Parent Friendly Gadgets
Pursuant to yesterday’s broadcast of my NECN interview on cool kitchen gadgets for parents, you now can see the video at NECN or on our press page. Meanwhile, here are specifics on the gadgets I chatted about with host Beth Shelburne, including a few we didn’t have time to discuss.
Panini Grill
Perfect grilled cheese (and grown up sandwiches) every time! No matter how long I get distracted and leave a sandwich in the press, it never burns! [See full feature with recommended product links.]
Popsicle Molds
Great for making summer treats while being able to control sugar content compared to commercial pops. [See full feature with recommended product links.]
Mandoline (Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus)
Great for slicing veggies super fast. The pretty, petite julienne cuts even have inspired Laurel to eat veggies she normally wouldn’t touch.
Wüsthof Come-Apart Kitchen Shears
Great for snipping everything from herbs to your kid's food into bite size chunks. These scissors are sharp, strong, and easy to clean, which makes them particularly good for cutting meat. One mom I know carries a pair in her diaper bag for on-the-go food cubing.
Cooking Tongs
Terrific for maintaining control at the stove or grill while holding a baby on your hip at a safe distance. The tongs I showed on NECN were from a Brookstone BBQ set similar to this one, but the handles on ours are not wooden (more of a plastic/rubberized blend) and the tongs extend for extra length for improved safety.
Zyliss Salad/Dessert Knife
This item was recommended to me by my nutrition guest writer Michelle Stern and it was love at first slice, as it were. This plastic serated knife is great for cutting lettuce or anything in a metal pan (like brownies), while being safe for little hands. The feel of it is very similar to a real knife, so kids (I’d recommend preschool and up) can safely learn cutting skills. Laurel calls this tool “my green saw!”
Collapsible Measuring Cups
Measuring cups may seem like a ho-hum pick, but there’s no denying that kids love scooping and dumping in the kitchen. Plus, the Chef'n SleekStor collapsible measuring cups are cool looking, easy to store, and dishwasher-safe.
Apple Peeler
Essential in the fall for making quick work of the otherwise tedious apple peeling and coring process, off-season the resulting spirals create fun apple snacks for kids. [See full feature with recommended product links.]
Cherry Pitter
Another seasonal gadget, but cherry pitters make easy work of depitting cherries for your clamoring kid. Otherwise, if I spend all my time halving and depitting with a paring knife, there's usually no cherries left for me by the time I finish. [See full feature with recommended product links.]
Cuisinart Food Processor
This classic kitchen tool makes baby food pureeing a breeze, but it’s also great for chopping veggies (it comes with multiple blade attachments) and mixing dough if you like baking.