Tag Archives: kitchen essentials

Grilling and Summer: How to Make the Experience Delicious

One of the most appealing things about summer is the ability to cook outdoors. Not only does food from the grill taste amazing, but there’s also something fun and exciting about being in the fresh air, preparing food. Grilling is also a great way to bring family and friends together for fun and laughter.

To ensure that you’re getting the most out of your grilling experience, you need to have the right supplies. Don’t worry, at Miles Kimball, we have exactly what you’re looking for.

Make Food-Prep Easy

Before heading out to the patio to grill your favorite meal, you have to know exactly what you’re going to make and how you’re going to cook it. Sure, one of the great things about grilling is that you can make spur-of-the-moment dinner decisions, but the best and most delicious dinners take a bit of preparation and the best kitchen gadgets.

Whether you are taking care of the food prep inside or outside, make sure you have the best kitchen tools. Knives and cutting boards are essential. You can’t have hamburgers without offering tomatoes and onions as toppers, and getting these fresh and slicing them at home adds something flavorful to the meal.

Want to add some delectable cheese? Having a grater and slicer is imperative. You can also use this item to prep veggies for sides. It’s a multipurpose food prep tool that will make getting ready for summer meals quick and easy.

Have the Right Cooking Tools

Not only do you need the right tools to help you during the food prep process, but you need the right products while you are cooking. You don’t need much when it comes to grilling utensils, but you need quality items.

Having a high-quality spatula is essential. It ensures you’re grilling all sides of your meal to perfection. Need to add some flavor to your meat? Silicone brushes have the ability to withstand the heat, but also evenly and easily apply bastes and liquid seasoning concoctions to your food.

Silicone tongs can make it easy to grab, flip or serve any item that you might be cooking on your grill. They are heat-resistant and easy to clean, so they are ideal to use in just about any cooking environment, particularly outdoors.

Are you planning on cooking food that might slip through the slats of your grill? Using a copper grill mat ensures that your food gets cooked to perfection without the worry of it getting lost to the coals or propane flames. This item is also ideal to use on public grills in parks or campgrounds that are hard to clean.

Some sides can’t be cooked on a grill, and for those items, you should consider using an air fryer. The food will come out tasting delicious, and it will add something extra to the main dish that was cooked on the grill.

Serve Your Food with Flair

After you have grilled your food to perfection, it’s then time for your family and/or friends to enjoy what you’ve made. When serving food outside, you have a lot of things to contend with, including insects and other pests. To keep them from contaminating your food, you need to keep it covered with food tents or a food umbrella. These items are perfect for use in the backyard, but they are also picnic basket essentials that can be taken anywhere you travel outdoors.

You also want to make sure your backyard furniture looks amazing, so using table covers is recommended. These covers also make clean-up quick and easy while also protecting the furniture beneath.

Having the right utensils also keeps your family and friends safe while dining outdoors. Using plastic tumblers reduces the chances of injury if they are accidentally dropped — no glass to worry about and clean up! Having paper plate holders reduces the chances of plates bending and dropping food on the ground, which is sure to keep your guests happy and full!

Decorate with Style

Grilling outdoors means having the right utensils and supplies, but it’s also more than that: it’s about creating the right environment. If you’re looking for a way to make your backyard warm and inviting, then you should consider adding some decorations or outdoor lights.

Decorative yard stakes can help you express your style and individuality, and outdoor lightning can keep the party going long after the sun sets. Whether you’re looking for something sophisticated or whimsical, Miles Kimball has your yard decoration needs covered!

Take Your Grilling Experience to a Whole New Level

Grilling and summer just go together, and with the right supplies, you can take the experience to a whole new level. At Miles Kimball, we offer products that make food prep, cooking and serving convenient and easy. Check out what we have to offer today!

Thanksgiving Dinnerware & Table Décor Ideas

What’s your favorite thing about Thanksgiving? Is it the cozy, comforting spices, like nutmeg, cardamom and anise, blended together into your favorite beverages, desserts and dishes? Or is it the warmth of those Thanksgiving dinnerware décor colors — muted sages, golden yellows, brilliant crimsons — that are incorporated into styles that range from whimsical to traditional? From everyday meals as a family to large Thanksgiving meal gatherings, we love a good opportunity to spice up a tabletop with festive colors, designs and goodies that will help you make the most of your memories together.

Thanksgiving Dinnerware and Tabletop Décor Ideas

Thanks to Miles Kimball, your fall and Thanksgiving dinnerware tabletop décor options have never been easier. We offer a fantastic selection of Thanksgiving dinnerware and fall items that will dress up everything from your dining room table to your landscaping. We’ve brought together some Thanksgiving holiday table tips and tricks, so you brighten these spaces up quickly and easily and add some fun to your dinner. You can even enlist your smallest family members to participate in dressing your family’s Thanksgiving Day table. Read on for some tips to make this year’s Thanksgiving dinner your family’s most memorable!

Choose Fun, Functional Thanksgiving Table Covers

There’s something appealing about fully draping your dining room table in the colors of the season. These Thanksgiving-inspired table covers and colorful tablecloths also pull double duty: they not only look great and add a simple, all-in-one décor option, they also help protect your table from everyday wear, spills and mishaps. Choose a waterproof, durable Thanksgiving tablecloth that has a soft cotton fabric back that will help keep your table in top shape, preventing scratches, indentations and moisture damage. Bonus: When you incorporate an autumn-inspired tablecloth to your Thanksgiving tabletop décor, cleanup is super-quick and easy.

From drop tablecloths and table covers in multiple shapes and sizes to our ultra-convenient Falling Leaves Blessings elasticized tablecloth that has elastic edging for non-slip security, our effortless décor items take only an instant to swap out for each occasion. Choose a high-quality table cover that is warm and inviting. With our selection of tablecloths and table covers at Miles Kimball, you have a great choice of patterns, designs and colors that will add so much to your table.

Thanksgiving Kitchen Essentials

There’s nothing like the Thanksgiving main course, of course. Thanksgiving is a time to bring out your family’s favorite culinary traditions to be enjoyed by all generations. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving Day treat? Is it your grandma’s sweet potato pie? Mashed potatoes? Turkey or ham? Luckily, Miles Kimball has the kitchen essentials that will help create these items. Need measuring spoons, liquid and dry measuring cups or cooking aprons? What about glassware, dinnerware sets or silverware? Miles Kimball has the kitchen must-haves to create a spectacular Thanksgiving meal that your entire family will be talking about for years to come. Don’t forget to shop our food and candy selections for everything from appetizers to after-dinner drinks for the kids. Shop here for cheese spread, caramel candy, coconut macaroons and hot chocolate. Yum!

Thanksgiving Table Décor

With so many options in Thanksgiving décor options available today, creating a festive Thanksgiving tabletop has never been easier. Shop the traditional tabletop finds and add some of Miles Kimball’s favorites, such as William Roberts designs, tabletop must-haves and special occasion add-ons (like our acrylic leaf-shaped gems) that will add an extra-special touch to your Thanksgiving décor. Love the look of fall flowers yet don’t like the mess or the upkeep of fresh flowers? Decorating with the colorful look of mums is easy and hypoallergenic when you use our artificial mum bush by Oakridge™ to add instant color to your Thanksgiving table. (This is also a great option for those who cannot tolerate fresh flowers because of allergies.)

Our artificial mums are available in some of the season’s most vibrant colors, such as gold, rust, yellow, cream and purple. Add these realistic-looking artificial flowers to our personalized “Grateful, Thankful, Blessed” wooden planter box for a rustic centerpiece. These lovely mums can also be added to one of our personalized stoneware crocks. Check out our other unique Thanksgiving accessories that feature the delightful scenes of the season, available at Miles Kimball.

A Family Affair: Thanksgiving DIY Tabletop

Incorporate some fun finds from your kids’ nature walks to your Thanksgiving tabletop décor. Take advantage of fall’s rustic décor options by leaving the decorating task to the littles of your family. Send them outside with bowls and buckets to collect pretty pinecones. These lovely textured pieces can be left au naturale; they can also be spray painted (with an adult’s help, of course) gold for a tabletop centerpiece addition that is guaranteed to pop. Kids also love collecting colorful maple leaves, acorns, fallen magnolia pods or other nature-inspired finds from their neighborhoods. You can even find good (and great smelling) decorating options in your pantry (think cinnamon sticks and anise stars). For a super-simple minimalist lighted centerpiece option, have children collect sticks and other downed branches. Tie them together with a piece of raffia and add them to a clear glass centerpiece vase, along with some battery-operated string lights, for a delightful, easy piece.

Unique Thanksgiving Tabletop Décor

Since 1935, Miles Kimball has been dedicated to bringing you charming, nostalgic and unique décor items that will set the tone for your holidays. We’ve been part of the Thanksgiving dinnerware and décor tradition for American families for decades, and we’re proud to offer the best selection of essential home products and décor. We’re all for making memories throughout the entire year. Stop back often to get ideas for your home, décor and other special family times at Kimball Corner.

Do you have a special family Thanksgiving meal or décor tradition? Leave a comment below to let us know something your family does to make Thanksgiving memorable!

Top 7 Thanksgiving Kitchen Gadgets

The holidays are the time of the year when you can flex those culinary muscles. Thanksgiving is your chance to shine: bring out those family-favorite recipes, both new and old. It’s a time for traditions — for both those old-fashioned traditions as well as newly created traditions. Regardless of the details, the highlight of Thanksgiving is often the food. Thanksgiving is the time to add those sweet details to savory dishes (cranberries or raisins in stuffing, anyone?) and to experiment with cool kitchen gadgets that make your life easier. Let’s get ready. Incorporate some of your favorite Thanksgiving and fall home décor, create a welcoming table and let’s talk about some fantastic kitchen gadgets that no kitchen should be without this Thanksgiving holiday.

Miles Kimball’s Top 7 Picks for the Must-Have Gadgets for This Thanksgiving

#1: A Quality Baster

Whether you’re a turkey fanatic or opt for ham, no kitchen should be without a high-quality baster. Our Chef’s Pride multi-function turkey and barbeque baster set comes within everything you need to keep those meats juicy. Are you a baster? A brusher? A flavor-infuser? Whatever your method is for maintaining that optimal flavor and tenderness during cooking, this baster set has what you need to create something amazing. One of the biggest woes about basters is their cleaning. No worries — this baster set comes with its own cleaning brush, so you can maintain cleanliness without hassle.

#2: A Marble Cheese Slicer

Appetizers are the mainstay of every holiday home. And who doesn’t like cheese? Everyone knows that those store-bought cheese trays are at least twice as expensive than buying blocks of cheese and doing it yourself. Those store-made options also can be quite boring. With your own marble cheese slicer, you can incorporate gourmet cheeses and meats into your finger foods. Cut your own gouda, asiago, experiment with cheddars, add some brie and some blue cheese. Then, throw on some almonds, Greek olives, figs, jellies and crostini. Voila. You’ll have an epic charcuterie tray and cheese board that will be the highlight of your Thanksgiving get-together.

#3: My Favorite™ Knife

Who doesn’t struggle when cutting and serving? (With Thanksgiving dinner, as you know, there’s a heck of a lot of cutting and serving.) Whether you’re cutting pies, cakes, bars, lasagna or meatloaf, My Favorite Knife will get the job done. This knife is not too big, not too small and will get into the sides of your pans with almost zero effort. Best of all? My Favorite Knife won’t scratch your non-stick pans and is heat-resistant up to 410°F.

#4: Bamboo Toast Tongs

Think these bamboo toast tongs are only for your morning toast? Think again. Although they’re fantastic for safely removing hot toast from your toaster, they’re also fantastic for serving your breads, cheeses and other foods during Thanksgiving dinner. They allow you to take one piece of bread — without the use of fingers (something that’s extra important now when we are so conscious about spreading germs.). Avoid hands and fingers touching food with this bamboo toast tong — purchase several for multiple platters. These bamboo toast tongs are also ideal to use on your charcuterie tray and cheese board (see above).

#5: Clever Food Preservers

Thanksgiving means baking (duh). With all that baking, however, comes those half-used bags of staples, such as flour and sugar. We all know that the packaging these items come in do little to keep out moisture, humidity and (eeek.) sometimes bugs. Check out our super-clever food preservers and ingenious food storage items — all which are particularly helpful around the holidays. Check out our flour and sugar keepers, pie keepers, bread keepers, bun keepers, deviled egg keepers and square and round cracker keepers. Looking for an interesting way to keep your brown sugar free from those gross dried-up clumps? Check out our set of two brown sugar preservers, made from all-natural terra cotta.

#6: Three-Piece Cooling Rack

Still looking for a good cooling rack? How about three? These stackable three-piece cooling racks make the most out of your counterspace when you’re making those gingersnap cookies for Thanksgiving dessert. They’re also great to use while making those famous Christmas cookies of yours. There will be plenty of room for those cookies to completely cool so you can move on with your family’s cookie decorating tradition.

#7: Jadite “Drippings” Bowl with Lid

Does anyone really know what to do with meat drippings? You can’t pour them down the sink and dumping them into the trash makes a huge mess. As grandma used to say: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” We think this is ideal for drippings, as well. Whether you’re a bacon grease saver or need a secure, lidded place to drain your hamburger, this jadite drippings bowl with a lid by Home Marketplace is the perfect place to put them. You can then allow them to cool so they can be disposed up properly at a later time.

Miles Kimball for All Your Kitchen Helpers

Miles Kimball has a ton of cool kitchen gadgets that make your holiday cooking ventures easier, including measuring spoons, liquid measuring cups, cooking aprons, microwave egg cookers and dinnerware sets. From kitchen linens, towels and kitchen chair cushions to cookbooks and instant pot cookbooks, we have everything you need for a well-stocked kitchen — all throughout the year.

Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets and Tools for Every Home

The time has finally come to revamp your kitchen tool collection. Perhaps you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to cook at home more and eat healthier food. Maybe your budget has gotten tight from eating out too much. Or it could be your knives have gotten so dull they couldn’t cut through snow, never mind a pork chop.

Whatever the reason, you’ll want the best kitchen gadgets and tools at your disposal. The folks at Miles Kimball have put together the list of our 10 favorite kitchen tools for food prep that are practical, affordable and easy to use. Cooking a meal in your own home doesn’t have to be a hassle — and with these useful kitchen tools at your disposal, it might even be fun! These unique finds and many others can be ordered through our online store, so start your journey towards high-quality home cooking today.

1. Rubber Spatulas

A rubber spatula is one of the best kitchen tools for food prep you can own. They can be used for scooping batter from a mixing bowl, flipping a burger on the stove, spreading mayonnaise on bread and so much more. We recommend having three different sizes in your drawer or stoneware crock to fit various containers or foods

2. Kitchen Shears

Scissors aren’t just for arts and crafts. Shears are another kitchen gadget you need. Uses include opening food packages, removing fat chucks from meat, cutting herbs and trimming aluminum foil or parchment paper to fit a pan. These heavy-duty kitchen scissors are safer than knives for these tasks to prevent injury.

3. A Good Knife Set

You don’t need your kitchen to look like a butcher shop. However, you’ll at need at least a few good ones. A 6-piece knife block set will have all the essentials for carving, slicing and pairing, and a steak knife set is perfect for the table. You’ll want a knife sharpener as well to keep them working their best. We also recommend a large plastic knife for slicing through brownies, lasagna and other softer foods without scratching the pan.

4. Food Grater

Try it and see: home-grated cheese tastes way better than bagged store-grated cheese. A grater is also a must for shredding vegetables and will help you add that “zest” of citrus you thought only existed in high-end restaurant. Whether it’s a simple one-side microplane grater or a four-sided stainless steel grater, they’ll save you plenty of time and elbow grease.

5. Electric Mini Food Chopper

Tired of manually cutting every single piece of food? An electric mini chopper does the hard work for you. Add meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and anything else you can think of, then chop them as large or fine as you want for a salad, stew or stir-fry. These gadgets mix and dice as well, so you can make salsa, guacamole and other dips in your kitchen.

6. Bamboo Cutting Boards

Whether your beautiful kitchen counters are made of hardwood, marble or granite, you’ll want to protect them from scratches. While cutting boards can be made of many different materials, we like the bamboo cutting board the most. They’re heavy enough to stay balanced on a table, light enough to move and clean with ease and strong enough to withstand constant pounding and slicing. These renewable resource boards look amazing, too!

7. Burger Press

Anyone who loves a good burger can create their own with a burger press or hamburger maker set. Both of these useful kitchen tools allow grill-masters to make perfectly-shaped hamburgers, turkey burgers and sausage patties at any thickness. You can then toss them on the grill, store them in the refrigerator/freezer or put them in the cooler for a camping trip. They’re not just for meat-eaters, either — vegetarians can make black bean burgers or tofu burgers just as easily.

8. Large Colander

A colander is another useful kitchen gadget that you can use practically every day. Set your stainless steel mesh colander or plastic colander in the sink to rinse vegetables, fruits and meats. They’re also a safe way to drain pasta and other boiled foods after cooking to reduce the risk of burns or water spills.

9. A Spiral Slicer or Spiralizer

A spiralizer set might seem like one of those weird made-for-TV gadgets that doesn’t have much use in a real kitchen. But as soon as you use one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t sooner! Among other things, this cool kitchen tool can be used to easily make homemade pasta noodles, veggie pasta, French fries and salads. You can spiralizer many other fruits and vegetables as well for dipping, party snack plates or to make them easier for kids to eat.

10. Juicer

If you own a citrus juicer, you can enjoy fresh-squeezed juice in your own home with almost no effort. Make a glass of orange juice that tastes great and doesn’t have the added sugar and preservatives of store-bought juice. Add fresh lemon and lime juice to recipes or make your own lemonade and limeade instead of using powdered mixes. An electric juicer can also be used for vegetables, letting you create unique summertime drinks!

Add Space-Saving Efficiency to Your Small Spaces

The carefully chosen selection of small appliances at Miles Kimball puts you in the driver’s seat of kitchen organization so you can create any culinary masterpiece. We Air Fryerhave a broad range of space-saving solutions like our easy-to-use 5.5 Qt. Air Fryer by Home Marketplace™ that offers a healthier cooking option. With the use of super-heated air working in unison with a grill, you need little or no oil to recreate all your favorites like deep-fried fish and chips.  With such an innovative range of wallet-friendly solutions to choose from, it’s always the right time to add space-saving efficiency to your small spaces.

Whether you’re living in a thriving urban center where smaller accommodations are the norm and you need to get creative with how you utilize every bit of space, or you’re living in a tiny house taking advantage of modern, mobile living, we’ve got space-saving solutions that give every small area big character at Miles Kimball. Check out our Cuisinart® Brew Central™ 12-cup coffee maker with a sleek, brushed stainless design to save pace and elevate existing décor. With 24-hour programmable functionality this high-quality, small appliance saves you time.  No matter how small your space is, you’ll find space-saving solutions that turn every kitchen and food preparation area into a gourmet culinary environment at Miles Kimball.

Opt for our tabletop electric grill by Home-Style Kitchen™ just right for small spaces like Table Top Electric Grilla dorm room or for when you want to grill indoors even in inclement weather. This top-of-the-line appliance features cool-touch handles and a non-stick surface, so you can grill indoors any time of year; plus, you can store it away when not in use. From induction burners to versatile slow cookers, you’ll find everything you need to create crowd-pleasing dishes in no time at Miles Kimball.

Kitchen & Home Storage Solutions

Innovative Solutions to Save Space and Time

It’s always the perfect time to get organized with innovative kitchen and home storage solutions from Miles Kimball. Our selection of bins, cases, shelving, and totes make it easy to find the incredible organization and storage options that help you save time and free up valuable space.  With such a wide range of budget-friendly solutions to choose from, there’s no better time to organize kitchen essentials, craft supplies, shoes, DVDs, and more.

When you’re looking to make the most of limited room in a small area, shop Miles Multi-Pocket Storage ToteKimball for affordable storage solutions that help you make the most of floor space. We have corner book stands that put every nook and cranny to work organizing your belongings. Check out the multi-pocket storage totes perfect for conquering a junk drawer in the kitchen or opt for an over-the-door storage solution to remove trip hazards from narrow hallways and entryways.

From rolling storage bins just right for conveniently keeping large flour bags off the floor 4-Tier Metal Basket Towerin your kitchen pantry to stylish 4-tier metal basket towers to house a multitude of objects throughout your home, we carry everything you need to reclaim much-needed space and create a well-organized environment.  Make Miles Kimball your first choice for intelligent storage and organization solutions such as innovative shelving systems that help put an end to clutter.

From plastic storage containers to keep food and beverages fresh to a flip-top storage ottoman that adds warmth to any décor, we’ve got you covered with plenty of choices at Miles Kimball.