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Kitchen Moments ~ Fun, and Usefull, Kitchen Tools and Gadgets

2:11 AM, Apr. 22, 2008

Have you ever looked through a kitchen magazine and saw all of the neat and interesting gadgets within its pages, but wondered how useful they actually would be? I've seen some really cool looking, and sounding, tools for cooking and baking, but upon closer observation, or actual usage, they don't really stand up to the "test". And what is the "test"? How useful is it and is the space it takes up worth it.

Following are items that we currently have in our kitchen.

1.

Silpat is a nonstick silicone baking mat that is used instead of parchment paper or greasing your pans. Yes, these mats can be expensive, but if you, or someone you know, bakes quite a bit, it would be well worth the price. It can be used just about anytime you use a cookie sheet or sheet pan. It is just as useful to bake your chicken on it as it is to bake your cookies on it. A very worthwhile item to be in any kitchen.

2.

Stainless steel bowls are extremely useful to have in your kitchen. They can be put in the oven, they can be scrubbed with steel wool scrubber, they can be dropped, they can be put in the fridge and freezer, they can be "drums" for little fingers.... In other words, these bowls are very versatile. I must admit that while I prefer the looks and charm of the ceramic bowls, the practicality of the stainless steel bowls and the fact that it would take quite a bit of effort to destroy them, wins them a place in my kitchen.

3.

The paring knife is an easier knife to handle then the larger knives. While the boning knife, the fillet knife, the bread knife, and the chef's knife are important to have, the paring knife is my favorite one to use. From the cheap ones to expensive Henckel knives, our kitchen has seen many, many different brands of knives. And while we have a set of Henckel knives (which are very good knives), this paring knife, made by Mundial, is my favorite.

4.

For those of your who want to go more "natural" and who enjoy making their own bread (among other baked goods), you might want to consider a Nutrimill. This grain mill is different from other grain mills in that it uses what the company calls a "high speed impact chamber to create flour from grains and beans". You can grind super fine flour for your cakes and then grind very coarse flour for your corn breads (using popcorn flour in your cornbread is delicious!). We haven't bought flour, white or wheat, for our family since we bought one, which was about 3 years ago. You can't get your flour any fresher then grinding it yourself! (For those interested, we use Wheat Montana: Prairie Gold which we buy from our local bulk food store)

5.

The Electrolux Assistant is a wonderful, powerful machine! My husband does a lot of baking and was never satisfied with the motor on our Kitchen Aid mixer. He read about this mixer from another baker and was very impressed with it. This mixer will knead batches of bagel dough (which is extremely dense dough) over and over, it will whip one egg white until hard peaks form, it has a timer and will turn itself off when the timer "goes off", it has a 600 watt motor, and has a scraper that scraps the bowl as it is mixing/kneading. There are many other great features to this mixer and we are very pleased with this purchase!

Jennifer Dewing has experience in the restaurant business. She turned in her chef's hat and donned the many hats of a stay-at-home mother 7 years ago. She is now the mother to 5 children, 7 years and under. She home schools her eldest two children. Her husband is a professional chef and in their house, food is a big part of their family. Come visit her and her family at www.dewings.blogspot.com.

Posted in Kitchen Moments, 2 comments, Link
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Comments
garlic press

7:38 AM, Apr. 22, 2008, posted by charles0322

It is hard to find a good garlic press. There are cheap ones but they tend to break very easy. I went through about 5 before I bought a Pamered Chef one for $15 and while pricey, it was worth the money. Through the whole clove in WITHOUT peeling it and close the handle. It has held together for over 8 years plus it is dishwasher safe (always a plus) and it has a cleaning tool to help get the holes clean. If you cook a lot with fresh garlic, you would be wise to invest in a good tool.

Untitled Comment

12:42 PM, Apr. 22, 2008, posted by quietcajun

I love my Silpats and my other DeMarle products. At first I was skeptical about their safety. What I learned is that other Silicon products are questionable, but the DeMarle are very safe.

We use them everyday and have the flexipats too.

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