102 Comments
Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

Listen. Am I getting glass fermentation weights delivered today to complete my transformation into Hot Sauce Man?

MIND YOUR BUSINESS.

Did I get a 6 pack of plastic squeeze bottles also?

YOUR BUSINESS, MIND IT.

Favorite gadget? I love my giant mortar and pestle.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

I know you just had a great idea for the blowtorch, but burning down the gadget closet isn’t the best way to clean it.

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Listen, Cookbook, just because you're storing the one infomercial purchase of the combination children's hair comb (give them wavy locks, like you see on TV!), paint scraper (for when you want that lovely zebra look!), and bread pan divider(wheat on the left, rye on the right!) in the kitchen gadget closet doesn't mean it ONLY counts as that.

Anyway, my favorite kitchen gadget is a relatively simple choice, and one I'd suggest for all my left-handed brethren out there - the left-handed wooden spatula. The point is on the other side of the slightly-cupped head, and it makes SO MUCH MORE difference than you'd think. One time, we were out of other clean spatulae, and my wife wanted to cook something, so she used it. She is right-handed, and the complaining and moaning about it were constant for about ten minutes, until I said, "now you know why I bought it - that's how I had to deal with things for decades."

Also, for you: https://i.postimg.cc/htFp0P8s/IMG-2269.jpg

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founding

"Slide those aside, and we’ll find the meat grinder and the ice cream maker, both of which get used a couple times a year. (Usually not at the same time.)

(Although, hmm. Note to self?)"

Spilly, nooooooooo

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founding
Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

My second-favorite kitchen gadget is my sous-vide stick. As an apartment-dweller, it's a great way to make a steak without filling up the entire place with smoke. Plus there are so many other great low-effort, high return recipes you can make using a sous-vide stick; it's not just for steak.

My favorite kitchen gadget though is my vacuum sealer. It's obviously essential for the sous-vide, but it makes freezing meat, soups, and sauces so much easier, especially since I have a small freezer (deli containers take up a lot of space that I don't necessarily have). Other favorite gadgets are my instant-read thermometer and microplane grater.

Most underrated gadget: a sharpie. I think I have more sharpies in my kitchen than I do at my desk.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

Look, I got that third grill in the most Midwestern way possible: I took it because otherwise my in-laws would have thrown it away. (Have I ever used it? Well, it certainly makes a nice stand for the grill covers for either of the charcoal grills I actually use.)

I'm not sure my Dutch oven counts as a gadget, but it is certainly my favorite kitchen tool (okay, favorite behind the chefs knife). Most ridiculous is the set of pottery lids so I can turn ramekins into pot-de-crème pots.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

I reject Alton Brown’s opinion on unitaskers. I love my garlic press and will continue to use it until it breaks. I don’t keep my knives sharp enough nor do I have the knife skills to get a fine dice with garlic. Meanwhile, with the garlic press I don’t even need to peel the clove before pressing it!

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

BONUS QUESTION: Can you guess what this is?

BONUS ANSWER: I'm not going to dignify that question with an answer.

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aside from the cast iron pan, which is not necessarily a gadget as much as it is "the goddamn lifeblood of my kitchen," I'm gonna go with the non-branded, sword-shaped grater that looks curiously like The Master Sword from the Zelda series. half is for the novelty of Zelda-pilling my entire apartment, half of it is because I use it to grate cloves of fresh garlic all the time.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

ACBN Christmas Kitchen Wish List in August.

My go to is a vacuum sealer that goes nice with my little deep freezer. I may be on the East Coast, but still Midwestern at heart (and prep). For cooking definitely my grill plates and baskets, I love skewers but not the whole skewing part.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

it's a soprano washboard so your jug band can harmonize

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

Also, re: your three grills: we don’t have one, so all you need is a couple more weirdos to help with your average 😂

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

Bonus question: it’s for cutting potatoes or other root vegetables so that they have a pleasing wavy line to them, or alternatively putting a child to work as a sous chef without giving them an actual knife. If this is wrong, I’m blaming my wife, but since she’s the cook in the house I trust her judgement.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

The mystery tool is used when you need to get rows of flour/powdered sugar lined up *just right*

As for the favorite kitchen tool, it resides outside. The flat top insert for the gas grill.

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Oh that thing is a do-it-yourself cardboard corrugator.

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Aug 24, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

I refuse to go a meal without my Pampered Chef garlic press. I have tried other brands, none compare. Some days you just need to mince 4-10 cloves of garlic as quickly as possible.

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