PRO-STYLE PREP
Faucet Above the Stove
You think the prep cook at your favorite Italian restaurant staggers across the kitchen from sink to stove with pots full of water for pasta? No: Most restaurant kitchens have water lines and faucets above the stove. If you’re renovating your kitchen — or building a dream kitchen from scratch, like Tricia and Chris Morrison did — consider adding a wall-mounted pot-filler faucet. Most models have double-hinged arms so they can fold up toward the wall when not in use. Many have two separate on-off valves to minimize the chance of drips. The Chicago Faucet Shoppe (www.chicagofaucetshoppe.com) has a wide online selection, including this simple Danze model for $216. — Eva Moore
NO MORE PULP
World’s Sexiest Juicer
Unless you have a serious fresh-squeezed orange juice habit, you should think twice before devoting valuable counter space to this retro-styled citrus juicer. But just looking at it will make you start thinking of excuses. Margaritas? Tarte au citron? A summertime lemonade stand? Simple citrus reamers take up less space but leave you picking seeds and pulp out of your salad dressing, while this juicer strains them out. The lever arm works like a drill press, quickly extracting all the juices from oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and other citrus with minimal effort. No lemon juice in your paper cuts, either. And those bright red curves, that shiny chrome — well, it might as well have tailfins. Find it at World Market for $24.99. — Eva Moore
EGG-BEATING HEAVEN
The Essential Whisk
How did Escoffier get by without one? This silicone-coated 8” flat whisk from Cuisipro is perfect for making sauces. Small and flat enough for stirring a small amount of roux in a saucepan or beating a few eggs in a glass measuring cup, the whisk has myriad uses. The silicone coating won’t scratch nonstick cookware, and it’s easy to clean — even hard, dried clumps of grits slide right off with some soap and water. It’s also heatproof to 750 degrees Fahrenheit and dishwasher-safe. A balloon whisk will work slightly better for more serious egg beating — the large, round shape incorporates more air into the eggs — but the flat whisk has more uses. If you buy only one whisk, make it this one. The Gourmet Shop has an assortment of shapes and colors, including this blue one for $13. — Eva Moore
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