There are two types of people in the kitchen: those who embrace every type of culinary gadget promising to shave ten seconds off of their prep time and the purists who believe in keeping a kitchen as simple as possible. We don’t necessarily subscribe to either of those beliefs (it’s more fun being in the middle!), but let’s be honest – there are a few weird kitchen tools that may seem like oddities but can actually make cooking a whole lot easier. Here’s three of our favorites.
- Herb Scissors
Why It’ll Make Your Life Easier: Herbs are a great way to top off a dish. In fact, there are tons of recipes that call for garnishing a finished dish with herbs. These scissors make it a snap to use fresh herbs without having to take too much time and effort to chop them. Given the cost (they usually range from $10-$20 USD), it’s an affordable way to cut prep time and give your dishes a better presentation.
- Egg White Separator
Why It’ll Make Your Life Easier: A trained chef can separate an egg yolk with his eyes closed. But as any novice can tell you, fishing out a little piece of yolk in your egg white can quickly become mind numbingly frustrating. That’s because unless you know the tricks and have practiced it a few times to get it right, it’s never quite the quick process that you hope it’s going to be. Unfortunately, a lot of recipes call for either just the yolk or the egg whites, so being able to do that without wasting a few eggs in the process is a helpful skill to have.
Or, you could just get an egg white separator. These devices come in a few different styles – some use suction to suck up the yolk from the whites and some filter the egg whites through a spoon-like apparatus, leaving the yolk behind. Either way, for a few bucks, it’s a handy tool to have in the kitchen.
- Potato Ricer
Why It’ll Make Your Life Easier: A potato ricer is a tool that’s used mainly for mashing potatoes. It looks like an overgrown garlic press, and pretty much works the same as one. You stick potatoes inside, close the top, and push down. The potatoes are forced through small holes in the bottom of the ricer, and that’s how creamy, lumpless mashed potatoes are born.
Even better, a potato ricer can be used for other things too. You can puree vegetables and fruits in them, and they’re great for making your own baby food if you’re in the mood to experiment a little. They’re slightly pricier than our other weird kitchen tools, but you can still find a good one for $25 – $50 USD.
These aren’t the only oddball kitchen gadgets that can make cooking easier and – dare we say – more fun. But we want to hear from you! Which kitchen tools help you keep your sanity and which ones just add to the clutter? Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments!
