Tool Uses

Hey, that's you!

Stop opening that oven door while cookies are baking!

If you have spotty dishes that don't get completely dry, the answer may be yes.

A cast iron skillet has this weird effect: Sometimes even great cooks feel a little nervous. We're here to take your hand and get you started.

These collectors definitely know what they're talking about.

You probably have a suitable alternative in your pantry already!

Mind. Blown.

ALWAYS set a hot dish on a dry cloth potholder!

It's science!

A model or two will most likely be on sale during Amazon Prime Day. Here's what you need to know before then.

They're kinda the same, but also different.

I love the idea of cream soups. They look pretty, taste delicious and are a super easy way to sneak random vegetables into kids. But that whole “purée in batches in your blender” thing stopped me. You see, I hate it when hot soup explodes in my face or anywhere in my kitchen. But when my husband and I got married, he brought something to our shared home: Betty Crocker the Pbrrt.

You remember my slow cooker? The one I broke? Twice? I really didn’t want to buy a new one, because I had already done that once and it’s important to me to make things last. (Evidence: My husband’s car has 175,000 miles. My car, “the new one,” has 95,000 miles, and we aren’t considering a car purchase anytime soon.) Before I replaced my cooker, I got in touch with Brenton Sadreameli of Mr.

So, we’re still without a microwave, and I still don’t think we’ll get one. We lost an old, but reliable, car recently, so there really isn’t room in the budget. The space formerly occupied by the microwave has been filled with a few things, including kids’ art, bread and plastic wrap. This lack of a replacement hasn’t been that big of a deal, except for one thing: reheating coffee. I am one of those gross people who reheats her coffee more than once.

When my big kids were little, smoothies were the healthy dessert that could sway them to eat their dinner. Full of fruit and unsweetened yogurt, they are a delicious treat that counts as dessert even though it’s healthy. Now that my eldest is concerned with improving his own nutrition and building muscle, smoothies serve as a nutritional supplement in his 3000-calorie day. Yikes! For the rest of the U17 crew it still counts as dessert or a rocking snack or breakfast.

As we walk in the door at 5:45 p.m., the most stressful part of our day begins. Jonas, my 16-month-old, instantly starts banging his little fist against his open mouth signing that he wants to eat. Darby, my three-year-old, runs in asking, “Can you make me a ‘pecial dinner, Mama?” It is a mad rush to find something nutritious to serve them fast — berries, carrots, yogurt, cheese, and whole wheat pasta are frequently seen on their plates. It is all I can muster.

I got a pressure cooker long before I started thinking about kids, back when I was just a busy person who loved being able to cook quick weeknight dinners. Then I had a baby and realized that a pressure cooker is even more essential for new parents, with uses I never even thought about before I had an infant.

The first time I made granola with my now 5-year-old daughter, she wasn’t quite 2 years old. She wore an adorable little apron, had her own mixing spoon, and I picked out a “just the right size for this batch of granola” bowl for us to work in. Moments after starting our granola project, oats and maple syrup littered the floor, her step stool, and her hair.

Cooking with younger kids isn’t much different than everyday cooking, but tiny cooks require a few tools to make their time in the kitchen easier on you as their sous-chef and better for them as they learn. Luckily most of these tools are inexpensive, easy to find, or adaptable for your tiny cook. These are five of my favorite tools for cooking with young kids. A step stool is the starting place for getting young kids cooking because it helps them reach the counter.

I may only have one child — a very rambunctious 4-year-old boy — but somehow, I’ve accumulated a vast collection of sippy cups. My kitchen counter has overflowed with various candy-colored cups with retractable straws, drinking nubs, or silicone leak-free discs; then there was the Thomas the Tank Engine phase, followed by a Paw Patrol period. Now, I’m in my son’s “green” era, when only cups in shades from lime to grass to emerald are acceptable.

When it comes to cutting boards, the general rule is that bigger is better. We're here to argue the opposite for a second.

Every single thing she makes for her family is cooked in cast iron.

And how exactly do you use it?

They're NOT groceries.

It's totally fine to cook tomatoes in a cast iron skillet!

We're not complaining or anything — we just wanna know!

Q: In honor of Earth Day, I was wondering if you could suggest an earth-friendly way to get rid of exhausted kitchen gear. It’s time to get rid of my melted spatula and scratched-up omelet pan but would hate for them to go to a landfill if they can be recycled. Any suggestions?Sent by AmeliaEditor: Amelia, yes, we have definitely sent old plastic cookware out in the recycling bin. Check your local guidelines.

Tempered glass may seem like a great material option for a cutting board — it’s sturdy, treated for thermal shock, and easy to sanitize in the dishwasher or sink. However, there are good reasons why I’ll never go glass when it comes to my cutting surface. Allow me to explain. Wooden cutting boards may take a little bit more maintenance and care than the tempered glass variety, but they’re way more gentle on your knives.

I love my Instant Pot, I really do. Even as a professional chef, getting one in my home kitchen really was a game-changer. Perfectly cooked, no-soak beans every time! Homemade nutrient-dense bone broth in 45 minutes! Fluffy rice! Homemade yogurt! Perfect hard-boiled eggs … for 20 people! The list could go on and on, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I still love my slow cooker, too. Let me tell you why.

"Melt chocolate in double boiler," a recipe will say. Here's what that means ...

Plus: The absolute best ones to buy.

If you want to make pizza at home, you'll need to know what's up.

How many times a month do you find yourself wishing that you had remembered to defrost some meat the night before?

Including which gas grill is best!

Our answer might surprise you!

After you wash it, of course.

It's not just for frosting cakes!

Do not rub it down with olive oil!

Number 5 will take the chore out of chopping and it's 60% off right now!

Spoiler: It's still pretty great! You've gotta see it!

Trust us, you're going to want one.

All you'll need are your ingredients, an ice cube tray, and your Instant Pot.

Bigger isn't always better. Except for when it is.

Which side are you on?

Do you know how to answer this?

For one, Trader Joe's orange chicken NEEDS to be made in an air fryer.

In a post we published earlier this month about must-haves from kitchens around the world, I noticed quite a few comments about electric tea kettles and whether or not they were really better than a stovetop kettle. As someone who has exactly four electric kitchen appliances — a blender, a stand mixer, a coffee grinder, and a brand-new food processor, which I’m still on the fence about — I tend to favor anything that doesn’t require a plug.

So many veggies, but how many of them really want to be noodles? From beets, broccoli stems, and butternut squash to cabbages, carrots, and cucumbers, not to mention parsnips, plantains, potatoes, pears, and of course, zucchini, the answer is nearly everything — as long as you’ve got the skills. Here’s what you need to know to make your vegetable drawer go spiral.

So you’re in the market for a new knife. Or maybe you’re thinking ahead to the holidays when something shiny and sharp will be at the top of your wish list. Whatever the case, whether you’re buying a blade for yourself or hoping someone will gift you one, research is key. Knives don’t come cheap and you want to make your dollars work for you.

When you’re shopping for a new knife, it’s likely that you’ll come across two main types of knives: German and Japanese. There are, of course, many more knives out there besides German knives and Japanese knives. However, it’s safe to say that these two are the most prevalent — and so it’s worth understanding what the differences are.

Why santoku translates to "three virtues."

Carbon steel pans are pretty awesome. They are a mainstay of restaurant kitchens for searing, sautéing, and, of course, frying eggs. “The best endorsement is that every Chinese restaurant kitchen has only carbon steel woks,” notes food writer Grace Young. But carbon steel isn’t just for pans (be it a skillet or a wok or a cassoulet pan) — carbon steel is also for knives.

Raise your hand if you get home from the grocery store, throw your haul in the fridge, and call it a day? We’re guilty of this shove-it-all-in approach, too. And while stocking your fridge migt not seem like rocket science, there are actually quite a few mistakes you’re probably making. Read on to find out what they are and tally it all up when you’re done. What’s your score?

Have you ever tried this?

"The look on her face when her grandson tells her where the skillet came from and how it was restored will fill your cup right up to overflowing."

Nothing lasts forever!

It maybe time to say buh-bye.

"You know those rubber bands that they give you at the grocery store around things like broccoli and asparagus?"

Raise your hand if you've been known to overwater a plant or three?

Check out the past and future of toasters!

Why don't all slow cookers have this feature?

Mad respect to the person who brought their Instant Pot on a ferry.

Before you throw them out, read this.

Are you the proud owner of a new Instant Pot? Here's your new user guide to cooking, cleaning, and everything in between.

Treat it right and it could last close to a lifetime.

Can you guess which "hack" we don't recommend?

Hang around chefs, or read profiles of them, long enough and eventually, you’ll hear one mention how much they love their Gray Kunz spoon. We couldn’t believe how many chefs actually included this spoon in their target="_blank"> J.B. Prince Chef Gray Kunz Sauce SpoonDo you have a Gray Kunz spoon? Do you think it’s worth the hype?

Sure, you can use a big spoon to serve all that ice cream we’re pushing, but if you want pretty, rounded scoops, you’re going to need the right tool. Here are six good options…Above is the aluminum Zeroll scoop, which was created in 1935 and claims to be the original ice cream scooper. The key, according to the company, is a heat-conductive fluid in the handle that warms the ice cream, helps it roll, and eases release.

We wanted to share this deal that came through our email this morning: Amazon’s Deal of the Day is a great buy for the kitchen. They have this 8-Quart Staub Cocotte for only $179.99, which is at least $80 cheaper than anywhere else we’ve seen it.Staub makes a fantastic Dutch oven and at 8 quarts this one should get you through the rest of your winter braising and stew-making needs. It comes in many pretty colors, too; our favorite is the Grenadine above.

Your tongs can do more than flip, grab, move, or poke things!