8 Essential Kitchen Gadgets

by Matthew Zuras on March 18, 2010 at 12:40 PM

Kitchen scale

We know what you're thinking. Scales are for uptight cooks who don't have the panache for on-the-fly improvisation. But we're here to tell you that baking is truly a science. You know why your baked goods never look like the photos in 'Bon Appétit?' Because you're probably measuring your dry goods with cups, an idiosyncratic system that, like our customary anti-metric units, no one outside of America understands.

Dry ingredients like flour can fluctuate in volume, even if their weight remains constant. Humidity, grind, and how tight you pack your cup result in uneven measuring, which changes the texture of your final product. Avoid this via measuring by weight, which only changes if you decide to hop planets. Beyond that, use your scale to portion evenly (if, say, you're dividing dough for biscuits, or whatever).

As far as scale-buying guidelines go, look for a digital scale that reads both grams and ounces to the nearest tenth. And though we've never seen a digital scale without one, the tare function is your best friend when weighing anything in a container, eliminating the need for math. You can buy a fancy scale if you want, but we think the $25 no-frills Ordning IKEA scale does the trick.

Coffee grinder

Have you even noticed how pepper freshly ground from a mill tastes waaay better than the pre-ground crap from the can? Most time-pressed cooks have little patience, which is unfortunately why pre-ground spices exist. But you're missing out by not buying spices whole and grinding them yourself. The oils and flavor compounds in spices begin to break down after they're powdered, and who knows how long that McCormick cumin has been sitting in a warehouse, decaying into a lightly flavored dust.

Believe us. Just take an extra 45 seconds, throw whole spices in a coffee grinder, and boost your dish to the level of cooking couture. Of course, you'll need a second, dedicated grinder if you already process your own coffee beans, as you really don't want to mix your flavors. Ideally, look for a grinder with a stainless steel interior so that you can wipe it clean with a damp paper towel after each use. You don't need to get fancy on this one; while a lab-style pulverizer might be perfect for cinnamon sticks, the $15 varieties work for just about everything else.

Waffle iron

We know that eating burned meat raises the risks of certain types of cancer, but has that stopped anyone from barbecuing or from buying a George Foreman Grill? There seems to be something hardwired in our palettes that simply makes us go nutty for the flavor of a good sear. And apartment-dwelling cooks no longer need to resort to the uni-taskers of former boxers or to the incredibly dangerous practice of indoor grilling (which can easily result in clouds of deadly carbon monoxide).

Buy a good waffle-iron that has reversible plates, and suddenly you'll have a perfect electric grill. Make a panini, a quick butterflied cornish hen, succulent pressed veggies; the possibilities are endless. We also love the new Web site Waffleizer.com, which embraces gridded textures, and offers recipes for non-waffle foods cooked with this marvelous gadget. Bibimbap on a waffle maker, anyone? (We tried it, and it is good.) Just remember to always grill -- or waffle, as it were -- in a well-ventilated area.

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