In this section we talk about miscellaneous small kitchen tools. Some are lifesavers in the kitchen, others just captured our interest. It's also a bit of a catch-all for kitchen and cooking-related topics that aren't reviews and aren't how-tos.

Small Kitchen Tools


If you’re thinking about buying a pod coffee maker for yourself or as a gift for someone, please read this first. There are better ways to go–no matter what your priorities are! Coffee pods have taken over the market. According to this article, coffee pods accounted for 35% of coffee sales in 2017. This translates to

Thinking of Getting Someone a Coffee Pod? Go Old School Instead (And Love Your Coffee Again!)

Just because most produce is available year-round doesn’t mean it’s a good buy. Here we tell you about seasonal produce, as well as why some produce isn’t seasonal, and why some is okay to buy and some isn’t. Best of all, we give you a handy printable infographic with all the info you need to make

Seasonal Produce Chart (With Printable Infographic)

At last–our long-anticipated 2021 holiday shopping guide! This year, our list is full of all-new items. We include everything from stocking stuffers to over-the-top luxury items. Our main goal this year, as always, is to help you find unique, special, beautiful gifts that your loved ones probably wouldn’t find on their own–and if they did,

The Best Gifts for Cooks and Food Lovers in 2021

In less than 5 years, sous vide cooking has moved from the food geekery fringes into the mainstream spotlight. Immersion circulators have become a popular gift item for cooks and food lovers. Food blogs–and not just “modernist” ones–have exploded with sous vide recipes and techniques. It’s a craze that’s taken the culinary world by storm.But

Sous Vide: Passing Fad or Here to Stay?

Modernist Cuisine, a 5-volume set plus recipe book.When Modernist Cuisine came out in 2011, Michael Ruhlman wrote a mixed review of it for the New York Times. He was daunted by the task, and for good reason. The 5-volume set had more than 2,000 pages and as much science in it as it had recipes. On

Can Modernist Cuisine Work for Home Cooking? Absolutely!

The following sous vide time and temperature tables are adapted from the Modernist Cuisine Kitchen Manual. Here are a few general tips on cooking proteins sous vide:Add seasonings as desired and small amount of fat (butter, olive oil) to bags before cooking.Use small amounts of salt (if any) for long cooks (more than 12 hrs).Bolded times

Sous Vide Time and Temperature Tables for Proteins (With Printables!)