Peugeot Annecy Cheese Mill
Anne Braly
Lodge Cast Iron’s new 11-inch griddle
Aerolatte Milk Frother
Capresso Iced Tea Maker
Black and Decker’s Mill & Brew coffee makerWhat will you be getting the cooks on your list for Christmas? Most often, they have just about everything they need, but there’s always something that piques their interest, particularly with all the new items manufacturers have developed to make cooking just a bit easier.
“Kitchen products manufacturers and retailers tell us that the holiday season is their key selling opportunity each year,” says Perry Reynolds, vice president of Global Trade Development for the International Housewares Association. “Well-designed kitchen appliances are high-demand gift items and, with a large variety of functions, colorful kitchen tools also make meaningful gifts that can easily update a kitchen’s look. And for holiday entertaining, the latest appliances and kitchen tools can make preparing large family meals easier and more enjoyable.”
You can spend thousands of dollars on kitchenwares, buying luxury items such as All-Clad’s new c2 Copper Clad line of cookware, ranging in price from $799 to $1,599. Yes, with it’s stainless-steel lining and solid copper exterior, it’s lovely, but few can afford such extravangances. So here are examples of five new kitchen items, all priced at less than $100 and available in area stores and/or online:
• If you can’t get enough delicious cappuccino, but find it hard to stop by a coffee shop every morning, Aerolatte has a device that will have you frothing the milk like a barista to put the finishing touch on your morning java. Available at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $19.99 and online at Amazon for $17.50, it’s steam-free and makes hot chocolate, cafe latte and other drinks that are better with a little froth on top.
• Iced tea is a religion of its own in the South. The sweeter the better. We drink it year-round and, of course, fresh-brewed is best. The new Capresso Iced Tea Maker will make it in a matter of minutes. It uses your favorite loose or bagged teas, so you can brew it as strong as you’d like. And it can make a good pitcher of iced coffee, too. The stainless-steel exterior is durable and looks good enough to leave out on your counter, but it’s also portable enough to bring out any time you want. All that for $59.95 at amazon.com, cooking.com or bedbathandbeyond.com. Here’s a recipe for a tasty tea you may want to include with your gift or keep for yourself.