HELLO LOVELY VIEWERS! Important Note: If you have questions about this video, you can post it here for the community to answer. But if you want to ask me, please get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or my website (all links are in the description above). If you leave questions in the comments I may not see them due to the large volume of comments I receive across the hundreds of videos on this channel. Thank you for watching!
My fave is a bench scraper! Mine is metal with measurements stamped on the edge. It helps w portioning bread dough, pastry or pasta, gathers piles of finely chopped items to be placed in a cooking vessel, cleans pie dough scraps from the counter.
OMG, Pailin! To peel garlic, I just use an old jar and lid, or plastic ice cream container and shake the garlic inside! Works amazingly well to remove the garlic peel.
Hi. I just came across this video, though it was made several years ago. So not sure if you are stll getting any comments. But I just want to say about the garlic peeler. You can also peel garlic in batches if you put them in a empty jar, like a empty jam jar or coffee jar, close the lid and then shake the jar, up and down - ie top of jar to bottom of jar. not side to side of the jar - (ie horizontally ??). The peel will come off and you will be left with whole garlic. Try it and thanks for your many great cooking videos. Do keep up the good work and a belated congratulations for having a baby boy ! Take care and stay safe.
One of my favorite things to use is an infrared thermometer, I bought it at hardware store somewhat inexpensively although some are pricey. It can tell you how hot a pan is with nothing in it so it takes the guesswork out of getting a good sear on a steak, I also use it to measure the temperature of oil when deep frying. Most of all though it's just fun to mess around with as a neat kitchen toy.
I agree. I use one constantly. How hot is my pan to fry? How hot is the oil to deep fat fry. Is the soup I warmed the correct temp. It's next to the stove and just an arms reach and a trigger pull to use. And they are cheap. Look at Harbor Freight ....
The micro plane is my go to kitchen tool. I love the mesh strainer. I need one of Those! This was such a fantastic and informative video, wow! One of the best ever!!! Thank you so much for this super fun and helpful video. I love how you speak, very clear and concise yet relatable and inspiring!!! Bravo!
I can't remember which RU-vid was watching but he would take anywhere from 9 or 12 cloves of garlic of different sizes and put them in a small jar with a lid and then shake it aggressively until the peels broke off. Then he went open the lid pour out the ones that were completely peeled and then in many cases the view that weren't he was able to just pull off with one go or he would put it back in the jar and shake it again. I've been trying it and it's been working really well!
I have been using my “ice cream scoop” for portioning mince for hamburgers and dishing up mashed potatoes for over 35 years. I can now tell my friends and family that I’m not so silly after all and I’m using the “dishers” correctly lol My adult children still love to see their potato dished up this way 😃
I use the Chinese method to peel garlic, putting a knife flat side on the garlic and roll it, basically the motion of the garlic peeler. Then the skin comes off right away. I also love the microplane. I grate everything like you do. And my new favorite tool is a grinding plate. It's a small plate with some stubbles in the middle. I got it from a Spanish artisanal porcelain maker. I can finely grind ginger and juice it and get all the juice out of it because the grind is super fine and it breaks all the ginger fibers. If I cook with something that needs both ginger and garlic I just grind them both on the plate and use them whenever I need them. Super convenient and useful!
That garlic peeler looks amazing I'll definitely need to get one. I use garlic in almost every meal and I try to peel them by hand but it takes so long especially when you don't want to smash them! I've been using the microplane for grating garlic and ginger but the ginger strings are a massive pain to get from it, so I recently bought the small Kyocera Ceramic grater which is a plate style grater and it's made getting the full ginger (and garlic!) flavor in my dishes so much easier! A true finger saver for me too lol
I have had a few of those garlic tubed but don't use them because all the surfaces in my kitchen are way too high for my height so I can't get the pressure needed (and I am not doing this in the dining room); I just put the cloves into a jar (mason is my fav) and shake them very vigorously for a minute or so until the paper comes off. My most used tool is my tongs, they aren't perfect, they really ought to sodder the tong ends because things like spaghetti pasta sides into the open end but I use it for grabbing bread out of the oven, for tossing around veggies I'm cooking, for flipping meats/fish over, for so many things we cook. I also use a big metal spoon with a not real long handle I bought from a Chinese houseware store many years ago, it's just real handy and holds enough to make dishing things out easy. I have a favorite, REAL cheap knife--favorite because if it warps or bends or something, I can just buy another (I think it costs maybe $3.50), i use it for chopping/cutting vegetables. I have a better, more expensive one but this one does the job and I don't have to worry about it if something reacts badly on it or if I have to lay it aside while I do something else. Kitchen scissors are indispensable. Sharp knives. Clean kitchen towels. Sponges to wipe down the counters and stove top.
I like to use an old fashioned can and bottle opener. It punctures cans, like condensed milk. It opens bottles, of course and removes lids from canning jars. Etc. Aka "church key"
I love this video! Because you are very informative, sharing tips and tricks using kitchen tools. OMG I would love love love to see more videos like this. I cooked a lot, but truly don't have the knowledge that you learn from being in culinary school or have the experience working with chefs at restaurant. Thanks for sharing.
If I had to describe a favourite kitchen cooking "tool", it'd probably be my sous vide "oven" and chamber vacuum sealer. But neither of those are small. SO... I go with silicon spatulas. They don't melt or chip after lengthy use, dishwasher safe and great for non-stick cookware.
My Top 4 Favourite Small Kitchen tools :P (Not in any Order) 1) Rolling Pin- I know it's wierd but we don't have a mortar and pestle which is wierd since it's a super useful tool. So I use a metal bowl as a mortar and the Rolling pin as a pestle to pound XD. I also use it as an alternative to a mallet. 2)Pancake pan- A small pan you can heat small, flat stuff like patties, pizza and many more :) I sometimes use it to fry an egg and it's useful when you just want to heat up a small thing and not have to wait for your pan to heat up. 3)Tongs- Just very useful in general. I sometimes use it to pull a tray out so that I can grip it easily with a mitt or a towel. 4) Teaspoon with a Longer handle- Teaspoon handles are short. Having a spoon like handle is easier to use :D It's better at stiring things in jars too than a normal spoon :P
I can't believe it, I just bought one of those garlic peelers at Market Village in Hua Hin. Everyone thought I was an idiot but I hate peeling garlic and it works so thank you for validating my purchase. I will forward to all my critics. Korp Khun Krap.
My favorite tools coincide with yours. But there is something else very important: Kitchen knife, stainless, very sharp, straight blade (blade length 6 cm), cherry wood handle, Solingen steel. In my wife's homeland (Rhineland-Palatinate) they are called "Kniepertschen" (among other things for removing meat residues from bones). We Westphalians call them "Hummelken" because they can 'sting' like an angry bumblebee. Oh, I like all orange-colored flowers. Do you know the "Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School Marching Band"? I'm a big fan of them and their music and their choreography and their big smiles (fantastic guys) (LOL).
I actually use a soup container from a Chinese restaurant to peel garlic quick and easy. Just put the garlic pieces in (all sizes), then deal with lid, and shake! Ta-da! Peeled garlic! Works for me anyway. Love your channel!
Metal chopsticks for turning food that i am frying especially on nonstick pans in tandem with bamboo utensils. Also great for separating instant noodles when boiling. New subscriber to your chanel here. Great shows! More power to you Pai!
Pailin, wonderful video. Such energy, attention to detail, stay on topic. You use my time well. Thanks My favorite kitchen tool is a sharp knife. Have a couple: Global Santoku and a Henkel Santoku. Easier to use than a French knife, more cutting surface and less of a chance of 'sticking" myself. Knives, no matter what they are made of become dull over time/use. Recently found a wonderful store to sharpen my knives. Between sharpening, I can steel my knives. Have found when shopping for a knife, that first thing I need to determine is: how does it feel in my hand, will I be able to hang on to the knife if my hands get oily, wet or sticky. Have had the chance to develop my knife skills doing some volunteer work in a kitchen. Worth every second of my time. Plus I helped make some great, healthy food. Mange Bene e Mange Tropo!
Pailin, thank you for all the great content. Ah, the garlic peeler, its great for what it does but, try heating the cloves in a pan. You can toast them but they just need a few seconds to dry the skins then it peels right off. Not to mention the difference in taste is great. Just like you'd heat up shrimp paste, the flavor comes out. Explaining the Asian Market was fantastic! I make my friends watch it as I drive them to the scary Asian market. (Fav question from them - Do they speak English? My answer is, "No and you better have my back when I fight for the lime leaves" LOL)
My favorite tool I recently found is what appears to be a very large tweezers! I use it for easily turning over individual pieces of bacon, chicken tenders, and much more. You'll love it!
I love my microplane. A friend recommended it to me and I just rolled my eyes. So she bought it for me, and wow! It's used everyday. I love the size and the way it sits agross the pan/wok/bowl etc. Used mostly for Fresh Ginger / Garlic and Galangal -- which I buy fresh and freeze, 'cause it's hard to find here, then, as needed, scrape it into noodles or dipping sauses -- Try making a classic sugar/fish/chilli dipping sause, then, just before servince, micro in some frozen galangal. mmmmm! BTW. Lately a lot of imitations have appear but the cheap ones arn't nearly as effective, get the original - it's sharper and easier to clean.
How to use dishers with cold, hard consistencies: have a pot of boiling water ready, clean and warm the disher before every scoop. It will be like cutting butter and you will get a very smooth outside, which might be appreciated.
I love my pastry blender lol. like sure it's a lot harder to use than a food processor, but it's a lot less to wash and it helps me take out any feelings on my dough
The garlic peeler works well for 'small' shallots. I also don't like uni-taskers, so I willed myself to find another use beyond just garlic! It works best by cutting off the shallot's rooty end.
Back in the 80s even mid 90s American culinary shows would drop a clove of garlic in their stews or dish without bruising it. I used to laugh out loud.
Great video! I'll be getting a garlic peeler and one of those thin, flexible spatulas for sure. My favorite small tools are my OXO brand avocado 3 in 1 tool, and my Pampered Chef brand garlic press. They are both great tools. The garlic press is so strong and efficient, you don't need to peel the garlic!
The answer to your question, what is my favorite kitchen tool. You in a non-creepy way :) You have been a huge help I have learned a ton watching your video's, thank you.
Didnt know it wasnt *actually* an ice cream scoop!! Or that Microplane is like Kleenex! Love your vids, can watch all day (sometimes do). Bought the garlic peeler thing, thanks so much for being you
Kiwi brand peeler.....along with kiwi brand knives and cleaver. They are inexpensive and terrific. I first purchased the knives when I read that Andy Richter (POK POK restaurant) used them. It was an amazing surprise!
Your micro plane, or rasp as they are called is also good for whole nutmeg, ginger, and fresh turmeric. I love my rubber spatula! Nothing scrapes a bowl better, getting everything! Plus it's good to flip things over while cooking as it is flexible and gets right under there, like omelets!
Instead of using the garlic peeler, you can put the garlic cloves (big and small) in a glass bottle, put the cap back on and shake the bottle. The garlic will be peeled. i usually do this in a mason jar. Empty jams bottles work great too.
Also: about that off-set thingy. I resently found a "Flexible spatula" -- I think it is oxo makes it. The thing is about the size of a regular turner, but flexible, in one direction, stiff in another. Peeerrrfect for the pies and the wok. Hard to explain. It's really thin, and quite a fine edge, so perfect for lifting carmleized / mailardized meats from the cast-irons. Gave one to my microplane friend :)
#1 indispensable tool is my Cutco chef knife. #2 is my Cutco paring knife. #3 is my Borner V-Slicer mandolin. #4 is my Zyliss garlic press. #5 is my Micro Plane. Honorable Mention status to my Amazon Basics Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, my Emeril’s stainless cookware set (made by AllClad), my Cuisinart Food Processor, my NuWave Air Fryer, and my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.
u can claim the garlic peeler as a multi-tool. u can use outside surface to shape pastry into a cannoli or eggroll like object or use serrated end to make designs in pie crusts. :P
I used to peel my garlic and cut them in small pieces and put them in a jar full of oil and when I need, I just take the garlic with the oil. The only thing I dislike is to cut the garlic. Any suggestion of gadget to do this task efficiently because I hate having my fingers having the smell for a week!
I peel garlic by twisting it in opposite direction from both ends and it doesnt always break the garlic. Also if you cut the root end before you peel it makes it easier to remove. For anyone still checking out this video 8 years later 😂
Hello Pai One of my favourite tools is a one-piece set of ice tongs - commonly 'found' in hotel rooms. It's just the right size for moving/turning small pieces of cooking food. red ron - from Victoria
Hi Pai! I'm a new sub to your channel and so so happy to have come across this 4-year old video clip... so so brilliant!! Btw, I've seen that garlic peeler just the other day when I was looking up ways to preserve peeled garlic. HAHAHA! But that "scooper" thing is a new "scoop" to me, if you get my drift HAHAHA! Keep up the good work. I've enjoyed the few vlogs I've seen thus far since subbing here. Thank you! and more power to your show!
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A knife case/guard/sheath/cover. I keep my one favorite chef's knife separate from everything else, stored next to the chopsticks in the drawer and don't have to worry and it getting messed up.
My fav cheap kitchen tool is a pair of chop sticks. I'm decidedly anglo and about two thirds of my cooking is western but having seen how Chinese cooks use them for everything from mixing dough to turning meat to plating, I got in the habit and now always have a pair handy. I feel like Thai people are maybe a little leery of chop sticks but perhaps you use them for more than eating noodles?