Thanksgiving is already upon us, which means it’s only 30 (yes THIRTY) days until Christmas. It will be here before it, with 2012 on its heels. So let’s get right down to it – gifts are a necessary evil most of the time. Watch the blog over the next few weeks for more Gift Guides (big ticket kitchen items, books, and other Paleo gear).
In the spirit of giving, I wanted to give you some recommendations on ten great stocking stuffers for the Paleo kitchen. These are a few tools I reach for every day while cooking or baking. They’re pretty essential in my kitchen.
OXO Salad Spinner
Okay, so not all of these gifts will actually fit in a stocking, but you get the point. I eat a lot of greens – kale, cabbage, spinach, collards. This guy is definitely necessary for getting them dry after I wash them. Good ol’ centrifugal force!
Nordic Ware Bakers Half Sheet
I use these baking sheets nearly every day. They are great for roasting veggies, baking grain-free cookies, making bacon in the oven, and more. Bonus – get a cooling rack that fits nicely inside to cook things like meatballs, when you want the fat to drip down into the bottom pan.
Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater
How did I ever live without a micro plane grater? Use it to grate things: citrus, whole nutmeg and cinnamon, garlic, ginger. You need this to make dishes more flavorful. Get one!
OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Locking Tongs with Nylon Heads
I use these suckers for everything. Turning meat while it’s browning, grabbing veggies out of a pot, tossing a salad – anything where I don’t wanna get my hands dirty. I also use them for serving at the table as well. Keeps things neat.
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup
I love these glass measuring cups because they stand up to hot liquids like broth and soups.
Norpro 3 Piece Stainless Steel Balloon Whisk Set
Sometimes you just need to whisk a single egg, sometimes it’s a big ol’ bowl of stuff that needs to be beat into submission. Buy this set and you’ll be prepared for all whisking situations.
Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler
Diane at Balanced Bites turned me on to this handy little gadget. Use it on squashes and zucchini (and probably other veggies I haven’t thought of) to make grain-free “noodles”. Steam em up and put your “pasta” sauce over them for a yummy dinner.
LamsonSharp Slotted Spatula
This thing is awesome. Lift and strain at the same time. It’s flexible and thin enough to fit under fish or an egg without messing up what you’re cooking. And the edge is pretty sharp, so you can cut a stray veggie in half before you flip it if you need to.
Stainless Steel Steamer Basket
Steam things like carrots and broccoli. It is pretty handy if you want to get creative, too. You could throw some potatoes in there or your squash/zucchini “noodles” that you create with the julienne peeler.
What are your must-have stocking stuffer gadgets?
We’ll cover the kitchen heavyweights (Le Creuset anyone?) in another post, but for now we want to know – what are your must-have kitchen gadgets? Tell us in the comments!
I agree with the julienne peeler. It is awesome! Pictures here (I did not have rice with my dinner): http://mary-sews.blogspot.com/2011/11/mondays-supper.html
I just purchased a set of Poach Pods. I’m not into junking up my kitchen with a bunch of useless kitchen gadgets, but have found that the Poach Pods are a must have for perfectly poached eggs with my bacon Sunday mornings!
The silicone pods need just a bit of bacon grease, or coconut oil and stay cool to the touch – I highly recommend those.
Also, the Pod Lift goes perfectly with them, be sure to pick that up as well.
You can find them on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Fusionbrands-3-Inch-Silicone-Poach-Poaching/dp/B000P6FD3I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322247650&sr=8-1
My most-used gadgets are a couple of good solid wooden spoons – a round one for stirring, and one with a straight edge on the end for sauteeing and scrambling eggs.
A great find I’ve recently made are these magnetic knife holders:
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Inch-Magnetic-Knife-Tool/dp/B000CRDDBY/ref=pd_sim_k_1
I’ve added two of them to my kitchen… one right next to the stove and one over the counter area where I typically do my cutting. These things are great and free up so much drawer and counter space. It’ll make you want to seek out some ferromagnetic cooking tools (the tongs suggested in this article apply) to accompany the knives. Other things I’ve gotten to work, for example, are knife sharpening rods, can openers, tongs, spatulas, ladles, and a set of measuring spoons.
They’re not exactly pretty, but they definitely seem to impress everybody who comes over.
Best kitchen gadget EVER: a set of stainless steel etched measuring cups. The will outlive and outlast me. I can put them right on the burner to melt something small, easy to clean and they will never have their measurements wash or rub off. Fabulous.
Immersion Hand Blender: mashing up cauliflower & turnips or sweet potatoes, pureeing butternut squash for soup, crushing up so nuts to make a hot “cereal”, tossing a few berries and ice for a refreshing smoothie or making coconut milk whip cream.
I have this one and love it! Easy to use, easy to clean and affordable.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76BC-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGA6QI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322296138&sr=8-1
Oh yeah–love this–I just got my first microplane-can’t believe I zested before this-
My favorite can not live without piece is my pampered chef baking stone-I have 3 sizes-great for roasting –the stone gives a crispness to whatever I roast on it–cauliflower peppers onions–you season the pan and just care for it like it was cast iron–I use all 3 sizes all the time! most used item in my kitchen-
http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=9790&categoryCode=FH
I rarely go long without using my apple slicer. Cores be gone! Good stocking stuffer? Well, that depends on who you’re giving it to…
Amber, thanks a lot for the gift recommendations. I’ve link this on my weekly roundup of science and food. I think the list goes not just for paleo-eaters, but anyone interested in the kitchen!
Not really a gadget, per say, but the best thing I did was make bulk dry rub mixes. My “rib rub” goes on everything, from eggs to chicken to plain sweet potato Terra chips (the only way to get the kids to eat them) Who has time to mix 14 different ingredients when all you want to do is grill something?
Now I even sell them. Cheers.
A candy thermometer. For making yogurt.