Today’s Kitchen Tool is:
El Tostador de Arepas | Tostiarepas | Arepa Toaster
Yet another great Venezuelan cooking tool. I have written about it before, but I thought this ingenious tool should be featured on a Cool Tool Thursday post as well. The Tostiarepa was invented not too long ago, and it was a relief for all Venezuelan areperas (arepa makers), including my mom. Arepas usually take a bit long if you make them using the original technique and the budare (another Cool Tool featured here). However, this great new invention was created with the purpose of making arepas cook a lot faster and easier. You might think that this tool is too specific, because it was literally created with only one purpose in mind. However, for us Venezuelans who eat an Arepa at least once a day, this is an essential tool in the kitchen.
The first Tostiarepa were made out of aluminum and you still needed to use the stove to heat them up on one side, and then turn it and heat up the other side. Latter, came the electrical Tostiarepa, which you only have to plug, fill, wait 7 minutes, and done!
A lot of companies that specialize in kitchen appliances make their own version of this arepa maker, arepa toaster, Tostiarepa, tosty arepa, tostador de arepas, or whatever you wish to call it. Some of these brands include Brentwood, Bene Casa, Miallegro, Oster and of course Imusa. And you can find these in stores like Amazon.com, Overstock.com, Sears and Target. Some even have different sizes of Tostiarepas to make either 2, 4, or even 6 arepas at once.
Venezuelan Cooking 