Using The Right Tools For The Job & Giveaway
Trying to dice an onion with a butter knife sure would be frustrating, if not downright impossible, wouldn’t it? Obviously no one would ever choose such an inappropriate tool for that specific job. But yet I find myself constantly using either wrong or inadequate tools in my kitchen all the time.
As I’ve come to this realization, I have been slowly weeding out and replacing all of the tools in my kitchen arsenal that just make my cooking work more frustrating. When able, I am replacing them with better-quality and more functional items. Even the little bit I’ve changed has really made a difference in meal preps.
- For mother’s day two years ago, Eric and the kids gave me a nice set of Racheal Ray cookware to replace our old, $20 set. These new pots and pans made a remarkable difference. Not only was cooking easier, but I no longer had to worry about hot spots or flaking non-stick coating ruining my efforts.
- For Christmas this past year, my father and mother-in-law gave me a beautiful, high-quality wooden spoon. I used this to replace some plastic spoons that had seen better days. Again, this made so many things easier.
- We buy all of our cheese in bulk and shred it ourselves. This has proven to be the most cost-effective route for our family. However, when I only had a small, hand-held grater, this task took way longer than needed. Buying a nice box grater made all the difference.
- I fight a never-ending battle with measuring cups. I inevitably lose some of them or the measurements rub off. A high-quality set of magnetic measuring cups has really been a wonderful addition in my kitchen. (Watch for our magnetic measuring cup giveaway in 2 weeks.)
- Peeling pounds and pounds of potatoes, carrots, apples, pears, etc. seems to go hand-in-hand with cooking from scratch. This used to be such a dreaded task for me as I was never able to find a peeler that was both easy to use and did a really good job. That all changed when Eric bought me a fantastic peeler last year. Now I can peel 5 pounds of potatoes quickly and easily. (**Check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post!)
I have also noticed it’s just as important to have my kitchen tools organized. To that end, I decided to tackle my cluttered utensil drawer yesterday.
Everything was just thrown in there. (Maybe that explains why I am always losing my measuring cups?) In less than 10 minutes, I was able to remove everything, wash out the inside of the drawer, weed out a few items, and put everything back in a more organized manner.
Not bad for 10 minutes work! And to think I’ve been putting this task off for a while.
Now for the exciting part of this post. Remember that peeler I mentioned above? The one I have and just love is called the Peerless Peeler from Taste of Home Entertaining. This is the peeler I have been using on a daily basis for over a year. Eric and I have even given it as a gift. The serrated edges help it peel through anything easily, and the weighted handle makes it the easiest to use and maneuver peeler that I’ve ever used. It really is a must-have!
According to the Taste of Home Entertaining catalog:
This peeler has a secret - a serrated edge that allows it to slyly disrobe even the tenderest fruits and vegetables with immodest ease. It makes short work of shaving picture-perfect Parmesan (or chocolate!) curls, too. Polished 18/8 stainless handle with durable zinc head.
To enter this giveaway, leave us a comment telling us about your favorite kitchen tool or gadget. We’ll randomly choose one winner next Tuesday, September 23.
Please note: This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!
And if you get a chance, check out the Taste of Home Entertaining catalog for Fall 2008. It is filled with some awesome things for your kitchen.
You can find more Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s Recipes.
You can find more Tackle-It Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.
AUTHOR | The 3 Moms
The 3 Moms are Toni from The Happy Housewife, Kate from A Simple Walk, and Joy from Five J's. The 3 Moms launched Happy to be at Home in June of 2008 with the goal of offering real encouragement to women in all walks of life.
Do my kids count?!
If not, then I have to say I LOVE my Bosch mixer / blender. We use it every day.
I feel silly writing this… but I love my cheap Ikea non-stick frying pan! Why? Because it’s only $3!!
Which means as soon as I see a scratch, I can easily replace it without feeling guilty. Gotta love Ikea! (Speaking of which, I need to head over there tomorrow…)
One favorite kitchen gadget?! Goodness… hmmm.
I guess if I had no choice … and you didn’t say appliance, or bakeware but gadget sooooo:
a little two- handled -curved -bladed knife that I don’t have a name for. We got it at Sam’s years ago and have used it regularly ever since.
It slices pizza quicker and more neatly than any pizza knife, chops a variety of nuts in no time, slices through sandwiches and more.
Can I tell you how badly I NEED a good vegetable peeler!!!
My favorite kitchen tool is my KitchenAid mixer - I use it when I make cookie, cakes, applesauce… you name it.
My favorite kitchen gadget would have to be my tomato slicer. It is great for cutting a wide variety of things and perfect for cutting slices for hamburgers. Thanks for the chance. This looks great!
So hard to pick just one! One of my favorites are my Gripper cutting boards. It’s so nice to have a cutting board that doesn’t try to dance away under my knife! I have 4 of them in various sizes and I’ll never buy any other.
Great give away!
My favorite is my Pampered Chef mix and scraper. It’s silicon and can even be used in a really hot pan. Although it was a little spendy when I bought it, it is still in fabulous condition years later.
I also replaced a $20 or $30 set of pans with about $700 worth of Pampered Chef cookware! I was able to get a great deal and get it all for about $400. (Because I was a hostess when there was an amazing hostess deal.) It was still a ton of money to spend on cookware, as far as I was concerned, but we LOVE them!
I love my Kitchenaid mixer and my mini chopper but I guess my favorite gadget/tool is my spatula. I used to have a stiff one that really didn’t bend, but bought the flexible one that really gets all the batter out of a mixing bowl so you don’t waste any. I also use it to get all the peanut butter out of jars. I think it saves me enough batter for about half a muffin or cupcake and enough peanut butter for a sandwich.
This is a harder question than I first thought it would be! I’m sitting here trying to think of one thing, and a few things keeping popping into my head!
But…I’d have to say my favorite gadget would be by chopper. I use it to chop everything from onions, peppers and garlic to apples to chocolate chips that I will use as a garnish on some desserts.
There…that’s it…that’s my pick for my favorite gadget.
Oh, it’s SO hard to chose just ONE favorite kitchen gadget! I love my chef’s knife - I use that almost daily. I also love my Pampered Chef chopper - makes chopping almost anything a breeze!
I always struggle with finding a good peeler - this is a great giveaway - THANKS!
I love anything made of silicone, especially my scraper spatulas. I had a few cheapo scrapers melt before I wised up and got a good silicone one! Come to think of it…my sister bought it for me, so I guess she made me wise up!
My favorite gadget would be my mini cutting board from pampered chef!!
I started typing my comment saying that I couldn’t come up with a favorite, when I realized I do have a favorite. It’s a mini-spatula from Pampered Chef. It is the perfect size for so many things that I do, and just seems to fit my hand perfectly also.
Ohhhh, I would LOVE a new set of pots and pans….mine are so hodge podge. My favorite gadget right now would be antique french fry cutter. This little baby makes those thick…not steakfries….fries….talk about a southern girl who love french fries w/ gravy slathered all over them!!! It is sooooo easy to use…quite addicting if I must admit. I’m trying to think of other things to chop with it…..
Sweet! I LOVE my pamapred chef cookie dough scoop! I use it for cookies, muffins, making tuna patties, etc. Its just my favorite!
One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is my mandolin slicer! I use it often to slice up potatoes, then put them in foil packs with butter and seasoning.
Great giveaway!
Great tackle !! You know…if you put one of those “gripy” shelf liners in there, it will help to keep everything in place. This leads to less tackling because the drawer will stay organized longer:-)
That’s an easy one - my timer. I set it for almost everything I cook. This way, I rarely overcook or burn food. It also helps me co-ordinate one meal item with the other so that they are all prepared at roughly the same time.
here’s the think when I saw the first pix …I thought it was my drawer…it never stays put really!
My newest fav tool is the pampered chef can opener..no more sharp edges…how many times have I cut myself this way?!
My favorite kitchen gadet is a 12 piece measuring cup and spoon set. I cannot live with out it.
The best ever vegetable peeler is the one you can purchase from pampered chef. It is inexpensive, and it rocks!
My favorite kitchen tool is a pampered chef scraper ~ I think it cost about a $1 ~ it comes with your pampered chef stones, but works wonders on your pots, pans, casserole dishes ~ anything that needs to be scraped ~ LOVE IT! It makes life so much easier!
My cutco paring kniffe has got to be my best tool. It never needs sharpening and always does the job neatly.
Wow, I’m glad to see a review about a good vegetable peeler. My faithful one that I got as a wedding gift almost 18 yrs ago is about to die. Even if I don’t win, I’ll be looking into getting one of these. Hmm..Only one kitchen tool? My Kitchen scissors. They are so versitle. You can do anything with them. Chop food into little bits for a child, Cut pizza in a pinch, and of course open just about any type of bag. Something I just could not live without. Thanks for the chance to win!
I love kitchen gadgets! If I had to choose just one then it would be my kitchenaid mixer. I got it last year at Christmas and it’s made a world of difference in my cooking.
2nd place would be my santuko knives from Sam’s.
Great post!
Cooking would never be the same with my KitchenAid stand mixer. Totally worth the money!
One of my favorite utinsels is my blue silicone spoon. I love that thing. It doesn’t get hot when using it to stir things I’m cooking and it scrapes the pan like a dream. I would really like a good peeler. I have always just used a paring knife to peel veggies, but since my girls are big enough to help in the kitchen now I have them use a peeler. I’ve tried several, but have yet to find a really good one.
I’d say it would have to be a tie between my KitchenAid mixer and my food processor attachment for my blender.
This is a toughie! I love and am best friends with my Kitchen Aid mixer but gadget, hmmm, I use my big plastic spoons in my pans every day so I do love those.
The garlic press is my fav gadget! I love fresh garlic! I need a peeler!
I was coming here to visit your Tackle it Tuesday post I saw you post you had on 5 Minutes for Mom. I hadn’t realized there was a giveaway!
My favorite gadget is this clippy thing from Pampered Chef for my coffee. It holds the bag closed AND is a handy scoop for coffee as well.
http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=15660&categoryCode=KW
I love kitchen gadgets!! My favorite has to be my Pampered Chef Scoops and my Pampered Chef stoneware.
I have fallen in love with my “Cookware Protectors” from Pampered Chef. They look like large flowers that you put inside your pans so that you nest another pan in it without scratching them both. They are $9.50 but you get 4 of them and that was enough for my set of pans.
They are a such a time saver because they are easier to move and replace than the drawer liners that I was using.
I still have yet to find a peeler that I like.
My favorite kitchen gadget would have to be my electric can opener. It is so quick and easy to use, especially when you have several cans to open.
Thank you for the opportunity to win another great kitchen gadget!
I have a small grater that I love!
bebemiqui82(at)yahoo(dot)com
I’m a kitchen gadget fanatic! I love my Cut ‘n Seal from Pampered Chef. It has really came in handy with the kids not liking crust on bread!
My favorite tool is the big wooden cutting board that my boyfriend made when he was in eighth grade. It’s nothing special, I just love using it to cut mounds of veggies and fruit.
Well anything from the Taste of Home has to be good! I love my Pampered Chef turnabout to keep all my utensils organized.
Laura
Can opener!
I don’t know that I can pick only one gadget or tool, because I’ve got several that I adore, but my Kitchen Aid stand mixer & immersion blender are right at the top of my list.
My favorite is my Pampered Chef spatulas! They don’t discolor when cooking in various foods (except Tumeric). I have seriously used my practically every day for over 7 years and they still look brand spanking new!
My new favorite thing for the kitchen is the Lodge enamel coated dutch oven that is the color red. It makes me smile when I look at it.
Okay, I want to know where the ice cream scoop is?? In my house an ice cream scoop is absolutely essential. Ice cream is a whole food group unto itself.
On a more practical note - the tongs? Where are the tongs? I use my long handled tongs for all kinds of things, almost every day!
My fav. is my kitchen aide mixer w/attachment, it is a slicer w/3 blades. Real nice for shredding cheese & veggies.
My 14 yr. old daughter would love that peeler. She hates using knifes for peeling and the one I have doesn’t have a very good handle. So she would love this one.
My favorite is 100% the cutting boards with a little “pour spout” and raised edges so nothing falls off (liquids included).
I can’t remember where I got the, but love them.
That peeler looks AWESOME!
My Wolfgang Puck pots and pans my mother-in-law gave me for my birthday a few years ago. They look great and work great, but most of all, they are from my mother-in-love.
My favorite kitchen utensil is my Pampered Chef can opener because it leaves a clean edge.
Oh gosh, I’d love to win this peeler! I have two or three cheap ones, but I don’t like how they work, they are very awkward. I had just an old fashioned one, very cheap, that I always used, but it has become lost in just the last month or so. I wonder if my dish washer ate it! LOL
My favorite kitchen tool is one good knife that I have. I thought my knives cut just fine, until we got this one good knife. It cuts like I can’t believe!
My Zyliss hand-cranked cheese grater. I use it almost every day, usually to grate parmigiano or romano cheese. This handy gadget comes apart for easy cleaning and can be washed in the dishwasher (daily).
My family would rejoice if I won this peeler. I stubbornly cling to a 1960’s peeler my grandmother bought at a yard sale - they all hate it.
Oops. Forgot to include my favorite kitchen tool. It’s a plastic 2 c. container from Tupperware w/a lid. It’s great for making salad dressings, marinades, puddings, etc. Put the ingredients in and shake away.
My favorite kitchen gadget is my staff mixer that has a little chopping bowl attatchment. I use it almost everyday and have named it “Mister Choppy” cause I like it just that much
I CANNOT live without my food processor. it has saved my sanity so many times in the kitchen!
My favorite kitchen gadget is my banana slicer because my little grandson loves it.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I love my tiny food chopper. It’s the perfect size for our tiny kitchen and the little chopping and pureeing jobs.
I love my wooden spoon. It fits perfectly in my hand, and it reminds me of the past.
My new fave is my immersible blender. I got it just a couple of weeks ago for my birthday and I am LOVING it… had never had a smoothie before but now I’ve had several different kinds, as well as making quick milk shakes for my ds#3.
I don’t think I could live without my garlic press. I use it just about every time I cook!
The Wolfgang Puck 3-position grill I bought from HSN last month - it’s awesome! We use it approximately every other day & it’s great for apartment dwellers like us.
I love my Chop Wizard! I can easily chop up perfect onions, peppers, and even cold chicken for chicken salad.
Sounds a little funny but my favorite kitchen gadget is from the Dollar Tree! Hear me out, though: they have a 2-pack of flexible cutting…uh…boards? They are thin (a little thicker than say a piece of cardstock) and if I cut through one - which happens every 6 months or so - I get another pack…I usually use 2 every 6-8 months. 1 for meat and 1 for veggies. Can’t beat $2 a year for such ease! :o)
Please sign me up!
My favorite gadget is a little $9 mini-processor. I can finely chop onions and peppers in a flash, as well as puree tomatoes!
I love our blender because we make smoothies frequently.
[...] Happy To Be At Home - Peerless Peeler from Taste of Home Entertaining (Sept 23rd) [...]
Please enter me.
My favorite gadget would have to be my salad shooter. It makes grating cheese alot easier.
I love my small paring knife, a small whisk and a spatula that I have to have when I cook,
I couldn’t live without my Kitchenaide mixer!
My fancy-schmancy pizza cutter has to be my favorite kitchen gadget.
I love wooden spoons. I’ll always grab a wooden spoon before I grab a plastic or metal one, even though they’re all in the same drawer.
I love my pampered chef rubbery spatulas. They can scrape a bowl clean like nobody’s business. I like to stir and mix stuff with them, too. Annnnnd they have been constantly used in my kitchen for about 5 years and still look and function great!
I love my good ol’ timer. It has multiple uses for the kitchen of course and also for keeping my kids on task!
My pampered Chef baking stone is my favorite!
My favorite tool…Cookie Cutters…they help make sandwiches fun, and an easy way to cut off crusts!
I love my OXO spatula! That thing does everything! As well as my vintage Pyrex dishes.
I heart my food processor - it rocks for making baby food.
I had a toaster oven for several years before I actually used it. Now I use it all the time. I especially like not heating up the kitchen from the regular oven and the clean up is so easy!
My favorite gadget is my pampered chef spatula, every other spatula I have had didn’t work as well as this one!
legacyofbrutalitysa{AT}gmail.com
I adore my kitchen aid mixer and my husband for getting it for me
I love my Pampered Chef chopper. Actually, I love all my Pampered Chef gadgets : )
I love my grilled cheese sandwich maker.
I love my bread machine….thanks for the chance to win!
i love my wonderful sharp henckel’s knife. i know it isn’t a gadget but it is what i love to use the most!
i love my waffle maker!
My favorite gadget is a corn buttering and salting tool in one that I got from Tupperware long ago. Put a pat of butter in one compartment and then turn it over to put salt in the attached shaker. No more mess when we have corn on the cob
Thanks for the great cooking information, on kitchen gadgets.