I am not big on kitchen gadgets. Not only do they get in the way of a streamlined kitchen, but they play middle man to a process that I believe should be about directly interacting with your food.
Apple slicers, cherry pitters*, a giant Cuisinart…they clutter drawers and cabinets and are entirely unnecessary in a standard home kitchen.
That said, I am nothing without my contradictions so here are a few of my favorite gadgety things and why I find them so valuable:
Garlic Twister ($24): I use a lot of garlic in my cooking and this gadget minces garlic in just a few turns. It can hold about eight cloves and it’t a time saver I allow myself in the cooking process.
Suribachi ($19.50) Again with the garlic. This Japanese tool allows me to macerate my garlic and marinate it in my various vinegars for integrated, delicious salad dressings. I have to give props to Alice Waters for this one.
Lemon Covers ($11) when I’m cooking and need strained lemon juice, I like to use a fine mesh sieve but when I’m serving a platter of grilled seafood or a chicken Milanese, I like to provide a cover for my guests. I use mine over and over again so a package will go a long way.
Fish Spatula ($10) I use mine to ensure a smooth egg-over-easy transfer from my stainless steel All-Clad a la Frank (wild child) Prizinzano’s method to my plate. A lot of people use cast iron or non-stick, but that would be too easy.
Poultry Shears ($22) If I’m trying to master a Mandy Lee chicken
I need to break it down with these shears. They also double as general kitchen shears for clipping herbs, flowers or neighborhood foraging.
Mortar and Pestle ($9): There are hundreds to choose from so find one you like to make pestos and smash herbs for homemade chai. the one I use was made by Coors during prohibition when they swapped bottling lines for pottery wheels to create sturdy medical equipment, including mortars and pestles.
So there you have it, my top six picks for kitchen gadgets. Any kitchen lover will appreciate these gifts and they are priced to fit most budgets. So, that’s twice as nice.
*To pit a cherry: Place cherry on top of a Coke bottle. Use a metal straw or chopstick to push pit into the bottle. Et voila! A homemade cherry pitter.