Cuisipro Box Grater
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, Cuisipro 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.
moHA! Ginger Grater
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.
Christopher Kimball for Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder
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.
Suncraft Ever Peeler Replacement Blade
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. Find the Ever Peeler here. This is just the replacement blade.
Zulay Kitchen Metal Manual Citrus Press Juicer
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.
Otoshibuta Adjustable Stainless Steel Drop Lid
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.
JF Foldable Potato Masher
Standard potato mashers are often too bulky and always end up crammed in our kitchen drawers, but this one folds flat so it doesn’t take up nearly any space! The oval-shaped blade grid make quick work of even the most unruly spuds and even other types of food. It’s constructed from sturdy stainless steel, so it will hold up to frequent use, and the silicone-coated, ergonomic handle makes it easy to use. Plus, the masher end is edged in silicone to protect the surface of your pot or pan while using the tool.
Crookedwood Hand-Sculpted Muddler
We found these cocktail muddlers from an artisan in Wisconsin, who individually sculpts each by hand to ensure a high-quality and unique product. The detailed contours of the handle make the muddler not only comfortable and easy to use but also beautiful for displaying on a bar cart. Crookedwood uses dense, lustrous hardwoods that are both attractive and durable.
Aux Co. Ltd. Oroshi Spoon
Made in Japan, this unique tool is designed to grate and zest easily without clogging up, thanks to its sharp blades set at a 60-degree angle. It cuts through ginger and other tougher foods well, while preventing waste thanks to its spoon shape. Simply grate directly onto the spoon and use it to stir your ingredient directly into whatever you’re making—the solid bottom also ensures all of the gratings are kept on the spoon. And the angle of the blades make it easy to clean.
Dreamfarm Brizzle Basting Brush
This ingenious silicone tool won a Good Design Award because it makes basting with pan juices, drizzling oil or brushing egg wash much easier, more efficient and less messy. The flexible brush head of the Brizzle by Dreamfarm includes a cup that bends to scoop up 1 tablespoon of liquid—the equivalent of 15 dips of a regular basting brush—from hard-to-reach corners without having to tilt a heavy baking dish or tray. Four holes hidden among the 100 bristles let the liquid drizzle through, making it easy to spread quickly over the surface. And a weighted curved handle keeps the brush head off the counter so it creates less mess. We especially love using it to baste pastries with melted butter or egg wash or to apply a thin layer of barbecue sauce to grilled meats. It’s also nonstick, won’t trap bacteria, dishwasher safe and heat resistant to 500°F. Choose from red or black to complement your kitchen decor.
Original Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop #1016
We’ve never scooped ice cream so easily! Made from sturdy aluminum alloy, this scooper is made to give you a lifetime of sundaes. It won’t bend or flake like plastic versions will and it’s also a single piece of material, with no tiny springs or mechanical parts that could get lost or broken. The Zeroll is resistant to corrosion, too. It does a great job at digging into even dense, high-fat ice creams like Häagen-Dazs easily thanks to its unique heat-conducting handle—which is also comfortable to hold. It’s filled with a special fluid that transfers your hand’s warmth to the dish of the scooper, so you can slide through the ice cream without having to heat the scoop beforehand. And not only does the Zeroll easily release your ice cream, but it makes stunning scoops every time. Its bowl allows the thick ribbon of ice cream to curl under itself using one or multiple passes (depending on your desired size), so it forms a perfect sphere. The Zeroll also doesn’t compress the ice cream like others can, so the texture is fluffy and the scoop is 20% larger than a typical one formed from a lesser scooper.
Aux Co. Ltd. Mizukiri Ladle
Typical colanders can be too large and unwieldy for quick draining jobs. That’s why we keep this ladle close by. Made in Japan, it’s ideal for draining small amounts of pasta, boiled/blanched veggies and any other application where you need to drain foods out of liquid. Simply scoop and tilt the ladle back to allow liquid to drain through the slots. Plus, it’s compact enough to be used for tableside serving.
KüchenProfi 3 Piece Set Pastry Baking Scraper Set
This compact set includes three bench scrapers to take care of every type of task: A dough cutter—which features a sharp stainless steel blade that’ll slice through even the stickiest doughs—a sturdy plastic spreader for making smooth layers of cake frosting or transporting ingredients from cutting board to bowl and a soft rounded scraper that’s perfect for sneaking into nooks and crannies. The stainless steel blade of the dough cutter is precise not only in its slicing, but also in its portioning—the ruler markings etched along the blade help cut uniform dinner rolls and more. The spreader has a beveled edge that can sneak cleanly under any ingredient, while the curved scraper boasts a sturdy yet flexible construction that easily wipes the sides of a bowl clean. Plus, each has an ergonomic handle and incredibly sturdy construction—even the smallest silicone scraper has a stainless steel core. Plus, they tuck together seamlessly for easy kitchen storage.
Offset Bakery Spatula
Offset spatulas are known for their ability to easily slide under baked goods without crumbling them, but this one works even better since it has a unique beveled tip. The slight upturn allows you to use the spatula tip almost like a lever, prying up stuck-on cookies and the like with ease. And despite being made from sturdy stainless steel, the spatula blade is still quite flexible and won’t mangle even the most delicate treats like lacey-edged cookies and meringues. Measurements along the side of the spatula ensure accuracy as you bake—whether you’re seeking to made even widths of dough lattice for a pie or consistently sized cuts of cake or brownie. Thanks to the ergonomically-shaped handle, this spatula is a joy to use. You won’t strain your hand if you’re frosting cupcakes en masse or slicing and scooping out multiple brownie trays. Plus, the angle at which the handle is set is positioned just right for you to keep your fingers out of the frosting.
HIC Kitchen Stainless Steel Double Mesh Strainer
We like this durable 4-inch double mesh strainer from HIC because it will stay put. The two handles, a long hooked one and a short notch on the other side, are long enough to allow it to rest securely on the edge of pots, pans, mixing bowls and containers so our hands are free to measure and pour. The hooked end for is also good for hanging. This must-have kitchen tool is ideal for sifting, draining, straining and sieving foods and beverages. Use it to remove lumps, seeds, skins and other fibrous items for velvety smooth sauces and soups. It also can be used to rinse legumes, rice and grains before cooking and can catch seeds and pulp when juicing fresh citrus. And it doubles nicely as a sifter.
triangle Tools Cheese Grater
This cheese grater comes from triangle Tools’ Soul line, a series of high-quality kitchen tools developed for design lovers and gourmands alike. The grater comes with super-sharp teeth designed with a photo-etching process, a method that involves using photosensitive film and an acid bath to precisely dissolve a stainless steel sheet to produce the teeth, which behave like knives rather than simply ripping up food. The grater’s handle is made from smooth cherry, plum or walnut wood sourced from local orchards and forests; the handles are carved in nearby Sauerland before being fitted with the stainless steel grate in Solingen—a region of Germany famous for knives, kitchen tools and flatware—with renewably sourced electricity. This grater comes in a reusable gift box, ideal for last-minute gifting or (spoiling the chef in your life).
Dreamfarm BBQ Brizzle
This barbecue-friendly basting brush is a larger version of Dreamfarm’s Good Design Award-winning Brizzle, the ingenious silicone tool that makes basting easier, more efficient and less messy. The BBQ Brizzle retains the flexible brush head of the original, which bends to scoop up liquid from hard-to-reach corners of bowls or pans to make it easy to spread thick barbecue sauce or glaze over your grilling meat. A weighted curved handle—longer than the original to keep hands a safe distance from the fire—keeps the brush head off the counter (a boon for avoiding both messes and cross-contamination). It’s also nonstick, won’t trap bacteria, dishwasher-safe and heat resistant to 500°F.
triangle Tools Reibe 2-way Grater with Catcher
We found it: the grater that won’t make a mess and works twice as fast. A 2-in-1 “catcher” clips under the grate to capture and redirect errant shavings; to protect the grating surface, simply clip the catcher on top of the grater to guard blades (and fingers) when the grater is stored. The Reibe has an ultrasharp grate with medium holes designed to deliver a coarse shaving, perfect for grating vegetables for salads. And blades are arranged to cut foods in two directions, speeding prep time. These stainless steel graters come with nonslip nubs and a notch at the base to ensure a secure hold on cutting boards and bowls.