Discussion: Most Underrated Kitchen Tools and Most Overrated Kitchen Tools?

Thanks for such healthy discussion on the topic of Grills. It really help me out in getting the valueable insight.

Your welcome, and also welcome posting on HungryOnion.

Underrated:
Rice Cooker,
Wok
Sieve

Overrated:
Non-stick fry pans

2 Likes

Most over rated: electric juicer - a lot of parts to put together and clean, most of the fruit is wasted as pulp, thus no benefits from fiber.
A mango pitter - silly, but I embarrassingly have one.

Most underrated: a humble 4 sided box grater - it can do lots of things, even micro zest.
Nice absorbent dish towels - these are workhorses in the kitchen.
For most of us: not dining with others enough ( I mean those outside our immediate family) - life is short, offer hospitality and share some good discussions and laughs. Your house doesn’t need to be immaculate for this, nor your food fancy.

7 Likes

Interesting, because I was going to say - overrated - the sieve that is triangle shaped (cone shaped?). I bought one for reasons still not clear to me. Haven’t used it. Can’t imagine how I might clean the damn thing if it had to sit for awhile dirty. What can it do that an ordinary half-dome sieve can’t?

Also overrated - garlic press. One trick pony. Hard to clean. Much better is the microplane. Also works for ginger, citrus zest, nutmeg, etc. Love it!

2 Likes

I’m in the camp that thinks a chinois with proper pestle is vastly underrated - at least for certain tasks. You can render berries, fruits with skins and tomato cores with skins into lovely purĂ©es without wearing out your arm, once you get the right motion with the pestle going. When through, dump the contents, soak, and scrub with a brush. Also good for clarifying jellies and stocks. It would probably make an awesome beach toy too. :blush:

2 Likes

So I need a pestle before I can use it properly? But seriously, why is this cone shaped contraption better than a regular sieve? And if you don’t wash it right away, is it awful to clean later? It’s so narrow in the bottom of it, I can only imagine it is not an easy task.

Because the fruit pushes up from the bottom and you need all the vertical length for efficiency. I’ll get my 2 out, along with their pestles and send a pic. IMO they’re easier to clean than a regular strainer.

1 Like

I will have to experience it to believe it! My nice husband usually does the dishes though. I cook. He washes the things that don’t go in the DW. The kids put the cleans away.

1 Like

I finally abandoned my garlic press for the microplane. So much better and easier to clean!

1 Like

I’ve got 2-3 garlic presses, one of which is self cleaning, which is nice. Typically, I just mince it with a large chef’s knife.

1 Like

Agree.

Anyone use a standard towel wrapped heating pad as a food warmer? My Aunt does this often to keep food warm for family dinners. Works well for casseroles, bread, butter.

1 Like

No but it’s a great idea if used for culinary purposes exclusively! :upside_down_face:

1 Like

Yes! I sometimes use a heating pad to keep chocolate or cocoa butter warm. It doesn’t get hot enough for ‘hot holding’ but fine for keeping already melted chocolate in the low 90s F. The heating pad fits inside a 2 gallon ziplock to keep it clean.

4 Likes

Brilliant!

It’s not really a safe food practice. The heating pad isn’t hot enough to hold foods safely. Foods need to be either under 40F or over 140F, to be safe. I would only do this for a very short time.

Correct, short convenience during the meal to keep the food enjoyable. My Aunt sets it up on the buffet table while we enjoy the meal. It’s not a cooking device.:wink:

It took me a year to convince my wife and sister-in-law (who lives nearby) to buy four chafing dishes (two each). They weren’t very expensive and they move back and forth between the two houses depending on who is entertaining. They are one of several purchases that were a struggle that are now lauded in the families. You’d think they would just listen to me by now, wouldn’t you? grin

Keeping food warm is important here. A family joke is that there is hot and “Janet hot.”

I haven’t used a heating pad. I have hooked up a slow cooker to an inverter and a small battery (such as those for a motorcycle or lawn tractor) to keep pot luck offerings warm. Works great for Swedish meatballs, baked beans, and hot dips like cheese sauces. Chili of course. Pigs in a blanket.

2 Likes

My Aunt is so proud of her warming hack I wouldn’t dare spoil it. The family has survived just fine.

Cool beans on your genius heating system :wink: . What is it they say about necessity