Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More

Bonnie: When Eric was home visiting recently, we got to chatting about gadgets. Kitchen gadgets, of course. That’s when he raved about this new Tupperware can opener. I had to test it — especially since my electric one had died long ago.

To me, when I think of Tupperware, I think of food-storage containers. And then I smile. I smile as I think of burpable containers. I doubt Bryan, Eric or other young folks would recall — but I certainly do — how we used to “burp” the plastic container to get the excess air out before sealing it. (Anyone else remember doing that?)

Tupperware’s come a long way since that and the...

Bryan: My first experience with the new Tupperware can opener was a bit embarrassing. If you’ve ever seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, my introduction to this crazy device could be likened to the apes’ naive wonder at tools, though my confusion and fear, thankfully, transitioned to a triumphant celebration of a discovery.

I was excited by the new opener, a radical departure from every other can opener I’ve ever seen. I immediately grabbed...

Eric: What I love about this can opener, aside from the fact that it is the easiest can opener I’ve ever used, was the little detail Tupperware added in making the job of opening a can (seemingly difficult among the elder members of the family) even easier.

Let’s see if I can explain this so the “monkeys” can understand it: What they’ve done is attached a little (and I mean little) triangular piece of metal to each handle of the utensil. When the handles are...

Bonnie: These Pyrex and CorningWare Portables make the food scientist in me very happy.

You see, I’m a stickler for keeping foods at the proper temperature. In fact, some of my friends refer to me as “the food police.” But I’m sure if they knew what I’d learned in my food-borne bacteriology classes, they too would keep their hot foods hot and cold foods cold. And they wouldn’t leave any food at room temperature for more than two hours.

Seriously, though, people do get sick from food mishandling. That includes...

Bryan: As I look at the Pyrex and CorningWare Portables sitting on my kitchen table, I immediately think back to night ski trips in high school. This may sound like a strange aside when considering baking dishes, but I assure the court that I will come to the point. At that time in my life, skiing was a new sport and, with little money to invest, my gear collection was a motley assortment of reallocated sporting goods; I’d stuff my boots...

Eric: I am a pushover for picnics and relish the opportunity to move away from the kitchen table and venture into a park for the occasional brunch (or dinner). For me, the picnic represents relaxation; it’s a retreat from the monotony of everyday dining, and a change from the daily kitchen-table meals. I can close my eyes now and smell the smoke of the BBQ and the scent of the freshly cut grass.

Although one of my favorite ideas about a picnic is the food preparation (mise en...

Bonnie: I first tried Press‘n Seal when testing it for consideration in Parade’s March “Live Longer, Better, Wiser™” issue a few years ago. It was love at first press.

Seriously. As a doubting Taylor (Thomas is just too masculine) I didn’t think this plastic wrap would actually stick to paper, Styrofoam or wood. But it did…and still does.

I raved about it to a friend, who of course wanted me to bring her a box the next time I visited her in Brussels, Belgium. That box is still above her stove, not because she doesn’t like it, but because she does. She’s hoarding it as she doesn’t want to run out.

It’s a quirk of hers that I discovered when visiting my friend in South America just after her son was born in the early ‘70s. She had moved there after her wedding, but yearned for foods from home. I know I brought a food-filled suitcase, but what I most recall is lugging a carry-on with good crusty New York bread, pickled...

Upcoming Contest News: Beginning in April, you’ll have a chance to win a case of Press’n Seal Wrap. Be sure to...

Bryan: I was pondering what to write about this product for a while before coming up with the following: It really works. I had seen ads on TV for the Press‘n Seal Wrap, but hadn’t bought it yet. I wasn’t averse to the idea, but have a pretty good Tupperware collection that keeps most of my leftovers fresh. This all changed when I recently got a shipment of fresh meats, far too much to eat in four sittings, let alone one. Freezer, here you come. But I had a problem. My freezer was stuffed and wouldn’t come close to accepting a collection of bulky containers. My solution: Press ‘n Seal, a recent arrival at ...

Eric: In my opinion, this is one of those products that can be thrown into the everlasting debate of “What was the greatest invention of the 20th century?” All right, some people may seem a little confused by a comparison between a simple plastic film and, for example, the airplane or the computer, but let’s be honest: How often have you struggled to save leftover food without the convenience of Tupperware? We’ve all encountered the aggravation that ensues from having to clean up the mess with traditional plastic wraps. And no matter who you are, you’ve most likely spilled the leftovers all over the ...