Comments on: Kitchen toys

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:20:09 +0000

One of my favorite tools is my set of measuring spoons that have an oval bowl on one end and a round bowl on the other end and they are held together by small magnets in the plastic handles. I enjoy reading all the blogs and the handy hints given on them. Thanks.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:40:57 +0000

I try to keep redundant tools out of my kitchen (though a second set of measuring cups is on my list!). My favorite baking tool is my bench knife, which makes my constant bread baking easier and cleaner. No more scrubbing dough bits off the counter with brillo pads! What I really need, though, is a set of four or so loaf pans that are the SAME size. I currently own a great nonstick 9×5″, a pyrex one that is slightly smaller, and a 1 1/2 lb pan that is too big for anything.

My mom always tells me that cooking/baking is similar to home repair in that when you don’t have the right tool it makes your project much more difficult to complete. So I guess I just need a garage for my kitchen tools.

By: benita

benita — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:24:03 +0000

I life in an apartment and have a very small kitchen and no counter top space. I have noticed that in all your blogs you are using a kitchenaid stand mixer. Is there some brand of hand held mixer that you would recommend?
Hi, Benita. I learned to bake using a hand-held mixer in my mother’s kitchen, and I know a lot of other people started out this way. We’ve tested and like this mixer from Cuisinart. Susan

By: kate chagoll

kate chagoll — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:11:47 +0000

REALIZATION: I need measuring spoons for both wet AND dry ingred.??
I have several measuring spoons…please, a recommendation!! I love to bake, so this is unnerving to say the least! Thanks in advance, Kate
Kate: All I meant by saying that is it’s a great convenience not to have to dry off the spoon you used to measure vanilla before measuring the salt or baking powder. The measuring spoons themselves are identical; it’s just nice to have one set for juicy things and one set for powdery things. Susan

By: Jamia

Jamia — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:18:05 +0000

Thank you for sharing all your lovely kitchen toys with us! I can’t post pictures of all my favorite utensils, but I like my mixing bowl, my measuring cups, my salad servers, among many other…

A few years ago, when I traveled through the holy land on vacation, I found a little shop selling lovely olive wood serving spoons. Oh, here’s what I’m talking about: http://holylanddesigns.net/tt-ss-pp-121.htm

Anywho, thanks for sharing this post with us!

By: Brenda

Brenda — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:00:15 +0000

Another person with an ever-expanding “toy collection”. Let’s see, my dough whisks, old cookie sheets with a raised edge on one short end to use as peel and giant spatula, assorted utensils of silicone, olive wood, & bamboo, cookie/muffin scoops, Thermapen, enameled cast-aluminum citrus squeezer, KA mixer, parchment, plastic wrap, multiple sets of measuring cups & spoons including odd sizes. In answer to Armida, onion goggles do work, but only use them when I have a “ton” of onions to cut up since I have to take my glasses off to use them. The scraper paddle for my mixer, and the s-hook I bought works so much better than the c-hook that came with it, scales, microplane graters, flour wand…

By: Jan Woolley

Jan Woolley — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:48:59 +0000

I just re read the blog and have a few comments I want to add. I think one of my favorite things is my 32 year old Kitchen Aid mixer. It required new brushes in the motor about 15 years ago and then worked flawlessly up to about 4 months ago when I took it in to an authorized dealer for repairs. I was told that the old models are actually better made and after the servicing, it acts like a brand new machine. I only wish it had a larger capacity for cake making. He did give me one tip that I will pass along to those who might not use their mixer as much as I do mine: If you operate it for 5-10 minutes once a week, it will keep the motor lubricated and save you repair bills later.
I enjoyed the comment about rubber scrapers by Connie. That is one of my pet peeves. The loss of RUBBER scrapers, particularly those with the wooden handles. they were so good for manhandling thick cookie dough out of the bowl. The little bowl scrapers available now just don’t do it for me. I even used to save the wooden handles to re-insert in the new ones that came with the too-easy-to-break plastic handles. Then even those became unavailable. Oh well, progress. Silicone does work great for on the stove where heat is an issue, but I wish I had the option.
Knives: I love my set of Sabatier knives. I keep them razor sharp with the Sabatier sharpener and a good steel. (More cuts are delivered with a dull knife.)
KA’s mushroom slicer: Works wonders on mushrooms. It even saves money by allowing me to purchase in bulk instead of paying someone to precut them for me. And as far as strawberries go…I raise a lot of them and when I am preparing for the freezer, or in any quantity, there is nothing more appreciated.
A big assortment of stainless steel mixing bowls. I am speaking duplicates here.
Large, heavy duty pizza peel by KA. Perfect for helping to stack large heavy wedding cakes after they are baked.
A selection of cookie/muffin scoops.
Floating dairy thermometers. (When I had a cow and used to make a lot of cheese.) Now I use it when making yogurt.
I have a broken pizza stone which still works, but I think I will retire it and use some fire bricks suggested by Ched. I used to line the bottom of my oven with quarry tile, but I like the idea of using water on them to create steam. Thanks, Ched.
I could continue, but the aroma of baking carrot cake wafting from the kitchen calls me to go check on it.
Thanks so much for this blog and all the tips I glean from it. Thanks for your catalog and all the goodies I find in it. (One more thing, I am desperate to find your Italian Bread Improver you used to carry. I even tried to recreate it from the list of ingredients on my last, (sob) package. I kept it in the freezer for freshness and never could quite duplicate it. It made the best bread ever! Any chance of it returning?) I’ll put a request for it in our cust observations. Mary @KAF

By: Marjie

Marjie — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:56:23 +0000

It’s my nutmeg mill (KAF #1402). It’s just so darn cute!

By: Pamela

Pamela — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:47:24 +0000

I loved reading about all your favorites tools and got some great ideas. My most used items are a very old and somewhat dented steel bowl for mixing anything at all and an old set of Tupperware measuring cups that have all the increments I ever seems to need: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 cup. Thanks for the interesting read.

By: Armida Ramirez

Armida Ramirez — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:16:17 +0000

…got interrupted on my last note. I LOVE gadets and I LOVE Everbake, I order 3-4 cans at a time so I never run out. I gave a co worker a can to use because she complained about always taste the other sprays and she loved it. She went on a cooking frenzy with it. She orders it now. I call my gadets my kitchen “tools” when my grandson in there with me because he wants to take them to play with. His Tata has his “tools” and I have mine. The next thing I have my eye on are the onion goggles, sounds silly huh? I have sensitive eyes and they water like crazy when I cut onions, my grandson once put his fire fighter helmet with the face shield on me when he saw me tearing thinking it would help. Has anyone tried those goggles yet? I also have multiple sets of silicone scrapers, measuring cups & spoons, mixing bowls, and several crockpots and roaster ovens in assorted sizes stored in the garage. I could go on and on… I’m so glad to see verification that I’m not the only one.