Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets

[shelly59]

Mac & Cheese server?

[Toliver]

Mac & Cheese server?

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While my mom does use this item as a serving spoon once in awhile, it's not a Mac & Cheese server. Though you're sort of aiming at the right era/genre of food...

[jsmeeker]

Mac & Cheese server?

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While my mom does use this item as a serving spoon once in awhile, it's not a Mac & Cheese server. Though you're sort of aiming at the right era/genre of food...

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tuna noodle casserole server?

[Toliver]

Mac & Cheese server?

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While my mom does use this item as a serving spoon once in awhile, it's not a Mac & Cheese server. Though you're sort of aiming at the right era/genre of food...

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tuna noodle casserole server?

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Again, it's original purpose was not as a serving spoon though it obviously can be used as one.

But your food guess is aiming in the right era.

[Kerry Beal]

A scoop for getting cheese out of a wheel of cheese?

[Kouign Aman]

?cooking scrambled eggs?

[feedmec00kies]

used for getting the aforementioned pan goods out? it looks a little scoop-shaped, so maybe it would be better at pulling stuff like brownies out without breaking or completely decimating them.

orrr.... maybe it's a tool you can both serve food with and garden with? (i only say that b/c of the first line..)

[gfron1]

So I think the clue is the fingernails! You wouldn't want to break your nails so you would use the scoop (which has a straight edge. I like the cheese wheel idea but that may be more work that a spoon is cut out for. I'm thinking a peeler of sorts (again to save the finger nails). A grapefruit peeler? A melon peeler?

[andiesenji]

These were introduced back in the '30s as a "gravy spoon" as the flat edge at the end allowed the bottom and the sides of a skillet to be efficiently scraped when flour was added to fat for browning.

In the '60s Ekco brought out the black nylon style for use with non-stick skillets - the nylon had a much higher melting point than plastic.

I also have a "sauce ladle" which served the same purpose, scraping the bottom of a deep pot. These are fairly scarce.

Many times old ideas make a lot of sense.

Edited July 30, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[Toliver]

Andie, you are an amazing fountain of kitchen & food knowledge and I always enjoy your posts.

The spoon in question was actually purchased from the maker of Jello (hence the 50's & comfort food reference). That's from whom my grandmother said she bought the spoon.

Of course, they could have bought gravy spoons and just re-dubbed them "Jello spoons" for all I know.

It definitely is used for scraping...it's used to help dissolve the granules of Jello once you've added the hot water to your serving dish. My mom always used a clear oblong Pyrex dish for her Jello salads (the better to show off the pretty layers of Jello goodness) and used the Jello spoon to gently scrape along the bottom of the dish. Works like a charm, too.

Anyone else have an unusual kitchen item to post?

[andiesenji]

According to my aunt, the first such spoon she had was a premium in a bag of Martha White flour. One of the family worked in Murfreesborough and would haul 50-pound bags of flour home on the weekend. (He was a banker and used to make lots of jokes about handling "dough.")

The oldest one I have has a faint impression of Vaughn Co., Chicago and a Pat. Pend.

I have several Vaughn utensils but have no idea exactly when the company was in business. They made a lot of advertising items, bottle openers, icing spatulas, spoons, flapjack turners, all with various company names cast onto the handles.

[Toliver]

Andie,

Do they even sell such metal gravy spoons anymore? Or are they something you have to find second hand these days?

[andiesenji]

Yes, would you believe, at Sur La Table

spoons

Not exactly the same, the ends are straight across, instead of slanted, but they do the same job.

[andiesenji]

Andie,

Do they even sell such metal gravy spoons anymore? Or are they something you have to find second hand these days?

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Hey Toliver,

I just made a purchase from Lehman's and on one of the pages found these in a side section:

Blunt tip spoons, two sizes.

P.S. Lehman's wooden spoons are more expensive than others, but they are the best I have found. (I just ordered a set for a housewarming gift for an avid cook who has admired the ones I have.)

Edited September 9, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[judiu]

Andie,

Do they even sell such metal gravy spoons anymore? Or are they something you have to find second hand these days?

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Hey Toliver,

I just made a purchase from Lehman's and on one of the pages found these in a side section:

Blunt tip spoons, two sizes.

P.S. Lehman's wooden spoons are more expensive than others, but they are the best I have found. (I just ordered a set for a housewarming gift for an avid cook who has admired the ones I have.)

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I found a wonderful batch of bamboo utensils at Bed Bath and Beyond for about $6.00 for a set of six or so. They work well and for the price, ya can't beat 'em!

[Toliver]

I just made a purchase from Lehman's and on one of the pages found these in a side section:

Blunt tip spoons, two sizes.

P.S. Lehman's wooden spoons are more expensive than others, but they are the best I have found.  (I just ordered a set for a housewarming gift for an avid cook who has admired the ones I have.)

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Thanks for the info, andie. You are one of eGullet's best resources!

[Domestic Goddess]

Thanks for the info, andie. You are one of eGullet's best resources!

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I second that motion.

[SundaySous]

I worked with a chef that worked with Chinese chefs that would use steel spoons to true their knives (cleavers every last one of them used cleavers). He thought they were kidding when he asked for the steel, they weren't.

[Toliver]

I worked with a chef that worked with Chinese chefs that would use steel spoons to true their knives (cleavers every last one of them used cleavers). He thought they were kidding when he asked for the steel, they weren't.

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You'll find a lot of Asian families have ceramic bowls (like rice bowls) in their cupboards that are used for this same purpose. You can always tell by the skuffed bottoms of the bowls. A Vietnamese friend says they don't treat their good china that way. It's usually just an everyday bowl that the family uses.

[Peter the eater]

Here's some weird stuff from my kitchen. I sort of know what they all are but I would love to hear some feedback. I'll post "answers" here soon . . .

1. used to be very common:

2. hmmmm:

3. both sides look the same:

4. not necessarily for the kitchen:

5. obviously a stovetop pot, but for what:

here's the bottom stamp:

[Porthos]

used to be very common:

Just a guess but it looks like something for forming freshly-churned butter into blocks.

[tim]

Hi,

This whip was based on one of those spinning screwdrivers.

This looks like a heat diffuser, but why the handle? Maybe its a frypan for an open wood fire.

This looks like a very old hot water bottle or bed warmer.

You cooked your whole three course meal in this frypan. The large meat course and two separate compartments for your starch and vegetable.

You really have a nice collection but my guess is that none of these are used very often. Maybe that whisk is useful.

Tim

[Peter the eater]

Porthos and Tim, you both are right.

1. well-worn (not by me) butter form

2. spiral mixer, just push and it turns. hard to clean.

3. heat diffuser for under the pot on the woodstove. no woodstove here, not sure why I have it.

4. ceramic hot water bottle. works great, 120 years old.

5. aluminum segmented pot. haven't found the right three-part meal for it yet.

[judiu]

3. heat diffuser for under the pot on the woodstove. no woodstove here, not sure why I have it

This brilliant heat diffuser works on bothe gas and electric stoves, and whe paired with its' lid works to bake potatoes and or rolls on the stove top. Cool gadget!

[andiesenji]

The divided "Breakfast skillet" is for potatoes, eggs and bacon or a slab of ham.

If you come across a square one with "Griswold" on the bottom, don't pass it up!

The following was highlighted in a Cooking.com email "What's Hot" bulletin today:

How will I EVER live without one of these?

I am really curious about why it can't be shipped to Canada. Does it have some strategic value I am not seeing?

Has anyone seen these little silicone floating "Poach Pods"? I received a couple in the mail and (naturally, being me) didn't bother to read the accompanying brochure and was wondering why someone would send me two jar openers, nice green colors that match nothing in my kitchen......

Then I read the brochure and learned they are for poaching eggs. Like I don't already have a great many egg-poaching devices. Anyway they don't take up much room and have been "guess what these are" items for visitors to at.

PoachPods

Edited September 28, 2007 by andiesenji (log)