The bagel is back in fashion. Whether its because of its semi-starring role in TV show “The OC” or whether its simply down to a recent advertising campaign for New York Bagels is difficult to say but one thing that we know for sure is that the bagel is king right now and sales of bagel guillotines, especially the one featured in The OC, have rocketed. Its fast approaching iconic status and appears to be this year’s must-have kitchen accessory.

Both simple and safe to use, you end up with a perfectly sliced bagel and no need to go reaching for the Elastoplast!

Dishwasher safe, a good guarantee, expensive enough to mean something but inexpensive enough to not require a new mortgage, plus a lovely gift box, makes this a great Christmas gift too. But, if your other half is hankering after something that sparkles this won’t cut the mustard. On the other hand, its a great gift for a friend or a sibling!

Available from Proleno.

SWIMS from Norway is now distributing two products for men who take their shoes seriously - the Classic galoshes and the Mobster.

These products allow you to wear your favourite shoes regardless of any weather conditions and still look stylish - snow, rain or salt won’t ruin your expensive shoes. Even when driving a scooter or riding a bike, the SWIMS is a clever way of protecting your shoes and keeping them clean. The material of the lining has also been designed to “polish” your shoes when you wear them.

They come in basic colours, such as black, brown and khaki, so they are great if your daily commute involves negotiating puddles at the station car park or skirting building sites en route to the office, as well as some fun bright colours (yellow, orange, purple) - great for evenings, weekends or simply to say “here I am!” They are available at retail stores in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and also online at www.swims.com (where you can also find a full list of retailers worldwide).

Slip ‘em on before walking wet, muddy and snowy streets. Slip ’em off when you arrive, having shiny and clean shoes wherever you go!

Everyone needs a chair to kick back into with a good book - but the Bibliochaise Home by Nobody & Co might just take it a step too far.

La Bibliochaise has been created by a copywriter: Alisee Matta and an art director Giovanni Gennari forming the design brand Nobody & Co.

The idea is simple - a comfy chair with removable covers, coupled with a wooden frame with room for your personal library. And that’s a lot of book space - 5 metres of shelving built in, with enough variation in slots to fit most of your volumes.

A must-have piece for avid book readers with style (and deep pockets!)

The chair comes with a choice of white, black or aubergine-varnished wood, all available for around £3,550.

We always thought the Loft towel holder was a great idea. Designer stainless steel with no drilling required - you just have to be careful to place it carefully first time because the self-adhesive backing is very strong! We just received this impromptu message from a customer:

Just a quick email to say that the Zack Loft towel holders are brilliant. They are stylish, easy to fix and very practical. No more towels on the floor! I have bought them before, will buy them again and recommend them to others without hestiation!
Best wishes and thank you for your excellent service.

So, no more excuses, get organised in the kitchen or bathroom! The Loft Towel Holder is available from Proleno for £6.95.

Despite the recent miserable weather, I’m still hopeful that we will have some summer sun before too long. The prospect of balmy evenings in the garden with a glass of chilled wine (carefully counting the units of course!) is particularly pleasing. So let’s take a look at that essential accessory - the wine cooler.
The new innovation on the block is the Egg-O, conceived and developed in Vienna. The unique feature of the Egg-O is the lid, which has flexible fins on the inner side. This allows the lid to adapt to different bottle shapes. With the handle incorporated into the cooler, there’s no need to remove the bottle for pouring - the wine keeps chilled for longer and you don’t drip condensation everywhere. The robust construction also makes this great for picnics. The Egg-O is available in four colours - blue, red, green and cream. You can buy the Egg-O at Proleno for £26.95.

If you want something stylish, with functionality, take a look at the Bachus wine cooler by Zack of Germany. In brushed 18/10 stainless steel and incorporating three cooling elements, the Bachus will grace any table indoors or out. The inner cooling pack liner can be frozen before use to provide additional chilling. The Bachus is available at Proleno for £38.95.

Zack have a number of stainless steel wine coolers in their range. The Oletto, shown right, is the only one that has a mirror-polished finish - this will really catch the sun if it ever comes out!!
You can buy the Oletto wine cooler for £41.95.

Thanks to LH from the United Kingdom for the following review:

I have just received the ‘Astello kitchen roll holder’ (short version) and have to say that the product is nothing short of SUPERB!. Extremely well packaged and made to an even higher standard. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!! To potential other customers, this product is very sleek and elegant and will fit in tremendously well to any kitchen, whether tradiitonal or modern in design.

Product arrived within just two days via Royal Mail first class post (recorded delivery). I cannot emphasise enough how well-made this wall mounted kitchen roll holder is. Although more expensive than many similar products, it delivers in quality alone - TWICE ITS ASKING PRICE. In summary, this is a very worthwhile investment. The product is made of high grade stainless steel which is very apparent as soon as the box is opened. There is an immediate detection of HIGH QUALITY - FIRST AND FOREMOST.

In addition, all necessary accessories are supplied with this product (screws, etc.) and individually packaged within the box.

TREMENDOUS!!!!!!!!

Originally due for release in November, production of Zack’s Combo multi-roll holder has sadly been delayed. Judging by advance interest, these are likely to disappear as soon as they arrive on the shelves. It’s not surprising - the usual sleek styling from Zack in brushed stainless steel, coupled with neat functionality makes the Combo a great addition to any kitchen. Delivery is now expected during January - we’ll post here once they are available.