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When I first heard about a zester, I was intrigued. I promptly went out and bought one. That was not before I had almost seriously injured myself using a regular grater to remove lemon peel for Lemon Meringue Pie. I decided that a zester had to be the best thing since the invention of the whisk.

A "zester" allows you to create fine strips of peel from lemons, oranges and other citrus fruits. It is essential for all cooks if you want to remove lemon peel for a Lemon Meringue Pie or for orange peel if you are making Orange Butter.

To remove zest from citrus, simply pull the sharp edge of the zester across the fruit peel. The zester has fine holes which are sharp and cut into the peel. This results in fine strips of citrus peel which may then be chopped. If you want to obtain small pieces without having to chop the zest, just pull the sharp edge across a small section at a time. I recommend using organic citrus fruits.

If you want to make a pretty display of oranges and lemons, you can use the "channel knife" to cut thin strips of peel out of the citrus fruits. The result is a decorative pattern. I start at the top of the citrus fruit and wind my way around to the base. Think of how you peel an apple and it is just as easy.

Just a hint: Try to only obtain the yellow layer in lemons, the orange layer in oranges, etc. The white pith is very bitter.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

I really like this set. The nice is practical for everyday use. I like how the handle on the peeler is larger than on most peelers. It is much easier to hold. It is great for carrots, potatoes, chocolate for fondue, etc. This knife is great to use on just about anything. Whether it's slicing an apple or cutting a sandwich in half.

This sturdy brush is just the thing for preparing dishes for the dishwasher or (heaven forbid) washing dishes by hand. The grip is indeed good, as advertised and the bristles are stiff and easy to clear. You keep dish soap (Dawn is a perreniel favorite of mine) in the top and you can push the button to make it come out. Sometimes it leaks but not very much and not very often.

This brush often seems to be in short supply at home stores, but I always buy the entire stock and give them as gifts. Several people have specifically mentioned that this little brush became an indispensible part of their kitchen.

I got this corkscrew and love it. It works everytime without a lot of difficulty. I used the "waiter corkscrew" and was not happy with it. I'm glad I found this one.

I use this more stirring soups and sauces. It is great and easy to clean (just toss it in the dishwasher). OXO is also nice enough, yet simple, so you can use it as serveware for a casual dinner with friends.

I bought this set as well as the steak knife set which also comes with a nice maple block and I absolutely love these knives. If you like rubber grip kitchen items that fit your hands well, then you may want to look at these knives. The steel is hard and sturdy. The blades don't flex like the cheaper knives out there. The cutting edges have remained razor sharp for quite some time now. I'm not a chef, so my knives only see average use. I admit only one problem with this set. I love the feel and quality so much, I started collecting other varieties of the MV-55 Pro knives, and now I don't have enough room to display all of them! I contacted OXO to see if I could purchase another matching maple block for the rest of my set, but they informed me that they don't sell just the block. So be careful, you may fall in love with these knives and end up buying more of the many available varieties and have no where to put them! I highly recommend this set, you will not be sorry!

I spent way too much time picking out my last ice cream scoop (I can never get those 30 minutes of my life back!), so benefit from the time I spent... When picking an ice cream scoop, a couple of things to consider. 1) The handle: having a handle that "gives" with you a bit is a plus, I like this handle because most of it is stainless steel so it looks good, but it has the OXO flexibility where it counts. 2) the actual scoop itself: the "business end" of this tool should be pointed, it only makes sense. I used to use a spade, but it just isn't as effective when trying to get through hard ice cream. This design works beautifully. One more thought, ignore the scoops that have a lever to release the ice cream, its not necessary and is likely to break eventually. Spare yourself further searching and go with this one...

The Oxo Steel Stainless Steel Bottle Opener is an excellent buy. It is very sturdy and easy to use. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is in the market for a bottle opener. I received a great product at a bargain price.

Seven Bridges really does a nice job of putting together a beer kit producing great tasting beer, at a reasonable price, and it's so easy. They provide step-by-step instructions on what ingredients go in next, and make it virtually fool-proof. The ingredients used are of excellent quality and this kit produces consistently terrific beer. They've really taken all of the guess-work out of brewing and made it easy. I've done this same brew kit several times with identical results. I highly recommend it!!

I purchased two of these on a whim, and I'm about to purchase several more. These lamps are very small for CFL's -- smaller than a regular light bulb. The color rendering is very similar to incandescent. I have golden-colored walls and most fluorescents create an ugly green or purple cast on them. These bulbs still aren't quite as nice as incandescent, but they're close enough that you probably wouldn't notice the difference unless doing an A/B comparison. The other common annoyance many CFL's have is slow start times, even in so-called "instant-start" bulbs. These start in about 1/10 second and reach normal operating conditions (color, intensity) in about a second. Works for me! With a 10,000 hour life and 1/4 the energy consumption (and heat production) of incandescent, the tradeoffs are quite worthwhile.