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Yesterday we posted a collection of gadget gift suggestions for the kitchen. Today we continue the kitchen-based list with some gear. Some of the items made the list because we have found them to be excellent tools for those who love to cook. Others got the nod because they are innovative, have great design, and promise to make cooking more enjoyable. Either way, we are excited about the choices and are sure that you will find them so as well.

• Waring Pro Induction Cooktop - Latest cooking technology, fits anywhere

Induction cooking technology is amazing. Induction cooking uses magnetic fields to cause the cooking vessel to heat up, as opposed to using heat transfer from electrical coils or burning gas as with a traditional cooking stove. It is more efficient, much safer than electric coils and gas, and is... [more]- RainyDayGiftGuide: Kitchen Gear

We love gadgets for the kitchen. Not only are they fun to use, but after "playing" with them, we usually end up with something tasty to eat or drink! How great is that? When putting together a Holiday Gift Guide, we always end up with so many recommendations that it takes two issues to present them all. This year is no different. Today's issue focuses on smaller kitchen gadgets and stocking stuffers. Tomorrow's will be on the bigger items. We hope you will find them as enjoyable to peruse as we did in putting them together!

For espresso lovers who also love gadgets:

• Handpresso Outdoor Set - Espresso anywhere for four
• Handpresso Car - Espresso machine for the car
• Capresso Cool Grind - Coffee & spice grinder, less heat, more flavor
• Sweet Maria coffee - Green beans from people who know coffee... [more]- RainyDayGiftGuide: Kitchen Gadgets

It is lot more comfortable temperature-wise to cook outside during the Summer. Even if it wasn't, the tastiness of grilled food makes the effort worth it. So it should come as no surprise that since we acquired the TEC infrared grill the staff here have been firing it up every chance they can. Naturally, this got us thinking about what would make the outside cooking experience even more convenient and/or enjoyable, because while the TEC is fantastic for grilling, it is not suitable for everything (simmering,sauces, etc). So to complement the TEC we looked for something that we could use along side it. Someone suggested getting an induction cooktop. We are in the planning stage for an end-of-Summer cookout and that seemed like a perfect opportunity to try one out.

Induction cooking technology is not the same as an electric hot plate or rangetop. Both use electricity but instead of relying on the heat generated by electrical resistance in coils under the pan, the induction method uses a magnetic field to "excite" the molecules in the pan itself. The heat generated by the "excited" molecules in the pan is transferred to the food, thereby cooking it. This approach combines the benefits of gas (energy efficient, fast) and electric (flameless, safe). Induction technology has been around for decades, but unlike the microwave, it never caught on big with the general public, mostly because of... [more]- New Kitchen Gear

When the temperature in Boston hovered above 90º and stayed there in July, instead of just cranking up the AC, we looked around for other ways to cool ourselves down. A nice ice-cold drink was the most popular solution here at the office. Besides helping us stay cool, drinking a lot of liquids ensured our hydration.

Inspired by a friend's comment, we began experimenting with flavored ice cubes. However, the cubes would crack and splinter when we tried to get them out of the tray. After a few unsuccessful attempts, we realized the problem was our trays. The best way to make ice cubes, we have found, is with a... [more]- Flavored Ice Cubes

Our guess was that the office on the second floor was too warm and dry. So we moved everything down to the basement where the temperature was a constant and cooler 55º. Sure enough, with in a week, we had a bunch of little mushroom caps popping out everywhere! Once they got their little mushroom engines going, they grew quickly. On some days, they would... [more]- Grow Your Own Mushrooms Update

A few years ago, Starbucks began offering free WiFi in all of its stores. We mentioned it to our readers a few years ago, because we sometimes hang out there to socialize, and occassionally, work.

We also noted that vendors such as McDonald's offered free WiFi as well but that their decor was not as attractive. Recent changes in my schedule have made it more convenient to hang out at the WiFi-enabled McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts close to the Aikido dojo a few afternoon each week. What we have noticed is that both have made their venue more comfortable/attractive for those customers who like to linger.

Apparently, there are many people who hang out at their local McDonald's, abeitly for a somewhat different reason. There was a recent Wall Street Journal article on how kids from families who can't afford WiFi at home are hanging out at a McDonald's close to their house, so they could... [more] - Fast Food and Free WiFi

Mushrooms are amazing. They are fascinating to photographers, biologists, and cooks the world over. As we are interested in photography, science, and food, we have found mushrooms to be absolutely captivating. One of our earliest memories of mushrooms is in the episode of The Twilight Zone where aliens invaded Earth in the form of mushrooms. They would take over the minds of the people who ate them. Of course, what makes for fun television bears little resemblance to reality (except, of course, if you eat the wrong ones). Still, that was the first thought which came to mind when we heard about the "Grow Your Own Mushroom Garden" kits from the folks at Back To The Roots.

We have seen mushrooms popping up in the RainyDayGarden after a rainstorm and have always been intrigued by how quickly they can show up. However, as we know nothing about wild mushrooms, we would never consider eating them. So when we learned about a ready-to-grow kit available for... [more] -Grow Your Own Mushrooms

The RainyDayKitchen folks had been wanting to make yogurt for years. This holiday season, we made room on our counter top and added a small batch yogurt maker to our collection of kitchen gear.

The Artisan Yogurt Maker from Kidsline is a compact unit and takes up hardly any counter space, but should make plenty of yogurt to meet our needs. The unit consists of a thermostat-controlled heating base, a see-through top lid, and... [more] -Making Yogurt

Happy New Year! What better resolution for a new year than to resolve to be healthier? One easy way to do that by adding probiotics to the diet. Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria, yeast) that may confer a health benefit on their host (aka people). Fermented food such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir are beginning to be recognized for their importance in providing a healthy gut flora.

Recently, we had an opportunity to sample a variety of Lifeway's BioKefir and Frozen Kefir products. While most people are familiar with yogurt and sauerkraut, many have not heard of kefir. Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. Now that more people are... [more] -Healthy New Year