This is much more than just a contraption to keep beer cold. Built to be compatible with the 5 litre Heineken mini-keg – as well as practically any other same-sized keg – the Wunderbar Beer Chiller is an impressive addition to any home bar. An additional CO2 cartridge maintains the carbonation of the beer and will last for about 300 kegs. Give it a few weeks and you’ll be pulling pints like a pro.

For those who like to keep their drinking on the DL – or those who like to dress it up a little – the Acadia Mini Bar is made with you in mind. A beautiful dark-brown veneer, sexy gunmetal legs and drawer-handles, and deceptively large cabinets are chief among the features that make this one of my favourite additions to my living room. Don Draper never had better.

The Owner’s Set by Japanese-made Global is the best value-for-money knife kit I’ve encountered in a while. Sure, Wusthoff and Henckel are the still the marquis names in the knife racket, but they’ve got something of an old-guard feel to them (and they’re heavy as all hell!). Barring your ascent to the peaks of Chefdom, the much lighter, sleeker 13-piece Global set includes practically every piece you’ll need, in addition to both a sharpening rod and a whet stone for, you know, even better sharpening. At a little over eight bills the price may seem steep, but you’ll never need to buy another set again.

You've all got scissors, I'm sure, but what about some five-bladed scissors?! Didn't think so. These dandies are designed for maximum speed and ease when chopping and mincing herbs which, as we all know, can pose more problems than anticipated. Rubber handles and stainless steel blades mean the Herb Snips are both comfortable and dishwasher safe. Pick up a pair - you won't be disappointed.

For the discerning espresso drinker comes the Francis Francis X8. The X8 works with illy iperEspresso capsules and can brew extraordinary espressos with a single touch. The X8 uses a patented two stage process to create a full-bodied and rich espresso. Because the X8 uses capsules it prevents contact between the coffee and machine itself thus making for a clean system. It doesn't look bad either!

Cooking is a life skill every man worth his salt should have under his belt. But the time involved - the time! - can send even the best of us running to Pizza Pizza instead. The TurboChef Double Wall Speedcook Oven is designed to kick this quandry in the ass. 15 times faster than a regular oven, the TurboChef can cook a Thanksgiving turkey in 42 minutes - perfect for all those last minute Thanksgiving dinners that always spring up on us. Aluminum handles, curved edges, a myriad colours to choose from, AND an additional conventional oven, make the TurboChef pretty much the only choice for anyone looking to upgrade.