COOK’S TOYS : Small Gifts That Make a Big Difference

Increased sales of gourmet foods have spawned an interest in newer domestic and imported culinary appliances. Competition among manufacturers is intense, with brand names galore. When a new product clicks, such as the miniature food grinder, a line of “me-toos” are on trail in no time.

This broader selection eases the task of selecting a present for a gourmet friend or relative. (Unless you’re a fickle buyer, of course.) The roundup includes updated classics--such as blenders and mixers--that often pop up on a bride’s wish list to a range of high-tech “cook’s toys,” which appear intended for those who have everything.

Despite pessimistic forecasts about the effects of the recent stock market decline on consumer spending, many retailers are already experiencing a lot of activity this season.

“One advantage we have is that our customers are less sensitive to economic changes,” says John Donaldson, portable electrics buyer for Bullock’s. “We’re trying to be optimistic. If we feel gloomy we think customers will too. With the earthquakes and stock market fluctuations people are tired of feeling gloomy, and they want to have at least a month of celebrating.”

For Marty Love, Gelson’s cookware buyer, progress is apparent as her gourmet department continues to expand. “Sales are higher now than they’ve ever been; in fact, they’re at their highest this year. We’re looking forward to a very good year.”

Upscale products have also been moving, she said. “I’m selling more expensive items than anything else.”

The industry also credits “cocooning,” a term that means moving entertainment activities inside the home, for many of these buying trends. Predicted to benefit from cocooning through 1991 are sales of mixers and blenders, coffee makers, popcorn poppers and ice cream makers. Another generation of appliances that is stirring interest for their ability to whip up fast meals includes food processors, microwave ovens and pressure cookers.

Small electrics are also growing. In tune with the increase of smaller households are compact food processors, mini chopper/grinders, downsized microwaves and indoor barbecue grills. Combination microwave/convection or microwave/broiler ovens and other multipurpose equipment that saves on counter space is also starting to squeeze into the picture.

The following sampling of newer appliances will provide ideas for your Christmas offerings. The selection includes this year’s innovative introductions, all uniquely styled with pleasing clean lines. The final decision, however, will depend upon your own imagination and the inclinations of the gift’s recipient.

Euro-style Cafe-Therm coffee maker from Philips Home Products ($120) dispenses brewed coffee into a thermal container. Convenient for people on the go, the one-quart vacuum bottle (designed with a handle) keeps coffee hot for hours. The base unit has a detachable water reservoir with a gauge and a function indicator light.

Save valuable counter space with the Kitchen Machine from Philips ($250). This European import is an unusual appliance that performs the functions of four appliances: a mixer and dough kneader; a blender; a food processor with slicer and shredder attachments, and a grinder/mincer with sausage stuffing attachments.

Flash cooking? Pot roasts, legumes and ribs that take hours to cook can be prepared quickly and safely in the Tefal Sensor (about $70 for 6-quart model), a user-friendly pressure cooker that elicits trust. As cooking begins, any pressure build-up automatically activates the lock, making the lid impossible to open. Pressure can be safely released by turning the steam vent or by running cold tap water on top of the pressure cooker. The lid can be opened only after the steam has been totally released.

This versatile kitchen toy from Maxim is not just another downsized “me-too” chopper/grinder. Replace the jar and blade with a larger glass and disk and you can whip up a milk shake, diet shake or fluffy cream. With the blade, Maxim Chop & Shake ($28) chops onions, herbs or spices, grinds coffee or nuts, grates cheese and purees baby foods.

It may look like R2D2 of “Star Wars” but it isn’t. Meet Rowenta’s ES-01 espresso/cappuccino machine ($90). Designed for simple operation (which can only occur after the directions have been well read), the one-to-two-cup unit produces tasty espresso in little time. A separate control interrupts coffee flow, and a flip of the switch steams milk for cappuccino.

The final browning stage needed for that pale microwaved chicken may now be achieved by combination cooking modes in a single oven. Sunbeam’s approach in its sleek, new Express Meals oven ($289) is to microwave, bake, roast, toast, top brown and broil. Styled in white with black glass, the oven has a non-stick interior coating.

Annoyed by cords that get in your way while ironing? Get total freedom of movement with West Bend’s Electronic Cordless Iron ($59). A popular feature is the automatic shut-off with a tone alert that beeps after 10 minutes of non-use. A separate 1,400-watt power base has a touch-control panel with a five-fabric setting. The cordless iron comes with a non-stick coated soleplate, surge of steam button and spray-mist nozzle.

Fill your home with holiday fragrance from warming potpourri with the new electric Potpourri Crock ($15.99) from Rival Manufacturing Co. The unit prevents drying and burning that can occur using a stove-top method. About 3 cups of water and a bag of potpourri can be heated to last up to 10 hours. The rich brown crock is housed in an old-fashioned floral-design pot. A starter sample of sweet-smelling potpourri is included with purchase.

What works for the restaurant industry is often wanted by the home user on a smaller scale. Cruvinet, the company that brought a wine preserving and dispensing system to restaurants in 1980, now comes to the home with its Le Petit Cruvinet (from $150). Available in high-tech black and in solid oak or brass cabinets, the two-bottle system has two stopper faucets. As the bottle is opened, it is immediately recorked under slight nitrogen gas pressure, preventing oxidation.

Black remains a beautiful kitchen accent and that goes for Braun’s gift duo for the coffee connoisseur: the Aromaster KF 80 Coffeemaker with Digital Clock/Timer and the KSM 2 Coffee Grinder ($110 for both). A special edition, the 12-cup coffee maker features a gold filter, an automatic shut-off two hours after brewing, and a 24-hour advance programming capability. The coffee grinder, which has hidden cord storage, can grind enough coffee for 12 cups at a time.

Bread lovers who find baking bread a difficult task will flip over the new Bread Bakery ($350) from Panasonic or National. Ingredients are poured into a non-stick bread pan and the machine will mix, knead, sit through first and final risings, shape the bread and then bake it to a nice golden brown. Set the timer at night and you’ll wake up with warm bread waiting. The Bread Bakery will also do prep work for manual shaping of croissants and other goods that can then be baked in standard ovens.

Favored for its professional quality, the Kitchen-Aid mixer is a timeless gift recommended by cookbook author Jeff Smith, TV’s “Frugal Gourmet.” A powerful 325-watt motor and a new scratch-resistant, baked-enamel imperial gray finish differentiate the new KSM5 ProLine Series Kitchen-Aid Mixer ($365). It comes with a clear plastic anti-spatter shield, flat beater, wire whip and dough hook, stainless steel bowl with handle.

Call it the March of Thyme or Paprika on Parade but it’s really the Spice Track ($39.95). Press the button and the battery-powered carrousel revolves clockwise or counterclockwise to expose 12 glass bottles. The compact motorized spice rack mounts under the cabinet or sits on a shelf or countertop, if there’s room.

Metal in the microwave? The revolutionary Micro-Fryer from Revere Ware Inc. ($50) lets you brown food on top of the stove for flavor and eye appeal then it goes to the microwave to hasten cooking. The deep 10-inch stainless steel skillet with glass cover and stay-cool plastic handles has been engineered for use with any microwave oven that can take a browning skillet. The skillet set is available in copper or aluminum bottom. For more information, call (800)-624-9218.

For the gift recipient leaning toward the look of the fifties, consider the Classic Osterizer blender from Oster ($87.95). Originally introduced in 1946, the unit has retained the famous beehive shape with its plated, zinc die-cast base, but it offers the power and efficiency of current models. The two-speed operation allows for continuous blending at high speed or controlled cycle blending at low speed.

Here’s a great toy for the seasoned cook. Push a button and Seasonart ($49) will have a selected spice measured for you, push a second button and the spice will fall into a shaker. Invented by Brad Ridgley of Encino, this battery-operated “cabinet” displays and stores up to 16 herbs and spices in airtight, double sealed compartments. Precisely calibrated, the wall-mounted spice dispenser will measure spices from 1/8 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon. Printed labels are included.

The Tefal Sensor Pressure Cooker is available at May Co, Robinson’s and Valley TV (Alhambra).

Sunbeam’s Express Meals is available at the Broadway.

Maxim’s Chop and Shake is available at Bullock’s, Buffums and JW Robinson’s.

The Rowenta Espresso Maker is available at the Broadway and Bullock’s.

Cafe Therm and Kitchen Machine from Philip’s Home Products are available at Bullock’s and The Urban Gourmet (Seventh Marketplace, Los Angeles).

The Spice Track from PN International is available at Bullock’s and the Broadway.

The ProLine Series KitchenAid Mixer is available at Williams Sonoma stores or through their Mail Order Department, P. O. Box 7456, San Francisco, 94120-7456; or call (415) 421-4242.

The Bread Bakery is available at Bullock’s, Marukai (Gardena), Paulette’s Supplies (North Hollywood), Electronic Supermarket (Los Angeles) and by mail order from the Chef’s Catalog, 3215 Commercial Ave., Northbrook, Ill. 60062; for phone orders call (312) 480-9400.

Le Petit Cruvinet is available at Bullock’s and The Price of His Toys (Beverly Hills).

The Rival Potpourri Crock is available at Long’s Drugs and Fedco.

West Bend Electronic Cordless Iron is available at Broadway, Fedco and K-Mart stores.

The Classic Osterizer is available at Avery Fixtures, Los Angeles.