Useful kitchen gadget – a microplane

I'm not a big fan of having lots and lots of kitchen gadgets.  But my microplane is one that I find really handy.  It looks like the pic up top

They originally were developed for technical use and then some bright spark realised that they would be perfect for grating ginger, nutmeg, garlic, zesting lemons, parmesan cheese, chocolate etc.

You do need to be a bit careful not to grate your knuckles.  The tiny little teeth on it are wickedly sharp.

Have you got a jar key?

Sometime ago I was given this little gadget - I wasn't even sure what it was for. Then I discovered it was really handy - it helps you undo jars with no muscle power needed.

All you do is put it on the edge and gently push it, you will probably hear a little pop.  That will often be enough to be able to open the jar - but if it isn't just move the hoodacky (actually called a jar key I found out) around just a little and do it again.  Don't press too hard or you might bend the lid out of shape.

Useful Kitchen Gadget – Meat thermometer

Do you use a meat thermometer to check when meat is cooked? As you may have gathered I am not a big gadget person (at least not as in kitchen gadgets!). So although I know you can get electronic thermometers including ones that can be stuck into the meat while it is cooking in your oven, I just use a simple (and cheap) one – a bit like the one above. Mine is in Celsius but many countries, of course, use Farenheit.

It is important to test the meat at its thickest part and in the centre because that will be the last to cook. I also take it out about 2 or so degrees before the temperature on the side of the thermometer because while the meat is resting with a bit of foil on top, it will gain that last little bit.

Useful kitchen gadget – small wooden or bamboo chopping boards

I don't know about you guys, but I have a real preference for wooden chopping boards.  I know there are all sorts of chopping boards out there but I believe, rightly or wrongly, that wooden ones are best because they have some natural antibacterial properties.  And wooden boards last well.  I do have some lighter bamboo boards which are less sturdy.

But large chopping boards make it quite unwieldy to transfer the stuff you have chopped up into a container or pan.  So I use a number of smallish boards that I just lift in one hand and scrape stuff off with the other.  And I put them through the dishwasher too.

Useful kitchen gadget – Dualit toaster

My Dualit toaster is by far the largest kitchen gadget I have.   But it is one of my favourites.  It not only toasts as per normal but it can also do toasted sandwiches with fillings.  It has a totally mechanical timer.  It doesn't pop up but just turns off and you pull up a lever to get the toast out.  Simple, elegant and beautiful.

One rather big downside is that it was expensive – I bought it about 20 years ago for a special birthday and it is still going strong.

These toasters originated from commercial toasters made in the early 1950's in the UK.  The design of that toaster is very close to the Dualit toaster you can still buy today.  Still no frills and no gimmicks – just good design.

Useful kitchen gadget – retro mechanical timer

Mechanical kitchen timer

Another post about a gadget – this is one I use almost every day.  It is a timer – not a fancy electronic one – but a retro style mechanical timer.  It works just fine for me – I can even carry it around the house with me if I need to remember to take something out of the oven.  It doesn't need to be plugged in so that saves power.  And it doesn't have a battery, it just ticks away.  My kind of gadget.

Useful kitchen gadget – measuring spoon

Another instalment about the very few kitchen gadgets that I find useful. This one I stumbled over at a Thai Cooking class at Spirit House.

It is really good for measuring out spices and things. It has a little adjustable rubber hoodacky that you slide along to various marks. So the one spoon measures from ½ a teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon.

And the little rubber thing just clips out and you can throw the rest of the spoon into the dishwasher with other cutlery.  Brilliant.

For a post about another kitchen gadget, click here 

Useful kitchen gadget – jam funnel

I promise I am not going to bore you with going through every gadget I use.  I have already gone on about my jar key, canopener and microplane!  

Today's post is on my jam funnel.  Now, obviously this will only be of interest to you if you make jam or jelly.  It will also be useful for chutneys etc as well as in pickling and preserving.

This is what it looks like.

You can also get plastic ones like this.

 Before I had one of these, I was always spilling hot jam down the sides of the jars when filling them – which I then had to get off.  Now no more mess.  Great.

Useful kitchen gadget – a microplane

I'm not a big fan of having lots and lots of kitchen gadgets.  But my microplane is one that I find really handy.  It looks like this:

 They originally were developed for technical use and then some bright spark realised that they would be perfect for grating ginger, nutmeg, garlic, zesting lemons, parmesan cheese, chocolate etc.

You do need to be a bit careful not to grate your knuckles.  The tiny little teeth on it are wickedly sharp.

Click here for another post about a kitchen gadget.

Tin Opener – finally one that works and keeps on working

 I have had a long and inglorious history of buying tin (can) openers and then finding that they stopped working.  When I looked in my utensil drawer I found at least 8 of the little blighters. I think one problem was my habit of putting them through the dishwasher.

Then by luck I found one that works and has kept on working.  It is a funny looking thing.

Its design means that it cuts around the outside so you end up with a cut that will not slice your fingers – and also that doesn’t get any of the contents of the can onto the opener itself.  So you don’t need to pop it into the dishwasher.

I will always be grateful to the kitchen specialty shop that put me onto this but I’m sure you can get them all over the place.  It is my second most favourite gadget after a jar key (see here )

It does have one minor downside – it doesn’t work well on teensy weensy tiny tins like some coconut milk ones.

Useful kitchen gadget - a jar key

Jar Key

Sometime ago I was given this little gadget - I wasn't even sure what it was for.  Then I discovered it was really handy - it helps you undo jars with no muscle power needed.  I have just bought my second one for the bach.

All you do is put it on the edge and gently push it, you will probably hear a little pop.  That will often be enough to be able to open the jar - but if it isn't just move the hoodacky (actually called a jar key I found out) around just a little and do it again.  Don't press too hard or you might bend the lid out of shape.


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