NEW PRODUCTS

Grill 'porks' fun at American pastime

OK, there's whimsical and then there's ... a corker of a porker?

Meet Lil Pig: A real grill in the shape of a big pink pig. Traeger Wood Pellet Grills isn't making an editorial comment about enormous appetites, the company is just having some fun with the great American institution of barbecuing.

Lil Pig is a fully working grill with a 418-square-inch cooking surface, multiposition digital thermostat control and hooves, er, wheels. The grill is powered by wood pellets made of hardwood sawdust; it uses approximately 300 watts of electricity during start-up (about four minutes), then drops to 50 watts an hour for the remaining operating time -- which is the equivalent of a standard household light bulb.

The pellets are added automatically through a tube from the pellet hopper to the firepot, so there's no need to get your fingers too close to the fire to add fuel.

Lil Pig retails for $1,700, as does Traeger's Longhorn Steer (orange with "real Texas long horns").

For more information, call 800-872-3437 or visit www.traegergrills.com.

You can be green as you cut the greens

You say you want to go green. Here's one way to do it with pizazz.

Eyes will pop and your neighbors will turn green with envy when you bring out your Neuton battery-powered lawn mower. Decked out in bright green with orange accents, it won't go unnoticed.

Neuton, the nation's top selling battery-powered lawn mower company, has added two bigger and more powerful models for 2008.

The battery mower has undergone a complete redesign and is now available in two sizes: a 14-inch cut and 19-inch cut.

Able to be charged on less than 10 cents of electricity and the quietest lawn mower around, the new line is able to cut larger lawns in a single charge. The 19-inch model can tackle as much as one-third acre while the 14-inch will cover one-quarter acre.

Other notable improvements include stronger motors (500 watts, 24 volts, 32 amps in the 14-inch model and 750 watts, 36 volts, 50 amps in the 19-inch model) and heavy-duty steel aero blades. Bagging, mulching and side discharge is standard on both models. The mower housing and user controls also have been ergonomically designed for maximum maneuverability.

You can easily adjust the height of the cut from 1.5 inches to 3 inches with a single lever. The mowers also start with a simple push-button and safety bar feature so you can forget throwing your back out with the old pull-cord starters.

The Neuton's removable, rechargeable battery charges in about 10 hours and runs for up to an hour, depending on grass conditions. The drop-in battery can be charged inside or outside of the mower, will last for five years with proper care and is over 95 percent recyclable.

The mowers are lightweight with the smaller model weighing in at 48 pounds, including battery, and the larger a mere 69 pounds.

The Neuton battery-powered lawn mower starts at $400 for the 14-inch model and $500 for the 19-inch model.

Give them a try, you have nothing to lose. In addition to a free six-month trial, the mowers come with a two-year warranty.

For more information, call 800-798-2921 or visit www.neutonmowers.com.

When one door closes, another slides open

It's quick, it's easy and it saves space. Who could ask for more?

Johnson Hardware has unveiled its Series 200WM wall mount, an exclusive design for mounting sliding doors to interior walls. The track and roller system attaches directly to the wall, resulting in quick installation and easy operation.

Don't be confused. This is not a pocket door -- which slides into the wall -- but it saves space just the same. And, it's an ideal solution for walls made of brick or concrete block, or for wood-framed walls that contain pipes or wiring that would make it not only difficult, but very expensive, to install pocket doors.

The hardware takes up little more space than the thickness of the door whereas a standard hinged door requires 8 to 10 square feet of floor space to swing open. And since the door slides open, just about any piece of furniture can be placed beside the doorway without interfering with the door's operation.

The hardware is rated for commercial and residential use and can support doors weighing as much as 300 pounds. It can be used with a door of any height and virtually any thickness of 1 1/8 inches or greater. It also accommodates single door openings as much as 96 inches wide and converging door openings as much as 192 inches wide.

The aluminum I-beam track is available in 48, 60, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 192 inches. Mounting brackets can be positioned anywhere along the I-beam track for secure fastening to wall studs, blocking or other solid support. Two four-wheeled hangers fit on the track with ball-bearing nylon wheels for smooth operation.

For more information, call 800-837-5664 or visit www.johnsonhardware.com.

PackMate keeps goodies safe, sealed

Sometimes, especially in these economic times, you just have to suck it up -- and out.

Helping you to save time in the kitchen and money in the store, PackMate Vacu-Seal food storage system is a convenient, enviro-friendly and economical way to vacuum seal those precious goodies.

"We wanted to design a vacuum-sealing system that was so easy to use, beneficial and affordable that people would use it every day," said Stephen Armstrong, president.

The Vacu-Seal features a compact, handheld, cordless vacuum that extracts the air from the reclosable storage bags. The airtight zipper and valve seal out freezer burn and seal in freshness. They are reusable, dishwasher safe and come in gallon and quart sizes.

The system also allows you to:

* Reduce waste: The Vacu-Seal keeps food fresh up to five times longer because it's not exposed to air, which causes it to go bad.

* Save space: The vacuum is small enough to fit inside your kitchen drawer right next to your bags.

* Buy in bulk: When you can freeze and seal, you can turn bulk into individual servings.

* Prepare ahead: We are all busy. When there is time to cook, make the most of it. Take those meals and store in controlled portions for families, singles or those with special diets.

* Savor seasonal favorites: Many favorite fruits, vegetables and even fish are only available at certain times of the year. Take advantage of them. Prepare accordingly, Vacu-Seal and freeze. Then simply defrost in the refrigerator or microwave.

* Be enviro-friendly: The bags feature a reclosable, airtight zipper and are dishwasher safe. This enables you to use the entire bag multiple times; there is no need to cut off a portion of a sealed bag, throw out the top, and then reseal.

* Marinate in minutes: Meat and fish can be marinated in minutes as opposed to hours, still coming out tender and juicy.

* Protect your valuables: The Vacu-Seal keeps polished silver from tarnishing, photos and paper memorabilia from yellowing and protects other valuables from corrosion and oxidation.

* Use other vacuums: If you already own another vacuum sealer, you can still use it with the Vacu-Seal bags.

And it's fast and easy to use. Simply place contents in the bag, seal the zipper, insert the vacuum tip and press the power button. Air is removed and you are done.

The starter kit retails for $30, including vacuum, bags and batteries.

For more information, call 800-267-2486 or visit www.vacu-seal.com.