One of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to face as an amateur chef is my own laziness. Sure, a home cooked meal made from scratch sounds delightful but it’s a lot of work. More ingredients mean a better melding of flavors as well as more preparation and opportunities to make a mistake. I mean, I know the difference between teaspoon and tablespoon but you’d be surprised how many times I grab the wrong one when I’m frazzled in the kitchen.
What I need, what I’m always looking for, is a product to make cooking less intimidating. The Sink Drainer Cutting Board (Uncommon Goods, $32.00) marries an organic bamboo cutting board with a silicone strainer and I can instantly breathe easier. I don’t have to worry about dropping all the vegetables I just chopped into the sink when I transfer them from the cutting board to the strainer because it’s built right in. The whole thing fits over your sink so you can slide your vegetables or meat directly into the strainer as you go. Usually I end up doing this in batches because my cutting board is too small to sustain an entire meal’s raw materials. Because this cutting board is meant to be used over the sink, it’s quite large and could be a bit tricky to store – something tells me it won’t be spending that much time tucked away though.
It’s probably a good idea to get a jump start on your Father’s Day shopping, so if Dad isn’t into cooking you can still find a bunch of other great ideas at Uncommon Goods.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 24″ x 12″ x 0.8″
-Cutting board with integrated strainer
-Fits over sink for easy chopping
-Wash in warm soapy water
-Made of silicone and organic bamboo
I love cheese. If I had to pick only one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would have to be cheese. Think about it – what isn’t better with some cheese on it? Also, what are your favorite foods? Chances are, they are comprised of cheese in some capacity. I always have cheese on hand, usually in hand if you know what I mean.
With a love for cheese as great as mine, a capable grater is a must. The Grip Grater Multi-Position Cheese Grater (Amazon, $24.99) really ups the ante because it offers three possible positions. Three! That’s two more than most graters! When not in use, the grater folds flat for easy storage – great for small kitchens or big kitchens overrun with a plethora of cooking gadgets. Grating can be achieved in one of two ways: arms together offers the traditional hand-held option while arms out allows you to grate over a bowl or dish. Non-slip grips on both the arms and under hinges prevent the grater from sliding around in either position, so it’s really a matter of personal preference. For me, it’s gotta be arms out because you can shred block after block of cheese without feeling the burn. But that’s just me.
You don’t like cheese? As Liz Lemon would say, “That’s a dealbreaker.”
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 8″ x 2.5″ x 6″
-Multi position cheese grater
-Three positions:
-Folded for storage
-Arms together (hand held grating)
-Arms out (grating over dish)
-Includes 2 grater plates
-Non slip grips on arms and under hinges
-Stainless steel plates with hard plastic frame
When I first started to cook, I did everything the hard way because I didn’t know any better. Did you know that if you put an onion in the fridge that you won’t burst into tears when cutting it? Now I feel like I can’t even step foot in the kitchen without a bundle of time-saving gadgets to help me out. Maybe that makes me a lazy cook; I prefer to think of myself as excessively efficient.
The Garject Garlic Press (Uncommon Goods, $35.00) doesn’t seem like anything too extraordinary at first glance. I mean, I already own a garlic press, why would I need another? Well, trust me when I say that this garlic press kicks your garlic press’s ass. To begin with, you can press multiple cloves at once without even peeling them first (everybody knows that’s the worst part). Once you’ve jammed the cloves in the press, you squeeze the press like you normally would to push the garlic through a network of tiny holes. If there’s any garlic still stuck on the outside of the press, simply use the spring-tension bar to scrape it off. When you’re done pressing your clove(s), open the press and eject the residue with the press of a button. No need to poke around there with your fingers – let the press do all the work!
This is one imPRESSive garlic press.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 7.6″ x 1.75″
-Press multiple cloves at once
-No need to pre-peel garlic
-Scraper removes pressed garlic
-Eject garlic peel when finished
-Wide reservoir
-Study handles for leverage
-Easy to use
-Top rack dishwasher safe
How was your holiday weekend? Mine was pretty good – good eats pretty much always equals good times. Did you get any nice Easter goodies? Now that I’m a bit older, I don’t get that much candy anymore. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because I tend to either forget about it completely or inhale it all in a two hour span. I did get some awesome dishware, but I have no idea where I’m gonna put it when I’m not using it. This is a common problem in my kitchen; I have so much stuff that there simply isn’t enough room for it all.
The Portion Cooking Spoon with Measuring Tools (Amazon, $9.06) is another example of my favorite type of product, the two-fer. Instead of stocking your kitchen with multiple measuring cups, why not use just one? This spoon not only has measurements in the silicone spoon (half teaspoon, teaspoon, tablespoon) but it also features a hollow clear plastic handle that holds wet or dry ingredients (up to 1/4 cup). So you get two different ways to measure in one convenient gadget and you can even use this spoon to stir your creation after you’re done measuring. I guess that makes it a three-fer.
Please don’t use this spoon to carve out anyone’s heart.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12″ x 3.5″ x 1″
-Capacity: 1/4 cup (handle); 1 tbsp (spoon)
-Plastic handle holds wet or dry ingredients
-Seal prevents spills
-Easy pour
-Made of food safe plastic and silicone
Do you have pets? I do – two cats. I love those little furballs, but they are the main source of my constant need to clean. Maybe if I had carpet instead of hardwood floors it wouldn’t be so obvious that their tumbleweeds of hair blow through my house like it’s a ghost town. I wonder how they cleaned up in the old west?
I bet they wish they had the Broom Groom Broom Cleaning Dustpan (Amazon, $12.99) for occasions such as these. The worst thing about sweeping has got to be the gross stuff that gets stuck between the broom bristles – if you leave it there your floor won’t ever get clean, but who wants to touch that? This dustpan solves that problem by integrating rubber teeth into the back panel so all you have to do is pull the broom through them to clean. A built-in foot pedal on the handle keeps the dustpan in place whilst cleaning to further ensure a hands-free experience.
I could probably make a whole new cat out of the hair I’ve swept up just this week.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 12.2″ x 14.5″ x 3″
-Hands free broom cleaning
-Rubber teeth clean broom bristles
-Foot pedal built into dustpan handle
-Made of plastic with rubber accents
