MetroKitchen Blog » New Products

Age Wine in Seconds with the Clef du Vin Wine Aging Tool

roger — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:27:00 +0000

The Clef du Vin wine aging tool really does age wine! I was a bit skeptical (well, actually, VERY skeptical) when I saw it demonstrated at a show. It’s supposed to “age” a glass of wine by one year for every second you leave the key in the wine. I thought, “Yeah, right, like that’s going to happen”. But, stunningly, in 5 seconds the young red wine tasted like it had 5 more years of age on it!

You’re probably thinking what I did -– how can this little key with a tiny metal circle really age a glass or even a bottle of wine—must be a gimmick. After trying it at home, I can report that the Clef du Vin is NOT a gimmick. It really works.

The first time we tried the Clef du Vin was with a mid-priced, two year-old Italian red that we should have waited another three to five years to drink. Amazing. In 5 seconds the wine was great. We drank it all – no need to find a cooking use for it.

We even tried it on cheap wines, (yes, even a box wine). While the wine tasted a little better, even the Clef du Vin could not improve it much. As the Clef du Vin’s manufacturer says, it’s not a magic wand. If the wine is going to age well, you are going to get to experience the future flavor and smoothness of the wine today. If it is not going to age well, like with the box wine we tried, you will know that right away too. Thus, I am still not a convert to box wines, but it did smooth the wine out a bit! We’ve taken the Clef du Vin to restaurants, while traveling and even at some wine tastings. It performs every time, as long as we use it on wines that have the ability to improve with age.

One thing I did wonder about was …what was the little bronze colored metal circle on the key adding to the wine? Nothing. The metals in this little circle just create a reaction that’s similar to what naturally happens when wine is aged in the bottle. No chemicals or additives are going into the wine.

One thing to remember, if you leave the Clef du Vin in the glass too long, the wine starts to lose its character, just like wine that is left to age too long. You can experiment with how many seconds it takes to get the taste that is pleasing. Want to try a little more age, just put the Clef back in for another second – you don’t have to start fresh with a new glass of wine. So it’s really simple and quick to get the taste you want from every new wine you try.

It’s easy to use. It’s easy to clean with a little hot water (no detergent, cleansers or dishwasher). And, the Peugeot Clef du Vin has made our 2009 holiday shopping a breeze. Every wine lover on the list gets a Clef du Vine wine aging key! They will love this wonderful thing every time they use it.

Age Wine in Seconds with the Clef du Vin Wine Aging Tool is a post from: MetroKitchen Blog

The weekend of wine tasting and testing

Ceramic Cookware by Emile Henry

Danielle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:37:27 +0000

Ceramic cookware, Flame Top by Emile Henry, is my favorite new line of cookware. My new piece of Emile Henry Flame Top cookware sits right on my stove for all to view.

Emile Henry Flame Top Dutch Oven

I’ve always been a fan of cast iron cookware, but my new ceramic dutch oven has opened up a whole new world for me in my kitchen. My beautiful, yet highly functional blue Flame Top dutch oven is the most versatile, green-friendly cooking vessel in my pantry. My favorite feature of this dutch oven is the fact that I slow cook a meal on my stove, then put it in the oven for baking, and if I want to cook leftovers the next day, I can leave my food in the dutch oven over night, (its freezer proof too!), and then warm it in the microwave the next day. Of course, its a great serving piece as well. The Emile Henry dutch oven is extremely light weight and has dual handles for easy lifting and serving. You wont waste any gas or electric when using this cookware, it is designed to withstand high and low heating temperatures while offering the best cooking results for your recipe. I love to make chili, casseroles and even tomato sauce in my ceramic dutch oven. Clean up for me is a breeze: it is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Emile Henry cookware is made in France.

Ceramic Cookware by Emile Henry is a post from: MetroKitchen Blog

All-Clad LTD2 – The Sequel

Danielle — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:53:26 +0000

All-Clad, the most popular brand of cookware around the globe, has introduced a new line of cookware called All-Clad LTD 2.The All-Clad LTD2 cookware collection is based on the original All-Clad LTD line, but with new additional features surely to please All-Clad customers.

The most exciting new feature is that it is now dishwasher safe. Dishwasher safe cookware saves a lot of time when it comes to clean up in the kitchen, something every cook and chef look for. All-Clad LTD2 is constructed slightly differently than the original. The inner core is constructed with pure aluminum at the bottom and all the way up the sides. The cooking surface is stainless steel for optimum heating results and the exterior is hard anodized which won’t chip, scratch or peel.

As with the other All-Clad lines, pots and pans with a non-stick surface should never be washed in the dishwasher.

All-Clad LTD2 is sure to please the cook in you. MetroKitchen offers open stock and cookware sets of this wonderful new addition to the All-Clad line.

All-Clad LTD2 – The Sequel is a post from: MetroKitchen Blog

Made in the USA: Marcus cookware

Danielle — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:02:10 +0000

Marcus Cookware has arrived! Marcus Cooking is only being sold at a few selected retailers, including MetroKitchen.com. Designed by Chef Marcus Samuelson, Marcus cookware offers all the attributes and features you would expect to find in a professional’s chef kitchen. And above all else, Marcus Samuelsson cookware is proudly made in the USA, unlike many of its celeb chefs competitors. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (June 20th edition), declared Marcus Cookware as “the clear winner” of a recent celebrity cookware equipment test. In the article Samuelson states,”his stainless steel line is for the passionate cook who reads one of the great food magazines and cooks for their families…my pots and pans make it possible for home cooks to recreate restaurant flavors.” In the cookware equipment test, the judges at the Journal “praised the classic design, constructed with aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel on the walls and the base.”

Everyone at MetroKitchen received a sample Marcus Stainless 8″ fry pan from Regalware and to try at home, and Marcus received rave reviews! One MetroKitchen employee said, “I tried it. I thought it was great. Heating was even and seemed to work as well as the other high end cookware.” I was lucky enough to try the 6 quart covered stock pot, creating sauce and the performance was superior. My sauce heated evenly and quickly and never burned. I found the handles extremely comfortable and transported the pot right to my table.

Marcus Stainless Steel cookware was designed to meet the needs of today’s professional chef. Marcus stainless steel cookware is safe for any cooktop surface, including induction. This cookware is oven and broiler safe as well.

Made in the USA, Marcus cookware can be bought in sets or openstock.

Special Offer: MetroKitchen.com is currently selling the Marcus 8-inch fry pan at special “try me” price of $29.95!

Made in the USA: Marcus cookware is a post from: MetroKitchen Blog

The weekend of wine tasting and testing

Lynn — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:06:58 +0000

It was exciting to get to use some new MetroKitchen.com wine brands. First are the Riedel wine glasses in the new Riedel Tyrol style. We looked at and tried the “O” stemless glasses but didn’t think they felt special enough for wine. Plus, given my gracefulness, I was concerned I would too easily dump wine on my dining partner, not to mention shatter the glass.

Riedel’s Tyrol is a totally different experience. We love their look! The base of each glass is solid with a heavy but nicely weighted feel. It’s just what clumsy people like me need to feel secure. What’s more, they

are appealing because they’re a bit taller.

We like to feel like having a glass of wine is special, even if we’re not celebrating anything and the bottle was under $10!

The other great MetroKitchen.com brand that we used this weekend was the Pek Wine Preservation system. The Preservino will preserve the remains of your bottle of wine for up to 2 weeks! That’s because this system uses the same type of gas that California vintners use to preserve their top quality wine. It uses argon gas, which does not change the flavor of the wine because it is inert. We used the “starter” kit with 1 argon cartridge and dispenser and two stoppers. The Pek Preservation products also include units that chill and preserve.

The weekend of wine tasting and testing is a post from: MetroKitchen Blog