The Pampered Chef is a direct-sales company that makes quality kitchen gear. Some is displayed on Food Network's website, www.foodtv.com, and all of it can be seen on their own website, www.pamperedchef.com.

Probably their most famous item is the Family Traditions Stoneware, a collection of high-quality hot-fired clay baking gear. This includes flat stones for making pizzas and such, bread pans, cake pans of various shapes and sizes (including a fluted pan), and baking bowls sutiable for red beans and rice that can also be used as lids for other pieces if you want to roast a chicken in them. There is also the New Traditions glazed stoneware, which is very pretty as well as functional and includes a pie plate, square baker, large cake pan, and oval casserole-style dish.

Other fun toys are the Food Chopper, Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer, and Measure-All Cup. The Food Chopper is a great stress-relief tool; you just bang on the top and it'll chop nuts, veggies, meat, chocolate, whatever. The A/P/C/S will turn an apple into thin slices faster than you could otherwise make a few wedges with a kinfe. The Measure-All Cup has a liquid side and a solid side. The liquid side is a standard measuring cup style with markings down the side. The solid side is amazing for sticky stuff like peanut butter, shortening, honey, etc. that's a pain in the butt to get out of a normal measuring cup. You basically pull back the plunger to the amount of stuff you want, fill it, then push in the plunger and your ingredient falls right out. You have to see it.

Also, almost every item (especially the large ones) comes with recipes. If you like to cook, you have to go check this out.

The catch is that you can't order directly online or through the mail; you have to find a consultant and order through her. But what makes up for it is that you can have a home show and get things free! The website can connect you with a consultant in your area. Currently, The Pampered Chef sells in USA, Canada, and UK and is working on getting into Germany.