Just in time for Valentine's Day, we found the perfect gadget for barbecue and tech geeks.  Yes, the iGrill (pictured right) is a thermometer, but it also links to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you don't need to hover over the grill or even the oven, making sure you're meat doesn't overcook.  Nope.  Talk with your guests and monitor the roast's internal temperature from your phone wherever you are. It has an alarm that goes off when the desired internal temperature is reached.  Plus, it's Bluetooth-enabled, with a range of 200 feet. 

This stand-alone thermometer also has a built-in probe storage space, and an easy-to-read, lighted display, which comes in very handy for outdoor barbecues long after the sun's set. The iGrill has a touch display, and comes with two probes, which means it can actually monitor two separate pieces of meat simultaneously.  Perfectly done meat and time to socialize with friends?  What more could a cook ask for?  Pretty great Valentine's Day gift for a BBQ fanatic.

The iGrill, $99.99
http://store.igrillinc.com/igrill-white/

Apparently, not all kitchen essentials are for cooking, Especially not in this day and age when cell phones have virtually replaced landlines and you can pull up a recipe on your ipad or iphone. That's why we love this practical, new kitchen tool, the Rosie Cell Phone holder (pictured right). 

This sleek, stainless steel holder fits onto any rail or shelf and is big enough to hold anything from a cell phone to a tried-and-true cordless phone.  There's prongs on the back to wrap loose cords to keep them out of harm's way and even holes in the bottom of the holder to put your cords through. Let's face it: The kitchen's a messy place and no one wants to lose a  phone to a pot that runneth over over an oil spill. And, because it's kitchen friendly, it's also dishwasher safe.  It's pretty hard to beat that.


Rosie Cell Phone Holder $39.95

How many times have you stepped away from the stove for just a second only to hear that dreaded sizzle?  That's right, the pot boiled over again and now you have to clean up the mess. Whether it be boiling water for rice, pasta, potatoes or vegetables, it happens to the best chefs.  

Which is why we love this recent discovery - the Kuhon Rikon spill stop lids (pictured right).  Direct from Germany, these colorful silicone lids prevent your pot from boiling over by catching the bubbling liquid for you.  It's heat resistant up to 400 degrees as well as microwave and dishwasher safe.  Just place the flower-shaped lid on any pot with the flower facing up and your good to go.  Best of all, it acts like a vacuum, sealing in the flavor of any stock or sauce.  

Kuhon Spill Stop Lid $29.95

Mini's have all been all the rage this fall where dessert is concerned.  We've seen and sampled everything from mini-cupcakes to mini-cannolis and more.  If you're like us, you like to recreate your favorite food finds at home, so we scouted out mini-makers of all kinds, from mini-pie makers to teeny ice cream sandwiches.

One of our favorite discoveries is the Mini Waffle Maker from Smart Planet (pictured right).  This gadget allows you to make pint-size Belgian waffles, the kind with deep cratered squares, great for catching whatever you put on it, be it syrup, powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, nevermind what you can add to the batter. (We're fond of chocolate chip waffles, blueberry waffles and even peanut butter waffles.)

And with five mini waffles instead of one big one, you can add different condiments to each one and feed more than one person at a time.  In three minutes, you have five, mini-waffles and the non-stick surface means each waffles comes out without a problem. You can even make a miniature version of chicken & waffles with drumsticks.  Happy hibernating!

Smart Planet Mini-Waffle Maker $28.99

We love going out for Mexican, but aside from guacamole or ceviche, we rarely make it at home.  Homemade tortillas seem daunting and 17-ingredient mole overwhelming.  Recently, we've developed a fondness for breakfast quesadillas and we'd prefer to eat them in our PJ's.  So we went on a hunt for a kitchen tool to make it a lot easier and we found one.

This El Paso Quesadilla Maker (pictured right) is almost too good to be true.  It's non-stick, so you don't have to worry about prying our cheese-filled quesadilla out and there's a ready light that lets you know when it's done.  Which means there's no risk of over or undercooking, and no need to stand guard,  peeking under the lid to ensure it's not going to burn.  There's also a built-in reservoir to catch any gooey cheese or liquid spillover, which makes for easy cleanup.

Just place a corn or flour tortilla on the base and fill it with whatever you want -- from cheese to crab to steak, eggs, corn, mushrooms or whatever else you can think up.  You're the chef.  It's your show.

Quesadilla Maker $17.99