Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

@peekpoke -- a baby bottle brush does the trick just perfectly. The sideways/down thing is why this isn't good for turkey, but it works well for smaller proteins like chicken breasts. Enjoy!

ohhh, joe, this looks awesome. and they sell colombiana! it was my favorite soda growing up. (aka the only soft drink i've ever truly enjoyed!)

@ CJ -- it's very easy to clean! Just stick it in the dishwasher and you're done!

@chefrobert -- i've used metal mashers, and this is remarkably easier, faster, requires less force, and is more fun! i was literally done mashing 10 large potatoes in less than a minute. metal mashers work well, but i liked this system much better.

@wunami - the gadget reviews aren't strictly for new gadgets on the market (though we love those!); I really like reviewing the kinds of things that people think about buying but don't know whether they're worth the money (like the mandoline I reviewed, or this one). There's definitely a sense of practicality in the choices, so if there are requests out there, feel free to shoot them my way in the comments!

@hmw0029 - you're totally right. that's just what I meant when I said these are good for new-to-the-kitchen types or those looking to simply consolidate. Definitely not for everyone. Gadgets that do so many things rarely do them as well as gadgets that focus on one purpose, but uni-taskers are often frowned upon for cost/space issues. This is a good grey area example--powerful enough for most functions that it's worth buying should you be the type to hate on the uni-taskers!

@carey: it's deliciousness stuffed into bread. it's gotta count for something!

@LAQ 1013 and @finsbig fan -- frankly, we carved Che because his famous silhouette lends itself so well to the medium and gave us a high level of technical difficulty to test Martha's tools. And there's gotta be some spook factor to any good jack-o-lantern, right?

@yayfood - I completely agree. I absolutely love Martha, but her products can be disappointing! I wonder who is to blame...

@hungrychristel, another thing that's great about a slow cooker vs. a roasting pan is that if you're cooking for a group, you can keep oven/stove space free for whatever else you're making!

@semarr, the lid on mine fits a little loose, which I think helps with temperature control. If you're having those kinds of problems, though, there are also newer models with precise temperature control that may be easier to find than older models. The only thing is that they cost a bit more--upwards of $100 for sure.

@plazmaorb -- you're right. you definitely get what you pay for. i'm still hoping there are reasonably priced products out there that can do the job "well enough" though!

@CEBakes -- I definitely looked at the Kyocera, but I'm not going to lie--one of the main functions of a mandoline for me is making perfect fries. And if there's no julienne option, there are no fries!!

@annabananas -- I'll totally keep it in mind the next time I pick up a mandoline.. Stick around!

Kerry, this is great timing--I was looking for some kind of honey-themed recipe for Rosh Hashana to serve for a large party. Since not all my guests eat fish, do you think this marinade would work well on chicken as well? Seems like it would, right? Any suggestions on how to adapt?

to answer some questions:

like blogkitten said, the color isn't paint--it's a non-stick coating. And the colors are meant to help distinguish the knives from one another (like color-coded cutting boards would).

according to the knife experts that I consulted, these can be sharpened with any normal sharpener or steel, so no worries there.

moibec--are you sure what you had was by this brand? other companies make colored knives but these are a little different. I'd love to urge you to reconsider your stance--there is such thing as an aesthetically designed kitchen gadget that lives up to cooks' standards!

The tips stay cool, so you just pick 'em up and rotate. Pretty easy, actually!

ask and you shall receive--will post pictures of the next gadget escapades :)

loving the other suggestions so far!