The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
GADGET GALORE
Derek Uchman gives the lowdown on five kitchen gadgets that are worth every penny
There are two places where gadgets have a natural home: the living room and the kitchen. Kitchen gadgets, though, aren’t limited to toasters and mixers – there is an array of devices available. But are they worth the money, or just gimmicks? Derek Uchman puts his pinny on and takes a look.
MASHA ELECTRIC POTATO MASHER
Don’t let the name deceive you. This isn’t a one-trick pony designed to simply mash your spuds.
It is useful for preparing a whole host of other foods – guacamole, hummus, whipped cream and even baby food.
So what is the difference between this and a bog-standard hand-blender?
Answer: The attachments. The blades are designed to squeeze the food through holes, rather than just chopping. No lumps, no mush.
It would have been great, though, if they’d added hand-blender attachments as well, saving the need for two devices.
• £44.99, Lakeland.
MEATER PLUS
I describe this as a “kitchen essential”. It’s a thermometer that can be left in a joint of meat or fish while in the oven or on the barbecue. Readings are sent to your phone so you can keep an eye on it as it cooks. Better still, when it reaches a certain temperature, you’ll get an alert.
No more nasty surprises as you carve up that turkey. It has a range of 50m, so just lounge on the sofa while the food cooks.
• £99, Lakeland.
SAGE SMOKING GUN
It’ll not surprise you that Heston Blumenthal is behind this.
Essentially, it’s a way of cold-smoking food simply and quickly in your kitchen.
Running off batteries, it simply heats up wood chips (some are included) to produce smoke which can be piped into covered bowls to add flavour to meats, cheeses, popcorn (a favourite) and (if you want to impress) cocktails.
It’s not big or powerful enough to tackle a side of salmon, but you can experiment with herbs and spices – and some folk have even tried cigars.
• £79, AO.com
MELITTA CALIBRA
We’re all coffee snobs, aren’t we? But to produce that perfect cup of Joe, ground coffee powder needs to be fresh. Done straight away. Unfortunately, cheap grinders don’t actually grind at all.
They use blades, which just chop. Beans should be crushed so as to squeeze out all those oils and flavours.
The Calibra is perfect for this. With 31
settings for filter coffee and espresso – plus touch control buttons – it can help transform your morning caffeine rush into a moment of pure joy.
• £129.99, Melitta UK.
JOSEPH JOSEPH ADJUSTABLE ROLLING PIN
You wonder why they never thought of this before.
It comes with four sets of coloured rings which adjust the height of the pin, thereby completely taking the guesswork out of preparing pastries, doughs and pizzas.
It also helps to make everything completely even. Genius. And simple, too.
The only possible problem arises if you try to roll out something that’s wider than the pin. Then it’s back to old-fashioned guesswork.
• £25, John Lewis.