In the Kitchen...Some Nice Little Kitchen Helpers

We have covered a lot of kitchen equipment items this year…here are a few that don’t fit neatly into any of our previous posts, but that we have found we really like!

First is a new, improved version of something we had both used years ago, but abandoned when integrated hose sprayers were incorporated into most sinks.  I found these Eurojet Faucet Sprayers at Bed, Bath and Beyond, and at about $13 each, I bought one for myself and one for Myrna.  We love them!  It pulls in or out to spray or have a stream of water; in the spray mode, it neatly rinses my whole sink.  They fit any standard kitchen faucet.  These are much better made than any older version we remember…if mine eventually gives out, I’ll have to get another. Myrna likes her so well that she bought her daughter and granddaughter each one for Christmas. Both had asked for them after using hers.

Next is a Hario Skerton coffee bean grinder.  I’ve actually had this one for 15 years…they still make them.  It uses ceramic stones to grind the beans very evenly, is adjustable to your desired grind, and has lasted me forever in daily use.  It takes me just minutes to grind enough beans for a pot of coffee without any electricity, it fits in my cabinet instead of having to set on the counter, and if you break the jar it fits a regular mason jar.  I like my coffee freshly ground!

Myrna recently bought a small frying pan like one she used to have years ago.  This six-inch one is from Toastmaster and is just the right size for one serving.  It’s less than $20 at Walmart.  She finds she’s more inclined to cook for herself when she has the right-size pans.

I also purchased two new styles of measuring cups…a Frigoverre quart pitcher with comfortable handle and a lid and an Anchor Hocking one-cup triple pour measuring cup with embossed measurement lines.  It has a lid also, and plenty of markings so I can measure just what I want.  The Frigoverre pitcher is tall.  I can mix and store right in the container  and it's perfect for whipping cream, pudding, beating eggs or egg whites.  It costs about $12.  The Anchor Hocking one-cup measure is about $8 with the lid;  I have seen them cheaper without lids at Walmart…but lids are gold…they save on plastic wrap and let you store as well as measure.  The embossed markings never fade away.

Here's another nice helper, a shaker top that fits on any regular mouth mason jar.  This one has a cover, and works perfectly for homemade cinnamon-sugar mixture (shown), seasoning mixes, flour for dredging meat or using on your bread-pastry board, and even on cocktail shakers!

If you’re looking for something to buy with your Christmas gift money, we recommend any one of these!