The French Convection

Firstly, it ain't French, but I couldn't resist the cheap pun for the headline! Forgiven? Calphalon is as American as rhubarb pie, and is best known for its hard-anodized aluminum cookware. Rubbermaid bought the outfit a decade ago, and they've subsequently expanded the line to include high-end cutlery, kitchen utensils and, voilà! (note the gratuitous Français) -- handsome small electrics like the oven you see posing so seductively above.

The Calphalon XL Convection Oven was born to multitask -- it can toast, roast or broil without breaking a sweat. It has upper and lower heating elements and a series of internal sensors to make sure heating is consistent throughout its capacious interior. Small footprint, big innards: this baby can cook a 12-inch pizza, roast a whole chicken and even bake dessert. I've got mine sitting next to the stovetop to use as a salamander, when I need to caramelize the sugar on a Crème Brûlée (and you know I do that daily!).

The stainless steel exterior means it fits in well with your other gleaming appliances, and the non-stick interior means you won't burn calories scrubbing and scraping if some cheese bubbles over. Check out Calphalon's other small electrics: I've got my eye on the 7-Quart slow cooker, a snazzier Crock-Pot that will make you the envy of tout le monde!