When you’re in the market for a hot dog toaster, it’s important to keep it classy. Actually, it’s not very hard to do; what kitchen décor isn’t improved with the addition of a hot dog-making appliance? Why none, of course.

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Tags: Cheap Gifts, hot dogs, Nostalgia, TGIF, toaster

There is no comparison between fresh tortillas and those found on the end-cap at the supermarket. Tortillas are not necessarily difficult to make at home, but specialized equipment provides the best results. One could use a rolling pin, and one could use a fry pan, but to get the best results, a tortilla press and a griddle are recommended. Or one appliance that serves as both.

The CucinaPro Flatbread Maker is a 1000-watt combination griddle/tortilla press. Producing 10-inch tortillas of your own creation, the gadget makes it easy to enjoy fresh tortillas without a trip to the store. Considering the non-stick aluminum cooking surface and convenient vertical storage, it may even be easier than getting in the car. Certainly tastier.

Tags: Better Gifts, bread, CucinaPro, Mexican Food

Wine is best enjoyed in low-light situations. Mood lighting, candlelight, fireplace, you name it: being able to see just doesn’t go with wine. While drinking (and storing) wine is preferable out of direct light, pouring wine isn’t particularly a good activity to do in the dark.

Understanding this dilemma, the Tipsee Wine Bottle Task Light shines a light in these light-challenged environments. Attaching directly to the neck of a wine bottle, the bright LED lets you see where you are pouring. Of course as convenient as this wine gadget may be, it won’t help much if you are already seeing double.

(Via Coolest Gadgets)

Tags: Cheap Gifts, flashlight, lighting, wine

Eating pie and cake is dangerous sport. Somehow the expression ‘piece of cake’ evolved to mean something that was quite easy to accomplish. Considering just the amount of wedding-cake fiascos and pies-in-the-face that occur on a daily basis, this saying is something of a farce. Perhaps we let it slide because cake is so sweet and delicious. In any event, the actual serving of a piece of cake usually isn’t fraught with tension. While the Nambé Rocks Cake Plate might not be on par with any cake-related mishaps you may have experienced, its off-center base provides just enough excitement to keep things interesting. Overzealous cake-cutters may want to beware.

Tags: Best Gifts, cake, Nambé, pie, sweets

Every kitchen has items that need to constantly be in stock: milk, eggs, flour, gummy. Without these essentials no kitchen is complete. It’s always best to stock up on these must-haves, but when it comes to gummy creatures, they come in packages that are woefully small. Thankfully, The World’s Largest Gummy Worm is here to rescue culinarians everywhere.

The stats:
• 128x as massive as a boring, ordinary gummy worm
• 26 inches long, or roughly one-tenth the size of the small intestine. (hint: buy more!)
• 3 pounds of gummy worm goodness
• 4,000 calories (compare, here)
• surprisingly affordable at only 28 bucks!

And of course, made in the good ol’ USA!

(Via Oh Gizmo!)

Tags: candy, Mid-Range Gifts, sweets

Most alcoholic beverages are somewhat of a required taste. Remember your first beer? Doesn’t taste so odd now, huh? As a gateway drug drink, beer has nothing on the next level up: hard liquor. Soon after discovering that sugar is an effective mixer, 21-year-olds (ahem) everywhere learn that, for their still-developing tastebuds, when it comes to booze, colder is better.

Providing a means to chill drinks colder than ice, the Margaritaville NBMGDC1000 Chillin’ Pour Liquor Chiller is a super-freezer and a drink-dispenser all in one. Chilling spirits down to 15-degrees F, the small countertop unit uses a distinctive throttle handle to ease out a shot of super-cooled booze. The unique bar accessory holds up to 750-mL of booze, or just enough to get the frat party started. At a price point similar to that of a college textbook or two, it may not constitute required reading, but it shouldn’t come as any surprise what will get more use.

Tags: Best Gifts, booze, chill, Margaritaville, TGIF