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Who knew that a simple slab of wood would become a favorite cooking tool? Earlywood’s Tera scraper is the best non-metal utensil for nonstick pots and pans. Continue reading “One Simply Terrific Thing: Earlywood’s Tera Scraper” » LEGGI TUTTO
Wüsthof kitchen shears are sharp, long-lasting, incredibly useful, and well worth keeping in your kitchen drawer!
Photography Credit: Wüsthof
Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!
More than 25 years ago, I was gifted a set of Wüsthof knives as a wedding present, and I still have them. The collection has gotten quite a workout over the years as I’ve prepped thousands of dinners for my family of five and tested recipes for my three cookbooks.
One surprise hit from the set? The kitchen shears. I sadly lost the original somewhere along the way but recently replaced them with Wüsthof’s 8-inch pull-apart shears ($20 from Amazon).
Here’s why the shears are one of my favorite kitchen tools!
Why Wüsthof Kitchen Shears Are the Best
Kitchen shears are different than regular household scissors in a couple of key aspects. First, they’re designed to be more heavy duty, so can handle tougher tasks, like cutting through chicken bones. They also come apart for cleaning and drying, which is important for food safety and so the blades don’t rust.
Wüsthof’s shears make quick work of so many cooking tasks. In many cases, the shears are superior to even my sharpest knife. It’s also a pretty safe way to work, which is why shears were one of the first sharp tools I ever let my kids use in the kitchen.
I store my shears alongside my paring, bread, and chef’s knives so they’re within easy reach of both sink and cutting board.
10 Ways to Use Wüsthof Kitchen Shears
Here are 10 ways I use my Wüsthof kitchen shears. If you have clever ways to use kitchen shears, feel free to share in the comments section below!
Cut herbs. Snip cilantro, mint, parsley, basil, and other herbs straight off the stem and into whatever bowl or pot you’re prepping.
Chop tomatoes. Nosedive shears right into a can of whole tomatoes to cut them into pieces before adding them to soup or chili.
Slice pizza. I’d seen this done in pizzerias and have adopted the practice at home. They work well for cutting lavash, pita, and quesadillas, too.
Snip vegetables. Trim the stems off green beans, separate broccoli florets, and snip asparagus into smaller pieces.
Cut grapes. Cut a large bunch into smaller bundles to make it easy to grab just enough for a snack. This is also a nice touch when assembling a cheese board.
Butcher chicken. Shears are a great way to break down a whole chicken. I use them to cut through the breast bone when I butterfly a chicken for grilling.
Trim pastry dough. I find shears handy when I need to cut rolled dough to fit a particular tart or pie pan.
Cut bacon and pancetta. Cured meats can resist even the sharpest knife, but shears do the job with relative ease.
Shred leafy greens. Stack kale, chard, or collard leaves and use shears to snip them into thin shards.
Trim fish. Raw fish can be tricky to cut through, particularly the tough skin. Shears do the job without making a mess of the delicate flesh.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Katie Morford
Katie Morford is the Nutrition Editor for Simply Recipes. She is a writer, registered dietitian, and author of three cookbooks: PREP: The Essential College Cookbook, Rise & Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings and Best Lunch Box Ever, which was nominated for an IACP award. Her work has been featured in Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Health, Real Simple, Oprah, Parents, Self, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times, among others. Katie lives in San Francisco with her husband and three daughters.
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Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing
An offset spatula is a must-have tool for every home baker who wants to easily and expertly spread frosting on cakes and cupcakes. And it has other uses, too!
Photography Credit: Irvin Lin
At first glance, it seems like the common butter knife does almost everything an offset spatula does. But when it comes to frosting cakes and cupcakes or spreading batter in a pan, once you have an offset spatula you’ll never reach for that butter knife again!
Avid Baker? Then You Should Have an Offset Spatula
I’ve had various offset spatulas for years, but ever since I started to bake seriously Ateco’s 4 1/2 inch offset spatula ($6 from Amazon) is the one I reach for more than all the others in my drawer. It’s big enough to pick up a workable amount of frosting or move a sizeable amount of batter around, but not so big that it’s unwieldy to use.
This offset spatula is the ideal tool for frosting layer cakes and cupcakes.
The sharp metal edge neatly scrapes and smooths out thin layers of frosting, while the angled offset design makes frosting the sides of a cake much easier than if you were awkwardly trying to handle and angle a straight butter knife.
The flexible metal has a bit of bounce and give, which naturally creates frosting swoops and swirls.
The offset nature means you don’t have to contort your hand when trying to spread cake or brownie batter around a deep pan.
I’ve even reached for this spatula when I want a thin utensil to slide between brownies or cake and the sides of the pan. It’s especially adept at sliding around the sides of a curved cheesecake pan, and because it’s so thin and flexible, it’s less likely to gouge the sides of the cheesecake.
So yes, there’s a butter knife sitting in your kitchen drawer, but once you have an offset spatula, expect to only use that butter knife for its intended purpose: to spread butter on toast.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy. LEGGI TUTTO
Kitchen ToolsOne Simply Terrific Thing
This high heat, commercial silicone scraper from Rubbermaid is a heavy-duty rubber spatula that puts all others to shame.
Photography Credit: Marta Rivera
According to my family and many of my friends, I might be obsessed with rubber spatulas. At present, I have no less than eight in my kitchen drawer. But I call that passionate, not obsessed.
Do I need eight spatulas? No. Do I feel better about having backups in case something happens to seven of them? Absolutely.
You don’t need to be as passionate about rubber spatulas as I am, but I strongly recommend you invest in at least one good one, and that would be Rubbermaid’s commercial high-heat spatula.
Rubber Spatulas vs Silicone Spatulas
First of all, let’s clear something up: Rubber spatulas are really silicone spatulas.
While most people (myself included) call all of these “rubber” spatulas, they’re actually made of silicone, which is what enables them to stand up to the higher temperatures. It’s kind of like referring to all food containers as Tupperware.
The Best Rubber Spatula: Rubbermaid’s High Heat Scraper
How often have you been left holding the handle of a fractured rubber spatula while attempting to scrape out cookie dough from a bowl?
Unlike the flimsy spatulas you encounter hanging from a clip display in the baking aisle of your grocery store, this silicone spatula is durable enough to withstand a plunge into the firmest of cookie doughs. I have yet to break one!
Are they the most decorative items I’ve ever purchased? Not really. But when it comes to getting the job done in the kitchen, I’m not looking for beauty contest winners. These are the very same rubber spatulas I used in commercial kitchens as a newbie chef, so I never doubt they’ll take care of business in my home kitchen.
They’re also high-heat resistant because the head is made of silicone, which means they can scrape off the sides of those pans of melted sugar.
I own the 9 1/2-inch and 13 1/2-inch sizes, both of which are ideal for those who do any cooking or baking. Grab the larger one for scraping down large mixing bowls full of batter. The small one is a go-to for smoothing icings or spreads on your next cake or bun recipe.
For me, a rubber spatula is as essential to a home kitchen as a cook is. However, it’s much more acceptable to have more than one of the former than it is of the latter—at least in my kitchen.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Marta Rivera
Marta Rivera is trained chef with over 20 years in the culinary field and the blogger behind Sense & Edibility. She graduated from the Baltimore International Culinary College with degrees in Culinary Arts and Classical Pastries. Her cookbook is Taste and See Cooks.
More from Marta LEGGI TUTTO
The one tool to make the prettiest, bakery-worthy pies at home. Continue reading “One Simply Terrific Thing: Pastry and Pasta Wheel” » LEGGI TUTTO
Cheap and versatile, the flexible dough or bench scraper fits into any mixing bowl and can be used in all sorts of handy ways around the kitchen. Continue reading “One Simply Terrific Thing: A Flexible Dough Scraper” » LEGGI TUTTO
If you’d like to support Kei & Molly Textiles and get a hold of some wonderful goods at the same time, they’re offering Simply Recipes readers a 10% discount on their Gardener’s Delight Bundle ($38), a special gift bundle they’ve assembled for the holiday season!
The bundle includes their popular Bees and Tree of Life flour sack dish towels, two Lavender Sprigs sponge cloths (which are super absorbent and naturally biodegradable), and four sweet vinyl stickers.
Enter code SIMPLYRECIPES10 at checkout. A fantastic gift for you, a beloved home cook, or the favorite gardener in your life!
Please note while we encourage you to peruse and purchase all their goods, the 10% discount only applies to the Gardener’s Delight Bundle. LEGGI TUTTO
Ingredient GuidesOne Simply Terrific Thing
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes aren’t just a fancy salt; they’re a cooking essential and deserve a space in every home cook’s pantry.
Photography Credit: Sheela Prakash
Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools, kitchen goods, and ingredients that make life better!
I am someone who will add more items to my online shopping cart in order to get free shipping—which is exactly how a box of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes ($6 for an 8.5 ounce box) landed in my kitchen.
I was dubious about bringing another salt into my kitchen. Isn’t one enough? But my food friends had been singing the praises of Maldon for years, so I was curious what the fuss was all about.
Now I am so glad I added it to my cart, because I’ve joined them in the praise!
FINISHING SALT VS COOKING SALT
Maldon’s flaky sea salt is a finishing salt, not a cooking salt—which is what distinguishes it from kosher salt, table salt, and other salts you may have in your pantry.
When you sprinkle salt all over chicken or vegetables before roasting, you do it with a cooking salt to season food while it cooks. But a finishing salt is used to season food at the end of cooking instead of at the beginning.
There are three reasons why Maldon is specifically a finishing salt.
Its texture is wildly unique: Rather than evenly-sized granules, Maldon sea salt flakes are irregularly-shaped, pyramid-like crystals. Not only are they pretty to look at, they lend a lovely crunch to dishes.
Their flavor isn’t all salt. In fact, it’s quite delicate and a bit briny.
It’s sold in small quantities: The box of Maldon sea salt flakes is quite small, so it would be a waste to lose the crunch and flavor by dissolving it into soups or sauces.
HOW TO USE MALDON SEA SALT FLAKES IN YOUR COOKING
There are endless ways to use Maldon sea salt flakes! Every night, I sprinkle a pinch on our basic green salad that graces the table, which always makes it a lot more interesting. Scrambled eggs usually get a sprinkle when they’re on my plate, too, as does avocado toast, simple seared steak or fish, and pretty much all sautéed veggies.
Where the real fun comes in, though, is dessert! Top your favorite chocolate chip cookies or brownies with a pinch before they head into the oven, or try a sprinkle on a bowl of your favorite pudding (chocolate or butterscotch are especially well-suited).
Since the salt crystals are large and you’re sprinkling the salt right on top, they won’t dissolve into your treat. Rather, you’ll be left with a lightly salty crunch that offsets the sweetness beautifully.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Sheela Prakash
Sheela Prakash is a food and wine writer, recipe developer, and the author of Mediterranean Every Day. Her writing and recipes can be found in numerous online and print publications, including Kitchn, Epicurious, Food52, Serious Eats, Tasting Table, The Splendid Table, Culture Cheese Magazine, Clean Plates, and Slow Food USA.Sheela received her master’s degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, holds Level 2 and Level 3 Awards in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), graduated from New York University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, and is also a Registered Dietitian.
More from Sheela LEGGI TUTTO
Hard brown sugar, be gone! This magic brown sugar keeper ensures you’ll have soft, pliable brown sugar whenever your baking requires it.
Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools and kitchen goods that make life better!
It would only be a slight exaggeration to say that brown sugar and butter are two of my favorite food groups. Brown sugar is a must for my favorite holiday cookies, but it also finds it way into winter squash, stir fries, glazes for vegetables and salmon, and best of all, candied bacon!
There’s only one problem: I am usually fighting a hard brick of sugar, and that adds about 10 minutes to my projected cooking time, not to mention a boatful of aggravation.
But one day I found a brown sugar keeper that solved all those problems.
HOW TO SOFTEN BROWN SUGAR: OTHER WAYS
Before I had a designated brown sugar keeper, I tried the trick of adding apple slices to my brown sugar and enclosing it in a plastic bag. That yielded unappetizing and shriveled apples, and the sugar was still mostly hard.
Next I tried microwaving those brown sugar bricks with a damp paper towel, to mixed results. I was still doing battle with more than a few hard clumps and dealing with melted, gooey sugar. And the same irritation of having to wrestle with a bag of sugar!
Progressive International’s Brown Sugar Keeper
I’m not a big fan of single-purpose tools or gadgets, but one day, out shopping in my favorite discount store, I saw this brown sugar container by Progressive International ($13 from Amazon).
(Discount stores have a strange effect on my brain. My resolve to stay focused and on budget usually melts with the first shiny object on the shelf that catches my eye. For a cook, a shiny object could be a brown sugar keeper. We have small but important desires.)
Could such a purchase—we’re not talking about breaking the bank here, friends—make a difference in my life? The short answer is: yes!
I’ve had this keeper for about eight months, and I can tell you, when I need a tablespoon of brown sugar for a marinade or stir-fry, I no longer have to scrape the top off a block of brown sugar cement.
It’s not rocket science to understand how the brown sugar keeper works; it’s just a very efficient way of using the apple trick. A terra cotta disk soaked in water attaches to the lid of an attractive plastic container and helps keep the brown sugar from drying out. The airtight lid closes with a satisfying snap and the container can be stored at room temperature.
It’s like having a stone in your shoe, and suddenly, the stone is gone. You didn’t even notice how much it bothered you until you started to enjoy your walk without the nuisance of that pesky little stone. LEGGI TUTTO
