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Gadgets are the support team that help busy cooks speed up ordinary tasks. They aren't as glamorous as the shiny, stainless steel or trendy color-of-the-year appliances that fill the pages of food magazines, but these small items (which many folks toss into their kitchen junk drawer) can save you time and energy when you're trying to get dinner on the table.
Rubber helpers: Opening jars with ease
You can find many versions of jar openers, but one favorite is the absolutely low-tech sheet of rubber with one textured side. Talk about getting a grip, this gadget, which is often called a rubber helper, is a great tool for opening screw-top jars. A rubber helper is a 3- to 4-inch piece of flexible rubber. Drape the rubber helper over a screw-top jar lid and twist to loosen the lid. The textured surface of the rubber helper prevents the lid from slipping from your grasp.
Hardware stores and other businesses sometimes give away rubber helpers as promotional items. But if you have to buy one, it will only set you back a couple of bucks. Look for a thick sheet of rubber and a well-defined, textured surface. Thin rubber sheets tear easily, and if the rubber's surface is relatively smooth, you don't get the gripping action that you need. For $7 to $8, you can buy the king-size version in cookware stores. These larger, 7-inch square silicone mats grip jars and double as potholders, because they withstand heat up to 600 degrees.
Scissors: Cutting down on chopping
Scissors take the place of knives for several of my cooking chores and save time in the process. In a fraction of the time that it takes to mince fresh herbs using a chef's knife on a cutting board, you can snip herbs with a pair of scissors directly into a soup or stew. Set a bunch of washed and dried herbs over a pot with one hand. With the other hand holding a pair of sharp scissors, make close cuts into the herbs. The closer the cut is, the finer the mince. If you need an accurate measurement as to the quantity of the ingredient, snip the herbs into a measuring cup.
For herb chopping, look for scissors with a 5- to 6-inch stainless steel or nonstick blade. Stainless steel is easier to sharpen. You may prefer a nonstick surface, because herbs don't cling to nonstick materials, which is also a benefit. Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $30 for a good pair of scissors. Check hardware and discount general merchandise stores for sales on kitchen scissors.
Poultry shears make cutting up a cooked chicken a breeze. Taking a whole, cooked chicken, find the joints and separate the point where the joints meet with the sheers. Having thicker blades than conventional scissors, poultry shears cut through chicken bones easily.
Select a pair of poultry shears with comfortable handles. You're putting plenty of pressure on the handles to cut through chicken joints and small bones, and padded handles won't strain your fingers as you cut. Look for a notched blade that clips bones easily.
Whenever you use a pair of scissors or poultry shears to cut food of any kind, thoroughly wash them before using and dry them completely. Don't use kitchen scissors for cutting cardboard, because this can dull the blades.
Parchment paper: Less mess
Greasing cookie sheets is messy and slow, but cleaning up cookie sheets stained with oozing butter or sticky toffee is worse yet. Using parchment paper eliminates both the preparation and clean-up steps. Parchment paper is available in rolls, just like aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and wax paper, but don't substitute any of these for parchment paper! Foil, plastic wrap, and wax paper aren't designed for baking. You can find parchment paper in cookware stores or cookware catalogs for about $9 for an 8-ounce roll.
Aluminum foil: Don't get foiled again
Covering food and cleaning up after meals is a snap when you use heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lay a sheet of foil over cooked foods, such as roasts, steaks, or chicken, which require a resting period before serving. When using cookware for sticky foods, such as barbecued beef, pizza, or garlic bread, line the cookware with heavy-duty foil before baking in the oven to make cleaning up easier. Select 18-inch or wider rolls of aluminum foil to cover roasts or other large foods.
 | Don't use foil to cover refrigerated foods, however. First, if you're going to put the food in the microwave to reheat it, you have to switch to microwave-safe plastic or dishes. Second, highly acidic foods eat into the foil, making the food inedible. For that reason, don't let tomato sauce touch foil for any length of time. |
Spatulas for stirring and folding
Spatulas are as essential as measuring spoons in the cook's drawer. Made from rubber or silicone, spatula heads are scooped, flat, or spoon-shaped and sit on wooden or plastic handles. Each shape has a specific function.
- Flat-shaped spatula heads are excellent for cutting or folding one ingredient into a batter. You can slice down into a batter using a spatula. Bring the spatula to the bottom of the bowl and up, folding in ingredients as you move the spatula.
- Scoop-shaped spatula heads "scoop" ingredients, such as flour or shortening.
- Spoon-shaped or bowl-shaped spatula heads are great for the usual mixing and stirring functions.
When you shop for any spatula, look for silicone materials, which are heat-resistant to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or more, so you can use them for stirring stovetop foods as you cook.
Measuring cups with a new angle
Measuring liquids into a typical glass measuring cup means that you have to stand back or bend down to eye the glass to make sure that you're adding the correct amount. Angled measuring cups allow you to read the measure while looking straight down into the cup. The measurements are printed on an angle — not straight up and down along the side of the cup — so that you can easily read how full the cup is as you look down into it. No more filling, checking, and refilling. The Good Grips Angled Measuring Cup, by Oxo, is available in one-cup capacity for about $4.95 or a two-cup capacity for about $6.95. It has a rubber-grip handle and is dishwasher safe.
Timers: Avoiding shoe leather meals
Accuracy is important when you're cooking. If you broil your fish for 2 minutes more per side than the recipe says, you'll have the food equivalent of shoe leather, and it'll be about as palatable. Using atimer is more precise than checking the clock, unless you want to watch the minutes tick by. If you don't want to be tied to the kitchen, buy a portable timer on a string to hang around your neck. If you're standing by your food, use a countertop timer. A big-dial timer is easier on the eyes. If you're a technophobe, go for the easiest timers. A 60-minute mechanical timer with a loud ring is more than sufficient for 30-minute meals. The less complicated timers sell for about $12.95 and the bells-and-whistles models cost about $18 to $25.
Swivel peeler: Peeling safely
Professional chefs use paring knives to peel carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables. A swivel peeler is safe enough for all but the youngest children to use. In fact, if you have children helping you scrape vegetables, or if you get distracted peeling vegetables, you're going to find a swivel peeler is safer than the typical paring knife. The gadget has two vertical blades on a handle. The gadget is called a swivel peeler, because the blades swivel slightly to pare curved vegetables such as cucumbers. Rubber-handled peelers are easier on the hands. Expect to pay $4 to $6 for a good-quality vegetable peeler.
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