This kitchen system would be perfect for a compact kitchen in an urban area. It is produced by bulthaup and consists of two tool cabinets, a workbench, and a water point. You can see the workbench and one of the storage cabinets to the right.

I admire how compact the b2 system is, and it then folds up when not in use. You can go to the bulthaup website to see it in frame-by-frame action.

I can only imagine how much it costs, but with a small kitchen space, a system like this would be invaluable.

From Trudeau comes a set of 8 silicone multi-use ties for the kitchen. They were recently featured in the October 2009 Bon Appetit. I often use OXO clips, but those really don’t work that well on some packages, especially smaller cracker packages and bread bags. And I almost never have those throwaway wire twists on hand.

These multi-use ties, however, are non-slip and dishwasher safe. You can even use them for bunching stems of herbs or flowers together or anything else in the home for that matter. 

You can purchase them online at LaPrima Shops for $4.99. You can also use the Trudeau website to find a retailer near you.

I know fresh brewing is always better when it comes to coffee, but I was intrigued that at Chowhound there was a forum discussion about the best brand of instant coffee. Sometimes a person just doesn’t have time to brew a batch or maybe you just ran out and instant is the only option.

One of the recommendations on Chowhound was that Nescafe Clasico Instant Coffee is one of the best, and if you can’t find that in stores Taster’s Choice is best. Both are owned by Nestle, but the Nescafe brand apparently adjusts their products for tastes in different countries, and some suggest looking at hispanic grocery stores to find the instant coffee aimed at the Latino population.

The vintage instant coffer jar above was purchased at H & B Gallery in Minneapolis for $39. It has a sterling silver cover and base with etched glass.

The Green Guide put out by National Geographic recommended the Preserve Food Storage containers when you need to store leftovers or other types of food. So if you worry about plastics and food storage, then you may want to refer to the Green Guide website as it gives a lot of information on this subject.

For instance, each type of plastic is given a number corresponding to the type of resin used in production. Most of your storage containers will have a number five on the bottom inside the recycling logo, which means it is polypropylene. Cling wrap and storage bags are number four, and milk jugs are number two. All of these types of plastic are recommended. 

Plastic with a number four is PVC and is frequently used in cling wraps for meats at the supermarket and delis. This should generally be avoided according to the Green Guide, but I don’t know how many people would follow its recommendation of slicing off a thin layer where food came into contact with the plastic. I probably won’t go that far.

Preserve Food Storage also offers some square storage containers for sandwiches and leftovers that should inspire everyone who takes their lunch to work to upgrade. It is true that these product options are a bit more expensive, but the Green Guide also recommends Ziplock storage containers, which are affordable and easily found at supermarkets.

I grew up in the ’80s and had tupperware everywhere, and a brief look through my parents’ cupboards will reveal a tupperware time machine much like the rings in an old tree. Primary blue, red, and orange — those where the elementary school years. Pastels were later on. Other versions came after I graduated. But it is all still there, and my daughter is using the same dinky plastic cups I used in my day. And I can still remember when my mother hosted those tupperware parties, and I had to shuffle off to some back room while grown ups secretly haggled over plastic. The currency of the ’80s was not in oil or junk bonds, it was in plastic push-down lids, butter trays, and kool-aid pitchers.

This summer, however, I was driving around my small town going to some garage sales and a woman was selling tupperware in her garage. I kind of looked around and thought to myself: “Do they still sell this stuff?” I didn’t know. 

Well, to my surprise Tupperware is more than alive, and this year it won a Red Dot Design Award for kitchen products. And this Allegra serving bowl set shows why they won it. It looks great, and I even tried finding a place to purchase it on the internet, but it must not be in production yet.  

And to top that off, Tupperware also took home the Red Dot Design Team of the year award joining the ranks of BMW, Apple, LG, Bose, Nokia, and Siemens among others. I’m impressed. You can find out more about this innovative product line and the Red Dot Awards here. Congratulations to Tupperware, and I will be waiting for this serving bowl set to go on sale.