For everything, there is a season. Gone are the days of late and lazy al fresco meals on the patio. As snow starts falling and the temperature drops, things start heating up in the kitchen. So whether you’re making Christmas dinner for a crowd, chili for the big game or a casserole for supper, here are some new tools that will make your cooking more efficient—and fun!
Talk Turkey
You don’t need a precision baster every day, but it’s a valuable tool to have on hand for the holiday meal. The 3-in-1 Cuisipro Baster ($23) has a brush that helps you coat food evenly, while the shower head lets you quickly baste to ensure your turkey cooks up moist and golden brown.
Cheese Please
Grating fresh cheese is super easy with the Microplane Cube Grater ($20), which resembles a Rubik’s Cube. The box has three different grating blades, and the protective cover keeps your hands safe while collecting the food you’re grating. The cover also doubles as a measuring cup.
Slice of Heaven
Making potatoes au gratin for Thanksgiving? Cutting all those veggies can be tedious, especially if you care about consistency. If you don’t already have one, invest in a hand-held mandoline. The OXO V-Blade Mandoline ($40) cuts your veggies quickly and easily, plus the food holder protects your hand so you won’t cut yourself.
Berry Picking
I laughed when I first saw my sister-in-law using the OXO Strawberry Huller ($8), but the joke’s on me! Now I own one and let my 6-year-old daughter prepare the strawberries. This adorable and safe tool speeds up the tedious task of removing strawberry stems. How did we ever do without?!
Simpler Smoothies
Mango is a favorite smoothie ingredient, but cutting them up is a chore. Not with the Rube Goldberg-like Good Grips Mango Splitter ($14), which removes the pit and slices the fruit in half in one simple movement. All the juicy fruit without the mess—genius!
Oodles of Noodles
Love pasta but not the carbs? Say buongiorno to a new way to make your Italian favorites. Spiralizers are the trendy way to eat your veggies and have fun doing it. This simple Microplane Spiral Cutter ($15) makes noodles out of just about anything: carrots, zucchini, cucumbers or squash. Try lightly blanched or sautéed zucchini noodles with your favorite pesto for a holiday side-dish twist.
