A couple of weeks ago, Shopping Siren and her best-friend-for-20-years started reminiscing about the good old days. You know the ones: Summer vacations. Saturday morning cartoons. Freshly popped popcorn.

From an air popper.

With real melted butter drizzled over the top.

They kind of got fixated on the popcorn.

So for her birthday last weekend, Shopping Siren bought her friend an old-fashioned (well, as old fashioned as a kitchen appliance can be) air popper. Said friend actually jumped up and down with joy. And shrieked a little.

She e-mailed Shopping Siren that night, presumably with a bowl of fluffy popcorn at her elbow, to declare it the best birthday present ever.

Who knew?

Kitchen appliances can be pretty cool. Grills that drain the fat. Sandwich presses that seal it in. Ice cream mixers that make you forget you even care about calories.

And so many, many more.

It’s enough to make meager kitchen counter space seem, well, more meager. So goodbye, flour canister. Hello, George Foreman.

• Hamilton Beach icy treats maker, Kohl’s, $29.74

Throw in some ice cubes, add a little flavoring and you’ve got yourself a summertime treat. With just two settings – “slushie” and “snow cone” – this ice-shaving gadget is pretty limited. But, really, when you have slushies and snow cones, what more do you need out of life?

• Nostalgia old-fashioned hot dog roller, Kohl’s, $29.99

Shaped like a hot dog cart, this gadget cooks up to eight hot dogs at a time on a series of rollers – kind of like you’d find at the movie theater concession stand. But wait! There’s more! Comes with a bun warmer and bonus non stick griddle. (Perhaps for hamburgers?) Judging by the extremely shiny, happy people on the box, Shopping Siren figures this cooker must be the next Great and Wonderful Thing for Humanity. Or maybe those people just really, really like hot dogs.

• Rival four-quart crockpot, Chapter 11, $29.99

Shopping Siren has never been quite sure how crockpots work. Throw in food, turn it on, get a home-cooked meal. It’s like magic.

• Presto Cool Daddy deep fryer, Sears, $47.49

Shopping Siren imagines this mini fryer is great for parties. Win friends, influence people and fry stuff. There is no bad here.

• George Foreman family size grill, Sears, $33.29

The original odd-but-cool kitchen appliance, and the one by which all others are judged. Has it been hyped by a retired boxer who named all his children George? No? Then bah! Be gone pretender. Be gone!

• Presto Orville Redenbacher’s gourmet hot air popper, Sears, $28.49

Not the popper Shopping Siren bought her best friend, but similar. Say goodbye to burned/uncooked, chemical-ish tasting microwave popcorn. (Not that Shopping Siren has anything against microwave popcorn. She’s happily munched on the “extra butter” and “movie theater-style butter” and – after trying on bathing suits – “light butter” flavors. It’s just, well … some things … taste better … you know … um. Just try it.)

Best find: Hamilton Beach 12-cup coffee maker, Kohl’s, $19.99

Shopping Siren doesn’t drink coffee, but she loves the rich aroma. She also loves a good sale. At half off (regularly priced $39.99), this sleek digital coffee maker hits both points. Plus there’s the added benefit you can’t get with other small kitchen appliances: caffeine.

Think twice: El Paso quesadilla maker, Kohl’s, $19.99

Honestly, quesadillas aren’t that hard to make. (And if Shopping Siren says that about a recipe, trust her, it’s true.) Throw a tortilla in a pan, pile on some toppings and heat. Flip the ends together. Cut. Serve. Ta-da! As far as Shopping Siren can tell, there aren’t that many steps saved with the quesadilla maker. So keep the money you’d spend on this gadget. You can use it for so many other things.

Like real melted butter for your popcorn.