Arkansas Online

Kitchen Christmas gifts that will fit all budgets

KELLY BRANT

Hopefully all of your Christmas shopping is done or you’ve at least made your list and checked it twice. But if you’re still trying to figure out what to get the cooks and bakers on your list, I have some ideas.

These are a few of my favorite products I’ve added to my kitchen over the past year or so. Two were previously featured in Gadgets & Gizmos, the others are new. They range in price from about $4 to over $100, so there’s one to fit most any budget.

■ Thermapen One from ThermoWorks ($105) measures temperature in just one second, making it by far the fastest, most instant “instant read” thermometer I’ve ever used. The probe folds out 360-degrees from the handle, turning the thermometer on, and immediately displays the temperature, with a range of -58 degrees to 572 degrees. Fold the probe back into the handle to turn it off. The unit automatically falls asleep if left idle, keeping its single AAA battery from draining too quickly. For more information, visit thermoworks.com.

■ Delish by Dash 12-inch Lightweight Cast Iron Skillet ($40-50). Light is a relative term — depending on one’s strength. So it should be made clear this enameled skillet is still hefty — 4 pounds 6 ounces on my kitchen scale. About five ounces more than my smaller, non-enameled 10-inch antique cast-iron skillet and considerably less than my enameled cast-iron grill pan, which maxed out my scale. What I love about this skillet is its black enameled interior, its double handles, its pretty color and that it’s oven safe to 500 degrees. What I don’t love: It isn’t dishwasher safe like my enameled Le Creuset Dutch oven. For more information visit bydash.com.

■ A Danish Dough Whisk ($8-17) is a great tool for mixing dough and batter by hand. The sturdy and stiff whisk — which is shaped like a scribble — can be used to mix dry ingredients, “cut” in butter, scrape the sides of a bowl, distribute ingredients like blueberries or raisins in batter and even fold in beaten egg whites. It won’t, however, replace a balloon whisk, as it isn’t very good at incorporating air.

■ King Arthur Baking Co.’s Yeast Measuring Spoon ($3.95) is one of those kitchen tools I found myself asking, “What took me so long to get one of these?” If you’re like me and buy dry yeast by the ounce or the pound, this is a super-convenient tool to have in your kitchen. In addition to measuring yeast for baking, I use it whenever I need a scant tablespoon of something. This stainless-steel spoon measures 2 ¼ teaspoons — the same amount in a ¼-ounce envelope of yeast. For more information, visit kingarthurbaking.com.

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2021-12-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

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