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10 Kitchen gadgets you must have
Various types of equipment are used in the kitchen. They are classified as cutlery, utensils, appliances, or kitchen tools. A kitchen gadget is a broad term used to describe the mechanical or electric equipment used in the kitchen for various purposes. In this article, we are going to look at the essential gadgets we can’t do without in the kitchen.
Blender
This is an electric mixing kitchen gadget that is used in food preparation for liquidizing, chopping, or pureeing. A stationary blender consists of a container with a metal blade at the bottom. The metal blade rotates on a motor powered by electricity. The immersion blender has a motor on top connected by a shaft to a rotating blade at the bottom, which can be used by any container. Blenders save us time when we have to dissolve solids into liquids. They are also useful when you want to make a cocktail of your choice.
Grater
It is also known as a shredder, and it is used to chop foods into fine pieces. It was originally used to chop cheese. Various types of graters have different sizes of slots and can, therefore, be used in the preparation of various foods. Graters produce shreds that are thinner at the ends than the middle. This enhances the melting or cooking of other substances of food as compared to the grating blade of a food processor.
Microwave oven
It is an electric oven that heats food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. The molecules in the food produce thermal energy through dielectric heating. Microwaves heat food quickly because excitation is uniform in the outer 1-1.5 inches of high-water content food. Microwaves are essential in reheating previously cooked foods and cooking a variety of foods. They are efficient in saving fuel and the use of utensils. They have an advantage over the normal ovens since they don’t brown the food. You don’t have to keep turning the food by yourself. The microwave has a turntable, also called a metal waveguide stirring fan. It has a control panel; thus, you don’t have to worry about overheating the food. All you have to do is to key-in the duration you want the food to heat. After the specified time, the oven sounds an alarm to notify you.
Mixer
It is either a hand mixer or stands mixer depending on the type of mechanism for operation. It is a kitchen device that uses a gear-driven mechanism to rotate a set of beaters in a bowl containing food or liquids to be prepared by mixing them. These are essential because they automate the task of mechanical stirring, whisking, or beating. When selecting a mixer to use, the user should consider how the mixer will be used. I recommend electric mixers with more speed options. They give the user more control over the development of the mixture.
Peeler (vegetable scraper)
It is a kitchen gadget with a metal blade that has a slot with a sharp edge attached to a handle. The sharp edge is used to remove the outer layer of some vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli stalks, and fruits. The peeler blade has a slot with one side sharpened. The other side of the slot prevents the blade from cutting too far into the vegetable. This is an advantage over the paring knife. There several types of peelers, namely: the straight peeler, the Y peelers, and the swivel peelers. Peelers will save you a lot of time that you could have wasted using a knife.
Kitchen Timer
This is a device that can be set for a number of minutes that sounds an alarm, such as a bell or buzzer, when the specified time is up. They are commonly used for baking and controlled cooking. Some foods are restricted to cooking for a particular time, for instance, steaming cabbages. This process requires accuracy; hence, a timer is essential to alert the cook before the food is overcooked.
Knife sharper
As we use our knives in the kitchen, they tend to become blunt over time. Blunt blades can harm us while working with them for a long time. Blunt knives require a greater force to do the slicing and cutting tasks. There are two common types of sharpeners, namely; stone sharpeners and electric sharpeners. Of the two, it is easier to handle electric sharpeners than the mechanical stone sharpener. While using the manual stone sharpener, you should mind the angle at which you sharpen. A wrong sharpening angle will only make the knife blunt.
Gloves and mint
When reaching out for food from a hot oven or furnace or dropping a freshly cut potato into a fryer tank of bubbling oil, gloves come in handy. Heat resistant hand gloves are flame retardant to provide added safety when dealing with open flames in an oven, grill, or barbecue pit. Other types of gloves of this nature are designed to offer steam protection when working with steamers. Some gloves also offer basic cold protection so that you can comfortably transport pans from the freezer to the oven. All oven mitts and gloves are one size and fit most people but can also be offered upon desired specifications. Cutting gloves are also available, and they are tolerant of cuts. They are designed for dishwashing and when handling sharp tools in the kitchen.
Cutting Board or Chopping board
It is a durable board on which to place the material for cutting. The kitchen cutting board is used to hold food while being reduced to small sizes by a knife. A knife edge is a delicate part and can easily be blunted by a too abrasive surface that is too hard. Therefore, when selecting a cutting board, one should pick a soft, easy to clean, and non-abrasive. The board should not be fragile to the point of being destroyed. Hard cutting boards can be used for food preparation tasks that do not require a sharp knife such as cutting cheese. It is also worth noting that the sanitation of cutting boards is essential. It prevents cross-contamination and food poisoning; it’s advisable to wash and dry the board to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Dish rack
It is a piece of kitchen shelving placed above the sink with an open bottom and shelves made of wire or plastic. It is used to allow washed dishes set within to drip and air dry. Water can provide a favorable environment for bacteria to thrive. It is important that water drips off the dishes before they are used again. Dish racks save on the time required to wipe the dishes with a piece of cloth instead. Wet dishes can also contaminate food, especially when they are used immediately after washing. Thus, the dish rack is essential equipment in the kitchen.
References.
- https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbookhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_utensil
- https://www.encylopedia.com/food
