Garnishing Tools
Benriner Japanese Mandolin Slicerby Harold Import Company, Inc. (BN1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  | | customer review: I saw this slicer in kitchens of my friends and was looking for it in ethnic stores, but it was always sold out. Finally, I found it here. This slicer is fairly easy for use, just remember that you should not apply much force, just slide the vegetable along with slight pressure, and you won't get any trouble or injury. | Oxo Good Grips Melon Ballerby OXO (39781)  customer review: I love this little utensil. The handle is sturdy and the two sized scoops are very useful for different taskes. I use it to drain or scoop out any small items, such as capers or olives. I like the idea of using it for meatballs or even balling up the crumb for crumb cake. It's a versatile tool not only to create melon balls. | Kanekichi Turning Slicer Benrinerby Kyocera (BN5)  customer review: A must have for vegetarians and folks eating raw. We don't use it much but when you're feeling creative or making a special meal, the Benriner comes out. You can cut veggies into pasta in literally seconds.
| Clever design - I highly recommend. Trudeau Peeler , Trutensilsby Trudeau (099-876)  $4.99 customer review: I bought this peeler as a replacement for another one of the same model I bought several (~5) years ago. (It was finally getting dull from its hundreds of trips through the dishwasher.) I really like these peelers: they are easy to handle and sharp. At the same time, I feel safer with it than I did with my mom's old dull one. Additionally, I prefer this form factor to the other style with the blade that goes across; this is much more comfortable. My only dislike is that it doesn't have a tool for removing potato eyes, but that's a minor nit. | Microplane Professional Extra Coarse Graterby Microplane (38008)  customer review: This grater is just what I was looking for, perfect size and the quality is excellent.
| Kyocera Peelerby Kyocera (KC-P1)  customer review: I have a Kyocera ceramic chef's knife that I have been using for about 7 years as my primary kitchen knife and I've never had to sharpen it. It is almost as sharp now as the day I bought it. Needless to say, I love that knife. About two months ago, I found myself in need of a new peeler, and given my fondness for the Kyocera knife, decided to give this ceramic peeler a try. Sadly, it really is not the same class of utensil.
| I use the peeler primarily for zesting citrus fruits for use in cocktails, and the ceramic blade handled that job reasonably well. The plastic channel zesters on either side of the blade (for making, say, a lemon twist) are basically worthless. I already had an OXO tool for that purpose, so no worries. But yesterday, after maybe 10 uses in 2 months, the plastic frame that holds the blade snapped into three pieces, rendering the whole thing useless. I'll be replacing it with the OXO Y-Peeler. International Culinary Carrot Curlerby Harold Import Company, Inc. (4449)  $4.99 customer review: Great little gadget. Sensibly priced. Adds a nice touch to any meal. | Microplane Professional Large Shaver Graterby Microplane (38006)  customer review: This is a perfect grater, several classes better than the one with the plastic handle (I had that first, but the handle couldn't bear the force and broke).
| This one has no such problems and the rubber anti-slip band helps a lot Microplane Professional Small Shaverby Microplane (38007)  customer review: I'm not a professional chef but I am a serious cook, and make lots of dishes requiring grated cheese, chocolate, etc. This applies not only to the shaver, but all the microplane professional graters.
| I've used the regular microplane shavers and graters for years with great satisfaction, but the company has cured every previous design issue (hard to call them flaws) in this model and its counterparts. First, it's longer with a stainless handle and frame which will hook over a large bowl or sit on a plate or cutting board at an angle on its rubber covering on the end without sliding on. Second, it comes with a permanent plastic cover that says what it's for (useful if you have various of them) that keeps it from getting dulled by anything else in the drawer, and it has a ring that hangs great on hooks. This is by far the greatest grating product I've ever seen or used, with its improvements (the old design wasn't bad, but the grater rested on a plastic frame and will eventually break). Do yourself a favor and get the whole range. Give them to friends who love to cook. There is nothing so satisfying in cooking as having a perfect tool. The shaver does a great job on dark chocolate or fruit for garnish, as well as (especially) hard cheeses. It's also easily the greatest zester I've ever seen. One caveat -- do yourself a favor and get yourself a cook's glove with kevlar or steel mesh. You will save your fingers a lot of wear and tear (this thing is SHARP), and you will prove that a great cook puts his or her blood into each dish is only a metaphor. Chef Harvey How to Garnish Kitby Chef Harvey (4431)  customer review: I borrowed this book many times from the library, but finally I knew that I have to keep it, so I bought it. I loved that it came with its own garnish kit. Directions of use are so easy to follow, and most of the times results are great. | Cuisipro Julienne Peelerby Cuisipro (747069)  This heavy-duty, julienne-blade peeler simultaneously peels and cuts fruits and vegetables into julienne strips for restaurant-quality presentation. The peeler feels much more substantial in the hand than standard grocery-store models thanks to a weighty zinc-alloy head. Its high-quality, 18/10 stainless-steel blade swivels for effortless julienning without twisting your wrist. For additional comfort, the peeler has an ergonomically-shaped handle with a plastic nonslip grip to reduce wrist strain during long peeling jobs. The julienne peeler is indented at either end of the blade for removing blemishes from fruits and vegetables. This tool is dishwasher-safe, and covered by a limited lifetime warranty. --Cristina Vaamonde | Kanekichi Slicer Benriner Largeby Kyocera (BN3)  customer review: Whatever Amazon's calling it, this is in fact the "Super Benriner"--big brother to the regular Benriner. What's different? Well, it's beige instead of green, it has metal adjustment and blade holder knobs, and it's much, much wider. Cuts like a dream, but the hand guard is still something of a joke and a Kevlar glove would be a good idea regardless of how careful you think you might be.
| My one complaint is that the white-ish plastic stains pretty easily. Carrots will leave a big orange smear on the surface. KitchenAid Stainless Steel Melon Baller, Blackby KitchenAid (KG111OB)  customer review: The Stainless Steel Melon Baller works exactly as stated in ad. Very easy to use and would recommend it highly. | WMF Profi Plus Stainless Steel Melon Ballerby WMF (1871266030)  1871266030 Melon Balller | This melon baller is just one of the high-quality Profi Plus tools WMF makes for every conceivable kitchen task. Only 6 inches long, with a 1-inch-diameter head, the melon baller permits precise work when scooping out a melon's sweet flesh so that it decorates a fruit salad or dish of sherbet or serves as a garnish. It's also useful for shaping flavored butters. A hole in the scoop's center prevents a vacuum forming so food releases easily. Contemporary European in style, the melon baller is made of 18/10 stainless steel and is beautifully balanced, with a satin-finish, cylindrical handle, a heavy-duty hanging loop, and a highly polished head. Seamless construction ensures cleaning ease. This tool is dishwasher-safe, durable, and a joy to use for serious cooks and novices alike. --Fred Brack Kyocera Swiss Peeler W/Ceramic Bladeby Kyocera (CP-10BK)  customer review: I like the idea of a blade that stays sharp... but this particular peeler is made poorly. The handle is plastic. the blade holder is so thin it will likely snap off within a few months. Very flimsy plastic blade holder. The peeler is very sharp... BUT does a better job peeling items like squash. Thin skin items like apple are more easily peeled with a zyluss peeler. | KitchenAid Stainless Steel Melon Baller, Whiteby KitchenAid (KG111WH)  customer review: You can make tiny little balls of ice cream to put into a float with these, or use your melon baller to scoop out gourds and squashes for interesting appetizers. Makes it easy to get a nice round segment of just about any fruit. | Kyocera Ceramic Blade Swiss Peelerby Kyocera (CP-08)  customer review: I have a Kyocera ceramic chef's knife that I have been using for about 7 years as my primary kitchen knife and I've never had to sharpen it. It is almost as sharp now as the day I bought it. Needless to say, I love that knife. About two months ago, I found myself in need of a new peeler, and given my fondness for the Kyocera knife, decided to give this ceramic peeler a try. Sadly, it really is not the same class of utensil.
| I use the peeler primarily for zesting citrus fruits for use in cocktails, and the ceramic blade handled that job reasonably well. The plastic channel zesters on either side of the blade (for making, say, a lemon twist) are basically worthless. I already had an OXO tool for that purpose, so no worries. But yesterday, after maybe 10 uses in 2 months, the plastic frame that holds the blade snapped into three pieces, rendering the whole thing useless. I'll be replacing it with the OXO Y-Peeler. International Culinary Groovy Grooverby Harold Import Company, Inc. (4451)  $9.99 The large wavy stainless steel blade lets you Peel 7 Groove your fruits and vegetables into beautiful patterns. | Microplane Medium Ribbon Two-Way Graterby Microplane (40021)  customer review: Like all Microplane graters, this one is great. In my experience, it produces about the same results as the coarse model, so I'm not sure about the "medium" label, but it works quite well.
| You have to be extra-careful when using this one, though. Because the blades are so sharp, it grates so fast, and you are applying pressure in both directions, it is easy to hurt yourself. I inadvertently trimmed a fingernail the first time I used it. I was impressed that the sharp blades went through my fingernail like butter, but it wasn't really a good thing. Had the angle been a little different, it would have been the tip of my finger and a some blood mixed in with my grated cheese. Since the results are so similar, I would recommend using the safer "coarse" model instead. Kanekichi Kinpira Peeler - Julienneby Kyocera (60409)  $15.99 customer review: Works for soft vegetables like zucchini but is worthless for something tougher like carrots or beets. I'm still looking ... | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||