If you’ve read more than one of my blog posts, chances are you’ve gathered that I enjoy spending time in the kitchen. And, while our little kitchen is pretty well-stocked with various appliances and tools (we just got a mandolin over the weekend to add to our culinary collection — wahoo!), I still have a wish list of items I’d love to have on hand at some point. Some are pretty pricey, and others are quite affordable. Here goes:
- Some kick-ass knives: We have a pretty decent set of Giada knives right now, but eventually it would be great to upgrade to something even nicer (along with a quality sharpener, of course). Perhaps some from this highly rated collection?:
- More Silpats: These things make SUCH a difference when baking. (Actually, I refuse to bake cookies without using mine.) The trouble is, though, I only have one at the moment and would like to have an assortment on hand so I can keep batches moving a little quicker:
- Chopper: Lots of my baking recipes call for ingredients like chopped nuts or chocolate, and it can be a bit tedious (and messy — those pieces can fly everywhere!) to handle that on a cutting board, and sometimes pulling out the food processor for such a little job can feel like overkill. Enter the perfect solution: the chopper. This Williams-Sonoma option looks pretty excellent:
- Mortar and pestle: It would be great to have one of these on hand for grinding spices, combining herbs, and more. Plus, isn’t it pretty?:
- Pineapple slicer and dicer: These are SO COOL. I love fresh pineapple, and feel like I’d buy more of it if I had this handy dandy device. (Bonus: You can use the pineapple base intact to create fun pineapple cups for delicious tropical beverages!):
- Butcher’s block: I’d LOVE one of these for food prep. It would not only offer more functional counter space, but I think they look gorgeous, too. Unfortunately, we don’t have the space for a butcher’s block in our current kitchen, but one day I’d like to have one that looks, I don’t know, something like one of these, maybe?:
- Ginger grater: Whoa. This looks awesome. I would like one, please:
- Mango slicer: Don’t you hate slicing mangoes? I really, really dislike it. But I really, really like mangoes. I feel, then, as though something like this would be an excellent tool:
Fellow cooks and bakers: What else should I add to my kitchen tools wishlist?
The mango slicer! Need now. I had no idea that was available. Getting the core out of the mango is such an ordeal. But, listen, skip the pineapple slicer. Get a good knife and chop it yourself. The slicers cut through the grain, making the pineapple stringy. Also, it tends not to last as long if you do it that way. I find chopping it myself retains the juice better, keeps it fresher, looks better and just plain old tastes better.
Now onto find one of these mango slicers – I hope it’s all I’ve dreamed of!
You must get a “One Click” Butter Cutter! It is every southern cook’s best tool (assuming you cook with butter often enough to warrant it). Can be a bit difficult at times, but as long as you figure out that it is harder to get the piece that you pop on top of the stick of butter out of the cutter than you would think, and you may have to shake the butter down in between cuts, it is great! No messy knives or hands!
http://www.oneclickbuttercutter.com/
Those butcher blocks have me drooling. And funny, my Mom sent me up an Easter basket with a lovely Wustof knife and a pineapple slicer! But I think my dream kitchen tool right now would be a pasta maker. And right now, my dream kitchen would have some space.