As my very first post, I wanted to mention a couple items that often get overlooked in the kitchen. In a time of Sous Vides and wifi thermometers (We will talk about those things in other posts) most people don’t think about the simple items that can also be a big help in the kitchen.
The first is what I used to consider to be the most ridiculous kitchen item to ever exist, Toaster Tongs! They look like a broken clothes pin and look to be just as useless. I would have never even tried them out if it had not been for my wife buying a set and leaving them on the counter. Pure genius! Like the toothpick, so simple yet what would life be without them? These little guys are great for plucking hot toast from the toaster, especially with toasters like mine where the smaller toast pieces don’t stick up far enough to get them out with your fingers.
But that’s not all that these little wooden wonders are good for. They are great for flipping meat in the skillet since they won’t scratch off the finish in the pan or for serving food at the table. We like to set them out next to the hor d’oeuvres so people use them instead of their fingers. Here’s a link to my preferred set. You get three, so a set is always clean. There are longer ones out there but I like this length because the longer ones are a little too lengthy if your toaster is located under the cabinets. Lastly, these are Prime items so they ship free!
The second item is even simpler. A pan scraper. Short and sweet, it’s saves a ton of time cleaning. No more waiting on pans to soak. No more scratching at hardened sauce with your fingernails on the counter. It’s also great for removing the large chunks from cast iron skillets before giving them a scrub. Make sure and get one with a wider top so you can get a good grip without cutting into your hand. Here’s a good one with free shipping for those of you with Prime but, to be honest, you can probably pick one up at Walmart for a buck or so.
Next up is an accessory for your accessories. A knife sharpener. Seems like everyone thinks that they own some space-age knives that stay ever-sharp from the day they purchase them but, in fact, the majority of blades in the average kitchen are dull to the point of causing an injury when trying to hack through an apple or other firm vegetable. You have no idea how much difference it will make in your culinary life when you are working with a sharp blade. Slicing tomatoes, steaks, and veggies with a well honed blade is not only safer, it gives you cleaner cuts and makes your prep look like it was done by a professional chef. A cheap 2-step sharpener will get the job done and you can also use it to sharpen your scissors too!
I also wanted to mention this runner-up item we have. It’s not a “can’t live without” item but is definitely a time saver in the kitchen. We use this mechanical whisk for making scrambled eggs but it’s great for all kinds of whisking, beating, and mixing.
Those are our go-to items but there are plenty more gadgets that we employ in our kitchen to make our cooking experience just a little bit easier. Make sure to check out my other blogs for my thoughts on some of the larger appliances in our kitchen.
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