Here are five items that have made life just that little bit easier in our kitchen…
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We found this stainless steel fat separator at Chefs’ Warehouse recently, and it works brilliantly. After roasting a cut of meat, we pour the pan juices into the jug and allow them to settle. The stock will sink and the fat will float, allowing the former to be poured off through the small hole at the bottom. Best of all, it’s stainless steel, which means it can go straight into the dishwasher…
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Another Chefs’ Warehouse find is this coarse sieve, which has made sifting clumpy ingredients such as almond meal and icing sugar a breeze. For some reason, most sieves these days are superfine, which makes sifting a laborious and often avoided process. My cakes and frostings are far less lumpy these days…
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This little plate whisk was a gift from a friend – it’s perfect for whisking eggs in a flat dish for French toast, or stirring a small container of sourdough starter…
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I resisted buying these for ages – after all, who wants to pay money for a cake tester when a toothpick will do? But in the end, driven by guilt over the number of wooden skewers that would invariably go to waste whenever a cake was baked, I spent the $3 to buy these, and have used them ever since. They actually work much better than a wooden skewer, as they don’t splinter or leave large holes in the cake…
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And finally, I know I’ve waxed lyrical about these on numerous occasions before, but my welding gloves are in use almost daily as oven gloves. They really are the best thing – the length provides cover to my wrists and forearms, and they’re perfect for pulling hot pans or loaves of bread out of the oven.
The gloves afford a good grip (as opposed to silicone mitts) and they’re pretty cheap to buy at most hardware stores. They’re not waterproof and they do get hot with extended use, but they once saved me from burning down the kitchen, so I’m a complete convert. Here are my previous posts on them:
I’ve never tried to clean them, but my friend Anna in Paris used hers to manhandle a roast turkey, and then popped them into the washing machine. She insists they were completely fine…
I bought several pairs in a bright orange colour and sewed bespoke (in this case, homemade) hanging loops onto them…
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Have any little kitchen things made a difference to your cooking?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I bought myself a pair of those welding gloves and love them. They are great for a quick transfer from the oven to a rack and that is all I want most times. No fancy hanging loops on mine- but I love them anyway.
I also love cheesecloth for straining soup stock and squeezing citrus to keep the seeds from falling into the batter, etc.
And I have ice cream scoops in several sizes that I use for measuring out everything from cookie dough and meatballs to delivering the correct amount of batter into muffin and cupcake tins.
Heidi, cheesecloth or muslin is something I’ve never used – do you buy it by the yard, or it is a kitchen shop purchase? And do you wash and reuse it? I only ask because it always seems so flimsy, and I wonder if it would fall/fray apart on washing? The stuff I’ve found here at the fabric store always had an odd smell to it, and the thought of having to wash it before using seemed like too much hard work. Would love to know more…thanks.. xx
I do buy it by the yard in a fabric shop. The cheesecloth in cookery stores is usually too loosely woven and doesn’t stand for much use. But the stuff from the fabric store can be washed over and over after use- not sure about the smell you noticed- I bought 6 yards to cover a blueberry bush and keep the birds from eating all the fruit before I could get to it- then the bush died and I cut up the cheesecloth into usable lengths and used it for all sorts of kitchen tasks. It is great to use for an herb bag in soups and sauces, too.
I think I have a largish square around somewhere that I have never used. I’ll send it to you and you can give it a try!
I love that flat whisk and what a great idea those welding gloves are.. and your cute little tags sewn in:) I have work gloves that are reserved for shucking oysters and I had wondered if they could go in the washing machine.. I’ll have to give it a try. I think the key is to not use the dryer? xo Smidge
Smidge, I definitely think the dryer is out, but Anna has left a comment below and said she’s now washed her welding gloves twice in the machine on a delicate 40C cycle. The welding gloves are thick leather, lined with cotton (I think) on the inside.
I want all of those things!
They certainly do make my life easier, Deb.. :)
Celia, I have a similar fat separator, but it’s made of plastic – still, it works well, I love the hole at the bottom, and have been using it more often than I imagined!
now, would you believe that Sally, the anti-cake-baker, bought a Bundt cake tester with a temperature probe at the end? It is supposed to turn black when the cake is done. Considering how often I bake a bundt cake, it is amazing I brought it home. But it was cheap, and I am weak. Dangerous combo…
;-)
Loved your gloves – we have some mighty ones in the lab to maneuver the autoclave, maybe I should take a pair home ….
Sally, you should definitely bring a pair of gloves home! :) We used to have a plastic fat separator, but it didn’t survive the dishwasher particularly well, and it had a lid that snapped in and out that didn’t fit after a while, and really, it was just too fussy. The stainless one is much smaller, but just so much simpler. :)
Hey, we have matching welding gloves! My hubby bought them for my birthday two years ago, and I love them. :) That fat separator seems like a life-saver; that is one of my most despised kitchen tasks. I love reading about kitchen tools that others love…..
Abby, snap on the gloves! :) I hope you track a fat separator down, it works really well (although it isn’t huge, but it’s almost always enough for a complete roast).
I sell welding gloves and have never thought to bring a pair home! I have the same whisk and it’s been one of my best buys :)
Tandy, you sell welding gloves? There’s a whole world of home bakers to market them to! :) My little whisk has seen action every week since I was given it!
I have a little colander for canned items that I use quite a bit. Knives can never have too many and many options in the kitchen as well as cutting boards. Thanks for sharing:)
I’m trying to be restrained about knife buying, because I have good ones and they seem to last forever (darn it). :)
Hi Celia, love the fat separator, I used to sell cookware when I co-owned the cookware store, but hadn’t seen a stainless steel one! We had white ceramic and plastic ones. I think I will look for one of the ss ones, I could certainly put it to good use! We used to sell hundreds of the little cake testers. I might have one or two in my drawer somewhere, they are good in that they leave only a tiny hole.
For me, the Titan peeler also Cuisipro potato masher seen at the bottom of this post http://www.bizzylizzysgoodthings.com/good-things.html are favourites. Though I have numerous good gadgets!
Great post, as always!
Lizzy, I’ve found one peeler that I really like, a very plain German one, but it’s now wearing out, and I’ll be buggered if I can find a replacement. The quest for peelers in a bit ongoing at our place. A ceramic fat separator would be very nice, I think, so long as it was dishwasher proof!
Welder’s gloves are such a good idea. I love it when you find something that’s perfect for the job, even if it wasn’t originally intended for that. I can’t think of anything particularly special in my kitchen, but good handcream so that I can keep washing up and therefore baking is a must!
C, the welding gloves are perfect for baking – I was perpetually burning my wrists and forearms on the racks of the oven (I’m abysmally klutzy). They do end up grotty after a while though, but they’re cheap so I just replace them. I think I will try Anna’s idea of washing them.. :)
I love your gadgets, anything that makes cooking easier is a good thing! The gloves are so brilliant, I used to get so many burns on my wrists before you sent me some, you sweet thing you :)
One of my handiest little gadgets is a strawberry huller. Its perfect for coring tomatoes quickly and neatly, much faster than using a paring knife. The only problem is that its shaped like a big fat strawberry and the other chefs make fun of me :( until they see it in action that is! :)
Becca, I can’t imagine anyone making fun of you and getting away with it! What is it again that your little spoon says? ;-)
I’m so glad you’ve found the gloves useful! xx
thanks celia for letting us ‘inspect your gadgets’..:)
this is not a gadgety story but i have 3 types of towels in use in my kitchen and each of them is strictly used for their designated purpose..before i came up with this state of the art system :) i (a) was never sure if the tea towels were clean so i used even more than i use now..(b) burned myself on damp tea or hand towels.. so i now have (1) tea towels for drying dishes..(2) white terry towelling cloths (i bought nappies cause they’re cheaper than hand towels) for hand drying and (3) smaller coloured towels for handling hot things..not rocket science but it works for me..:)
Jane, that’s a great system! We end up washing tea towels daily because we can’t remember what’s been used to polish apples and what’s been used to wipe the bench.. ;-)
Welding gloves? Celia you are a genius. What a great idea. I’m so often burning myself in the kitchen I think my hands are getting immune to it. A pair of these just might save me.
I have exactly the same cake testers. They’re fantastic. Just a little tip, don’t accidentally put them in the dishwasher with the metal bit down. Someone (not me) did this to mine and it got bent beyond repair :-(
Claire, thanks for the tip – mine definitely won’t go into the dishwasher! The welding gloves work a treat, hope you find some nice ones. We have Gasweld here in Sydney, but you can also find them at Bunnings or other hardware stores.
Amazing how many uses we find for non-kitchen items. I’m using gloves used for glass-fusing but only because I happen to have them. I wouldn’t suggest buying a pair just for the kitchen, a bit pricey. I’ll be getting myself some of them welding gloves.
Anna, glass working gloves sound fancy! The welding gloves might be a let-down after those! ;-)
So glad to see there is someone else out there that is as addicted to kitchen bits as I am. I have all these things ( plus thousands more ) bar of course the welding gloves…that are a great idea. Wear them when you have your industrial brulee gun fired up!
Tania, I only have a little brulee gun, but I can usually manage to burn myself with that.. ;-)
Welding gloves? I must have missed those previous posts, but what a brilliant idea. I find those silicon mitts quite awkward to use and pot holders often end up dangling in things, so these are perfect. I’m off to the hardware store this morning, thanks!
Amanda, cool! I’m glad the idea appeals. The silicone mitts are good, but I find they’re quite limited in use. I keep mine for occasionally manhandling a boiling chook out of the water.. ;-)
You are a genius! Welding gloves – it’s a no brainer! Brilliant! I like the other things too!
Marina, thank you! Hope it saves you from any future burns! :)
What great gadgets. I’m not a fan of silicon mitts – they’ve caused many burns. That fat extractor looks very necessary. I’d better make a trip to the Chefs Warehouse. But where do you put all these things Celia? My cupboards are exploding as it is! And I must get some Hotly Spiced tags for my things – I don’t want to be outdone by Fig Jam and Lime Cordial!!!
Charlie, I have a very well organised kitchen, courtesy for my husband who can’t bear my storage philosophy, which used to be “if it fits, put it there”. As a result, I used to store saucepans with the cereal, tea in the cup drawer..you get the idea. More than a decade ago, when Pete fixed up the kitchen, he built it so that I couldn’t put stuff anywhere other than where it was supposed to go. He likes to tell people that he designed it “around Celia’s limitations”. ;-)
Pegs – the ultimate bag sealers. Rubber bands – the other ultimate bag sealers. And I love my Kiwi zig-zag grater…just perfect for shredding green papaya or green mangoes.
Vix, I have cool bag clips from Ikea which are like pegs and seem to be working very well. Also have silicone rubber bands, which are used to close up just about everything else! :)
One word…Thermomix…that is all…
:-)
I have friends who love their Thermomixes! I’ve never been tempted though – have played with them a couple of times, but found it didn’t quite suit..
I love my orange gloves but worried about dirtying them, will try the washing machine too.
Roz, they’re meant to get dirty! ;-)
I just noticed you have lured Marina Strocchi into your kitchen lair, I am familiar with her art.
Roz, what you don’t know about art isn’t worth knowing. I’m chuffed to have Marina dropping by! :)
I am going to get me a pair of welding gloves for the kitchen. Love your stainless steel fat separator.
Thanks Norma! We’ve been really pleased with the fat separator – it was good to find one that was dishwasherproof, as the things gets so greasy otherwise! :)
I need absolutely none of that … so of course I want it all! Great post.
Greg, thank you! :)
1) I love that you sewed hanging loops with your “name” on the gloves
2) It was so fun to learn a few of your favorite kitchen items. Its so fun to see what other people use everyday.
3) I love my plate whisk and I love my sieve and use them constantly(: so good of you to share!
Haley, thank you! It was fun printing the hanging loops and sewing them on.. :) Aren’t the plate whisks wonderful?
yes! the best!
Hello from Paris! Double confirmation of washing the gloves. They’ve been through two delicate washes at 40c.
The fat separator sounds brilliant. I always lose so much good juice pouring off the fat.
How are you getting on with your silicone mat? I have exactly the same one and have to say I don’t use it very often.
Anna
Anna, that’s really good to know, thank you! Haven’t used the exopat mat yet, still trying to figure out what to use it for, and whether to bake on it, or use it for rolling out doughs…
I have a colander just like yours. Tis a bit beaten up and slightly discolored, but it works great for sifting confectioners sugar. My favorite though, is my fine mesh colander. I use it alot for rinsing rice, quinoa, dried and canned beans etc. My favorite gadget right now, if you can call it a gadget, is my new knife set. Its the first new knife set I’ve ever gotten. I didn’t realize just how dull my old generic knives were till I got my Swiss made set. I’m in heaven with it!
I have a cake tester similar to yours. Does the plastic part of yours pop off all the time? Mine does and I wish it wouldn’t. Maybe I could glue it together.
Mel, isn’t that funny, I’m the reverse, I get so frustrated with my fine mesh sieve. Nothing seems to go through it, drives me crazy, especially when I was trying to sift almond meal. The knife set sounds very exciting! My cake tester hasn’t come apart yet, I’ll watch out for that, thanks for the warning…
Favorite gadgets? Hmmm, I love my citrus squeezer and my garlic press. I squeeze lime juice on everything. No scurvy in this household.
The mencats love the panini press that my mother-in-law gave us. I was skeptical about giving up that much counter space but it has earned its keep.
I love Chef’s Toys. I use their cheap small pizza pans for toasting small things in the oven, then zoom, into the dishwasher. :-)
Maz
Maz, we used our panini press for ages and ages, it’s fallen out of favour a bit lately, and I must attempt a revival. Thanks for the reminder! :)
They’re great finds! And I loathe sieving. I do the cheating thing and put it in a small food processor and that helps somewhat. I tried sieving almond meal in a super fine sieve and it drove me spare :P
Lorraine, I shall have to buy you one of these coarse sieves. They’re perfect for almond meal – it just falls through in lovely lumpless powder.. :)
Fancy whisk and lovely gloves!!! I need a pair of those, I am always burning myself. Hope you are well Celia, sorry I havent visited in months, Ive been so busy enjoying life, I havent stopped in to say hi to all my fav bloggy buddies. Thinking of you. XXX
Anna darling, it sounds like you’ve been having a ball! So nice to hear from you, thanks for stopping by! :) xx
I think that I shall accompany Himself to the hardware store on his next visit to get me some welding gloves! Just to let you know that my IMK for March is posted.
Wonderful Sue, thanks for playing! The welding gloves work brilliantly! :)
I can see how useful the plate whisk would be, it just makes we want to eat French toast even more – a great excuse !
Claire, it whisks everything from eggs to hot chocolate in a mug. And I find it so visually appealing!
That fat separator sounds so helpful. I should look for one, too :)
Tes, it took us ages to find a stainless steel one, and I love it!
Dear Celia,
I love those gloves. I use mine for tightening an awkward mixer tap bolt under my kitchen sink that no other tool could quite do it.
Chopinand, it’s just as good for pulling a roast out of the oven – promise! :)
Love your customised hanging loops for your oven mitts. Very cool!
Thanks Helen! It was just a bit of fun.. ;-)
Love the welding gloves Celia. In the winter we do a lot of cooking outdoors in camp ovens and my husband uses welding gloves for handling the hot ovens and lids in and out of the fire. He recommends to you the BOC gloves with ‘kip’ palms for extra protection :)
Oooh, thanks Jane, I’ll look out for them. Although I did buy several bright orange pairs on ebay, so it will be a little while before I need new ones! :)
I love my plate whisk also – my honey stuck it in my Christmas stocking a few years ago and it is a winner! I have to say that the gadgets I am most likely to replace if they break are my digital scale and my citrus press. I come from a long line of kitchen gadget women so I have WAY more than neccessary but the press and the scale are probably the two things that have opened up my cooking life the most.
Lynn, I wouldn’t survive without my digital scales! I use them several times a day! :)
Hi Celia and Pete,
I just stumbled on your website and I am so excited about all the wonderful things you are writing about. You really made my day! We, my mother and daugther and I, recently started making our own jams and marmalades and I was looking for homemade pectin recipes. And here you are.
I have a question, where do you buy your nice jars? How do you make your labels? Do you use photoshop or …?
Thanks,
Irinel
Hi Irinel, thanks for stopping by! The jars are from Plasdene, an Australian company with branches in most states. http://www.plasdene.com.au
The labels we make at home on our laser printer, using labels from Officeworks and an old version of the Printmaster software.
Hi,
Thanks for the info. I guess to buy jars from Australia would be too expensive for me. They would have to be shipped to the US. I’m going to look at their website anyway. I like your labels very much, simple and nice to look at. Thanks again.
I love all your great finds. I particularly like my handheld wooden citrus juicer – its like a wooden thing with the ribbed top and it makes it super easy to juice fruit. I also love my welding gloves :-)….LOL
Oz, I’ve never had a handheld juicer – I’m still using a little plastic thing. The wooden ones do look very stylish!