Cool Tools in the Kitchen - Kevin Kelly [19]
—Ted Boydston
Mr. Bento Lunch Jar
$50
Manufactured by Zojirushi
Available from Amazon
Fridge-Free Butter
Butter Bell
Some folks are comfortable leaving out the butter, as-is on the counter for days on end. For those who aren’t, but still want the convenience and pleasure of a steady, safe supply of spreadable-yet-fresh butter: You’ll love the Butter Bell.
Begin by leaving a stick of butter on the counter for an hour, or just long enough to soften it up. Place the butter in the Bell, then add a little water to the base. This creates an airtight seal around the butter, discouraging bacteria. Voilà! You’ll never again be stuck trying to spread rock-hard butter on a piece of toast.
It’s a design that’s been around in various forms for centuries.
—Bryn-Ane MacKinnon
Butter Bell Crock
$20
Manufactured by Tremain, Inc.
Available from Amazon
Best Indoor Compost Bucket
Norpro Stainless Steel Pail
What’s truly superb about this countertop pail—aside from its fun design, reminiscent of a classic galvanized trash can—is that it’s made of stainless steel and is dishwasher safe. We fill ours daily with kitchen waste—messy coffee grounds, used tea leaves, aging cornmeal mush, soggy cucumbers—but a quick cycle in the dishwasher and it looks almost as good as new. Years ago I used a plastic bucket designed to perform the same task, but it was difficult to keep clean and less rugged for trips to our backyard compost bin (the lid kept breaking). Since it gets banged around inside the house and out, I prefer this stainless steel, one gallon-capacity model to its ceramic lookalike.
Yes, there are many clever ways to repurpose some other household container into a waystation for outbound kitchen waste, but I haven’t seen one work as well as this sturdy, ventilated design. The charcoal filters keep rotting smells in check, while allowing for airflow. Frequent trips to empty a simple Tupperware container would be fine, but our bin’s about 30 feet from the back door. With this one-gallon pail, we only end up heading out there every other day.
—Elon Schoenholz
Norpro 94 Stainless-Steel Composter Keeper (1 Gallon/4QT/3.8L)
$40
Available from Amazon
Replacement Filters (2 piece)
$4
Manufactured by Norpro
One-Handed Towel Dispenser
Kamenstein Paper Towel Holder
Most free-rolling paper towel dispensers just don’t work for me. Since I do a lot of food prep from my wheelchair, I can only grip with one hand. The genius of this “Perfect Tear” dispenser is how it allows enough freedom for the roll to unwind with a steady pull; yet, there’s still enough friction to prevent further unwinding when you pull to detach the sheet.
The secret? 1) The center post is a series of bowed wires that contract and hold the paper roll snugly in place; and 2) The base weighs about four pounds, which adds stability.
No more chasing unwinding rolls of paper across the kitchen floor. Or getting five sheets when I only need one. Better still, it works just as well at the end of the roll as it does at the start. When a roll is out of sheets, just unscrew the top cap, slide off the cardboard tube, push on another roll and replace the cap. All of this can be easily performed one-handed.
After a couple of years, it’s still well worth the precious space it’s claimed on my very limited counter.
—Eric Eales
Kamenstein Paper Towel Holder
$29
Manufactured by Kamenstein
Available from Amazon
6. Books
* * *
Food Answers
On Food and Cooking
This is the smartest book in my kitchen. It’s where I go whenever I have a question about what I am eating, or the science behind its preparation. Simply the best source for understanding food and how it works. Now in its updated second edition. Covers ingredients from all over the world and time. Awesome, encyclopedic.
—KK
McGee, Harold. 2004.