Summer is here, so it's time to fire up the grill and try to stay as cool as you can at the same time. We found a couple of interesting items to help you do just that, along with a more intelligent way to cook your rice, a new tool for watching your weight and more. So sit back, enjoy the show and get ready for a sizzling cool summer!
Grill with Infrared
Fire it up with a state-of-the-art island grill featuring a rotisserie infrared backburner that creates a high, searing heat that keeps those juices where they belong — in the steak. The Bull propane grill is top of the line, and the custom design includes a rugged rock veneer and granite countertop. Island Grills & Outdoor Products (223-5434). $5,200.
Smart Rice
Cook the ultimate bowl of rice with this Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker. Thanks to advanced microchip technology, preprogrammed settings include sushi rice, brown rice, regular rice, soft grains, slow cooking (for stews and soups), steaming (for vegetables and seafood) and quick cooking. A steaming rack, rice paddle, measuring cup and booklet with steaming chart and recipes are included. Williams-Sonoma (951-5006). $199.
Treasure's in the Table
This elegant table was handcrafted by an artist who carries the official title of National Living Treasure in Japan. The designs on the table-top were made by the craftsman's own fingertips and then finished with 60-70 coats of durable lacquer. Homeowners Design Center (847-0216). $7,020.
Poetry in Motion
This trick dining table takes the expandable-leaf concept to a new level. Pulling the table's two glass panels apart activates a series of pulleys that reveal a third panel that turns 90 degrees and rises to the appropriate height, thus creating a longer dining — and more entertaining — platform. James Bond never had it so good. DeZign Home (791-3330). $1,047.
Be Cool
Keep your lifestyle smooth as glass with these ultra-cool cocktail tables by Kelsey. Both are low profile and highly functional, with chrome-
finished steel frames, brown cherry finished legs, clear beveled glass tops and a nifty frosted glass shelf beneath. Ashley Furniture Homestore (792-0011). $249, oval table; $219, round table.
Digital Diet
Yeah, yeah, you already have a scale. But this one's probably different in that it has no springs or moving parts to rust or wear out. Weight is displayed in 1.6-inch digits on an easy-to-read blue backlit LCD. Only 1-3/4 inches high and 14 inches in diameter, with no-slip rubber feet, this unique scale looks more like a glass sculpture than a scale. Sharper Image (949-4100). $99.95. HS
