Cooking For Engineers®

Recently, I received a wireless thermometer from Thermoworks to try out. Their newest product is called Smoke and is specifically designed to help people barbecue and smoke food at home. Smoke has two parts - a base unit (which takes two of Thermoworks standardized Pro-Series probes) and a wireless receiver unit - which lets the user track the air temperature and the food temperature without going outside to the smoker.
Thermoworks is selling the Smoke at $99 and this would definitely welcome tool for anyone who likes to slow cook food outside.

Twelve years ago, I wrote an article comparing plastic and wood cutting boards which may be why one of the most frequent questions that I get is what cutting board do I use in my personal life. For the last six years, I have been using cutting boards made by Epicurean Cutting Surfaces and my wooden cutting boards haven't come out of storage for years. Here's why I like the Epicurean boards.

A few months ago, Hefty released a new line of products called the Hefty Serve 'n Store tableware. There's nothing revolutionary about a set of plastic plates or microwavable storage containers - but the Hefty Serve 'n Store is definitely a clever improvement over its parents: the plastic disposable plates and the low-cost multi-use disposable plastic container. Each plate interlocks with another plate of the same design to form a resealable container. We tried them in our daily lives (and under some contrived tests) and they performed admirably.
Update 2008-05-27 - The Hefty Serve 'n Store product line seems to be discontinued.

I love my Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, but not for grinding coffee (I get my caffeine through sodas). I use this handheld grinder for grinding spices quickly and efficiently. The metal blades spin at very fast speeds on this grinder and chop spices anywhere from a coarse to a powder fine grind depending on how long you push the button. The design is safe (a momentary switch on lid ensures the unit can't be activated when open) and convenient (the lid doubles as a carrying vessel for the ground spices). Cleaning the device could be easier, but using a small paint brush to brush out the grinding bowl and then wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel does the job. The lid can be rinsed and washed with warm soapy water easily. Best of all, this grinder takes up less than 3-1/2 in. (9 cm) round of space in my cupboard.