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People often think kitchen equipment has to be expensive to be really useful.  While some very expensive kitchen equipment is definitely helpful and very useful, there are some inexpensive items that I can’t live without.  Here’s the start of a list of great gift ideas that are really useful for any baker’s kitchen. There will be more posts in the future on this subject.

1. Silicone Spatulas - I absolutely love these little spatulas.  The price is very reasonable and they are an indispensable part of my kitchen.  At $8.50 for a medium size spatula, the price is right.  I often find these little beauties on clearance at cooks stores and I load up on them.  I have six of them in different shapes and sizes and colors, of course.  They are the ultimate accessory! 
2. Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Beans - I can’t think of too many baking recipes that can’t be improved with a little shot of vanilla.  I love to buy vanilla in bulk, the price sure is cheaper and I never have to worry about running out of vanilla in the middle of a recipe.  You can buy the 32 ounce vanilla online for $40 instead of $20 for a mere 8 ounces.  Another great thing to have on hand is vanilla beans.  Sometimes I love to add a vanilla bean just for the pretty little seeds and the awesome flavor.  These can also be bought in bulk for a much more reasonable price.  Click on the links above to find out where.
3. Silpat Mats - Silpat mats are great because they can be used over and over again.  The price is very reasonable at around $16 a mat.  Never having to worry about a baked good sticking to your pan is priceless, if you ask me.
4. Microplane - My trusty microplane has been with me in my kitchen for a number of years and is still as sharp as the day I bought it.  I know I reach for it every day, often more than once. 
5. Glass Bowl Set - Having enough bowls to make it through a recipe is an absolute necessity.  I can’t make it through a day baking without using these wonderful bowls.  I also love that I can make an instant double boiler for chocolate by placing one of these glass bowls over a pot of simmering water.  The price is definitely right at $34 for ten bowls. 

Ever wonder why there are so many cookie sheets on the market?  With all the choices available to you making a decision on which one you want is pretty hard.  The good folks at Gourmet did a piece on cookie sheets not too long ago and they chose the best in show, best insulated, and best traditional.  The cookie sheet pictured at the top is the one they chose for best in show.  If you click on the icon above, it will take you to amazon.com where you can read more about the product. 

They chose the doughmakers cookie sheet due to a number of things including - the nonstick nature (without any nonstick coating) and the cookies it produced.  According to the reviewers the cookies came out just right.  They didn’t spread too much and the bottoms were perfectly brown.  This pan retails for $17.95.

The winner in the insulated category wss the Wilton Even-Bake.  This pan is unique because it can be washed in the dishwasher.  The testers thought the insulated product may just be a gimmick, but after repeated tests found the pan created a great cookie.  This pan retails for $17.99.

The last category was the traditional cookie sheet.  The winner in this round was from Anolon.  Overall, the review was favorable.  The cookies turned out well and the price wasn’t too bad at $15.00 a sheet.

So, the next time you are in the market for a new cookie sheet, you may want to give one of these a try.

Okay, so I read a lot of magazines on food and sometimes I come across some interesting gadgets.  This week I thought I would mention two of them - one quirky and one practical.  Let’s start with quirky.  Don’t you just hate it when you go to the freezer looking for some ice cream only find your husband or your kids ate the last pint?  Well, have no fear Ben and Jerry’s has you covered.  Ben and Jerry’s sells a pint lock.  Yeah, you heard me right, I said a pint lock for your ice cream.  Now you can either buy just the basic pint lock for $5.50 at Ben and Jerry’s or you can get the upgrade - a pint lock and six free pints of ice cream for $29.50 (although, I guess at that price the pints aren’t really free are they?).  Still it’s a fun quirky gift idea for the ice cream addict in your life.  To check them out visit http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=benjerry1&query=pint+lock&.autodone=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.benjerry.com%2F

Now, on to the more practical gadget, although I am seeing mixed reviews on this one.  In theory this seems like a great gadget, it’s the big chill pastry board.  This pastry board is interesting, in that the it has ice packs in the middle of it.  Sounds like a fabulous idea right?  After all doesn’t pastry need to be kept as cool as possible…Well, according to one review I read this board didn’t kept the dough any cooler than rolling it out on your sideboard.  The other complaint was that it actually made the dough stick more to the board and thus required more flour.  My jury is still out on this one, I may have to pick up a board and give it a full review myself.  You can check it out over at http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Chill-Pastry-Board/dp/B0006L0KR6/sr=8-2/qid=1172771614/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-0690923-1053729?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden

Do you have either one of these gadgets or do you know someone who does?  I would love to hear your thoughts on these two gadgets.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my little microplane (the original 8.5 inch).  I also own the coarse grater microplane.  I like this microplane, but not nearly as much as my original.  This design has a few flaws.  The first problem I had with this microplane is the plastic casing that surrounds the blade.  The plastic casing is flimsy and is easy to crack.  With the old microplane you could hold the tip blade against the your cutting board and work, when I used this same technique with the coarse grater I actually cracked the plastic casing in half.  Now my blade is quite flimsy and has a tendency to flex when I use it.  The second problem I have with this grater is the handle.  The handle comes off of the blade and occasionally slips.  I also find when I wash this tool in the dishwasher, if I forget to take the handle off, I have water running down my blade the next time I use it.  The blade is sharp, just like the original.  It grates nicely, but the original design is much better.  Do you own any of the microplane products?  Please leave a comment to tell us what you think 

This months issue of Cook’s Illustrated has a couple of really great pieces, one on balsamic vinegar from the grocery store and one on Chef’s knives.  One of knives that was highly recommended was a very inexpensive knife.  This is really great for people just starting out buying kitchen equipment.  I have to say I was a little disappointed that the testers did not review my knife, I would guess they didn’t test it because it is actually a Santoku, not a Chef’s knife.  I have to tell you I really love it.  The knife that won for best value was the Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch Chef’s Knife.  It retails for less than $30.00.  Check out this link over at amazon.com to get more details.

The other really interesting piece they did this month was testing out lower priced balsamic vinegars.  There was one supermarket find that worked in well in all uses.  Some of the other types they tested only worked well in vinaigrettes or plain out of the bottle, but not used in everything.  The testers like Lucini Gran Riserva Balsamico the best.  The cost per bottle is $15.00 for 8.5 ounces.  You can pick up a bottle of this vinegar probably in your local grocery store or online at worldpantry.com.

I have to say I am really liking Cook’s Illustrated and I really enjoy sharing what I find with you from all the magazines I read each month.

 There are a number of different thermometers on the market.  You can see that I use the old fashioned traditional thermometer.  No hassle, just pop it into the roast and in 10 seconds you have a reading.  I like that it doesn’t use batteries and was very inexpensive.  But 10 seconds may just be too long to wait for you, so what are your other options? 

How about an instant read.  Instant read thermometers give a reading in a few seconds and come with either digital or analog read outs.  You can purchase these guys for around $20 and that’s not too bad.  If you make lots of roasts, chickens, and steaks, you may want to invest in an instant read. 

If the instant read isn’t high-tech enough for you, you may want to consider a digital probe.  A probe is inserted into the meat and a cable runs back to the main unit on your countertop.  These machines are programmable and allow you to check on your meat without ever opening the oven door.  The cables have a tendency to get pretty hot, so be careful.  Some people love to use the programmable features and others find it like programming a VCR, so it’s really about your personal preference.  You can get one of these guys over at Williams Sonoma for $30. 

By far the most technologically advanced of meat thermometers is the laser (or infrared) thermometer, you heard me right, I said laser.  Keep in mind the laser only measure surface temperatures, you will have to use the probe piece to find out internal temperatures.  These guys are great for testing out the temperatures of your grills and griddles.  They can also give you an accurate read on how hot your oil is.  These guys are a lot more expensive, running around $70 - $80 a thermometer. 

The last type of thermometer you can invest in is the disposable thermometer.   These guys are preset to USDA temperatures for doneness.  They change color when the meat is ready.  This makes it difficult for the cook to gauge their own desired level of doneness. They run around $30 for 145 sticks.

Let me start by saying while I enjoy this pastry brush there are a few things that I do not like about it.  Let’s start with the positives.  On the plus side these gadgets are incredibly inexpensive, running about $5.00 a brush.  They are also great for many purposes.  They can be washed in the dishwasher, are resistant to flavors and smells, and are easy to store for small spaces (they don’t take up much room).  The silicone “bristles” are resistant to bending (some pastry brushes look like toothbrushes that have been over used after a while) and wear and tear.

On the downside.  I find the “bristles” are quite a bit larger than the normal bristles of a pastry brush.  The size of the bristles makes it difficult to use for more delicate jobs.  I know there are other designs and I may have to pick up a finer “bristled” brush for some of my pastry jobs.  The ”bristles” are also not as sturdy as those of a classic pastry brush.  The silicone nature of the “bristles” makes them very flexible and in a sense flimsy.  The ”bristles” flex under an resistance from the food and have a tendency to flail out.   

Overall, it’s a decent tool.  It’s durable, easy to clean, and small enough to fit in any small space. 

I recently saw this little bundt pan and just couldn’t resist putting a little blurb about it on my blog.  I haven’t tried one of these pans, but I think it’s a great idea.  If you have a die hard sports fan in your family and you really love game day eats, this may be the pan for you.  It retails for around $30.  You can find it at Amazon.com or Williams Sonoma.  Click on the photo above to link to Amazon’s page.  Both stadium pans are cast aluminum with non-stick coating.  Williams Sonoma’s variety has a 9 cup capacity, while the Amazon one has a 10 cup capacity. 

Here are a couple of bundt recipes for you to try in your new Stadium Bundt Pan. (Recipes may not be exactly 9 or 10 cup capacity)

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake from Epicurious - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/233011

Coconut Bundt Cake from Epicurous - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104038

Paula Deen’s Mama’s Pound Cake - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34729,00.html?rsrc=search

It’s strange, but true, I did see onion chopping eye goggles over at Williams Sonoma the other night.  No, these were not swim goggles, but actual onion goggles, designed specifically to be used when dicing onions.  Now I hear you all giggling and that’s exactly what I did when I saw them.  Brace yourself, they sell for $20.00, but if they really work, isn’t it a small price to pay for years of tears-free onion dicing. 

They look more like ski goggles than swim goggles, I would even dare say they are stylish.  They could double as a pair of sunglasses.  I see over at cookswarehouse.com they already have a backorder on these little babies, so you might want to head over to Williams Sonoma and grab a pair before they are all gone.  Want to check them out at the source, head over to http://www.rsvp-intl.com/new_items.htm.  They come in white, black, and pink (with a portion of the proceeds going to breast cancer initiatives).  The picture above comes from the RSVP site.  Interested in tear-free onions check them out. 

I recently got a copy of the new Sur La Table catalog.  They had some really great Valentine’s Day ideas - including edible crystallized flowers (my favorite flower pansies and violas)  They are a little expensive at $39.95, but you get 25 and they would really make a homemade Valentine’s Day present look really fancy.  I know how hard it can be to find these little guys, so click on the link above to check them out.

They also are having a great winter sale on all kinds of things, with some great prices on cookbooks, pans and knives.  I really enjoy this store and find when they have sales the prices are really great, so you may want to go and check it out for yourself.