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 favorite kitchen tool is my Swiss made vegetable peeler that fits in the contour of the palm of my hand and makes it so easy for me to fly through peeling pounds and pounds of pears to make butter in my crock pot. Could not live without it.
I would so love to win this! I am in the market for one, but would not dare ask for such an expensive Christmas gift! Crossing my fingers…
My extra large, heavy duty wooden spoon. It’s great for making large batches of salsa for canning.
My favorite tool is my immersion blender.
I used my cuisinart food processor about five times in one day for Thanksgiving prep so that has gotten some good use.
I love canning, but hate chopping! I’ve found my immersion blender is the GREATEST for making quick work of jams and jellies (as well as soups and sauces). Don’t know how my Grandmother did it without one!
I’ve had Thermapen on my wish list for a few years. What a great giveaway. My favorite kitchen gadget is my apple slicer. I use it all the time. Thanks.
Immersion blender, hands down. It makes home made mayonnaise possible – and, well, that makes SO much more possible!
The item I use most in my kitchen is my silicone spatula; it’s proved invaluable since I got it back in 2009.
I started using a kitchen scale this year and it has really made life easier! It’s great for canning and baking — my 2 favorite kinds of kitchen work!
I have so many favorite kitchen tools, but I guess I can’t live without my chef’s knife.
I love love love my “perfect spoon” from Williams Sonoma – it’s very strong for heavy jobs but has just the best flexible edge for cleaning out bowls and mixing really well.
But I have always wanted a Thermapen!! Fingers crossed!
My favorite tool is a Cuisinart stick blender that has several accessories – like a mini food processor, a whisk and a blending cup. I use it all the time.
Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!
I received a very large spatula from my mother-in-law a few years ago and I thought “what the heck am I going to do with a spatula this big!?” but wouldn’t you know, I use that thing all the time! It’s great for making jam. You can keep your hand far away from the spitting hot liquid!
my immersible stick blender i use it alot in canning cooking and making drinks
I have one of those “4th burner pots”, but where I bought mine, it was called as asparagus pot. I use it quite a bit.
My favorite kitchen gadget, especially during canning season is my electric tea kettle. I can have boiling water in just minutes to use to top off the water bath canner, to heat jars that have cooled, to pour over lids and rings to heat/sterilize them, to blanch veggies, to make a cup of tea, etc… I wouldn’t want to be without it.
Believe it or not, I think I’d have to say that my silpats are my very favorite thing. Makes it so much easier to get consistent cookies and breads and makes clean up a lot easier. Last week, even used one to roll sushi!
I have a couple: our new stove, our crockpot, and our enameled cast iron.
Probably my silicone spatula, though mine has a hard plastic handle. I find myself washing it off during the course of cooking to use it for just about everything I’m doing!
What is used most often in this kitchen is the 8-cup Pyrex measuring “cup.” Have had it at least 30 years and it is used more than any other kitchen gadget – from batter mixing to yogurt making!
But would hate to give up the favorite knife, the immersion blender and a few other odds and ends. Must agree with others who have said that the immersion blender finds itself being used much more often than I had ever dreamed it would be. (Got it for soapmaking and now have 2 – one for soapmaking and one for the kitchen!)
I LOVE my wooden spoon, with my grandma’s enamel spoon as a close second. Stirring is my favorite part of cooking— makes me feel busy even when I am only an observer/consumer.
I am very fond of my peeler. I know, it sounds weird, but it comes in very handy!
My favorite kitchen tool right now is my inverted spatula. I’ve only had it for about a year now and every time I use it, I smile; it’s so easy to spread things!
What a fantastic giveaway. Please put my name in the hat.
Fav tool for me is also my stick blender. I seem to use it for everything!
Love the tips! My favourite kitchen tool is my fine rasp-style grater that does fine cutrus zest, ginger, garlic-you name it! I purchased it from Lee Valley Tools and have given a few away as gifts because I love it so much!
I’d have to say the microplane. But the thermopen would definitly be tops if I won it!
Tongs! I taught myself to cook growing up in a tongless household, and when I got my first pair, I found myself using them for just about everything.
i love them all – my favorite changes weekly! i think the tool used the most would be my crockpot because i can’t really say, “the library” where i get amazing ideas from all the wonderful cookbooks i borrow. thanks for the chance!
My favorite kitchen tool is Kyocera Perfect Peeler! Picked one up at the Reading Terminal Market years ago. It’s the best peeler out there and its ceramic blade makes peeling apples & potatoes a breeze! http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-CP-20-RD-Perfect-Peeler/dp/B000CAWQXC/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=256U46PUR7G82&coliid=I1I6XVBUFQWU1P
My favorite kitchen gadget is my apple corer/slicer. Those flat plate-looking things that divide apples into six wedges while coring at the same time? Couldn’t do without that thing. I’ve tried the peelers that slice as they go, and I just don’t like them. (My heavy-duty potato masher is also a favorite… I use it for everything from mashing squash and potatoes to make soup to mashing my cooking fruit in jam and mashing my pumpkin to make it quicker to process in the Ninja).
I guess my Ninja would be another favorite. I have never owned a better blender!
I absolutely love my Shun Bob Kramer chef’s knife. It was pricey but well worth it. It makes chopping a joy.
As cliche as it sounds, my kitchenaid mixer is top running favorite. Although this season the apple corer/peeler is close second!
I know it sounds silly but I have one small flipping spatula that I cannot live without. I received as a gift years ago and have since been unable to find it again. It is the best kitchen helper out there( even more so than my daughter lol).
my beautiful little hand forged paring knife from the Blacksmith Shop in Ferndale, CA. it was made in Oregon.
My favorite kitchen tool is my immersion blender, I think I’ve used it more days this month than even my sharpest knife!
I just recently got a strawberry huller off chefscatalog. I use it all the time; also use it for putting a small hole in my cupcakes to add fillings. My Kuhn-Rukon multi-use can opener is also one of my favorites in the kitchen. I would love to get a Thermopen because they are so expensive, but now use a less accurate thermometer.
I don’t think that my 9-inch chef’s knife will ever be dethroned from pride of place. And I tend to be pretty tool-free in the kitchen. But I cherish my collection of ceramic bean pots more than anything, I think.
My favorite tool for the holiday season is my *very* large light weight mixing bowl (it’s too large to fit into a cupboard). It’s deep enough that no dough ever splatters out & wide enough that double batches of cookie dough fit in easily.
I have so many favorites! But the thing that gets repurposed the most are mason jars. They get used for canning, storage, leftovers, flower vases…you get the idea. I would be lost without them.
Mine’s not serrated, but I love my little Kuhn Rikon vegetable peeler. It works well, plain and simple.
Quality knives … a must on my list! makes all chopping, slicing tasks much easier to accomplish.
I have been rocking the immersion blender lately. I can’t believe how many times it’s come in handy lately 🙂
I also found the same potato masher at a Tuesday Morning. Like you said, All the other mashers are now just sitting in the drawer! The serrated times do a wonderful job of mashing fruit!
I love the immersible blender. Saves me so much time and cuts the amount of dishes we have to do in half!
I would really love one of those Thermapens!
My favourite tool in the kitchen is my food processor. My mom didn’t have one even if she cooked a LOT, so I heard about them for the first time in a Mark Bittman article. Now I wouldn’t want to live without it!
I like my garlic peeler (one of those silcone sleeves) and garlic chopper; both save lots of time!
I’m really liking my kilner jam pot I got as a housewarming gift. My kitchen aid mixer ice cream maker attachment is pretty cool too. 🙂
My cookie scoop! I use it for dumplings, meatballs, mellon, and of course cookies!
My current favorite is my immersion blender — it’s almost winter and it’s time for lots of wonderful soups!
i really like the magnetic lid lifter, finally got one after lots of HOT fingertips and now wonder why i waited so long. also use my fav chopstick as a bubble remover.
I love my wustoff santoku knife. A good knife goes a long way in the kitchen!