My guess is that stainless steel will go the way of avocado and almond

Again, really? I always thought that stainless steel appliances were the trendy alternative that will probably look dated in another ten years or so, with white appliances being classic and, furthermore, blending in so as not to make one’s kitchen look like an operating theater. Oh, and no gross fingerprints. Maybe not with dark wood cabinets, but I say bleah to dark wood cabinets, anyway. But maybe I’m totally in the wrong here – what’s your take on the kitchen appliance color debate? First, take the poll:

Then give us the lowdown… did you opt for stainless steel appliances or white or what, and why? Is white a trend, or is stainless the trend?

Mmmm, bacon.

No, really, what could possibly go wrong with an appliance that cooks greasy, greasy bacon next to your head while you sleep?

What can an unused fireplace be? How about a home for your wintergarden, storage for books (my favorite idea) or logs for next winter, a frame for art, a niche for candles, a space for floral arrangements… some people even put their TVs in during the warm-weather season.

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Aspiral Clocks start at around £350, and you can customize your clock in a number of ways, from the color or even background design behind the spiral to the hour where the ball resets itself. Noon is the standard – with its obvious application for moving between AM and PM – but there’s no reason your clock can’t reset itself at 5 or 11. Very cool!

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Colored, European-style radiators that match one’s decor perfectly, whether they’re in the bathroom or the bedroom. Like a nice warm towel or shirt in the morning? Pegler has you covered with bright radiators that are a lot more cheerful and chic than your average heat source.

While some might find these tall hotties a little creepy in the dark of night, they are quite cool. The Oreste & Emma radiator designed by Andrea Crosetta might look best in a public space where it will be seen by a lot of people.

In traditional spaces, cast iron is where it’s at. The Cast Iron Reclamation Company carries gorgeous, old school radiators modeled after those produced in France in the 1890s.

Cast iron doesn’t have to look old fashioned, however. Just look at this unique radiator designed by Joris Laarman for Droog Design. It’s very pretty and modern without being overwhelmingly angular or unfamiliar… it’s like the traditional radiator’s younger cousin.

Of course, if you have established radiators that you cannot replace for financial reasons or because you don’t own your flat, you might be able to incorporate them into your decor. Some people paint their radiators a contrasting color so it stands out, but Wary Meyers Decorative Arts painted this Park Slope radiator to make it blend in.

It’s a shame that the only places selling very colorful kitchen appliances here in the States seem to be Big Chill and Northstar. And then, of course, they’re quite expensive and really only work if you’re a fan of retro kitchen appliances.

I do like them, but wouldn’t it be nice if some of the European kitchen appliance manufacturers would decide to sell to us here in the U.S. of A. so we could all have colorful refrigerators and stoves without having to opt for retro kitchen appliances. Of course, everything would still be quite expensive, but at least there would be some variety beyond the usual four-color palette!

Now, in the tradition of the egg pricker, we have the egg cracker.

But it’s not just any old egg cracker! It’s the Swarovski crystal egg cracker, which adds a little glamour to breakfast time.

The Clack Egg Cracker is the essential kitchen gadget and ideal gift for those who love their boiled eggs perfectly sliced. No more whacking eggs with the back of a spoon and having to peel off bits of shell. No more attempting to make a perfect slice with a knife without letting it slip. Just a perfectly cut shell.

This strikes me as one of those things one might see on an infomercial featuring sad looking folks who are too clumsy to open a plastic bag, marinate a chicken, or yes, peel a soft boiled egg. I realize that this particular kitchen gadget wouldn’t take up too much room in a drawer or cabinet, but when you add to it all of the other useless kitchen gadgets in the world, you might just have a bit of a clutter problem.

Now I realize that staring into its gaping maw doesn’t tell you much about how this apparent miracle of a kitchen tool functions. Luckily, HSN is there to clarify things.

Toss, mix and chop your food all in one step with our FreshPrep Toss & Chop™ Salad Tool. This amazing cutlery device allows you to quickly make healthy, fresh meals. Conveniently and swiftly prepare all the ingredients to make egg, chicken, tuna or chef salads, holiday stuffing and more—all in one bowl. Simple and easy to use, this great little tool saves you time in the kitchen so you can spend it with friends and loved ones.

I can’t deny that I do like spending time with friends and loved ones! Who doesn’t? Fascists, that’s who! So toss out your knives and your forks, and fill your kitchens with cooking and prep gadgets that don’t have any kind of cross-functionality. It’s the American way!

But never fear, all Martha Stewart has done is made a selection of KitchenAid gear blue and slapped her name on it, so you don’t have to worry that your kitchen appliances will stop working in protest if you attempt to make waffles from a mix.

Observe… The cost of Sears Toaster in 1949 was $16.95, which doesn’t sound like much but adds up to a whopping 13.5 hours of work at the average hourly manufacturing wage of $1.26. Whereas the cost of a Sears toaster in 2009 is $19.99, or 1.1 hours of work at the average hourly manufacturing wage of $18.03. That explains a lot about why my grandfather will repair a toaster that’s on the fritz while my father will just toss the old one and go and buy a new one at Wal*Mart. Me? I don’t have a toaster; I just use the oven.