I am a low-dose coffee addict. I don’t need to have an i.v. of coffee, but I definitely need my morning cup of coffee. I prefer to sip slowly on my hot beverage during the start of my workday. This leads to the problem of finding the perfect travel coffee mug. For a while, it seemed that finding this mug would be as hard as finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I searched many a rainbow, looking for the elusive travel mug. There have been mugs made of different materials, with and without handles, with different means of closing the drinking spout or with a continually open drinking spout. All of them have had flaws: the coffee cooled too quickly, the spout was hard to open, the cup slipped in my hand, it didn’t fit well in my cup holder. All of these journeys ended with a pot of fool’s gold.

However, my luck changed two years ago. Shopping in a kitchen store, I found the OXO Good Grips Click & Seal Travel Mug. There was a rainbow of colors before my eyes: red, blue, green, gray. I had seen many a rainbow, so I was dubious as to whether this rainbow would include the pot of gold. Only after purchasing and using this new mug, would I know if it were really good as gold.

The Click & Seal Travel Mug proved to be that pot of gold. Its many features made it the perfect coffee delivery system. The drinking spout opened easily with the click of one finger, which allowed many quick sips while driving to work. During that ride, the cup sat nicely in a cup holder, having a slim shape and no handle to interfere with its placement. The mug fit nicely in my hand and had an anti-slip coating that made it easy to hold.

With all of these features working for my new mug, it had one more test to pass: coffee temperature. I like my coffee to be piping hot, not quite enough to burn my taste buds but enough to make my throat radiate with heat. The mug was put to the test, as fairly often I don’t finish my beverage until a few hours after I have brewed it. The OXO mug passed with flying colors! My coffee was still the correct temperature.

My search for the pot of gold has ended, and my wishes have been fulfilled. There will be no more searches for the ideal travel mug. The OXO Good Grips Click & Seal Travel Mug proved to be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

A year or two ago, my two children, who were 7 and 9 at the time, slept over a friend’s house. For breakfast the next morning they were offered waffles. They thought it was a great idea until the waffles were taken out of a box in the freezer. At this point in their young lives they had never seen waffles that weren’t homemade. Needless to say, the waffle maker at my house is very well used.

I have owned my Toastmaker Belgian Waffle Maker for more than a decade, and I love it for its great features and its simplicity. To prepare it for use, all that you need to do is plug it in. Once heated, the indicator light turns off. Open the waffle maker, spray it with a little nonstick cooking spray, pour the batter, close it, and it’s cooking time. Again when the waffle maker is ready and the waffle is done cooking, the indicator light turns off. The waffle is easily removed from the waffle maker with a fork. When you are done making all of your waffles and the waffle maker is cool, simply wipe it with a paper towel. The waffle maker is clean and ready for its next use.

This waffle maker is very durable. Mine has been used quite frequently over the past ten years, waffles being a common breakfast request from my children. Even after being used for many a lazy Sunday morning breakfast, my waffle maker shows no sign of wear. The waffles that I make today are as well cooked as the first waffles that I made with the waffle maker.

The Toastmaker Belgian Waffle Maker produces perfectly cooked waffles. They have a slight crunch on the outside, are piping hot, and have a tender, light center. Served with butter and maple syrup, the waffles make a delicious breakfast. Of course, you can be more creative with your toppings, using items, such as fresh strawberries, chocolate chips, or even ice cream.

As my favorite breakfast cooking tool, I would recommend the purchase of the Toastmaker Belgian Waffle Maker.

 It seems that wherever you go today you can find espresso-based drinks. What used to be found at only upscale bakeries and Italian restaurants, can now be found at gas stations and convenience stores. With such a surge in popularity, it makes sense that there are now many options for making lattes, cappuccinos, and espressos at home.

Having become a fan of lattes, I received a DeLonghi Espresso Maker a year ago. I found this to be the perfect home model for me. It was very reasonably priced, taking about 20 barista-made lattes to equal the price of the machine. Its size is not cumbersome, fitting perfectly in a corner of my kitchen counter.

My DeLonghi Espresso Maker also is very user friendly. It comes with espresso pods, which make cleaning quite simple. However, I have also used ground espresso and have had the same results, though a little more cleaning is needed. This machine produces hot, perfectly strong espresso. The steam nozzle quickly heats and froths the milk to make a delicious cappuccino or latte at home.

In addition to using the espresso maker for making these delicious beverages, it can also be used to make my kids‘ favorite hot drink, moos. Moos are simply steamed milk with any flavored syrup added: chocolate, caramel, vanilla, etc.

For the price, size, and convenience of this machine, it’s the best buy on the home market.