At my house we’re always boiling water for one reason or another, whether it’s to neutralize the mineral taste in our tap water or to prepare our favorite warm beverages for chilly mornings. Up to now, we’ve been pretty old school about it, relying on a stove top tea kettle instead of an electric kettle or high-capacity water boiler. The reasons are partly because of cost — a water boiler can cost around $100, depending on the brand and model — but also a desire to minimize the number of items taking up space on the kitchen counter.

While the Oxo Cordless Glass Electric Kettle can’t avoid being another appliance to occupy the countertop, it does so with a sturdy and elegant design, keeping a minimal footprint despite a generous 1.75-liter (59 fluid ounces) capacity. It boils all that water quickly, too, taking under eight minutes for a full kettle to reach the maximum temperature. The traditional kettle on a gas range takes at least twice that long with a smaller amount of water. It also should be noted that while the name of this kitchen tool includes the term “cordless,” there is in fact an electrical cord involved, but it’s attached to the base on which the kettle sits, not the kettle itself. A bit misleading, though technically correct.

Besides speed, this kettle also has the benefit of precision, allowing the user to set a specific water temperature ranging from 170° to 212° F (the kettle also can be set to display in Celsius). Dialing in a temperature will appeal most to coffee and tea connoisseurs, who know their beverages do best at specific temperatures, but even for a layman like myself, the feature caught on simply because I could heat the water to 170° and not have to wait so long for my hot beverage to cool. After it reaches the user’s selected temperature, which it signals with a single, innocuous beep, the kettle also will maintain it for 30 minutes before shutting off — again with a beep. One more handy feature if you find yourself needing to refill your mug.

Though the kettle quickly supplanted our traditional stove-top version for its appearance, speed and temperature-controlling feature set,  it did take some time to adjust to its increased weight compared to what we’d been using. The mouth of the kettle also has a mesh filter over it, which helps control the outflow of piping hot water but causes a slight delay before water starts pouring and could lead to a first-time user overcorrecting and accidentally overfilling cups. In addition, because of the rim on the non-removable, flip-up lid, there’s always a small amount of water that won’t pour out, though the opening is large enough to wipe the interior dry with a cloth or paper towel.

Finally, the price of the kettle may be more than some are willing to pay for the simple task of boiling water, but if you’re an avid coffee or tea drinker or looking for an attractive, upscale housewarming or wedding gift, this OXO kettle certainly belongs on the short list.

Product reviewed: Revablend

Most conventional blenders are big and clunky, taking up a lot of space and involving two or three steps to assemble before you can use them. Not so with the Revablend, which is why I looked forward to reviewing it. I knew ahead of time that it doesn’t require electricity, has no attachments or assembly needed, is easy to use and can be taken virtually anywhere — work, gym, school, camping and tailgating.

I immediately liked the Revablend’s simple design. It only has two pieces — the base, which consists of the container, stainless steel blades and rubber wheel, and the lid, which has a small spout for drinking, making an extra cup unnecessary if you’re on the go. The Revablend’s built-in blades rotate without electricity — you simply add your ingredients to the base, secure the lid, tilt the unit forward at a 30-degree angle and roll it across a firm, dry surface, such as a countertop, to get the blades moving and blending.

I tried four recipes in the Revablend, including a smoothie, milkshake and dressing, which all were successful.  However, the fourth recipe, a marinade, needed a bit more man power as the onion and tomatoes came out chunky and not as equally chopped as I’d hoped. But, that aside, the Revablend does a good job of mixing ingredients, particularly for smoothies and milkshakes. In order to have the best consistency, use ripe, fresh fruit rather than frozen fruit, and make sure to tap the unit so that your ingredients settle at the bottom of the base before you start rolling the Revablend to get the blades moving. This blender is super easy to clean, and even is dishwasher safe. The blades are not removable, though, so don’t stick your hand into it as they’re pretty sharp!

I would recommend this product. It seems to be of good quality and well made, and using it means I don’t have to take out the big blender, assemble it, plug it into the outlet and make a bunch of noise in the morning for my smoothies. Also, there’s no major mess to clean up afterwards, which is a plus for people like me who don’t like to do dishes.

Roasted Delicata Squash Breakfast 

Serves 3

Ingredients

• 1½ cups delicata squash, cut in ⅓-inch slices 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallion or chives (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Lay squash on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pan and allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. In the same pan, arrange squash into a circular shape about 4 inches wide, keeping the center hollow. Keep layering the squash until you get a stack about 2 inches high. Repeat two times.
5. Crack an egg into each of the three squash towers' hollow center.
6. Put back into the 425°F oven and bake for another 15 minutes. 
7. Serve hot with a sprinkle of chives or scallions, add a pinch of freshly ground pepper and Sriracha Sauce.

I went to the fridge and found little more than carrots, kale, pork and tomatoes. Well, I thought, why not just throw everything together in the pot and see what happens? To our surprise, it was the perfect meal for a cold winter day!