Concept and Essenza from Nespresso

If you ever woke up in the morning and had a craving for a cup of espresso, cappuccino or latte you might agree that the 5 to 10 minute process of heating, priming, tamping, etc. that are required of tradition espresso makers is just longer than your morning schedule will allow. Luckily for those of us that love espresso but don’t have the time to make it traditionally, Nespresso’s automatic espresso makers offer a great solution that falls well below small fortune required for the fully automatic espresso makers. Nespresso’s automatic espresso makers produce a fabulous cup of espresso in less than 15 seconds. To make a cup of espresso you place a capsule in the machine, push a button and the 19 barr pump brews a rich, flavorful espresso with a deep, firm crèma. Once you have your espresso, lift the arm of the machine and the pod drops into a cavity that can be emptied at a later time. If cappuccinos or lattes are more your drink then you can either use the traditional steaming wand or the detachable automatic frother. For those that are more of a fan of americanos or more traditional drip coffee, Nespresso’s lungo might be more to your taste. Lungo’s have a specific type of capsule as well as brewing button and are made the same way as the espresso but allow more water to flow through the capsule. The result is an elongated espresso with a deep crèma that resembles the flavor of a traditional cup of coffee. Nespresso offers the Concept model for $399 that has all of the features mentioned above and then the Essenza model for $249 that does not include the ability to froth milk but makes the same espressos and lungos. All and all Nespresso offers a great quality product that is easy to use and a professionally trained barista would be hard pressed to make a better cup of espresso.

PoachPods^TM from Fusionbrands^TM

PoachPods are an innovative tool which makes poaching eggs far easier than more traditional methods. Simply crack an egg into the PoachPod, and then drop it into a pot of boiling water and cover. Once the egg reaches your desired level of doneness, you can remove the PoachPod from the water and invert it onto your plate to obtain a perfectly intact poached egg. We have found this method of poaching eggs particularly convenient because you can easily poach one egg or six in one of your own pans and the PoachPods are easy to store. We have also found that eggs consistently come out of the PoachPods very easily without breakage.

Epicurean Cutting Surfaces

When looking for a cutting board to be used for chopping and preparing raw meat there are two qualities to look for; that it is dishwasher safe so as to be sanitized between uses and that it is made out of a material that will not dull your knives. Epicurean cutting boards offer both of these qualities. Epicurean Cutting Surfaces are made of a wood composite which means that it is just as gentle on your knives as wood but is safe to use in the dishwasher. We have found that Epicurean cutting boards hold up well over time, keep knives from dulling too quickly and are available in sizes and shapes to fit any cooks needs.