Mastrad Spice Infuser

Everyone's got some kitchen task that makes them say, ugh, no, I don't want to. For some people, it's peeling potatoes. Or frying an egg.

For me, it's when I'm supposed to tie herbs in a bundle or a square of cheesecloth. I have no idea why this task irks me as much as it does. I just don't want to do it. Nope. Let's either chop those herbs and leave them in the soup, or skip 'em.

I've seen Jacque Pepin tie herbs in bundles. It looks simple. Mine don't stay tied and then not only am I fishing for sprigs of thyme and rosemary, but I'm also fishing for the stupid string.

I've tried using tea balls, with some success. But trying to stuff several sprigs of thyme into a tea ball is almost as annoying as tying them in a bundle. Too fiddly.

Enter the Mastrad (Orka) Herb and Spice Infuser, a long, slender tube of silicone, with holes in it. How much more simple could it be? You can stuff whole sprigs of herbs in there, along with garlic or even a hot pepper. Then just plop the thing in the soup or stew or whatever it is you want to infuse with the herbs.

My one concern was whether the top might pop off if I was stirring the soup and mashed the infuser in the process. So I tried. I poked, mashed, and prodded the thing and the top stayed on. I suppose if I really, really tried, I could torment the thing enough that the top would pop, but it's pretty likely to stay on in normal soup-stirring conditions.

Not to mention that even if the top stayed on, the chances of a sprig of parsley or oregano wafting out of the infuser is pretty unlikely. It's a pot of soup, not a tornado.

I'm pretty darned pleased with this thing.

Who's it for: Me. Or people like me. People who often want to infuse the flavor of herbs into foods without actually having the herbs in the finished dish.

Pros: It does exactly what it's supposed to do. Made from silicone, so it's dishwasher safe.

Cons: Okay, it's a unitasker. But if you're not using it for soup, you could also use it for mulling spices in wine or cider.

Wishes: Sell 'em in a two-pack, so perhaps one could be used for sweet and the other for savory? I don't know how much flavor silicone might pick up, but if you used it for something with hot peppers one day, you might not want to use it to contain cinnamon sticks and ginger for your custard the next day. Or for those days when you've got several things going at once.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

CoolGrip Caddy from NewMetro Design

I know some people hate using a microwave, but I actually get a lot of use out of mine. I love it for steaming vegetables and for cooking hard squashes.

But, to be honest, the thing I use it for most is for reheating food. Few recipes are sized for just one person, and that's actually fine with me. I like having leftover dinner for lunch, and I don't mind having dinner re-runs. It gives me time to do other things, like make crazy desserts, breads, cocktails, and salads.

The problem with cooking or reheating anything in the microwave - for me, at least - is getting the hot stuff out of the oven. Sure, I have mitts and towels and all, but the CoolGrip Caddy is another interesting option.

The caddy has a hole in the center to nestle bowls, so that you can lift the caddy and it grabs the bowl so you can lift it out easily. It also holds plates nicely. And the larger ring around the outside catches spills and spatters.

Heavens knows I spill and spatter in the microwave. Heh.

While the caddy certainly isn't a necessary kitchen item, it also isn't one that you have to fret about storing. I just keep it in the microwave so it's always waiting for me.

Who's it for: People who use their microwaves for more than heating coffee.

Pros: Hey, it works!

Cons: Not a required kitchen item.

Wishes: I wish it fit in my dishwasher. But that's the dishwasher's fault, really. Lots of normal things don't fit properly.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

2-in-1 Lemon and Lime Squeezer #ZulayKitchen

I've long been a fan of lemon, lime and orange squeezers as opposed to hand-squeezing or using a reamer. For one thing, when I use a squeezer, I don't get my hands as messy. And for another thing, it's just easier. You get more juice. And no messy hands.

Oh, I already mentioned the messy-hand thing, huh?

Seriously, though, I have dry-skin issues that sometimes leads to tiny cracks ... too much hand-washing after getting my hands messy makes it worse, and getting lemon or lime juice into those cracks not only makes it worse, but it hurts like heck. So, if I can squeeze citrus without getting my hands soaked in citrus, I'm a happy camper.

I've been wanting to try one of the dual squeezers for a while. It makes sense, so when I got a chance to test one from Zulay Kitchen, I knew I had to try it. Lemons and limes are the most squeezed citrus in my house, but lemons don't fit in lime squeezers, while lemon squeezers aren't real efficient when attacking the limes.

So, a dual purpose squeezer makes a whole lot of sense. One tool can handle two types of citrus (or really, two sizes of citrus) and if you happen to need both lemons and limes, you only dirty one tool.

This would be a great stocking stuffer for anyone who cooks or who uses citrus to make drinks.

Who's it for: People who need to juice lemons and limes often enough to want a gadget to help with the task.

Pros: You only need 1 tool for 2 different types of citrus; works just like the single squeezers.

Cons: Can't think of any.

Wishes: Would be cool if it also accommodated oranges, but I a tool that handled all three might be too bulky. But still, it would be cool.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review