I’m sort of a homebody. Like Dorothy… “there’s no place like home…. there’s no place like home… there’s no place like home”! And here at StoneGable, I’m most comfortable in my kitchen. I love to cook and putter and find all kinds of new things to learn and do and do well. I read cookbooks like they are romance novels and menu planning is daydreaming to me! I’m also very fussy about what things will come and live in my kitchen! I’m quite basic really. I not a fan of things like electric can openers and electric knives. But, I do have a small arsenal of well loved and worn gadgets that I cannot function without! These make my culinary life so much easier! Here’s a look at my “top 10”!
Today’s PRACTICALLY SPEAKING is all about kitchen gadgets that are truly workhorses in my kitchen. Actually, many are quite worn! Excluding knives, pots and pans, wooden spoons, spatulas, potholders, and larger items, etc. here are my top 10…
LEMON REAMER
Sometimes simple is just better! I have seen and tried so many lemon juicer contraptions. I used an old kitchen fork for years until I was given a simple wooden lemon reamer. This does a much better job than another gadget and does not take up much space in a kitchen drawer. I just ream the lemon juice into a bowl and pick out the seed. Done!
Get rid of those big yellow or green tongs-with-a cup they don’t get the job done nearly as well as a reamer. Go simple and basic!
GARLIC PRESS
I hate (and I don’t use that word often) chopping garlic! Garlic is a scrumptious bulb that I use almost every day. YUM! But garlic is a little devil to chop! It sticks to my knife and often hops all over my cutting board. Thankgoodness for my garlic press. I am a grumpy garlic chopper without it. When it comes to a garlic press… you get what you pay for. This press was not cheap but because I use it so often, it is worth every penny! I am planning to use it for decades and then to pass it down to my family!
TONGS
At StoneGable tongs work as forks, spatulas, and even spoons. I have two pairs and I use them almost every day. Tongs keep my fingers from getting burnt to a crisp! These tongs have been in my kitchen, again for years and are in perfect working order!
CITRUS ZESTER OR MICROPLANE
My little micorplane is another kitchen gadget that is called into work very often! It allows the skin of a lemon or other citrus fruit to be removed and shredded from the bitter pith of the fruit. The skin hold the glorious oil that holds the fruit’s intense delicious flavor! I also use a
I also use a microplane to finely grate nutmeg (so much better than those little bottles of powdered nutmeg) and cheeses.
Microplace is a name brand. I’ve used other graters and they just did not work as well. Get the real deal… it’s as sharp as a rasor and works like a charm!
MEASURING SPOONS
I have a very fun, pretty, vintage-looking set of measuring spoons. They were a gift from my Bible Study and came from Anthropologie. They make me happy every time I use them. I must admit if I’m not baking, I usually use the palm of my hand to measure out ingredients!
Don’t you love the pretty patina these spoons have earned? You will see a similar set at the bottom of the page.
MEASURING SCOOPS OR CUPS
I have one set of pretty measuring spoons and one set of very utilitarian ones. Can you guess which ones I grab most often? I want to say the pretty ones, but most often I go for utility. These pretty measuring scoops came from a kitchen shop in Savannah.
Did you know that many tea cups actually measure 1 cup? I love to measure out a cup measure using the teacups cups I have in my flour and sugar jars.
BAR TOWELS
My sister was a caterer and a chef. She is the most amazing cook!!!! I’m spellbound when I watch her in the kitchen. She has a second culinary sense that is totally lost to me! She introduced me to bar towels! I have a small basket full of them and they are an integral part of my everyday cooking.
They are fabulous for mopping up spills and as dishcloths and washrags, but they do so much more than that. I lay out cleaned lettuce on one bar towel and cover it with another. Then I roll the lettuce up sandwiched in between the bar towels. I get perfectly dry and ready to dress lettuce! A bar towel also is amazing for squeezing out liquid from cooked spinach or salted zucchini.
They get washed and thrown into the dryer, rolled us and are ready to be used again!
And here’s the best thing about bar towels. They are so so inexpensive!!!! You can find them at Walmart or most kitchen stores!
CUTTING BOARD
A cutting board is essential in my kitchen. NO plastic ones for me! I love the sound of the knife hitting the wood of a cutting board.
In our home, we have a little gift giving rule… no appliances. It’s a long story, but Bobby’s dad once gave his mom an iron for Christmas. Needless to say, Bobby saw the fuss that was created when a hubby gives a wife an appliance for a gift… and has never repeated his dad’s unfortunate Christmas gift choice in our home!
But one birthday Bobby gave me a gift and fessed up that he was very worried about its content. It was a very heavy gift! When I opened the gift I was thrilled. I could see the relief on Bobby’s face! My gift was a Boos cutting board. Nothing I would have ever gotten myself. This cutting board is a real investment! I love love love it and it is really worth every penny! Sweet, Bobby… I thank you every time I use this amazing cutting board!
PASTRY SCRAPER
Denise from our fabulous StoneGable community whispered in my ear that what I am really telling you about is a BENCH SCRAPER! Thanks Denise, you ROCK!!!!
I don’t think I have ever used my pastry scraper to scrape up pastry! It may be because I don’t bake very much, but it is probably that I have found a better use for it! A pastry scraper is a wonder at scooping up cut onions or celery or carrots to go into a pan. So so easy-peasy! Almost anything you chop that needs to go in a bowl or pan or pot can be scooped up so easily with a pastry scraper!
I don’t think I have ever used my pastry scraper to scrape up pastry! It may be because I don’t bake very much, but it is probably that I have found a better use for it! A pastry scraper is a wonder at scooping up cut onions or celery or carrots to go into a pan. So so easy-peasy! Almost anything you chop that needs to go in a bowl or pan or pot can be scooped up so easily with a pastry scraper!
KNIFE SHARPENER OR BLADE STEEL
I believe that a “sharp blade is a safe blade”! And a dull blade makes any cutting job miserable! I often sharpen my knives with a wonderful little knife sharpener. I used a blade steel for years, but I found a sharpener I love! I am so surprised at many of us let our blades get dull and use these dull blades to cook every day! Dangerous… and cutting with a dull knife is hard work!
Get a good knife sharpener, please!
BONUS GADGET… MASON JAR AND A LID!
Okay, I’ve saved the best for last. The humble mason jar! I use Mason jars to store dry food in and to refrigerate leftovers in (so much better than plastic). I also use it to make vinaigrettes, slurries, and anything I need to shake up. I keep at least a dozen Mason jars and lids in a kitchen cabinet ready to use!
There you have it! My 10 ten kitchen gadgets, plus 1.
Now, it’s your turn. What are your must-have kitchen gadgets!!!
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