There’s a class of kitchen gadgets that are so souped-up, overcomplicated, and employ an excess of tech, that they leave you wondering if you’re really cooking at all.
Then there’s the old-fashioned, hand-crank-able tools that can get a whole group involved, if you like, and by the time you’re through, you can be certain you’ve really made the ice cream, apple pie, pasta, bread, butter, or mayonnaise yourself.
Margot likes the food mill, and swears by her mother’s old Foley Food Mill (“metal with a red wood handle, for making applesauce”). This one, the All-Clad Food Mill, comes with three sieves—fine, medium, and course.
“My flour sifter looks exactly like my mother’s did without a few decades’ worth of dents (I’m sure mine will develop similar battle scars over time),” says Michelle.
My own favorite family cooking activity from my childhood was making fresh pasta.
Julie’s latest discovery in the world of crank-by-hand kitchen tools is the new Churncraft Butter Churn made with cast metal, stainless steel shafts, precision gears, bronze bushings, and a wood handle; $240. Another option is the Paderno Butter Maker ($149.95 at Williams-Sonoma).
A few of us on the Remodelista team are among the anti-microwave set. But we still like popcorn, and we aren’t about to buy one of those plastic popcorn machines.
Another pick from Julie, the stainless steel Rotary Cheese Grater that, in addition to cheese, can be used for grating chocolate or nuts; $25 at the MoMA Design Store.
From Fan When I worked at Martha Stewart Living there was one year when everyone was given a citrus press for the holidays I tossed mine aside on my desk for a few weeks then finally brought it home where it remained in my drawers for a year or two I had no need for one But then I added a recipe to my rotation that required lemons and I...
...plucked it out and lo and behold it worked like a charm I had no idea that using one would be so satisfying and yield so much more juice than squeezing the fruit with my own hands For something small like Fan s own press there s the aluminum Lemon Squeezer for 27 50 or for the citrus obsessed the Matte Silver Citrus Press pictured is 192 both from Shed
Annie’s pick: “This Amish Hand Mixer reminds me of my grandmother, and making apple pie crust the old-fashioned way.” It’s legitimately from the Pennsylvania Amish and is made from stainless steel and zinc die-cast, with plastic handles; €105 at Manufactum.
You can also find one from the Ohio Amish, the Old-Fashioned Traditional Egg Beater, for $74.95 at Garret Wade, or source a similar vintage one from Etsy.
Annie also likes the Westmark Stainless Steel Herb Mill for the quick and effective mincing action of a handful of herbs with just a few twists of the handle; $17.64 at Amazon.
The German Jupiter Mincer made with stainless steel casting is designed for mincing meat or prepping raw fruit and vegetables.
Another tool from my own childhood, the White Mountain Hand Cranked Ice Cream Maker, the exact one our parents used to keep us kids occupied on weekend cabin trips with family friends.
The hours it takes for the ice cream to form ensures that everyone gets a turn, and it helped make us appreciate dessert on another level.
My good friend is a pro at making her own mayonnaise. For those of us less skilled, the Paderno World Cuisine Fresh Mayonnaise Maker ensures professional quality mayo; $122.29 at Amazon.
For coffee aficionados, the only way to grind fresh coffee beans is by hand. The Hario Skerton Ceramic Coffee Grinder is the manual grinder that a few of us on the Remodelista team swear by; $57.50 at Williams-Sonoma.
For something similar to the Finnish-made meat grinder in our lead photo (from The Theater Crowd: Bar & Co. in Helsinki), the Weston Manual Tinned Meat Grinder is made with adjustable burrs and heavy duty nylon auger bearings; $27.83 at Amazon.
From Justine I love pie but when it comes to this Thanksgiving dessert I m like Goldilocks Not too sweet not too tart just right Therefore I always make all the pies for Thanksgiving This...
...peeler really cuts down on the time it takes to make the two apple pies required to feed my large extended family The classic Mrs Anderson s Baking Apple Peeling Machine is 19 99 at Amazon
After recently spending time in Italy, I rediscovered my love for truly exceptional tomato sauce, and subsequently the tomato press, an Italian household staple.
There’s also the bright red Italian Tomato Press from Williams-Sonoma for $39.95 or the Tre Spade Manual Tomato Press for €73 at Manufactum.