Cool Tools in the Kitchen - Kevin Kelly [16]
—Bob Callaway
$8 (12″ spoon)
Available from Amazon
$25 (6 various utensils)
Available from Re:modern
Heat-Activated Frozen Treat Scoop
Zeroll Ice Cream Scoops
Unfortunately for my waist, I love ice cream. For a long time, I accepted the fact I either had to strengthen my wrist muscles, leave out the ice cream to soften up, or run the frozen tub or spoon under hot water before digging in (which dilutes the ice cream if you forget to dry it off beforehand). Not anymore.
The trick to this scoop is a heat-conductive fluid sealed inside the handle and business end. The heat from your hand warms the fluid, which lets you scoop easier and quicker. I find it can scoop ice cream from ice cream tubs that are hard as a rock, like a spoon through a tub of margarine.
This Zeroll scoop is not dishwasher safe, and must be hand-washed in warm or luke warm water (the fluid in the handle can’t take any hotter). It comes in different sizes from two to four ounces, in either a silver aluminum or Anodized Teflon finish. I opted for the two-ounce aluminum scooper because I’ve heard the Teflon finish wears off over time.
It’s worth mentioning that I learned of the Zeroll from a cooking magazine. They tested various scoopers to settle on one that makes the “perfect, round scoop.” The Zeroll won.
—Ethan Stettner
Zeroll Ice Cream Scoops
$16
Manufactured by The Zeroll Company
Available from Amazon
Safe Can Opener
Kuhn Rikon Safety Lid Lifter
It may be a terribly long and unwieldy name, but it is far and away the coolest can opener I have ever used.
Why? The blade cuts into the can below the rim so the lid never falls into the food, and the blade doesn’t touch the food either. You can use it to open “pop top” lids as well. A can opened with this tool will have no sharp edges. Apparently it works for both righties and lefties (not tried). Best of all you can challenge your friends by handing them the opener and a can and watch them figure out how to use it.
—Marsh Gardiner
Kuhn Rikon Safety Lid Lifter
$20
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Kuhn Rikon
Evenly Floured Surfaces
Best Flour Duster
This flour duster allows for remarkably light and even dusting of dough or a work surface. You simply squeeze the wire handle, which expands the spring bulb so that the wires have space between them. Stick it in a bag of flour, stop squeezing and the spring bulb closes around a golf-ball-sized wad of flour. Then, shake it over a work surface squeezing gently—I tap it over my free hand ala David Byrne’s “Once in a Lifetime”—and voilà: A very even dusting is achieved. I’ve used this flour duster for five years, and have found nothing else that can compete.
—Robert Narracci
Best Flour Duster
$9
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Best Manufacturers
Slim, Mess-Free Portioning
Spice Jar Measuring Spoons
Unlike traditional measuring spoons resembling those intended for stirring and eating, these stainless steel Spice Jar Measuring Spoons are rectangular in shape with a narrower profile. Translation: They fit easily through the small opening of a spice container. Bonus: If the container’s opening has a straight edge, you can level the scoop as you withdraw the spoon.
In addition, the set contains two sizes that aren’t normally included with the average measuring spoon set: 1/8 and 3/4 teaspoons. I find the 3/4 spoon particularly handy in that two 3/4 teaspoons equals 1/2 tablespoon, a measurement I frequently encounter after scaling down a recipe.
After three years of daily use, I’ve found no down-side to using these sturdy spoons for all my measuring needs—liquid or dry. Given their advantage with small containers, I see little reason to use traditional measuring spoons other than a slightly lower cost.
—David King