Auto Froth To Vino From waking with an espresso to winding the day down with a chilled glass of wine, these items make “kitchen time” enjoyable from start to finish. BY STEVE COOPER
XP4050 (Pump Espresso Machine)
Krups www.krupsusa.com
Avoid the morning line at your local coffee shop with Krup’s new XP4050 pump espresso machine. This machine includes an auto cappuccino system to give you perfect froth every time. The XP4050 also includes a 32-ounce removable water tank enabling you to make many drinks without a refill, plus it has a stainless steel drip tray, which makes cleanup a snap. $250
Stand Mixer
Hamilton Beach www.hamiltonbeach.com
Hamilton Beach’s colorful and stylish Eclectrics stand mixer comes in seven color options, from red to a popular seabreeze blue. This 400-watt mixer has a tilt head, lock-in bowl, 12 speed settings and a splatter shield. Mixing accessories include a flat beater, dough hood and a wire whisk. To make sure all that cookie dough is getting mixed properly, Hamilton Beach has provided a mixing head that rotates in two different directions. $199
Custom Metallic Series Blender
KitchenAid www.kitchenaid.com
You know it’s officially summertime when you’re sipping freshly blended margaritas by the pool. KitchenAid’s 5-speed blender has no problem tackling that task with its 56-ounce polycarbonate pitcher and seven speed controls. This blender has a 0.9 horsepower motor and is sturdily built with a die-cast metal base and steel-reinforced coupler. You know you’re talking serious kitchen gear when horsepower is part of the description. $179
Food Processor
Viking Range www.vikingrange.com
Speaking of powerful and durable, Viking Range has built a beast of a food processor that throws 625 watts to your food. Users in charge of this power will appreciate the large speed control knob and sturdy metal handle grasping the 12-cup bowl. With such solid construction, you’d think moving it around would be a bother, but the people at Viking Range have thought of that too—Viking has put wheels on the back for easy maneuvering on your countertop. $330
Private Reserve Wine Cellar
Cuisinart www.cuisinart.com
This would have been nice to keep the champagne cold in celebration of our launch. Cuisinart’s Private Reserve Wine Cellar can store up to 11 bottles and has eight temperature presets for various varieties of red or white wine—it also allows for manual temperature adjustment. In addition, a convenient glass door lets you peek inside, so you don’t have to hold the door open and mess with the temperature while you decide which bottle to pop open. Now that’s window shopping. $260