How to Make the Easiest Beefy Mac Rice Cakes

Dessert Person

Have a sweet tooth? Then look no further than Claire Saffitz’s YouTube channel, where she bakes up everything from apple pies to oatmeal pecan cookies. Her personality is a combination of cranky and lovable, which I adore, but more importantly, her recipes are excellent. She gives very detailed instructions and the results are almost always delicious. She makes a lot of savory baked goods as well, such as sourdough bread and quiche.

Try this: The Best Oatmeal Cookies

Maangchi

Maagchi has been referred to by The New York Times as the Julia Child of Korean cooking, and the description couldn’t be more apt. Not only does she have a friendly and bubbly personality, she does a wonderful job of demystifying Korean cooking and making it approachable to beginners and advanced cooks alike. From Korean classics like kimchi jjigae and bibimbap to sweet treats like Korean doughnuts, she makes it all seem within reach. 

Try this: Korean Street Toast (Gilgeori-Toast)

Dietary concerns or special diets

101 Cookbooks

For a site that is entirely dedicated to vegetarian cuisine, I highly recommend 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson, which has been an online favorite for decades. I’m a huge fan of her simple, straightforward recipes that are able to turn a carnivore like me into a lover of plant-based meals (a personal favorite is this cauliflower soup).

Try this: Chickpea and Rice soup with Garlic Chile Oil

Nom Nom Paleo

You don’t need to be on the paleo diet to fall in love with Nom Nom Paleo, a mini-empire that consists of a food blog, two award-winning cookbooks, and a podcast, among other things. The New York Times has referred to Michelle Tam, the creator of the site, as the Martha Stewart of Paleo, because of how accessible she makes it seem. After perusing her site and trying her recipes, you'll no longer think of the paleo diet as restrictive; instead you might find yourself eating more than ever. Tam has also tailored some of her recipes to fit Whole30 or keto diets as well.

Try this: Garbage Stir-Fry with Curried Cabbage

Clean and Delicious

If you’re not strictly vegetarian or paleo, but you still want a healthy diet, check out the Clean and Delicious food blog by Dani Spies. A wellness and weight loss coach, Spies believes in a balanced diet and “clean eating,” but without foregoing the foods you love. For example, there’s a recipe for lemon bars on her site, but it’s made with whole wheat flour and doesn’t have dairy or refined sugar. All of the recipes on her site reflect this philosophy; they’re either gluten-free, paleo, vegan or vegetarian and they are also often low-carb, keto, dairy-free or nut-free. I also like her Instagram and YouTube channel, where she also shares tips on mindful eating and healthy living.

Try this: Healthy Banana Bread Muffins (YouTube)

Staff recommendations

There are simply way too many food sites on the internet to list them all, but here are a few more that were recommended by our staff that you might find useful.

Chinese Cooking Demystified

This is one of the best YouTube channels for learning all the ins and outs of authentic Chinese cooking from people who actually live in China. It’s very detailed, well-produced and offers great advice on recreating these dishes in a Western kitchen. I also love that it teaches technique in addition to just recipes. To this day, I still come back to this video on how to stir-fry any vegetable.

Minimalist Baker

The blog Minimalist Baker features recipes that use 10 ingredients or less and only take about 30 minutes to make. Weekend Editor Igor Bonifacic is a big fan as well, mostly due to the site’s wealth of vegetarian recipes, like this curried cauliflower lentil soup.

Budget Bytes

Budget Bytes is a great resource for those watching their wallets, as each recipe gives you a breakdown of estimated costs for each ingredient. Commerce Editor Valentina Palladino said that the site is also really good for beginners.

Rainbow Plant Life

If you’re looking for vegan recipes, Rainbow Plant Life has a ton of them. Palladino loves the cashew cream recipe and appreciates that the site’s founder, Nisha, has a trove of vegan-friendly Instant Pot recipes to try as well.

Pick Up Limes

Another staple for accessible vegan recipes is Pick Up Limes. Palladino says that the Healthiest Ever Granola recipe is one of her favorites, and she likes that the Pick Up Limes website makes it easy to filter recipes by type of ingredients, preparation time, allergens and more.

Richard Bertinet’s White Bread Masterclass

Richard Bertinet’s video on white bread comes highly recommended for its sheer simplicity. It proves that all you need to make bread is bread flour, yeast and salt. Senior Reporter Dan Cooper says the video is also a sure-fire way of calming him down when stressed.

Half Baked Harvest

Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman and Senior News Editor Billy Steele frequently trade Slack messages with dinner recommendations. (What’s for dinner? Ask a coworker, of course.) The answer from either person is often a Half Baked Harvest link. The site is home to a vast library of free recipes that, in our experience, tend to work as advertised. We’re fans of her nightly Instagram Story cooking demos as well, not to mention her tacos.

Joy the Baker

Wollman says she discovered Joy by accident through her warm, self-effacing Insta Stories, only to discover she has an equally clever blog offering a mix of sweet and savory baking recipes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/quarantine-cooking-online-resources-163009672.html?src=rss

Sleepy kitchen timer can help keep messy hands off devices

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I’m not much of a cook but the few times that I did find myself in the kitchen, it’s to try and follow a recipe to the letter. Most of the time that involves using timers aka my smartphone. But a lot of times also, my hands are dirty or preoccupied so it’s a hassle to have to use a device. Either my phone gets dirty or if I’m more careful, I have to go and wash my hands every once in a while and that may lead to a few missed seconds or minutes. A new product concept will help solve that problem.

Designer: Rory Wen and -1Pt

The device is simply named Timer Bob and is described as a “sleepy kitchen timer”. The designers wanted to put a personality to the timer since it will probably be one of your best friends in the kitchen. The device is something that you will be able to use without needing to touch it which can be convenient for the cook with the messy hands. There is also some sort of interactivity between the user and the timer, hence the need to add a “personality”.

In fact, the designers had some prototypes for other interactive kitchen products like a monster-like toaster or a man head blender, which they got as a result from some small market research. They decided on further developing the sleepy timer as it’s the most interesting among the other ideas that they had. They have since then created a prototype for it, plus a storyboard on how it would actually work.

Basically, all you have to do is put your hand in front of the screen and it will set up your timer. You nudge it first to wake it up so it will start to work. The distance between your hand and the LED screen will determine how long the timer will be set. As time goes by, it starts to get sleepy until it starts sleeping and snoring. What they didn’t include in the storyboard and explanation is how the alarm works. In any case, if you need to restart the timer, you have to turn it to another side which can happen by nudging.

In terms of functionality, this would be helpful for those in the kitchen who need timers for their recipes and would rather not get their smartphones messy. The character of a sleepy timer also seems pretty cute so this is something that may actually work in the market.

The post Sleepy kitchen timer can help keep messy hands off devices first appeared on Yanko Design.

This portable electric pot was designed to cook soup while camping!

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This portable electric pot is conceptualized for cooking soups and stews while camping.

You don’t normally think ‘soup’ when it comes to camping food, but it sure sounds like the move. Cozying up in front of the fire pit with a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold, windy evening sounds a lot more satisfying than being next to the fire on the same night with a hot dog in hand.

Designer: Yunsoo Choi

Since camping restricts many of the different modes of cooking typically available to us, the menu is usually pretty limited too. Hoping to expand the culinary experience of camping, industrial designer Yunsoo Choi conceptualized an electric pot for camping that can even be used to make soup.

Characterized by its triangular shape, Choi’s electric pot takes on the same form as tripods and table lamps that have similar silhouettes. While its shape is familiar, its operation slightly differs to be suitable for cooking stews and soups. Camping accessories and cookware keep a compact build to assume ultimate portability and Choi’s electric pot is no different. Through a telescopic layering system, the different modules of Choi’s electric pot can fit into one another and be carried by a raised, removable handlebar.

When cooking soup, campers can use the appliance’s main basin to combine all of their ingredients. Just around the basin’s front panel, a timer and temperature control interface allows users to adjust the cooking conditions of each stew and soup according to its recipe. An additional light attachment is also integrated into the build of Choi’s electric pot, allowing for late-night cooking to soothe those munchies.

The post This portable electric pot was designed to cook soup while camping! first appeared on Yanko Design.