In my years of canning, one of the things I’ve found is that most of my favorite canning tools weren’t made specifically for canning. They are simply kitchen utensils that are well made, sturdy and just happen to serve a useful role in my preserving practice. From the bottom left corner and moving clockwise, here are some of my current favorites.
- This six-piece set of stacking measuring cups
by RSVP is fantastic. They are made from solid stainless steel and have a nice heft in the hand. I use the one-cup measure to portion jam into half-pint jars and the half-cup one fits neatly into my larger storage jars.
- I’ve long been a fan of a serrated edge peeler. It’s particularly handy during marmalade season because it allows you peel off the outer zest from citrus without taking any of the pith along with you. What makes this particular peeler so nice is that it had dual blades, one smooth and one serrated. Makes for less clutter in a crowded utensil drawer. The one pictured above is from Williams-Sonoma. Kuhn Rikon
also makes a version.
- Thermapen
is simply the best instant read thermometers out there. I’ve bought two in recent years and just love them for minding the temperature of my jams, jellies and curds. They’re pricy, but worth the money (and make sure to check the end of this post for a Thermapen giveaway!).
- I first found this potato masher
at a Tuesday Morning and it has supplanted all my other mashers. What makes it so awesome is that the tines are bladed. They’re not sharp, but they have just enough edge to make it perfect for breaking down cooking fruit. It’s a fantastic tool.
- A good, fully encased silicone spatula. The one pictured above is from GIR and is quite nice. However, it also costs $22.50, which is more than most people want to spend on a spatula (disclosure! this one was sent to me for review purposes). For a more sensibly priced version (under six bucks), check out this one from Orka
. According to Amazon, I bought mine in 2009 and it’s still going strong.
- A good paring knife. I like the ones made by Kuhn Rikon
, but couldn’t find one in the kitchen when preparing to take this picture. The most important thing is that it feels good in the hand and holds an edge.
- If you’ve been reading this site for any length of time, you’ll know that I am crazy for my 4th burner pot
. Also made by Kuhn Rikon (they don’t know I exist, I just like their products), this skinny pot has a spout, a heat-proof handle and is fitted with a rack. This means that it works as a small batch canning pot, a pot for heating pickling liquids and syrups for canning whole fruit and even as a tea kettle in a pinch. On Thanksgiving, I used it to heat up the gravy. It is a genius piece of equipment and I love it so much that I own two.
- I bought this Cuisinart stainless steel wok
at Macy’s last summer on a whim. It was on sale and I had a feeling that it might be a handy size and shape for making small batches of jam. And I was right. The flared sides encourage evaporation and it holds a bit more jam than a 12-inch skillet. It’s lighter than ideal for a true wok, but is quite nice for jams, jellies and chutneys (and it just costs right around $30, which makes it highly affordable).
- Finally, flour sack towels
. I finally got smart and started buying them in colors instead of in white. No matter how much I bleached them, the white ones just never get clean. The deeply colored ones don’t show the stains as much. Amazing the difference these little choices make in my quality of life.
As promised, I have an orange Thermapen to give away to one of you nice folks. Here’s how to throw your hat in the ring for chance at it.
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your current favorite kitchen tool.
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm on Friday, November 30, 2012. Winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog over the weekend.
- Giveaway open to everyone (the shipping is on me, no matter where you live).
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post. I do not accept submissions via email.
My new favorite canning tool is a replacement stainless steel jar funnel. I use it for so much more since I keep it handy near my stove because it’s so shiny and new!
My favorite kitchen tool is my husband, the chef. Lol!!! For reals, it is my crockpot. It is always there on a busy day. 😀
Good old chopsticks. Not a throw-away pair from a take-out place, but some sturdy bamboo ones that can stir a little bowl of salad dressing or a pot of pasta in boiling water, work the bubbles out of a jar of jam headed for the canning pot, or prop open a pot of rice or stock that needs to be vented.
Oh, I love so many different tools in my kitchen but if I have to pick…my Chicago chef knife. I have had it for 20 years and I still love it.
I really like my immersion blender!
I love all my kitchen gadgets. And I do have a fully encased silicon spatula but I still reach for my le creuset large spoon-spatula more than any other tool.
My mandoline–it makes salads, pickles, soups, chips, fires, and more!
I love my immersion blenders, its detachable and swaps to a whisk.love it
My favorite kitchen tool is my pressure canner. I am now able to can meats so that I am not as dependent on my freezer.
I have some tongs from a restaurant supply store which I love!
Hands down – my Kitchenaid. I’ve not had it very long but I love it! Would love this thermometer, too!
About a month ago I went to a outdoor fabrics store and bought a white fine synthetic screen fabric, pretty much mosquito netting and after cutting it into squares I couldn’t be more pleased. It doesn’t unravel or fray, get gross or stain, cleans easily, and and keep bugs out of projects that need to sit in the open (kombucha, sprouts, etc.). I’ll screw it onto the top of my jars to strain out loose tea leaves if I want to brew tea or anything else in the jar, make a makeshift fine mesh sieve out of a colander, make a spices bag to for mulled wine or canning projects so I don’t end up having to fish out bay leaves or star anise. Honestly the most unending useful $2 for 1/8 yard of fabric I’ve ever spent.
I finally broke down and bought the vegetable strainer attachment for my Kitchenaid this year, and now I wonder how I ever got along without it. It made pureeing tomatoes and apples for sauce so much easier and faster, I wish I had bought it years ago. I almost broke it running blackberries thru it (note: NOT good for blackberry seeds!) and was very worried until my boyfriend got it unstuck for me.
I bought a nice silicon spatula last year and I love it. I want two more like it. So handy
My current favorite kitchen tool is my jar lifter – no more worries about spilling boiling water all over myself!
I’m loving my digital scale right now. My gf baking is more successful and it’s shaken things up in a way I feel confident about 🙂 Thanks for the wonderful kitchen ideas.
Vitamix…handsdown!
I love my wooden rolling pin! I’m also getting ready to love the immersion blender that I hope Santa will bring me this year! With so many commenters listing an immersion blender as their favorite tool, I’m encouraged to think it will work well for me, too.
I love my potato masher. I mash berries for jams, lentils for soup, potatoes for… well, mashed potatoes!
Loving my immersion blender right now – an oldie but a goodie. One of my favorites, which I haven’t used in a while, is a julienne peeler. I use it to make “voodles” – noodles out of vegetables. http://nourishandpreserve.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/making-voodles-and-a-tasty-voodle-salad-with-avocado-dijon-dressing/
I love my Pampered Chef forged cutlery, especially the large paring knife.
I love my food mill! It has gotten a workout this year.
I am in love with my new apple coring/slicing/peeler. It’s been put through the pace with apple pies, apple butter prep and peeling sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.
My immersion blender is the best thing in my kitchen. I can’t imagine what I did before I had that.
favorite utensil would have to be my favorite pairing knife, it sits so nice in my hand when i have loads of produce to bust through.
My 8″ chef’s knife, and an All-Clad saucepan I inherited. I could do almost everything with those two!
My new dutch oven…I’ve been wanting one forEVER!! Love these gadgets..! Thanks for the giveaway!
Hands down, my immersion blender. It makes my fruit butters as smooth as silk. : )
Currently my favorite is my colander. I’ve been using it (lined with a tea towel) to strain yogurt to make yogurt cheese.
I found a wooden handled silicone spatula from Oxo when foraging at Ross. I’ve used it on every batch of preserves since. The spatula is elongated but still sturdy. The wood handle is lovely in the hand.
Marit
love my dual ended silicone spatulas by chef n switchit……don’t see an exact pic on line…. but it’s slender enough to fit small spaces and the wide end cleans the bottom of jars….. thanx for the opportunity….
s cree
I love my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I am such a lover of kitchen gadgets, tools, etc. Really anything cooking related.
tongs!
I really like my new immersion blender.
I love the knives my husband got me for Christmas last year the best
Probably my analog candy thermometer. Unlike the digital one I had, this one isn’t constantly in need of new batteries.
My favorite kitchen item is the Thermapen. My boyfriend recently dropped ours in a pot of boiling oil. Not until it was gone did I fully understand how much I love that thing.
Love my old Kuhn Ricon serrated peeler. Especially great for peeling peaches, tomatoes and pears.
I am absolutely in love with my immersion blender!
My favorite kitchen tool is my KitchenAid mixer. 20 years old, still going strong. I hope to upgrade to a commercial 7 quart version someday.
My immersion blender! Great for making smoothies, soup, sauces, even soap, and easy to clean after.
Boring, I know, but I just really love my Global chef’s knife. I have no idea how I managed to tolerate dull, crappy knives for so many years!
I don’t know if I’d call it a “tool” but I love my magnetic knife strip. What started as a counter-saving strategy for my tiny kitchen now means that my favorite knives, scissors, and measuring spoons are ultra-accessible at all times!
My favorite kitchen tool will always be my cast iron skillet!
My small silicone-bottomed metal mixing bowl that is the right size and shape to whisk eggs for an omelet or beat a small bit of whipping cream to top a slice of pie.
Love my Kitchenaid!
I love my kitchen scale…nothing better than recipes measured in grams.
I am a huge fan of my food processor!
My favorite kitchen tool is a vegetable peeler. It’s handy and quick for peeling a potato. I love it.
My favorite kitchen tool is the green tomato knife by pampered chef. It will go in the dishwasher no problem and it is cheap so if it gets messed up its easy to replace.