Latest news with #cookingtools
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Summer Is Officially Here, And These 17 Products Will Help You Kick Off Grilling Season
From basting brushes to tool rests, these essentials will help you get your grill on. Summer has arrived, and that means you're probably spending more time cooking in the great outdoors. Naturally, you want your grill setup to be just as functional as your actual kitchen, and that might mean purchasing a few new accessories and tools. Whether you're looking to inject your meat with more flavour, keep your tools organized, or upgrade a few of your tried-and-true staples, we've found a few goodies worth adding to your cart. Here are a few of the best grilling products you can get in Canada right now: Our Guide To The Best Electric Grills In Canada In 2025 (And Where To Get Them) Our Guide To The Best Gas Grills In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) We Tested 17 Portable Grills: Our Top 5 In Canada in 2024 Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We'll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.
CNET
15-06-2025
- General
- CNET
I Asked 5 Pro Chefs About Their Least Favorite Kitchen Tools. They Didn't Hold Back
Professional chefs know the value of space in a drawer or on a countertop better than anyone. Stroll through the swinging doors of any restaurant kitchen worth its salt, and you won't find an excess of single-function gadgets collecting dust. Every instrument and piece of cookware serves a purpose, earning the real estate -- however small -- it occupies. That's what makes career chefs the perfect people to ask about all the kitchen the tools that don't belong in your kitchen, especially when space is at a premium. To compile this list, I asked five professional chefs about the most useless and overrated kitchen tools and what they recommend using instead. Some on the list get knocked for simply taking up too much space to justify buying, while others get a failing grade for being downright gimmicky. Here's what they said. Masaharu Morimoto Celebrity chef, restauranteur Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool. Dave Kotinsky/Stringer/Getty 1. Mandolin Chef Morimoto encourages beefing up your knife skills to make thin and uniform vegetable slices. Milk Street Why: "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision and safety in the long run. Mandolins can be bulky, hard to clean and risky if you're not extremely careful. Relying too much on a mandolin, or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter or a tomato corer can hold you back from developing real technique. Taking the time to learn how to handle a sharp chef's knife or Japanese blade will help you in almost every recipe." What to try instead: Mac 8-inch Japanese chef knife. Lead chef-instructor Institute of Culinary Education, Los Angeles Culinary instructor Eric Rowse knows a gimmicky kitchen tool when he sees one. Institute of Culinary Education 2. Onion holders Why: "These look like a weapon for Wolverine wannabes; it's meant to help you hold a whole onion and "chop" it. Instead, cut the onion in half to create a flat surface so it won't roll away. If you're trying to cut rings, save the $14 and stick a fork in the root and hold the fork." What to try instead: Learn to properly slice an onion the old-fashioned way. 3. Onion goggles Save your money -- and some dignity -- and skip the onion goggles. Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty Why: "A waste of money, as they don't form a great seal around the eyes to prevent the sulfur compounds from getting to your eyes and making you cry. Keep your knife sharp and open a window or turn on a fan instead." What to try instead: CNET's Peter Butler shares tips for cutting onions without crying. 4. Metal, glass, stone and acrylic cutting boards Glass, stone and metal boards are OK for serving but when it comes to slicing and dicing, wood is the way to go. David Watsky/CNET Why: "Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; instead, go for wood or poly." What to try instead: Our list of the best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options. 5. Chicken shredder Why: "I can't think of anyone needing a tool devoted to shredding chicken outside a restaurant, and even restaurants don't use it. This item only has one purpose, so I'd skip it." What to try instead: Two forks. 6. Herb stripper Why: "I love thyme but hate stripping it. When I was young, I got suckered into believing this tool would help me… It's been sitting in my cupboard, laughing at me for almost a decade now." What to try instead: For heartier herbs like rosemary and thyme, just use your fingers to slide down the stem, opposite to how the leaves grow. 7. Bluetooth wireless probe thermometer Instant read meat probes work fast and don't require fussy Bluetooth connection. Chris Wedel/CNET Why: "These are a great tool, but can be very expensive. I can see myself losing, breaking, dropping, accidentally throwing away or dropping it in the coals." What to try instead: ThermoPro's Lightning Instant Read Thermometer Cookbook author and lifestyle expert Cookbook author Peter Som didn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools. Peter Som 8. Electric can opener A manual can opener is cheaper, works great and is less likely to break. Nelson Aguilar/CNET Why: "Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently stationed on the kitchen counter, like it was a vital appliance. But truthfully, they're more nostalgia than necessity. They take up space, can be a hassle to clean, and often struggle with irregularly sized cans. A good manual opener is compact, reliable and gets the job done without needing an outlet or a user manual." What to try instead: Oxo's soft-handled can opener. Richard Ingraham Personal chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and author of Love: My Love Expressed Through Food Richard Ingraham avoids certain kitchen tools when cooking for celebs like Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. John Parra/Gett 9. Avocado slicer Why: "A knife and spoon do the job just as easily, and the specialized tool rarely fits all avocado sizes properly. It's a one-trick pony that clutters drawers." What to try instead: A good paring knife like this $35 Wusthof. 10. Egg separator Separating an egg by hand isn't so that difficult that it requires hardware. Yipengge/Getty Why: "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks." The only exception may be this one, and even that is just for yolks. Err, I mean yucks. What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well. 11. Garlic peeler tube Why: "Rolling garlic cloves in a silicone tube may work but requires storing a single-purpose gadget." What to try instead: Smashing garlic cloves with a chef knife is quicker and more reliable. 12. Pizza scissors Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. Zoranm/Getty Why: "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean and take up more space than they're worth." What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel. 13. Herb scissors Why: "They're hard to clean and don't offer a huge advantage over a sharp chef's knife. Plus, they tend to crush delicate herbs more than slice them." What to try instead: Made In's 8-inch Chef Knife. 14. Electric egg cooker Why: "Boiling eggs in a pot is straightforward and flexible. The electric version just adds clutter unless you boil eggs constantly and hate using a stove." What to try instead: This 1-minute hack for making poached eggs in the microwave. 15. Butter cutter and dispenser A good butter knife works just as well and requires less space and maintenance. Williams Sonoma Why: "It slices sticks of butter into pats… but why? A knife works instantly, and you don't have to load and clean a plastic gadget for it." What to try instead: Williams Sonoma breakfast butter blade. 16. Pasta measurer Why: "It's a plastic disc with holes to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. Just eyeball it or learn the rough weight by experience. It's not worth the drawer space." What to try instead: A kitchen scale for precise measurements. 17. Oil mister Why: "Often clogs, sprays unevenly and requires constant cleaning. A small spoon or brush does the job with less frustration." What to try instead: World Market's olive oil cruet. 18. Electric potato peeler A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to skin a batch of potatoes. Capelle.r/Getty Why: "Takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler. Plus, it's overkill unless you're peeling dozens of potatoes at once." What to try instead: Oxo's Swivel peeler. 19. Bagel guillotine Why: "Sold as a safer way to slice bagels, but takes up a ton of space and is awkward to clean. A serrated knife does the job just fine." What to try instead: Opinel's 8-inch bread knife. Jackie Carnesi Executive chef, Kellogg's Diner Jackie Carnesi StarChefs 20. Oven mitts There's a reason pro chefs don't use oven mitts. Webstaurant Why: "Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen! A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job, and odds are, it's more likely to be washed regularly. I don't know many people who wash their oven mitts frequently enough... it seems many have deemed it an item that doesn't warrant regular cleaning. It does." What to try instead: Stock a plethora of kitchen towels.
The Independent
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
I was an air fryer skeptic until I tried this model with its hidden gadget
Design and setup Compared to other basic air fryer models, the Ninja Foodi dual basket air fryer is a hefty machine. I won't go so far as to write it off as an eyesore, because surprisingly, even with its enormous size, it doesn't look that bad. Plus, its flat top surface doubles as a mini shelf for spices or random other knick knacks. And while I eventually came around to its size, it still takes up a lot of precious counter space. So I have to dock some points. Its interface is fairly intuitive, although I would suggest checking in with its manual to really understand how to use all of its settings. Buttons for its special smart finish and match cook settings, along with its six cooking modes — air fry, bake, roast, reheat, air broil, and dehydrate — are prominently displayed front and center. You can manually control the temperature for each mode but there are restrictions. For example, the air fry setting doesn't go below 300F. I understand this is for safety reasons, but it was frustrating when I wanted to hard-boil eggs at 270F. On one side of the machine sits the meat thermometer probe (a great hidden feature), which I found to be a clever placement — hooray for machines that include built-in storage for additional tools. There's a plug-in next to the left basket, where a meat dish is intended to cook if you're looking to use the probe. The top of that particular basket has a small divet where the wire is supposed to go, so it doesn't get crushed when it's closed. Additionally, the baskets have a capacity of 5qt, making a total of 10qt. They felt a bit small in comparison to my Cosori's 6qt basket, but in the end, they were spacious enough for every dish I prepared. I generally did like that there were two separate baskets that both conveniently included crisper plates and a removable tray that allowed heat to circulate around food to create a crispy texture. One feature that I missed from my Cosori was its 'shake' timer, which allows you to program a basket to alert you when it's time to flip or shake its contents for more even cooking. Of course, the simple solution for this is to set a separate timer for the Ninja foodi. Cooking Packed with six different cooking modes, the Ninja foodi could be an easy replacement oven for those living in a place without one. I personally favored the air fry and reheat modes, as I don't often need to do much more than that, as I prefer to defer to my oven when possible. To put the smart finish technology to the test, I cooked pork chops and fries. On the left side, I baked the pork chops, using the probe thermometer to alert me when they hit the desired medium-well-done temperature I was looking for. (I followed the manual's suggestion to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees when converting traditional oven recipes.) On the right side, I air-fried waffle-cut fries. After programming both baskets at different temperatures and cook times, I let the machine do its thing. It started by cooking the pork chops. Then, when just 15 minutes remained on the clock, the fry side kicked in, so that both could finish at the same time. Once the timer went off, the pork chops were perfectly cooked, but the fries needed a little more time, likely because there wasn't enough room in the basket to cook them in a single layer. By the time dinner was served, everything tasted solid. The fries were nicely crispy, though slightly overdone in some spots. And the pork chops turned out a bit drier than they would've been if I had cooked them in the oven, but still flavorful. This was definitely a trend I noticed whenever I cooked meat in the air fryer — it tended to lack that juice I usually get from oven or stovetop cooking. Though honestly, an air fryer would never be my first choice for cooking meat, anyway. Its reheat setting was nifty and convenient when I needed to warm up a pesto chicken sandwich and didn't want it getting soggy in the microwave. However, admittedly, I had no idea how long or at what temperature to set it, so it also came out a bit crispier than intended. After cooking several more dishes, I started to realize that Ninja's air fryer might be a bit more powerful than my Cosori. The temperatures and cook times that worked perfectly in the latter usually needed some tweaking to get right in the foodi. But with a little more time — and a few minor adjustments — this will become an indispensable kitchen companion. Cleaning This machine is one of the easiest things to clean. The baskets are made of a certain non-stick material that makes it quite easy for you to wash away any mess, either by hand or in the dishwasher. After simpler recipes, I washed both baskets and crisper plates in the sink with warm water and soap. But when it came to cooking a more messy meal or when I felt it required deeper cleaning, I used the dishwasher, and it came out spotless.
CTV News
12-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
JB's Sausage Supplies- Kitchen Gadgets
Regina Watch JB Sausage Supplies shares different tools available that make meal preparation easier in your Kitchen. #sponsoredcontent
