Kitchen Survey: What kitchen tool brings a smile to your face?

Tell us:  what kitchen tool makes you smile everytime you use it?

Here's mine... 

My 6 quart Kitchen Aid mixer, a favorite knife, cookie cutters, my grandmother's flour sifter -- all these things and more I greatly enjoy using.  They add... je ne sais quoi... "ambiance," I guess is the best word, to the act of cooking.  Sometimes it's an old-fashioned feel, like my grandmother's sifter.  Sometimes it's a modern cooking-show feel (gotta love that Kitchen Aid).  Sometimes it's the exotic sense of using ingredients that more than half my friends wouldn't recognize (laos, anyone?).  But the one thing that gives me a silly little thrill is the small grater/zester I use for nutmeg.  When I run the grater over the nutmet and watch the shavings collect in its concave surface... it's a sensual experience, in its own odd way.  I grew up with the grocery store-bought pre-ground nutmeg stored long past its "smell good" date, and the soft feathery texture and spicy smell of freshly grated nutmet was a revelation.  I find the act of grating it so wonderful that I have a hard time stopping when a recipe only calls for 1/8 tsp or even a full 1/4 tsp.  Just a little bit more won't hurt, I tell myself as I indulge in a few extra gratings.

Comments

[Kitchen Chick]

A reader pointed out that my comments for this post were closed. (Thanks!) Not sure how that happened, but I've fixed it. So please do come in and share your favorite kitchen tool.

[Joe]

Mine, though purely on its simple aesthetic and on general coolness grounds, is that wooden donut cutter you got from your grandmother. That deserves a post on here at some point.

[Sarah]

My favorite: the food processor. I am still amazed at how quickly it can change the shape of things.

[Edward Vielmetti]

My nana's toaster, still making perfect toast after almost 40 years of use. It's chrome and shiny and built like a tank.

[Paul]

My Global knives: 8 inch chefs, bread knife, boning knife, 5 inch vegetable knife, paring knife.

They are great.

[walkinglegs]

My KitchenAid ... how wonderful to add ingredients and be able to simply walk away and let it go while gathering other ingredients, such power in the kitchen!

[Kitchen Chick]

Sarah: Food processors are truly marvelous. I keep wondering about getting a tiny one for grinding large amounts of spices and garlic to create pastes.

Paul: A good knife makes life good. Oh, wait, that doesn't sound good. :-) A good knife makes cooking a joy.

walkinglegs: Isn't that the truth!

Ed: how neat to have your grandmother's working toaster. I have my grandmother's electric mixer from pre-1950s. (I don't know when -- I should research it.) The plastic coating of the electrical cord is getting a bit brittle, so I've been afraid to plug it in.

[the ulterior epicure]

kitchen chick.

my favorite - that's not fair... but i guess i have choose just one... the one that brings the biggest smile to me is my ice cream maker.

u.e.

[Laura]

I have yet to make a meal that didn't turn out great when the use of tongs was required. Their use implies grilling or frying. Tongs just make everything taste better. My current pair is from chinatown; springloaded, with a lock for easy storage.

[Zarah Maria]

I'm not sure it would be my favorite tool, but something that really brings a smile on my face would be my pots, a Danish brand called Eva Trio. They're stainless steel, but because I use them on a gas stove, they've gotten patina (is that the right word?), golden shadows running up the bottom of them - I don't know why, but every time I see them, I'm reminded of all the wonderful meals I have cooked, and will cook, in them...

And well, my Kitchen Aid impresses me all the time!

[funkbunny]

My copper pans - all battered and developing a serious patina but fantastic at conducting heat and lovely to look at.

And my shiny silver fridge (but I don't suppose that counts!)

Love the blog btw

[Kitchen Chick]

Thanks for reading! Glad you're enjoying my blog. I do love a good pot or pan. I have a few really good ones, and my hope is that as the old not-so-good ones wear out, I'll replace them with better pots and pans.

I'll be posting a new survey soon.

[golombek]

I have pots and pans I love, gadgets galore I adore, but the best is a 10" chef's knife that cost $2 at a yard sale. It's carbon steel, takes a wonderful edge, and sings when it's run over a whetstone. I call it by its brand name, Dexter. Dexter can do almost anything, from taking apart a pork shoulder to mincing garlic.