We've tried electric can openers and fancy ergonomic can openers and can openers with magnetized bits and who knows what else. But when it comes time to open a can of beans for a casserole or pry the stubborn lid off a jar of roasted peppers, guess which one we come back to every time? More

After many years of faithful service, our cracked and stained oven thermometer is headed for retirement and we're searching for a good replacement. Do you have an oven thermometer you love? Share it with us in the comments. And if you don't yet own this inexpensive yet essential kitchen tool, keep reading to learn why you should! More

Every year we test out new products and review old favorites. Here's a look back at 25 products we tried, tested, poked and prodded this year. From seltzer makers to juicers, and ice cream makers to the best spatula ever, here are some memorable tools, gadgets, and products.

PICTURED ABOVE
• 1 SousVide Supreme
• 2 Cuisinart ICE-21 Ice Cream Maker
• 3 DeLonghi Gelato Maker
• 4 Grid-Patterned Cooling Racks
• 5 KitchenAid Pasta Press Attachment More

It's usually pretty easy to find things for a cook's holiday stocking. The culinary world is full of little bits of kitchen gadgetry and smartly packaged foodstuffs. But if you're searching for something beyond a clutch of vegetable peelers and Trader Joe's Gift Cards*, then take a look at this roundup of fun and unusual little gifts for the cook.

*not that I wouldn't want these, too! More

We absolutely love decorating cookies. We've been decorating cookies since we were little and could barely reach the kitchen table. We'd have a selection of four to five different colors and would make quite the mess. As we've gotten older, we're not as messy — but we could certainly use any help we could get. More

For those of you who have 143 pounds of walnuts (okay, maybe not that many!) or a nut lover on your holiday gift list, may we suggest one of these stylish European nutcrackers? More

Q: Can anybody tell me what this utensil is used for?

A friend sent me this pic and wants to know. I've never seen one.

From Andrew Scrivani via Twitter More

Do you need a gadget to let you know when your water is boiling? This seems just slightly excessive to us, but perhaps it would be good for distractible cooks? Take a peek at this Boil Buoy from Quirky. More

Pylones is a French company known for its wacky and colorful homewares done up in bright colors. This cheery style is very popular in France — every time I passed one of their stores last week in Paris, the crowd was nearly spilling out the door. Here are five particularly colorful items for the kitchen. More

The Mouli grater is a classic, old-school French kitchen tool. Its basic concept is a rotary grater that you turn with one hand whilst pressing the food to be grated (usually cheese) with the other using a hinged handle. The original model by Moulinex is no longer in production, although there are many new knock-off versions to be found in cookware shops. Or you could just pick up a lovely vintage model like the one above, either online or at your local flea market. More