OXO's origin story is really admirable: trying to design household utensils that enable older people to live independently longer, despite mobility impairments such as arthritis. It turns out, lots of people appreciate ergonomically designed items.
The majority of their products were first invented by Occupational Therapists hand making adaptive devices in the clinic for their patients with disabilities. These got picked up by medical device companies, and now are being widely marketed.
One point of correction - that Oxo mandoline *does* have a blade that you can remove, and it is hefty enough to sharpen with whatever you use for your knives. That is a great feature, and well worth highlighting.
Hopefully you're using a whetstone. Alternatively, 400 to 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper glued to a piece of plate glass. A lot of knife sharpeners targeted for home use are worthless.
Most people will probably ruin it if they attempt. I would, and I've had some experience sharpening. But, if someone more experienced than I is confident in their sharpening abilities, then good to know.
I'm a bit of a kitchen Gear Head myself. I'm known in my family (who all enjoy cooking) for giving top kitchen items as gifts, and the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press was one of the most popular. I was pleased this Christmas when my niece-in-law pointed out that just before coming to visit, they realized that they were happily using 5 prior gifts while cooking dinner.
This is a great video for me, as I have essential tremors. That makes chopping things by knife tedious at best, and dangerous at worst. Appreciate the thought that went into this.
Oh wow, it's unusual to meet another one of us in the wild. I switched to the y-peeler when my tremor developed. I definitely need to update my grater and I am going to consider the one I can put over an bowl.
That garlic press is really solid. Had it for several years and it has another bonus you didn't mention: it's solid enough to press ginger. Just pop in a slice of ginger, press, done. Really useful when you need finely grated ginger but you don't want to get a grater out and you need the garlic press anyways. So it's not limited to garlic. I used to have a salad spinner but it's a unitasker with little use in my kitchen so it went to goodwill. I just shake the lettuce out and that's good enough. I just make the dressing a little more concentrated and the extra water won't do any harm. I only want things in my kitchen that I actually use - everything else has to go. I'm not wasting storage space on unused items. PS: I would never buy a kitchen tool with a rubbery handle or made from plastic when there's a stainless version of it. All those rubbery grips decay after a while and turn sticky because the plastic dissolves and hard plastics don't do well in a dishwasher for too long because they turn brittle. A tool made from solid stainless steel like that garlic press can handle a dishwasher indefinitely, so it's a much better investment.
@@TracyKMainwaring If you have them, yes. We don't. We don't buy anything that needs ironing or doesn't go into a washer/dryer cycle. We much rather spend the saved time cooking and eating good stuff 🙂
As someone who has been cooking for thirty years with a borderline genius level IQ, how has this NEVER OCCURRED TO ME?? Thank you! It never fails to amaze me how sometimes other people have figured out something so sensible and helpful that I have been totally oblivious to 😂
I bought an Evo non aerosol sprayer that I've been happy with. Those air pressurized misters clogged and drew in particulates that caused the oil to prematurely deteriorate.
Thank you for validating my bulk garlic peeling technique. I'm so tired of all these food youtubers dissing the thing I've been doing for 15+ years for making big batches of pasta sauce, toum, etc. as unworkable. I found a flat square or rectangle-shaped container works best because with round containers, some of the cloves just spin around rather than impact the container sides. And metal or hard plastic tend to work more consistently than glass/Pyrex containers, though they all do work.
Love my little, Oxo slap chop! It enables me to chop garlic and nuts as fine as I want very easily. Those of us who need a little assistance in the kitchen appreciate it! And it's not hard to clean at all. Just pops apart and goes in the dishwasher.
If you have issues with your hands or general motor skills, I get why those things exist, but otherwise, a rock chop with a chefs knife will do the job very quickly. The fact that slap choppers can cut faster is made completely redundant by the fact that it then needs cleaning and drying, and it's even slower if you need to chop a larger quantity of stuff than will fit under it.
Yes exactly. I have the OXO slap chop and use it exclusively for nuts, seeds, and dried fruits like raisins. Anything that's too small to hold onto easily and prone to go flying when the knife makes contact. I would never use it for vegetables but it does have its uses. @fabe61 I don't have any trouble with my hands or motor skills, but I've yet to find a way to use a chef's knife to chop walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other very small hard items that is both safe for my fingers and doesn't make a mess. The slap chop does a great job and goes in the dishwasher when I'm done with it.
Gearheads is my fav!!! I got my mom some your recommendations for Christmas. She has never been happier with a pair of tongs. And we've tried sooo many over the years. THANK YOU!!!
@@tapp3r109 not large but we there are only two of us and we don't pack a lot in it. FYI - Ikea 365 snaplid rectangular containers are great for efficient food storage, they stack securely and hold way more than they look like they wood.
The slap chop has always reminded me of the nut copper my mom had in the 70s. I don't know what brand it was; it had a thick glass jar, metal lid that screwed onto the jar, and a metal chopper with spring action. It worked by repeatedly pressing the top of the chopper, or slapping it over & over, and Mom let us kids "go to town" chopping nuts with it. Her homemade chocolate chip cookies with chopped walnuts, that stayed soft in the cookie jar, were soooooo delicious! Her nut copper could have been a wedding gift in 1966, but I don't know for sure.
Zyliss. At least that's what it was in Europe. They had that Zick Zick Zyliss commercial representing the punching down on it. Worked just as miserable in the 70s. My mom tossed it after a while.
@@uweschroeder We just dug out ours and used it to chop carrots for a carrot salad. We think it was a wedding present, we will be married 51 years in August
@@rodgerbenson4319 Congratulations! That's a very long time. We're only at 28 years (35 living together). Still some years to go to get to 51 and I doubt we'll get that old (I'd have to make it well into my 80s to get there - we'll see). Since you must be a bit older to be married that long, you should be using a kitchen machine for shredding carrots. So much easier on the joints... I'm just using a box grater since a portion for 2 people is only like 3 carrots (shredded, with a little sour cream, lemon juice salt and pepper makes a great carrot salad when you let it sit for an hour and suck the juices out of the carrots)
Here in Argentina few years ago a large supermarket chain imported from China a paddle grater that had stamped teeth which were also grinded to maximize sharpness. That thing still eats through hard cheeses and vegetables like a champ. The downside is the obvious one: the grater is like a small mandoline in disguise and it will take chunks out of your knuckles if you're not careful enough
@@mjremy2605 Yeah, you're right. My phone's default language is Spanish so it autocorrects words with a close spelling to their Spanish counterparts ("mandolin" is our word for mandoline). I usually reread my comments before posting but I didn't do it this time. I'm gonna edit the mistake out. Thanks for the correction
I like my rotary grater. It has a very strong suction to keep steady. It has fine and coarse grater and a slicing blade. It’s fast, no strange angles, protects my fingers, easy to clean with a brush, and the chute keeps softer cheese, like cheddar, from breaking as you grate. The exit is not very high so you need a small bowl to catch everything in.
A tip for people who's thinking of getting a garlic press: a grater will do the same job of a garlic press, and it'll do the same with other spices too like ginger, tumeric, candlenut.
Most readers here do not have access to fresh turmeric or "candlenut", whatever that is, and aren’t going to cause themselves pain or get blood in their food by shredding their fingers off trying to shred garlic with a grater. Cut it out with the appliance shaming.
It's not that deep. OP meant well and I think some people could like grating better (people like me - I don't like to use a garlic press for some reason)
Thanks for sharing. I am a Gadget Queen! The first things I replaced after a flood and my Favorite Kitchen Gadgets are: ⭐ OXO Salad Spinner ⭐ Börner Mandoline ⭐ Slitree Y-Shaped Peeler. 📍My Mom had a Y Shaped peeler in the 1960's. Only it had a U-Shaped handle. Much easier to grip in your hand, than the long Y Shape.
Those Kyoceras at $30 or so are a treasure. Same with Hanna, I got it because it's so simple, easy to use, and clean and store. The Kyocera's ceramic blade stays sharper for longer than any steel-bladed ones in the same range. EDIT: And because it's ceramic you CAN just shove it in the dishwasher, since the blade is non-reactive.
@@amyschneidhorst1384 You could do it with a set of diamond plates, or diamond honing rod. I've got a cheap Aldi one I ran over my diamond hone, and it was taking ceramic off. But the brittleness is a problem - there's zero flex, unlike steel, so it's easy to chip and shatter.
@@hoilst265that's why I'll never buy a ceramic knife. Got a few as gifts and they are SO fragile. Appreciate the good points but I don't mind hand washing and drying my knives.
Most reviewers will tell you the original Benriner (ben-ree-ner, it's Japanese) is better than the Super Benriner, because even though it is smaller, the blade angle is more acute, so it slices easier. The Benriner blades absolutely CAN be removed for sharpening. There's a reason the Benriner is the top-rated mandoline in the industry.
Thank you because I am looking to get a mandolin here soon, and this is awesome advice! Here's a little from me: A Betty crocker vertical ("thin" style not "wide" style)) peeler is awesome and I got mine from the 99c store about 6 years ago, which made it extra awesome. It's still super sharp to this day, it's "eye" remover (let's be honest, rot remover lol) is nice and wide and super sharp somehow even though it's plastic.. And I 100% recommend you try getting one for $1 before you try the rest. I still can't believe how awesome it is to this very day. Thought it would last 6mo not 6 years.
just PLEASE use the finger guard.....I took one to a professional kitchen and watched 2 guys leave with fingers missing tips.....I prefer the slicing blade inside the food processor if it works for the application...
IMO, cut-resistant gloves are far superior to any mandolinee's cutting guard. The gloves are useful when washing up as well; no worries about soapy knives or food processor blades slipping!
+1 on this advice. The mini Benriner is great, small to store but big enough for 95%+ of what I want to slice. And yes, the blade comes out easily with a screwdriver (two philips #2 screws) and can be sharpened easily on a whetstone. It's similar to sharpening a chisel or woodworking plane blade, although I recommend wearing the same cut-resistant glove because the small blade can be hard to grip.
OMG…I have owned the OXO salad spinner for over 10 years; maybe longer and I had no idea the top came apart to clean it! I am on my second one with a steel bowl instead of the plastic one. The plastic one cracked because I dropped it. I love it; but I cursed every time I had to clean it. Thank you for showing me how to clean it; this is life altering.
Yes! Years ago I bought the OXO salad spinner with the plastic bowl, took it out of the box, said to myself "I will drop this, it will break and I will have to buy another one" , returned it and got one with the stainless steel bowl which has lasted a very long time. Really like it.
Ikea has a great steel garlic press for $7. The garlic goes in a small, stainless steel, removeable cylinder, which makes cleaning easy. It's easy to use and indestructible.
@@jefftitterington7600 If that IKEA one didn't exist, I might go the $45 job because I find them indispensable and I'm sick of buying ones that don't work or break.
@@domagojbatinic1526 I used to have that one. It's also indestructible (under normal circumstances - I dropped mine into the garbage disposal, destroying both), and it opens up so cleaning is super easy. When I went to replace it, I couldn't find it, so I got the Koncis. Can't go wrong with either.
Thanks for another great video! It seems like OXO is a consistent winner in so many different categories! Thanks for the great info! Always appreciated!
I bought a Benriner mandolin a month or so ago, the top-of-the-line model with the specialty blades. Best kitchen thingy I’ve bought in years! Not only is it awesome to use; the blade can be replaced or sharpened too!
@@Psykel he's been going through correcting other multi lingual commenters (Spanish auto-correct keyboard claimed another commenter). Nothing quite as cringeworthy as obviously monolingual spelling pedants.
@@hand__banana Yeah, gotta love the know-it-all dudes who will only ever know english. And here I am, some chump who speaks four and understands another four.
I have issues with using my hands and sometimes I just can't grip a knife safely so I use a vegetable chopper occasionally and I think it's a great option for home cooks.
I bought a slap chop once and it worked terribly + made cleaning harder, but I'm glad there are decent quality ones available for you! Do you find cleaning it is alright?
@@Aelffwynn I use a Pampered Chef "slap chopper" and it is very easy to clean and it performs fantastically. I use it for mincing onions, herbs, etc. for soups and sauces, and raisins and nuts for other applications. I have not experienced any of the issues shown with the TV Slap Chopper. I know I already said it but it is easy to clean. It disassembles and assembles quickly and all the parts wash off with water.
I have a wrist injury that flares up and makes it hard to chop sometimes- I have no idea why I never thought of using a mandoline! Looking forward to picking one up soon 😊
Ok. I love your gear comparisons and you have had my respect for years. But the Monty Python quote just earned you a place of honor in my heart! Also, I cut the tip of my finger off on a mandolin. I highly recommend USING THE FREAKING GUARD!!! I use it every time now AND have a pair of cut resistant gloves. I wear as well. Fool me once....
Great reviews, thanks Ladies! I bought a $5 salad spinner at a dollar store and it was so good. Compact, cheap, robust. A manual one you turn around. The push versions are costly and break down. Also the hard plastic bowls crack easily. Loved the mandoline reviews!
Hello Hannah and Lisa! Love this new kitchen tools video! Love ALL your kitchen equipment videos. Your book looks really interesting. Thank you! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I have a box style grater that I bought from IKEA a few years ago. It grates in BOTH directions! It only has a coarse side and and a fine side but it also has an acrylic insert that catches the grated food. It can be used upright but is easier to use lying down and it has rubber grips to stop it moving. I find grating up and down the slope is really easy and fast. It's like a blend of the two you demonstrated. It is a fantastic tool adn by far the best grater I have ever used - and I'm 68, so I have used a few good and a few dodgy graters over the years. I don't even know if IKEA still make them. I hope so!
I have a vintage Susi garlic press by zyliss that's about 40 years old and I still love it so much. Years ago I took it to my bfs house when his sister was cooking and she didn't have one and it was so great everyone in the family ended up buying one. I'm sure the one in this video is probably amazing but sometimes you find something that works and it's just "the one" and you stop looking 🤣
Love my box grater, it has a removable top handle and a bowl that the grater sits in to catch whatever you are grating. The bowl is not that big but is great if zesting lemons/limes/oranges, etc. I have two salad spinners (not sure of the brand). I read awhile ago the best way to store your greens is to use your spinner to wash and spin dry and then store the greens right in the spinner. Every couple of days check for "bad" greens, rewash and spin. I have greens that will last a week or longer storing like this.
For people with disabilities who have fine motor skill issues in their hands, I highly recommend a safe mandoline over a regular mandoline for cutting, slicing etc... fruits and vegetables in different ways instead since you put the fruit or vegetable in the back of the safe mandoline and just take the handle and push it up and down until the fruit or vegetable is cut up the way you set it up to be cut, sliced, etc.... I also highly recommend a 6 in 1 rotary vegetable slicer grating tool or a 5 in 1 rotary vegetable grating tool that comes with a grating option for people with disabilities who have fine motor issues in both of their hands because after inserting the correct insert and then prepping the fruit or vegetable to fit in the top of it and then placing that fruit or vegetable in the top and then taking the handle and moving it around to cut, slice or grate the fruit or vegetable or block of cheese is done.
My very favorite grater is one we got from Ikea. It has a bowl with grater lids that fit on top. There is a small and a large size. It also includes a lid. I have a nice box grater that I never use because I love this one so much.
I have a T-fal food processor that is just dandy for doing everything that the regular food processor does but doesn't have the bowl. I love it! No huge bowl to wash, just the blades and the hopper! And its much smaller to store as well. I came across mine at a garage sale for $5 and took a chance, and im so glad I did! I have bought several more as I see them in case I break a blade or wear mine out or to give away when someone sees mine and wants one! 😂 I now have a spare and have given two away and my eyes are pealed for any I see..... just in case. Lol😊
Ok just want to say that I have a different brand of those salad scissors and absolutely love them for 1 specific use case: I eat salad for lunch most days and I always start by throwing my spring mix in the bowl and chopping them up with the scissors. Spring mix is smaller and tender so it chops no problem, and it makes it so I can get a lot more greens in the bowl and with easier to eat smaller pieces 🥗
I really prefer the boat style garlic press, with the holes on the bottom. You rock it on top of the garlic on your cutting board. Extremely easy to clean, no mechanism to jam or rust. Just make sure to het a stainless steel one, because the plastic ones break
I use that one for applications where I need larger chunks of garlic like i.e. pasta aglio e olio. A garlic press however will produce a much finer "mash".
@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist2 You do of course realize that the Bible was written by people after the time Jesus was supposed to have lived... Not that this has anything to do with a garlic press...
Kitchen scissors are great for replacing some small knife jobs such as chopping herbs and for jobs the knife can't do like slivering nori for noodle or salad toppings. Or chunking up hot roasted tomatoes. I also have a multi blade scissor for “chopping” herbs.
I love my OXO mandolin and I have my mother's old box grater which I use often, along with her peeler, although I use my OXO more often. I use the Y peeler in my cocktail tools. I'm going to get that garlic press today. Looks great.
Fantastic advice I love your suggestions. I've got to say, as much as I love the paddle mandoline, they break easily. I've gone through 3. I also have the OXO mandoline and don't enjoy the V blade and getting out the extra blades is scary. Great job, thanks. Glove is a must!
I have the paderno spiralizer i got from goodwill for $6.49. i love it except for the suction cup feet that got brittle overtime. Luckily the feet are held on with screw so i replaced them with grippy feet like you'd put on chair. Works great! I wish more people would talk about how those stupid suction cups lose suction after a couple of years because of the rubber dry rotting :(
I agree. Most rubbery parts on tools either get dry rot or kinda decompose and turn sticky. So I never get anything with rubbery plastic on it if it's avoidable (i.e. a plain stainless version exists and is good)
@@stacypotts6341 Oil on rubbery parts no made for oil? There's a good chance that will damage the rubber. Use a plastic conditioner that's usually on a silicone base and will not harm plastic or rubber (since most rubber today is plastic, not natural latex)
I've had the Kuhn Rikon epicurean garlic press for over a decade. It's expensive but practically indestructible in regular use and will likely be an heirloom to pass to descendants.
Regarding graters, I have a box grater with a rubber base, but I lay it on its side and thus use it more like a paddle grater. I loved the tips on garlic. I had no idea that one could put garlic with the skin still on into a garlic press. I will be looking forward to trying that out next week and saving some prep time. Next time I make spaghetti sauce which involves numerous cloves of garlic, I will be interested to try out the shake-in-a-jar trick.
We bought the Pampered Chef version of the Slap Chop 20 years ago and we bought it for chopping pecans/walnuts/peanuts. I would have never even thought to use it for vegetables but I agree that anything wet like an onion would be a huge pain with it. It sits in our baking cabinet and gets used like three times a year.
Of course the most important thing to have in any kitchen is a good little sound system playing S-Range or Tiesto music while using my Swissmar Borner V Mandoline, best mandoline ever made.
Another unsung benefit of the Kuhn-Rikon garlic press is that it functions as a steel soap when you wash it. No gralic smell left on your hands after you wash it!
@@KN-xl6lw Very true! However, I'm washing the garlic press after using it and so it's nice not to have to dive into the drawer for a steel utensil with garlicky hands 😜
I have a Mueller vegetable chopper that I love and use all the time. Saves so much time for people like me with less-than-cheffy knife skills if you need to chop/dice a lot of veggies. It's sturdy and all the veggies go right into the container on the bottom. I've never seen ATK test those types of choppers.
I actually HAVE sharpened my old Kyocero type paddle mandolin with a ceramic blade with a diamond nail file.. I like the ceramic blade because it slices through vegetable matter easier than through flesh (as in your fingers). Even when it is kind of dull, it will still maw through say, carrots nicely. The ceramic edge has a rough serrated effect of the broken ceramic bubbles. My ceramic blade got plugged with vegetable matter and just old and duller, so I took the diamond nail file to it. It actually helped a little. I would do it again. I guess I will have to buy a new one eventually, but it is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store. I would buy a Kyocero type paddle mandolin again. I love it. I actually think mine was some kind of a Kyocero clone, so the blade on mine might be more feeble, but I still love it.
I can never get the hang of using a Y peeler. It's so unnatural if you learned to peel with a paring knife. I love the OXO straight peeler. It's kind of fun to just go back and forth when peeling a carrot. (It makes a big mess, though!)
Paring knife is how I learned too. I did run across a palm peeler and I use it but I still will just use a paring knife especially on garden fresh new potatoes. I can scrape them quicker than peeling.
I have tried the y peelers and never liked the feel of them. I have a 35 year old Sabatier straight peeler, with a fixed blade. I cannot stand the swivel blades on any peeler. I am no luddite... but I like my old style peeler. 😎
I have both those vegetable peelers and they absolutely pale in comparison to the Cutco vegetable peeler which i have used daily for a solid 10 years now. Neat thing with the Y blade, you can use it going both directions. 4 seconds per large carrot. It's seriously fun.
We have the paddle style grater with wire loop handle, we found it annoying to grip so i used a piece of bike intertube to make it more comfortable. You can use a second piece of innertube to fatten up the handle, downside is that juices can get in between the layers, while the single layer is easy to rinse out.
Lay your box grater down for that "angled" feel to cutting. The bits are still contained, but I found you had more 'grip power' and push power if the box is horizontal.
Cuisinart straight peeler is my all time fav, had multiple for 5+ yrs each, and only ever replaced due to losing it. Peels anything from carrots to pumpkins, i always wash in dishwasher and never had one fail yet
Re:Peeling garlic. I like the OXO silicone garlic peeler. It's not a complete silver bullet of a product, but I prefer it over the whack method and the shake method.
I prefer my KitchenAid box grater because it has a nice covered container that I use when I shred mozzarella to keep it in the fridge until I need it. It does a great job.
I love my slap chopper. Once you know how to use it, those things you took exception with are no longer an issue. Don't overload it and with each chop, give the handle a little twist before you preas down again.
Tip for box grater. Use it horizontal with the handle pointed towards you. I'm sure some of you already know this but I just learned this method recently and its way less effort to use this way. Also for the Benriner Mandoline you can take the blade out and sharpen it. I'm not sure why she said you can't take the blade out...maybe she was just talking about the oxo? She wasn't very clear with that. The oxo one you can't take out but why the hell would you buy the oxo when you can't take the blade out and it's more expensive? The Benriner Mandoline is way better in every way.
Very helpful video. The tips were great. Now, I am getting a Y peeler. I don't have much storage or counter space for kitchen gadgets or appliances, but the Y peeler and the garlic press (yikes that's costly!) and the graters are possible. I clean my garlic press and peeler with toothbrush. Thanks for doing this. Bonus points: I found out the salad spinner my son in law got for me a couple of Christmases ago is your number one choice!
Yes, that garlic press is hella expensive, but I've had one for over a decade now and it's totally awesome. Love the stainless steel and how easy it is to clean. I also use it with ginger.
Since we clean leafy vegetables every day for salads or cooking we use an electric salad spinner. Yes, it is another appliance on the counter but we have a little nook next to our refrigerator where it sits out of the way until needed.
I have used the phrase “slap-chop” to described ‘some halfassed way to waste time and energy instead of doing it the right way from the beginning’ since my grandma ordered one back when they were new. We used it once, had a good laugh, and put it into the yard sale bin.
I never use my "Salad Spinner" for salads. The thing I used them for EVERY DAY is as help defrosting frozen vegetables. If I need frozen peas or corn, I take out the inner colander part, pour in the frozen vegetables and then run them under hot water until they're defrosted and then use the spinner to take the water off them. FWIW.
Check out the Rada vegetable peeler if you want a straight peeler where you can see the blade. No obstructions at all, swivel head, and minimal food waste.
I appreciate your recommendations and in the past I have purchased the items you recommended and I’ve been very happy with them. However I bought the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss peelers but just after the first use and wash I realized the blades rusted very easily. I made sure I was very diligent with washing and drying them thoroughly, but they still rusted at the end. Although I liked the performance of the peelers I went through 3 of them in 6 months.
that oxo salad spinner is legit, no joke, also get the small one too, great for small fruits. great for soaking and washing fruits and veggie. Kuhn brand has some good stuff, their pepper mill is hard to fill, but to grind, it is a joy, it is a ratchet type.
you say that the mandoline blades aren't removable but you're showing the oxo model with the removable blade, a great feature and a reason i bought that particular model
The Dreamfarm garlic press has been by far my favorite and it’s not even close. I’ve tried at least 4 of 5 higher end models. The peel ejection and cleaning grooves are so helpful. Would love to see how it stacks up in ATK
i’d love to see a rocker option for the garlic press. my meaty hands have often gotten pinched in those devices so i swore them off for a bit until i found a rocker style garlic press that i love. it makes bigger pieces but i haven’t found a unit easier to use and clean since
I keep a 'take home' thick plastic food containers next to my cutting board. I have two sizes Small and Large. I use them to put in my garbage from chopping my vegetables. They are tall and easy to clean.
If I need super fine garlic, I grate it on my microplane--thank you Rachel Ray. Clean up by running it under running water--done. Garlic press--nope it's a uni-tasker.
OXO's origin story is really admirable: trying to design household utensils that enable older people to live independently longer, despite mobility impairments such as arthritis. It turns out, lots of people appreciate ergonomically designed items.
OXO is one of the few companies i buy their products on sight
The majority of their products were first invented by Occupational Therapists hand making adaptive devices in the clinic for their patients with disabilities. These got picked up by medical device companies, and now are being widely marketed.
Victoronix has a great peeler too!
And as someone who works two jobs, I appreciate tools that cut down my prep and cooking time. 😊
@@shaliniagarwal5808 Victorionox also makes great chef's knives and pairing knives.
One point of correction - that Oxo mandoline *does* have a blade that you can remove, and it is hefty enough to sharpen with whatever you use for your knives. That is a great feature, and well worth highlighting.
Hopefully you're using a whetstone. Alternatively, 400 to 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper glued to a piece of plate glass. A lot of knife sharpeners targeted for home use are worthless.
The Benriner blade can also be removed and sharpened on a whetstone. Similar process to sharpening a chisel or woodworking plane.
Most people will probably ruin it if they attempt. I would, and I've had some experience sharpening. But, if someone more experienced than I is confident in their sharpening abilities, then good to know.
If there isn't one now, these companies should have an option to send in the dulled blade for expert resharpening for a fee.
It’s easier to sharpen the Benriner blade than a kitchen knife. Anyone can do it
I'm a bit of a kitchen Gear Head myself. I'm known in my family (who all enjoy cooking) for giving top kitchen items as gifts, and the Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press was one of the most popular. I was pleased this Christmas when my niece-in-law pointed out that just before coming to visit, they realized that they were happily using 5 prior gifts while cooking dinner.
Graters, I have both. A box and hand held. I use each one for specific purposes and functions. All great tips & ideas. Thank you
I have that salad spinner and I had no idea the top half opened like that for cleaning and drying! Another reason I love these videos!
This is a great video for me, as I have essential tremors. That makes chopping things by knife tedious at best, and dangerous at worst. Appreciate the thought that went into this.
Oh wow, it's unusual to meet another one of us in the wild. I switched to the y-peeler when my tremor developed. I definitely need to update my grater and I am going to consider the one I can put over an bowl.
That garlic press is really solid. Had it for several years and it has another bonus you didn't mention: it's solid enough to press ginger. Just pop in a slice of ginger, press, done. Really useful when you need finely grated ginger but you don't want to get a grater out and you need the garlic press anyways. So it's not limited to garlic.
I used to have a salad spinner but it's a unitasker with little use in my kitchen so it went to goodwill. I just shake the lettuce out and that's good enough. I just make the dressing a little more concentrated and the extra water won't do any harm. I only want things in my kitchen that I actually use - everything else has to go. I'm not wasting storage space on unused items.
PS: I would never buy a kitchen tool with a rubbery handle or made from plastic when there's a stainless version of it. All those rubbery grips decay after a while and turn sticky because the plastic dissolves and hard plastics don't do well in a dishwasher for too long because they turn brittle. A tool made from solid stainless steel like that garlic press can handle a dishwasher indefinitely, so it's a much better investment.
a salad spinner can also be used to spin dry hand wash items
@@TracyKMainwaring If you have them, yes. We don't. We don't buy anything that needs ironing or doesn't go into a washer/dryer cycle. We much rather spend the saved time cooking and eating good stuff 🙂
@@TracyKMainwaring Great tip-- thanks!
You can lay a box grater on its side to get horizontal action. It still contains the food.
I do this all the time!!
As someone who has been cooking for thirty years with a borderline genius level IQ, how has this NEVER OCCURRED TO ME?? Thank you! It never fails to amaze me how sometimes other people have figured out something so sensible and helpful that I have been totally oblivious to 😂
@@itsthepens Bc IQ is a bs eugenicist measure
use a food processor
@@MikehMike01 hmm, 150$ vs 10$
Would be nice if you did an episode on the best oil dispensers both for pouring and spraying.
I bought an Evo non aerosol sprayer that I've been happy with. Those air pressurized misters clogged and drew in particulates that caused the oil to prematurely deteriorate.
Thank you for validating my bulk garlic peeling technique. I'm so tired of all these food youtubers dissing the thing I've been doing for 15+ years for making big batches of pasta sauce, toum, etc. as unworkable.
I found a flat square or rectangle-shaped container works best because with round containers, some of the cloves just spin around rather than impact the container sides. And metal or hard plastic tend to work more consistently than glass/Pyrex containers, though they all do work.
Love my little, Oxo slap chop! It enables me to chop garlic and nuts as fine as I want very easily. Those of us who need a little assistance in the kitchen appreciate it! And it's not hard to clean at all. Just pops apart and goes in the dishwasher.
It's the only way I chop nuts - so fast and good results.
If you have issues with your hands or general motor skills, I get why those things exist, but otherwise, a rock chop with a chefs knife will do the job very quickly. The fact that slap choppers can cut faster is made completely redundant by the fact that it then needs cleaning and drying, and it's even slower if you need to chop a larger quantity of stuff than will fit under it.
I feel like it's the kind of tool that is very helpful for certain things, just maybe not what they were using it for.
Yes exactly. I have the OXO slap chop and use it exclusively for nuts, seeds, and dried fruits like raisins. Anything that's too small to hold onto easily and prone to go flying when the knife makes contact. I would never use it for vegetables but it does have its uses.
@fabe61 I don't have any trouble with my hands or motor skills, but I've yet to find a way to use a chef's knife to chop walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other very small hard items that is both safe for my fingers and doesn't make a mess. The slap chop does a great job and goes in the dishwasher when I'm done with it.
I've had one and used it for years too! Nothing better for chopping nuts! I agree with you 100%😊
That trick with putting the garlic into a jar and shaking it, is genius. Can't wait to try it.
Gearheads is my fav!!! I got my mom some your recommendations for Christmas. She has never been happier with a pair of tongs. And we've tried sooo many over the years. THANK YOU!!!
I find storing greens in my salad spinner in the fridge keeps them crisp for at least a week, up to 10 days.
I love my OXO salad spinner!
@@robertamckeon5082 they come in two sizes - I have the small one I use for herbs and green onions - takes up much less room in fridge
Damn how big is your fridge if you can store a freaking salad spinner in it :D
@@tapp3r109 not large but we there are only two of us and we don't pack a lot in it. FYI - Ikea 365 snaplid rectangular containers are great for efficient food storage, they stack securely and hold way more than they look like they wood.
The slap chop has always reminded me of the nut copper my mom had in the 70s. I don't know what brand it was; it had a thick glass jar, metal lid that screwed onto the jar, and a metal chopper with spring action. It worked by repeatedly pressing the top of the chopper, or slapping it over & over, and Mom let us kids "go to town" chopping nuts with it. Her homemade chocolate chip cookies with chopped walnuts, that stayed soft in the cookie jar, were soooooo delicious! Her nut copper could have been a wedding gift in 1966, but I don't know for sure.
Zyliss. At least that's what it was in Europe. They had that Zick Zick Zyliss commercial representing the punching down on it. Worked just as miserable in the 70s. My mom tossed it after a while.
My grandmother had this, too! I had it for awhile, but lost it somewhere along the way. I really miss that chopper.
@@uweschroeder We just dug out ours and used it to chop carrots for a carrot salad. We think it was a wedding present, we will be married 51 years in August
@@rodgerbenson4319 Congratulations! That's a very long time. We're only at 28 years (35 living together). Still some years to go to get to 51 and I doubt we'll get that old (I'd have to make it well into my 80s to get there - we'll see).
Since you must be a bit older to be married that long, you should be using a kitchen machine for shredding carrots. So much easier on the joints... I'm just using a box grater since a portion for 2 people is only like 3 carrots (shredded, with a little sour cream, lemon juice salt and pepper makes a great carrot salad when you let it sit for an hour and suck the juices out of the carrots)
Here in Argentina few years ago a large supermarket chain imported from China a paddle grater that had stamped teeth which were also grinded to maximize sharpness. That thing still eats through hard cheeses and vegetables like a champ. The downside is the obvious one: the grater is like a small mandoline in disguise and it will take chunks out of your knuckles if you're not careful enough
Have lovingly referred to my box grater as the knuckle buster for decades! 😂
Sounds like I need one of these for my feet lol
@@sociopathmercenary ew 😬 😂
MANDOLIN - musical instrument like a banjo.
MANDOLINE - grater/ slicer
@@mjremy2605 Yeah, you're right. My phone's default language is Spanish so it autocorrects words with a close spelling to their Spanish counterparts ("mandolin" is our word for mandoline). I usually reread my comments before posting but I didn't do it this time. I'm gonna edit the mistake out. Thanks for the correction
I love to watch you program because I check to see which tool I should get next (or get rid of). Thanks for all the help!
I like my rotary grater. It has a very strong suction to keep steady. It has fine and coarse grater and a slicing blade. It’s fast, no strange angles, protects my fingers, easy to clean with a brush, and the chute keeps softer cheese, like cheddar, from breaking as you grate. The exit is not very high so you need a small bowl to catch everything in.
A tip for people who's thinking of getting a garlic press: a grater will do the same job of a garlic press, and it'll do the same with other spices too like ginger, tumeric, candlenut.
Most readers here do not have access to fresh turmeric or "candlenut", whatever that is, and aren’t going to cause themselves pain or get blood in their food by shredding their fingers off trying to shred garlic with a grater. Cut it out with the appliance shaming.
It's not that deep. OP meant well and I think some people could like grating better (people like me - I don't like to use a garlic press for some reason)
I have got into the habit of using a grater for garlic as well.
Thanks for sharing. I am a Gadget Queen! The first things I replaced after a flood and my Favorite Kitchen Gadgets are:
⭐ OXO Salad Spinner
⭐ Börner Mandoline
⭐ Slitree Y-Shaped Peeler.
📍My Mom had a Y Shaped peeler in the 1960's. Only it had a U-Shaped handle. Much easier to grip in your hand, than the long Y Shape.
Those Kyoceras at $30 or so are a treasure. Same with Hanna, I got it because it's so simple, easy to use, and clean and store. The Kyocera's ceramic blade stays sharper for longer than any steel-bladed ones in the same range. EDIT: And because it's ceramic you CAN just shove it in the dishwasher, since the blade is non-reactive.
I love my ceramic knife but wish you didn't have to send it back to the manufacturer to sharpen it. A very infrequent probelem.
@@amyschneidhorst1384 You could do it with a set of diamond plates, or diamond honing rod. I've got a cheap Aldi one I ran over my diamond hone, and it was taking ceramic off. But the brittleness is a problem - there's zero flex, unlike steel, so it's easy to chip and shatter.
@@hoilst265that's why I'll never buy a ceramic knife. Got a few as gifts and they are SO fragile. Appreciate the good points but I don't mind hand washing and drying my knives.
Most reviewers will tell you the original Benriner (ben-ree-ner, it's Japanese) is better than the Super Benriner, because even though it is smaller, the blade angle is more acute, so it slices easier. The Benriner blades absolutely CAN be removed for sharpening. There's a reason the Benriner is the top-rated mandoline in the industry.
Thank you because I am looking to get a mandolin here soon, and this is awesome advice!
Here's a little from me: A Betty crocker vertical ("thin" style not "wide" style)) peeler is awesome and I got mine from the 99c store about 6 years ago, which made it extra awesome.
It's still super sharp to this day, it's "eye" remover (let's be honest, rot remover lol) is nice and wide and super sharp somehow even though it's plastic..
And I 100% recommend you try getting one for $1 before you try the rest.
I still can't believe how awesome it is to this very day. Thought it would last 6mo not 6 years.
just PLEASE use the finger guard.....I took one to a professional kitchen and watched 2 guys leave with fingers missing tips.....I prefer the slicing blade inside the food processor if it works for the application...
IMO, cut-resistant gloves are far superior to any mandolinee's cutting guard. The gloves are useful when washing up as well; no worries about soapy knives or food processor blades slipping!
@@mtncreekdawn good idea, maybe use both if you are uncoordinated!
+1 on this advice. The mini Benriner is great, small to store but big enough for 95%+ of what I want to slice. And yes, the blade comes out easily with a screwdriver (two philips #2 screws) and can be sharpened easily on a whetstone. It's similar to sharpening a chisel or woodworking plane blade, although I recommend wearing the same cut-resistant glove because the small blade can be hard to grip.
OMG…I have owned the OXO salad spinner for over 10 years; maybe longer and I had no idea the top came apart to clean it! I am on my second one with a steel bowl instead of the plastic one. The plastic one cracked because I dropped it. I love it; but I cursed every time I had to clean it. Thank you for showing me how to clean it; this is life altering.
Yes! Years ago I bought the OXO salad spinner with the plastic bowl, took it out of the box, said to myself "I will drop this, it will break and I will have to buy another one" , returned it and got one with the stainless steel bowl which has lasted a very long time. Really like it.
Ikea has a great steel garlic press for $7. The garlic goes in a small, stainless steel, removeable cylinder, which makes cleaning easy. It's easy to use and indestructible.
from IKEA 365+ VÄRDEFULL collection?
@@domagojbatinic1526Koncis. I have the same one and it's the most useful press I’ve owned.
$45 USD for a garlic press? Um, no. IKEA, here I come.
@@jefftitterington7600 If that IKEA one didn't exist, I might go the $45 job because I find them indispensable and I'm sick of buying ones that don't work or break.
@@domagojbatinic1526 I used to have that one. It's also indestructible (under normal circumstances - I dropped mine into the garbage disposal, destroying both), and it opens up so cleaning is super easy. When I went to replace it, I couldn't find it, so I got the Koncis. Can't go wrong with either.
Thanks for another great video! It seems like OXO is a consistent winner in so many different categories! Thanks for the great info! Always appreciated!
The "Salad Scissors" were a GREAT laugh. The monstrous lettuce indeed, loved the video of the Franken-tomato and carrots. Great job ladies!
I bought a Benriner mandolin a month or so ago, the top-of-the-line model with the specialty blades. Best kitchen thingy I’ve bought in years! Not only is it awesome to use; the blade can be replaced or sharpened too!
MANDOLIN - musical instrument like a banjo.
MANDOLINE - grater/ slicer
@@mjremy2605 They’re both spelled ”mandolin” in my native Swedish, so excuse me for being multi-lingual.
@@Psykel he's been going through correcting other multi lingual commenters (Spanish auto-correct keyboard claimed another commenter). Nothing quite as cringeworthy as obviously monolingual spelling pedants.
@@hand__banana Yeah, gotta love the know-it-all dudes who will only ever know english. And here I am, some chump who speaks four and understands another four.
I have issues with using my hands and sometimes I just can't grip a knife safely so I use a vegetable chopper occasionally and I think it's a great option for home cooks.
I bought a slap chop once and it worked terribly + made cleaning harder, but I'm glad there are decent quality ones available for you! Do you find cleaning it is alright?
Arthritis and carple tunnel are a cooks' worst nightmare. 😮
@@Aelffwynn I use a Pampered Chef "slap chopper" and it is very easy to clean and it performs fantastically. I use it for mincing onions, herbs, etc. for soups and sauces, and raisins and nuts for other applications. I have not experienced any of the issues shown with the TV Slap Chopper. I know I already said it but it is easy to clean. It disassembles and assembles quickly and all the parts wash off with water.
I have a wrist injury that flares up and makes it hard to chop sometimes- I have no idea why I never thought of using a mandoline! Looking forward to picking one up soon 😊
Ok. I love your gear comparisons and you have had my respect for years. But the Monty Python quote just earned you a place of honor in my heart! Also, I cut the tip of my finger off on a mandolin. I highly recommend USING THE FREAKING GUARD!!! I use it every time now AND have a pair of cut resistant gloves. I wear as well. Fool me once....
I have a y shaped peeler that actually came free with my set of pans purchase. The blade is actually SERATED and my goodness it's a joy to use.
Great reviews, thanks Ladies! I bought a $5 salad spinner at a dollar store and it was so good. Compact, cheap, robust. A manual one you turn around. The push versions are costly and break down. Also the hard plastic bowls crack easily.
Loved the mandoline reviews!
Hello Hannah and Lisa! Love this new kitchen tools video! Love ALL your kitchen equipment videos. Your book looks really interesting. Thank you! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I have a box style grater that I bought from IKEA a few years ago. It grates in BOTH directions! It only has a coarse side and and a fine side but it also has an acrylic insert that catches the grated food. It can be used upright but is easier to use lying down and it has rubber grips to stop it moving. I find grating up and down the slope is really easy and fast. It's like a blend of the two you demonstrated. It is a fantastic tool adn by far the best grater I have ever used - and I'm 68, so I have used a few good and a few dodgy graters over the years. I don't even know if IKEA still make them. I hope so!
You guys rock. I find myself taking notes during your videos.
Can't beat the Tupperware peeler! Been using the same one for at least 20+ years now! Still going strong!!❤
I have a vintage Susi garlic press by zyliss that's about 40 years old and I still love it so much. Years ago I took it to my bfs house when his sister was cooking and she didn't have one and it was so great everyone in the family ended up buying one. I'm sure the one in this video is probably amazing but sometimes you find something that works and it's just "the one" and you stop looking 🤣
Thank you! I thought I was crazy all these years with a straight potato peeler. As a leftie, the y peeler was eye-opening. The struggle is real.
Love my box grater, it has a removable top handle and a bowl that the grater sits in to catch whatever you are grating. The bowl is not that big but is great if zesting lemons/limes/oranges, etc. I have two salad spinners (not sure of the brand). I read awhile ago the best way to store your greens is to use your spinner to wash and spin dry and then store the greens right in the spinner. Every couple of days check for "bad" greens, rewash and spin. I have greens that will last a week or longer storing like this.
For people with disabilities who have fine motor skill issues in their hands, I highly recommend a safe mandoline over a regular mandoline for cutting, slicing etc... fruits and vegetables in different ways instead since you put the fruit or vegetable in the back of the safe mandoline and just take the handle and push it up and down until the fruit or vegetable is cut up the way you set it up to be cut, sliced, etc.... I also highly recommend a 6 in 1 rotary vegetable slicer grating tool or a 5 in 1 rotary vegetable grating tool that comes with a grating option for people with disabilities who have fine motor issues in both of their hands because after inserting the correct insert and then prepping the fruit or vegetable to fit in the top of it and then placing that fruit or vegetable in the top and then taking the handle and moving it around to cut, slice or grate the fruit or vegetable or block of cheese is done.
My very favorite grater is one we got from Ikea. It has a bowl with grater lids that fit on top. There is a small and a large size. It also includes a lid. I have a nice box grater that I never use because I love this one so much.
I’ve had that same one from IKEA for over 25 years. I love it.
I’m another who has that same set of IKEA graters, and I also love mine! Highly recommended!
I have a T-fal food processor that is just dandy for doing everything that the regular food processor does but doesn't have the bowl. I love it! No huge bowl to wash, just the blades and the hopper! And its much smaller to store as well. I came across mine at a garage sale for $5 and took a chance, and im so glad I did! I have bought several more as I see them in case I break a blade or wear mine out or to give away when someone sees mine and wants one! 😂 I now have a spare and have given two away and my eyes are pealed for any I see..... just in case. Lol😊
This is one of my favorite series ever!
I use my Breville food processor and veggie prep for me and several others. Music is definitely on!
Box graters are a must-have.
Ok just want to say that I have a different brand of those salad scissors and absolutely love them for 1 specific use case: I eat salad for lunch most days and I always start by throwing my spring mix in the bowl and chopping them up with the scissors. Spring mix is smaller and tender so it chops no problem, and it makes it so I can get a lot more greens in the bowl and with easier to eat smaller pieces 🥗
Im loving the long form videos being back! Keep them up!
I really prefer the boat style garlic press, with the holes on the bottom. You rock it on top of the garlic on your cutting board. Extremely easy to clean, no mechanism to jam or rust. Just make sure to het a stainless steel one, because the plastic ones break
I use that one for applications where I need larger chunks of garlic like i.e. pasta aglio e olio. A garlic press however will produce a much finer "mash".
I think that is what I use; just so easy to use.
@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist2 You do of course realize that the Bible was written by people after the time Jesus was supposed to have lived...
Not that this has anything to do with a garlic press...
I’ve never found one sharp enough to work well.
Kitchen scissors are great for replacing some small knife jobs such as chopping herbs and for jobs the knife can't do like slivering nori for noodle or salad toppings. Or chunking up hot roasted tomatoes. I also have a multi blade scissor for “chopping” herbs.
I love my OXO mandolin and I have my mother's old box grater which I use often, along with her peeler, although I use my OXO more often. I use the Y peeler in my cocktail tools. I'm going to get that garlic press today. Looks great.
MANDOLIN - musical instrument like a banjo.
MANDOLINE - grater/ slicer
Fantastic advice I love your suggestions. I've got to say, as much as I love the paddle mandoline, they break easily. I've gone through 3. I also have the OXO mandoline and don't enjoy the V blade and getting out the extra blades is scary. Great job, thanks. Glove is a must!
I have the paderno spiralizer i got from goodwill for $6.49. i love it except for the suction cup feet that got brittle overtime. Luckily the feet are held on with screw so i replaced them with grippy feet like you'd put on chair. Works great! I wish more people would talk about how those stupid suction cups lose suction after a couple of years because of the rubber dry rotting :(
What if you lightly oiled them occasionally or treated them with something that would soak in and prevent dry rot without making them slippery?
I agree. Most rubbery parts on tools either get dry rot or kinda decompose and turn sticky. So I never get anything with rubbery plastic on it if it's avoidable (i.e. a plain stainless version exists and is good)
Treat with food grade mineral oil.
@@stacypotts6341 Oil on rubbery parts no made for oil? There's a good chance that will damage the rubber. Use a plastic conditioner that's usually on a silicone base and will not harm plastic or rubber (since most rubber today is plastic, not natural latex)
@strayiggytv yup, I have the oxo spiralizer shown here and the suction base did the same as yours... Now it's a pain to use without that grip 🙄
I've had the Kuhn Rikon epicurean garlic press for over a decade. It's expensive but practically indestructible in regular use and will likely be an heirloom to pass to descendants.
I really enjoy my vacuum lock rotary grater for quick results. Multiple blades on that as well
I love my Tupperware “Y”, peeler. I’ve had this one for over 20 years and it’s stiller very sharpe
Regarding graters, I have a box grater with a rubber base, but I lay it on its side and thus use it more like a paddle grater. I loved the tips on garlic. I had no idea that one could put garlic with the skin still on into a garlic press. I will be looking forward to trying that out next week and saving some prep time. Next time I make spaghetti sauce which involves numerous cloves of garlic, I will be interested to try out the shake-in-a-jar trick.
We bought the Pampered Chef version of the Slap Chop 20 years ago and we bought it for chopping pecans/walnuts/peanuts. I would have never even thought to use it for vegetables but I agree that anything wet like an onion would be a huge pain with it. It sits in our baking cabinet and gets used like three times a year.
Of course the most important thing to have in any kitchen is a good little sound system playing S-Range or Tiesto music while using my Swissmar Borner V Mandoline, best mandoline ever made.
Thanks guys for a great channel! You have streamlined my cooking… again thanks!
Another unsung benefit of the Kuhn-Rikon garlic press is that it functions as a steel soap when you wash it. No gralic smell left on your hands after you wash it!
A stainless steel spoon does the exact same thing 😅
@@KN-xl6lw Very true! However, I'm washing the garlic press after using it and so it's nice not to have to dive into the drawer for a steel utensil with garlicky hands 😜
OMG! I've owned that same salad spinner, for years, and never knew the top could be taken apart! LOL 😂 🤣 🤯
I have a Mueller vegetable chopper that I love and use all the time. Saves so much time for people like me with less-than-cheffy knife skills if you need to chop/dice a lot of veggies. It's sturdy and all the veggies go right into the container on the bottom. I've never seen ATK test those types of choppers.
Great for days when my arthritis makes using a knife painful!
I actually HAVE sharpened my old Kyocero type paddle mandolin with a ceramic blade with a diamond nail file.. I like the ceramic blade because it slices through vegetable matter easier than through flesh (as in your fingers). Even when it is kind of dull, it will still maw through say, carrots nicely. The ceramic edge has a rough serrated effect of the broken ceramic bubbles. My ceramic blade got plugged with vegetable matter and just old and duller, so I took the diamond nail file to it. It actually helped a little. I would do it again. I guess I will have to buy a new one eventually, but it is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store. I would buy a Kyocero type paddle mandolin again. I love it. I actually think mine was some kind of a Kyocero clone, so the blade on mine might be more feeble, but I still love it.
MANDOLIN - musical instrument like a banjo.
MANDOLINE - grater/ slicer
Yes to music in the kitchen - whatever gets you dancing!
LOVE the book announcement!!!!!
I can never get the hang of using a Y peeler. It's so unnatural if you learned to peel with a paring knife. I love the OXO straight peeler. It's kind of fun to just go back and forth when peeling a carrot. (It makes a big mess, though!)
Paring knife is how I learned too. I did run across a palm peeler and I use it but I still will just use a paring knife especially on garden fresh new potatoes. I can scrape them quicker than peeling.
seriously?
But unless one cuts very VERY shallowly and makes very narrow strips, you waste too much of the veg using a paring knife..
I have tried the y peelers and never liked the feel of them. I have a 35 year old Sabatier straight peeler, with a fixed blade. I cannot stand the swivel blades on any peeler. I am no luddite... but I like my old style peeler. 😎
I have both those vegetable peelers and they absolutely pale in comparison to the Cutco vegetable peeler which i have used daily for a solid 10 years now. Neat thing with the Y blade, you can use it going both directions. 4 seconds per large carrot. It's seriously fun.
My favorite peeler has always been Rada. Stays sharp forever.
We have the paddle style grater with wire loop handle, we found it annoying to grip so i used a piece of bike intertube to make it more comfortable. You can use a second piece of innertube to fatten up the handle, downside is that juices can get in between the layers, while the single layer is easy to rinse out.
as always you two together or on your own are great ...and honest...love it ...t.
Lay your box grater down for that "angled" feel to cutting. The bits are still contained, but I found you had more 'grip power' and push power if the box is horizontal.
Would you guys consider reviewing the trending vegetable choppers ? The ones that come with an attached container
Cuisinart straight peeler is my all time fav, had multiple for 5+ yrs each, and only ever replaced due to losing it. Peels anything from carrots to pumpkins, i always wash in dishwasher and never had one fail yet
Re:Peeling garlic. I like the OXO silicone garlic peeler. It's not a complete silver bullet of a product, but I prefer it over the whack method and the shake method.
Yes! Fast, easy, and sorta magical!
I prefer my KitchenAid box grater because it has a nice covered container that I use when I shred mozzarella to keep it in the fridge until I need it. It does a great job.
I love my slap chopper. Once you know how to use it, those things you took exception with are no longer an issue. Don't overload it and with each chop, give the handle a little twist before you preas down again.
Tip for box grater. Use it horizontal with the handle pointed towards you. I'm sure some of you already know this but I just learned this method recently and its way less effort to use this way.
Also for the Benriner Mandoline you can take the blade out and sharpen it. I'm not sure why she said you can't take the blade out...maybe she was just talking about the oxo? She wasn't very clear with that. The oxo one you can't take out but why the hell would you buy the oxo when you can't take the blade out and it's more expensive? The Benriner Mandoline is way better in every way.
Very helpful video. The tips were great. Now, I am getting a Y peeler. I don't have much storage or counter space for kitchen gadgets or appliances, but the Y peeler and the garlic press (yikes that's costly!) and the graters are possible. I clean my garlic press and peeler with toothbrush. Thanks for doing this. Bonus points: I found out the salad spinner my son in law got for me a couple of Christmases ago is your number one choice!
Yes, that garlic press is hella expensive, but I've had one for over a decade now and it's totally awesome. Love the stainless steel and how easy it is to clean. I also use it with ginger.
OXO is also designed for accessibility to make it easier for folks with disabilities!
Since we clean leafy vegetables every day for salads or cooking we use an electric salad spinner. Yes, it is another appliance on the counter but we have a little nook next to our refrigerator where it sits out of the way until needed.
I have used the phrase “slap-chop” to described ‘some halfassed way to waste time and energy instead of doing it the right way from the beginning’ since my grandma ordered one back when they were new. We used it once, had a good laugh, and put it into the yard sale bin.
I never use my "Salad Spinner" for salads. The thing I used them for EVERY DAY is as help defrosting frozen vegetables. If I need frozen peas or corn, I take out the inner colander part, pour in the frozen vegetables and then run them under hot water until they're defrosted and then use the spinner to take the water off them. FWIW.
Check out the Rada vegetable peeler if you want a straight peeler where you can see the blade. No obstructions at all, swivel head, and minimal food waste.
I appreciate your recommendations and in the past I have purchased the items you recommended and I’ve been very happy with them. However I bought the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss peelers but just after the first use and wash I realized the blades rusted very easily. I made sure I was very diligent with washing and drying them thoroughly, but they still rusted at the end. Although I liked the performance of the peelers I went through 3 of them in 6 months.
An outstanding peeler is the Cutco peeler, superior, and it even has a sharp tip for removing potato eyes.
The Y peeler is so much easier to use especially if you have arthritis in your hands, would recommend!
I've been looking at 6-sided box graters, but like the paddle style as an addition to a 6-sided guy.
Oh I was so hoping for a machine that will chop kale for salad, what works best to prevent bruising but is quick? Thank you thank you so much.
that oxo salad spinner is legit, no joke, also get the small one too, great for small fruits. great for soaking and washing fruits and veggie. Kuhn brand has some good stuff, their pepper mill is hard to fill, but to grind, it is a joy, it is a ratchet type.
I love the ikea garlic press. I use the Tupperware brand salad spinner and it’s going 20 years later.
you say that the mandoline blades aren't removable but you're showing the oxo model with the removable blade, a great feature and a reason i bought that particular model
I very much enjoy the guillotine style mandolins by Starfrit. It is pretty handy, safe and stable. Especially for older people.
I love OXO utensils. The potato masher especially.
The Dreamfarm garlic press has been by far my favorite and it’s not even close. I’ve tried at least 4 of 5 higher end models. The peel ejection and cleaning grooves are so helpful. Would love to see how it stacks up in ATK
i’d love to see a rocker option for the garlic press. my meaty hands have often gotten pinched in those devices so i swore them off for a bit until i found a rocker style garlic press that i love. it makes bigger pieces but i haven’t found a unit easier to use and clean since
I keep a 'take home' thick plastic food containers next to my cutting board. I have two sizes Small and Large. I use them to put in my garbage from chopping my vegetables. They are tall and easy to clean.
80's kids, by star cassette is my forever jam
For grating I really prefer the Salad Master cone crank machine which you have never (to my knowledge) tested.
If I need super fine garlic, I grate it on my microplane--thank you Rachel Ray. Clean up by running it under running water--done. Garlic press--nope it's a uni-tasker.
This garlic press isn't. It's solid enough for other things like ginger, turmeric etc.
Very informative video. Nicely done ladies.
Thanks for all the excellent tips. Love it.