Category — Prep Tools

Garlic is a finicky thing. Some may say that even a little is too much, while others say that there can be no such thing as too much of good thing. Whether you like, love or hate garlic, its pungency isn’t the only aspect that requires a little attention: Where the heck are you supposed to store the stuff?

In the cupboard? In the fridge? On the counter? In a hanging basket with other fruits and vegetables, shedding garlic paper and imparting its essence to everything it touches?

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Measuring spoons. Handy little devices–when you can find the one you are looking for. Even the ones that come attached to a plastic ring tend to get separated and subsequently lost. Forget building a better mousetrap, at least when it comes to baking essentials, it’s all about corralling those measuring spoons.

This set of Foldable Measuring Spoons at Sur La Table would do nicely. Including four of the more commonly used measurements of ¼ tsp., ½ tsp., 1 tsp. and 1 Tbsp, the one you are looking for is always at hand. Assuming, of course, you don’t misplace the entire set. For $3.95, maybe picking up an extra set isn’t a bad idea.

Blocks of cheese getting you down? Wouldn’t you rather see that solid, imposing block transformed into something more useful and ready to eat? Like shredded cheese, of course; shredded cheese for which to top everything.

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Olives are great and all, but there is no reason why we can’t make them greater. As we all know, adding one food item to another only makes for a greater food item. Any items that have been wrapped in bacon or dipped in peanut butter are both good examples. Well bacon and peanut butter may be the kings of combination, but that doesn’t mean the little ol’ olive can’t get its due.

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Kitchen life is messy. There is good reason, after all, that ‘cooking up a storm’ evolved into an expression. If you prefer to keep your tempest in a teapot, you’re going to need a teapot… or in this case, a bowl.

The Oneida 7pc Mandolin Slicing Bowl comes with four slicing blades and a 1-quart stainless steel bowl. The combination of a mandoline slicer with a bowl makes for a convenient and efficient prep tool. Simply snap the lid over the bowl and slice away. The results are captured in the bowl for easy transport or storage. Currently priced at $19.99, the prepping gadget is one kitchen item that is as affordable as an umbrella–not that you’d need rain gear in the kitchen or anything.

It’s coming: the future of the kitchen is coming. We may not have jetpacks and flying cars yet, but the connected kitchen is right on the horizon. Kitchen appliance manufacturers still see a future where the refrigerator talks to the microwave and tells people what to eat for dinner, but for the meantime, a more realistic goal seems to be popping up.

Small internet-friendly devices are going to be key to the kitchens of the future. Companies have been producing small ‘cookbook readers’ for some time, but so far it doesn’t seem to have taken hold in the public’s imagination quite yet. After all, with laptops and netbooks being so small and portable (along with Bing now offering recipe searches), a new recipe or an old favorite is only a click away.

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