Q: I was just gifted the Paderno vegetable slicer. So far I've just made zucchini pasta (great for texture without the carbs). Does anyone have any other suggestions  or recipes for using this tool?

Sent by Gina

Item: 64 oz Wide Mouth Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Growler
Price: $49.99
Overall Impression: This is a fantastic product for keeping beer and other beverages cold — and hotter foods hot — for hours. Works like a charm.

Love. Love. Love. I love this growler. I love it for keeping my beer carbonated and chilled all the way to the party. I love it for keeping my big batch of soup hot for the potluck. I even love it for keeping my milk cozy at it turns into yogurt. I just love it. Times a million.

You may not think you know Normann Copenhagen, but chances are you'd recognize a few of their classic pieces. (Remember this peeler? Or this tea egg? Or these fun beater whisks?) Fans of modern design also know that you can find Normann Copenhagen pieces at stores like Horne, Huset, and The Modern Shop, but the brand has its own online webshop as well where you can peruse and purchase the full beautiful line.

When it comes to cooking dinner every night, one tool I can't live without is my kitchen tongs, which I use to flip meat, toss stir-fries, serve salads, and much more. But I had no idea there were four more surprising uses for this everyday tool — including one that is especially helpful for short cooks like me.

I have a handful of kitchen tools that I really, truly use: a KitchenAid mixer, an espresso machine, an immersion blender, and a food processor. But other than that, we have a smattering of old wooden spoons, mismatched silverware, an odd collection of mixing bowls and an old mortar and pestle. Oh, and my kitchen scoop. More

Because I tout the simple, sparse life in the kitchen, it comes to the surprise of many who visit me in my cooking den that I own a garlic press. The love affair didn't happen overnight. It took me a while to proudly press garlic with a one-hit-wonder gadget, but now I use it all the time.

This single-use tool doesn't even have any sneaky alternate uses; the only thing it will do for your meal is crush garlic into the finest, most gloriously minuscule mince possible. More

Last week we asked you, our readers, to share the one kitchen item you'd recommend splurging on. The response was overwhelming, but right on in our view. If you've ever wondered what's worth the money in the kitchen, read on for some valuable insight: More

Pondering the items in my kitchen that make my life easier, faster, or just a little bit happier, I was initially going to pick a tool that would make me look like a person with cool and edgy tastes. But the truth is, the item that makes me feel grateful every time I use it is this kind of dorky tool I bought on a whim from my local hardware store.

Item: SodaStream Source
Price: about $150
Overall Impression: An elegant redesign of the iconic home soda maker.

In my household, we've been SodaStream users for years, first with the Pure model and then the Fizz. Although these home carbonators have been very functional for making sparkling water and soda, I've never really loved SodaStream's product design. That is, until designer Yves Béhar got involved. More

This past year we really took to heart the plight of the newbie cook: how do I set up my kitchen? What are the essential tools, appliances, and cookware to have at the ready? To help with this, we put together our own guides to cookware, bakeware, tools, and all the essential non-food products one needs to start off successfully in the kitchen, which we've included here. Rounding out this list is a post on great chef's knives, the best multi-tasking tool every kitchen should have (but especially small ones), and why it's worth it to splurge on one particular cooking thermometer. More