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8 Essential Kitchen Gadgets

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


Thermometers

Candy Temperatures

  • Thread: 223-235 F -- The syrup drips from a spoon, forms thin threads in water, for glacé and candied fruits
  • Soft ball: 235-245 F -- Best for fudge, the syrup at this stage will form a ball in the water, but flatten if pressed.
  • Firm ball: 245-250 F -- The syrup is formed into a stable ball, but loses its round shape once pressed; best for caramel candies
  • Hard ball: 250-266 F -- The syrup will hold its shape, but is sticky; good for marshmallows
  • Soft crack: 270-290 F -- The syrup will form firm but pliable threads for nougat and taffy.
  • Hard crack: 300-310 F -- The syrup will break if you try to shape it; this stage is best for brittles and lollipops

One of the absolute essentials most often missing from amateur kitchens is the thermometer. Sure, the majority of foods can be cooked by eye, with no need for precise temperature info, but meats, candies, and breads all require solid heat control. (So we're cheating a bit when we say that thermometers are one of eight essential gadgets, when really there are several you should have as staples.)

  • Oven Thermometer: Unless you're sporting a brand-new tri-vection, digitally calibrated powerhouse, your oven is merely a primitive hot box. Don't ever trust your temperature dial, and don't assume that your oven disperses heat evenly. Have you ever noticed that sometimes your muffins brown more in one corner of the pan than the other? Heat bounces off the sides of your oven willy-nilly, so grab a cheapo oven thermometer to know your hot spots.
  • Fridge Thermometer: Just like your oven, your fridge is feisty when it comes to temperature. (And everyone knows how inscrutable those freezer dials are.) Knowing your box is cold will extend the life of your food and stretch your dollar, while reducing the possibility of leaving anything in the bacterial danger zone (above 40 F).
  • Meat Thermometer: You can either go instant-read or probe, here. You can use an instant read to check meats and breads, or a probe to know when your roast has reached medium-rare deliciousness. But, unless you have a telepathic knowledge of when the center of a leg of lamb reaches 150 F, use a thermometer to steer clear of the nasties Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter jejuni.
  • Candy Thermometer: Sugar is a fascinating compound, and the science behind sucrose is precise. Sugar can be an unforgiving mistress if you don't know your temperature, so it is absolutely essential to have a dedicated candy thermometer. Why not just use an instant-read or probe? Candy temperatures begin at about 230 F, a level of heat that meat should never reach. Water boils at 212 F, and table sugar melts at 365 F. So, any concentration of syrup will fall between those two points, and other thermometers are just not designed to read temperatures that high.
  • Infrared Thermometer: Okay, these aren't essential, but they're damn cool. With one, you can know when your pan is scorching for optimal Maillard reaction umami, or when the baby's bottle has reached precisely 98.6 F. They cost a little bit more, but you can aim one like a gun in order to pull instant heat stats from the surface of absolutely anything.

Food processor

Okay, a food processor may seem like a no-brainer, but have you ever thought about how many uses this gadget has? Besides chopping veggies within a micron of their lives, your food processor can serve as a blender and as an improvised stand mixer. Cut fat into lipid-heavy doughs like shortbread in a matter of seconds, or use the whirring blades for home-made mayo and salad dressing. Most mid-level versions come with shredding dies that give you mandoline-perfect juliennes. Ditch the Slap Chop if you can afford a version that comes with a mini bowl for smaller hauls like herbs and pastes.

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