Kitchens are often called the heart of the home. This is definitely true in my family. I cook most of our meals since we’ve had some allergy issues and the excessive bills we receive at restaurants. Feeding four men who stand over 6’ tall is no cheap feat, let me tell you! I like to find new, fun, and functional products that I can use to make my cooking easier. In this article, I will tell you about three products that have recently been added to my kitchen: the Verve Culture Tortilla Press, StoveShelf, and Corkpops Legacy wine opener.
Verve Culture Tortilla Press
Taco Tuesdays are a serious business. I mean, when you have family members who can’t eat wheat, finding a good corn tortilla can be pretty tricky. I like making things from scratch, but I didn’t have a tortilla maker, so I thought I’d give it a try. The Verve Culture Tortilla Press ($48) really surprised me. It is made of cast iron and is red (FDA-friendly, lead-free paint that prevents rust and doesn’t flake). I love the vibrant color! It is made in Mexico from recycled Singer sewing machines and other recycled iron. The cast iron makes the tortillas wonderfully uniform and flat, making me smile from ear to ear! The tortillas are wonderfully crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. So much better than the store-bought ones! If you’re a visual learner and would like to try the great corn tortillas, you can get the recipe while watching them being made on the Verve Culture Making Tortillas YouTube video.
StoveShelf
I wouldn’t say the StoveShelf ($40 for 30” stainless steel) was necessary, but it sure is an excellent addition to my kitchen! All I had to do was pull it out of the packaging, and it was ready to go. The StoveShelf is securely attached to my stovetop with no problem with silicone-encased magnets. I like this product way more than I thought I would. Now my salt and pepper shakers aren’t taking up space and cluttering my countertops. They sit nicely on my StoveShelf, within reach for me when I’m cooking, and are easy to find when we want them on the table for a meal. I like that the StoveShelf is assembled in the US and that they offer a 100% money-back guarantee (if you contact them within 30 days for any reason). Need something unique for that remarkable woman in your life for Mother’s Day? StoveShelf may just be the thing you’re looking for!
Corkpops
Typically, you will see me walking around with a large cup filled with water. Occasionally, it’s a mug of coffee or tea. However, there are times that I will indulge in a glass of wine. What I hate about that, though, is opening the cork. I know, I know, it’s “not that hard.” It is difficult for someone who doesn’t do it much, and I usually make a mess of the cork. Someone gifted me the Corkpops Legacy ($34) wine opener, and it has been a game-changer. Seriously. Using a low-pressure gas cartridge, it pops the cork from the bottle without affecting the taste of the wine. You have to remove the foil (there is a cool “enhanced foil removal system” built in), insert the needle through the cork, press the end, and the cork literally pops out. Also, the Legacy has a cork ejector, so you don’t destroy the cork trying to get it off! With the pre-packaged cartridge, you can open 60-80 bottles of wine, and you can buy Corkpops Refills ($14 for 2) when you need them. It will be a while until I need a refill with how seldom I pop a cork, but if you know a wine enthusiast, they will love this!
PatPat Sprayer and Tongs
I don’t know if you’re like me, but I use cooking sprays from a can often. The nozzle too often gets oily or too much is emitted…not huge problems but something that I don’t love. I found the PatPat Sprayer ($8) and I really like it. The company sends you a mini funnel to help with filling it with oil (which is quite helpful for someone like me!) and the container is glass. When using it, the oil comes out evenly, though sparse. Sometimes I really like that not a lot of oil is sprayed. Other times, I’d like a little more so I just have to keep pumping. For $8, I think it’s a great deal and it lets me choose the type of oil I’m using.
Now on to the tongs. I wanted some that I could use for my salads because I’m often losing one of my salad serving utensils. I found these PatPat Stainless Steel Tongs ($3) and thought I’d give them a whirl. For $3, why not, right? They are connected, too, so I won’t be losing one of them. Overall, I like them, but I do have to say that the edges are a little sharper than I would like. I haven’t cut myself on them yet or anything, but I wonder if I will. I guess time will tell. So far, they’re working great and I haven’t seen any rust so I’m happy with these!
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