Tag Archives: Cook’s illustrated product reviews

Cooks Illustrated Kitchen Tools and Equipment List: Kitchen Gadgets and Handy Tools, Part 2

It’s well known by now that we at r’n’k.com are Big Fans of the list of recommendations found in the back of Cook’s Illustrated The Science of Good Cooking.

See it cozied up there next to its buddies, Perfect Vegetables, Baking Illustrated, and The Best International Recipe?

(The other “Illustrators” books on the right are part of Rick’s art book collection. Didn’t plan it that way: the Cook’s volumes just fit better on that shelf than on our other THREE full shelves of cookbooks.)

What can we say?

We love learning to cook new dishes, and we love high-quality tools to do it with.

The thing is, not every gadget one comes across in kitchen stores is essential. In fact, you can easily–and quickly–fill a kitchen to overflowing with culinary chotchkies. If you want to separate an egg, you don’t need a gadget. You just need to learn how to separate an egg.

However, some tools ARE necessary, and Cook’s does a great job of sifting the real wheat from the chapstick. Thus we pick up here from where we left off, “Kitchen Gadgets and Handy Tools, Part One.”

RSVP Precision Pierced Stainless-Steel 5-Quart Colander

I will admit to being a little confused by Cook’s “best colander” recommendation. Know what I think when I read that? I chuckle at the ludicrousness of marketing a simple–albeit best-of-breed–kitchen colander as being both “precise” and “pierced.”

First of all, what’s so precise about it? I’ve never seen a colander that has industrial-grade measurement markings, nor have I ever thought I needed one. And if it actually held up to 5.5 quarts, or only 4.5 for that matter, who cares? We run a laissez-faire kinda kitchen around here.

Secondly, isn’t a colander supposed to be pierced?! How is that a marketable feature, worthy of being included in the nomenclature?! Without the piercings, you’d just have a really expensive metal bowl.

If the marketeers of said undoubtably fabulous colander had paid attention in school, they would have known and embraced the “when needed for clarity, hyphenate a compound adjective before the noun” rule.

This would have allowed me to focus instead on the stability provided by the metal ring on the bottom and the many small, precise piercings (aka “holes”) that allow for quick draining without losing your linguini down the sink.

CIA Masters Collection 6^3/4-inch Fine-Mesh Strainer

See? How hard was it to hyphenate those compound adjectives?

Except this one confused me a wee bit as well. What does the Central Intelligence Agency have to do with kitchen strainers?

Wait… I don’t want to know.

Ha ha. Rick just explained: “Culinary Institute of America.”

Never mind.

WMF Profi Plus 11-1/4-Inch Stainless Steel Potato Masher

Don’t even get me started on what my brain just did with “WMF.”

It’s a good potato masher. Buy one if you need one. That is all.

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner

Firm hugs and kisses from your salad spinner? Okay, I’m outta here.

And I’m happy to say that we got to the end of this “handy kitchen gadgets” list without mentioning “best” egg separators, popcorn machines, or panini makers.

Me: What’s the most useless kitchen gadget you know that people actually buy?

Rick: Panini maker.

Me: Haha. Yes. Egg separator, panini maker… I need one more. What else?

Rick: I dunno. Just a minute… Where’s that Chef’s catalogue that came in the mail today? It’ll be full of them… Oh wait… I just found something we actually do need.

Does anyone else think this is funny?

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Cooks Illustrated Kitchen Tools and Equipment List: Gadgets and Handy Tools, Part One

The Christmas Mathias was 13 (now 28), when asked what he would like with his name on it under the tree, he said he wanted either a cat, a gadget, or a laptop.

That Christmas he became the proud Chief of Staff of a laptop cat named “Gadget.”

However, other than her daily habit of rubbing those glossy saucy haunches up against every surface at kitty level in a blatant ownership move (“See this bakeware cabinet? Mine. That fridge? Mine.”), this particular Gadget hasn’t proved to be notably handy in the kitchen.

So, in addition to sharing her sweet mug with you, we thought another Cook’s Illustrated “best of” list from their fabulous book, The Science of Good Cooking might be more helpful for those starting to think of their own Christmas lists, or for anyone who may have recently punctuated a vigorous opinion by accidentally shattering their favorite wooden spoon on the tiled counter for emphasis.

Whoops! (Not me, obviously. At least, not recently.)

OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs

Tongs: the go-to gadget for bacon lovers everywhere. The key factors? Scalloped-edged slightly concave pincers, be able to open and close easily, be long enough to keep delicate fingies out of hot oily spots, and lock closed for convenient storage.

‘Nuff said. OXO delivers again.

Bamboo Wood Cooking Spoon

After reading the Cook’s write up—who knew there was so much to say about a wooden spoon?—and the glowing reviews on Amazon about how stain resistant, comfortable (apparently a squared-off handle is WAY more comfie in your hand than Grandma’s traditional round one) sturdy, smooth, and well-designed this puppy is, I realized how shockingly ill equipped our kitchen is in the wooden spoon department.

J.K. Adams 19-Inch-by-2-Inch Maple Wood Rolling Dowel

Okay, so here’s a new spin on a time-honored kitchen must-have for those hearty souls still left in the pie game. Gone are the days of the pedestrian pin, says Cook’s Illustrated. Any dough boy worth his weight in his Emile Henry pie dish now uses a rolling “dowel.”

Essentially, a dowel is a pin without the handles. In truth, I’m not sure exactly what advantage this buys you in the pie-making department, but as the owner of one of said maple dowels, I can tell you that it works beautifully on delicate dough, especially when combined with a lightly-floured Roul’pat Countertop Roll Mat.

Bonus usage of a rolling dowel? it’s a comfort to have on hand in my “What happens if a burglar breaks in when Rick’s not home?” fantasy. I’ll just keep it under the bed, and at the first inkling of a midnight intruder, I’ll hand it to Winston, who will relentlessly pester the poor bastard to play fetch until he runs screaming down the driveway into the night, never to be seen again.

Kool-Tek Nomex Conventional Temperature Protection Oven Mitt

You just have to love a “best of” kitchen gadget described as “machine washable,” “form-fitting and not overly bulky for easy maneuvering,” “flexible,” and “heat-resistant.”

Oh, my! I’d give my best wooden spoon for lingerie that lived up to such claims.

And at a list price of roughly $45 PER MITT, (actual price around $30), it seems that the “black box” pricing rationale between the two markets is remarkably similar.

However, Cook’s Illustrated may have recognized that for most of us, this price point spikes the needle, so they have graciously offered a “best buy” option at under $15:

OrkaPlus Silicone Oven Mitt with Cotton Lining

You must believe me that I didn’t see the lingerie/silicone connection coming before it was too late, and now it’s time to move along, people, to ladles.

Rösle 10008 Ladle with Pouring Rim

We here at rickandkathy.com are HUGE fans of good industrial design, especially those involving spouts and hot or sticky liquids.

And we don’t yet own a Rosle Ladle with Pouring Rim. As it currently scores an Amazoning full 5-star rating with 29 raving reviews, some would say this is an error in judgement.

Instead, we’re dribbling along with a robust ancient thing, with appropriately long handle and broad and deep enough spoon but whose pouring spot was designed by Picasso: it’s more art than science.

It’s too solid and familiar to throw out now, I’m afraid, and we’ve reached a detente of sorts over the years where I agree to not expect a clean pour and it quietly concurs.

Some utensils just become fixtures in that sweet entity known as “my kitchen,” and it wouldn’t be the same without them.

Want more? Check out “Cook’s Illustrated: Best Kitchen Gadgets and Handy Tools, Part Two”

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Cooks Illustrated Kitchen Tools and Equipment List: Teflon Pan and Non-Metal Spatula

We used to have a thing against non-stick cooking pans. Something in the mental archives about Teflon + metal spatulas + time = flaking Teflon + cancer…

Didn’t own one, didn’t want one, and besides, the plastic spatulas of my acquaintance over the years have all been frustratingly flimsy and melted on contact with anything hotter than, say, 98.6°.

Eating a melted plastic spatula was also reputed to be not fabulous for your health. So, being seriously in love with each other and wanting a decade or six to enjoy that state, we resolved to not eat plastic or Teflon, even if it meant living a deliriously happy life with food stuffs stuck like chuck to our frying pans.

Then last month, I cooked the world’s most pristine, perfect omelet in my mom’s new Teflon pan, and I changed our minds. (About Teflon, that is, not about my dear Rick and I living happily ever after until one of us tips off the perch.)

I had some research to do though, before I could in clean conscience introduce Teflon to our kitchen.

First was to check on the current health science around Teflon and how likely it was to mess with our mutual plans to stay alive for a goodly while.

An article titled The dangers of Teflon: The truth without the hype provided a great starting point, complete with a Teflon cooking temperatures infographic.

I also found this from the American Cancer Society website:

“Teflon® is a brand name for a man-made chemical known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It has been in commercial use since the 1940s. It has a wide variety of applications because it is extremely stable (it doesn’t react with other chemicals) and can provide an almost frictionless surface. Most people are familiar with it as a non-stick coating surface for pans and other cookware.”

Apparently, it never really was the Teflon, per se, that caused the cancer scare:

“Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C8, is another man-made chemical. It is used in the process of making Teflon and similar chemicals (known as fluorotelomers), although it is burned off during the process and is not present in significant amounts in the final products.”

The website goes on to say (and here I paraphrase): fuggedaboudit.

Plus, T-Fal, the leading supplier of Teflon-based cookware, has taken this a step further.

According to the informative packaging, T-Fal don’t have no truck with PFOAs anymore. So, we’re good there.

Secondly, I couldn’t remember what brand/style/size/etc. of Teflon saute pan Cook’s Illustrated had recommended in their List of Best Kitchen Equipment, Pots and Pans section.

Fortunately, every once in a while, our own past blog posts comes in handy for things beyond remembering how ADORABLE Winston was as a puppy, or what fun a trip on a narrow-gauge railway can be, or how jaw-dropping gorgeous Teton Valley is in January. One quick trip through the “Food & Recipes” category here at www.rickandkathy.com, and… Bingo!

One flick of the wrist, click of the mouse, swish of a credit card… and two days later, we’re the proud owners of a new T-fal Nonstick 12.5-Inch Fry Pan.

(Note: farm-fresh eggs and home-made spelt sourdough toast not included.)

Don’t let the Escheresque pattern or elegant red logo-looking thingy in the center of the pan fool you into thinking this T-Fal is just a another pretty place to scramble a couple of eggs.

This is one high-tech frying pan, my friends. That red dot, for instance?

It’s nothing less than an officially trademarked “Thermo-Spot,” evidently engineered at great expense to indicate when your pan is hot.

Personally, I usually just wait for the smoke to start, but apparently, that’s not a good idea with Teflon products.“The Science of Good Cooking” (Cook’s Illustrated Cookbooks) recommends adding a little oil to the pan while heating. The oil will start to smoke at around 400°, well before the 600° necessary for non-stick cookware to start fuming the nasty stuff.)

At minimum, the dot’s existence demonstrates a commitment to the crafting of new millenium cookware that inspires a robust confidence in the rest of the unit.

For instance, the packaging also states that the entire pan, including “ergonomic, stay-cool silicone handle,” is oven-proof to a temperature of 350°, and that the pan is “safe for use with metal utensils.”

Really? That just seems cruel, somehow. If we were going for the Teflon pan, it only seemed right that we spring for whatever Cook’s Illustrated recommends in the non-metal spatula department. (I had great intentions last year to do a “Cook’s Illustrated List of Handy Tools” but got distracted by why I’m crazy about Rick, fabulous buckwheat pancakes, and a great horned owl who showed up next door, and I never quite got around to sharing the list. Stand by… said list to show up in the next post or two so I can find it when I need it down the road.)

Meanwhile, I went to our own well-loved hardcopy of Cook’s Illustrated, “The Science of Good Cooking” and discovered their “plastic spatula” of choice is the “Matfer Bourgeat Plain Pelton Spatula Exoglass.” At around $12, I figure you’re paying $2 per word and the spatula’s free!

I had never heard of “exoglass” before, but, per wiki answers: “It is a special hi-tech plastic developed by Matfer of France. It is used in the handles of their pastry utensils. It is extremely durable, hygienic, and heat resistant (both hot and cold extremes).”

Flick, click, swish… and thanks to the good folk at Amazon Prime, we own one highly rated, light-weight yet sturdy, well-engineered, and guaranteed Teflon-friendly spatula that’s heat resistant up to 430 degree and cleans like a snap. It doesn’t scratch our new pan, feels nice in the hand, is wide enough to support and flip a pancake, has a perfect thin edge to skootch under delicate fish or eggs, and as far as we know, doesn’t cause cancer.

See how easily our scrambled eggs are liberated from the perfectly preheated surface?!

It’s a keeper.

And see how nice our new spatula looks in Rick’s fine hand as he cooks me breakfast?

He’s a keeper, too.

Links:

“Matfer” rang a bell as a brand, but we couldn’t think why until we remembered they’re the folks who make the non-stick baking mat we use all the time in a sheet pan when baking cookies. No need to grease the pan with butter, food really doesn’t stick, and clean-up is super easy:

Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat

Here’s the go-to volume on our cookbook shelf for all things “why” in the way we cook:

The Science of Good Cooking (Cook’s Illustrated Cookbooks)

…and our two new kitchen tools covered in this blogpost:

Matfer Bourgeat Plain Pelton Spatula Exoglass

T-fal E9380864 Professional Nonstick 12.5-Inch Saute Pan

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Cooks Illustrated Kitchen Tools and Equipment List: Bakeware

In addition to Cook’s Illustrated lists of essential knives and pots ‘n pans found in their fabulous tome The Science of Good Cooking, they also include recommendations for the bakeware without which a kitchen mechanic can barely function.

Like, what if you experience a fresh pumpkin spice loaf emergency but don’t own a decent loaf pan or cooling rack?

Do not let this happen to you or your loved ones.

BEST BUY: Baker’s Secret Nonstick Loaf Pan

While the wide-ranging benefits of a large, heavy guage rimmed sheet pan may seem obvious if you’re thinking “cookies,” by simply adding a cooling rack that fits nicely inside the rim and an oven that can maintain a low, steady heat, you have bought yourself a food dehydrator in the bargain. And maybe some tasty kale chips, too.

I’m delighted to have just saved you a couple hundred dollars and a ton of counter space. You’re welcome.

(And pay no attention to the teeny skiff of carmelized goodness around the edge of our own well-loved cookie sheet. I’m confident yours will stay much cleaner.)

CIA 12 x 17 Inch Cooling Rack

Wear-Ever Aluminum Sheet Pan

While a baking mat doesn’t appear on the Cook’s Illustrated list, it is such an essential in our kitchen that I’m sliding it in here anyways. You just slap one into the bottom of the cookie sheet and start dropping your dough with confidence, knowing they absolutely, positively will not stick to the pan. Baking mats save you calories–no additional oil to be absorbed into your baked goods–and they save you the time it takes to grease the pan and then scrub the cold leftover baked-on oil out of the corners. (See above: not a fan of this step.)

Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat

One word: lasagna.

Pyrex Baking Dish

And you can just never go wrong with Pyrex, which hit the market in 1915 and has been a kitchen staple ever since.

Pyrex Pie Plate

As much as I love my beautiful azure blue Emile Henry pie plate for serving at the table, there are practical reasons why the transparent Pyrex version is a better choice. The glass provides an even browning surface, and the transparency makes it easier to keep an eye on the progress of your pastry bottom and sides. Plus, the Pyrex version sells for about a quarter of the price, so there’s that.

Here’s another word I particularly enjoy: butter tart squares. (Okay, that’s three words, but let’s not quibble.)

Baker’s Secret Non-Stick Pan

Square cakes…

Chicago Metallic Non-Stick 8-Inch Cake Pan

Round ones…

BEST BUY: Chicago Metallic Non Stick 9-Inch Round Cake Pan

We’re not fussy. Just let us eat cake!

Wilton Avanti Non-Stick 12 Cup Muffin Pan

And butter tarts. Let us eat butter tarts, too.

The Science of Good Cooking (Cook’s Illustrated Cookbooks)

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Cooks Illustrated Best Kitchen Equipment: Pots and Pans

HER: They say our love won’t pay the rent
Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent

HIM: I guess that’s so, we don’t have a pot
But at least I’m sure of all the things we got*

Lovely. But I’ve got news for you, Sonny… You need to get that girl a pot! And maybe a Dutch oven and a decent skillet, too.

And lucky for you that Cook’s Illustrated has published a great list of essential kitchen equipment in their fabulous kitchen bible, The Science of Good Cooking. (See here for the previous installment on sharp stuff: knives, boards, and sharpeners.)

Cuisinart MultiClad 4-Quart Saucepan with Cover

I never understood why the best pots are “Clad.” Do they perform better than the naked ones?

There are many mysteries in life. (Here’s some enlightenment on that particular one.)

Tramontina 6-1/2-Quart Cast-Iron Covered Casserole

Here’s another mystery: why are these commonly referred to as “Dutch ovens“? In our home, we use this all the time on the stovetop to cook soups and stews or whenever there is a need for a big heavy pot that can be trusted to keep a consistent heat, like when you’re working with hot oil.

Got a Dutch oven? You also got a deep fryer.

All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan

A single great skillet is like a good friend who becomes more precious as the years roll by, with even the wrinkles and weathering embraced as the authentication that there is only one like this.

T-fal Nonstick Oven Safe 12.5-Inch Saute Pan

Here’s one thing on their list that we don’t have in our kitchen. I’m not sure why, except that maybe it’s tied to my disdain for crappy plastic spatulas that don’t stay stiff enough to get underneath stuff you want to lift from a pan, and when you do, they’re so dang slippery that food (usually a fragile egg) often slides off and lands in an unhappy mess back in the skillet.

My solution in the past has been to habitually reach for my favorite metal spatula (to be listed in an upcoming installment on “handy things in the kitchen”) which scratches the schmidt out of bottom of the non-stick skillet, releasing toxins or the bubonic plague or something nasty like that.

So, we don’t have one of these.

[Update: And… now we do! Click here to find out why.]

Calphalon Stainless Roaster with Nonstick Roasting Rack

Rick makes the worlds finest oven-roasted rosemary potatoes on the planet in this. Somehow food sticks less readily to it’s heavy bottom than other oven-related containers we own, so it’s the go-container for most stuff.

Stay tuned… the bakeware list is on deck!

* In a rare 1965 clip of Cher wearing her original nose and what appears to be a super-sized pair of prison pajamas in broad horizontal stripes, maybe just a little strung out, crooning “I Got You, Babe” with the fine Mr. Bono, click here. Just be warned: your curiosity has the potential to be rewarded with a particularly vile earworm.

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