photo by tokyofoodcast

My husband gave me a garlic press, and I don’t know how I went without one for so long. What was I thinking? I’ll tell you what I was thinking: I didn’t need it. Some purchases are investments in ourselves, such as items that offer comfort, knowledge, more time and sometimes just because it makes us happy. We can get by without gizmos, and for generations we have, but cooking can be more enjoyable with practical shortcuts.

The following are kitchen tools that won’t break the bank and will increase your happy factor. My top favorites are my wooden turner and pizza cutter.

MEAT TENDERIZER: Great for pounding out frustrations. It breaks down fibers and tenderizes meat, so the meat shrinks less. It reduces cooking and marinating time, and it improves the texture and flavor of your meat, poultry and fish. It works well to crush baking ingredients, too.

MEZZALUNA KNIFE AND BOARD: Great for dicing and chopping vegetables, nuts and herbs. The board has a concave bowl-like section that makes it easier than working on a flat surface. You can chop without lifting a knife. You simply rock it.

KITCHEN SHEARS: Can be used to cut foods like meat and poultry into strips, to trim fat or to snip herbs and vegetables. Easily cuts fruit, dough and cheese, too. Handy for cutting food containers and twine. You’ll discover that you’ll often grab these instead of your best knife.

PEPPER MILL/SALT GRINDER: Enhance the flavor of your food with fresh-ground peppercorn and coarse sea salt. Something simple yet sophisticated.

BASH ‘N CHOP: This is great for chopping and scooping what you’ve chopped. It minces, scrapes and slices, too. It’s a great companion for your cutting board, and, if you make dough, it’s an ideal scraper.

RICE COOKER: Perfect rice every time. Instant and overcooked rice will be a thing of the past. You don’t have to baby-sit it. A press of a button and you’re free to walk away.

FOOD CHOPPER: If you don’t feel up to the manual labor of chopping and mincing, a food chopper is a great buy. Thankfully, it’s smaller than a food processor. Life is just too short to wash those. Make your own dressings or blend sandwich fillings like tuna and egg salad with ease.

QUALITY KNIVES: Nothing beats having a good set of knives. It makes all the difference. If an entire set is too expensive, invest in a cook’s, bread, paring or utility knife and a sharpener.

SPATULA MIXER BLADE: Stand mixers are wonderful, but the paddles/beaters never swipe close enough to the sides of the mixing bowl. You have to get a rubber spatula to scrape the sides. This product solves that problem. They’re currently developing new blades to fit more mixer models. Visit SideSwipe Blade (www.sideswipeblade.com) for more details.

MICROPLANE GRATER: Grates and shreds cheese, fruit, onions, coconut, nuts, chocolate, etc. You’ll love it so much you ‘ll want several from their line. It’s a great replacement for standard box graters.

SILICONE BAKING MAT AND TOOLS: The mats make any baking pan nonstick, and you can use it as a countertop workspace. It’s flexible and easy to clean. Put it in the freezer, fridge, dishwasher, oven or microwave. Tired of melting spatulas? Get a silicone one.

ODOR-REMOVER STAINLESS-STEEL BAR: Keep this handy to remove food smells like garlic, fish and onions from your hands.

PEELER: Do your hands sometimes ache when using a knife for peeling potatoes? Peelers are cheap, take less effort and are comfortable to use.

SALAD SPINNER: Spin and dry salad greens quickly and easily. Say goodbye to soggy salads.

SOAP-DISPENSING DISH BRUSH: Fewer dish-liquid messes. Many have replaceable brushes. Sponges can harbor bacteria, but dish brushes dry quickly.

For frugal giggles look at this: Butter Wizard

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