Favorite Kitchen Tools

Many things come across our computer screens in a day. Recently I read a post of people who were commenting on kitchen tools that they really loved. Here are some of the items. See if you agree or not.

Skillet

In this case, a 12-inch cast iron skillet. This is very versatile because once it gets hot, it will stay that way. It is also very oven safe even at higher temperatures.

Use it for items, especially meat, that need a hard sear before finishing the cook. Since it holds the heat well, it is great as a substitute wok for stir frying. Similarly you can deep fry. This is a go-to for cornbread baking or a pineapple upside down cake.

However, it is not a universal cooker. Delicate fish will tend to flake apart. Also, a cast iron skillet has a tendency to retain flavors of other items cooked in it, so if you do a lot of savory, it might not be the best vehicle for a dessert. The acidity in a tomato forward dish may not work well and leave a metalic taste.

Kitchen Shears

Duh! Obviously you use it to open packaging from a bag of frozen vegetables to cutting twine, to almost anything.

They make quick work of snipping herbs or reducing oversized lettuce leaves into salad size.

They are one of the best choices to remove the backbone from a chicken or turkey, called spatchcocking.

Start with a large slab of ribs that won’t fit on your grill, but use your handy kitchen shears and this can be reduced to individual portions or just halved to fit better over the coals.

Look carefully at this tool and you will notice a round serrated section on the handle that is perfect as pliers to twist off a stubborn screw cap.

In a pinch you can use the tip to hold the back of a screw on a drawer knob while you tighten it.

Knife Set and Sharpener

You can build your collection one at a time, or buy them in a set. If you are just starting out or need to refresh, the three essentials are a chef’s knife of 8 to 10 inches in length, a 3-inch paring knife, and a serrated bread knife.

When you get a knife sharpener, be sure to learn how to use it properly. Dull knives are more dangerous. I know this sounds silly, but a dull knife will slip from what you are cutting and end up in a body part instead. With a sharp knife, you will use more caution and it will work smoother and give you nicer looking cuts.

Tongs

They come in different lengths, including small ones, like for sugar cubes. They work for turning fish sticks, moving roasted vegetables, turning toast under the broiler, tossing salads, and very long ones for grilling.

They are also great for reaching some of those light weight, but out of reach, items on shelves or the back of cabinets. They can be helpful to extract that child’s toy from under the sofa.

Using the insides of the handles, you can use them to twist off an “easy open” bottle cap.

Put them in your dish drainer with the joined ends down and the other end open. Then you can put your rubber gloves on them to dry better.

They can hold a cell phone or recipe card upright.

Use them with a damp cloth to wipe out the bottom of your oven or to get into the corners of your microwave when cleaning.

Spatula

This is a term used for two similar but different utensils. The first is really a “turner” used for flipping burgers, pancakes, fish, etc.

The other is a spoon-like instrument that you find handy to scrape down the bowl of a mixer or to stir a tomato sauce or to get the last bit of mashed potatoes out of the serving dish. They can also be used to spread nut butters on a piece of bread or toast.

Zester

Microplane zesters are easy to use and store. They come in handy for garlic and onions. Zesting lemons, limes, and oranges becomes easy peasy. They also work well for grating hard cheeses. However, for large volumes, go with a box grater. In either event, be careful to avoid nicking your knuckles in the process.

Immersion Blender

Instead of hauling out the blender or food processor, or having one of those sitting out and using up valuable counter space, an immersion blender is a quick and easy way to turn table food into baby puree, to emulsify a salad dressing, create a single smoothie, or many other uses. It is smaller and lighter and the detachable blade can go right in the dishwasher.

So, what are your go-to tools in the kitchen?