Kitchen Gadgets – Automatic Jam and Jelly Makers

One of my emails this morning came from Kitchen Krafts advertising this new product from Ball. It is called the FreshTECH Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker. I was a little curious even though I am the old fashioned type who does not mind the domestic art of making my own jam. I use to have a beautiful copper pan that I made all of my jam and preserves in but I gave it away to a family member.

I checked out a few reviews and the one from Good Housekeeping might persuade me to buy one of these $100.00 gadgets. It makes small batches, only 4 half pints, which is perfect when you are not cooking for a crowd. Some features are automatic settings, automatic stirring paddle and nonstick surface. The author, Sean Sullivan’s comment “faddish or fabulous – the verdict is fabulous!”

Back in April of 2013 I did buy one of these kitchen gadgets as I am not cooking large amounts any more and wanted to make smaller batches of jam/jelly. Well, today I tried it out (June 9, 2013); made three batches and it works fabulously. See my recipe Strawberry Jam Using My Fresh-Tech Jam or Jelly Maker.

I am really impressed at the quality of the finished product, the short amount of time it takes to cook and it is hands-free in terms of stirring. I highly recommend this Ball gadget for people with small families or those who do not want to make so much.