Building the Ultimate Man’s Kitchen

One of my favorite of the ’90s prime time sitcoms will always be “Home Improvement.”

In retrospect, this is most likely because it introduced most of the world to Pamela Anderson and Debbie Dunning (more than you can say for even “The Wire”), but it also had some memorable gags, a host of hilarious characters, and some truly standout episodes, including the infamous introduction of the man’s kitchen.

The first in a string of episodes where a common room is redesigned and “man-ified,” the man’s kitchen took the misogynist idea that the kitchen is only for women and presented one that was instead an almost cartoonish playground for the average man.

While absurd, with the gadget explosion that has occurred since, there are now enough devices available to truly craft a man’s kitchen. Some of these accessories are absurd and lavish, while others are common and accessible. But when combined, they create the ultimate real life man’s kitchen.

Grand Palais 180 Stove

Let’s start with the impossible shall we?

Your oven/stovetop is going to be the most important part of any kitchen, and if you really want something that will show off that idea, you need the king of all home ovens. Resembling a train car more than a stove, the Grand Palais wouldn’t be out of place in the home of an old world ruler or even steampunk baron. With its built in gas and electric ovens, as well as a variety of different stovetop grill and burner options, it also happens to work perfectly as the centerpiece of the man’s kitchen.

Sure they run around the $46,000 range depending on enhancements , but dammit we can do this thing cheap, or we can do it right.

Hot Dog Toaster

Of course it’s not all ovens worthy of the 1%, as some parts of the man’s kitchen are just down to earth essentials.

Since nothing is more essential than the need for a hotdog, instead of wasting your time with the stovetop or microwave methods, why not make the perfectly cooked hot dog and bun, as easy as you make a piece of toast? It’s possible with the pop-up hot dog toaster, which cooks hot dogs of your chosen consistency in mere minutes with the ease of the average toaster. It’s even got compartments enough for two hot dogs and buns and the design goes well with that $46,000 oven.

A steal at $19.99, this one even got the Barney Stinson seal of approval.

Crème Brule Torch

It’s the eternal question man has asked since the dawn of the caveman.

How can I use more fire doing this?

In the kitchen, the answer is simple thanks to the standard crème brule torch. Ideally used to brown that famous tricky desert, considering it’s nothing more than a small scale blow torch, feel free to use it to make anything where direct heat is required (like melting cheese over nachos) twice as bad ass, and ten times as manly.

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Freefold Suit Carrier Allows Your Style to Travel

As Barney Stinson taught us, sometimes you just need to suit up.

You’ll rarely look better than you do in a suit, which is why it’s important for every man to own at least one good one. However, even after you purchase the perfect suit, you still have to maintain it. While reliable cleaners and some reasonable breathing space are usually more than enough to do so while at home, once you have to take it on the road, your prospects get trickier.

A proper dry cleaning bag, or even quality suitcase, goes a long way to helping you avoid wrinkles or worse, but if you really want to carry one in a style befitting the suit itself, you might want to consider the Freefold luggage system, from the creator of the also useful Suit Commute.

The main benefit of the Freefold lies in its portability. It weighs about 7 oz., can fit into any 25 liter carrier (most suitcases, luggage, and backpacks qualify) and allows you to safely store your pants, shirt, jacket, and tie using a simple set of folding instructions. From there you can move around with complete freedom without worry of your suit ever losing its fresh from the cleaners, original pristine form.

While the Freefold is only in its pre-production phase, it if works as well as it appears to, then it’s hard not to recommend one to anybody who has to take their suit on the road. Considering how it can fit into any reasonable space (no special luggage or accommodations required), it gains a leg up over most alternatives not just in long distance road or air travel, but also in the usual, everyday work commutes (especially if you ride a bike).

Also, it allows you to enter the front ready for a party, and leave out the back all business, should you so desire, essentially making this the anti-mullet.

And anything that’s the anti-mullet has to be good.