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Want to make your kids a proper home-made cake, but lack the time or skills to decorate it? This Wishosaurus grant you your desire! This purple character will thrill your birthday child and start a tradition you can continue for years. Perfect for both boys and girls, the Wishosaurus can hold up to ten birthday candles in his ridged back. You just need to add a basic layer of icing to your cake before topping it with this cute dinosaur. The Wishosaurus is made of food grade plastic and comes with a clear plastic pedestal you can place under his feet before he clambers upon your cake. A simple way to add magic and excitement to your children's parties even if you're short of time or lack artistic skill, the Wishosaurus is just £4.99 at DrinkStuff.com.
Wishosaurus - £4.99
Wishosaurus @ Amazon.com - $6.99
Continue reading "Wishosaurus by Fred" »
Posted by Kate on October 1, 2008 12:14 AM
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I bet you never dreamed your kids would fight to wash the dishes, but with the Bubble Scrubber everyone will be volunteering. The Bubble Scrubber combines a brightly brush with the classic bubble wand you remember from childhood. All you need now is a sink full of soapy water and you'll be rewarded with lovely pop-able bubbles. The Bubble Scrubber is great way to reduce stress and relax while still getting work done, but you might tempted to fill your kitchen with more bubbles than sparkling dishes. Bring a smile to tedious tasks, the Bubble Scrubber is just £4.90 at Amazon.co.uk
Bubble Scrubber - £4.90
Bubble Scrubber @ Amazon.com - $4.29
Posted by Kate on October 2, 2008 12:09 AM
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Babies are like little tornadoes in your life, suddenly you’re getting no sleep, changing diapers in a daze and overwhelmed with love for this chubby bundle of smiles. So it’s no surprise that your home can suddenly be cluttered with baby stuff. While toys and spit cloths might be the problem elsewhere, it’s bottles that tend to take over the kitchen. With each one having several pieces it’s easy to accidentally lose bits behind the kettle or toaster when you’re in a rush. The Splash Bottle Dry can help keep everything together and easy to find.
• The tall centre pillar holds a handy bottle brush.
• The ring of long fingers keeps your bottles from tipping over.
• The short fingers with holes hold smaller pieces like rings.
With a modern avant-garde design, the Splash Bottle Dry adds a sculptural style to your kitchen clutter in red, blue and white.
Splash Bottle Store at Firebox.com - £24.95
Splash Bottle Store at Skip*Hop- $28.00
Posted by Kate on October 3, 2008 12:04 AM
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Perfect for a casual tea break, these brightly coloured tea infusers bring a taste of cheer to afternoon tea. Made from heat resistant silicone, each fruit pops open ready to be filled with your favourite tea. Then all you need is a cup of hot water to twirl it in. These affordable tea infusers are a great way to introduce friends and family to delicious fruit teas. Ideal for keeping in your desk at work or adding to a tea-themed Christmas basket these Fruity Tea Infusers are just £2.95 from ShinyShack.
Pear Tea Infuser - £2.95
Strawberry Tea Infuser - £2.95
Lemon Tea Infuser - £2.95
Posted by Kate on October 6, 2008 12:05 AM
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I’m so jealous, who wouldn’t want to wake up to breakfast on this bright cheerful crockery? Unfortunately, unless you are a light eater, you might find this engaging children’s set a bit small. Inspired by the 1969 children’s book, The Hungry Caterpillar set captures a groovy retro style. A brilliant contrast to the typical pastel bunnies and bears normally available, this crockery bursts with bright sophisticated colour. A fabulous gift for trendy new mums, this earthenware set starts every meal off with colourful excitement. Available from John Lewis, The Portmeirion Hungry Caterpillar Set includes a plate, bowl & mug for £20.
The Hungry Caterpillar Gift Set - £20
Posted by Kate on October 7, 2008 12:05 AM
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If you love clear, clutter free counters, the Balance Knife Block might set your heart a flutter. Besides protecting the specially counterbalanced forged steel knives, its innovative design engages your curiosity while nesting close to the wall. The compact base supports the knife handles while hidden magnets hold the blades steady in the oak block. A unique design that keeps your knives close to hand without sacrificing you counterspace, the Richard Sheffield Balance 5 Knife Block is £160 from Heals.
Set Includes: Paring Knife, All Purpose Knife, Carving Knife, Bread Knife and 8” Cooks Knife
Richard Sheffield Balance 5 Knife Block - £160
Posted by Kate on October 8, 2008 12:07 AM
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It’s easy to give a retro style to your kitchen with eye-catching appliances like these from Marks & Spencer. With a distinctive shape, these appliances offer important modern features in a nostalgic kitsch style. The chrome kettle and toaster recall the appliances you’d have found in your grandmother’s kitchen, with rolled metal edges and embossed decoration. The Classic Kettle features a hidden element and a 360° base that offers freedom to move around the kitchen and pour safely with either hand, while the Classic Toaster features a handy crumb tray, two sandwich cages and a retro roll-top dust cover. A fantastic alternative to the sleek modern appliances commonly on offer, the Marks & Spencer Classic Kettle and Toaster are perfect for vintage and retro fashionistas.
M&S Classic Kettle - £39.50
M&S Classic 2-Slice Toaster - £39.50
Posted by Kate on October 9, 2008 12:02 AM
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I love anything that really engages and involves people with the food they are eating. Rather than sitting down and silently eat, with a Raclette Grill people laugh, bicker and chatter as each person creates and experiments. Perfect for picky eaters, each person can grill just the vegetables and meats they like, on top of the non-stick stone. Then add these tasty ingredients to your shovel full of lovely potatoes and top with grated cheese before popping them into the second cooking area. A brilliant way to get everyone involved in cooking low-fat food, the Marks and Spencer Classic Stone Grill & Raclette Set is £29.50.
M&S Classic Stone Grill & Raclette Set - £29.50
Posted by Kate on October 10, 2008 12:04 AM
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An “udderly” adorable addition to your breakfast table, the Calf and Half Jug by Fred always gets a second look. The clever glass design looks like a traditional milk jug on the outside, but the interior glass wall is shaped like a cow’s udder. Much better than just pouring from the carton, the Calf and Half has a quirky modern style. The Jug holds 150mL of milk making it perfect for serving with after dinner coffees and is bound to start people talking. Available for pre-order now from Firebox, the Calf and Half Jug should arrive on the 28th of October..
Calf & Half - £14.95
Posted by Kate on October 13, 2008 12:08 AM
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After a long weekend baking cheesecakes and pistachio cakes, we were struck with a brilliant idea. While slicing cakes isn't difficult, it's easy to turn your beautiful dessert into a toppling mess. The extra large Mezzaluna by Typhoon quickly cuts neat straight lines through tricky cakes. Originally intended for pizzas, the long blade can give a clean professional style to your home-baked goods. Great gadgets inspire us to find new ways to use them, and this unusual knife is just begging to be experimented with. Still available from Amazon, if you like the Typhoon Mezzaluna/Pizza Cutter I'd think about buying it soon before they run out of stock.
Typhoon Mezzaluna/Pizza Cutter - £7.47
Posted by Kate on October 14, 2008 12:08 AM
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This weekend we blended cultures to create our first Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner in Great Britain. We served a slow roast lamb instead of a turkey, but the important thing was sitting down to a big meal with our family. But after spending all those hours in the kitchen, I've decided we need a new potato masher. After hunting around the web, I found this strange looking utensil; the Smood Potato Masher. The unique coil design creates a smooth mash by forcing the potato through thin gaps between the loops. Fitted with an ergonomic grip, the spring masher puts less pressure on your wrist and eliminates jarring. A quick and easy solution it lumpy mash, the Smood Masher even features a silicone scraper for scraping down the bowl. Available from Amazon.co.uk, the Eddingtons Smood Potato Masher is £16.95.
Smood Potato Masher - £16.95
It's $19.99 from Amazon in the US
Posted by Kate on October 15, 2008 12:09 AM
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Exploring foreign cuisine brings you more than exotic new flavours, it offers a slice of global culture. Items like Typhoon's Sushi Set can bring authenticity and depth to your culinary travels. The bamboo board is perfect for serving up home rolled sushi. The chopsticks nest across the serving board, while the matching bamboo bowl holds your soy sauce. With a simple elegance, this afford able sushi set will thrill any budding Japanophiles. Available from John Lewis, the Typhoon Sushi Set is just £15.
Typhoon Sushi Set - £15
Posted by Kate on October 16, 2008 12:09 AM
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Both loved and feared, Mandolins are a tool every home chef has an opinion on. But beyond all the chatter, Mandolins are often an expensive investment for budding chefs. Now jumping into the debate is Sleekslice by Chef’n, an affordable alternative that bursts with flexibility. The brilliant design offers everything you’d expect from a full size Mandolin in an amazingly small and compact unit; even the food holder collapses into itself for a flat finish. Once folded out, the Sleekslice can be used over a bowl, free-standing or as a hand-held slicer. With just a turn of the dial you can select from four height settings to get just the thickness you desire. A fantastic compact design that will fit in anyone’s kitchen, the Chef’n Sleekslice is a Lakeland exclusive at just £14.99.
Chef’n Sleekslice - £14.99
Posted by Kate on October 17, 2008 12:09 AM
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Autumn has always been a season of celebration, when hard work in the fields is rewarded with a plentiful harvest of delicious vegetables. It is a time to appreciate all that life has given us in food, wealth, family and friends. A brilliant opportunity to gather your family for a traditional feast, Emma Bridgewater has created a warm cheerful tableware pattern perfect for Autumnal dining. Originally created in 2007, Bridgewater has expanded the range from the original ½ pint mug and soup bowl to included the baby mug, cereal bowl, French bowl, 10 ½ in plate, 8 ½ in plate and the four-cup teapot. A brilliant addition to you Bonfire Night Celebrations, the Pumpkin Collection is available online from Emma Bridgewater.
Pumpkin ½ Pint Mug - £14.95
Pumpkin Baby Mug - £11.95
Pumpkin Cereal Bowl - £14.95
Pumpkin French Bowl - £14.95
Pumpkin Soup Plate - £14.95
Pumpkin 8 ½” Plate - £12.95
Pumpkin 10 ½” Plate - £14.95
Pumpkin Four Cup Teapot - £44.95
Posted by Kate on October 20, 2008 12:02 AM
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My memory just isn’t what it used to be these days. I often make half or double batches when baking biscuits, but when buzzing around the kitchen I’ll forget to adjust the ingredients as I go. Two cups of flour instead of one or 100g of chocolate chips instead of 200g, some mistakes are worse than others. To prevent these silly errors I’ve taken to measuring all my ingredients before I start, (When I’m not so easily distracted!) These Colourful Mixing bowls from John Lewis are a brilliant way of sorting all your ingredients out. The set of five bowls all nest inside each other, ensuring you have a bowl the right size for everything. The bright colours make them easy to tell apart even if you’re shouting to reluctant kitchen helpers. A fabulous way to brighten your kitchen, the Multi-colour mixing bowls are £35 from John Lewis.
Multi-colour Mixing Bowls - £35
Posted by Kate on October 21, 2008 12:01 AM
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Now this must be the king of kitchen gadgets! This weighty appliance has buttons, knobs, levers and handles; all made to the high Kitchen Aid standards. I’ll admit I can’t imagine spending £269 even for a glamorous KitchenAid Waffle Baker, but it must be a heavenly dream for waffle fanatics! The double-sided baking unit features die-cast plates and rotates to get an even coating of batter. Perfect for sweet breakfasts, savoury dinners or quick snacks, all you need to do is quickly mix up the batter and pour it in. In minutes you’ll have a tasty fuss-free meal. An unusual addition to the Kitchen Aid Artisan Collection I’d love to have one of these eye-catching Waffle Bakers on my kitchen counter. Available in Red, Almond Cream, Black and a Pearl Metallic finish the Kitchen Aid Waffle Baker has an unexpected retro-glamour.
• Rotates for easy coating
• Made from die-cast metal
• Find the optimum temperature with the Pre-heat Indicator
• Beeping timer tells you when things are done
Purchase from CookInStyle.co.uk:
Red Kitchen Aid Waffle Baker - £269
Black Kitchen Aid Waffle Baker - £269
Almond Cream Kitchen Aid Waffle Baker - £269
Pearl Metallic Kitchen Aid Waffle Baker - £269
Posted by Kate on October 22, 2008 12:03 AM
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I know the housewives’ trick for removing garlic odours from your hands. Rubbing your hands on a steel spoon under cold running water removes the smell, but often you’re still left with an annoying hint of garlic. For those days when even a hint is just too much, Chef’n has made the Garlic Zoom. Simply pop the peeled cloves through the hole in the top, and then drive it around your kitchen counters. The spinning blades do all the work leaving you with finely chopped garlic, ready to add straight into the pan. Brilliant for those with sensitive noses or when you are playing hostess, the Garlic Zoom offers fresh flavour in seconds. Now available at Lakeland, the (top shelf) dishwasher-safe Chef’n Garlic Zoom is £7.99.
Chef’n Garlic Zoom - £7.99
Posted by Kate on October 23, 2008 12:08 AM
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Do your family tear through your kitchen leaving a trail of dirty dishes and crumbs behind them? Perhaps these quirky tea towels can help tame their unruly ways...or at least remind them to wash the odd dish! Designed and hand-printed in Scotland, these fabulous modern tea towels are made from fair-trade organic cotton. The tea towels proclaim ‘Do The Dishes’ and ‘Keep It Clean’ in large letters no one should miss. Each letter is made from towering dishes or dark creepy crawlies for that extra visual reminder. Available from Kitty & Polly the Kitchen Commandment Tea Towels are £9.50 each.
'Do The Dishes' Tea Towel - £9.50
'Keep It Clean' Tea Towel - £9.50 (Click 'Continue reading' for a photo)
Even better, Kitty and Polly are offering Kitchen Critic readers 10% off purchases! Simply use the voucher code KITCHEN at the checkout. (Valid till 31/12/08)
Continue reading "Kitchen Commandment Tea Towels" »
Posted by Kate on October 24, 2008 12:06 AM
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The easiest way to avoid drips across your cooker and counter is simply to leave the spoon in the pan. The problems arise when your pan is so large that it can swallow your spoon whole or when the pan is so small your spoon tips out firing hot spaghetti sauce across the kitchen. The new Lakeland Clip & Rest offers a secure place to balance your spoon while you work on other things. The stainless steel clip slips over the edge of the pan and features silicone details for added grip. Ideal for sauces and things that need frequent stirring, the Clip & Rest ensures your spoon is always to hand and your counter stays clean. Exclusively from Lakeland, the Clip & Rest is an affordable £4.99.
Lakeland Clip & Rest - £4.99
Posted by Kate on October 27, 2008 12:03 AM
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I’ll admit I’m a bit clumsy when it comes to rolling out pastry or biscuits; it’s one of those skills I don’t use often enough to perfect. It looks like the French Rolling Pin from Sil-pin could help hide my ‘rough edges’. With a lovely smooth non-stick surface, the hygienic silicone won’t absorb liquid, grease or odours. The long 51cm (20”) pin makes it brilliant for rolling out large lumps of dough, while the tapered ends are perfect for making circles of pastry or pizza bases. Well loved by both dedicated bakers and beginners, the Sil-pin French Rolling Pin is £15.99 from Lakeland.
Sil-pin French Rolling Pin - £15.99
Posted by Kate on October 28, 2008 12:04 AM
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With so many gadgets and appliances on offer your counter space is at a premium, so appliances that make good use of space are always going to win extra points. Now a kitchen essential, I love how this Whirlpool Microwave tucks neatly into a corner, making use of that often wasted space. Still able to fit a 28cm turntable, the fashionable new Max 25 design has a square profile and television inspired styling. Featuring a 3D microwave emission system for even, quick cooking and a new Auto Steam function for tasty, healthy meals, the Whirlpool Max 25 offers high-tech cooking. Available in a range of trendy colours, the 750W Max 25 Microwave is perfect for student bedsits, small flats, caravans & busy kitchens. Available from John Lewis the Max 25 Microwave is £79.
Black Whirlpool Max 25 Microwave - £79
Red Whirlpool Max 25 Microwave - £79
Continue reading "Max 25 Microwave by Whirlpool " »
Posted by Kate on October 29, 2008 12:06 AM
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I’m not even convinced I like roast chestnuts, but with the weather turning cold and snow forecast, they sound delightful. There is something magical and nostalgic about opening a paper bag of chestnuts, the comforting heat seeping through even thick gloves. A traditional holiday treat, you can now make your own with the Lakeland Chestnut Roasting Pan. The steel pan is pierced with holes around the sides and features a spiral ridge on the base. You can use it on all types of hobs or over hot coals for an authentic street vendor flavour. A brilliant addition to your Bonfire Night Celebrations or as a special Christmas treat, the Lakeland Chestnut Roasting Pan is £11.99.
Chestnut Roasting Pan - £11.99
Posted by Kate on October 30, 2008 12:00 AM
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I’m always torn over spice racks. I want my spices close to hand, but I’d rather not leave hard-to-clean items on my kitchen counters. The free-standing Spice Carousel however is a compact design you can quickly tuck in your cupboards. The gleaming chrome stand hangs 16 spice containers from four independent spinning carousels. A large curving handle makes it easy to move around the kitchen so your spices are always just where you need them. The spice bottles feature glass bodies that show off the lovely colours and textures of your delicious kitchen spices. The twist-off lids are each marked with the spice name and have both sprinkling and pouring spouts. As this spice rack comes fully stocked, it a great gift for anyone just starting off in the kitchen.
basil – coriander – chilli flakes - dill weed – thyme – parsley – granulated sea salt – onion flakes – celery seeds – bay leaves – rosemary – fennel – garlic powder – cinnamon – marjoram – oregano
A fabulous modern design that reveals the beauty in everyday ingredients the Spice Carousel is £40 from both Lakeland & John Lewis.
Spice Carousel - Lakeland - £39.99
Spice Carousel - John Lewis - £40
Posted by Kate on October 31, 2008 12:03 AM
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