Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets

 One of our resolutions for the New Year is to get a little more comfortable in the kitchen.  While our apartments are equipped with great cooking spaces, it is very easy to rely on the variety of delicious restaurants in the Quincy area.  We did a little research to see what kitchen tools and gadgets we should add to our drawers and countertops to make cooking easier, more fun and even a bit tastier, and here is what we found:

Trudeau Graviti Electric Salt & Pepper Mills – These make adding fresh pepper and sea salt to any meal you make a pinch!  The battery-operated mills will impress your guests and save you a step in the kitchen!  These are available for $39.95 at Williams-Sonoma.  

Microplane Soft-Handle Zester Graters – We have all seen well-known chefs such as Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay use these on their cooking shows.  They can be used for so much – zesting a lemon or lime, grating parmesan cheese, and our favorite – mincing garlic.  This product is a must!  Available for $14.95 at Sur la Table.  

Kuhn Rikon Herb Chopper – This chopping tool will make cooking fun! Includes a blade cover for safe storage and is dishwasher safe. Available at Williams-Sonoma for $19.95. 

Pizza Grilling Stone – Available at Crate and Barrel for $44.95, this ceramic pizza stone is great for making pizzas, tortillas, and you can get more creative with a stone and make meals like burgers, steaks and chicken.  The best part – the more you use it the better your food will taste as it becomes more seasoned. 

T-Fal OptiGrill – Based on the reviews, once purchased, this appliance will not leave your countertop!  This indoor grill uses sensor cooking technology to give perfect result everytime.  Especially if you are cooking for one or even two, this will make cooking burgers, sausage, fish or steak a cinch!  The OptiGrill is available for $179.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond and Macys. 

OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer – If you love homemade guacamole as much as we do – you need this kitchen tool!  Available at Sur la Table for $10 – this slicer will help you split, pit, slice and scoop avocados safely – all you need is the chips!

Williams-Sonoma Smart Tools Kitchen Stand for Tablets – Keep your tablet safe while you cook.  We are constantly bringing it into the kitchen for recipes, keep it safe from spills on this tablet stand, available for $49.95 at Williams-Sonoma.

ITOUCHLESS Keep Fresh Bag Re-Sealer – Keep your snacks, chips, and cooking ingredients fresh with this battery-operated bag re-sealer.  Keep the air out and your leftovers will stay fresh!  The Resealer is $24.99 at Sears. 

OXO Good Grips Mandoline Slicer – Great for slicing and dicing your favorite vegetables and fruits.  The OXO Slicer has great reviews, comes with a great safety cover for storage and changing blades is a piece of cake.  This product retails for $69.99 on Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Proteak Edge Grain Teak Cutting Board – According to the pros at America’s Test Kitchen, this 18x24” board is the best cutting board out there.  Priced at $89 and available at Amazon, this cutting board came out on top after three months of rigorous tests by cooking pros!