Kitchen Tools - Weighing In & Weeding The Clutter

Wow! Some of the articles I ran into these last few weeks. People love lists! Today I cover 3 different lists that will help you find your tools in the kitchen.

This first list "15 Awesome Kitchen Tools You Didn't Know You Needed" should change to "2 or 3...".
https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/apartmentliving/tips-tricks-renters/15-kitchen-tools-you-didnt-know-you-needed/

These are my top 3 picks out of that list:

1. FreshForce Orange Juicer - Not worth $45 but I like the concept. I use tongs to squeeze the fruit and my hand to catch the seeds. Cheaper products: https://amzn.to/3s8fyWA

2. Silicone Universal Lid - I can see the usefulness of this product. But again, not worth the estimated $54 for that particular lid. Cheaper glass see-through options are available. https://amzn.to/3LNHhE2

3. Cherry and Olive Pitter/Obsessive Chef Cutting Board - This is a tie. A cherry/olive pitter can be useful but I buy them pitted. But a good quick smash with the back of a knife and you can remove the pit. The cutting board may be useful for those still working on their knife skills. The pitter is OXO: https://amzn.to/3v6fCIG The Chef Board: https://amzn.to/3JLeDkS

Most of these items on the list are drawer stuffers. One-hit wonders. But if you're into having the newest gadgets, feel free to disagree.

The next list "9 Kitchen Tools For Clumsy People" I can get behind and endorse. Depends on your level of clumsy. Check it out: https://thepracticalkitchen.com/kitchen-tools-for-clumsy-people/

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am a bit of a minimalist in the home kitchen. This article "The Only Pieces of Kitchen Equipment You Actually Need" is a good start. https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2020-06-04/the-only-pieces-of-kitchen-equipment-you-actually-need

I wouldn't go so far to say it's the ONLY pieces you need. But it's a great understanding of getting started.

Is that a frywall on his head?

There is a method in this article. The way I presented the lists. Check out all the articles in order. You
start to see they start overlapping each other. I want you to pick up on what will actually help you. For example, the first article lists a "frywall". A funny heat-resistant "plastic" cone that looks like they put on animals so they don't scratch. In the second article, we find a splatter guard. In the third, we find a great non-stick pan that the splatter guard will work great on. You now have no need for that "one-hit-wonder flea cone". Either that or buy a wok or flat-bottom wok! Definitely more uses than a "frywall". https://amzn.to/3sW8mMB

Check out my kitchen lists of suggested equipment! You can save yourself some time on finding affordable high rated items to complete your kitchen! http://bit.ly/KitchenBestBuys

Help with your Doughs and Batters

Do you know who Michael Ruhlman is? He writes about many subjects in magazines and newspapers, but mostly in books and mostly about food, chefs, and cooking—issues also covered in his blog. His most recent book,

Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

as the title states – gives you many simple codes behind cooking. If you have no intentions of reading the book, or just want a sample of what knowing ratios can do, Michael has posted a PDF of the Doughs & Batters ratios that you can print and hang in your kitchen or put in your ‘cookbook’ to try your hand at…a word to the wise, the ratios are based on weight, so you need to have and know how to use a kitchen scale for this to be useful to you. But I promise you will become a better person by cooking/baking with a scale for precision.

Just click this link to his blog and look on the left hand side for the above picture and you can download his PDF for FREE! Black & White photos on the PDF are by his wife Donna, excellent!

[I don't link directly to the PDF because I think its fair that if he offers something for free, you can at least visit his site to get it...and of course permission, laws, and things of that nature tend to slow things down]