I’ve always enjoyed tuna salad sandwiches. However, I’ve always found straining the liquid from the tuna a challenging experience. My old can opener would allow me to open the can most of the way, so I could use the “lid” to press down on the tuna and push the liquid out. The risk of cutting myself on the sharp metal was always high, but somehow, I managed to escape injury over the years.

I don’t have the same partial opening option with my new can opener, which forces me to open the can and drain the tuna through a 2-cup colander. The result wasn’t nearly as liquid free as I prefer. So, I don’t have tuna as often as I would like.

Progressive’s Stainless Steel Colander is perfect for this job. You can also use it to drain other canned goods, such as pineapple, kidney beans, corn, etc. Priced at $6.99, it’s one of those cheap investments that will last for years.

You’ve seen Blendtec machines in coffee shops, juice bars, and restaurants around the world. The Total Blender is an all-in-one appliance that promises to replace all of (or nearly all) the appliances in your kitchen. Imagine having one appliance that will make smoothies, ice cream, soups, breads, etc. Its engine has 1500 Watts of power which will crush your ice into snow for a splendid margarita . . . or an iPod into granules. What will these crazy marketers come up with next?

I received this set as a gift on Sunday and was surprised by how small these grinders were. After looking online, I realized that these weren’t original Chef’n salt and pepper grinder set that I had seen last summer, but the miniature version, which is 1/3 smaller.

I liked the magnets they have on the back, which allow you to store them on your refrigerator and other metal appliances. They didn’t stick too well to my fridge. However, they stuck to the side of my mounted microwave just fine.

Next, I tested the grinding mechanisms. I was able to get about 1/4 tsp after 7 squeezes of the rabbit ears. Because these grinders are so small, they hold maybe 4 to 5 tablespoons (I’m guessing here). I don’t expect to use this set for anything more than light seasoning both during and after the cooking process.