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.
as of right now, top of the list is the grain-mill attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer that was found at a local garage-sale this summer for $10 complete with original manual in original box. Working my way thru’ 70# of flint corn and making awesome Polenta cornmeal……..
my favorite is my cast iron skillet. thanks for the chance.
Weirdly, it’s the white plastic screw on tops for canning jars. I’m so clumsy, and this way I know that there’s little chance of spillage in the fridge when I accidentally tip one of the opened jars over. I also seem to be more inclined to use up my canned treats by using these. I don’t know either, but they make me super happy.
One of my favorite kitchen items is a small whisk. I use it from breakfast to supper! I have four large whisks, but the small one does a better job most of the time.
I love my microplane!
I have a meat thermometer that I use all the time, but not an instant-read one. I’d love to have the this one.
I have so many favourites! My Henkel Miyabi knife (soooo worth the money), my well seasoned cast iron pans that used to belong to my Dad, my Kitchenaid, which I lived without forever, and now don’t know how I did!
My favorite tool is the canning funnel. OMG! That thing makes life so much easier. LOL
I LOVE my canning jars! I use them to can, sure, but I also use them to store leftovers, dry goods, even drink from. Love them and use them everyday. Thanks for the awesome giveaway, by the way.
My grandmother’s 9 inct cash iron skillet is used daily. But so are my Furi knives my stepchildren got me for Christmas five years ago. I cannot imagine pulling off dinner without either item . . .it’s a tie!
Definitely my 2c pyrex measuring cup. I use it for measuring all the liquid ingredients at once (1/2 c water + 1/3 c oil + … ) when I have to mix dry and wet ingredients separately before combining. I also use it for other things, like microwaving a single serving of ramen or frozen ravioli in water (don’t judge – I’m a grad student and pull 14 hour days on campus regularly!). The handle makes it easy to maneuver with a potholder, drain, and then pour into something easier to eat out of.
My KitchenAid mixer. I love it. I wish I had bought one years earlier than I did.
My favorite tool now is my immersion blender – it’s soup season and I get tons of use out of it.
Santoku knife – perfect heft, size, and great cutting-ability. Also love my Le Creuset dutch oven which gets heavy use during these colder months.
I’d say that currently, my favorite tool is an orange silicone spoonula/spatula (similar to the one in the post) that I got at Marshall’s earlier his year. It is perfect for using to make jams and candies. Nothing sticks to it!
Anything cast iron.
right now it’s my lime green enameled cast iron pot. for the longest time i kept forgetting that i had it (it was hidden on a top shelf) but now i’m in a habit of using it for almost everything. bring on the soup!
My favorite kitchen tool, by far, is my Wusthof Santoku knife. It was a Christmas gift from my husband ten years ago, and it is still my go-to knife for nearly everything.
My favorite kitchen tool is my long handle OXO Stainless Steal spoon.
Oh, I DO like that Kuhn-Rikon fourth burner pot. Bought it on Amazon after you told us about it. I think it’s my fave. But possibly the small instant-read thermometer could become my first choice.
Love my teflon baking pan liners. They make for perfectly browned cookie bottoms, and, of course, super-easy cleanup.
I inherited most of my canning equipment from my grandmother – she kept her screw bands in an old metal potato chip can, and I love getting it down and seeing it on the table as we can. She’s with us in the kitchen for sure! A newer item I love is my stainless steel Foley Food Mill – we make lots of fruit leathers, and the children love turning the crank!
I have a Mario Batelli enamel over cast pot that I absolutely love, I use it at least 5 times a week, there is nothing it won’t do!!
Cast-iron skillets are handy for tenderizing meat, cracking nuts, and threatening salesmen. And to cook in, of course. 🙂
Years ago, I bought a conical strainer from a local market (made by RSVP – had to look it up). I’ve used it for so many things! Jellies, powdered sugar shaker, flour sifter – most recently I’ve been using it to strain ginger out of ginger milk tea. It has proven itself to be super handy. I’ve also been extremely happy that I picked up the conical shape – that means I can set it over a jar’s narrow opening, rest the handle on the edge of my sink, allow the contents to drain, and move on with my day.
My favorite kitchen tool by frequency of use is probably one of my nice sharp paring knives! The KA stand mixer and food processor are pretty handy too!
Pasta Roller!
An immersion blender. Love it. Although, I do love my stand mixer, too. Toss up!
At the moment, my kitchen aid stand mixer.
I love my mini whisk from pampered chef – I use it all the time for mixing up gravies, sauces, etc. Also my silicone coated tongs – so handy!
Love the Thermapen!! Use it for Jams and Jellies! Such a fun giveaway!!
My Microplane zester. No struggling with a knife, trying to avoid zesting the bitter citrus pith — just easy zesting to add lots of flavor with not a lot of effort. It also grates parm cheese beautifully!
My big, wide, and deep sauce pan. Love it for canning. I also love my magnetic lid wand. I don’t know what I did before I got that.
I use my silicone spatula / scraper so much that it’s really a wonder that I don’t own more of them. I am also very partial to my bench scraper.
most definitely my pastry roller!
This might count as a small appliance, but I love my little mini food processor. I use it to grind nuts, puree foods for the youngest, and mix up a quick batch of pesto.
I like my knives!
My favorite kitchen tool is my dough wisk from King Arthur flour. It makes mixing all my bready stuff easy and the dough comes off of it!
My favorite kitchen tool is something introduced to me by my Swedish in-laws – a potato stick! It comes with a little stand, so it always sits next to the stove, to use to test doneness on any number of things being cooked!
I really enjoy my pampered chef chopper…..it chops up things so quickly.
This will sound completely lame, but my favorite kitchen tool is the canning lid lifter that I recently discovered at Williams-Sonoma. HA! I’ve been using tongs to get the lids out of the water all this time. The magnetic lifter makes so much more sense and is one of the most clever inventions ever. Seriously! It’s the little things, I guess?!?! I’d love to win. Thanks for the opportunity.
I absolutely love my kitchen shears, which were a wonderful gift. I can break down a cauliflower in no time, cut up chicken right into the pan or even cut frozen bacon without damaging a good knife. They are a treasure!
My favorite tool of the moment is my stock pot, couldn’t do much canning without it.
I have an Endurance pastry blender / potato masher. Similar to the potato masher in your pic. Perfect for breaking up pieces of fruit that are just a tad to big still without turning them to mush!
Right now I am digging this machine desiged to core and peel an apple.if you modify the setting it will also peel a potatoe by just cranking a handle! Super easy!
I love kitchen equipment but if we got divorced I’d fight for my battered Chinese cleaver. I use it for anything that needs cutting, chopping or slicing.
Currently, it’s just a cheap paring knife that is better than my old one.
My digital scale. I manage to use it almost every day!
It’s got to be my cast iron skillets. I have a full set and am saving up for the dutch over and wok.
Thank you for all your lovely giveaway offers.
I managed to find a Bosch setup at a garage sale years ago, and as it is what I grew up with, I love it and all its various attachments.
I am also quite attached to my Microplane.