Cool Tools for the Kitchen–My 3TV Segment This Week

Manic:  Desire to make my family a good home-cooked meal, but fear the prep cutting, grating and more will prevent me from getting a good dinner out quick enough to get to practice on time.

Managed:  Found some cool tools that make my life easier in the kitchen and enable me to make a homemade meal in half the time! 

Read on to see some cool tools that can peel, open, chop, squeeze and do other tasks in a time-saving snap.

Cool Tool #1:  The Magic Bullet!
I’d heard friends rave about the Magic Bullet, but I kept putting off purchasing one because of the $50 price tag.  So, I waited until my next 20% off coupon came in the mail from Bed, Bath & Beyond and I finally bought one for myself.  I think I’m in love! 

This is truly one of the coolest tools for cooking around!  The Magic Bullet comes with a cookbook called 10 Second Recipes, so I put a few to the test and the product doesn’t lie.  I made scrumptious salsa with a kick in under 10 seconds.  Watch the segment to see how it’s done.

In addition to blending smoothies and celebratory cocktails, the Magic Bullet can also chop and grate, too.  See the segment to see how I use the Bullet to get fresh grated Parmesan cheese in seconds.  The Magic Bullet has become my favorite new purchase and my #1 cool tool!  Although it costs $50, it does come with 17 pieces, and so far, I’m enjoying all of the accessories.

Cool Tool #2:  The Pampered Chef Garlic Peeler
Pampered Chef continues to wow me with their innovative kitchen tools and one of my favorite items is simple to use.  To instantly peel garlic cloves without getting the garlic odor all over your hands, insert several cloves into the middle of the peeler and roll on a hard surface.  Your garlic pops out peeled and ready for the recipe.  This great tool sells for $7.25 at www.pamperedchef.com.

Cool Tool #3:  Get-it Finger Guard
Instead of pot holders that get dirty and soiled, this odd-looking, bright-colored contraption is made of silicone and is heat resistant up to 600 degrees.  With four grooves for all of your fingers, it easily enables you to pick up hot plates, oven shelves and more, plus it can be thrown in the dish washer and won’t get grimy like traditional pot holders do.  I found mine at Tuesday Morning for $3.49 a piece and it doubles as a game piece for kids.  Clever and fun!
 

Cool Tool #4:  Lime Squeezer
In my segment last week, I struggled to squeeze the juice out of a lime by hand for my guac recipe.  So our show host, Lisa, suggested that I purchase a lime squeezer.  The funny thing was that I had just bought one for this cool tools segment, but I hadn’t tested it yet.  Lisa is right!  I love this item.  In a second, this tool enables you to get every last bit of juice out of that lime, which is the perfect addition to many recipes and cocktails.  I found my bright-green lime squeezer made by Imusa at Fry’s for $3.74.

Cool Tool #5:  Good Cook Bradshaw Apple Wedger
With one push through an intact apple, eight perfectly sliced and crisp apple slices appear ready to eat.  With the multiple health benefits of apples, this is one cool tool that enables me to serve my kids a healthy treat in seconds.  This product ranges in price from $4 to $10, but I found it for only $4.99 at www.cvs.com.

Cool Tool #6:  Bradshaw Good Cook Small Flexible Cutting Board Pack
Small and flexible, these cutting boards come color-coded for specific uses to prevent cross-contamination.  I use the red one for meat, the white one for fish, the pink board for poultry and the green one for produce.  I also like that they are dishwasher-safe and only take up a small amount of storage space due to their compact size.  The 4-pack costs $4.29 at www.cvs.com.

Do you have a cool tool that makes your life easier in the kitchen?  Share it here in the comments section.