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.

For most types of tofu, pressing it to extract excess liquid is key to maintaining its shape when cooked and to helping it get crispy and brown every time. The Tofudee Tofu Press excels at this—and does it in about half the time while making less mess. No more wrapping tofu in paper towels, weighing it down, straining and draining. Instead, with the Tofudee, tofu is placed in a plastic box with an inner plastic liner with holes on the bottom. The top presses down with the turn of a screw handle, squeezing the tofu while water is drawn away from the block. Tofu is ready to use 15 minutes later and good for up to 24 hours stored in the refrigerator. We love the nonslip silicone handle, tension-absorbent legs and easy-latch lid; together they make easy work of pressing and straining your tofu. It’s also great for making fresh cheeses, like labneh or paneer.

This two-in-one manual juicer is the top choice of our kitchen team. Its lever-style design is much easier on the hands than a typical reamer style, which requires difficult pressing and twisting, and it’s more efficient than other similar juicers, which require you to buy and store multiple to get every size you need. Made from durable, industrial-grade aluminum, the Zulay’s unique dual-cup design can easily accommodate both lemons and limes. It also inverts the citrus as it juices, accessing spots inside the fruit that other juicers can’t quite reach and catching large pulp pieces and stray seeds along the way. Plus, it directs the juice stream downward, so no more splatter on countertops and clothing.

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.

A good splatter screen will protect your kitchen, arms and clothes from hot splattering oil while frying, but most trap steam that prevents crisping and cover the contents of your pan to the point it’s harder to see your food’s progress. Aux Co. Ltd’s Mesh Cover Splatter Screen solves these problems, both eliminating dangerous splattering from foods like bacon, while also allowing you to see inside your pan thanks to non-reflective material. It’s constructed from durable stainless steel—unlike other splatter screens made from flimsy plastic—plus, extra-fine mesh, which stops popping oil and allows steam to escape to ensure crispy results. And the mesh is non-stick, so it’s easy to clean. We love that it’s made in Japan’s Tsubame-Sanjo, an area renowned for its superior metal craftsmanship and expertise, so we trust it will be long lasting and stand up to grease and heat.

This Good Design Award-winning gadget does double duty as both a colander and a salad spinner, so you won’t waste space storing both in your kitchen! Here’s how it works: This tool begins as a colander with a long handle. With a twist of the wrist, the handle is able to be lifted over the top of the colander bowl, snapped into place and now it’s ready to spin. It features a suction cup on the bottom that keeps the Spina sturdy in your sink basin (which is where you should use this, not your counter!) and high, slightly inwardly curved walls that keep food in the bowl without contending with a bulky lid. When you’re done, the handle can even fold back inside the bowl, so it won’t take up any more room than a standard colander and can nestle neatly into your existing mixing bowls.

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.

Escali’s DH7 Infrared Thermometer is one of the best dual-purpose thermometers we’ve tested, with an ergonomic design and extra-long probe for quicker, more accurate measurements. Developed to switch seamlessly between infrared and probe mode, it can take surface temperatures up to 700℉ degrees Fahrenheit and measure internal temperatures up to 570℉. The infrared is perfect for gauging the heat of a grill or getting an accurate read on oil, and the probe helps cook anything from meat to caramel with restaurant-level precision.

In Japan, cooks have a clever tool for ensuring that simmering foods stay below the liquid instead of bobbing along the surface. They use an otoshibuta, or drop lid. Though drop lids are traditionally made of wood, we like this new and adjustable stainless steel version, designed to fit a variety of pot sizes. It also doesn’t absorb flavors the way wood can. To use, simply set the otoshibuta over food in simmering liquid, which weighs those items down just enough to keep them below the surface. The drop lid also forces liquid to circulate (so food is evenly covered with no stirring required), holds ingredients in place to prevent breakage and promotes faster cooking. We like to use them when blanching kale or chard, which can puff above boiling water, or when simmering black-eyed peas, lentils and other legumes to keep them fully submerged.

Temperature is key when cooking, which is why an accurate thermometer is so important in the kitchen. Escali’s DH1 Thermometer is one of the best we’ve used, with an ergonomic design and extra-long probe for better accuracy. Developed with a smooth comfort-grip handle and a protective stainless steel probe sheath, you can cook poultry, pork, beef, lamb and veal with restaurant-level precision. Plus, the probe sheath also features a temperature guide, so you’ll have every target temperature right at your fingertips.

Better baking begins with weighing, not measuring, ingredients, and the Escali 136DK Alimento Scale is the best we’ve found for the task. Many kitchen scales are cheaply made, so their weight sensors are unreliable, but Escali's scale gives consistent, accurate readings. Lightweight yet sturdy, it's designed with an easy to clean, removable stainless steel platform so you can read the weight without a bowl blocking it. A sealed control panel prevents food from getting inside during inevitable spills, and a straightforward tare function allows you measure multiple items quickly. Combined with an easy to read, backlit display, these features make the Escali the best in class. While most scales only handle up to 11 pounds, Escali's manages up to 13 pounds for larger baking projects and detects even the slightest weight change, down to 0.1 ounces or 1 gram. Plus, it automatically shuts off after 10 minutes to preserve battery life.

Eva Solo's Nordic Kitchen series combines elegance, minimalism and practicality in this chic take on the classic egg timer. The solid oak knob feels sturdy and comfortable in the hand, and the numbers are a good size and easily legible. A non-slip rubber base keeps the timer in place on your countertop. To use, simply turn the top around to 60 and then back to the desired time.