The moHA! ginger grater has blades that are arranged in all directions for steady grating, as opposed to a one-directional rasp grater. But like with a wand-style rasp grater, moHA!'s cutting surface is made of sharp and durable precision-cut stainless steel. When you rotate the device, an integrated cleaning arm sweeps in a circular motion to scrape shavings off the blade, so all of the grated food ends up in your recipe, not stuck in crevices. A small compartment catches food shavings, for less mess and easier measuring; plus, the concave sides are comfortable to hold and allow you to keep a firm grip on the grater during use. The moHA! Ginger Grater has pieces that detach easily for cleaning, but the device stays together during use. When you're done using it, simply disassemble and toss it in the dishwasher.

This revolutionary butter knife makes cold butter easily spreadable; it is so ingenious that it is sold at the Museum of Modern Art's Design Store—and pretty much nowhere else. A row of small droplet-shaped holes on one side of the blade function as a grater specifically designed for cold butter. Simply run the knife over cold butter to soften and gather it in thin ribbons. ButterUp has a wider blade than other butter knives, which is ideal both for collecting the grated ribbons and spreading butter more evenly. Plus, cleanup is easy since ButterUp is made from dishwasher-safe stainless steel.

Most pepper mills (this model also grinds spices) take forever to grind just one tablespoon. This new design—which we developed with Kuhn Rikon—is easy to use and produces all the spice you can use quickly and easily. Its innovative back-and-forth ratchet action is easier than a twist-style mill, especially for those with hand issues. The precision ceramic grinder is effective and durable, and the front-loading hopper is far easier than top-loading grinders, where half the spices inevitably spill during filling. Perhaps our favorite feature is the removable bottom container, which makes it easy to measure and transport spices to a stovetop pot or mixing bowl.

The Palmpress is an ingenious new device that is essentially a collapsible French press. The durable plastic device looks like an over-sized hockey puck, but unscrew the lid and it pops open to reveal a silicone funnel. Add coarsely ground coffee to the marked line, pour in water that is just shy of boiling, give a stir and wait 4 to 6 minutes before inverting the press over a mug and pressing to extract. The flavor is bright and strong--just the way we like it. Perhaps best of all, clean up is a breeze: just scrape out the grounds and then give it all a rinse. There are no paper filters or pods to dispose of and no fragile parts to disassemble. Note: it produces 1 cup of coffee at a go.

We strongly encourage grinding whole spices fresh for your recipes. Sure, it’s an extra step, but the flavor boost is transformative. That’s why we designed a Ratchet Grinder with Kuhn Rikon and these accompanying stacking spice jars, which snap onto the bottom of the spice mill for less mess and easy storage. These 3-tablespoon containers are just the right size for holding a small amount of spice without letting it go stale. We also love the containers for transporting small amounts of spices and seasonings in our lunch or picnic containers. A desk lunch will never be boring again.

The uniquely designed, compact design of this razor-sharp peeler gives you greater control and agility. It’ll make quick work of prepping most any vegetable and is perfect for cutting ribbons of carrots or curls of Parmesan or chocolate.

The Garlic Slicer Mincer Set from Microplane perfectly marries form and function—with a shape that fits snugly in your hand and two different blades for mincing, grating and slicing notoriously unruly garlic into uniform pieces. Along with an integrated removable scraper and transparent collection chamber, it also features two different blades specially made for slicing and mincing. This tool can tackle three or more cloves at a time efficiently and safely without needing to contend with a heavy chef’s knife, precarious mandolin or even a cutting board, keeping your fingers away from danger (and that ever-lingering garlic odor).

And it’s not just efficient—thanks to Microplane’s thoughtful design, it’s also incredibly user-friendly: Simply attach the chute to your cutting plate of choice, then position both in the clear bottom cup. Add the peeled cloves to the chute and insert the plunger on the top handle into the shoot and then press gently with the lid and slide it back and forth along the cutting plate, watching as expertly-sliced garlic cascades into the cup—ready to be bloomed in butter to toss with pasta or pan-fried into savory garlic chips. When you’re done, use the scraper to sweep your fresh garlic from the cup and into your pan. Thanks to its stainless steel blades, the tool is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup—simply dismantle and toss in the top rack. You won’t have to worry about it’s pieces getting lost in your kitchen drawer either: Nestle the scraper back into the lid and click onto the base with the blades inside to compactly package the parts together.

Designed for steaming food, the Marna Piggy Steamer from Japan is a silicone lid that forms a tight seal over pots and containers, vents excess steam through its snout and is easy to lift by its ear-shaped handles. Use it for perfect stovetop steaming, splatter-free microwave cooking or even refrigerator storage in place of plastic wrap. It's more compact and flexible than metal pot lids and fits any vessel less than 8.5 inches in diameter, with the silicone locking in moisture for effective steaming; smartly designed holes in the pig snout act as vents to avoid built-up pressure. When you're done using it, you can throw the lid in a kitchen drawer for storage without worrying about finding a spot on the shelf.

• Diameter: 8.5 inches
• Materials: Silicone
• Use: Microwave-safe

Our Julienne Pocket Peeler makes it easy to create uniform thin strips. The compact design gives you greater control and agility while peeling and is easy to store. We frequently use this tool to shred vegetables for salads and slaws.

No more scrambling to find the right lid for your pot or pan: Kuhn Rikon's Smart Lid has a stepped edge that fits cookware between 9 and 11 inches in diameter, and the silicone material provides a tight seal. We especially love the ingenious steam valve built into the lid handle, which adapts to a number of cooking methods. You can set it to the off position to seal in moisture (such as for steaming) or set it to automatic, and the lid will release steam as needed—as opposed to the vents on other lids that stay open and might let out too much moisture. The lid’s convenient glass center allows you to keep an eye on cooking food, and the flower-shaped handle makes the lid easier to grip and maneuver.

We found the most effective garlic press on the market. From Australian company Dreamfarm, the Garject is designed for unpeeled garlic cloves so you don't need to get your hands dirty. A spring-loaded button ejects peels out of the device and straight into the trash, while a built-in scraper automatically pushes minced garlic into your dish once you open the press. We love the Garject's streamlined design, and the handles are slightly longer than other models for added leverage and easier pressing. It feels sturdy and balanced in the hand, not flimsy like some garlic presses, and the hopper fits multiple smaller cloves so it's more efficient. With the self-cleaning scraper and peel-eject button, the Garject needs very little additional cleaning—we find a quick rinse to be sufficient. But as an added bonus, it's also completely dishwasher-safe.

DreamFarm Orlids are small glass spice jars with airtight multifunctional lids. Push on the lid’s indented latch, and the top layer of the lid pops up reveals a shaker plate divided into thirds, with three sets of holes in a wide range of sizes for all of your spices. The plate rotates easily to select the appropriate size for the spice inside the jar, and the lid can also be opened completely for scooping spices. We found the lid’s spring mechanism to be very effective, and the jars are especially durable because they’re made of shatter-resistant borosilicate glass. This set of 4 jars is stackable for easy storage; DreamFarm’s product is so cleverly designed that it won a 2020 Red Dot Design Award.

Lightweight and multi-functional, the Primo Digital Scale is the best we've used at such a compact size. Many small kitchen scales are cheaply made, so their weight sensors are unreliable and give different readings depending on how your food is positioned. Escali's product gives consistent, accurate readings, with a two-button operation and straightforward tare function to subtract the weight of your container by resetting the scale to zero. It can handle up to 11 pounds and detect even the slightest weight change, down to a single gram. The buttons have a protective shield against splatter and are easy to clean; plus, the scale automatically shuts off after 4 minutes to conserve battery life.

This box grater features four cutting sides—coarse grate, medium grate, fine grate and slice—all made from etched metal, which increases each blade’s sharpness and durability, and they won’t buckle under pressure. And unlike other brands, which often have a thick frame of metal or plastic between each cutting surface, Cusipro extends each of their grater's cutting surfaces to the edge: more area means easier slicing, quicker grating and less work, so you can tackle soft foods like certain cheeses and sturdy veggies like carrots with ease. Plus, there aren’t any extra nooks and crannies for bits of food to get stuck in, making for easier cleanup. Its ergonomic top handle is coated in comfortable, nonslip rubber, and the grater has a rubberized detachable base that holds it steady, measures volume and collects the gratings. You can simply grate, measure, remove and dump directly into your pan without extra fuss.

<p>It's never too early for children to get comfortable in the kitchen, and French company Opinel's three-piece Le Petit Chef Set has the child-friendly tools you need to teach basic knife and prep skills. The set's miniature kitchen knife has a rounded tip for fewer sharp edges and a finger ring at the base of the blade that teaches proper grip and control. We like that it's a similar width to a standard chef's knife but at a shorter length, so children can learn knife skills with a blade designed for their proportions. For extra security, Opinel's set also features a hand guard, molded in an arc so little ones can get accustomed to tucking their fingertips during prep work. The Y-shaped vegetable peeler in the set also has a finger ring that teaches a more secure grip. Plus, all blades in the Le Petit Chef set have stainless blades that require no maintenance—only adult supervision as your children learn to slice and dice.</p>

Our Serrated Pocket Peeler will easily help you remove smooth or fuzzy skins from tomatoes, peaches and more that would usually require blanching to loosen the skins. We think it’s a necessary tool for making fresh tomato sauces in which the thick skins would otherwise mar a silky texture or a peach cobbler where all we want are chunks of perfectly tender peach.

Most pepper mills (this model also grinds spices) take forever to grind just one tablespoon. Kuhn Rikon's Epicurean Ratchet Grinder is easy to use and produces all the spice you can use quickly and easily. Its innovative back-and-forth ratchet action works more smoothly than a twist-style mill and is especially great for those with hand issues, as it's easier on the wrist. The stainless steel finish looks elegant and blends seamlessly into any kitchen. Simply unscrew the top, fill the grinder with spices, and choose your setting: A knob on the bottom of the device allows you to choose between a coarse or fine grind.

• Net Weight: 10.5 ounces
• Dimensions: Height: 8.5 inches | Diameter: 2.75 inches
• Materials: BPA-free materials
• Use: Do not use for cloves or anise, as they will destroy plastic.
• Care: Grind coarse salt to clean residue and spice aftertaste. Not dishwasher-safe.

A favorite of our Food Editor, Matthew Card, this innovative peeler was developed with smart design elements after testing about 200 other different peelers. Don’t let its visual simplicity fool you—the Ever Peeler is a 2020 Good Design Award winner. The blade is made from 440A stainless steel is normally used for high quality knives, so it stays sharp with daily use and slices through produce with the utmost ease, unlike other flimsy brands. It makes quick work of even the toughest, hard-skinned foods like butternut squash, breaking it down into paper-thin shavings. Plus, it’s eco-friendly, too, featuring replaceable blade inserts that switch out easily. No need to throw away the whole peeler. Its handle also is ergonomically shaped and comes in different shapes for right handed and left handed users, making it comfortable to use no matter what.