Welcome! My name is Lisa Popeil and I am the CEO and Founder of Hug The Cook – where gourmet cooks test for the best and sell only the best in culinary tools and kitchenware.

I created Hug The Cook for people like you who love to cook and know how important it is to have the highest quality appliances and cookware in your kitchen. We are deeply committed to offering only the very best in quality and style. I promise that everything we offer at Hug The Cook is exactly what I would personally recommend. Because of our thorough testing, I can unconditionally guarantee your happiness with every product we sell.

My mission is to save you from having the same kind of experience I went through about two years ago when I needed to buy a new toaster oven….

I decided to entrust my search to a reputable kitchen store near my home in Los Angeles. Should be easy, right? Well, there they were, eight different models and brands to choose from, all lined up on a counter. I asked the sales person if she could make a recommendation. She had no first-hand knowledge about the products and, therefore, could not help me out at all. I was on my own. So, I spent quite a long time looking each one of them over. I looked at design, read about the features, checked out the quality, tinkered around with them, and then finally made my choice. I think the sales person thought I was a bit nuts, I virtually did everything except make toast with them! That would come later.

I took my new (and, I must say, rather expensive) toaster oven home, unpacked it and plugged it in. I couldn’t wait for the morning (I get very excited about new appliances). The next morning I went to the kitchen, made my coffee, put two pieces of bread in my new toaster oven and turned on the timer. All of a sudden I hear this loud Tick, Tick, Tick. Oh no! This toaster ticks! If only someone would have told me this toaster ticked, I never would have bought it. I also found that it browned the toast unevenly, toasting one side more than the other. You can imagine how disappointed I was. I then had the unpleasant task of repacking the toaster in the box and driving it back to the store, only to begin again.

With so many choices out there, how can we, the consumers, know which products are the best? I designed Hug The Cook to save you from ever having to suffer through this kind of experience again!

Our exclusive Hug The Cook Test Kitchen does the research for you. As your consumer advocate, we look at all of the models and brands in the marketplace to uncover the top performers in a variety of price categories. We compare features not normally listed in product descriptions, like noise level, real clean-up time, and sturdiness. We test true functionality and how well products perform the tasks for which they were designed.

What’s true in our test kitchen is doubly true on the Internet – the clear winner always rises to the top. Take a look at our store and right away you’ll know: Hug The Cook offers "only the best" for a truly better shopping experience. Consider us your consumer advocate.

We are currently working on the presentation of all of our Test Kitchen Results and will be posting them to our website very soon. Please visit us again soon and let us know what you think.

Thank you for shopping with us!

Lisa Popeil CEO and Founder Hug The Cook and Only The Best, Inc.

This set features a beautifully shaped glass jar with a stainless and silicone top that is attached to a silicone honey dripper. The top has a silicone ring designed to help seal the jar inbetween uses and keep the glass jar protected. Thw William Bounds Sili Honey Dripper is more hygenic and easier to clean than the typical wooden dripper, plus the deep groves on the dripper allow it to hold more, while releasing a smooth controlled flow of honey. As the silicone dripper is heat resistant and nonporous, it can even be used to stir honey into your beverage without absorbing any odor or flavor that would affect the dripper.

The Cuisinart "Mix It In" Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker is one of the coolest kitchen products out there! Making ice cream for the kids? Throwing a brunch or dessert party for the grownups? This soft serve ice cream maker will have everyone screaming for ice cream. Our test kitchen staff had so much fun with this ice cream maker that we dubbed it one of our favorite machines EVER. We were worried that the ice cream would come out melted or that the handle wouldn't be sturdy enough, but after making several batches of deliciously creamy ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, we were in love.

The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker is easy enough to operate that you can get the kids involved. Just pop in the pre-frozen bowl, put on the lid and turn it on before you pour in your ice cream base. it'll be ready to serve in just 15-20 minutes!

Add sprinkles, chocolate chips and other dry toppings by simply pulling a tab on the condiment dispenser. That way, the toppings won't get crushed during mixing. Enjoy!

Fold, scrape and stir with new durable silicone spatulas! Get non-abrasive silicone cook’s tools to protect your non-stick, ceramic and metal cookware. This Cuisipro Silicone Baking Spatula is fitted with a brushed stainless steel handle that resists fingerprints and goes right in the dishwasher. The silicone head is heat-resistant up to 750 ° F and ideally shaped to fold batters and scrape bowls clean so you don’t miss a drop.

Introducing convenience and ease any chef will drool over. Tired of constantly reaching for the olive oil every time you cook? The new OilWand™ is an oil baster and brush with countertop appeal. Just fill with your favorite oil then give a light squeeze! The heat resistant silicone brush allows you to evenly spread the oil over a hot pan or your favorite veggies. When you done just store in the included storage base.

Features:

Convenient countertop oil baster and brush Specially engineered silicone brush holds large amounts of oil Dripless valve prevents unwanted mess 650°F/340°C heat-resistant silicone brush Includes a base for easy storage Top rack dishwasher safe

hese individual coordinating popcorn bowls are shaped like popcorn. This bowl holds 2 cups of deliciously popped popcorn. Easy-to-clean and dishwasher safe. Measures: 5" wide x 2.5" high

Features:

Popcorn-shaped serving bowl Stylish high-design serving bowl Easy-to-clean Dishwasher safe

The Mr. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar contains 4 microwaveable inner bowls and includes a forked spoon with cover and an easy-carry bag. The outer container features durable stainless steel construction and vacuum insulation with excellent heat retention. Dimensions: (W x D x H) 5-5/16" x 4-3/8 x 6-3/8 inches. Color: Silver

Features:

Vacuum Insulation keeps your lunch hot or cold Four microwaveable inner bowls Convenient carrying bag and forked spoon Durable stainless steel construction Washable nonstick coated outer container Heat retention 153 degrees F @ 6 hrs. Cold retention 50 degrees F @ 6 hrs. 5 Year Manufacturers Warranty (thermal insulation)

Contains:

15.2 oz Main Bowl 10.1 oz Large Side Bowl 6.8 oz. Small Side Bowl 9.5 oz .Soup Bowl Carry Bag & Forked Spoon

This hour glass shaped digital timer also features a 12/24 hour clock. Set the timer up to 99 minutes. Use it as a stopwatch up to 99 minutes and 59 seconds. Alarm sounds when time is up. Instantly recalls last setting. Dimensions: 4.375"H x 1.75" diameter.

Features:

This digital timer and clock in an hour-glass design can count up or down (minutes and seconds) 12/24 hour clock 99 minute timer 99 minute, 59 second stopwatch Recalls last setting Silver 1- AAA Battery included 1 year Manufacturers Warranty

Easily divide in half or thirds, or multiply recipe measurements. Slide the tab to rotate measurement conversions. Magnet on back to hang close at hand. Standard and metric conversions listed. Measures approximately 4 3/4" x 4 3/4".

The Liquid Measure Magnet easily converts fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, liters, and gallons. Attach to your refrigerator for easy access. Measures: 5½"L x 3½"W.