If you follow the church of Alton Brown as I do, you know that one of his mantras is NO UNITASKERS!!!!
If you have never watched Alton Brown, check out his episodes on the YouTube, as he is probably the best person to explain what you should do and why while cooking. Very helpful to build kitchen skills.
Alton thinks that you should not buy kitchen things that only have one purpose, as they take up space and don't get used very often.
I agree 99.9999999% of the time.
There are some things in my kitchen that Alton Brown would frown upon. I have embraced some unitaskers that make my life so much easier. Here are my 5 recommendations for kitchen unitaskers.
1. Garlic Press
Many recipes start with garlic and/or onion. It's easy to quickly chop an onion, but I am not as fast with mincing garlic. I like the garlic flavor to be distributed throughout the dish, so a fine mince is crucial. Plus, you can throw a whole clove in the press, without peeling it. I've also used it for fresh ginger, as chopping that can take some time. When dinner needs to be ready right now, it helps a lot.
2. Tortilla Press
This is not essential for everyone, but I have been determined to make my own tortillas for a while now. So cheap, so easy. A $3 bag of masa has made about fifty tortillas and a three dozen tamales. It's still going strong.
I tried to roll out the tortillas without a press, I really did.
It was awful. They were never circular, and broke easily.
Now it takes about 3 seconds to make a circular tortilla, pressed to perfection. Plus, it's a lot easier to make fancy tortillas, like flax seed or jalapeno flavors. Without the press, they would fall apart easier with the fancy additions.
I also use it to make flour tortillas and pita-like flatbread.
If you are in the market for one, I recommend getting a cast iron model over all other materials. Cut a plastic food bag into two big panels and use that to sandwich the tortilla in, it goes even faster this way.
If you have never watched Alton Brown, check out his episodes on the YouTube, as he is probably the best person to explain what you should do and why while cooking. Very helpful to build kitchen skills.
Alton thinks that you should not buy kitchen things that only have one purpose, as they take up space and don't get used very often.
I agree 99.9999999% of the time.
There are some things in my kitchen that Alton Brown would frown upon. I have embraced some unitaskers that make my life so much easier. Here are my 5 recommendations for kitchen unitaskers.
1. Garlic Press
Many recipes start with garlic and/or onion. It's easy to quickly chop an onion, but I am not as fast with mincing garlic. I like the garlic flavor to be distributed throughout the dish, so a fine mince is crucial. Plus, you can throw a whole clove in the press, without peeling it. I've also used it for fresh ginger, as chopping that can take some time. When dinner needs to be ready right now, it helps a lot.
2. Tortilla Press
This is not essential for everyone, but I have been determined to make my own tortillas for a while now. So cheap, so easy. A $3 bag of masa has made about fifty tortillas and a three dozen tamales. It's still going strong.
I tried to roll out the tortillas without a press, I really did.
It was awful. They were never circular, and broke easily.
Now it takes about 3 seconds to make a circular tortilla, pressed to perfection. Plus, it's a lot easier to make fancy tortillas, like flax seed or jalapeno flavors. Without the press, they would fall apart easier with the fancy additions.
I also use it to make flour tortillas and pita-like flatbread.
If you are in the market for one, I recommend getting a cast iron model over all other materials. Cut a plastic food bag into two big panels and use that to sandwich the tortilla in, it goes even faster this way.
3. Spaetzle Maker
Okay, I don't own one currently. But I have used my mother-in-law's maker and it is great. If you don't know, spaetzle is a little noodle from Germany (and other parts of Europe) that is served with all sorts of delicious German food. You drop bits of the dough into boiling water, then fish them out and sauce them. Heritage wise, we are about 75% German around here, and sometimes we like to indulge in such a dish. I have tried lots of alternative ways to make spaetzle, and they all just suck. I've tried a plastic bag with holes punched in it, and a metal colander over a pot of water. Both were recommended by the interwebs, and total fails. It's worth the extra kitchen space to not be cussing and stressed on Christmas when my spaetzle is stuck to the colander bottom and everyone is hungry. Enough said.
4. Grain Mill
Another Mother-in-Law mention here! She gave me her old grain mill attachment set for my kitchen aid mixer, and I love it. Since going vegan, I've been using it to grind flax seeds and oats. So easy, and the health benefits of grinding flax fresh are great. It takes more time than buying it already ground, but food storage is lacking in my kitchen and personally I'd rather store just oats than oats and also oat flour. Everything is fresher that way. The grain grinder can be stuck in the cabinet above the fridge, and doesn't take up that much space.
5. Rice Cooker
We have always eaten a lot of rice, even before we went vegan. My sister-in-law gave us a rice cooker a long time ago that we still love. It's very simple, on and off. But it's magic. I throw in rice, water, and turn on. I don't have to worry about the stove being too high and the water cooking off before the rice is done. I don't have to worry about the stove being too low and the rice taking forever. Brown rice takes about 30 minutes, which is faster than I could cook it on the stove. I cook a bunch of rice and stick the insert in the fridge. Then I have rice for the week. Easy peasy. I can then focus on the fantastic stir-fry or veggies or beans that I am making--instead of worrying about my rice temp on the stove. This is my favorite unitasker of the bunch.
Okay, I don't own one currently. But I have used my mother-in-law's maker and it is great. If you don't know, spaetzle is a little noodle from Germany (and other parts of Europe) that is served with all sorts of delicious German food. You drop bits of the dough into boiling water, then fish them out and sauce them. Heritage wise, we are about 75% German around here, and sometimes we like to indulge in such a dish. I have tried lots of alternative ways to make spaetzle, and they all just suck. I've tried a plastic bag with holes punched in it, and a metal colander over a pot of water. Both were recommended by the interwebs, and total fails. It's worth the extra kitchen space to not be cussing and stressed on Christmas when my spaetzle is stuck to the colander bottom and everyone is hungry. Enough said.
4. Grain Mill
Another Mother-in-Law mention here! She gave me her old grain mill attachment set for my kitchen aid mixer, and I love it. Since going vegan, I've been using it to grind flax seeds and oats. So easy, and the health benefits of grinding flax fresh are great. It takes more time than buying it already ground, but food storage is lacking in my kitchen and personally I'd rather store just oats than oats and also oat flour. Everything is fresher that way. The grain grinder can be stuck in the cabinet above the fridge, and doesn't take up that much space.
5. Rice Cooker
We have always eaten a lot of rice, even before we went vegan. My sister-in-law gave us a rice cooker a long time ago that we still love. It's very simple, on and off. But it's magic. I throw in rice, water, and turn on. I don't have to worry about the stove being too high and the water cooking off before the rice is done. I don't have to worry about the stove being too low and the rice taking forever. Brown rice takes about 30 minutes, which is faster than I could cook it on the stove. I cook a bunch of rice and stick the insert in the fridge. Then I have rice for the week. Easy peasy. I can then focus on the fantastic stir-fry or veggies or beans that I am making--instead of worrying about my rice temp on the stove. This is my favorite unitasker of the bunch.
What unitaskers have you embraced in your kitchen? Any unitasker purchases that you regret?
Thanks for reading! Best wishes and love from Portland.
hey, it's christy! so i used to be totally down with the garlic press. my dad has always used one, so i of course did as well. then one day i was watching some show on food network and the chef used a microplane instead. and oh man, i have never looked back. it minces just as well, if not better, than a garlic press! i use it for the same things - garlic, ginger, and even to zest fruit. the garlic press is coo but it's a huge pain in the ass (to me) to clean, and the microplane is so much easier for me. and so now my garlic press has been sitting sadly in the drawer over the years, collecting dust. but if you don't like peeling the garlic and ginger first, it's probably not for you.
ReplyDeleteAfter Julia Child told us we didn't have to peel the garlic when you put it in the press our lives changed. Leaving the peel on also makes it super easy to clean.
ReplyDeleteCherry pitter, I could not live with out it. My garlic press is pretty shotty I may try the microplane suggestion.
ReplyDelete