From the best blender money can buy to a universal knife that’s great for cutting just about anything you can think of, stock your kitchen with these expert-recommended tools of the trade and make cooking a breeze.Microplane. YouBeauty Recipe Expert Elana Horwich relies on this handy tool for zesting, as well as grating parmigiano or pecorino on pasta or for grating fresh nutmeg.
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Handheld lemon squeezer. Keri Gans, nutritionist and author of The Small Change Diet, can’t imagine cooking fish without her handheld lemon squeezer. “It gives me fresh lemon juice and lime juice without the seeds,” she said. “I marinate fish, such as salmon, in a lemon/lime juice with a touch of olive oil, and then place in the broiler topped with parsley and dill — so simple.”8” chef’s knife. “My wife and I use it more than any other knife,” said YouBeauty Culinary Expert Jim Perko. “It’s great for cutting just about anything and even peeling garlic, as well as mashing it. Then you don’t use any of the precious garlic oil, which science tells us is the part that provides the benefits.”Vitamix. The ultra-popular blender is in regular rotation at nutritionist’s Keri Glassman’s house. “I use my Vitamix just about everyday, from making smoothies for my kids before school to making soup,” said Glassman, founder of the nutrition practice, Nutritious Life. “I love that it is so easy to use, fast and easy to clean.”
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All-Clad double burner grill pan. “We aren’t going outside to BBQ on a typical Tuesday evening, but this way we can grill any night of the week easily,” said Horwich. “I schlep mine to parties I cater and insist my students buy one. You can make branzino, swordfish, steaks, grilled vegetables, my 12-minute grilled chicken with herbs de Provence and more.”4” stainless steel skimmer. Perko regularly uses a skimmer to retrieve cooked vegetables from the hot water in the pot. But it’s not just about distancing yourself from the scalding liquid. “The reason is so you can save the liquid for cooking another vegetable,” explained Perko. “If you sequentially cook rutabagas, carrots and sweet potatoes separately in water because they require different cooking times, reuse the cooking liquid and you’ll be amazed how fabulous the resulting liquid is. This is the essence of making a great sauce.”Kitchen scissors. A good pair of kitchen scissors is a must-have in Glassman’s book. “I use them for everything from cutting veggies to chopping salads,” she said.
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High temperature rubber spatula. “It cleans all that good food from the pan without scratching it, and it’s durable,” said Perko.Apple corer. “As long as I can remember, I have always eaten an apple with an apple corer,” said Gans. “My mother always had one in our home, as do I. It makes eating an apple or pear neater than actually biting into it and provides the perfect size pieces for spreading almond butter on.”
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Olive wood salt keeper. Salt is spice you want to go easy on, and a salt keeper can help you do just that. “I love this bowl because I never add salt from a shaker, only with my fingers so I can easily gauge and judge how much I’m putting on,” said Perko. “And I can evenly distribute it over the food.”What are your kitchen must-haves?
