Every once in awhile a gadget comes along that you wondered how you ever lived so long without. Such is the case for me with these 3 gadgets SO COOL they actually deserve space in my kitchen. These were even tested in America's Test Kitchen and passed with rave reviews. Take a look:

First up: BAKER'S EDGE BROWNIE PAN. Maybe you know all about this? This redesign of a conventional 9- by 13-inch baking pan features nothing more than three internal walls that extend across the pan. When America's Test Kitchen experts found it, they wondered, "Could these internal walls really eliminate the problem of undercooked middles and burned edges when baking brownies, bar cookies, and even lasagna?" When they tested this pan in their kitchen, they were pleased to discover that the answer is "YES!"

And why such a solid YES? Because the heavy-gauge cast aluminum pan evenly distributes heat while cooking, and because the Baker's Edge has six more baking surfaces than ordinary pans. All of this gave each serving of the Test Kitchen brownies at least two chewy edges (a great thing if you like edge pieces).

And when they made lasagna, the pros discovered another advantage of the interior walls-they kept the layers from sliding apart, making for tidy and easy serving. The only disadvantage the experts found when making lasagna: The noodles had to be cut to fit the pan. Not that big a deal if you're not in a big hurry.

This fancy pan retails for $34.95, but it can often be found on amazon.com for less. While my first reaction was that this is a pricey pan, I've thought it over and think I'll put it on my Christmas/birthday/Mother's Day/anniversary/Happy National Baking Day lists. I'll hope eventually someone in my family will come to my way of thinking.

Next: THE IceOrb from FUSION BRANDS. The IceOrb is called a "vertical ice tray." Instead of lying flat, its soft silicone is bent into a circular wall, creating a small bucket 5 inches tall by 5 inches in diameter, with 21 protruding oval pockets for the ice. It's appealing and simple: You fill the silicone bucket with about an inch of water, then push in a hard plastic liner (forcing the water up and into the mold), place its Tupperware®-like lid on top, and freeze.

Once frozen, you can use the IceOrb to chill a bottle of something or keep ice cream or a dip cold while transporting or serving. (A pint of Häagen-Dazs® can slip in with room to spare.) The lid is designed to go underneath to protect your tabletop from condensation. Very cool idea, don't you think?

America's Test Kitchen testers gave this gadget a thorough workout, and they reported: To free the ice, you remove the liner and squeeze out the cubes, producing about 2 cups of ice. The device becomes an ice bucket which kept cubes cold and mostly un-melted at room temperature for more than an hour, though they could not quite fit two batches. (Because of this they suggest storing the first batch of ice in the liner while making more). The ice was odor-free, with no plasticky off-tastes. And they loved that the device is top-rack dishwasher safe. The testers were impressed.

However, they had two minor quibbles in their first-time use: The fill line is nearly invisible; and freeing the liner to remove ice was tricky, because it was solidly frozen in place. Since rough handling could crack the liner, they advise letting the orb thaw for a few minutes before removing ice. All in all, they liked the IceOrb, especially for serving ice cream or other cold foods at summer parties and picnics.

This item retails for $24.99. I think this is expensive, but here again, it's something I would definitely put on a WANT list and hope someone in my world will take the bait.

Finally, a TERRA COTTA BREAD WARMER TILE by JBK. This 5- by 3-inch terra cotta bread warming tile is about the same size and shape as a Smartphone®. After you heat it 10 minutes in a 350°F oven you place the hot tile inside a cloth napkin or tea towel in your bread basket, and top it with your warm bread or rolls. The testers at America's Test kitchen also tried soaking it in water and heating it on high in the microwave 3 minutes. Using either method, it radiated heat gently.

They found that the heated tile retained and radiated enough heat to keep bread warm much longer than cloth-wrapped bread without the tile. The testers compared its performance to a similar product that was their previous winner last year (which has since been discontinued). At 6.5 ounces, it's lighter, so it retains slightly less heat, but it still performed well.

This simple, convenient, and reusable product retails for $7.95. Now there's a price I can deal with, and again, a product I really want. I'm pretty sure the gift-giving folks in my family will give this item a "thumbs up" too.