A Nifty Cookbook-Saving Device

It’s easy to get hooked on a kitchen gadget or piece of equipment. But stop and think--is there room for one more?

In the case of a cookbook or recipe rack that goes under the cabinet and folds up to hide from view, the answer is yes. Well . . . maybe, if your hanging wall cabinet has a depth of 10 inches to allow for the easy installation of this swing-down “Cabinet Aides Display Rack” from Kitchen Specialist. Also, if you haven’t already filled up the space above your counters with all sorts of under-the-cabinet appliances that nowadays run the gamut from can-openers to toasters to television/radio units. Reports say that these “UTCs” have made tremendous sales in the culinary marketplace in the last year or so.

Simple Yet Logical

When we first saw the cookbook holder on display at California Kitchens in Burbank, it was an instant attachment. We were struck by the simple yet logical ingenuity of the swing-down mechanism. The decision to buy one was undeniably justified by years of marring cookbook pages and recipe sheets with grease, splashes from tomatoes, cream, sauces . . . or even from a cup of coffee. Another major reason was to help eliminate clutter on the countertops and to keep that page open for the next day’s recipe testing in The Times’ Test Kitchen.

According to Mike Goldberg, a certified kitchen designer and owner of Kitchen Specialist in Los Angeles, he discovered the display rack at a national kitchen and bath show one year. It’s one of those “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that-before” items that one encounters and buys, he said. The rack is generally given away as a bonus to customers ordering their Wood-Mode cabinetry but is available for individual purchase.

The set comes with the assembled rack with wood and metal levers and four wood screws. And if the cabinet bottom is of a material where wood screws are not practical to use, the set also includes four machine screws with nuts.

The rack is something to think about. It’s a welcome addition to a conscientious cook’s kitchen . . . boasting of a little professionalism.

The Cabinet Aides Display Rack is available for $15 at Kitchen Specialist, 10643 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. 90064, (213) 470-6727.