Inspect Her Gadget: Kitchen Edition

INSPECT HER GADGET: KITCHEN EDITION
MAKE OVER YOUR KITCHEN WITH THESE SNAZZY NEW APPLIANCES AND GADGETS

As heard on XM Radio's top-rated women's talk show, “Broadmined”
(airing 12-3 PM EST weekdays on XM channel 155)


OLD	NEW

If you can’t stand the heat, do like TFG Deputy Editor Chelsea Kaplan did and get a new kitchen! Chelsea
was ready to ditch the old, white, energy-guzzling appliances that came with the home she recently
purchased, so she searched high and low for the latest and greatest energy efficient, stainless steel
kitchen equipment. Her choice: items from the brand new Professional Series from Frigidaire. For the goods
on these stylin’ appliances—and a few other kitchen accessories sure to make meal preparation and enjoyment
much more pleasant—check out the information below, as well as the before and after pictures of Chelsea’s kitchen.

Range and Microwave
After seeing An Inconvenient Truth, Chelsea vowed to make all sorts of green changes to her life. One of her first steps involved swapping her dinosaur of an electric stove for the far more energy-efficient (and chef-friendly) Gas Range with Self-Clean Oven. While she loves that the stove will cut down on her energy usage and the thought of earning Al Gore’s (and Leonardo DiCaprio’s) approval, she can’t help but adore its super-cool features too. On the top on her list: the XtraZone™ Burner, an oval-shaped burner placed in the center of the cooktop, which features a removable griddle surface, allowing for more effective cooking of items like quesadillas and pancakes, her toddler son's favorites. There are the cool Precision Set Surface Controls, which enable precise temperature control by way of digital feedback. And there are also the Favorite and Keep Warm Settings. The former offers the ability to program in time and temperature for a digital recall of frequently-used baking settings and the latter holds the oven temperature at 170 degrees, making it possible to keep food warm until guests arrive.

Because everything’s got to match (and there were all sorts of gross tomato sauce stains inside her old microwave), Chelsea had the stainless steel Over-Range Microwave Oven installed above her new stove. The new model offers one-touch cooking and a super-defrost feature that gets the job done 50 percent faster. ($1599 and $449, respectively, visit www.frigidare.com for retail locations near you or www.lowes.com to purchase directly)

Refrigerator
Chelsea’s old fridge awkwardly stuck out way past her counters, so she replaced it with the Side-by-Side Counter Depth refrigerator. Though she was worried about losing storage space, she found the new model to be exceptionally roomy—in fact, it boasts glass shelves big enough to accommodate an 18-inch round party platter ready for guests. She’s loving its in-door water dispenser and ice maker, as well as its PureAir™ Filter, which uses naturally occurring minerals neutralize odors in the refrigerator—so breakfast doesn't taste like last night's dinner. ($2399, visit www.frigidare.com for retail locations near you or www.lowes.com to purchase directly)

Dishwasher
What’s worse than a washer that’s not only loud, but takes forever to do its thing? Her old dishwasher was guilty of both, so Chelsea upgraded to the SpeedClean Dishwasher with SaharaDry, which alleviated both problem issues. Though she was concerned about installing a kitchen full of fingerprint-revealing stainless steel appliances within the reach of her son, the fact that all the appliances, including the dishwasher, his favorite thing to touch, come complete with an EasyCare™ Stainless Steel finish that resists smudges and fingerprints and does not require special cleaning quickly eased her fears. ($749, visit www.frigidare.com for retail locations near you or www.lowes.com to purchase directly)

WHAT A TOOL!
THESE HANDY-DANDY KITCHEN HELPERS MAKE COOKING AND ENTERTAINING A BREEZE

If you’ve dumped out more than one bottle of gone-rancid wine, you need a wine bottle vacuum seal. After a glass (or two…) of your favorite red or white, this gadget will vacuum seal the bottle for later enjoyment—at the ideal temperature. ($39.95, www.sharperimage.com)

Perhaps the kitchen gods’ best gift to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the Spatula Spreader offers both a flat, spatula-like blade that allows for smooth spreading as well as a recessed edge to slice the sandwich—all in on one kitchen tool. (Visit www.cutco.com for pricing and to order)

When wedged under a stack of cylindrical-shaped items (think cans or bottles of beverages), The Wedge stops them from rolling away. No need for a wine rack, or for your cans to take up the entire fridge —simply stack bottles up against a wall or into a pyramid with this nifty accessory’s help. ($12.95, www.bluw.com)

Forgot the milk again? Using the SmartShopper Voice-Activated Grocery List, a portable handheld device that records, categorizes and prints a list of errands and shopping items, will ensure that you bring home all of the items you’re short on. ($149.95, www.sharperimage.com)

—Chelsea Kaplan

Over your own reality? Escape into Chelsea's life with child—and one on the way—in her blog, “I'm Somebody's Mother?”