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the KITCHEN STORE
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You really need to be careful when purchasing gadgets that claim to make life in the kitchen easier. Many are useless and take up a lot of precious storage space. My mother used to be a gadget "collector" and they all ended up in my kitchen. When she realized I wasn't using most of them, she finally gave up. But there are some gadgets that are very useful and a few that I consider essential. How important they are to you depends on the type of cooking you do and the frequency with which you think you will use them.
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Search for kitchen gadgets at the KITCHEN STORE.
GADGETS
Pepper Mill - You know you should be using freshly ground pepper for all of your cooking, as well as at the table, so you need at least one pepper mill. There are many choices as far as style, size and composition. Make certain it has a high-quality steel grinding mechanism that adjusts to various grind sizes.
Thermometers - Everyone really needs to have an instant read thermometer. Even if you are an experienced cook, you can't take chances with large cuts of meat or poultry that need to be cooked to a certain internal temperature for safety. Not to mention, you don't want to overcook that rare beef roast. They have other uses, such as determining the temperature of lukewarm water for baking with yeast. I have a battery operated digital variety because the numbers are easy to see. But I keep a regular one for backup just in case the battery dies. Another useful thermometer is the candy/deep fat variety, assuming you are going to do that sort of cooking.
Vegetable Peeler - This is essential for peeling lots of vegetables and some fruits, but especially roots and tubers. You could use a paring knife but, more than likely, you will remove more than just the peel. Invest in a good one with which you are comfortable. I prefer the old-fashioned type.
Citrus Squeezer - This is not essential since citrus juice can be squeezed out by hand. But, when I need a large amount for a recipe, it comes in handy. The kind I have is a little bowl with a removable top that traps the seeds.
Egg Slicer - I love hard-cooked egg sandwiches for my "take-to-work" lunches. Of course, you can slice eggs with a knife, but this is so quick and perfect. For chopped eggs, you simply lift the whole sliced egg and turn it 180 degrees, then slice again. By the way, a well constructed slicer might also slice mushrooms.
Garlic Press - There are times when you want to press garlic to get all of the juices working. That can be done with the back of a knife, but this is quicker. Don't fall for the ones that claim you can put the unpeeled garlic in and the peel will stay behind. The problem with that is, if you need to do more than one clove, you have to remove the peel from the previous clove first. I prefer to peel the cloves by whacking with the side of the knife, then pass the smashed garlic through the press. I also suggest you run hot water over the holes immediately afer use so that cleanup is easy.
Bulb Baster - You can use a large spoon to baste roasts, but a baster can get into those tight spaces without having to tip the pan. I say it is essential. The best are the ones with metal tubes and rubber bulbs. The bulbs will wear and crack in time, but you will get your money's worth out of it.
Box Grater - Even if you have a processor with appropriate blades, you will want a stainless steel box grater. Although they take a little more elbow grease, they are sometimes quicker and a lot easier to clean. Purchase a good quality. It doesn't need to be the most expensive, but very sturdy and sharp.
Microplane - I really do consider some of the products suggested by professional chefs. Well, suddenly everyone was pushing the microplane which originally was a hardware product, also known as a rasp. They said you could get one at any hardware store. I tried that, but had no idea what I wanted. So I found one in a cooking catalog. It really is not expensive and, I am here to tell you, is every bit as wonderful as they say. It is great for grating the zest off of citrus fruits. You can also use it for things like ginger and nutmeg. I use it most often for grating hard cheeses, such as Parmesan and Romano. You should have one.
Potato Masher - There are potato ricers and there are potato mashers. I prefer to use the masher. Maybe it's just because that is what my mother and my grandmother always used. I also think it is a quicker process and you never take the potatoes out of the pan in which they were cooked, so they stay hotter. They come in various forms, but I believe they all do the job. By the way, I have one from my grandmother, possibly greatgrandmother, that was wooden. It is shaped like a large pestle. It was probably used back in the mid-19th to early 20th-century. I have never used it, but it is proudly displayed in my house as a family antique.
Cork Screw - This is a must if you cook with wine. Even inexpensive wines sometimes come with corks. There are many different types available. Choose one that works for you.
Manual Can Opener - You never know when you might lose power. Even if you have an electric opener, you must have a manual, just in case.
Cheese Slicer - This borders on being a utensil, depending on the kind you have. Mine is the kind that looks like a small spatula with a cutting edge carved out of the middle. A cheese slicer is useful when you want thin slices, thinner than you can normally make with a knife. Most of the cheeses I purchase come in brick form, so it essential for me to have a slicer when making sandwiches. I also use it when having cheese and crackers at a party or with fruit as a dessert. By the way, it makes a pretty good chocolate shaver.
Meat Pounder - If you watch the cooking shows, you know that many of the chefs tell you that the bottom of a saucepan makes a good meat pounder, even though they use a real one. And it's true, if you don't have the real thing, use whatever is available. But you will be much happier with a real pounder. Unfortunately, there are many different varieties available, so you really need to consider what type you need or with which you will be most comfortable. There are stainless, wooden, flat disks, hammers, with prongs or notches, or without. The first one I had was stainless with a handle and a flat disk that you had to use in an "up and down" motion. I found it tedious and hard on my wrist. Then I found a double-sided stainless hammer. One side is flat for tender cuts that just need to be thinned and of even thickness, and the other side notched, for tough cuts. I like the hammer motion much better. I have not had opportunity to use the notched side, but I still love the pounder. I would probably never use prongs, and the wooden pounders are more expensive than the stainless, simply for the aesthetics. So, if you prefer to use something other than a saucepan, do your research before you purchase.
Strainer - A strainer is essential for making sauces or purees when you want to discard unwanted particles, such as seeds or skins. One of the most simple strainers is a wire mesh basket with handle. The juices are pushed through the mesh with the back of a spoon. It doubles as a sifter. A chinois is a stainless strainer shaped like a cone, usually paired with a wooden pestle for pushing out the juices. A more elaborate strainer, and one to consider if you will be working with large amounts, is the food mill. Most come with several disks that have different size holes. A food mill rests on a bowl and is operated with a crank handle. I have a food mill, but I must admit I seldom use it.
Funnels - You might not use a funnel often, but the time will come that you wished you would have one. I have a set of three different sizes. I also have a canning funnel that has a wide opening that fits the top of a jar. Even if you don't can, this is very useful for placing foods into jars.
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