Suncraft Silicone Spatula
Most spatulas are either too soft or too firm—rendering them useless for doing two tasks at the same time, like mixing dough then flexing to scrape the edge of the bowl—or come in two pieces that become home to grime between uses. Thankfully, Suncraft’s Silicone Spatulas solve both of these problems. The Small Silicone Spatula features both a hard stainless steel core and a flexible soft side, so you can use the same tool for as many jobs as needed. Try it for anything from mixing small amounts of ingredients and melting chocolate to scraping out small jam jars.
The Large model has the same strong, stainless steel spine that creates a hard, squared-off tip, plus the silicone exterior that creates a flexible soft edge, so you can use the same tool for as many jobs as needed. It’s perfect for anything from scraping up the remnants of batter from a bowl cleanly and kneading hard butter.
Exclusive to Milk Street, the stainless steel core of these spatulas undergoes the same hardening process as a knife, making it ultra-durable to avoid bending. Equally as durable is the black silicone material itself, which is made extra firm to stand up to the inner core so it won’t rip through. The square silicone handle also offers complete comfort with just the right amount of softness to help maneuver easily. Heat-resistant up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit, use the spatulas while frying or handling hot sugar, then simply stick them in the dishwasher when you’re done.
Maalouf Authentic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Stone-milled exclusively from a single grove of small, slender Souri olives grown in North Lebanon, Maalouf's early-harvest oil possesses a potent green-yellow color and a buttery, rich flavor with hints of green apple and artichoke. It has a subtle peppery kick and addictively long, nutty finish. This is truly an all-purpose, extra-virgin olive oil without the overpowering bitterness that mars many other brands. We have a very limited inventory of this small-batch oil; once we're sold out, we can't get more until next year's olive harvest.
Milk Street Közmatik
When a recipe calls for charring vegetables, what do you do? Well, you can fire up the grill but that is a lot of work for just one eggplant or two bell peppers. In Turkey, however, they have a better solution called the Közmatik, a metal disk that fits perfectly over the burner of a gas stove. Evenly spaced holes allow heat to circulate around the vegetables, so you are truly roasting, rather than searing as you would on a skillet. The holes are close enough to hold even small veggies, like slender spring onions, and the disk is large enough to keep several bulbous eggplants from rolling off. It’s also less messy than charring directly on the burner: The Közmatik catches nearly all of the bits of charred vegetable skin and juices that would leak onto the surface of the stove. And, once cooled, it can be thrown in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
Milk Street Nakiri
What if we told you there is a Japanese knife specifically designed for vegetable prep that will make your cooking safer, easier and faster? It is vastly better than the all-purpose European chef’s knife, which is clunky, heavy and too thick to precisely slice and dice onions, cut carrots into perfect coins or reduce chard into feathery ribbons. The solution is the Milk Street Nakiri. It’s light, thin and sharp, with a design that resembles a mini cleaver—2 inches deep with a squared-off tip. A very thin blade, just 1.6 millimeters at the top, tapers down even thinner toward the end so it slices through even tough ingredients effortlessly without bending. The broad blade shields your fingers when you chop and works as a bench scraper to transfer chopped veggies to the simmering pot. With the help of veteran industrial designer David Lewin, we added a few special touches. The blade is embossed with a nonstick file pattern that replicates the kourochi (blacksmith) or tshuchime (pear skin) finish to traditional nakiris, so sliced ingredients fall right off. A gentle curve accommodates fingers when choking up tight for control, and the handle has been designed to provide a nonslip grip.
Milk Street Julienne Peeler
Shredding vegetables into a fine julienne turns tough vegetables tender and opens up their flavor. However, it usually requires the hassle of hauling out the food processor—and finding the shredding attachments, or using a box grater, which will tear at your knuckles if you’re not paying keen attention. Or, you can try your luck with any number of the cheap, gimmicky shredders on the market, which dull quickly and buckle under use.
The Milk Street Julienne Peeler makes shredding vegetables easy, safe and effective. We married our confidence-inspiring, ergonomic 304 stainless steel handle to a razor-sharp, 16-tooth julienne blade for a lifetime tool. Shred your way through soft and hard vegetables alike for salads, slaws, hash browns and more. And when the blade eventually wears out, its easily replaceable with the turn of the screw.
Suncraft 5.5-inch Serrated Everything Knife
Featured in the New York Times Front Burner - with three unique blade edges, this compact version of the popular Seseragi bread knife from Suncraft combines the function of two knives in one—slicing through everything from delicate fruit to sturdy loaves with ease. The blade is 5.5 inches, perfect for smaller tasks that larger serrated knives are too clunky for, like slicing through bagels, tomatoes, pastries and salumi. The knife’s unique “wavy” serrations, with two different sized teeth, slice cleanly through everything: the larger waves make easy work of crunchy, rustic outer crusts, while the tighter, smaller teeth slip through the inner crumb (or delicate foods like soft sandwich breads or juicy fruit). The knife features a small length of straight blade at the tip to slice through stubborn areas, like a bit of bread crust or melon rind that just needs one last pass to break through. Plus, the handle is specifically designed for a comfortable grip, with a slight curve to it so it fills the palm. And the blade comes with a handy plastic sheath for safe storage, so it protects the tip and your hands when reaching into a cluttered drawer.
Fundodai "Clear" Soy Sauce
Salty, rich soy flavor that’s completely clear in color? From the masters at Fundodai, this clear shoyu made in Japan was inspired by clear colas and non-alcoholic beers, quickly gaining international attention for its unique attributes. Just as full of complex flavor as a typical dark soy sauce, this shoyu is ideal for incorporating into dishes without altering the color like traditional soy would. Transparent or “invisible,” the clear salinity is matched with sweet boozy notes, a bit of tang and tons of umami. Use it anywhere you would soy sauce, especially in dishes in which you’d prefer to avoid a color change. We especially like it to season a lightly colored soup, raw or cooked fish or a fresh pot of rice.
Suncraft 9-inch Seseragi Bread Knife
With three unique blade edges, this smartly-designed serrated knife combines the function of two knives in one—slicing through any and all loaves with ease. The blade is 9 inches, so long enough to cut the largest loaf cleanly without sawing back and forth. And the tapered blade features a gently curved belly to facilitate clean slicing. A 2-inch section of wide wave serrations located closer to the tip of the knife dives in and saws through a crunchy, rustic outer crust, while the smaller teeth cleanly slice through the inner crumb. It’s also ideal for delicate foods like soft sandwich breads and juicy tomatoes. The knife features a small length of straight blade at the tip to pierce through tough crusts, tomato skins or melon rinds. Plus, the handle is specifically designed for a comfortable grip, with a slight curve to it.
Woon Kitchen Stir Fry Sauce
Packed full of savory, umami flavor, Woon Kitchen’s Stir Fry Sauce is a quick and satisfying addition to noodles, vegetables, rice, meat and more. Based in LA, the mother and son duo behind the company began selling Chinese comfort dishes at a pop-up restaurant. Immensely popular today, Woon Kitchen now has a brick-and-mortar location where they sell the same comfort food and some of the ingredients that make it—including their stir-fry sauce. Packaged in an easy-to-squeeze bottle, perfect for controlling your drizzle, this sauce combines a punch of oyster sauce and the funk of mushrooms, balanced out by a hit of sugar and salty soy sauce. It coats udon noodles and vegetables evenly, or makes a fantastic marinade for grilled meats.
Milk Street Cast Iron Grill Plate with Detachable Handle
Here at Milk Street, we’re big proponents of cooking with cast iron to get a good sear on food—which is why we designed our Cast Iron Sizzling Plate. The thin yet sturdy construction heats up quickly—over any burner or grill—and holds its heat well. The cast iron surface, when taken care of, prevents foodstuffs from sticking, so you can get an excellent sear on scallops, fish, jumbo shrimp, chicken, pork, steak, vegetables and more. With its sturdy birch wood base and detachable handle, the griddle can also easily be brought to the table and used as much as a hot plate as a cooking pan. Heat it in the oven and fill it with appetizers like warm, spiced nuts or baked feta drizzled with fruity olive oil, herbs and pepper flakes. Or use it to serve sizzling fajitas or stir-fried noodles. Plus, the ingenious handle removes easily for serving and storage.
Trunas 'One Tablet' Ground Ginger
Fresh ginger brings the flavor, but at what cost? It’s a pain to peel, is stringy and takes time to chop. Enter Trunas One Tablet Ground Ginger, the freeze-dried version of minced ginger that actually maintains the potent taste, scent and color in a single cube. With zero additives or chemicals, and unlike grocery store renditions that are murky in flavor and slimy when they defrost, Trunas requires only a few drops of water to rehydrate and resemble freshly minced ginger. Quicker, more convenient and easy to store (no freezer required), use these tablets in soups, stews, noodles, marinades, sauces and anywhere else you’d need freshly minced ginger. Each bag contains about 20-25 tablets.
Trunas 'One Tablet' Chopped Garlic
Minced garlic brings the flavor, but at what cost? It stinks up your cutting board, is sticky and takes time to chop. Enter Trunas One Tablet Chopped Garlic, the freeze-dried version of minced garlic that actually maintains the potent taste, scent and color in a single cube. With zero additives or chemicals, and unlike grocery store renditions that are murky in flavor and slimy when they defrost, Trunas requires only a few drops of water to rehydrate and resemble freshly minced garlic. Quicker, more convenient and easy to store (no freezer required), use these tablets in soups, stews, noodles, marinades, sauces and anywhere else you’d need freshly minced garlic. Each bag contains about 20-25 tablets.
Graza Co. Squeeze "Drizzle" and "Sizzle" Olive Oil Set
Enjoy the best of both worlds with Graza’s “Drizzle & Sizzle” combo pack of extra-virgin olive oils. Grown and made in Jaen, Spain, the country where about half the world’s olive oil is produced, Graza uses 100% picual olives for both their blends of extra virgin olive oil. Use “Drizzle” for finishing, made from olives harvested by hand in October when they are still young, green and not fully ripe. The younger olives make an olive oil that is full of attitude, grassy and peppery, with a spicy zip that finishes a dish beautifully. “Sizzle” is for everyday cooking, made from picual olives harvested in December and January, when they are more mature and juicy. Once pressed, “Sizzle” is a bit more mellow and milder in flavor—though still with a grassy, peppery bite—perfect for roasting, searing, poaching, pan frying, baking and marinating. Both versions also come packaged in an easy to use squeeze bottle, so you can emulate exactly what chefs do in restaurants.
Villa Jerada Saffron
A few threads can go a long way of this incredible organic saffron harvested from the Moroccan city of Taliouine, high in the country’s Atlas Mountains. While most saffron is cultivated in the Middle-East, with much of the world’s production coming from Iran, but there’s something so special about Moroccan saffron. It tastes of hay, honey and hibiscus flower, with a lovely aroma that hits you the second you open the jar. Inferior saffron threads are often dry and brittle and crushed to bits by the time you crack open the jar (a sign of lacking freshness) but these are fully intact and look like delicate threads of rich crimson. It’s even placed judiciously in the tin in such a way that prevents breakage. Plus, it’s pure saffron with no fillers—some less quality versions are bulked up with dyed corn silks. Moroccan saffron is some of the most fragrant available—a sweet aroma of honey with a pleasant bitterness. It’s remarkably potent, rich, heady and unmistakably saffron.
Kimchi Toasted Sesame Seeds - (Set of 2)
Adding a punch of flavor and texture, these toasted Japanese sesame seeds are the definition of “good things come in small packages.” Available in a set of two, this Kimchi-flavored crunchy topping far surpasses your standard sesame seed. Tangy, garlicky and sweet, it pairs well with the warm, gentle nuttiness of sesame. Add them just about anywhere, from sauces and oils to stir-fries, salads, noodles, veggies and meat. You may even find yourself popping a handful on their own—we certainly have.
Topfi Pot Lid Holder
Most home cooks can relate to the annoyance of scrambling to find some counter space to put down a pot lid, all while dripping liquid all over your floors and counters. But with a bit of German engineering, this problem is solved. Topfi’s Lid Holder, made of pure stainless steel, attaches to virtually any pot to provide a convenient and sturdy spot to store your lid when not in use. Small but mighty, it was a hit during testing with everyone in our kitchen. It’ll keep your surfaces clean, is dishwasher safe and, once you put the lid back on, it doubles as an easy way to allow some steam to escape from your pot. Plus, it has attached silicone tips to protect your pot from damage. It may just become the most used tool in your kitchen!
Aux Co. Ltd. Gassiri Tongs
Though upon first glance Aux Co. Ltd’s Gassiri Tongs seem just like any other pair, our kitchen team was blown away after testing them. The rounded shape makes it easy to pick up spherical items like meatballs, eggs or potatoes that may run away using a normal pair of tongs. But the sides of these tongs are what really set them apart—one is designed with slits and the other with a scoop that can hold about a tablespoon of liquid. Use the slotted side to strain out unwanted liquid, like when rendering bacon, or use the scoop side to add pasta water to your sauce. Sturdy stainless steel construction—complete with a sufficient handle length—also makes these tongs strong and safe so you can pick up heavy, hot ingredients without any problems. However, they can still be used delicately—they work just as well picking up a strand of spaghetti or a soft boiled egg.
Kyuemon Awase Dashi-Powdered Soup Stock
Savory, briny and packed with complexity, Kyuemon’s Awase Dashi Powdered Soup Stock is a perfect marriage between sweet and smoky flavor. Naturally made with just four ingredients—a rarity amongst other brands that contain artificial flavoring, preservatives and salt—this blend combines only dried bonito flakes from Kagoshima, dried sardines from Nagasaki, Japanese shiitake mushrooms and kelp from Hokkaido. One small seasoning sachet is all you need to create a clear, traditional Japanese dashi stock or use it to flavor stews, soups, simmered vegetables, pasta and more. We even like the powder on its own as a topping for rice and noodles or mixed into dumpling filling and soy sauce.
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