Great new gadgets for the kitchen When it comes to entertaining, the kitchen is usually the last place you want your guests to congregate, what with all the piles of dirty cookware, bakeware and utensils you used to "whip up" your fabulous dinner. And yet, company always make their way in. This year, wow your guests with the chicest kitchen gadgets around. They'll be too busy "oohing" and "aahing" to notice the mess. Click on product name for purchase information1 Sharp Superheated Steam Oven On the market for about a year, Sharp's sleek steam oven uses conventional heat and steam, which, when combined, melts away fat from meats and poultry, seals in natural juices, enhances flavour and results in healthier cooking. And with its chrome or red finish, the steam oven is perfect for the most modern decor.2 Lego Ice TrayMom and Dad may have told you to stop playing with your food, but they never said anything about your drink. Make mealtime fun again with these cool ice cubes that look like Lego blocks. Drop them in your drink or stack them on your plate to build your very own ice castle. 3 Vase GrinderThis mill, from Kuhn Rikon Switzerland, is equipped with a ceramic grinder that grinds herbs, spices and even coffee beans as fine or as coarse as you like. The grinding device sits on top of the mill keeping your counter clean and the vase-shaped body is clear letting you know what's inside and how much you have left. With the vase grinder available in seven colours, you can colour code your spices and never have to use pre-ground again. 4 Dalla Piazza NüscupIf you like to cook or bake but hate all the clean up, pick up the Dalla Piazza Nüscup. This handy scoop adjusts to the amount you want to measure, from 1/8th to ½ cup (or two to nine tablespoons), for both liquid and dry ingredients. When you're done, just toss it in the dishwasher -- and toss away all those other bulky measuring tools. Beverage gadgets PLUS keep your eyes peeled for these items not yet in Canada 5 CoffeeTeam ThermFor those who love fresh ground coffee and need a cup all day long, the CoffeeTeam Therm may just be the answer. A combination coffee maker and burr grinder -- which preserves more aroma and provides a finer grind than a blade grinder -- the CoffeeTeam Therm lets you program the time, amount and strength of coffee, holds up to 80 grams of coffee and drips into a stainless steel carafe that will keep coffee warm for hours. Let the caffeine high begin. 6 Hot Chocolate PotIf you prefer a warm mug of cocoa over coffee, then you'll want to put the Hot Chocolate Pot on your wish list. Fill the cute little ceramic pot with milk and chocolate -- syrup, shavings, chips or powder -- heat in the microwave, then whip with the automatic frother. Fireplace and fuzzy slippers sold separately. Not yet available in Canada but worth a drool . . . 7 Star Extractor HoodForm collides with function in this bold, beautiful range hood that looks right at home in a disco, never mind above your stove top. The crystal sphere is made of hundreds of tiny glass prisms that reflect not only light, but good taste, and comes with a three-speed illuminated touch sensor with remote control, long-life odour filters and washable grease filters. Bets are you'll have the range hood on even if the range is not.(Note: Range hoods by Italian manufacturer Elica are distributed by Zephyr in North America, but the brand new star is not yet available. Keep your fingers crossed.)8 Ecopod Automated Recycling BinLet's face it, recycling is a bulky affair. Those plastic bottles and aluminum cans take up a lot of space, unless you crush them first. That's where the Ecopod comes in. Designed by BMW Designworks, the chic-looking recycling bin has an opening at the top to drop in bottles and cans. Step on the foot pedal and your recyclables are compacted and stored in a removable bin. There's also room to store paper and glass until recycling day. The one drawback is the Ecopod, which launched in November, is not yet taking Canadian orders. So, if you have friends stateside . . .