Disclaimer: Most of the links on this page will take you to my Amazon store, where I get a smidgen of the sales price. But I guarantee that I really do use and love all the tools mentioned here. (And I'm not afraid to call out things that don't work. See the "Hall of Shame" at the bottom of the page.) All of the commentary below is from me. - js.
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This is no exaggeration: this revolutionized my cooking skills! Having an accurate meat thermometer is THE secret to making steak, chicken and pork that's perfectly done. This one has a handy remote unit that lets you read the temp of your meat outdoors on the grill while you enjoy being comfy indoors! You'll want the extra probe: this part does tend to fail over time, so it's nice to have a back-up. Also handy if you want to measure white meat and dark meat in your turkey without moving the probe!
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Average customer review:  (40 customer reviews) |
This could be the best $20 you ever spend in your kitchen! We have two of these in the 8" size, and they get used every single day. My husband uses one for his breakfast, and most days, the other one gets used for my lunch. We've had them for several years, put them in the dishwasher daily, and the non-stick isn't flaking at all. Love 'em!
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Average customer review:  (more than 25 customer reviews) |
I looked long and carefully for the perfect skillet that would fit four chicken breasts, and Paula Deen's was it! It's a generous size, but not so heavy that it takes two hands to take it to the sink to drain. I was concerned that being as light as it is, it might burn or have hot spots, but it cooks like a dream! The instructions say you shouldn't put it in the dishwasher, but I've been doing it for months with no apparent harm. (The exterior gets duller over time, but the nonstick coating is doing great.) I've had it for more than two years and I love it! Use it almost every day.
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Average customer review: (221 customer reviews) |
Makes awesome smoothies! (Here's a tasty recipe.) Also good for salad dressings, grinding nuts, and lots more. This little thing takes up much less space than a traditional blender, and is easier to clean up. Plus, you can make a smoothie and take it on-the-go in the same cup!
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Zojirushi 2-Pound-Loaf Breadmaker
Available in black and silver, or all whiteAverage customer review: (408 customer reviews) |
Put the ingredients in according to directions, push a couple buttons, and in a few hours, you'll have hot, fresh, heavenly-smelling bread! Make it as healthy as you want, and be assured there's no high-fructose corn syrup or trans fats in your bread. Here's my favorite bread recipe.
Oh, and it also makes jam, but I haven't tried that.
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Average customer review:  (43 customer reviews) |
I wasn't able to find the same make and model of the stick blender we own (it's a Braun), but this one comes with the same extras as ours, which we have found immensely handy. It gets used every single day in our kitchen!
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Average customer review: (713 customer reviews) |
A kitchen scale comes in so handy! My hubs uses it to weigh spices for dry rub; I use it to figure out how much meat I have left after trimming the fat. I also use it when making bread: not just to weigh the flour, but also the honey -- so I can dose the honey straight into the mixing bowl, without getting a measuring cup sticky! Because this model is well-priced and made of plastic, I was a little worried about the quality, but it is consistently well reviewed, and it's worked great for us! We've had the same one for several years.
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(34 customer reviews) |
LOVE these! They fit in most spice bottles, and it's easy to eyeball a half. We have two sets, so there's always a clean one available in each size.
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Average customer review:  (3 customer reviews) |
Great (ha!) for zesting lemons and limes, as well as creating very finely shredded Parmesan. I also use it to grate bar soap, for homemade laundry soap. Which, when sitting in a bowl on the counter, looks a lot like shredded Parmesan. Just ask my husband!
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(16 customer reviews) No more guessing on whether your eggs are hard boiled; no more squidgy centers or green rings. This little gadget tells you exactly when it's the right time to pull the eggs out. Love it! |
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The kitchen gadget "Hall of Shame"
I hate to even admit I bought this thing. It's supposed to "efficiently chop and crumble foods for even cooking and seasoning." I thought it might work great on ground pork and sausage. More blades than a spatula, more power, right? Wrong! (As any physics teacher could have predicted.) You have the same amount of downward energy, but spread out across more surface area, so each blade actually has less power, and you have to work harder to chop the meat.
Save your money!
