to enrich the operations of the family kitchen.

There is a superabundance of gadgets and utensils available for everything from pressing garlic, uncorking bottles, grating cheese to weighing quantities, writes Don Grearson .

As gifts, they invariably end up in the hands of mothers, the natural recipients for the latest, newfangled way to slice and dice one's way to kitchen heaven.

Perhaps it's a bit of a cop-out to buy yet another kitchen gadget for mom.

After all, how many kitchens have that bottom cupboard that has become a permanent resting place for all sorts of once-useful things.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that many of the products produced for kitchens these days are the result of rather ingenious thinking and innovation.

It's amazing, in conducting a survey of Hamilton stores, just how much variety exists in even the most mundane kitchen operations.

Take juice making, for example.

You can buy from the simplest single-unit squeezer that collects the juice and pulp in a tray immediately below the squeeze cone (less than $10) to the Omega juicer, a ($450) machine designed for commercial use but which is increasingly used in Bermudian homes to produce no-nonsense health drinks.

In between, there are dozens of options. There are two-part squeezers with a detachable tray beneath to catch the juice ($9.50), another manual presser that comes equipped with a pin that stops the fruit from sliding off the cone ($13.50), to an automatic juice presser that begins rotating with hand pressure.

But the Omega Juicer stands as the candidate to turn something so mundane as juice squeezing into a major gift.

"There are many Bermudians who are into health food,'' says International Imports owner Mr. Reeve Trott. "Many of them buy these machines to sell the juice they make, particularly to construction workers. They've bought the domestic machines and burned them out.

"The motor in this is fantastic. It will run all day.'' The Omega Juicer is also equipped to use paper filters for stopping pulp from collecting with the juice, as many vegetable juices call for. This feature offers a big break for users because it makes it much easier to clean -- the one significant rap against juicers.

Gift buyers also have a clear choice on cutting boards. You can go plastic or wood.

Plastic, or rather non-porous, high density polyethylene (HDP), will "not absorb liquids or odours or harbour bacteria. Easy to clean with soap and water''.

Those are the sales points for the HDP boards (from $12 up depending on size).

Wood boards, on the other hand, have been getting a bad rap. On the face of it, plastic seems to be more sanitary.

But recent tests show wood dispatches bacteria better than plastic.

And chefs continue to use wood.

"Every chef would much rather use wood,'' one retailer said. "It's better for the knife. It doesn't slide around. And plastic scours and gets dirty looking. One advantage of a plastic chopping board is you can put it in a dishwasher or a sink and bleach it white.'' The garlic press is another device whose design has been the subject of intense re-working.

The problem with garlic presses is that their parts work awkwardly together and that they are difficult to clean.

Mr. Trott says he has a product which answers both shortcomings.

"People come in here and say: `I've never been able to find a decent garlic press,' '' he said. "This, I think, might be what they've been looking for.'' It's a $17 stainless steel press from Wusthof Dreizack. Its big selling point is the two removable cups (for coarse and fine pressing). Each has just two sides and a bottom to make them easy for cleaning.

Making bread has gone from an esoteric art to something almost any homeowner can do.

Bread machines can run from $200 to $800. One model, at $425, offers virtually automatic bread-making.

You just pour in the dry ingredients, set the time and let it happen. "It could be for people who spend all day at the office,'' Mr. Trott said. "They could put in pizza dough before they leave in the morning and set it to be ready when they get home at night.

"If you want fresh bread first thing in the morning, this machine willl have it piping hot when you get up.

"This machine is for people who always wanted to make bread but never had the time. It's really easy.'' *** Kitchen equipment can be found at many other stores in Hamilton. These include Trimingham's, Smith's and Cooper's, Gibbons Co.,, the Knick Knack, the Kitchen Korner and PWs .

KITCHEN OUTFITTER -- Mr. Reeve Trott of International Imports stands in the midst of his crowded store with the Omega Juicer.