Kitchen Gadgets Guide: The Essentials vs. The Clutter | Cooking Tips, Recipes & Kitchen Inspiration

Jody and Kirstie’s Kitchen Gadget Essentials

Are your kitchen drawers overflowing with tools you never use?

Today is going to be a fun one because we are raiding our kitchen drawers. That is right. We are talking about kitchen gadgets and the tools that actually spark joy versus the ones that are just gathering dust.

We discuss the absolute essentials that every home cook should own. Including a bouquet of strainers and the right pair of tongs. Jody and Kirstie share the magic of the microplane, the importance of a Y-Peeler, how to treat your wooden cutting board and why you should recycle your pasta grabber immediately.

Jody and Kristie also reveal who rolls out dough and cookies with a rolling pin and who bakes with a wine bottle.

Find your next kitchen gadget here!

Key Takeaways

• What We Ate: Kirstie’s secret roasted potato snack (with a specific mayo-to-ketchup ratio) and Jody’s "duelling soups" challenge.
• The Bouquet of Strainers: Why you need a fine mesh strainer (the "Romper Room" size) and a bamboo spider for pasta and blanching.
• The Essential List: The magic of the Microplane (Rasp), why tongs are an extension of the hand, and the importance of a Y-peeler.
• Baking Tools: The debate between French rolling pins and wine bottles.
• Cutting Board 101: The truth about wood versus plastic and how to sanitize your wood board using salt and lemon.
• Gadgets We Love (and Hate): The practicality of an oyster shucker, the surprising utility of a pineapple corer, and why you should recycle your pasta grabber.

Chef Over Your Shoulder is our podcast about the connections we make through cooking. Pairing professional Chefs Jody O'Malley and Kirstie Herbstreitand from the Culinary Studio with me, a burn-to-the-bottom-of-the-pan expert, creates the perfect “recipe” to demystify the kitchen and bring back the joy of cooking…without the pressure.

Links and Resources

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