Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Monthly food magazine ‘Olive’ has named its 2016 must-have kitchen gadgets.
The list of 12 housewares products is led by the vegetable spiralizer, which ‘Olive’ describes as ‘a monument to retro design’. The magazine described spiralizers as ‘spare in detail but highly efficient at what they’re supposed to do.’
Next is the Benriner mandolin which, ‘Olive’ says, can be used ‘to cut wafer-thin radish slices for Japanese pickles, shave fennel for a salad and make light work of a potato dauphinoise’.
Magimix Mini Chopper follows because ‘it can be used ‘to chop garlic and onions, or anything else for that matter’. ‘Olive’ said: ‘The blade is very efficient, so purées are smooth and chopped items are evenly sized and lump-free. The bowl comes off, so cleaning is simple, and it’s heavy enough to stay steady’.
OXO Good Grips angled measuring jug is selected because ‘bread-making, baking and anything else with a precise liquid measurement requires a jug rather than guestimating with a wine glass. This is a jug you can use looking down into, as well as through the side, which makes it ideal and it starts at 10ml which is great.’.
The other products, with ‘Olive’ magazine’s comments, are:
Cuisinart SG20 electric spice and nut grinder: ‘Does the job of a pestle and mortar and is more efficient than a mini chopper when you want a fine grind. You won’t know how you managed without it.’
Microplane fine grater: ‘It is the original kitchen helper and, with its super sharp etched blades, really does have the edge on others.’
De’Longhi Scultura ECZ351 coffee machine: ‘A decent coffee machine will be paid for very quickly. The ECZ351 can be used with ground coffee or ESE pods, has a team pipe for milk and a cup warmer on top. It isn’t fully automatic, so you have to control the strength of your coffee, but it gives a good crema.’
Bodum electric hand mixer: ‘Why? A hand whisk is essential for baking. You can use it for small amounts of batter and a stand mixer won’t do justice to one egg white, so unless you’re planning on making wedding cakes, a hand mixer may well be enough for you. Plus you can use it for other things; potatoes can be whisked to fluffy mash still in the saucepan, or a zabaglione knocked up in a bain marie. This Bodum mixer has a good motor and is comfortable to hold.’
Salter Air Super Slim kitchen scales: ‘These fit in a drawer and the zero-weight mechanism means you can put whatever you want on them.’
Kenwood stick blender: ‘This can do the job of a mini chopper if you don’t own one, and if you’re a heavy consumer of soups, you’ll find it a godsend.’
Stelton AJ pepper mill: ‘An efficient, well-made pepper grinder will last you a lifetime. This has the added joy of being very easy to refill: the rubber knob pulls out of the top and the peppercorns pour straight in.’
Sainsbury’s Cook’s Collection Tri Ply 24cm saute pan: ‘A sauté pan with a lid has many uses. The non-stick surface conducts and distributes heat really well.’
