kit chensbymiket aylo r.co .ukhttp://www.kitchensbymiketaylor.co .uk/blog/2013/07/25/3-coo l-kitchen-gadgets-for-hot-sunny-days/

3 Cool Kitchen Gadgets For Hot Sunny Days

Summer 2013 looks to be gearing up to be one of the hottest on record.

Just a couple of months ago, forecasters were predicting a repeat of last year’swashout summer, saying the jet stream being further south than usual was leading tounsettled weather, allowing low pressure systems to track across the UK.

But, thankfully, the forecasters seem to have got it wrong (for once!). And, now thesunny weather seems to be here to stay. Af ter all, we’ve just had St Swithin’s Day onJuly 15th. And, as the saying goes if it rains on St Swithin’s day, “for forty days it willremain… St Swithin’s day, if thou be fair, for forty days ‘twill rain nae mare.” And, withwall-to-wall sunshine, and not a drop of rain, on St Swithin’s, it looks like we’re in fora very special British summer.

Whether it mirrors the salad days of 1976, and those 35C temperatures, remains tobe seen. But we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts, while treating ourselves to someclever little gizmos to make sure we stay cool as the mercury continues to soar:

Ice cream maker

There’s nothing better than homemade ice-cream. You can make your very own bespokef lavours. And, what’s more, making ice-cream will keep your little ones entertainedduring the long summer holidays, hopefullydelaying those cries of “Mum.. I’m bored”.

We love the Sage Smart Scoop with its sleekchrome detailing. The grill on the f ront andits curved edges give it a bit of a 1950s vibe,while inside, the mechanics are said to havebeen tested by none other than HestonBlumenthal. Some ice cream makers requireconstant supervision but this automatically senses how hard the mixture is,depending on your setting selection. Costing around £350, it then keeps your f rozenice-cream, sorbet or yoghurt at the right consistency for up to 3 hours, even playing alittle ice cream van tune when it’s ready. But, while Heston famously made bacon ice-cream, and an onion version, we think we may be sticking to more conventional

f lavours.

Salad bowl

The hot weather is encouraging all of us toeat more healthily. Af ter all, no one wants toeat stodgy food while the sun is shining.Instead, we’re mixing up all our favouritesalads, and enjoying them with a glass ofcrisp white or rosé. Adding lots of saladdressing probably isn’t helping our waistlinethough. But, at least we’re making sure ourdishes look pretty as summer is a greatexcuse to invest in a beautiful salad bowl.

Royal Crown Derby, as always, had abeautiful range this summer. The DerbyBorder design is striking in its simplicity. Costing around £410, it leaves a gorgeousexpanse of pure white f ine bone china, providing the perfect background for yourSalad Nicoise or Caesar Salad.

Wine cooler

Whatever you’re doing this summer, enjoy thesunshine!

There’s nothing better than a glass of cool,crisp, dry white wine on a hot summer’s day.But, there’s nothing worse than warm whitewine. So, investing in a cooler means youdon’t have to make the long trek back f romthe garden to your kitchen. This leather-handled version is ideal if you have guestsfor an al f resco lunch as there’s plenty ofroom to keep all your bottles at the perfecttemperature.