Making it more fun to eat on the run

Eating on the go, whether on a vacation or at a roadside picnic, can

be easier and tastier with these new products.

Cool, comfy picnic

Picnic Cooler Chair: For those who want their picnic and comfort too, here’s a picnic set for two attached to a cooler that’s linked to a collapsible chair. All are easy to tote with an adjustable shoulder strap. The picnic set includes gingham-patterned plates, unbreakable acrylic cups, gingham napkins, forks, knives, spoons and a corkscrew, all held in place by straps. The waterproof cooler has a removable, easy-to-clean liner. The contoured leatherette seat has a lightweight tubular steel frame.

Picnic Cooler Chair (item 149) has a

suggested retail price of $68.95-$78.95.

Picnic at Ascot, (877) 676-9266, www.picnicatascot.com.

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What a gas

Grill2Go Fire & Ice: Char-Broil has introduced a portable gas grill that comes atop a removable wheeled cooler, so food and drinks stay cold until you get to your destination. The Grill2Go Fire & Ice grill, which has a large 310-square-inch grate/griddle cooking surface, lifts off its 10-gallon insulated plastic cooler with the push of a pedal, so each component can be used separately. Or leave the grill on top of the cooler, and the pedal raises it to 32 inches. The cooler has a sliding heat-resistant lid to keep the contents cool even when the grill is hot and attached.

The grill has extending side tables with built-in utensil hooks, and level and heat indicators. There’s a built-in igniter and a removable grease tray. The grill uses a 1- or 20-pound propane tank (not included). It fits in most car trunks.

Grill2Go Fire & Ice, made by Char-Broil,

has a suggested retail price of $199.

For information, (800) 241-7548, www.grill2go.com/fireice.

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Light refreshment

Thermos/Nissan FDI1000: Thermos, pioneer of insulated drink containers, has introduced a compact 1-liter (34-ounce) stainless-steel vacuum bottle that provides more capacity for the size and weight than previously available from the company. The Thermos/Nissan FDI1000 measures 10 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches in diameter and weighs 1 pound. It has a built-in shoulder strap, a screw cup and a push-button sipper lid that allows the user to pour the liquid into the cup or drink from the bottle. The bottle keeps hot drinks hot or cold drinks cold for 24 hours.

Thermos/Nissan Light and Compact Bottle (FDI1000) is $40. For information, (800) 831-9242, www.thermos.com.

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Paging

the chef

Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer: No need to keep running to the grill to check whether the meat is cooked. The Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer announces when the food is done to your liking. You can hear it from up to 300 feet away. Just insert the stainless steel probe into the meat, select the type of meat (beef, lamb, veal, hamburger, pork, turkey, chicken or fish) and your cooking preference (rare to well done). Clip the receiver to your belt. The transmitter will say “Your entree is almost ready” when the food is within 5 degrees of the target temperature, and “Your entree is ready” when it is finished.

Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer (330654) is $75 from Brookstone, (800)

351-7222, www.brookstone.com.

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Anti-bug beam

Bugless Grill Lantern: Westminster, a division of Zelco Industries, has an improved version of its battery-operated barbecue light and insect repeller. The new bright orange Bugless Lantern sheds a steady beam when the adjustable arm is extended. (The light will sit on any flat surface, making it useful in hotel rooms as well.) The bug repeller works by buzzing like a dragonfly, a predator. A four-position switch provides a choice of audible or ultrasonic bug-scaring waves; the four-position light switch can be set to dim, high, blink or off. Frosted and amber lenses are included to change lighting; lenses store in the head compartment.

Bugless Grill Lantern (10700) is $30 at housewares stores. For information, (800)

431-2486, www.zelco.com.

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