Topic: Utensils

Shun knives

194 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | 1 Comment

Warning: these are not inexpensive knives!
We talked awhile back about the differences between Asian and Western style knives. Most important to remember is that Japanese and other Asian techniques call for cutting the food without crushing it.

Now Sur La Table has introduced a new set of handcrafted Japanese knives with … More »
Pineapple magic presto!

197 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | 2 Comments

Well not quite presto…more like twisto. VacuVin swears that you can core and spiral slice a pineapple in just 30 seconds with their Pineapple Slicer. The January 2010 issue of Real Simple Magazine calls it one of the top ten specialty choppers…the very best of the pineapple slicers available.

Here’s the … More »
Straining ladle

204 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

Martha Stewart apparently has a beautiful brand new straining ladle out, but it’s ONLY available at Macy’s stores. Skeptical as always, I checked it out, and it’s true… you can’t buy it online. At least not yet.

Well. Martha’s not the only game in town, so I went looking for a … More »
The Magisso cake server

242 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

This beautifully designed Cake Server was introduced in North America by the Finnish Magisso company in 2009 at the Interior Design Show in Toronto, the International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago and the New York International Gift Fair.
It is built from a single piece of stainless steel, which is … More »
WorldCentric's biocompostables

260 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | 2 Comments

WorldCentric.org boasts of compostable products, sustainable materials, and fair trade practices. What they carry are bags, cups, trays, containers, plates, bowls, and even utensils that are better for the environment.
I am totally taken by their Corn Starch Utensils. Yup, you read that right…corn starch. The heat-resistant line of utensils are … More »
Giro apple slicer

260 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

A perfect apple spiral for decorations or snacking! This Giro Apple Slicer is kind of a nasty looking device, but hey. I also think it’s terribly expensive for a one-use gadget, but there may be people who core and eat apples frequently enough to justify it. Some folks can’t bite … More »
More measuring spoons

261 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

Since I’m searching for the perfect replacement set for my old Tupperware measuring spoons (half are missing!), I’ve had them on the brain lately. I came across this set at Miles Kimball, and I thought they looked pretty nice. There aren’t as many increments as I’d like (I really like … More »
A knife safe

263 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

This is a great idea if you need to travel with your knife…like maybe for a party or a picnic…and you don’t have or need an entire cutlery roll. These KnifeSafes are designed to fit most standard brands, and can be ordered by blade length. For example, the Safe for … More »
Circular kabob set

266 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

OK, why didn’t anyone ever think of this before? Or did they, and I just didn’t know about it?
How many times have you had your kabobs roll right off your plate. Maybe I’m the only one clumsy enough to do that. Whatever, I LOVE these Circle Kabob Skewers! They’re extremely … More »
The Spudski potato masher

267 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

Not that I really think potato mashers need to be improved, but how funny is this? Inspired by the ergonomic design of a ski pole, the Spudski Potato Masher has the rubber grip that you may have been looking for in a masher. The mashing plate detaches for easy cleaning, … More »
Odd size measuring spoons

276 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

Because cooking should be about ingredients and getting messy and having fun…not about MATH! There are several brilliant features about this set of Odd Size Measuring Spoons: the bowls are narrow to fit into any small containers, the handles are curved to sit without spilling on the countertop, and the … More »
Slicing guide

289 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | 2 Comments

Even though I occasionally nick myself with my knife (especially my super-sharp chef’s knife…ouch), I don’t think I would want to use one of these. But it occured to me that other people might want to!
For about $10, you get this stainless steel Slicing Guide that will hold the onion … More »
The Tomato Shark

302 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | 2 Comments

I wish I’d known about this inexpensive little gadget back when I was dealing with canning tomatoes and making sauce. The Tomato Shark does just what the picture shows: it digs right in and removes the tough little stem end. A happy reviewer points out that it can also be … More »
Japanese chef's knives

307 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | 6 Comments

The Masamoto VG-10 Gyutou, 8.2 “
Eastern knives are different from Western. Most fundamentally, Japanese knives are harder steel, thinner, designed for a specific hand (right or left, not both!), and keep an edge longer. The down-side is that they are more brittle, harder to sharpen, and are designed for very … More »
Cheese wires

323 days ago by Cyndi Lavin | Comment

I’ve always managed to get along just fine without a cheese wire, but recently I saw one being used to cut cheesecake…
Now I think I might have to rethink it! What a great idea. It probably would also do a really good job on all those other soft cakes that … More »