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A well-stocked kitchen drawer is a homeowner’s secret weapon for success. However, your most used kitchen tools may not always be traditional cooking gear. These seven tools will make kitchen work easier, more efficient, and enjoyable with these tools within reach.
1. Digital Meat Thermometer
Food safety is important, but so is flavor. Achieve optimal temperature controls and cooking perfection with a reliable digital thermometer in the kitchen.
With a digital read-out, you eliminate the guesswork of where food temperature sits. Look for models with both Fahrenheit in Celsius and a collapsible probe for more condensed storage and safety.
Use your digital reader for meats where internal temperature must meet safety sanders. Keep fish and chicken succulent and say goodbye to overcooked, dry meat. Perfect your steak and pork preparation with the reliability to monitor doneness with your thermometer.
The thermometer also plays an important role in baking, as the external appearance of baked goods can often be deceiving. Check the internal temperature of breads, cakes, and rolls to ensure doneness without the doughy center. A digital thermometer will make you a better cook, and confident that your food is safe to eat and delicious.
2. A Rechargeable LED Flashlight
The kitchen often operates as the hub of the home, meaning it plays host to morning wake-ups and dinner parties. With so much traffic, there’s bound to be plenty of need for focused illumination.
Pinpoint the serving platter that’s been stashed in the back of the base cabinet since last holiday. Find every last coffee bean after an unfortunate spill and save your feet from uncomfortable encounters.
Since the kitchen is such a high-traffic area, it’s likely someone will be there during a power outage. Confidently reach for your LED flashlight in your go-to drawer and navigate the darkness with ease.
Shop for a rechargeable unit to ensure you always have powerful illumination without the need for batteries. Finally, incorporate checking your flashlight’s charge in your regular cleaning routine so it’s ready when the need arises.
3. Food-Grade Shears
Even if you have no intention of breaking down a whole chicken, anyone with a kitchen needs food-grade shears. These strong scissors can take a beating, standing up to tough bones and cartilage. Use them to spatchcock a chicken, make quick work of flavorful herbs, and cut up leftover pizza.
Some shears have locking mechanisms to keep their spring-loaded power safe. Others have grooves featuring extra sharp edges specific for cutting through bones. Finally, others are detachable, making cleanup a breeze. Sanitize your shears after every use and remove any food debris before putting them in the dishwasher.
4. Versatile Parchment Paper
That humble roll of parchment paper is one of the most versatile kitchen tools you have. Line baking sheets for fuss-free cookie making. Make brownie, cake, and cornbread removal a breeze with parchment paper in your favorite Pyrex.
Roll out pizza dough on cornmeal and flour-dusted parchment to allow for easy release and provide an easy cooking surface. Parchment paper can also be folded into a packet, perfect for a packed lunch or to roast vegetables.
Use it as a lovely cover for a mason jar clamped down with a ring. Stock up on parchment paper and you’ll be surprised how often you reach for that humble roll.
5. Mason Jar Rings and Lids
The most recent wave of mason jar popularity may have quieted, but they remain a kitchen staple for a reason. Easily sanitized and endlessly reusable, mason jars flex from beverage receptacle to jam jar.
While rubber gasket lids can only be used for canning when new, their lives aren’t over after that first ping. Rings and lids can be reused for leftovers, overnight oats, and beautifully prepared salads.
Stash mason jars on harder-to-reach lower shelves to keep them within reach but away from cabinet door openings. Eventually, you may begin to accumulate quite a stash of mason jars, so gift them freely. Share culinary treats, showcase trinkets, or keep bubbles in clear view.
6. A Microplane
There’s no better smell than freshly zested lemon and a microphone makes it possible. Use yours to make refreshingly tart lemon curd for scones and cheesecakes. Elevate your holidays with freshly grated nutmeg over your eggnog and baked goods.
Make quick work of a beautiful wedge of aged Parmesan for your best risotto yet. The strong grate can handle tougher materials and produce a consistently fine yield from roots like ginger and even carrot.
7. Swedish Dish Cloths
Microfiber was all the rage, but the texture of the material and its tendency to attract fluff isn’t ideal. Reach for reusable Swedish dish cloths for surface cleaning, glass washing, and tough scrubbing that all our machine washable.
Wash them just like you would your other towels and let them air dry. They’ll harden similar to a novelty pressed washcloth, but when water is added, become supple and pliable. These cloths are inexpensive and durable meaning that when you finally wear them out, they’ve earned their retirement.
Be a Culinary Hero With a Well-Stocked Kitchen Drawer
Television chefs make it look easy because the production team has facilitated mise en place. Do the same for yourself with your kitchen toolkit by stocking your kitchen with this heavy-hitter cast of characters. When you do, the tools you need will always be in reach so you never miss a beat.
