Kitchen Gadgets - "stocking stuffers"

[fifi]

I seem to have more than the usual need for small kitchen gifts lately. We are talking roughly $15 or less but they need to be really cool. I thought that this might be a common problem, especially this time of year, and it might be useful to get our heads together. For instance... I bought this charming garlic smasher some years ago, I don't remember where.

It is ergonomically perfect for smashing garlic cloves, then you can rub it around on your hands under water to get the garlic smell off. The edges even work under fingernails. Additionally, it looks really cool just sitting around. I have had several folks ask me how to get one and I can't find it to save me. (I did see it listed among the AMCO products in Amazon but it is no longer in stock.) This is a good example of the kind of thing that makes people smile.

Any other favorites out there that never fail to delight?

Anybody know how to ask about stainless steel mushrooms without sounding like a whacko?

[Curlz]

Maybe saying this on eG will cause all of you to burst out laughing, but I just bought myself a microplane a few months ago, and it changed my life!!! Okay, perhaps I exaggerate just a tad... But it really makes me WANT to zest stuff. And it would fit beautifully in to a stocking--for about $12!

I agree that your stainless steel shroom is cool...how about a stainless steel sugar pourer that dispenses just a little at a time? That's what I use for salt...and of course, a quick Google isn't helping me find one so you can see what I'm talking about. It's 5-6" tall and is one seamless (almost bullet-shaped) dispenser with a spout sticking out the top. Turn it over and about 1/2 tsp of whatever you put in it (sugar, salt) pours out. Pretty cool.

According to friends, I'm the gadget queen, so if I think of any other items, I'll let you know!

[Behemoth]

I love all little gadgets made by WMF, a German company. Amazon sells some of their stuff, many pieces are at or under $10. (Look under WMF in Kitchen & Housewares, under Tools & Gadgets). Sadly, they don't carry my favorite piece, the phenominally well constructed WMF cherry pitter. But their ball whisks are tha bomb.

edited to add: These guys have it -- with pics. link

And: microplane is life-changing. Or in any case, "what I cook" changing.

Edited November 28, 2004 by Behemoth (log)

[Chef Metcalf]

Good topic fifi.

I need to buy a bunch of stocking stuffers like this and would love to hear others ideas.

I found this silicone pastry brush a few months ago and it has since become a new favourite.

It's great for deglazing non-stick pans or baking sheets after you have roasted chicken or beef and need to get up all the good bits off the bottom of the pan.

Versus the old paint brush type pastry brushes, they are a snap to clean.

It's fine in the dishwasher and is heat resistant to 500 degrees F

If you need to egg wash pastry that's fairly delicate, it glides right over and it's light enough that it causes no damage to the pastry.

I think I paid about $14.00 Canadian.

The microplane zesters are great too....and cheap!

cm

[bentherebfor]

I too just got a silicone brush and like it very much.

Also, my cherry pitter changed my life. It is the coolest gadget. I never even liked cherries before because the pits were such a nuisance. Now I practically pit cherries whenever I have free time (when there in season that is). Great for olives too.

[fifi]

Oh wow... Good ideas already.

Curlz... That SS sugar pourer sounds ideal. I find that folks typically add sugar to their coffee in 1/2 teaspoon incriments. How cool would that be over by the coffee pot.

The silicone pastry brush is ingenious. I was just growling today about how you can't really clean bristle brushes properly. I can't tell you how many I have thrown away in the last couple of years because they start to smell of rancid fat no matter what you do.

Heh.. heh... I bought the cherry pitter from W-S last year to make cherry clafoutis when the cherries were in season. It works great but you had better be wearing black because you get speckled with cherry juice.

The Microplanes are truly life changing. Thank you for reminding me. I can think of a couple of candidate recipients.

Does anyone remember the Citrus Express? A few years ago when they first came out, I bought all of us one. The darn things really work!

[Dani Mc]

My Orka silicone oven mitt is pretty awesome. They say you can reach into boiling water with one on, but how many times do you have to do THAT? Get it because its dishwasher friendly for easy cleaning.

[Jason Perlow]

Its all about the OXOs, baby.

And then of course there's the Toast N Serve Magic Wraps.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=30747

[ladyyoung98]

now there are two kitchen gadgets id love to see in my stocking this year.....the silcone pastry brush and the cherry pitter...i do have a microplane that my fiance bought for me a few minths ago and for a while it sat in my kitchen drawer untouched because i just didnt know what id use it for....then one day i bought some fresh ginger for a recipe i was creating and used it for the ginger ..and ive never looked back since...wonderful gadget...id lov e to also be able to get some kitchen gagdets for him as stocking stuffers as well as he too is a wonder in the kitchen ..only problem is that he seems to have eveyrthing so im kind of challenged on that front...but am hoping to be able to come up with even one thing he doesnt have...last thing i actually purchased for him for the kitchen was a copper skillet..which i purchased for his birthday in may and he uses it a great deal...too bad i couldnt fit another copper something into his stocking this year......and so far the only kitchen thing ive purchased for him is....oops cant really say since he is also a member here and might run across this.....lol

and fifi...love your mushroom shaped garlic smasher...i found out today that a meat pounder will also do the same thing to garlic quite effectively...but i do like yours...wich you could remember where you got it...any chance it

might have been in one of the kitchen stores in the outlet mall in san marcos?..i dont live near there but weve got one up here in the dallas fort worth area that has some of the same kitchen stores

Edited November 28, 2004 by ladyyoung98 (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

Microplane, check

Cherry Pitter, check

Someone post a link for the silicone pastry brush, please. I've never seen that before and I was just eggwashing something this morning, and cursing my inferior pastry brush.

[fifi]

My Orka silicone oven mitt is pretty awesome.  They say you can reach into boiling water with one on, but how many times do you have to do THAT?  Get it because its dishwasher friendly for easy cleaning.

←

Heh heh... I gave the nephew the Orka's last year. He is always wrestling with big pieces of some animal. When he got them he said... "These are awesome kitchen condoms." So much for the distinguished attorney.

Jason... I am truly ashamed that I didn't remember the Toast N Serve wraps. I just thought of the perfect recipient.

On the Oxo stuff... I can recommend this shrimp peeler. I have cheaper versions of the same sort of design and they really work to remove the shell and devein at the same time. Unfortunately they no longer have the chicken lifter. It was a fairly stout U-shaped ss rod with the typical Oxo handle on one leg of the rod and a little forked thing on the other. You insert the forked end into the cavity of the chicken (or other bird) and with the handle at the exact advantageous center of gravity, you can lift the bird in complete confidence. My daughter's immediate reaction to this device was that it brought to mind unspeakable torture devices and would I please put it away.

[Jason Perlow]

Shrimp Peeler? We could definitely use one of those, since I am usually the one stuck with the job.

[sparrowgrass]

Buy your microplanes at the hardware store--I got mine for about $7, on sale. Shoulda bought 2.

[fifi]

and  fifi...love  your  mushroom  shaped  garlic smasher...i found out  today  that  a  meat pounder  will also  do the same  thing to garlic  quite effectively...but  i do  like yours...wich you could  remember  where you  got it...any chance  it

might have been in one of the  kitchen stores in the outlet  mall in san marcos?..i dont live near there  but weve  got  one up  here  in the  dallas  fort worth area  that  has  some  of the same  kitchen  stores

←

I am thinking that I might have found it at Sur La Table but I am not at all sure. It was made by Amco as I found out by looking at the well used bottom in good light. Web searches have turned up nothing. I may call them directly if I can find a way.

[Behemoth]

I need the shrimp peeler! I don't know how many hours of my life have been wasted on that task...

Oxo is the best. My SIL is getting the vegetable peeler as a hostess gift this year. I always assume any sane cook in the U.S. already has one, but she is in Germany. Last christmas I had to peel the potatoes with her thing and ended up nearly amputating myself.

[fifi]

Here is the link to the Amazon take on the SS mushroom. It doesn't look promising.

[Chef Metcalf]

Recipes to go with your new gadgets.

Cherry pitter...

After you have pitted your cherries, stick the part back in that comes out the back after pitting (you will see what I mean after you have done a few), dry them off a bit and then dip into high quality melted chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment/tinfoil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 25 minutes.

Remember to only buy cherries with the stem attached.

Now sit down, open up a nice 30 year old port, brew some top quality coffee and say "ahhhh".

You can use the pitter on olives too.

Microplane Zester...

Stir fry all the veggies in your fridge with some olive oil, add lemon zest (or ginger/lime/orange) at the end with a tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper.

Great, now all I can think about is chocolate dipped cherries.

And a glass of port would be nice too!

Okay, here's one more gadget.

You may think it's pretty generic, but I have more people come to my house and ask me where I got this thing then any of my other over priced kitchen equipment.

You can instantly wash a plate or utensil with soap and scrub, then rinse in running water with no need to fill the sink up.

About $8.00 at Linen and Things.

Don't get the ones with the long handle, too awkward.

Chef Metcalf

[Behemoth]

Okay, here's one more gadget.

Does yours leak all over the sink? Mine did. But it looked really really cool when filled with orange palmolive.

Okay, clearly I am gadget obsessed, and this thread is like crack. Need. to. tear. myself. away....

[fifi]

These Kyocera peelers are the bomb. I love mine. Don't go for the little julienne things though. They are too hard to use and turn things to mush.

EDIT: eGullet friendly link added.

Edited November 28, 2004 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Chef Metcalf]

Does yours leak all over the sink?

Some have because the black thing on top didn't close properly.

Now when I buy them I check to see that it has a good grip/seal.

About six out of ten seem to be okay....the company is a tad inconsistent.

[fifi]

Here is another one I just thought of... vertical spoon rests. This one is ok but I recall seeing one in a catalog some years ago that was a really elegant design. The one I have now is infinitely useful but really ugly. I haven't found that elegant one since.

Vertical spoon rests are essential.

Edited November 28, 2004 by Jason Perlow (log)

[andiesenji]

I noticed a mention of using a microplane on ginger. I have just about every kind of ginger grater known to man because I use a lot of ginger in various condiments as well as all kinds of marinade and dishes both savory and sweet. I also have just about every type of microplane made, from the extra tiny to the largest.

However, for grating ginger, and catching every bit of ginger juice, I would like to recommend a suribachi.

This Japanese mortar and pestle is truly a multi-tasking tool but it does a bang-up job on ginger.

Just peel a section (or don't peel it if you like) and scrub crosswise to the grain of the ginger on the ridges inside the bowl. You can grate more ginger much quicker than with any other implement. Then if you need garlic, you simply dump out the ginger, throw in the garlic and mash that with the pestle - you can even scrub the skin of a lemon or lime around the inside, however a microplane is a bit neater for zesting.

Joyce Chen also sells this one.

listed as a Chinese suribachi.

Edited November 28, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[andiesenji]

Speaking of gadgets.

Are you folks familiar with this site?

One of my favorite places to browse.

[andiesenji]

The stainless steel mushroom-shaped garlic smasher was sold by Williams-Sonoma. I have one somewhere around here in a drawer. I also have a wooden mushroom-shaped garlic smasher and various rubber sleeves, little mallets, and other things, mostly received as gifts. I can't seem to remember to use them until it is too late - the side of my knife works so well............

[Chef Metcalf]

I noticed a mention of using a microplane on ginger.  I have just about every kind of ginger grater known to man because I use a lot of ginger in various condiments as well as all kinds of marinade and dishes both savory and sweet.  I also have just about every type of microplane made, from the extra tiny to the largest.

However, for grating ginger, and catching every bit of ginger juice, I would like to recommend a suribachi. 

This Japanese mortar and pestle is truly a multi-tasking tool but it does a bang-up job on ginger.

Just peel a section (or don't peel it if you like) and scrub crosswise to the grain of the ginger on the ridges inside the bowl.  You can grate more ginger much quicker than with any other implement.  Then if you need garlic, you simply dump out the ginger, throw in the garlic and mash that with the pestle - you can even scrub the skin of a lemon or lime around the inside, however a microplane is a bit neater for zesting.

Joyce Chen also sells this one.

listed as a Chinese suribachi.

←

When I lived in Japan I picked up a pottery ginger grater.

It was round and flat and the center had rough/serated cut lines through it.

You would rub the ginger back and forth and it would release the juice and grate it at the same time.

Sadley, I dropped and broke it, but it was by far the best one I have ever used to prepare ginger.

I guess, really, it was just a flat version of a mortar and pestle.

Thanks for reminding me andiesenji, of something that I need to keep a look out for.