Tools / Gadgets

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" isn't a phrase that frequently enters my mind during the summertime. Roasted chestnuts come with memories of winter holidays, hot cider by the fireplace, and Nat King Cole.

But in many other cultures, roasted chestnuts are a street food staple. In Portugal, for example, ...

Among the dozens of options on the market for kitchen food scales is the Escali Passo. Since there are so many kitchen scales available these days, the question when looking at new scale models is always: What makes this better than the average scale, if anything? Or, is ...

Adapting to a new dietary plan can be really hard at first. Not only are you watching what you put in your body, but you're likely keeping track of all that as well -- counting calories, allocating points, tracking fat content, etc. That's where a system like the Escali ...

Though I like the idea of a hanging pot rack that installs in nearly any convenient location, unless you are a handyman or know one, the installation of the Typhoon 36-inch Hanging Pot Rack System could be frustrating. It's a perfect fit for space over a central kitchen island ...

The Polder 12 Gallon Bullet Waste Bin works equally well in kitchen, bathroom or office -- allowing quick access and an automatic closure for odor control. The Polder Bullet shows a powder-coated metal exterior and stainless steel access hatch, concealing the real working section of the can -- ...

Every kitchen needs a step-ladder. The Polder 2 Step Stool without Rail offers convenient access to the elusive top shelf we all know in a compact and sturdy fold-away design. The metal construction is strong, resting on non-skid feet which won't mar the kitchen floor. Steps are stable molded ...

Made with Rubbermaid's usual sturdy quality and strictly functional appearance, the rounded edges of the Rubbermaid Slim Jim Bottle and Can Recycling Top qualify as child safe. The lid provides necessary access for can and bottle disposal without gaping wide enough to encourage careless mixing of other trash. It's ...

One of the hardest things for a novice chef to do is judge the progress of meat as it cooks. Despite the effectiveness of judging by touch, sometimes this is not possible or advisable. Following proper food handling procedures means you don't mix cooked items with raw (unless you want to ...

What is one of the most subtle but effective tricks a restaurant uses to get you a really hot plate of perfect food? They warm the plate. This warming drawer works with the several offerings in the Miele Oven and Coffee System lines. It comes in black glass or ...

Le Creuset is a reputable company. They've been making high-quality, functional, beautiful, cookware for a long time. If you have the money, and can buy their pots, pans, dutch ovens, etc., it would be a worthy investment.

But while their cookware is of significantly better quality than its ...

The Larien Bagel Biter may seem like a lot of machine if all you want is a sliced bagel, but that baker's treat stays fresher if you buy them unsliced, and if you want to open one up at home to add a spread of cream cheese, you seldom get ...

If you like kitchen gadgets, you may find this Westmark Mushroom and Egg Slicer fascinating. With a similar concept to the very well-known wire grid slicer, this powder-coated aluminum press accomplishes the same goals with a sturdier and sharper grid of stainless steel ribbon blades. A matching cutting ...

The real draw of the Rosle Onion and Vegetable Chopper is the possibility of chopping onions without being overwhelmed by the fumes. This ingenious gadget chops onions in an enclosed container, with a simple plunger handle and an automatic rotation of the blades.

Other jobs like chopping nutmeats, a task that ...

A Kitchenaid Stand Mixer does it all. You can use it to make pasta, fettucine noodles, spaghetti. You can even use it to make raviolis. Yum.

You can use your Kitchenaid Stand Mixer as a food processor, to knead bread, to open cans, to mix cake batter.

The possibilities are seemingly ...

I always feel a little foolish when I order a soy hot chocolate with whipped cream. My tummy cannot handle too much dairy, but I'm just not willing to give up the whipped cream. It's the best part.

The Whip-It Brand has known this for more than sixty years.

The Whip-It! ...

While there are relatively low-tech ways to keep food chilled for an event, keeping a dish warm for any length of time is another issue
altogether. Most solutions involve lights that can dry food out and burn guests. Other solutions involve flame -- which works, but isn't always functional at a gathering ...

This simple but versatile outdoor barbeque tool set and case by Rafael is not fancy, but it's built strongly enough to do the work. A six-in-one spatula, fork, tongs and six skewers are all included, plus a basting brush and cleaning brush for the grill itself.

Two of those tools -- ...

This heavy die cast metal (with plastic back) electric can opener from Cuisinart is now discontinued from their product line, but still is backed by a limited three year warranty. Operation is simpler than it seems, and that has been a frequent source of trouble for owners.

Designed for hands-off operation, this ...

When you hear what the Waring Pro Wine Chiller brings to the table, you can't imagine how the extensive use of technology could
possibly go wrong. Yet it does.

First, the description: The chiller uses a thermoelectric Peltier module with a CPU control for constant temperature precision. The microprocessor has an internal database ...

One of the most popular kitchen gadgets ever, the Presto Salad Shooter has been around for decades--a couple--and still has a faithful following of happy owners and users. Lightweight and compact, it solves what I consider one of the most bothersome kitchen problems--making salads. I'd rather cook, and anything that ...

The Global Decor Rotating Dispenser holds four one liter bottles in various shapes and sizes. A bartender's rotating drink dispenser, the device allows you to perform fast, easy mixing of your favorite cocktails and party drinks without the need for measuring cups or shot glasses.

The base is large, heavy and ...

Although the Progressive International Fruit and Vegetable Chopper has some interesting perks, it's a limited capacity gadget that will last only as long as the blades stay sharp. Be careful not to overstress the plastic hinge.

Unlike some slicers, this one won't endanger your fingers--cutting edges are well out of the ...

The V1 Vacuum Decanter allows you to preserve wine inside the decanter, so there's no need to funnel it back into the wine bottle. The set includes the decanter, vacuum stopper assembly, and the vacuum hand pump. The gauge signals when you have attained the proper pressure inside the decanter. ...

When you hear what the Waring Pro Wine Chiller brings to the table, you can't imagine how the extensive use of technology could possibly go wrong. Yet it does.

First, the description. The chiller uses a thermoelectric Peltier module with a CPU control for constant temperature precision. The micro processor has an ...

With this neat little kit, you get the performance of the Metrokane Rabbit, plus a few necessary extras for handling, opening, and storing wine.

The six piece kit includes an original Rabbit Corkscrew, a foil cutter, a drip stop ring, a wine/champagne sealer, wax remover, and an extra spiral. It comes ...

The PrepExpress is made to operate in three ways- hold it in your hand, set over your pan or bowl, or set it on the counter. The device comes with three stainless steel cutting drums: a slicing, a shredding, and a grating or fine shredding drum. The food chamber, pusher, and drums ...

I still remember my mom's old hand crank ice crusher. In fact, I think I still have the scars. It only took a few cubes at a time and made enough for maybe two people, if you could stand the cold and the danger that long. It took brute force to ...

The only things here that might break are the clamp and the plastic sausage fittings, otherwise it's a machine you may have in the family for generations. Using this hand cranked grinder should definitely be a family affair, because you'll need fresh hands for that crank from time to ...

In recent years, my husband has become a bit of an oenophile (a cool word for wino... I mean lover of fermented grape juice... I mean connoisseur of fine wines... yes that's it).

For better or for worse, I don't always share his sophisticated palate. I'm more of a ...

Metrokane calls this the easiest squeeze on Earth, but a manual juicer that applies more than one thousand pounds of pressure doesn't need a cute name to convince people of its power. The device operates with the pull of a lever and offers more than twice the leverage of other juicers. The ...

This eighteen piece stainless steel barbecue tool set is very lightly made, with handles of uncertainly fitting steel tubing that is very difficult to thoroughly clean. Although this is a versatile assortment, with everything from forks and spatulas to skewers and grips for corn on the cob, it's not likely ...

With storage for every tool and accessory you'll need for decorating cakes and pastries, this Ultimate Tool Caddy from Wilton is certainly useful--but materials are somewhat disappointing, and cleaning can be a huge task.

Three levels, removable compartments, and a total of 36 pegs for decorating tips give you adequate options for ...

Salter, I daresay, has the widest variety of kitchen scales on the market today. With this model, they have gone decidedly minimal. It's a simple square slab of stainless steel, rather elegant in its simplicity.

Now really, this is the company that produces kitchen weighing devices that resemble robots from a ...

Tramontina has produced a set of canisters and scoops from 0.8 mm gauge premium 18/10 stainless steel construction. Durable and easy to clean, the metal won't impart flavor to your food. The canisters have a satin finish with a mirror accent border. The satin finish helps resist fingerprints and debris.

The canisters ...

Having spent countless hours cranking on industrial quality french fry cutters in commercial restaurants, I would love to say good things about this lightweight home version, the Chefs French Fry Cutter. I can't. The handles are weak stamped stainless steel, the bearings and slides are plain metal ...

The idea with iSi's cream whipper is that you can quickly produce tasty additions to beverages, toppings and desserts. The whipper uses replaceable N2O cartridges for operation to create five times as much whipped cream from one pint of fresh cream as can be made through other methods. Flavored syrup and other ...

With the economy up and down, everyone is looking for ways to spend less without cutting all of the little joys out of their daily lives. The Perfect Pod Maker allows you to make your own pods at home in just seconds using the coffee or tea blend of your ...

The Wilton kit comes with a number of basic supplies to learn and practice the art of decorating cakes and cookies. The carrying case has room for additional items and allows you to pack up all of the tools to take along with you. Use it to decorate on site ...

This patented wire blade Cheese Slicer from Nuance is more than the usual wire knife and cutting board. Designed for storage and serving as well as slicing, the patented system creates stacks of uniform slices of medium soft cheeses like Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and American.

It's always cheaper to buy ...

If you've worked in a fast paced restaurant kitchen you probably know this monster of a prep tool already. When you need a ton of uniform potato slices that will cook evenly in a clockwork time frame, you don't cut them by hand on a cutting board. You use ...

It's time to get the party started. Talk about a social affair. What could be more fun than sharing a meal? And I mean truly sharing. With a gorgeous 15-piece Swissmar Fondue set, the food is the centerpiece.

The Swissmar Montblanc Meat Fondue set includes one ...

The strainer and grinder work with all KitchenAid stand mixers. The attachments assemble easily without requiring any tools and fit right onto the front of your machine. The grinder has both coarse and fine plates. They allow you to make everything from breadcrumbs to ground meat. The strainer assists the home ...

The feature that sets this fondue apart from the crowd is the divided stoneware insert. This allows you to prepare two types of cheese or chocolate or a combination at the same time. The Century set features extensive use of stainless steel. The pot has a brushed/mirror finish. ...

There is nothing wrong with the 9-inch Unicorn Magnum Plus Pepper Mill. It offers a comfortable grip and an easily adjustable grind. There's even a nut at the base of the mill's body that is independent of the loading ring, making it unnecessary to reset the grind after refilling ...

Especially popular with raw food enthusiasts, the Spiralo 3 from World Cuisine quickly transforms suitable produce like sweet potatoes and zucchini into beautiful spiral slices and two sizes of "vegetable pasta." Even with the one year warranty, the lightweight ABS plastic construction will require some extra care in actual ...

The Back to Basics Strainer is better than a Foley mill, better than old fashioned methods for processing produce. The mill mounts on the table or counter. It has a hand crank operation, but don't be fooled; this device is FAST.

Food is pressed through a stainless steel screen ...

This electric can opener from West Bend is as stylish as it is efficient, available in five bold colors to match any modern kitchen decor. You'll probably still want it even if you live in a log cabin.

Only nine inches tall and compact in design, this can opener will ...

I have very mixed feelings about the Cuisinart Citrus Juicer Attachment. My main reservation stems from the fact that it has limited versatility. The attachments Cuisinart offers for its mixers truly add value and extend the usefulness of the machine, but they only work on Cuisinart stand mixers (four of those models).

The ...

The New Metro Design Beater Blade is a product I can really say is worth the price. The beater blade meets every one of the basic criteria I look for in an effective product: it is fast, it cleans easily, it saves work, and it fits a number of brands ...

With more and more people discovering that quality of food is better when harvested close to home, machines like the Grain and Flour Mill from Back to Basics are becoming more common. If you want to make the jump from processed flours shipped back and forth across the country ...