My favorite kitchen tools - part 2

(see part 1)

Since we first gave it a go, we have remained fast fans of 5 minute a day artisan bread.  The more we practice the more incredibly awesome it becomes.  And with the cost-efficience of making it ourselves, by now my tools have paid for themselves many times over. The unnecessary  but totally game-changing tools for that loveliness (necessary ones are a large lidded bucket and a pizza stone) are:

1. Dough Whisk

After dumping the flour on top of the other ingredients, a dozen turns with this contraption has a lovely dough mixed for me, it's almost magic.




2. Pizza Peel

Getting the hot bread in and out of the oven (since I remove it and baste it with olive oil and herbs de provence when it has 10 minutes left to bake) is a snap, and it eliminates the otherwise high risk of me burning myself.  (I am so clumsy that way - I seem to always have at least one oven-burn on my forearms.)  You can see where Sir O mangled it a bit, but Mr Renn sanded it down nicely and it's still doing it's job perfectly.




Some other tools we love and multitask with:

3. Our Salad Spinner

Yes, we use it to clean and dry lettuce.  And herbs.  And berries.  And sometimes cut potatoes that have been soaking in water to keep them from turning brown.  We find new ways to use it all the time.



4. Mr Renn's Mandoline

This was Mr Renn's Christmas present and it has gotten way more use that I'd anticipated.  It's just so much faster and more accurate than slicing things by hand.  It's super sharp, so extra precaution is required, but I can cut just about anything into perfectly uniform shapes in a few seconds.  It's too convenient not to use.



5. Offset Spatula

I actually have 3 of these in different sizes, but they are so wildly popular with the boys (for what reason, I do not know) that there's always at least one missing.  I refuse to frost a cake without one.  It's a real game-changer.



6. Prepared Garlic

Okay, this isn't so much of a tool. And I should say that I still use whole garlic for some things, but having minced and mashed garlic on hand in forms that will store without sprouting for a long time is so wonderful at our house.  Plus I don't have to go through the ordeal of ridding my hands of the smell of garlic nearly so often.



There may be a part 3 to this, because so many of our favorite things are in our kitchen.  If I can get some photos taken I will show you more soon.