Great Gadgets & Tools

Savvy chefs fell for Microplane®'s woodworking tools when they realized they were perfect for kitchen chores like zesting and grating. Now the company offers a line of tools designed for the home cook, including this Home Series Spice Grater. The surgical-grade stainless steel blades make quick work of grinding whole spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Best of all, Microplane® offers a finger-protecting grater attachment, unique to the Home Series line.

This clever attachment is compatible with the Microplane® Home Series line of graters, including the spice grater. It protects fingers, and makes it possible to grate multiple small pieces of a spice at once. (No need to discard that last bit of nutmeg!) Plus, like the spice grater itself, the attachment is dishwasher safe.

This smaller version of OXO's magnificently-designed salad spinner is perfect for rinsing and drying herbs. It has a non-skid bottom, boasts ergonomic one-handed operation, and is dishwasher safe. Remove the basket insert, and the bowl is attractive enough to use for serving.

A heavy granite or marble mortar & pestle is indispensable for grinding spices, crushing herbs, and making rustic, traditional pestos. It won't absorb odors, and is easy to clean. Plus, because it's chef-powered, it's eco-friendly!

AeroGrow's AeroGardens are pricey gadgets, but they sure are neat. They rely on NASA-tested soil-free aeroponic technology to bring year-round gardening indoors -- and onto your kitchen counter. The ProSeries AeroGardens have a microprocessor that monitors and delivers precise amounts of air, water, light, and nutrients to the plants as they grow. If you missed out on the green thumb gene, or live in an apartment or cold climate, an AeroGarden may be a worthwhile investment. Classic and ProSeries AeroGardens come with an herb seed kit with dill, cilantro, basil, mint, chives and parsley that can be harvested for up to five months. Even more intriguing are seed kits that include uncommon herbs like shiso, cress, sorrel, chervil, and epazote.

Freshly ground spices impart the most flavor, so many chefs repurpose coffee grinders to pulverize whole spices. This well-priced little workhorse makes it easy to use whole spices in a home kitchen. It's best to dedicate a grinder to spices alone. Of course, if you're planning only to grind spices like cinnamon or nutmeg to flavor coffee, go ahead and use a single grinder for the spices and coffee beans.

Virtually every savory recipe (and even some sweet ones) call for pepper, and nothing beats the freshly ground stuff. Vic Firth peppermills are handcrafted in Maine, and carry a lifetime guarantee. They feature a patented "Lock and Grind" system, which allows cooks to customize the mill's grind. Celebrity chef Mario Batali collaborated on the design of the curvy Mario Peppermill, which comes three sizes in a host of attractive woods and painted colors.

A heavy chef's knife can crush delicate herbs, but these clever herb snips use scissor action to quickly and easily mince fresh herbs. The snips also feature an herb stripper, to effectively remove leaves from woody-stemmed herbs like thyme and rosemary. Plus, the snips come apart for easy cleaning. About.com's Housewares and Appliances Guide, Mariette Mifflin, gave the snips a five-star review!

Fresh herbs have such wonderful flavor and aroma, but once harvested, they don't last very long. If you find yourself tossing wilted herbs after they've had an all-to-brief sojourn in the refrigerator, give the Prepara® Herb-Savor a whirl. The company claims that the herb-savor kept herbs fresh for up to three weeks in its test kitchen. The see-through "herb cabinet" preserves herbs' flavors and aromas and protects them from refrigerator odors, while the refillable water well keeps them hydrated and fresh.

The tiny teeth on these ceramic graters make grating fibrous spices like fresh ginger a breeze. A moat-like well catches flavorful ginger juice, which can easily be added to recipes thanks to a little pour spout. A silicone ring on the bottom of the grater prevents slipping.

This powerful and extremely versatile immersion blender is a huge boon. Leave the blender in the cabinet and puree soups right in the pot. Forget the food processor -- the chopper attachment is better suited to chopping herbs or making smaller quantities of pesto or hummus. The whisk is fantastic for making quick work of herb- or spice-infused whipped cream.