There are so many moments in the kitchen where I look at a random gadget, tool, or decorative object and think "I'm so happy I have you" and then let out a self-satisfied sigh. I remember when I was creating my wedding registry and browsing through the Williams-Sonoma products; I remember debating whether or not I would use a lot of those task-specific, seemingly-frivilous items for the kitchen.
I used to predict which kitchen products I'd utilize the most on a regular basis: electronic can-opener, crock pot, toaster oven, electric mixer, coffee maker, etc.
While I definitely have put these products to use (the coffee maker is by far my best friend from the kitchen electronics category), my mind automatically made a correlation between electronics and top kitchen essentials. I'll take a wild guess that this thought process was influenced by our high-tech society and the commonly featured 'must-haves' seen in store showcases, displayed in home magazines, on websites, and in commercials.
I have always enjoyed cooking (baking especially) but it wasn't until this past year that I spent more time in the kitchen on a regular basis–experimenting, trying out new recipes and resurrecting old ones, and enthusiastically putting my plethora of new kitchen tools and gadgets to use. As I've gained more experience around the kitchen, I've had a change of mindset since my preconceived notion that electronics were the IT thing in the kitchen. It turns out that I have grown to cherish those little, task-specific, seemingly-frivilous items that I never anticipated using as much as I do. "It's the little things that count" now applies to my cherished kitchen aids.
Below are five kitchen items that deserve a shout-out:
I used to predict which kitchen products I'd utilize the most on a regular basis: electronic can-opener, crock pot, toaster oven, electric mixer, coffee maker, etc.
While I definitely have put these products to use (the coffee maker is by far my best friend from the kitchen electronics category), my mind automatically made a correlation between electronics and top kitchen essentials. I'll take a wild guess that this thought process was influenced by our high-tech society and the commonly featured 'must-haves' seen in store showcases, displayed in home magazines, on websites, and in commercials.
I have always enjoyed cooking (baking especially) but it wasn't until this past year that I spent more time in the kitchen on a regular basis–experimenting, trying out new recipes and resurrecting old ones, and enthusiastically putting my plethora of new kitchen tools and gadgets to use. As I've gained more experience around the kitchen, I've had a change of mindset since my preconceived notion that electronics were the IT thing in the kitchen. It turns out that I have grown to cherish those little, task-specific, seemingly-frivilous items that I never anticipated using as much as I do. "It's the little things that count" now applies to my cherished kitchen aids.
Below are five kitchen items that deserve a shout-out:
1.
All-Clad Stainless-Steel Measuring Cups & Spoons
$50 (regular price)
Measuring cups and spoons are essential to practically everything you do in the kitchen and you can find them everywhere, from extremely cheap to ridiculously overpriced, from simple and functional to ornately decorated.
Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of kitchenware brands recognizes the All-Clad brand for it's superior quality and higher-end prices. My dream set of pots and pans is All-Clad and I knew I was dreaming when I registered for my dream set just in case a wedding guest loved me enough to drop $400+ on a frying pan. Aside from the pots and pans, I registered for the All-Clad cooking utensil set that was reasonably-priced and the measuring cups and spoons above. I received both.
The cool thing about these measuring tools is that they can be placed on the stove, acting as miniature pots. I didn't realize the convenience of this feature until I found myself using these cups over and over to melt butter, heat up milk, boil a cup of water, heat and blend small mixtures and sauces like roux, etc. It saves the inconvenience of having to use a large sauce pan or 4 quart pot to prepare a small amount.
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2.
- Signature Housewares Oregano Spoon Rest
$9.95 (regular price)
Why would you actually buy something to rest a spoon on? Is it really necessary? It might not be considered a 'necessary' item, but it sure is a handy one. The spoon rest pictured above isn't the one I own, but it's a lovely option at a great price. I found the one I own at Pier 1 one super sale, a painted ceramic bird-shaped rest whose colors conveniently match my retro kitchen color scheme. It sits on my stovetop and I use it to rest my stirring spoons and spatulas when making a soup, sauce or whatever concoction I'm making that doesn't require constant stirring. I use it to rest my coffee stir spoons. When I'm not using it, it serves as a cute decorative accent. It is so much easier to simply rinse off a spoon rest than having to constantly clean and wipe down a messy stove top. Plus, it is better to place utensils on a rest rather than on a germ-infested countertop or wasting a napkin.
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3.
The Pampered Chef Egg Separator
$7.00 (regular price)
Especially for bakers, an egg separator is a time and hassle saver. The old-fashioned method of transferring the yolk back and forth between the egg shell halves while the white drains out is great and all, but this prep tool saves the worry about a piece of shell chipping off into the bowl or some of the yolk leaking into the whites. It's a mess and a pain.
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4.
Rösle Garlic Press
$39.00 (Regular price)
When in doubt, add garlic. Garlic is my absolute favorite seasoning–it's aroma and savory flavor make quite the difference and turn a mediocre dish into a going-back-for-a-third-helping dish. Being that I am a pro-garlic cook, I naturally am a frequent utilizer of the handy dandy garlic press tool, the one shown above in specific. If you're not a fan of the price, do not worry. I selected the Rösle brand garlic press for
my Williams-Sonoma registry simply because it had the most reviews and received a 5-star rating. However, good-quality can be found at lower prices like the Oxo or Calphalon garlic presses.
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5.
Williams-Sonoma 10-Piece Glass Bowl Set
You can never have too many bowls for prepping or combining ingredients. This set was also a wedding gift and is one of my top 5 most-used items in the kitchen. I have melamine mixing bowls as well as stainless steel ones, but these are my favorite mainly because the ten different-sized bowls accommodate a wide range of ingredients from a tablespoon of oregano to all the ingredients for a cake. Instead of the commonly-sold set of 3 stackable bowls that hardly vary in size, this set of ten gives you the benefit of using only what you need, so you're not inconvenienced with having to use only medium or large-sized bowls to mix two small ingredients. The other benefit that a ten-piece set offers is being able to have several separate ingredients and mixtures set out in front of you during meal preparation.
Having the clear bowls set out and organized on the counter in front of you filled with the pre-measured ingredients eliminates the set-backs many cooks experience as they are trying to juggle several other things like managing cooking times, remembering to preheat the oven while stirring pots on the stove, thawing meat while chopping veggies, etc. etc. etc.
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...Now, here are a few desired items I've been wanting/needing to add to my collection:
- Wüsthof Pull-Apart Kitchen Shears
$19.95 (Williams-Sonoma Price)
I cannot count all of the times I've wished that I had a pair of all-purpose shears on hand. Trimming fat off of chicken and other mean, snipping twine or herbs, opening cans, clipping recipes, etc.–there are so many tasks I could use these for. This German brand in specific seems to be top-notch and the Williams-Sonoma's price is a deal! Product reviews are consistent in their mention of how incredibly sharp these shears are as well as how long they stay sharp and the overall great quality.
- Williams-Sonoma Avocado Cuber
$15.00 (regular price)
I'd use this to cut and scoop out clean cubes of avocado for salads, soups, salsas, or simply prepping the avocados for guacamole.
- Martha Stewart Collection Cake Pedestals & Domes
$43.00-$58.00 (Regular Price)
I've mentioned that I'm a lover of baking, yet somehow my serve ware collection is lacking a cake stand. This is a much-needed item and a dome or cover of some sort is a requirement. Plus, cake pedestals display cakes and other desserts so nicely.
- Sur la Table French Tin Egg Poacher
Poaching eggs: I have been wanting to take on this endeavor for a while now. Old-school poachers seem to be lost among the new electric poachers, but an electric poacher sounds really unappetizing to me. If I'm going to master the art of the poached egg, I want to do it the real way. I cannot wait to make homemade eggs benedict.
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That is all the kitchen talk I have in me for today. Now you see that even a discussion on kitchen tools can be pretty deep....or at least I can make it into an unnecessarily profound subject. Bon Appetit.
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