Four years ago I bought this inexpensive 8-inch Winco chef's knife. I'm still using it today, and it's my favorite kitchen knife. I like the heaviness of it, and it sharpens quickly and holds an edge for a long time. Read the rest
The reason it's hard to open jar lids is that the vacuum seal is pulling the lid tightly against the jar. Once in a while, the vacuum seal is so strong that I can't open it. That's when I grab my Jarkey, a plastic lever that effortlessly breaks the seal, making it easy to open. Read the rest
I keep the Kitchen IQ Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener next to my knife block and run a knife through the "Fine" slot almost every time I cut something. The ceramic rods are arranged at a pre-set angle, which makes it easy to get a serviceably sharp knife. The bottom of the sharpener has a V-channel so you can set it against the edge of a counter. That way you won't smack your knife against the countertop when it slides out of the sharpening slot.
The "Coarse" sharpening slot has carbide blades that will sharpen dull knives in just a few strokes. Just don't use it every time because it eats up your knife blades quickly. Read the rest
These little silicone rubber bowls come in handy in so many ways.
I use them with my digital scale to measure the bulk powder supplements I take. We use them at the dinner table to hold condiments. We use them while preparing meals to hold spices and minced herbs. I keep finding new ways to use them. For instance, when I fry or scramble eggs, I now crack the eggs over one of these bowls so I can pull out shell pieces and woogers (I wish I had a wooger snatcher but the bowl will have to do). Read the rest
We've been battling pesky pantry moths in our kitchen cupboards. They get into any open container of rice, flour, cereal, chips, nuts, etc. Then they breed in the boxes and bags.
I hate it when I open a cabinet and a couple of moths fly out. It's even worse when I look at a bag of rice, and it is alive with motion.
Lately we've been putting our food into wide-mouth mason jars with these convenient one-piece plastic lids. That has reduced the problem but there are still a few stragglers. So I bought a pack of pantry moth traps. These traps fold into little A-frame houses. The interior is coated with a sticky material that traps the flies. The traps also come with a postage stamp size pheromone lure to fool the pests into thinking a sexy moth is inside waiting for them. These things work well. After using them for a few weeks the only moths I see now are the dead ones stuck to the inside of the traps. Read the rest
Tribonet explains why sharp knives are better than dull ones when it comes to cutting tomatoes. It's because dull knives are smooth so they can't grab the tomato skin to pull and tear it.
The easiest and safest way to slice a tomato is to use a sharp knife. The counterintuitive reason a sharp knife slices more easily through a tomato is that it has higher friction, albeit only on the knife’s edge.
Slicing is actually stretching the tomato and, like most materials, a tomato is weaker when stretched than when compressed. Stretching the tomato skin creates a tearing force that opens a crack in the skin, thus beginning the slice.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
I like almost everything OXO makes. This OXO Good Grips Silicone Sink Strainer ([amazon_link asins='B000U0K5PU' template='PriceLink' store='boingboing' marketplace='US' link_id='d90e7004-c8f0-4fdc-8075-ed133b8ad799'] on Amazon) was a welcome replacement for the wire mesh one we had, because some of the wires had broken. Those little protruding wires hurt when they poke your finger. The OXO strainer is made of soft silicone and that won't hurt you. To clean the collect food debris, just pop the cup inside out in the trash. One reviewer on Amazon said it is still in good condition after four years of use. I've had mine since 2016 and it is working perfectly.
Read the restDue to be released later this week, (a Viners press release states that the line) has been "repeatedly tested to ensure the tip does not pierce skin intentionally or otherwise."
"With knife-related crime incidents at a record high and a reported 285 fatalities in the last 12 months alone, the UK government has taken the decision to reclassify kitchen knives as an offensive weapon with the new Offensive Weapons Act 2019, leading some retailers to remove single knives from sale in retail stores," a press release for the knife collection stated.
"The new Assure collection from Viners has been created in response to this new legislation, with the team extensively testing a new shape knife that is highly functional for the modern cook but shaped to reduce and prevent injuries, accidents and fatalities."
Carla didn't like the glass citrus juicer we've had for years. She said it hurt her wrist when she twisted a lemon half on the cone. I agreed with her. It's an unnatural way to move your wrist. She also didn't like having to lift out the seeds with a spoon before using the juice. Again, I couldn't argue. I told her I wanted to do some research for a good squeeze handle juicer, but I took too long so she ordered a cast aluminum juicer like this one ([amazon_link asins='B01N2HFE6L' template='PriceLink' store='boingboing' marketplace='US' link_id='3dd4e1bf-0c99-4047-b331-85866b3a0a4c'] on Amazon).
It does a good job of getting almost all the juice out of a lemon, and is pretty easy to squeeze. It keeps the seeds inside the cup, too. My main concern is with the pin in the hinge. When will it break, and what kind of pin replacement will I be able use? It may not be an issue, though, because I didn't see a review where someone said the hinge pin broke. Read the rest
This set of useful silicone kitchen tools includes my new favorite for mixing, spreading and stirring.
I needed something that could stir sourdough starter inside a milk bottle. I wanted to be able to scrape the sides of said bottle clean as I did it. The 'scoop and spread' in this great set of Tovolo kitchen tools does the trick amazingly well.
The 'scoop and spread' is the strange double-headed device pictured second from the left. Much like Darth Maul's lightsaber, this thing kicks ass.
Strong enough to cut through sticky clumps of dough as I make batches of pretzels or a loaf of bread, the 'scoop and spread' also replaces my danish dough whisk. The tool is also wonderful at getting peanut butter out of a jar, or mixing up separated peanut butter in a jiffy.
I also like the rest of the set, but holy cow! The 'scoop and spread' is my new hero.
This enameled cast iron dutch oven should last longer than we do.
I use a dutch oven for baking sourdough bread and cooking with my sous vide circulator. It is also wonderful for cassoulet, which I have been challenged to prepare by a young lady this week...
Second or third in-line behind my cast iron skillet, the enameled Dutch oven is one of my most-used kitchen tools.
The lid is only rated to 450F because of the button-style handle on top. Replace it with a stainless one and the whole deal is good to go at 500F.
Vremi Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot with Lid - 6 Quart Capacity Deep Large Ovenproof - Red via Amazon Read the rest
I've been using these silicone dish scrubbers for about a year. They are far less gross than sponges.
All the tales of sponge-nastiness got to me last year. I decided that some silicone scrubbers were worth trying out, and a small expense if they did not work out.
These silicone scrubbers work fantastically!
Pictured are the two that currently live in my sink. The blue one gets more use, but both have been aggressively used for scrubbing over the last 12 months. They have not worn out, they have not become so fouled or toxic that I've had to toss one. There are still 3 others in my kitchen drawer waiting to be employed.
The only trick I find to cleaning with these, is that silicone scrubbers don't hold soap like a sponge does, so I'm either applying soap several times during a big wash-up, or I capture a bowl of soapy water at the beginning of cleaning.
You can just rise these off in the sink with water, but every few dishwasher loads I throw one or the other of the scrubbers into the machine. They come out almost as-new. I have heard tales of folks boiling these, but the dishwasher seems to handle it.
I still use a sponge sometimes, but these are where the cleaning starts.
INNERNEED Food-Grade Silicone Non Stick Dishwashing Brush Kitchen Dish Cleaning (5 mix color) via Amazon Read the rest
This $75 air fryer is getting an awful lot of use in my kitchen. Read the rest
This $7 paring knife feels good in my hand, and unlike my other paring knives it is not lost.
In my home, paring knives disappear almost as frequently as socks and Apple Lightning cables. I was buying really cheap replacements at the dollar store, but they'd pretty much come apart in my dishwasher after a few cycles. This Victorinox will be lost long before it breaks.
Victorinox 3.25 Inch Paring Knife with Straight Edge, Spear Point, Black via Amazon Read the rest
Once a year or so I buy another dozen of these cotton kitchen towels to replace the stained ones (which go into the cleanup rags drawer). They're large (26 x 15 in.), absorbent and comfortable to use. They look really nice, too. At $(removed) for a dozen, they are a bargain, too. Read the rest
At my house, we've started storing leftovers in mason jars, glasses, and bowls. It's more convenient than buying separate food storage containers. To cover them, we use these silicone stretch lids. They even fit square shaped containers. Amazon has them on sale: 7 for $(removed) Read the rest
My parents gave me a Hamilton Beach Electric Carving Knife about 10 years ago, and even though I use it just a couple of times a year, I'm glad I have it when I have to carve a large turkey. If you've never experienced the joy of using an electric knife, this is your chance. Amazon is selling it for $15, including the fork. Read the rest
