The case for investing in a pelmeni press, an air fryer, and a Norwegian cheese slicer.
As industrious home cooks, we tend to be a little skeptical of appliances and gadgets that take up space without earning their keep around the kitchen. We’re not going to try to talk you into filling your Amazon shopping cart with gratuitous single-use gadgets that will end up dust-covered in the back of your coat closet. But these are some of the TASTE stories that make the most compelling, impassioned arguments in favor of a few deeply underappreciated kitchen tools.
Every once in a while, a tool that might seem on the surface like a one-trick pony winds up surprising you. You find that the $11 Soviet-era pelmeni mold you picked up at a garage sale is the most efficient way to fill your freezer with dumplings. Or you learn that your air fryer, against all odds, has convinced you to eat more salad. Maybe you’re not planning to turn your home kitchen into an amateur croissant factory. But if you change your mind, we’ve got your back. —Anna Hezel, photo by Denny Culbert
feature
Everyone Should Own a Cooking Torch
A kitchen flamethrower is more than just a gimmicky gadget. It’s actually—dare I say—practical.
feature
People Love to Hate the Garlic Press
Chefs claim that it makes garlic taste bad, and home cooks worry that it’s a cheap shortcut. But are either of them right?
feature
I'm Not Smiling. My Knife Is Smiling.
It may seem like a holdover from the Italian nonnas of yore, but here’s why the mezzaluna should make the cut in the modern home cook’s kitchen.
feature
Let Us Celebrate That Norwegian Cheese Plane
You may recognize it from wedding registries or the kitchen aisle at Target, but the timeless design is almost 100 years old.
feature
Konbi Has a Secret Croissant Machine
Two Los Angeles chefs sought pastry perfection and found it an hour’s drive outside of Tokyo.
feature
Grate Expectations
Not only for lemons, the Microplane zester is as versatile a tool as any for the home cook.
feature
The Best Thing to Make in an Air Fryer Isn’t Fried
If you want to get the most out of your air fryer, think of it as a tiny hot oven that can toast things really well.
feature
Comfort Me With an Assembly Line of Dumplings
There’s no cure for heartbreak. But Soviet mechanical efficiency and endless pelmeni do help. Some.
feature
The Instant Pot Has a Honeymoon Phase
The first viral cooking appliance is an emotional trial by fire.