With Christmas almost here, many of us can plan on spending hours (if not days) in the kitchen. The portable DVD player from Hammacher & Schlemmer functions as both a DVD and CD player, allowing you to watch your favorite movies (or cooking shows) or listen to your favorite holiday music. It has a headphone jack for private listening, a remote control, AC and DC adapters, a rechargeable battery pack, and a carrying case.

Silicone products have become increasingly popular in the home cooking marketplace. While I have yet to test silicone bakeware, I love my baster because it’s so easy to clean and it keeps its original shape. These bowl sets from Sur La Table promise to make food preparation easy. Simply pinch and pour. I like the set of small bowls (2-cup capacity) because they have lids so you can store ingredients ahead of time.

Tovolo Standz is the latest of several kitchen gadgets to hit the market recently. What’s neat and practical about these tools is the ergonomic soft-grip handle with a flat 1-1/2″ base, which allows the tools to stand up on the counter. You can order all 22 pieces, although I can’t imagine having all of those gadgets sitting on my counter. I’d be more apt to buy the potato peeler and the basting brush, since both tend to get buried in my drawer.