Reviews about Cooking Tools & Gadgets

ladym33 says "I Like My Farberware Lever Ice Cream Scoop" about Farberware Lever Ice Cream Scoop

ladym33 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:22:51 GMT

A few weeks ago my trusty Pampered Chef Ice cream scoop that I bought many years ago went missing. I didn't panic I figured it would show up somewhere, sometime. But after a couple of weeks it still had not shown back up yet. It was getting old anyways and the coating on the metal was begining to peal off so I decided it was time to just get a new one. I happened to be at Big Lots buying my son some new sheets for his new bed and I decided to peak at their gadget section to see if they had any good ice cream scoops there.

I spotted two different kinds and one was a Farberware Basics Lever Ice Cream Scoop for $5.99. The price was right and I know that Farberware is a good brand so I snatched it up.

The Farberware Lever Ice Cream Scoop is black in color all except for the actual scoop which is made of heavy duty stainless steel. The handle is a bit on the thick side and they call this an easy grip handle, it is easy to grip so I guess that is true. There is a whole at the...

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sxynblond2 says "The only knife you will ever buy in your lifetime -- AWESOME" about Henckels Kitchen knives

sxynblond2 — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:24:41 GMT

My x husband was goijng to school to be a chef in St Augustine, FL years ago when I was only 22 years old. We were on a tight tight really tight budget and he insisted we purchase these outrageously expensive knives. I fell inl love with them they are truely the best and the only knife that anyone who can afford to spend money on quality should buy. They sharpen up easily with the stone which rarely has to be used if they are taken care of properly and never placed in a dishwasher and wiped off with a cloth and replaced in the block after use. They have to be handled with respect and they will give you more than you ever expected from a knife. Be careful when chopping they are sooooo sharp that you can cut yourself and not even know you are cut, yes they are THAT sharp and keep the sharp edge without having to have them sharpened professionally. It a must have for any culinary enthusiast or up and coming chef or professional currently working in the field.

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dwyerkim says "no more chopping garlic!" about Pampered Chef Garlic Press

dwyerkim — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:34:44 GMT

No one likes peeling and chopping garlic. And the stuff in a jar just doesn't match up to a fresh bulb of garlic in your cooking. I had used other garlic preses, and aside from making my hand hurt they really didn't do much. This press is great. You can place a whole clove, or two smaller cloves, into the chamber and squeeze to get pressed garlic. There is no need to peel the cloves first, the skins stay behind to be tossed out. It comes with a cleaning tool--I seem to have lost mine but a sharp knife blade easily pops the leftover skins into the trash. I do peel the garlic first if I plan to press a lot of garlic, I just find that to be easier than to keep cleaning out the press. Since I got this press, the number of times I've actually chopped garlic are very few. The only downside I can see to this is that it is a "one-use" type of kitchen tool... I think they say you can press ginger with it but I have not had much luck doing that. But well worth it for garlic!

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TunefulGal says "This little piggy presses bacon and..." about Norpro Pig Bacon Press

TunefulGal — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:09:49 GMT

... quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers and... it's the product of Norco, located in Washington state, and producer of many baking items and kitchenware.

This little piggy's made of cast iron, a rust hazard if you don't properly season it before using for cooking. Directions for preparing and cooking with the eight-and-a-half inch long Norco Pig are included. Why FOUR STARS? Because I've never pressed before! Somewhere out there, there may be a blah-er looking but more outstanding bacon press.

I first saw the piggy in the Harrington's of Vermont* catalog. It looked identical to the Norco, except that Harrington's was described as made of cast aluminum. While the cast aluminum pig wouldn't need seasoning and might clean up better, I like better the weight and heat conductivity of cast iron. Be careful though. A cast iron press can damage the surface of non-stick pans if not used with extreme gracefulness!

What does a bacon press do? Well the counterman...

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Motorpenguin says "Easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store!" about Chef'n SleekSlice Collapsible Hand-Held Mandoline

Motorpenguin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:09:27 GMT

Upon seeing the small storing size and even better low price, I decided to purchase this Chef'n slicer and give it a try.

Definitely worth the money. In my small apartment, it takes up little space in the cabinet and slices like a dream! It washes in the dishwasher and folds back up together to put away. It also has an adjustable blade for a few different thicknesses of slices. Sits nicely above the counter to leave room for the slices.

If you need a nice housewarming or shower gift, this is a neat gadget that's within the gift budget.

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dmlichnerowicz says "Wow, my life on holidays just got SO much easier!" about Pampered Chef Meat Lifters

dmlichnerowicz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:46:20 GMT

For years, we made huge messes on holidays, trying to move turkeys and hams from their baking dishes onto a cutting board. I bent more dinner forks and knives trying to fenagle hot, dripping birds out of roasting pans, to say nothing of the mess! So when I hosted a Pampered Chef party, these handy gadgets were at the top of my list!

The Pampered Chef Meat Lifters come as a set of two four-tined forks, made of stainless steel. Each is dishwasher safe and comes with its own protective plastic covers to safely store the lifters without exposed tines. They are covered by an extended manufacturer's guarantee and cost $28.00. Dishwasher-safe, these meat lifters can hold up to 30 lbs of meat!

I am so happy with the Pampered Chef Meat Lifters! I have not ruined any more silverware, and my holiday cooking is much easier. I can lift an entire ham out of the pan by myself, although I still get an extra set of hands to steady the pan when doing anything bigger than about 8 lbs. They...

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AnnaBanana says "If you didn't try to depend on THIS, be thankful!" about Hoan Ten Inch Poly Turker Baster

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:05:22 GMT

I was fortunate enough to be invited to eat someone ELSE's turkey on Thanksgiving but yesterday what went around came around and it was my turn to cook. This year I tried my best to be organized, to avoid last-minute desperation runs to the store, misplaced items, etc. As part of this campaign to Be Prepared (as the Boy Scouts would say), I had made absolutely positively sure that I was equipped with a turkey baster -- the Hoan Ten Inch Poly Turkey Baster to be exact, which had cost $1.49 at Peapod. There I was in the morning with a 14 lb. turkey which nearly filled the roasting pan which was almost impossible to pick up (God gives us strength we don't know we have for occasions like this!) and only then did I realize that the Hoan Ten Inch Poly Turkey Baster didn't work.

You may be familiar with this type of device which consists of a plastic sheath topped with a rubber bulb. One squeezes the bulb, forcing air out of the bulb and the sheath, then plunges the other end of the...

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PattyTherre says "The Micro Hot Plate keeps hot food HOT!" about Micro Hot Plate Thermal-Insulating Stone Plate

PattyTherre — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:36:51 GMT

Quick View: I am no domestic diva but I love food that is HOT, not warm. recently, I was given a Micro Hot Plate Thermal-Insulating Stone Plate and didn't even know what it was. I found out that it is a very effective hot plate that keeps food hot much longer than simply setting the bowl on a regular hot plate. It doesn't burn fingers either!

My Take on the Micro Hot Plate Thermal-Insulating Stone Plate

This hot plate is 6"x6", a bit small for my taste but will hold a casserole dish or large bowl just fine. It has a smooth marble surface and two handles to carry the plate. To use, you just warm it in the microwave for up to four minutes. The smooth top will be very hot but the handles remain cool.

The bottom also stays cool so there is no worry of burning the table or other surfaces. The plate keeps foods hot for at least a couple of hours. We used the Micro Hot Plate Thermal-Insulating Stone Plate to set a casserole on and it stayed incredibly hot for a long time. We all like hot foods...

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adamscar3 says "The Pampered Chef Food Chopper is a mixed bag. " about Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Food Chopper

adamscar3 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:31:26 GMT

I purchased the Pampered Chef Food Chopper because I love most Pampered Chef products and thought it would make my life easier. What I found is that it as you chop, it doesn't stay in place well and the product you're chopping doesn't get evenly chopped. Some pieces end up chopped smaller and other pieces stay larger. Firmer foods, like carrots, tend to chop better than softer products, like tomatos. I also find that you can only chop a small amount of product at one time. Especially for the price, I didn't find that the Pampered Chef Food Chopper worked as well as I would like. On the bright side, it's small, easy to store, and cleans rather easily....

Elwoodsc says "Love this product!" about Pampered Chef Mix-n-Chop Tool

Elwoodsc — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:39:20 GMT

A friend recently had a Pampered Chef party, I wasn't looking forward to it because I thought I had all the "gadgets" from there that I would actually use. Then I saw the "Mix and Chop Tool" and knew that was exactly what I'd be ordering.

My family likes their ground meat in chili and sauces to be in pretty fine pieces. Previously we had been taught a little trick about boiling the ground meat to cook it, which helps break it up pretty quickly. But it is a somewhat tedious process to have to boil, breakup & then drain all the meat. Since we bought the "Mix and Chop" we don't have to boil it anymore to get it into small pieces. This tool works perfect. We even had family over for taverns and my brother used the "Mix and Chop" and asked where we got it because he loved it so much and wanted to get one for their household.

I have read some of the comments saying this doesn't work, that a fork or spatula works better, or that everything sticks to the bottom of the tool. I guess I'm not sure...

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theann says "Perfect for people that eat pizza a lot." about Presto Pizzazz Machine

theann — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:51:25 GMT

Our family eats pizza a lot, and this is a really useful product. It wasn't super expensive. I think we bought it for around 30 dollars. It does a really super great job on cooking pizza. All you have to do is plug it in, and then turn the timer on and it starts to cook. Then once time is up, it automatically starts cooling, so it doesn't get burned if you leave it on too long. It spins too, so the heat gets all the way around the pizza. Top and bottom. It also cooks them a lot faster. The oven burns them, and it just doesn't work. This is made for pizza. The only thing that I don't like, is that it doesn't cook larger pizzas, just 12 inch. But that really doesn't matter. I also love that it doesn't take up too much room. Instead of a big pizza oven, it just fits on the corner of your countertop. I would definitely reccomend this for any family that eats a lot of pizza, and doesn't like it burnt. It is worth the money.

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pitcherday says "Slice and chop easily without cutting your hands!" about As Seen On TV Vidalia Slice Wizard

pitcherday — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:15:50 GMT

My luck with As Seen On TV products is hit-or-miss. The Vidalia Slice Wizard is a definite hit, the out-of-the-park kind. This makes slicing, dicing, and julienne cutting of vegetables easy and quick!

The Vidalia Slice Wizard is a plastic ramp with a non-skid leg that folds out and holds the slicer at a 45 degree angle. There are two metal cutting blades that come together and form a deep "V" in the middle of the ramp. The slicer comes with five different inserts for the cutting blade: thin julienne, thick julienne, thick slicing, thin slicing, and medium slicing. It also comes with a safety insert to place in the blades for storage, comes with a safety holder to hold the item being sliced, and a storage rack to hold all of the different slicing inserts.

The safety holder is bell shaped and has a plunger with sharp prongs on it. You stick the fruit or vegetable onto the prongs and your hands are protected from the sharp slicing blades. There are arrows on the safety holder to show you how...

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DizzyKiz says "Very Useful" about Pampered Chef Apple Wedger

DizzyKiz — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:09:17 GMT

The Pampered Chef Apple Corer/Slicer was my second purchase from Pampered Chef. I was able to try out this product before I committed to purchasing it. As soon as I saw how easily it slid through the apple, I was hooked and purchased one immediately.

I had preciously owned a store-brand apple slicer which was the pitts. It could barely cut through the apple peel and I was sure I was going to slice a chunk of my hand off my the amount of pressure I had to apply to get it to move through the apple. After this expereince I was a bit apprehensive about buying another slicer, but thought that perhaps knowing Pampered Chef's reputation for quality, it might be worth trying. Boy, am I glad that I did!

Living in the midwest my family and I love picking apples every fall, bushels full of apples. My kids eat at least one apple a day, usually 2 or more. Having this great corer/slicer makes it so quick and easy to prepare an apple for my kiddos.

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tigres13 says "wonderful piece of gadgetry" about Oxo 6.5" Garlic Press

tigres13 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:45:08 GMT

I picked this up a couple of weeks ago during a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond. I love adding garlic to my meals and have always found peeling and cutting garlic to be bothersome. I am able to put the whole garlic clove in this press and squeeeeeze and out comes freshly pressed garlic without all the hassle. It can be kind of hard to squeeze with those more stubborn cloves but all in all it is a very sturdy piece of equipment. If you decide to take off the skin you can get even more garlic out when you do press it though this gadget. It is super easy to clean because it comes apart cleanly and those little red nubbies help to push the excess out. It is also dishwasher safe so that is a huge plus. The handles have these great rubber grips that make it even easier to hold when you are using it. It is compact enough to fit in my gadget drawer and easy to find because of the red nubs. It is a high quality brand that I expect to be using for many many years to come.

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dmlichnerowicz says "Brilliant tool to cut down on all the junk in my kitchen drawers" about Pampered Chef Adjustable Measuring Spoons

dmlichnerowicz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:35:10 GMT

I hate measuring spoon sets. If they are detachable from their ring, I can never find them and they go MIA in my drawer. If they're on a permanent ring, using just one gets them all dirty! Someone with a brilliant mind at Pampered Chef created a nifty little gadget that removes both those irritations from my life!

The Pampered Chef Adjustable Measuring Spoons come as a set of two: the smallest spoon measures from 1/8 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, and the larger spoon measures from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon. Each spoon has an adjustable slider with a comfortable thumb grip that move up and down on the spoon to give you just the right amount for each ingredient. The spoon is shaped to fit right into spice jars, so there's no more ridiculous shaking of spices into spoons that are too small! The sliders can be removed for easy cleaning and pop off and on with ease. The spoons and sliders are dishwasher safe. You can purchase these spoons for $8.00 for the set, and it comes with a...

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dmlichnerowicz says "So many advantages...where to begin?" about Pampered Chef Large Grooved Cutting Board

dmlichnerowicz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:21:47 GMT

I try to keep my life fairly simple, and there are SOOO many kitchen products out there that my kitchen has become a hodge-podge of gadgets! One product that has eliminated a few of my extras has been the Pampered Chef Large Grooved Cutting Board. Since getting this one versatile staple. I have been able to get rid of several old small cutting boards and have avoided messes and extra clean-up time.

The Pampered Chef Large Grooved Cutting Board measures 18"x12" and is made of white nylon that is dishwasher safe. Around the upper and lower edges, there is a grey rubber material that prevents the cutting board from sliding on countertops. On the flat side, it has measurements in metric and standard so you can gauge the size when rolling out pastries and doughs that need to be specific sizes. On the flip side of the board, there is a deep groove all the way around the board that holds up to 3/4 cup of liquid, so you don't end up with a mess when cutting things like watermelon or...

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Jo says "My Silicone Grid saves burning or scratching surfaces" about Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid

Jo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:44:37 GMT

My Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid Trivet was an inexpensive ($2.00) impulse buy. You can find the company's website here: http://tinyurl.com/ybywr84 where you will see the assortment of silicone products made.

The Grid comes in red, blue, and black. I bought a black Silicone Grid Trivet. This was my first time using anything like this though if I see potholders and other items I could use I would for sure buy more items by Highly Evolved Housewares.

The Grid is a non-skid counter mat and it truly does not skid. I love the feel of it - soft and rubbery. I don't have to worry that it will scratch my oven, table, or counters.

The Grid is made with InSILate Technology making any thing up to 675 degrees alright to put on the Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid Trivet.

It is dishwasher safe and made in China. The Grid has a hole so you can hang it or just a place for me to hold on to it.

Highly Evolved Housewares Silicone Zone The Grid Trivet literally is a grid...

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JnsTurn says "Would not buy Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Food Chopper again." about Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Food Chopper

JnsTurn — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:19 GMT

I am typically pretty positive in product reviews because I don't generally keep products I'm not happy with.

I've had this Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Food Chopper for a few years now. I haven't used it for much except walnuts or pecans when baking. Most times though I find it easier to put the nuts in a plastic bag and roll or hit with a heavy wooden rolling pin.

I'm just not impressed with the PC Chopper. If I get a few too many nuts in the chopper, the soft plastic/rubber base falls off easily while chopping. Because the base is so shallow, of course the nuts end up spilled on the counter and floor. What a waste of nuts.

Because I wash dishes by hand (no dishwasher), the blade part on the chopper is very hard to wash. Too small of an area between the blades to get it clean without soaking for a time.

With a few improvements, I could see this being handy. As its, I would not buy this again.

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ecw2000 says "Super easy and fun kitchen tool!" about Pampered Chef Food Chopper

ecw2000 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:22:43 GMT

The Pampered Chef Food Chopper is one of my all time favorite products! I use it all of the time and it is so handy! It is so fun, too. How often can you say something like that about cooking and preparing food? If I am a little frustrated (easy trying to juggle so many "balls" and with a 3 1/2 year old daughter) I can release some of that frustration when I am chopping...

The Chopper is super easy and it separates for cleaning and is top-rack dishwasher safe. The stainless steel blades are very sharp and do not easily dull. It also comes with a protective rubber cap that also doubles as a "chopping board" for smaller items. A little tidbit: Knife and chopper blades won't dull if you use the Pampered Chef cutting boards! I have been known to chop broccoli into a very fine, almost powdery, consistency and mix into spaghetti sauce and my family doesn't know they are getting extra healthy goodies! Works great on nuts, chocolate and all veggies, etc.

If you have time...

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lindsayedens says "Fancy Salt & Pepper Shaker " about Crate and Barrel Mini Salt/Pepper Grinders

lindsayedens — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:10:38 GMT

Crate & Barrel always has fun items.. especially simple items like a salt & pepper shaker. We had a lot of gift cards from our recent wedding, so we went to C&B looking to upgrade on a few items. My husband picked out these Crate and Barrel Mini Salt/Pepper Grinders . They managed to make them slim, chic & easy to use... so I agreed that we should two. I really like this product because it is small and doeasn't take up too much space in the kitchen and can be taken onto the diiner table and still look classy. Their shiny steel outside matches our kitchen wonderfully. The only problem that I had was that sometimes the salt pieces get stuck in the grinder part of the shaker, but that can happen with any product like this. It was easy to open up to clear the piece that got stuck. I am very pleased with them and have had many compliments on them. I would recommend any modern household have a set!

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