Garlic Press Peeling and mincing garlic can be a tedious kitchen task. But, garlic offers great flavor as well as health benefits to our cooking. A garlic press is an inexpensive solution to the tedium of mincing garlic. Simply place a peeled or unpeeled clove of garlic in the press and squeeze. You now have minced garlic in a matter of seconds. There is some waste, especially if you don't peel the garlic first, but the time savings is worth it. A good garlic press costs anywhere from $10 to $40 for a professional-level press.

Garlic Peeler If you are a purist and want to mince your garlic with a knife and cutting board, a garlic peeler can still save you time. A garlic peeler is essentially a small plastic tube. You place a clove of garlic inside the tube, press down and roll. Then tip the garlic peeler up and the peeled clove of garlic pops out. The peel sticks to the rubber. Now you are ready to mince away. Garlic peelers range in price from $5 to $10 and even come in a variety of colors.

Citrus Juicer Lemon, lime and orange juice add flavor with very few calories to many types of dishes. And, freshly squeezed juice is miles above the kind out of a bottle. A citrus juicer makes quick work of juicing fruit for salsas, salads and many other dishes. You do not need an expensive juicer to save lots of time in the kitchen. There are a couple of inexpensive citrus juicers that will do the job well. With one type of juicer, you simply cut the fruit in half and twist it over an egg-shaped device to squeeze out the juice. With a juice press, you place half of a fruit between two metal cups and squeeze the cups together. Simple juicers range in price from $10 to $25.

Meat Thermometer If you cook meat, a meat thermometer is essential. Cooking meat to the proper temperature is definitely part of healthy cooking as undercooked meat can cause very serious illness. Meat thermometers come in a wide range of styles and prices, but a basic meat thermometer costs between $5 and $10. Just make sure you purchase one that has numbers that are easy to read. For a step up, you may want an instant read digital thermometer which will run $15 to $20. These thermometers tend to register a final temperature a bit faster and take some of the guesswork out of reading the thermometer.

Kitchen Scale A kitchen scale is a great tool. It allows you to weigh ingredients for recipes as well as determine portion sizes for pre-packaged foods such as pasta. Most scales now have a digital read out and can weigh in both grams and ounces. A nice feature to look for is a removable top that you can wash if you spill on it. Digital scales range in price from $15 to up to $50 for models with all the bells and whistles.

Having a few of the right tools can make cooking much easier and much healthier.


Buy OXO SteeL Garlic Press at Amazon


Buy OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer at Amazon