Sponsored by Bed Bath & Beyond and ShopStyle Collective.
I’m not necessarily a minimalist when it comes to fashion or decor, but if there’s one place where I turn my nose up at excess, it’s in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong — there are few things I love more than cooking and eating (I mean, my family is pretty high-ranking, ha). But while some people might assume this makes me an obvious candidate for all of the super-specific, techy kitchen tools out there, I’m actually pretty notoriously…anti-gadget.
Which is why all the products that fill my kitchen drawers, cupboards and countertops really have to earn their keep. And these three newer-to-me kitchen tools? Well, they’ve done just that. And handily, they’re all available through Bed Bath & Beyond.
My Fave Store For Top Kitchen Gadgets? Bed Bath & Beyond — Trust me
If you’re anything like me, Bed Bath & Beyond has been there for at least one prominent milestone in your life — stocking a dorm room, creating a wedding registry or outfitting a nursery. For me, it was all three. In early adulthood, I’m pretty sure I had a kitchen drawer solely dedicated to those famous blue-and-white Bed Bath & Beyond coupons — with a running wish list pinned on a corkboard next to it, enumerating the purchases to which they’d be applied. One of those fancy rotating waffle irons. My favorite pantry storage containers. Our citrus squeezer. I still have and use them all, by the way. (The citrus squeezer is particularly kid-friendly.)
Let’s get into these three new finds and what makes them worth the spots they’ve earned in our household.
Hate Gimmicky Gadgets? Me Too. These 3 Kitchen Tools Made The Cut
1. BlendJet 2 Portable 16 Oz Blender
This BlendJet 2 Portable 16 Oz Blender is the exact kind of little gadget that I would have scoffed at a year ago, but after a full school year of harried mornings (not to mention the whole adding a second kid thing), I’m now wholly appreciative of anything that streamlines our routine.
I use it to make simple smoothies for Lana’s breakfast (our favorite is either kefir or Greek yogurt, a splash of oat milk, fresh or frozen mango and a drizzle of honey; or frozen pineapple, spinach, ginger and coconut water) and to make an icy summer version of my daily matcha latte — and some mornings, I even use it to make both since cleanup in between is literally as simple as whirling a drop of dish soap with a little hot water and a good rinse. (Bonus that it’s compact enough that I can drink straight from it without dirtying a second vessel.)
It’s also great for quickly emulsifying dressings (unless I’m feeding a crowd, there’s not usually enough volume to use a full-size blender or food processor, so this is perfect), and since it’s portable (read: cordless!), it just feels easier to grab for quick kitchen tasks. I also love that I can use it at the kitchen island or the dining table without worrying about it being near an outlet.
Charging is pretty fast too (about one and a half hours), and I find that I can get anywhere from five to 12 uses out of it between charges, depending on how many blending cycles each recipe requires.
2. Coravin Timeless Six+ Wine Preservation System
A Coravin system has been on my list of things to get Chris for Father’s Day for the past couple of years now, and this year, inspired by the several bottles of wine we squirreled away for post-pregnancy enjoyment, I finally pulled the trigger. I could do a whole post on the science and engineering of the Coravin system alone, but the CliffsNotes is that it lets you access a bottle of wine without uncorking it, thereby allowing you to enjoy a glass of wine while preserving the bottle in an unopened state for years (supposedly), if so desired.
For a one-glass-wonder like me, this is an ideal way to enjoy wine — and to enjoy less wine, more often, if that makes sense. There’s never any pressure to finish an open bottle. You can savor a glass of “the good wine” now and save it for a special dinner later. And when you’re entertaining, you can do away with the whole “red or white?” consensus. Tap ’em both, friends. It’s a seriously fun, pretty ingenious little gadget to have on hand if you’re an even somewhat serious wine drinker or collector.
As for the specific system we chose, well, Bed Bath & Beyond has most of the current lineup. For someone decently serious about their wine, the two systems you’d likely consider are the Coravin Timeless Three+ and the Coravin Timeless Six+, with the main difference being (as far as I can tell) the finish/color choices and number of included accessories — and a price difference of $100, with the Timeless Six+ being on the higher end.
Nuts and bolts: The Timeless Three+ has a flatter finish and fewer accessories; the Timeless Six+ has a glossier finish, comes in three color choices, and comes with one more argon capsule and three times as many screw-cap adapter lids (six versus two). As dorky as it sounds, the decision for me, though, came down to the travel case, which only comes with the Timeless Six+. If we’re buying bottles of wine on vacation, which we are likely to do, I love the idea of being able to drink a glass or two while we’re still on the trip, and the minimal carrying case makes it easy to bring the Coravin and a few accompanying accessories along to do just that.
For me, taking the bundled accessory package into account, the Timeless Six+ is worth an extra $100. That said, if you didn’t need the carrying case (or care much about the glossy finish), the Timeless Three+ seems to perform identically, and you can always add the extra capsules or screw-cap adaptors a la carte.
3. ZWILLING Enfinigy 1.5L Electric Kettle Pro
I’ve long toyed with the idea of adding an electric kettle to my tightly curated collection of small appliances, but I was never really sure it was that much more convenient than my beloved stovetop kettle. But the ZWILLING Enfinigy 1.5-Liter Electric Kettle Pro has just enough bells and whistles to be valuable. (OK, except, well, sadly it does not actually whistle. But I can live with that.)
It boils water, yes (and shockingly fast!), but there are lower temperature settings for more-delicate teas. There’s a pour-over button that dials the temperature perfectly for coffee (both of our parents prefer pour-over, so when they come to visit, this in and of itself is super-handy). And there’s even a setting for warming baby bottles, though it does take about 30 minutes. Since we only give Elle a bottle a few times a week, this absolutely works for us — and allows me to do away with our single-use bottle warmer, hurrah!
There’s also a keep-warm function, which is perfect for second and third cups of coffee or tea.
electric kettle (and scenes from our life lately, courtesy of Lana and her favorite Instax camera)
But the best thing might just be the appearance. This kettle is really minimalist, modern and sleek. (Seriously, the little lighted touchpad base is extremely good looking.) And I’ve had great luck with the ZWILLING two-slot toaster we’ve had for the past few years, so I’m optimistic about the build quality and longevity of this electric kettle too.
Shop More Actually Useful Kitchen Picks from Bed Bath & Beyond
Do you have any surprisingly invaluable gadgets in your kitchen? I’d love to hear about them!
xo,
Em
Thank you so much to Bed Bath & Beyond and ShopStyle Collective for sponsoring this post. From stocking my dorm room to building our wedding and baby registries, Bed Bath & Beyond has seen me through some of my most memorable milestones, and I love that it continues to be a reliable source for all the things I never knew I needed. And thanks, as always, for reading along and supporting the brands that allow us to keep doing our thing. We appreciate it so much.
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Hey Pinners…
