Favorite Summertime Gadgets

From Season 12: Time to Grill

Update: April 2012

The iSi Twist and Sparkle has been recalled by the manufacturer. There were eight reported instances of the bottles cracking under heavy use. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and either contact iSi or the place of purchase for instructions on returning the product for a refund or store credit. For additional information, contact iSi at (800) 645-3595 anytime or visit the firm's website at twistnsparkle.com

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Home seltzer makers that transform still water into sparkling not only are fun but also promise clear advantages: no more heavy bottles to lug home from the store or clutter up the landfill. The iSi Twist ’n Sparkle seltzer maker, with its contained carbonation system, is a compact, less counter-hogging version of popular carbonators and was named a Best Buy in our recent testing of seltzer makers. It uses a twist-top design to release CO₂ bubbles into a carafe holding 4 cups of water, juice, or any other nondairy beverage. It runs on single-use chargers costing $24 for twenty 4-cup units, or 30 cents per cup, but cheaper and equally effective generic chargers produce seltzer costing only 13 cents per cup. As for the drinking, the Twist ’n Sparkle churned out small bubbles that dispersed evenly in plain tap water and held their carbonation overnight. Costing just under $50, the Twist ’n Sparkle is a fun way to put some CO₂ in your H₂O.

Is it worth nearly $50 to have faster homemade ice pops? We think so! When we poured a homemade fruit blend into the Zoku Quick Pop Maker’s three 2-ounce slots, in just seven minutes the mixture was rock solid—our cue to insert the special key in each pop handle to release the treats. We could repeat the process for two more rounds of pops (nine pops in total) before the unit needed to be refrozen; pops took six to 10 extra minutes to freeze after the first round. While we love the quick gratification this nifty gadget provides, it doesn't entirely eliminate the need for planning ahead: The console, which contains a proprietary liquid that gets colder than ice, must be placed in the freezer 24 hours before use.

The Prepara Pop Savor ($19.99) takes the design of a traditional “salt pig”—a small, hooded ceramic vessel that cooks use to grab salt for seasoning—and fashions the cover from soft silicone to make a closeable lid that keeps out dirt and moisture. To test its usefulness, we filled the cavity with salt, sugar, and ice cream sprinkles and left the container next to the stove while frying a pound of bacon. As promised, the durable “pop” top easily flipped open and kept its contents shielded from splattered grease. The attached ½-teaspoon measuring spoon was accurate, though superfluous for those of us who prefer to grab a pinch with our fingers. Our only gripe? The 3½-inch opening was a little cramped for a few testers with large hands.

Finally, the Japanese-made Piggy Steamer, a 7-inch circle of thin silicone with a thicker, raised center shaped like the face of a pig, turns out to be not only whimsical but also functional. The word “pig” is pronounced almost the same as “lid” in Japanese, and this floppy tool makes the perfect cover for a bowl or plate in the microwave. It’s unbreakable and stays cool, with protruding ears that function as convenient handles. (The nostrils also vent steam—and are used in Japan for lifting the lid with chopsticks.) In Japan, the lid is typically placed directly on food. For microwave reheating, we rested it directly on rice on a plate and on the edge of bowls containing soup and tomato sauce. The rice became steamy without drying out; the soup and tomato sauce emerged piping hot, but the lid kept the microwave splatter-free. We love this funny, floppy lid, which easily washes clean and is also effective for twisting open jar lids. 

Watch This Equipment Review

This roundup features our favorite summertime gadgets that we like having in the kitchen.