Editors' Picks: 13 Essential Kitchen Gadgets, Holiday Edition - Remodelista
We all have a kitchen tool (or two) that we lean on, particularly at this time of year when we’re in full chef mode. I’m in charge of the turkey every Thanksgiving. Sadly, that means having to skip my group’s annual cider pressing because I’m tethered to the oven, monitoring the thermometer every 15 to 30 minutes. Margot loves lab equipment in the kitchen: “My old-fashioned fat separator feels like a science experiment–you pour in turkey drippings and the fat rises to the top,” she says. Julie relies on her hand blender to make gravy. The “it” tool in Sarah’s kitchen is the Microplane Classic Zester Grater. “My ceramic grater is one of my favorite kitchen tools”, says Alexa. Christine swears by “wooden spoons, wooden spoons, wooden spoons–I even have my mother’s old ones.” At Thanksgiving, she uses them for “making stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy, serving the salad–pretty much everything except the turkey.” The Baker’s Dozen Beechwood Spoon Set is $165 for 13 at Good. Here’s a gadget that doubles as old-fashioned entertainment. A smart parent, she sets them to work with her Victorio Apple Peeler; $30 from Provisions. For Margot, the classic vegetable peeler is indispensable. Another essential in my own kit is an in-oven thermometer. I now rely on an in-oven thermometer to keep my ovens honest and get the best results, especially on high-volume cooking days where the oven door is open more than closed. The Norpro 5898 Stainless Steel Baster, $9.20 from Amazon, is an essential in Gardenista editor Cheryl’s kitchen, especially around the holidays. Honestly, who can live without a KitchenAid standing mixer? “We use it to mix the batter for Laurie Colwin’s flourless chocolate cake, which we make every Thanksgiving, and for whatever other 17 desserts we decide to make in any given year.” Note: We are all heading to Michelle’s. We’ve posted about using or, more importantly, protecting tablets in the kitchen. We’ve found what we think might be the best solution: the Speck Handy Shell for the iPad. To cook for a crowd in a small-apartment kitchen, Meredith uses an All-Clad Slow Cooker ($129.95 at Amazon).