Do you ever find yourself wandering around kitchen stores trying to talk yourself out of thoughts like, “A hand squeeze pepper mill would really be useful”, or “You know, I think I DO need an olive pitter!”? Kitchen gadget lust is a serious problem for many of us (I have a theory that people get married just so they can receive cool kitchen stuff as gifts). Luckily, I mostly just look and don’t give in to temptation.
But when it comes to kitchen essentials, these are my five favorites. I don’t know what I’d do without them. In no particular order:
THE MAGIC BULLET
Don’t laugh. The infomercial featuring that guy with the Cockney accent is hideous, but admit it, you’ve watched it once or twice at 3 am. My parents bought me one of these for Christmas, and now I use it practically every day (and I’m not just saying that because mom and dad might be reading this). It’s basically a blender, but more versatile and ten times quicker to clean. During the summer I make protein smoothies constantly and the Magic Bullet does it in a snap.
KITCHEN TONGS
The all-around perfect kitchen tool. Mix, flip, grab, stir, saute, plate — tongs can do it all, and they keep your fingers away from nasty burns. I love these things. And you don’t need to buy one of those fancy Oxo Good Grips tongs; pick up a pair for a couple of bucks at Kam Sen.
NONSTICK GRIDDLE
I have no idea why I didn’t buy a griddle sooner. There’s something really fun about it— you feel like a short order cook in a diner. I use it all the time for pancakes, quesadillas, eggs, veggie burgers, and even to pan-fry eggplant for eggplant parm. The large cooking surface makes it great for cooking a bunch of foods at once, and cleanup is a breeze.
CHEF’S KNIFE
Santoku knives seem to be all the rage, but for now I’m sticking with my trusty Global chef’s knife. It’s light, sharp as hell and ergonomic. Not cheap, but worth every penny. I’ve even gone to cook at other people’s homes and toted along my knife, because I’m that much of a dork. But when you’re used to your own knife, it’s hard to mess around with anything else.
WOK
The essential for any Chinese cooking. Whenever I can’t think of anything else to cook, I pull out the ‘ol wok and fire up a stir fry. Woks are especially great if you have a gas burner, and they’re also very useful for steaming. Set a bamboo steamer on top and you’re ready to go.
What’s in your kitchen? What are your favorite gadgets? And do you have an olive pitter? Because I’m this close to buying one.
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Tags: kitchen gadgets