Every Christmas, John Ardent would watch his mother slaving over a hot stove, stirring her famous marinara sauce on one burner while juggling to keep her other sauces from boiling over. Finally one year, Ardent, frustrated that his mother was chained to the stove stirring her pots instead of enjoying her guests and family, got off the sidelines.

“Inevitably something would burn and I would say to her, ‘Mom, you’re burning the sauce,’” said Ardent, an amateur inventor at the time. “So finally she just looked at me and said, ‘Then invent something.’”

So he did. The result was the Ardenté Gourmet Stirrer, a battery-powered appliance that stirs sauces, soups and stews automatically. The hands-free stirrer adjusts to fit any 9- to 14-inch double-handled saucepot and can be set on a continuous setting or at 12-second intervals.

“The longest we’ve let it run was 18 hours and it did just fine,” said Mary Anne, John’s wife. “We love it. We have the grandkids and family at our home all the time, and we just put the sauce on the stove and go do other things. When we come back, the sauce is done and cleanup is easy. Nothing sticks or burns.”

Described as a stirrer and not a mixer, the Ardent’s product complements any item with a liquid consistency, including baking ingredients such as sugars, chocolates and syrups.

The Brentwood residents came out with their final ready-for-sale product last September and have since been marketing their timesaving stirrer all over the country. Their recent appearance at a Chicago trade show garnered several local TV interviews and a mention on the “Rachel Ray Show.” Available currently online and at several mom-and-pop stores around the state, the Ardents are now focusing their energies on selling their product at home.

“We’re doing a lot of marketing right now,” said Mary Anne. “Just trying to get our name out there and letting people know who we are. It’s a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. So far, it’s going very well.”

The Gourmet Stirrer is available in black and white and is powered by four “C” batteries. It comes with two blades for double or single stirring; both the blades and stainless steel shaft are dishwasher safe, compact and easy to store.

So what’s best thing about the gourmet stirrer?

“That it really works,” laughed Frank. “The true test for me was when I put in 54 meatballs and got 54 perfect ones back. That was when I knew we had something.”

The Ardenté Gourmet Stirrer sells for $59.99 and is available online at www.ardentegourmetstirrer.com or by calling 925-240-9513.