Reddit mentions: The best cooking tongs

Alright, so I'll try to reply in parts as we break down the issue:

TRAVEL

• Some cane travel instruction is probably not enough, and many people who are partially sighted benefit from sleepshade (or blindfold) instruction at least some of the time. Residual vision, as you know, can be so misleading. The step to take now is to start using your cane 100% of the time out of the house, no excuses. (One of the reasons I recommend looking into the residential type programs is because of the emphasis on quality, comprehensive independence skills including cane travel for every situation.)
  
  
• I highly suggest getting the [NFB free cane]
  (https://nfb.org/free-cane-program) or (if you have means and don't want it for free) [buying a fiberglass or carbon fiber cane from them instead.]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=1&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) It is not often provided locally, it is lighter than the folding ambutech and revolution type cane you probably have, and if you don't like it stick it in your closet as a backup.
  
  CLEANING
  
  
• Which cleaning tasks are you struggling with? The base of "cleaning" is going to be "keeping things neat." If you can't see things, finding them again and keeping areas clean can be an issue if you don't become consistent with where you set things down or put them away. From there, you just have to be methodical with your cleaning tasks. I vacuum the whole carpet, row by row, because I can't tell where the "dirty spots" are easily. I wipe the whole bathroom mirror on a regular basis. I wipe down the stove top after use to make sure there is no mess, and so on. For dish washing by hand, just quickly run your hand over the entire dish! Then you can feel if it is gunky in any spots.
  
  What cleaning things aren't going quite right for you? Let me know.
  
  COOKING:
  
  How good of a cook were you to start with? What types of food are you cooking, and what sorts of issues are you encountering?
  
  
• One tool I use all the time is my silicone-coated locking tongs [like these.]
  (https://www.amazon.com/StarPack-Premium-Silicone-Kitchen-12-Inch/dp/B00KDV5RZY/) (and I want to get silicone spatulas.) I use it to "feel" around my nonstick pans safely, easily flip things, etc.
  
  
• For measuring, there's [braille labeled]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1137&cat=19&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) measuring cups, or if you have color discrimination, [color coded ones.]
  (https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Measuring-Cups-Set-5/dp/B00I5PTBCA/r) There's also [bright measuring spoons]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=968&cat=19&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) that you can label as well.
  
  
• A [talking food themometer]
  (http://www.thermoworks.com/Talking-Thermometer) can help with tasks like "how done is this meat" and "will that turkey send my family to the hospital" lol. Very handy.
  
  
• For chopping things, I use one hand to hold the knife and have the other one OVER the non-sharp part of the knife (if you need to hold food) so there is absolutely no risk of your fingers being in the knife zone. If in doubt, go slow and carefully. I personally always leave my used knives on one side of the cutting board with the tip facing the board, and then I put all dirty knives on one specific spot on the side of my sink with the handles facing me. Some also tuck knives under the cutting board when stepping away from it.
  
  
• If you have trouble seeing liquids go into cups, a [liquid level indicator]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1081&cat=19&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) is good for hot cups, but just poke your finger over the rim for cold stuff.
  
  
• If you have trouble telling how done food is, FEEL, SMELL, and LISTEN to your food as it cooks often. Follow recipes until you're familiar with how long something will take. Use the thermometer if there is a safety concern. Crock pot recipes can be great because there are many easy ones to learn that have a huge window of forgiveness as far as cooking time, and a simple dial crock pot (off, low, high, warm) is very accessible.
  
  
• Microwave, dishwasher, stove and oven, etc buttons can all be labeled with [stick on bumps.]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=605&cat=111&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) For example, I put bumps on the numbers, power, add minute, start and stop button for my microwave. I also put a button where the "light wash" for my dishwasher is and know that one click further is regular and another is heavy. (You can also use this to label a bunch of types of washing machines. Some are more accessible than others unfortunately.)
  
  
• Are you practiced with food shopping independently? Are you making plans for the week, grocery lists, etc? How do you manage knowing what is in your fridge, pantry, etc right now?
  
  So that's a start of things I can think off the top of my head, but there's probably a bunch more. If you give me more feedback I will try to be more specific.
  
  Nail clipping I haven't had an issue with. Just use the metal tip of the clipper to feel where your finger pad starts if you're not sure, pull AWAY from that area, and then clip. Then I file my nail with a filing board so they're round and even.
  
  Fitness
  
  
• If you can get a gym membership you can do pretty much everything, but you will need someone to show you how to use the electric machines the first time. Always take your cane to the gym for safety. Outside of the gym, depends on what you like! A local running or hiking group would be a great start if you want some outdoor recreation. Personally I love going out for long walks, and exploring my town. The "care and feeding" book I recommended (in conjunction with quality, sufficient O&M instruction) will really help you build confidence in traveling independently with practice, and being outside and exercising is huge for your mental well being as well as physical.
  
  
• (BTW, for said exploring, there's a lot of good GPS software out there for blind people. I use Nearby Explorer Online for Android, Blindspot is very popular for iOS, just to start.)
  
  
• For reading tasks, [get KNFB reader.]
  (http://www.knfbreader.com/) You might be able to get rehab to pay for it, although it is currently only $19.99 on android (the usual $99.99 on iOS.) It can read all sorts of printed text like mail, menus, etc. Great software for this job.
  
  
• If you aren't learning braille, get started. [I love this free book.]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=758&cat=50&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) It is grade 1 and grade 2 braille, NOT UEB, so you will eventually have to relearn some things (but a lot of material out there still exists in grade 2, and it is a good primer to technique, the alphabet, numbers, etc.) Some other [braille instruction books]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=50&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) are in UEB. Sign up for local classes, too!
  
  
• The NFB will send you a [free slate and stylus]
  (https://nfb.org/free-slate-program) to write braille with. You can use braille to label all sorts of foods (spice jars, canned goods, bottles of sauces), cleaners and soaps and such, and items at home to start with! There is [stick on labeling tape]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1045&cat=128&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) [reusable labels with elastic]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1048&cat=128&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) and [reusable magnetic tape for cans.]
  (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1146&cat=128&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) So a lot of options.
  
  
• If you haven't already, sign up for the [NLS]
  (https://www.loc.gov/nls/) and [Bookshare]
  (https://www.bookshare.org/cms/) if you can. Paper and digital braille, physical and digital audiobooks, etc are all freely available to blind people either as downloads or mailed for free to your home. Bookshare charges a yearly subscription, but not if you're a student.
  
  
• Eventually you might want to look at "big ticket" purchases such as commercial accessibility software, braille displays, etc. But that is often through vocational rehabilitation so will come later. Are you working or going to school right now? What is your plan with that?
  
  
• Emotionally, the right therapist who understands vision problems can help a great deal. I know a few people who have greatly benefited from the counseling services offered by local blindness organizations.
  
  I've written about [losing my sight]
  (https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/5627a2/feeling_disheartened/) and how a lot of the process, for me, was emotionally coming to grips with the vastness of the change instead of trying to minimize it. Does that make sense? It's a big fucking deal in the beginning, and having what you need (practically and emotionally) makes all the difference.
  
  (And look, I know this is a lot of info, but I mean it when I say that I (and many others on this sub) want to help and want you to be able to succeed. If you want to ask more questions now, or you want to ask more questions next year, let us know.)

I'd like to add a little to this. (edit: I really did intend to just add a little, but then I got on a roll.)

This is the ONLY snake bite kit on the market that's cheap that's worth a shit. The other kits are absolutely useless.

It uses a heavy duty spring to create a massive suction to remove venom from a bite wound. Also works on spider bites and other insect bites. It has to be used immediately though so you'll need to have it on your person and easy to access. Don't bury it in a backpack, have it in an easy to reach side pocket and know how to use it already.

I've spent a lot of time out 'herping' and I absolutely love to find and handle snakes. I've been doing it since I was a kid and never really stopped. I can't resist a log, rock, pile of sticks or anything that looks like a good snake habitat.

So here's what my methodology that's worked well for me.

I never touch a snake until I've verified it's non-venomous.

I live on the east coast and far too north for coral snakes. This leaves rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and copperheads. These are all pit vipers. Pit vipers have cat-like pupils. Even if I can't immediately ID the species, I can immediately rule out pit vipers by observing the pupil shape before handling.

Two rules of thumb when traversing areas that could have venomous snakes.

• Don't step where you can't see unless you are wearing proper protective gear. As I wear shorts/half the time barefoot or in barefoot style shoes I just don't step where I can't see.
  
  
• Don't put your hand/fingers where you can't see either. This primarily involves wood piles. Copperheads and rattlesnakes love to climb up into wood piles and snooze. Sticking your hand into one blindly is an excellent way to get bit. My neighbor got bit picking up firewood out of a box right next to his porch last summer.
  
  Grab whatever you're grabbing by the edges that what's around and under them is clearly visible and pull TOWARDS you instead of lifting away from you. If you do find yourself face to face with a coiled 6 foot timber rattler and you just lifted the board/log away from you, you're now face to face with it and within striking distance. You've also just pissed it off. This is a bad thing, don't do it. By lifting towards you, you have a board/log in between you and mr snakey and you can back away safely.
  
  So for those of you who want to catch a deadly snake and for the record I do not recommend it. You might as well know how to properly do it for your own good and the snakes. That whole "use a stick to push it's head down" often crushes their spine/ribs and can kill them. It also isn't reliable and can kill you.
  
  There's three acceptable methods that I'm aware of.
  
  
• 1: Snake tongs. If you go this route ensure the tongs have a soft rubber pad or something, the metal ones will often injure snakes. Copperheads are actually pretty fragile and using a metal tong will often crush their delicate bones. Grab snake, put snake into container. Good to go.
  
  
• 2: The snake bag stick thing. Not sure of the proper term for this but it's a bag on a stick. Like a giant butterfly net. You set it on the ground and use another stick to guide/chase the snake into it from a safe distance.
  
  
• 3: The slip knot walking stick method. Find a walking stick and wrap the handle with some thin rope kinda like this. About 4 feet is plenty. When you encounter a snake, unwrap the cordage and create a slipknot loop like this. Slip the loop over the snake's head and gentle lift up. Once there's weight on the knot it'll pull tight and you now have a captured snake. Often the snake won't sit still for this initially, so take your walking stick and lay it on the ground in front of the snake as it moves, once it's partially over the stick lift it up and set it back where you want it, repeat this process until it stops moving. I've seen this take 10 minutes so be patient. Once it's still, use the loop to capture it then set it down into a bag or container. Be gentle during this process. Once the weight is off the loop the snake can just slide through it and then you close the container.
  
  I typically use the 3rd method because I just take a walking stick with me when I hike and I really don't encounter venomous snakes very often, nor do I have any real need to catch them out on a hike. I offer to remove/relocate any snakes my neighbors find though so they don't have to kill them.
  
  Hope someone finds this info useful :-)

Poor ass anime fan's guide to cooking dish 7

Do you want to pick up women with cooking skill? I'll help you! Even if you fail, 2D waifus in Shokugeki no Soma will always be there for you

Lesson 7: How to balance meats. AKA how Soma beat the meat master with inferior food

Let's talk about Japanese wagyu steaks. They are fucking strong. Meats in general have such an intense impact due to the meatiness of the protein combined with the fat. Wagyu Japanese style beef, especially A5 Nikumi style turns this up to 11 with insane marbling of high quality fats. This really does mean that if you are served a huge plate of this kind of steak, it's gonna take a toll on your stomach as well as your wallet. With such foods, you will start to feel full and satisfied ages before you actually are. In order to finish the meal, you must "trick" your body to eat more by finely balancing it with the opposite of richness.

There are many ways restaurants do this. The classic way is to serve a nice hearty salad with vinaigrette to cancel the rich fat with refreshing leafyness. Another way is to have a cold carbonated beverage, like a soda or beer, to wash it down. The last trick I know is to use something pickled, adding a different kind of vinegar like flavor than the salad dressing, but accomplishing a similar result. Japanese cuisine in general has a long great history with pickles, and this trick is used all the time. High end pickles cost a lot of money too, so the restaurant can make bank.

However, there is also a third less important variable often used in steak dishes. This is the neutral carb to soak up the steak flavor to minimize loss of juices and sauce. This is a trick used to make customers feel like they are eating much more steak than they already are, but is a good side dish to have even without such a scheme. Nikumi get's stuck up on this traditional side, and models her rice for the don recipe after it. A nicely garlic flavored and butter drowned baked potato is an amazing sidekick to any steak, so she assumed it would translate as a great companion to her steak in the form of another starch (rice).

The problem is, by doing this, she lost sight of what is important. Don is a single dish recipe, and neither side served drinks. This means that she needed to incorporate the counter to the meat's richness into the dish, as Soma explains well in the end. This part actually surprised me a lot, as it meant that the Chaliapin gimmick didn't stand a chance against Nikumi's steak, and objectively lost on that front. Soma set out to win the battle of the meats, and lost. But all is well, since he won the war of Shokugeki anyways I guess.

Ingredient/Condiment of the day:

Beef Fillet/Tenderloin

As a poor ass college student, this is a cut of meat that I have no relation with. It is often quoted in over the top food stories and such, but I wanted to talk about it here to illustrate how surprisingly limited it is. First of all, the thing's tiny and long. It doesn't form a beautiful hunk of meat like the anime showed. It is the most tender cut of beef out there, but this is also a double edged sword, as it means it holds up poorly to slow cooking, where the structure degrades away before the rest of the ingredients cook. Really in normal types of cooking, it's only good for steaks and steak style roasts and nothing else.

plum梅うめume

A fruit that can be a side or a condiment, it is very sour but has a beautiful flavor I can't really describe, but it's refreshing. Goes devilishly well with white rice, it is a staple of rice balls like what Megumi made last episode. Soma used a paste (more like a finely shredded semi-paste as you can see it forms bits in the rice instead of coloring it evenly), the famous way of serving it is whole as Umeboshi. These come with the annoying painful seeds still inside so watch out if you are ever served it. The fruit is also used to make sake.

Skill/Gear of the day: Tossing in the pan. The OG badass technique

If you want to make stir fry you have two main options. One is to buy a wok and shake it randomly and let it's shape do all the work. The other is to buy a normal skillet (like I recommended already) and use a tossing technique. Yes, you can stir things around with chopsticks or spatulas to get a similar effect, but tossing is easier and quicker when mastered, and looks amazing to boot. Here's a good video demonstrating how to practice

Oh shit, that's a free technique, what the hell am I going to make you buy today? Here's a pair of tongs. They are a simple tool useful for pinching out heavy large objects, like spaghetti, lobsters, boiled potatoes, etc. Anything you would grab with your hand if it wouldn't give you debilitating burns. There are common uses that are wrong with this tool too though, which is why I introduce it today. Please don't use it to mix things in a pan. That's what tossing is for.

Poor Ass recipe of the day You can one up this chef by making use of tossing at every step. Tongs become useful at the serving step.

Presentation of the day: Bowl lid. For maximum aroma EXPLOSION

Why do a lot of Japanese serving bowls come with lids? First is that they consider those to be aesthetically pleasing, but they have a role in emphasizing the aroma as well. In a normal dish, the food's aroma gets more evident as it is brought to your table, and you gradually build up an expectation. With a lid, you can compress all of that buildup into a single dramatic reveal, releasing a bunch of the stored aromas in the food in one fell swoop. This is particularly useful for signature dishes with weaker aromas, as the normal impact would be weak, but it is sufficient when introduced dramatically like this. A certain future character makes use of a similar idea for a different purpose... but that's for much later.

---

Tell me what improvements I can make to this guide! I hope that by episode 10 I won't be seeing any more cereal comments in these rewatches!

part 1
||||part 2
|||part 3
|||Part 4
|||Part 5
|||Part 6

Lots of questions, and lots of possible answers!

Last question first.
You can cook any food or dish in a pressure cooker (including an electric one like Instant Pot) that you could cook with other equipment except for foods/dishes you'd want to come out dry-and-crispy (even those can be done in a two-step fashion using the pc first, but for now just remember that general guideline).
Some foods will need a very brief period of pressure cooking though to keep from being overcooked and/or mushy (e.g., some less-dense veggies, some fish, etc).
(The IP can also just saute foods in oil/fat, or heat water for boiling foods, etc, if you want to do that, though usually the Saute mode is used for sauteing aromatic veggies, etc, before adding other ingredients followed by pressure cooking.)

Second question would be similar to the last question except for spices/seasonings. As mentioned, any type of meat and any cut can be cooked in a pressure cooker, though some will take much less time, some might benefit from browning first, or might need more or less water or other thin liquid, etc, etc.

Re spices and seasonings, you'd use the same ones you'd use for other types of cooking but sometimes you'd use more of them depending on the way you cooked them in the IP.

First question. Re spices and seasonings to get to be able to cook a reasonable variety of dishes/foods, check out my previous answer at YA for good ones to start with:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111118114144AAoWdNQ (scroll down to my answer as Diane B.)

I'd add to those chicken broth/stock, if you want (purchased, or made at home with chicken carcasses even rotisserie chickens or other bones and connective tissue--we make a bunch then freeze in 1 cup portions in ziptop bags on a cookie sheet, then stack). Or buy "Better Than Bouillon" concentrated pastes in jars at amazon or in groceries, at least the chicken one.

And I'd also add a certain number of liquid Asian seasonings at least if they aren't already listed like soy sauce and maybe fish sauce, as well as Worcestershire sauce, and perhaps a bit of alcohol (ask about alcohols if interested and also wanting to know which have long shelf life once opened).

And btw, most condiments have long shelf lives anyway including the Asian ones, because they usually have lots of salt, sugar, acids, oil, and/or spices (not herbs) and all of those are natural preservatives. I keep most of mine in the fridge (for years), but many don't require refrigeration.
(Note that most foods don't have true "expiration" dates; they only have "best by" dates, etc, which simply indicate when the company thinks they won't be at their absolute "freshest"--of course they'll be happy if you think those are expiration/safety dates since you'll then buy more.)

Re basic/beginner equipment to use in a pressure cooker though, you really don't need anything besides the metal rack/trivet that came with the IP though you won't be using even that for many dishes/foods.

The rack can be used to elevate foods above the boiling water/etc below, when desired, so the food will cook only in the steam and/or it won't mix with the water/etc in the bottom of the pot and get diluted, as long as those foods won't fall through the holes in the rack (i.e., whole potato or chicken pieces yes, diced potatoes or cubed chicken or sauces no).

It can also be used to elevate other containers (heat-safe bowls, plates, foil, etc) to hold foods/dishes, which is called cooking "PiP" (pot in pot, pan in pot, etc). See my previous comment here about that:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PressureCooking/comments/6tghkd/chili_and_cornbread_at_the_same_time/dlmhjue

(And you can create other "risers" besides the metal rack provided if you want.)

You might also want a ladle of some kind for getting foods out of the IP, and perhaps a good set of cooking tongs for solid foods (this general type: https://www.amazon.com/Tongs-STAR-IRON-Kitchen-Set/dp/B01NBMC5M7 ).

Just noticed you said "to prep" in your title. That's a different question depending on what you mean by "prep." Prep usually means chopping, peeling or otherwise preparing foods for cooking or eating (often using a cutting board and chef's or other knife, peelers, etc), but these days can also mean preparing a bunch of foods (cooked or raw) to freeze or put away so they can be used later to more quickly make dishes and meals. If you meant either of those, might be best to add a different question just asking about whichever "prep" you have in mind.

Here are just a few ideas for easy and/or beginner recipes for the IP:

http://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/easy-instant-pot-recipes

https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/permalink/1579454435481872

https://www.reddit.com/r/instantpot/comments/692eli/recipes_where_you_just_throw_everything_in_and/dh37ue2

https://instantpot3.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/one-pot-meals

My honest opinion: If you can read, you can cook. Literally. Basic cooking is simply reading instructions and following them. Once your comfortable with how things taste together, timing, and what spices taste like, then you can move on to more advanced dishes.

I think a fun part of learning to cook is gearing up. Since most people here will give you a grocery list, I'll give you a list of helpful items that I use daily.

• 1 large, sharp kitchen knife and basic sharpener
  
  The knife if a bit on the pricey side, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it. You only need 1 and as long as you hand wash and dry regularly, it can last forever. Sharp knives won't cut you as often as a dull knife that sometimes slips.
  
  
• crock pot. This is good because it doesn't require any sort of culinary skills. Mostly just mix and wait.
  
  
• Liquid Measuring cup
  
  
• Dry measuring cups
  
  
• Flat spatula
  
  
• Other spatula (for stirring and wiping out sauces/batter/etc.)
  
  
• Tongs
  
  
• Very basic non-stick pots and pans I have a cheap set I bought from Costco that has lasted me 8 years and counting. Be sure to ALWAYS use wood or plastic utensils with non-stick or you risk scratching the non-stick surface and fucking it all up.
  
  
• Wooden Utensils These are nice because you can leave them in a pot of sauce and not worry about them expelling chemicals or melting.
  
  
• Also a holder for your kitchen items
  
  I assume you have basic dishware and silverware, so I've only included common cooking items.
  
  Hope this helps! I'll update if I can think of anything else you'll need.

You have lots of good selections in your list. Dunno about the shoes, do they really have lots of holes? Mosquitos will LOVE that!

Here are some camp kitchen suggestions that add value w/out hassle

Thin cutting/prep surface

Cheap kitchen knife with sheath for easy stowage(pick one or two)

Cheap non-stick frying pan(I got one for a few dollars at a grocery store)

Cheap heat-resistant spatula

Exxxxtra loooong tongs for cooking over a fire. Them coals get HOT.

The amount of different meals you can make with these is amazing. Eat a steak or salmon instead of MRE's... Cook bacon, sausages and scramble eggs for the camp...

I also recommend a small vise-grip for when you're wrenching and need a third hand. I splurged on the Leatherman Crunch and I love it.

And to jump on the bandwagon, go for smaller tent and a hatchet.

There was this one camping trip I took with my family and a couple friends of my sister and myself. It was an awesome camping trip, but we went to an island and it just so happen to storm like a beast one day. My mom, step-dad, friend and I were out and about when it came in. We rushed back to camp because it was just that bad to find my sister and friend had gone out into the lake with our blow up mattresses to ride the waves. (which was extremely dangerous to do, but they had a blast and came out unscathed) We wound up having to stay at a little cabin for the rest of the time we had there because everything was sopping wet, including our beds.

There was another time that we went to a camp site and made a bunch of friends who we played hide and seek with and light tag with. It was an unbelievable experience.

Then there was the first camping trip I took with my sister alone with a few of her friends. It was also the first time I every got high with my sister. We went to a radio head concert on the closing night. It was seriously one of the most memorable times of my life.

My SO and I are planning to take some rugged camping trips this summer on our bikes. In the future we would like to buy an RV and tour the US and Canada in it.

This would be awesome to use for grilling outside because we will do a lot of grilling this year and when we are on our trips we will be cooking over an open fire. So these will come in handy.

I just went to Brazil to visit the family who hosted me as an exchange student 15 years ago, and several other families and friends I haven't seen in 10+ years. We brought presents for the kids (ages 2 months to 8 years) and the families (6 couples).

For the kids:

• Sticky Frogs (dollar store)
  
• Spot It
  
• Lobster Pool Toys
  
• An Avengers towel
  
• An Ever After High water-painting book
  
• Polo-brand baby outfits (from Marshalls or somewhere like that)
  
• Some pocket change for each kid (literally just some nickels and quarters for them to show off to their friends)
  
  For the families:
  
  Each family got a couple of things.
  
  
• A pair of nice silicone spatulas from William-Sonoma
  
• A USA-shaped bamboo cutting board (from Marshalls or somewhere like that)
  
• A moose hot pad
  
• Monkey-Cymbol Salad Grabber
  
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
• Imperial unit measuring cups and spoons
  
• A collection of our favorite treat recipes, including Pancakes, Sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies (to go with the semi-sweet chips and measuring cups)
  
• Maple extract/flavoring
  
  We stayed with 4 different families over 9 days, and we made a recipe for/with each family. Pancakes w/ maple for some and cookies for others.
  
  We also brought a collection of treats. Unfortunately (for our gift giving) many of them are available in Brazil now including kit-kat, reeses and snickers. I even saw Peanut-Butter in a grocery store while we were there!
  
  Everyone seemed excited about their presents.

From Season 7: More Tex-Mex Favorites

TESTING NOTES

WINNER:
OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Locking Tongs - $12.09

> Missed a perfect score only because one picky tester thought the pincers bruised cooked asparagus—a minor complaint. Class valedictorian in every other respect.

RECOMMENDED:

• OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs - Nylon Tips - $10.99
  
  > Nonstick-friendly and effective with everything but hard objects. We could get a (tenuous) grip on ramekins, but lobster was a no-go.
  
  
• Edlund 12-Inch Locking Tongs - $6.95
  
  > Described as light and natural; one tester remarked, "They just belong in your hand." Sharp, deeply defined scalloping can tear delicate foods.
  
  4 others were RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS:
  
  
• Vollrath 12-Inch One-Piece Utility Tongs - $8.95
  
• Chantal Contoured Kitchen Tongs - $14.99
  
• Amco Houseworks 10-Inch and 14-Inch Telescoping Tongs - $11.98
  
• KitchenAid Utility Tongs - $9.99
  
  
  4 others were NOT RECOMMENDED:
  
  
• Chef'n Tongo 12-Inch Silicone Tongs
  
• Kuhn Rikon Easy-Lock Wire Tongs
  
• G&S Design Compactables Locking Tongs
  
• Progressive Multi-Purpose (10-Inch) Kitchen Tongs
  

TONGS! I'm an idiot and kind of never bought tongs for myself. Derp. I also don't have a corkscrew either. Woops. XD And then something for you! Now that it's getting chilly it's the perfect way to keep warm and cute. :)

I'd say the essentials include a non-stick frying pan, a smaller pot (2-3 qts), a larger pot (5qts+), a cutting board, a chef's knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, a whisk, heat resistant silicone spatula, stirring spoons, serving spoon, ladle, aluminum baking sheet, tongs and can opener. With all of the above, I can cook ~ 90% of what I usually cook.

I, personally, don't care much for cast iron skillets. They require too much care and too much oil to keep up to snuff. I prefer a nice three-ply fry pan (This is what I own). A couple splurges on my part were a 2 qt saucier (was on sale for $50) which is great for making sauces of any sort because the whisk can fit in the rounded bottom of the pan. I also like the All-Clad 4Qt. Essential pan, with the tall sides and wide top. It's easy to make something a bit larger with this pan.

Finally, I bake all of my pizza on a cheap round pizza pan. It's not the fanciest, but it gets the job down well.

1. Take tilapia and blackening spice (make sure it has no sugar, I usually get the one with the shittiest label, it is usually the best. Or here's a recipe.)
   
   
2. Literally coat the shit out of both sides of your tilapia. I love spicy stuff, so I have never been able to put "too much" spice.
   
   
3. Put some oil in a pan and get it really hot.
   
   
4. Cook for a while until the bottom side looks nice and brown and "done" (maaybe 5-6 minutes? not really sure)
   
   
5. Flip. (I use a tong/spatula combo thing like this to avoid the fish falling apart).
   
   
6. Cook the other side until it looks done too. (I am horrible at directions. You can probably find more exact cooking times online)
   
   
7. Serve it up with avocado, lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.
   
   SO GOOD.
   
   
   
   

Clever tongs! They're like a combination of tongs and a spatula, and they make it unbelievably easy to flip and handle messy items. A weird item, but one every kitchen should have.

I also get sooooo much use out of my small glass prep bowls. They're great for prepping and portioning spices and for working with eggs without breaking the yolks. I almost never see anyone with these in their kitchens, and they're beyond useful.

• +1 for $30.59 cast iron and $30.00 non-stick. See if you can get a non-stick that is oven safe. It will be more versatile.
  
• $13.58 Make sure to get a high temp silicone spatula so that he can use them in his non-stick pan. Nothing sharp in the non-stick, ever.
  
• $39.95 Get him a decent, sharp knife. The Victorianox is a good knife that you can get for cheap.
  
• $5.78 Tongs, metal tongs from the asian market are about 3 bucks but totally useful.
  
  Total ~119.90
  That leaves you ~$80 to get ancillary things like measuring cups and spoons, cutting board, and a sauce pot.

I've had these (an older version, but basically the same) for probably 8 years now and they're as good as new. I use them with the grill, for pulling stuff out of my slow cooker... everything. They wash up great and show zero signs of any wear.

I'd really love to have these tongs from my Home & Kitchen list. Mine are so old and beat up lol

Thanks for the contest!

LOL! yes hold the mouse by his tail use big tweezers if you have to, it will make him stop "hunting" and just start eating, then you can move onto dead ones. Good for not feeding it in the cage. when you hand feed in the cage they start to associate your hand coming in the cage with food. snake hook & tweezers

Nothing better for grilling than some nice rigid heavy duty tongs with no padding or silicone tips or any fluff like that.

I like ones like this. I've got a 9", 12", and 16" set and the 12" is my goto - short enough to be super stable, but long enough to keep cool.

> you're giving people false hope that jobs and higher wages are coming back.

No I'm not. You're STILL missing my entire point. I didn't say a thing about wages or jobs. China has an advantage because they don't have environmental regulations. Now that the costs of manufacturing are comparable, we should absolutely re shore our manufacturing as a means of slowing global warming, regardless of whether or not it gives anyone a job.

Oh, and by the way, I own an American made set of tongs which sell for a whopping $14.25 on Amazon. The best selling foreign made tongs on Amazon go for $12.95. I bring this up to illustrate to you that there isn't a major price difference between Chinese and US made goods because you still can't comprehend my point.

• One of these. in 1.6 and 6.5 qt
  
• One of these. Cheap, tri-ply (stainless and aluminum) induction-ready. No nonstick to coddle, no ceramic to chip, no weight like cast iron, read the reviews on how to use them and they are all you will ever need.
  
• One of these
  
• This to clean all the above. *optional, obtain a dishwasher-safe brush at walmart.
  
• A few of these. If you want to invest in them over aluminum foil and parchment paper. If not, omit.
  
• A bunch of these. Wood handles are important. Plastic will melt when leaned against the pot and then snap off.
  
• These for when those don't work.
  
• A ton of these. Like, 10. Get them at wallmart for $2. Cut meat? New board. Cut onion? New board. Grate cheese and get schnibbles everywhere? New board. It's like instantly cleaning your countertop.
  
• A set of these.
  
• Knives and some sort of block/bar. Those are personal thing, only you can choose those. Size-wise think one for cutting cherry tomatoes, one for pitting avocados, and one for cutting cakes.
  
  Everything else, crock pots, even measuring cups, is optional. Slow cookers, microwaves, electric kettles, and rice cookers are all nice, but there is nothing you can make in them that you can't make in a pot, like humans did for thousands of years. You'll want measuring cups for baking, but for cooking you're adjusting on the fly anyways.

Recommend the type of tongs that lock, like these. They're much easier to work with and take up less space in the kitchen tool drawer.

BINGO!

Nothing quite says summer like BBQing in your backyard. A pair of tongs would be a perfect addition to my grill.

Two notes:

You can really make some bad-ass bread in a dutch oven.

Grab a pair of These tongs at your earliest convenience. I freakin love em. I've had the same two pairs for something like 6 years.

Does he cook? Gravity tongs are amazing and cool and have three moving parts, all stainless steel. These are the ones I have:

Rosle USA 12916 Rösle Stainless Steel 12-inch Lock and Release Tongs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PK55QE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RfKYBbJYJZFZ4

I have the pair that is actually in this picture, and they are great. http://www.amazon.com/Rösle-12916-12-Locking-Tongs/dp/B000PK55QE

I find using tweezer tongs, or just normal cooking tongs, work well for Let the noodle cool down for a second or two after you pick it out of the pot. (If your mouth is sensitive, hold the noodle under some cold running water for a few seconds first.)

I'm fully with you on finding cool spoons at thrift stores/antique stores (I cook in Boston and hit up Cambridge Antique Market once a month), but I wouldn't call spoons or tweezers "ridiculous niche tools." I use three sets of tweezers pretty much daily, and the cheap eBay options that double as snake-feeding tools just aren't the same quality as ones designed by professionals specifically for culinary work.

Also, if you don't have a pair of these, buy one immediately. You can lift a Toyota with them but still have enough control to move more delicate proteins.

If you want good tongs these are the ones to get...

https://www.amazon.com/Edlund-4412-HDL-inch-Heavy/dp/B002P64OMC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Get two.

I've owned these for about 4 years. They are still in the exact same condition as the day I got them, and I use them 4-6 times per week in spring/summer/fall, and 1-2 times per week in the winter.

They open wide enough that i can typically pick up up to about a 10 pound pork shoulder, but are still easy to use.

I cannot recommend these enough.

I highly recomend these tweezers by far the most useful tool on the line for me. https://www.amazon.com/Rosle-12925-R%C3%B6sle-Fine-Tongs/dp/B0007VHCQ2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1479870572&sr=8-6&keywords=tweezer+tongs

Also useful: really long barbecue tongs. Husband has seen me use those to grab lightweight things from the top shelves and just walked away shaking his head. Probably should just buy one of these instead.

I like the Rosle tongs myself.
http://www.amazon.com/Rosle-12925-R%C3%B6sle-Fine-Tongs/dp/B0007VHCQ2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1369551751&sr=8-4&keywords=rosle+tongs

These are the ones I have

Edlund - 9 inch heavy duty... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CF1CC3U?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Edlund - 12 inch heavy duty... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002P64OMC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Extremely solid

They are apparently called Clever Tongs

They have a very r/WhereDidTheSodaGo ad that I found on youtube as well.

The Amazon reviews are not very positive:
Clever Tongs - 2 in 1 Kitchen Spatula and Tongs | Non-Stick, Heat Resistant, Stainless Steel Frame, Silicone and Dishwasher Safe, As Seen on TV https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076MGGRQ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_G-DSAb4539735

Name: "Clever Tongs"

$25

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Tongs-Non-Stick-Resistant-Dishwasher/dp/B076MGGRQ9

They are on amazon also and are prime eligible
https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Tongs-Non-Stick-Resistant-Dishwasher/dp/B076MGGRQ9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1521580895&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=spatula+tongs&psc=1

Absolutely. I got the pair with the silicone heads years and years ago and ended up buying 3 more pairs because I use them for everything.

I use a small ball of wadded aluminum foil held in my tongs.

Kitchen tweezers?

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-12-Inch-Stainless-Steel-Locking/dp/B00004OCK1/

Agreed. I've got the 16 inch model and my only regret is not buying a smaller one to go with it.

If that were true, why do all of your posts indicate that you are trying to buy from them but have not done so yet? Why do the stones in the photos of the tweezers look identical to the stones in your white cloud mountain minnow tank? Why have you had the difficulty you claim getting in contact with them when their facebook page says they are making a big push to start listing on amazon and selling again? You claim these are high quality. What type of steel do they use? Where were they manufactured? How do you know this if you never purchased from them before?

You are a phony with shoddy overpriced tools. Pinsette is not a real word. Those are tweezers, although you are hitting the length they are called tongs. I called Avec, they had never heard of a pinsette. They actually make high quality tweezers instead of reselling cheap tweezers that they bought from some third world factory.

EDIT: Found this on the first page looking for extra long tweezers:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000C8T92?pc_redir=1397435179&robot_redir=1

Those are longer and half the price. You are advertising shoddy goods. Please stop. You are embarrassing yourself. Thank you for the permission to downvote. I choose to call you out instead. You have my permission to delete your posts.

Meduim. Nom

Finally got one of these, very very useful.

No soup for you!

Unless you like soup? /u/bunnylebowski1 hi! I've talked to you briefly a few times, but not very much, how are you?

YMMV, but my boyfriend has those tongs, and I haaaaaaate them. Every time I pinch something, the little ring slides back down and folds them again. Hate hate hate. I much prefer these, I just bang them on the counter to open them.