Elegant Stainles Steel Water Carafe

This is a very stylish water carafe.
It keeps water icy cold.
The lid fits tight.
It doesn't leak.
Easy to drink out of as a personal water bottle.
Gorgeous as an elegant water carafe on a table for 2-4 guests.
My pictures don't do it justice, it's really quite beautiful brushed stainless steel.

Toplus Lightweight Stainless Steel Water Bottle Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Thermos, 17 Oz (500 ml)

Gourmet Delight Requiring No Refrigeration

Requires no refrigeration.

Perfect for on the go lifestyle of camping, travel, motorhome, RV's and any place you have tiny or no refrigeration but desire the luxury of Irish Creme in your coffee.

I ordered this as a birthday gift for my friend going camping in a van with a tiny fridge. This can be kept in the cupboard and requires no refrigeration yet the taste is awesome.

I forgot the read the fine print, this is 10 (yes ten!) pounds of creamer! Needless to say, ten pounds of creamer for a two week camping trip was a bit too much, but since he uses the stuff year round, it will get put to great use.

Alternatively, put some in the break room at work and watch the smiles on the coworkers as they get a little sip in their daily java.

For tiny home living with a gourmet twist, this fits the bill.

International Delight Irish Creme, 288 Count Single-Serve Coffee Creamers

Super Tight Lid, Open It a Little to Get it To Snap on Tightly

These are nice water tight and air tight lids.

They fit the 20 ounce Yeti style vacuum insulated tumblers, but they do not fit the 30 ounce ones. So make sure you know which size you need before ordering.

Having 3 lids, means you never have to hunt one down or if you have multiple containers it will fit them all. The best lid, because it makes the tumbler spill proof.

WINOMO 3pcs 20 oz Tumbler Lids Spillproof Splash Resistant for Yeti Rambler Rtic Ozark

Fantastic Water Everyone Should Look Into Owning This System

The review below was written February 2014. As of March 2017, I am EXTREMELY pleased with my Berkey's performance. My health has enjoyed a great deal of improvements in many areas. Amazing what purified water can do for one. I do not trust bottled water one bit! It's not regulated and you have zero control over what's in it. The endless water bottles are clogging up our landfills and I see them littered liberally all over our beautiful countryside. 

I personally use a stainless steel water water bottle (flask) that I can refill from home thousands and thousands of times. I also use stainless steel drinking tumblers in my motorhome. Stainless steel is safe, non-toxic, unbreakable and free from BPA. As a bonus, you can store the stainless steel cups in the freezer (where I keep mine) so you always have icy cold drinks.After removing from the freezer,  I shove mine in a cozy cup so they are insulated and don't leave water rings when I set them down. 

My original review of the fantastic Berkey water purifier is posted below. If you don't own this, you aren't living right. Our bodies (and our pets) need good healthy water. Go green and be kind to mother nature. Stop buying bottled water and purify your own for drinking and cooking. Improve the health of you and your pets. 

Berkey Water Purifiers Come In Assorted Sizes

I own the one on the far left, which is 

18 inches high with a diameter of 7.5 inches

First off, do the math. This system will save you money. The filters in the one I bought last about 6,000 gallons, if I use 2 gallons per day for drinking and cooking, that works out to a filter life of over 8 years. I wanted quality stainless steel and was prepared to return this unit immediately if anything at all was flimsy about it. I have been vagabonding in a mini-motorhome for 4 years, so I need quality products that can stand up to the rigors of travel.

Water quality in the areas I travel varies widely, so this filter system will get a good workout over the years. There are times I camp remotely and the ability to filter water from natural sources that may or may be contaminated is awesome. I'm not expecting a major disaster, but I've lived overseas in a disaster zone and this would have been a coveted treasured item to have had then.

I ordered direct from Amazon because I've been a devoted fan of Amazon for many years. They have always been extremely attentive and prompt on solving issues on returns of faulty products. This one arrived well packed and in excellent shape. The directions are a bit clumsy, they could do so much better, but after a day of reading and rereading, I finally figured it all out.

I was extremely impressed with the stainless steel. It's heavy, shiny, quality stuff built for lifetime use. A super 5 stars on the quality. Follow the instructions carefully, it's a bit fussy to get the filters primed and all set up. At first mine filtered super slow, maybe I didn't prime it right. I kept tossing out the initial water filtration's per the instructions, so that it was almost a week from arrival until I started actually drinking the water. In the interim I continued with my old Brita pitcher. I have no beefs with Brita, they've been good to me and my health for decades, but Berkey is superior so bye bye Brita. Also, no need to buy filters every month, a huge relief. I never liked the plastic pitchers Brita supplies because they always look crazed no matter how delicately you clean and polish them.

After starting on the Berkey water, I am delighted over and over. The taste is HEAVEN ON EARTH! The water quality after filtering is just fantastic. Even though I've been filtering with Brita for 30 years, I could tell a difference in my coffee and green tea as well as plain water drinking.

I did tons of research on water filtration. I can't afford the ridiculous plastic bottled water. 90% or more of the cost goes to the plastic bottle and the rest to the water. I have no idea where or how they bottled that water, the landfills are overflowing with a a zillion water bottles, it's estimated that less than 10% are actually recycled. I volunteer for 5 months per year picking up litter in public parks, the mountain of water bottles I find tossed in the bushes is absolutely astounding. The same people that love nature, seem to also enjoy trashing it. Even crazier are the folks who throw out half full water bottles.

I have my own reusable bottles to take with me hiking and biking, I would never go buy someone else's water, I have to have my own Berkey filtered water. Good clean tasting water is a daily treat. Amazingly, I was having some health issues, they cleared up right away, whether by coincidence or maybe I was lapsing on changing out my Brita filters often enough. Now I don't have to worry for at least 8 more years before buying replacement filters.

I have used Brita water filter pitchers for about 30 years. But I was concerned that I failed to change my filters often enough. I never liked the plastic pitchers, they crazed super easily

So now it's Berkey all the way. I even managed to build my Berkey into a lower cabinet under the sink in the motorhome that is still a foot off the floor due to the air exchanger beneath the cabinet.This is perfect for dispensing the filtered water. I am able to refill the top with the pull-out kitchen faucet but the Berkey is lashed into the cabinet, so that when I go bouncing down the highways, the Berkey won't go dancing.

I bought the Rubbermaid 2 quart clear carafe (from Amazon) for storing filtered water on my counter top since the Berkey is built into my cabinet. That is one good looking carafe with a super tight lid. The opening in the lid is perfect for draining out the filtered Berkey water into the Carafe. The carafe is a beautiful addition to a dinner table or a party where delicious water is desired. I make my ice from the filtered water too, I can add ice to the carafe for dinner parties or for hot days when I am working inside and outside. To me, the carafe makes a perfect addition to the Berkey. Also, it allows me to drain out the Berkey, then refill the top without worry of overflowing.

LOVE MY BERKEY! If the RV is on fire, you will see me run out the door carrying the dog in one hand and the Berkey in the other. He loves the Berkey water in his water bowl too.

Berkey BT2X2-BB Travel Stainless Steel Water Filtration System with 2 Black Filter Elements

The BEST Cup of Coffee You Will Ever Taste in this Elegant French Press

I love this French Press. The design is functional and elegant.  It makes an awesome cup of coffee that is just unbelievable. No American style drip drip coffee maker can even begin to compete with the taste of this French Press Maker.

Just boil water, pour over coffee in the pot, then watch it turn from brown to solid black. Press the plunger all the way down and pour the best cup of coffee you will ever taste.

I made a pot of coffee with this and found that the strainers plenty adequate for keeping the coffee grounds separated when pouring. It also cleaned up by hand in a snap. I use a mesh drain strainer in my sink, so it caught the coffee grounds as I rinsed this pot in hot water after use. No need to fuss with a dishwasher, which I live in a motorhome without an automatic dishwasher anyhow. I like to review products based on their ease of cleaning up in a snap. This is super easy! After use, just rinse in super hot water the air dry and it's ready to go.

I have never used a hand Frother until now. I was astonished at how quickly and easily the milk frothed. As a bonus, the glass part of the frother (not the metal frothing part) can go right in the microwave for warming milk. After milk is warmed, just stick the metal frother in and plunge away. Do not fill above the milk line drawn on the glass or else you will have frothed milk overflowing.

This is a well made quality French Press and Milk Frother.

As a bonus, I discovered you can froth milk cold. This is fun over desserts or to serve up to a picky child over their cereal. If you are having trouble getting your child to drink enough milk, try frothing their milk. Makes cereal super fun!

I gave it 5 caffeinated stars for ease of use and the quality included in the manufacture of this French Press and Milk Frother.

Zell French Press Coffee Maker and Glass Milk Frother Set, 34 oz (1 liter) capacity, Clear Borosilicate Glass

Handy Flask with Shot Glass and Funnel

Fantastic flask. Quality stainless steel.

Mine arrived in a beautiful gift box and included a thoughtful funnel for ease of filling without spilling expensive liquor.

I love that the shot glass is built-in. Just remove the circle, pull it open and like magic you have a shot glass for proper drinking etiquette. No one wants to be seen nipping out of the flask, the shot glass is certainly more civil and very classy.

The lid is very easy to open and it's attached so you won't be dropping the lid into the dirt. It's easy enough to twist open or close with one hand. The stainless steel can be engraved for a personalized gift. The slender design makes this easy to stow in a purse or pocket or jacket.

While the leather cover is faux, it is rather nice looking and provides a sturdy grip.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. I am providing my honest and unbiased review. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

I gave it 4 awesome stars because the product was very well made and of high quality. The only reason I took one star off is because the shot glass is difficult to remove without using a fingernail. Women especially do not want to mess up their nails retrieving the shot glass. I believe if there was a slight notch cut into the side of the round bottom of the flask or a finger hole square in the middle of the bottom of the shot glass this would make it so much easier to remove without destroying a manicured fingernail.

Shot Flask - Stainless Steel 8 oz Hip Flask, Built-in Collapsible 2 Oz. Shot Glass & Flask Funnel - Everything You Need to Pour Shots on the Go - BarMe Brand

Stainless Steel Straws

I love these stainless steel drinking straws. The angle is just perfect.

They look great in my stainless steel tumblers I love to use encased in in a cozy cup. I seem to have become hooked on these straws! The stainless steel is top quality. It adds nothing to the taste which is great.

At night I sometimes wake up thirsty and  with the angle of this straw, I can easily sip water laying on my side, without having to even sit up. ATalk about laziness and comfort.

I also have once of those mammoth 30 ounce tumblers and amazingly, this straw works in that too.

My motorhome doesn't have a dishwasher, so I have been washing these by hand which seems to be effortless since the vendor thoughtfully included two cleaning brushes.

This  sturdy straw will stir up your drink, no need to use a spoon. You can use it to drink coffee and tea as many folks believe that if you use a straw to let dark liquid hit the back of your mouth rather than the front, your teeth will stay whiter longer.

I am very pleased with these. The high quality of the stainless steel should last decades.

By the way, you can also pit cherries with these straws!

Five stars for a fantastic idea that is beauty in function and form plus eco friendly.



TOP TENG Extra Long Stainless Steel Drinking Straws for RTIC, YETI, SIC or Other Brand Tumblers, Fits 20 oz & 30 oz Tumbler Rambler Cup, 2 Free Cleaning Brushes Included (Set of 4 (Bend)

Beside Coffee This Gadget Makes Awesome Yogurt Cheese

Not only does this make excellent coffee, one cup at a time, but it's also an awesome yogurt cheese maker.

If you like to make yogurt cheese as thick as cream cheese, then you need this. Just place a coffee cup underneath, scoop plain yogurt into the top, heap it in as high as you can, then let it drip in your fridge from 12-24 hours.

I usually go 24 hours so I end up with tasty whey in the coffee cup below, just drink this up plain or with juice (very healthy). What you will have left in the top is thick yummy yogurt cheese that is super healthy without the fats of cheeses. From there you can stir in herbs, wait another 24 hours and have a sumptuous spread for crackers, veggies or a sandwich.

This makes the best yogurt cheese and will put the store bought Greek yogurts to pure shame.

The stainless steel in this product seems to be high quality.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. I am providing my honest and unbiased review. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

I gave it a high 5 stars and I love the bonus coffee scoop too.

Jumira Stainless Steel Pour Over Coffee Cone Dripper, Permanent Reusable Coffee Filter with Coffee Cup Stand and a FREE Coffee Scoop, Smart Filter "Jumira-1"
by Jumira

Fabulous Idea For Sailboaters to Store Assorted Wines without Breaking Them

A must have for all boaters, especially sail boaters.

In my days of living and working on charter yachts in the Caribbean, we would have bought these by the dozen. They are a great way to not only carry a wine bottle but to store them without boxes in a nice "quiet" way. Nothing worse that sailing on a sailboat and hearing the wine bottle crash or clink loudly.

I find this handy for carrying wine around.However, they didn't sew the bottom correctly so that the wine can sit upright in the bottle in the carrier, it has to be laid down. It would have required 2 extra seams to sew this up in such a way that the wine bottle could stand up nicely too.

 However, I chopped the bottom off mine and resewed it to carry my  12 ounce water bottle. I like to walk my dog and this makes it so much easier to have handles on my water bottle. I usually carry a big D ring that has the dog leash, the house keys, the poop bag purse and now the water bottle tote attached to it.

I believe this company could sell these for carrying a water bottle in a smaller length, it sure works for me!

They could also consider a pocket on the side to hold a folding wine opener. That would be awesome for going to outside concerts where they allow one to bring a wine bottle.

All in all a good product. Mine was professionally sewn, with no loose stitches or loose threads. The neoprene seems to be quality fabric.

For these reasons I gave it 5 awesome stars.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. I am providing my honest and unbiased review. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

Wine Carrier, OFEILY Durable Neoprene Single Bottle Wine Tote Bag/Beer/Cans/champagne/Water or Drink Bottle Bag(1-Bottle, Black)
by Ofeily

Fabulous Idea For Sailboaters to Store Assorted Wines without Breaking Them

A must have for all boaters, especially sail boaters.

In my days of living and working on charter yachts in the Caribbean, we would have bought these by the dozen. They are a great way to not only carry a wine bottle but to store them without boxes in a nice "quiet" way. Nothing worse that sailing on a sailboat and hearing the wine bottle crash or clink loudly.

I find this handy for carrying wine around.However, they didn't sew the bottom correctly so that the wine can sit upright in the bottle in the carrier, it has to be laid down. It would have required 2 extra seams to sew this up in such a way that the wine bottle could stand up nicely too.

 However, I chopped the bottom off mine and resewed it to carry my  12 ounce water bottle. I like to walk my dog and this makes it so much easier to have handles on my water bottle. I usually carry a big D ring that has the dog leash, the house keys, the poop bag purse and now the water bottle tote attached to it.

I believe this company could sell these for carrying a water bottle in a smaller length, it sure works for me!

They could also consider a pocket on the side to hold a folding wine opener. That would be awesome for going to outside concerts where they allow one to bring a wine bottle.

All in all a good product. Mine was professionally sewn, with no loose stitches or loose threads. The neoprene seems to be quality fabric.

For these reasons I gave it 5 awesome stars.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. I am providing my honest and unbiased review. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

Wine Carrier, OFEILY Durable Neoprene Single Bottle Wine Tote Bag/Beer/Cans/champagne/Water or Drink Bottle Bag(1-Bottle, Black)
by Ofeily

Ingenious Invention, Absolutely Outstanding Product!

Absolutely awesome!

An ingenious invention. I love it!

I bought some fancy Not Your Father's RootBeer to test these out. I had them stuck in my freezer.

First, and this is IMPORTANT, take a swig out of the bottle, then SLOWLY and I mean SLOWLY insert the chiller stick.

Now presto magic! I savored one incredibly C-C-C-COLD rootbeer and it was so dadgum good, I had another one since there were two chiller sticks.

I stuck my old stick back in the freezer after giving it a rinse, then pulled out number two which was icy cold and had another rootbeer.

After that I figured I better write this review before I got too silly to type.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. I am providing my honest and unbiased review. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

I give these 5 icy cold stars of approval! Awesome idea and it makes a great gift! You may want to buy six so you have plenty to share. I wish I had these when I lived in Mexico. Their beer caps are rusty and you always have to wipe the rust off the bottle top but with these, your lips would be protected from that old rust.

Outstanding product!

Novora Beer Chiller Sticks, Set of 2 - Stainless Steel Coolers for Bottles

Organic Green Tea is a Wonder Food

Now here’s a product worth keeping around. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Epic Matcha’s Green Tea is not your typical green tea product. First of all it is organic. It’s also a finely ground powder so you don’t steep it in a bag, you stir it in water for a delicious and beneficial beverage. Moreover, if you go to www.Epic Matcha.com/recipes you’ll discover an array of delicious recipes that will make your mouth water. My eldest daughter went to culinary school and can’t wait to explore the variety of epicurean delights recommended for this product; lattes, smoothies, pies, muffins and more. We can’t wait see what she creates, but as a beverage it’s wonderful.

Other than being organic and providing more antioxidants than regular green tea; 10 times more potent and 137 times more EGCGs according to the package, it is vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, and soy free. This four ounce resealable pouch contains about 48 servings, which is plenty to get started. But I’m sure you’ll enjoy using it in other ways than just as a warm or cool beverage. Epic Matcha Organic Green Tea will improve your mood, give you energy, and boost your metabolism. When you check out their recipes you’ll be absolutely thrilled.

Epic Matcha’s Organic Green Tea gets five stars for its health benefits, its versatility, its ease of use, its delightful website, and its far reaching goals of benefiting the world at large. This is a fantastic product.

 I received this product as a free sample for evaluation. I am providing my honest and unbiased review, and the vendor in no way has influenced or edited my comments.

Epic Matcha Green Tea Powder - USDA Organic - Culinary Grade - Free 37+ Lattes, Smoothies, Dessert Recipes

Organic Green Tea is a Wonder Food

Now here’s a product worth keeping around. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Epic Matcha’s Green Tea is not your typical green tea product. First of all it is organic. It’s also a finely ground powder so you don’t steep it in a bag, you stir it in water for a delicious and beneficial beverage. Moreover, if you go to www.Epic Matcha.com/recipes you’ll discover an array of delicious recipes that will make your mouth water. My eldest daughter went to culinary school and can’t wait to explore the variety of epicurean delights recommended for this product; lattes, smoothies, pies, muffins and more. We can’t wait see what she creates, but as a beverage it’s wonderful.

Other than being organic and providing more antioxidants than regular green tea; 10 times more potent and 137 times more EGCGs according to the package, it is vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, and soy free. This four ounce resealable pouch contains about 48 servings, which is plenty to get started. But I’m sure you’ll enjoy using it in other ways than just as a warm or cool beverage. Epic Matcha Organic Green Tea will improve your mood, give you energy, and boost your metabolism. When you check out their recipes you’ll be absolutely thrilled.

Epic Matcha’s Organic Green Tea gets five stars for its health benefits, its versatility, its ease of use, its delightful website, and its far reaching goals of benefiting the world at large. This is a fantastic product.

 I received this product as a free sample for evaluation. I am providing my honest and unbiased review, and the vendor in no way has influenced or edited my comments.

Epic Matcha Green Tea Powder - USDA Organic - Culinary Grade - Free 37+ Lattes, Smoothies, Dessert Recipes

Soapstone Cubes are Cool in More Ways Than One

Dirty Yak’s Whiskey Stones are a cool gift for anyone. The packaging is attractive and the 9 soapstone cubes, with their little black velvet bag, work well for keeping drinks cool while eliminating watered down drinks from melting ice cubes. They are machine washable so they will last virtually forever. Of course, don't forget about them and accidentally pour them in the disposal. That could be a problem. Although they are simple to use I would recommend putting them in their velvet bag and then putting them in the door of the freezer. The first time I used mine I put the cubes in the ice tray and they stuck to all the ice, defeating the purpose of making an iceless drink. I recommend putting the bag in the freezer door and not in the ice tray because the bag will stick to ice cubes as well. That said, Dirty Yak’s Whiskey Stones are pretty neat and make a nice gift for just about anyone.

I give Dirty Yak’s Whiskey Stones Four Stars. It’s a neat product but the directions only said to put the stones in the freezer for three hours before use and I had to discover on my own the need to keep them away from the other ice cubes. But now I know how to do that so I'm great with the product.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation. I am providing my honest and unbiased review, and the vendor in no way has influenced or edited my comments.

Dirty Yak's Soapstone Whiskey Stones

Multi-Purpose Elegant Dinner Napkin, Handkerchief, Bandanna, Scarf

Unlabeled Unisex Cotton/Linen Bandanna Handkerchief

Exquisitely made. Cut perfectly, quality sewing.

This has a ton of uses including fine dining as a dinner napkin.

You can also use it as a very elegant handkerchief or tie it around your sweaty head.

Very well made.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

I gave it 5 glowing stars because of the outstanding quality.

I have included 2 pictures of it as a dinner napkin.

Superb Functional Unbreakable Stemless Glassware... without the Glass

Unbreakable Wine Glasses Stemless - Dishwasher Safe - 100% Tritan Premium Plastic 16oz, Set of 4 by fullerLIFE

These are just super cute and very functional.

They hand wash nicely. I don't have a dishwasher because I life fulltime and travel in a mini motorhome. I like the feel of the silicone and the superb clarity. They look like nice glass not functional silicone.

I love the way they make a simple outdoor table look very elegant.

The rims are smooth and the glass is well designed to hold a hefty 16 ounces which is plenty of room for ice and a soft drink as well as using these as trendy stemless wine goblets.

These are perfect for motorhome, sailboats, poolside, a picnic basket. Even children will have a hard time destroying these as will drunks find it difficult too.

I received this product as a free sample for evaluation and reviewing. The vendor has not influenced, modified or edited my comments.

I gave them 5 clear stars because they are very elegant and functional.

A Stunning Piece of Functional Sculpture For Your Kitchen or Bar

Alessi PSJS Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer

Just today I was describing this exotic juicer to my friend. I was truly amazed to find it for sale on Amazon.

When I worked in the Caribbean as a private chef, this was installed in one of the exotic kitchens I frequented. It was a work of stylish art yet it functions quite beautifully as a juicer that doesn't make a mess.

Just place a cup, glass or bowl underneath, then juice away with lemons, limes or oranges. The functionality is incredible. The bulbous shape of the juicer aims the juice into a nice neat stream. It doesn't splatter or make a mess.

It's also stylish for a bar. A very elegant way to splash some fresh citrus juice into the latest liquid libation.

It's a great conversation piece in any kitchen or bar, yet stunningly functional.

Click here to see more details about this juicer.