Reddit mentions: The best fruit & vegetable tools

Ok. So, you can google for finer details, because I never measure, but it goes like this.

The absolute most important thing is to have a potato ricer
This device removes the fibers in the potato and makes it silky smooth. You can use it for many, many other things so it is great little tool to have on hand. I have never been successful making potato gnocchi skipping this step.

4-5 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams, roasted in the oven, cooled, and skinned. Roasting brings out the caramelization and gives the recipe such a deep rich flavor. I credit roasting with being able to skip olive oil or other fats for richness.

About 4-6 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and drained VERY VERY WELL. Like, wrap it in thicknesses of paper towels and squeeze on countertop until paper towels are pretty much dry. Moisture must be well controlled for this dish. Alternately, you can chop fresh spinach or de-spined kale very, very finely and use it raw in the gnocchi dough. I have done both and got great results either way.

1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Optional.

Probably 2 cups of Flour. Use regular, whole wheat, rice, or whatever you like. It is just a binder. I don't use egg, or oil. Doesn't seem to need it for flavor, and cuts down on calories bigtime.

Seasoning such as sea salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Put a bunch in there.

So now, just know. If you have never made gnocchi before, your first batch will not be your best ever. But it will be a learning experience and taste amazing either way.

Put a large pot, like a stock or soup pot, whatever you usually use for pasta, about 3/4 full of water on to boil.

Rice the sweet potato into a bowl, this will be messy. It is supposed to be. DO NOT PUT THE FIBROUS BITS THAT CATCH IN THE BOTTOM OF THE RICER INTO THE BOWL. Pull them out as they clog the strainer blade and throw them away.

To your gorgeous, silky smooth sweet potatoes, add the veggies however you have prepared them, the parmesan if you want it, and your spices, then moosh them around until well mixed by hand. Begin to add flour in a handful at a time until the mixture takes on a ball of dough shape. It will be sticky and not yet dry.

Spread out some of the remaining flour on your counter or a big cutting board, and then roll a palm sized ball of dough in your hands gently. Make it into a snake, just like playdough, rolling it in the flour as you form it. It will totally feel like playdough, not super wet. Make it about your middle finger wide and 8 or so inches long. Cut in about 1 inch pieces with a sharp knife.

You will have to reflour your work surface as this is how you get the dough the right consistency. The goal is to work the dough gently till its just dry enough to hold its shape and allow you to cut it.

Now you are ready to rock. If you are nervous, you can roll out all of your "snakes" and then start cooking them, but this is how I do it.

I put the first one or two series of pastas, or "snakes" worth, into the water with a slotted spoon. Then I roll out two more while those cook. After I roll out two more, it has been about 3-4 minutes, and my first batch gets pulled out, drained for a second on the slotted spoon, and set into a broad shallow pan or serving platter. Then I add the next two "snakes" worth and begin rolling my next batch, and so on working steadily until all of the pasta has been cooked, drained, and set into the platter/platters or pan/pans.

Then I sit down for a second. jk

Here's the thing. Some people like their pasta soft, I like mine browned under the broiler a bit. You can do either, or try both. This recipe makes a bunch of pasta.

A nice fresh chopped tomato topping, sauteed with onion, garlic and basil, is the perfect complement with some parmesan cheese. This doesn't need oil either if you use pan spray to saute.

I hope I haven't overwhelmed you, it really is fun, and makes a lot to eat throughout the week, or impress someone with :)

Let me know if you give it a go, or if you have any questions. Bon Appetite!

Generally, you don't want to buy a set (this applies to most consumer goods) as they usually are compiled of subpar or superfluous items, aimed for the uninformed beginner who just want to get started, but instead pick good stuff yourself.

• I'd say buy a shaker from one of the places mentioned here - buy a 'Tin on Tin' Boston shaker. Cobbler shakers need to be kinda expensive before they're good, while Boston shakers are great, even if the machining isn't ultra precise. They are also simpler to work with and clean.
  
  
• Downside is that you are going to need a strainer for a boston shaker as well. The one I see recommended the most is the OXO Hawthorne strainer (Link) - which I own as well, it's great and cheap. Most other hawthorne strainers are fine too, as long as they are big enough to cover the shaker, and won't fall in.
  
  
• If he doesn't have one already, I would also get him a fine strainer. This one you can buy from any kitchenware store / amazon, and it doesn't need to be fancy.
  
  
• He will probably also need a measuring device. If he likes showmanship, get him some jiggers from one of the cocktail sites, or if he's more practical, get an OXO Clear measuring cup (Link). I would reccomend the latter to any home bartender. For a compromise between the two, there's also the slightly fancier steel measuring cup (Link) or the OXO Stainless double jigger (Link).
  
  
• Finally, I'd also recommend some kind of juicer, as most drinks contain some kind of acid, usually citrus. Personally, I like the Chef'n'FreshForce Citrus Juicer (Link), but others are available.
  
  With a Shaker, a Strainer, (a Fine Strainer), (a Juicer), and a Jigger, you can make pretty much any shaken drink. If you want, you can look into a muddler as well. I'd recommend staying away from buying anything expensive. Best deal is buying a french rolling pin and chopping it into two muddlers (Link).
  __
  
  Even though shaken drinks are the majority, most of my favourites are still stirred drinks. If you want you can splurge on a mixing glass from one of the cocktail sites which are pretty but really expensive, or you can check IKEA. Their VARDAGEN or BENUNGE cups are pretty perfect for this (Link). He'll also need a cocktail spoon for stirring. Either buy one from the cocktail sites (Avoid those with the red tip), or find a neat pair of chopsticks. The chopsticks are untraditional, especially in the west, but are functionally as good or better as a spoon for most use cases.
  
  __
  
  Apart from gear to make cocktails, one thing which is always nice to get, is glasses for serving them in. I don't know if this applies to your dad, but some fancy stemmed glasses are always cool to get.
  
  
  
  If you're in Europe, check out Cocktailkingdom.co.uk or Cocktailian.de. Otherwise, Amazon is great (remember to check .co.uk and .de for better deals). I bought my shaker and cocktail spoon from Homestia.com, and am happy with them; good quality, great price, and arrived in a fancy box. The only downside is that I think they ship from China, so it might not arrive prior to christmas.

All right here goes. I adapted the oil recipe from an old post on /r/treedibles by a guy who claimed to be a biochemistry student. I had it saved but it looks like it may have been deleted because I can't find it anymore.

Anyhoozle...

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil: You can look around on the internet for reasons that coconut oil is preferred, but basically it comes down to it being almost 100% saturated fat, which is the best for cannabinoid absorption.
  
• Cannabis: You can really use whatever form you want. The batch I had the best success with was 1oz of trim/shake and ~1/4oz of AVB. I like trim and shake because it's cheaper and it came pre-ground, so it meant less grinding for me. Note that this was before the closing of SR, so whatever you can get will work just as well. Also, keep in mind that trim/shake and AVB aren't nearly as potent as nugs. If you're using whole nugs, you'll have to break them up or grind them before you start.
  
  I used just enough coconut oil to cover the AVB/trim mixture, with about 1/2cm extra oil on top. If I remember correctly it came out to somewhere between 1.25-1.5 cups. My suggestion is to add just enough to cover your cannabis, then round up to the easiest fraction for baking (i.e. if you add a little less than a full cup of oil, add the rest of the cup so it's easier to make the brownies.)
  
  
• Optional-Soy lecithin: Soy lecithin is an emulsifier that improves both the extraction process and your bodies absorption after consumption. Not totally necessary. I've never made it without it, but supposedly it makes a marked difference in potency. I've seen some sources claiming soy lecithin may have adverse effects on heart health; if you're really concerned, do some research and make the decision for yourself.
  
  
  Tools:
  
  
• Coffee grinder and a small brush: You want to get the decarboxylated cannabis as finely ground as possible. The coffee grinder is perfect because it'll get it really nice and fine, and you can use the small brush to get all the stuff left behind. I had a friend try to use a food processor because he was doing a big batch, and although it got it pretty fine it was a bitch and a half to get all the stuff left behind.
  
• Crock pot: Crock pots will give you low, consistent heat, which is what you want. If you don't have a crock pot, you can use an oven set at 200°F. Note that consumer ovens can be inconsistent temperature-wise, so I recommend the crock pot. Plus, crock pot food is fucking amazing, so it's a win-win.
  
• Oven/freezer safe dish: I used a souffle dish, but you can also use an egg dish. Theoretically you can just put the oil straight into the crock pot, but I wouldn't advise that unless you are making some serious bulk. It'd be a pain to get all of the oil out of there every time you have to freeze it and at the end.
  
• Sheet pan and aluminum foil: This is for decarboxylation. There are about as many different methods for this as there are strains of cannabis, so if you have a method you prefer that you have had success with, you can try that if you wish. In any case, decarboxylation can produce quite the aroma. Sometimes you can just cover it up with an air freshener/smoke eliminator spray or by cooking another especially aromatic food at the same time (like sauerkraut). Some people have had success in containing the smell by placing the cannabis in a lightly sealed mason jar when you bake it. I've done this once before when making a tincture, but I was doing it with a very small amount (~1/8th) of cannabis, and I can't really attest to its effectiveness.
  
  Steps:
  1. Decarboxylation
  
  Note: If you're using AVB, you can skip this step. The vaping process took care of it for you, albeit at a loss of potency.
  
  A lot of people don't decarb before making oil, thinking that the heat from cooking the oil will accomplish the same thing, but that is not the case. When you are decarboxylating, you are converting THCa to THC. THCa is found in much larger portions in raw cannabis, and is far less psychoactive than THC. That's why eating straight nugs won't accomplish anything unless you eat a huge amount. When you decarb, you are converting the carboxyl (COOH) group on THCa into carbon dioxide and water, which are released into the air. That's why sometimes you'll see decarbing referred to as "drying," although that's not quite accurate. Carboxyl groups are released at a much lower rate in the oil, so you won't get the most out of your oil unless you decarboxylate beforehand.
  
  First, preheat the oven to 225°F. If you're using whole nugs, either break them into smaller pieces or grind them in your grinder. Spread the cannabis evenly in your oven-safe dish, cover it with foil, and put it on the sheet pan for ease of removal. Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Let it cool for ten minutes or so.
  
  2. Grinding
  Take your time with this step. The finer the consistency, the more effectively the THC will be absorbed by the oil. Be prepared, there will be powder in every nook and cranny in your coffee grinder. Take your time and get all of that powder out with the brush. There's no reason to waste cannabis because you're too lazy to get it all out. My ground cannabis was kind of clumpy, but the clumps will dissolve when you put it in the oil.
  
  3. Adding the Oil
  After getting the powder into your oven-safe dish, it's time to add the oil. As I said before, you just have to add enough oil to cover all of the powder with at least 1/2 cm extra. If you want to add a lot more, that's fine, you'll have to eat more of the finished product. If you're using the lecithin, the ratio is about 3/4 tsp lecithin for every 1 tbsp of oil (1 cup=16 tbsp).
  
  4. Cooking
  Now comes the long part. Put the dish in your crockpot on low (or the oven) for 3 hours. Keep in mind that crockpots and ovens take a little while to get up to temperature, so I recommend you turn them on while you're grinding. Keep the lid on your crock pot or, if you're using the oven, keep the door closed the whole time. Every time you open the lid/door you're letting heat escape and cooling down your oil, which will affect the efficiency of the extraction.
  
  After the 3 hours is up, take your dish out and let it cool for 30 minutes or so. Wrap/cover in foil, then put it in the freezer for 2+ hours (I did it overnight just for convenience). The foil isn't entirely necessary, but it helps if you spill any to keep you from losing it.
  
  Not many recipes include freezing. I'll try to explain what it does based on what I can remember from the other guy's explanation.
  
  Picture the cannabis plant cells in the oil. Inside of these cells are all the cannabinoids that we want. When you freeze the oil, the liquid inside the cells forms crystals that pierce the cell walls and release the cannabinoids into the oil, further increasing the potency of your final product.
  
  After your 2+ hours are up, take the oil out of the freezer and let it reach room temperature. I remember the recipe said it would take around 15 minutes, but I found it took a little longer. If you want, you can put it in the crock pot before you turn it on and let them both come to temperature at the same time, after roughly 25-30 minutes.
  
  Cook the oil in the crock pot another 3 hours, starting the countdown after the oil has liquified again. The recipe ended here, but I found that my oil didn't quite look as dark as promised. If you want, you can do what I did and repeat the freezing/cooking process 1-2 more times. It can't hurt. When it's done, it should be black. Like blaaaack. Like you just struck oil in your kitchen. I'll update with a picture of mine once I get on my phone again.
  
  5. Straining
  This is the bitch part. I still haven't found a method anywhere that works as well as promised. I usually just use coffee filters and strain it into an old mason jar or salsa jar. Unfortunately if you just wait for all of the oil to strain out you'll either be waiting for a long time or leaving oil behind in the plant matter. One thing I tried that worked pretty well was using one of those lime/lemon juicers (like this) and putting the balled up filter inside. Whatever way you do it, just try and get as much out as possible.
  
  And that's it for the oil recipe. Now, for the brownie recipe, I used this. They were ridiculously delicious. I used a slightly different baking pan, but it came out to about 2 batches from the recipe. With the 1 oz of shake/trim + the ~1/4 oz of AVB, it takes maybe a 1.5"x1.5" piece to get me to a good spot. They are poooootent. I actually kind of wish they were less potent because the brownies taste so good.
  
  And that's it. Let me know if you have any questions or if I missed anything (which is very likely.)

From Season 10: Sensational Skillet Recipes

TESTING NOTES


**


WINNER - Electric

Rated as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:


Black & Decker Citrus Juicer - $19.99

> With no effort, lemons were completely squeezed of all their juice. As you pressed gently, the reamer rotated in both directions to clean out the fruit half, and an adjustable pulp screen kept out seeds and let you adjust the pulp level of the juice with a simple switch. Great for bigger jobs when you want a lot of juice, but easy enough to use for just one lemon. Simple to assemble and clean.

Amazon Link

**

WINNER - Manual
Rated as RECOMMENDED:

AMCO Houseworks Enameled Lemon Squeezer, model 06-0354 - $11.95

> Surprisingly easy to use—juice gushes out. Of the squeeze-style juice presses we tested, this was the most comfortable and effective, with curved handles and a well-shaped plunger. Squeezing the rounded handles didn’t hurt our hands like others of this style, and seeds were contained. It was also attractive, sporting a bright yellow finish, but hand-washing is best if you want to keep the paint from chipping. (We tested the paint and found it lead-free.)

Amazon Link


Also rated as RECOMMENDED:

• OXO Good Grips Citrus Juicer, model 34781 - $12.99
  
  > Nice and easy, this juicer removed all trace of juice in each lemon half with its sharp-edged, open-sided reamer. Seeds stayed out of the juice in the collection cup, which was easy to pour. Sturdily constructed. Has many parts, including a larger reamer that’s inverted beneath the lemon reamer and hangs into the collection cup, making it harder to clean than other manual juicers.
  
  Amazon Link
  
  **
  
  
  
  RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS:
  
  
• Fox Run Craftsmen Wood Lemon Reamer, model 4165 - $2.95
  
• Chef'n Juicester Citrus Juicer and Reamer, model JUC-380CI - $14.99
  
  **
  
  NOT RECOMMENDED:
  
  
• OXO Good Grips Lemon Reamer, model 28281
  
• Kitchen Aid Citrus Juicer, Cast Metal, model KG070CR
  
• Norpro Stainless-Steel Citrus Juice Press, model 523
  

Buy a plain Costco cheesecake and whip up some fresh lemon curd. Slap that curd on top of the cheesecake and you’re in business.

“But wait- I know nothing about making curd,” you’re probably saying. Well buckle up Champ, cause if you can stir a fork, you can make fresh lemon curd. Even if you have zero kitchen skills. Super easy, I promise. Let’s get on this adventure.

Time: I dunno, prolly 5 minutes or so.

Ingredients: 1/3 cup white sugar, 4 eggs, 3 tbsp salted butter, about 2 regular-sized lemons (and let’s not get into semantics about how big a “regular sized” lemon is... just don’t buy small ones. We all know what lemons look like. Let’s not get lost on trivial details. If you’re really struggling with this idea, error on the side of caution and buy lemons on the bigger side. If you’re feeling nervous, buy 3 lemons instead of 2. You’re really getting hung up on this lemon thing, so let’s just move on.)

“Wait- How do I know which lemons to buy? How does one choose a lemon?”

I dunno. I just smell it. If it smells like a lemon, I buy it. If it doesn’t, I pick a different one. Let’s be honest: when it comes to picking produce we’re all just making it up as we go anyways.

Step 1: Grab your two lemons (only after getting their consent first) and zest them up. “What the fuck does that mean?” you’re probably asking yourself. Well settle down, Sally, ima tell you. Grab your cheese grater and look at the side that you never use that has the really small grates. That’s a zester.

“But I don’t have a cheese grater,” you reply.

Jesus Christ, you’re an adult. Go buy a fucking zester. They sell them everywhere, including Safeway, Vons, Luckys, etc. You’re going to have to go buy lemons anyways since you’re a goddamn degenerate and don’t have anything other than condiments in your refrigerator to begin with. So buy a zester while you’re at the grocery store.

Now go home and take your lemons and rub them on the zester so that you scrap off the yellow coloring from the top of the lemon. You’re gonna want about 2 tsp of the finely grated lemon shavings. (And if you haven’t figured it out by now, those lemon shavings are called “lemon zest.”) In my experience, 2 lemons will give you about 2 tsp of lemon zest. Don’t rub too hard, just rub off the yellow coloring from the lemon. Be brave, little toaster. You can do this.

Step 2: After you’ve scraped the zest off of your lemons, cut ‘em in half and squeeze them to get about 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. Make sure to fish the seeds out of your juice. If that debacle at the polo club has taught me anything, it’s that nobody likes to choke on lemon seeds while eating cheesecake. But I digress...

“I have a juicer. Can I use that to get the lemon juice?”

No you don’t. There is no way somebody has a juicer and doesn’t own a zester. Quit trying to impress me with your fake kitchen appliances. But, if you don’t want to squeeze lemons to get juice, you can always get 100% lemon juice in the produce section of the grocery store. It’s usually in a plastic bottle that looks like a lemon.

Step 4: take your 4 eggs and separate the yolks from the egg whites.

“I don’t know how to do that.”

Of course you don’t, you angry little chihuahua. Ok, crack the egg open and use the two halves of the egg shell to create two egg “cups,” being careful to keep the yellow yolk in one of the egg shell cups. Let the clear egg whites drip down into the sink. Then, slide the yellow yolk into the other empty egg shell cup. In the process of the transfer, the egg whites will slide off the yolk. Then transfer the yolk back to the original egg shell cup. Repeat until you’ve got just the yolk. Put it in a bowl for later. Do this with all 4 eggs until you’ve got 4 yolks in the bowl. If these instructions aren’t clear, it’s 2019 and I promise there are undoubtedly thousands of YouTube videos for beautiful meerkats such as yourself on how to separate the yolk from the egg.

Step 5: grab a metal pot, fill it with water. Put it on the stove to simmer. “How much water should I put in there?” Dude, don’t over complicate this, you playful little otter. Just put some water in a pot. You’re literally just boiling water. This isn’t rocket science. “Well what’s a ‘simmer’?” Its a small boil. You don’t want the water like a hot tub with the jets on full blast. More like a polite glass of champagne where the bubbles continually stream upwards. But it needs to be boiling enough to create steam. No steam = no curd.

Step 6: grab a metal or glass bowl and place it on top of the metal pot so that it fits snugly and traps the steam from the simmering water. If you’re still unclear, [here is a WikiHow](https://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Double-Boiler-(Bain-Marie) on how to do it.

“Why do I need to cook it this way?”

Because, you inquisitive little truffle pig, if you just cooked it some other way the temperature would be too hot and it’d scramble the eggs and you’d be left with lemon sugar egg scramble. And while that might not be totally awful and it’s definitely something I’m going to try someday, it’s not going to go well on top of a cheesecake. Allowing the egg yolks to cook on top of the steam let’s them become smooth and velvety without becoming scrambled eggs.

Step 7: put all of your ingredients (your 4 egg yolks, your 1/3 cup of white sugar, 2 tsp of lemon zest, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 3 tbsp of salted butter) into the bowl (that is sitting snugly on your simmering pot of water).

“Wait, should I melt the butter first?” No. Just put it in the bowl, you hungry hungry hippo.

Step 8: stir constantly with a wire wisk. This shouldn’t take long. Do this for a couple of minutes until it’s either 160° or else is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Because let’s be honest: we both know you don’t own a food thermometer.)

“Wait- I don’t own a wisk.”

Of course you don’t, you degenerate. Use a fork. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

Step 9: When its thick enough (that’s what she said), scoop it into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Smoosh the plastic wrap down on top of the curd because this prevents a film from forming on top of your curd. Now chuck that in the refrigerator to cool.

That’s it. You’re done. When it’s chilled, slather it on top of that Costco cheesecake and you’re well on your way to PoundTown or Friendzone City. But either way, your friend will be impressed with you culinary skills and ability to create fresh lemon curd. Tales of your skills will be told and songs will echo into eternity. What is dead may never die.

Now go, fight, win. You can do this, you mighty sunflower. And if all of this wasn’t clear enough, here is a mommy blogger with colorful pictures and an annoyingly and painfully long story about nonsense before she ever gets to the actual recipe.

Sounds like you're way overthinking and over complicating this.

Mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are the simplest, easiest ever. Find a starchy potato. I like russets for my mashed, but Idahoes and Yukon golds will work, too.

• Peel them, dice them, boil them (in water or in stock) until JUST fork tender.
  
• Drain them.
  
• Don't use a mixer - you're not trying to whip them into submission. Get yourself a basic potato masher (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Stainless-Potato-Masher-Cushioned/dp/B00004OCJK) and mash.
  
• Add melted butter (maybe 1/2 or 1 stick) and milk, slowly, as you mash.
  
• Keep testing the consistency and stop adding milk when your potatoes are just creamy and starting to hold together.
  
• Add a little salt and pepper and serve.
  
  As you get more comfortable with making them and learning what the consistency should look like, then you can try adding cream or sour cream or cheeses (I like to add cream cheese sometimes) for additional richness and creaminess. But it's really easy to go overboard there. Keep in mind that the point of mashed potatoes is POTATOES. It's not about trying to add as many ingredients as you can. It's about making the potatoes shine.
  
  ​
  
  Gravy
  
  Gravy is a little trickier but really not hard. It mostly requires practice.
  
  
• Make a roux. This means take equal parts fat (butter or drippings) and flour and cook them over medium heat, stirring. The longer you cook, the darker the flour will get. For a basic gravy, you don't need to cook very long. Just enough to get the "raw" flavor out of the flour. Let it get a lovely pale brown.
  
• While whisking your roux, start adding the liquid of your choice. For Thanksgiving gravies, this is likely going to be chicken or turkey stock. (Adding milk will make a cream gravy). Make sure the liquid is at least room temperature or even better, heat it up a little so it's warm. Warm liquid will help keep the gravy from chunking up.
  
• Whisk like mad as you add liquid and when the gravy reaches the desired consistency, stop adding liquid. (This takes a bit of practice to learn how thick you like your gravy and when to stop adding/whisking. You can always add more liquid to make a thinner gravy, so err on the side of caution here.)
  
• If your gravy is lumpy, don't stress. Just pour it through a mesh strainer and use the back of a spoon to press out the lumps. Throw them away and serve perfectly smooth gravy.
  
  As a basic rule, gravy proportions are this: 2 T fat (butter, drippings, oil, bacon grease), 2 T flour, 1 cup liquid. Scale up for more gravy. Add more liquid if you want a thinner gravy, less liquid if you want thicker gravy. As you make gravy more often you'll learn how it works best for you and be able to eyeball it better.
  
  The absolute key is to COOK THE FLOUR IN THE FAT FIRST. Too many people add the flour into the stock later and then you get that raw flour taste in the back of your throat. Ick.

I have a tonne of joint pain and totally understand where she's coming from. Do NOT get a "slap chop" or anything else that relies on user strength to press things down, yikes... However, checking that her knives are super-sharp is a great place to start. I know there's a lot of disapproval among gourmands for them, but an electric sharpener might be a good investment here.

Scissors can be pressed into a lot of service in the kitchen and can be easier than knives -- sometimes I'll throw something-or-other into a pot whole, let it simmer and soften, and then chop it with scissors.

Food processors with slicing and shredding attachments are great, and this T-Fal Fresh Express Electric Food Slicer & Grater is simple to operate and gets pretty good reviews.

I have a boyfriend, and assorted manual kinds of jar lid removers, but the must-have for when the BF isn't around and the manual aids aren't cutting it is a Black and Decker "Lids Off" machine. It doesn't work for a very limited number of lids -- juices and most things in kinda juice-like bottles like passata -- but for 95% of jars it gets the thing right off with zero effort on the user's part. A nice electric can opener is a help too.

I have a mandoline and I love it, but, with joint problems, a food processor (they slice and grate, but dicing requires a $1k+ commercial machine -- some French fry cutters are well-engineered and don't require much pressure to get the veg through and then you can dice from there, though) is going to be the better purchase for most items. It's also really easy to injure yourself badly with one -- if she wants one, I'd suggest a pair of Kevlar gloves to go with it if she is anywhere near the 'getting forgetful' stage and might be sloppy about using the guard.

Your mention of tomato harvests makes me think of food mills...?

Easiest answer is flavored vodka. A lemon vodka or orange vodka with lemon-lime soda.

If you like ginger a good ginger beer is a great mixer (ginger beer is non-alcoholic. It's like ginger ale except the ginger flavor is much stronger)

Get something like this -
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L5G2074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_PZlqzbFZEFX0V

you can get a cheaper one at Target or Wal Mart, but the extra couple dollars makes a difference, this one is very easy to use. You might be surprised by what a difference a little squeeze of fresh lemon or lime makes to a simple drink (i.e. adding a little fresh lemon to a simple vodka-sprite)

Instead of ice, drop some frozen fruit into a drink. Keeps the drink cold, flavors it, and when you're done you have some boozy fruit to enjoy (I love using frozen pineapple)

Stay open to new flavors, even when you tried it before and didn't like it. Things like whiskey take a little getting used to, but as you develop your palate you learn to enjoy it. That's why most beginners stick with vodka (flavorless) but people who learn to appreciate liquor as a culinary experience move past vodka. I used to only drink vodka - now, I haven't purchased a bottle in a few years. I can get more creative with whiskey, tequila, gin - vodka is the vanilla of liquor.

It depends on your juicing volume. We use a Sunkist J1 Commercial Electric Juicer but we juice a lot; 4 bars, dining room, 3 meals/day in a hotel. The Breville CPXL is an alternative for 1/3rd the cost; though I don't have any first-hand knowledge as to longevity. If you're squeezing grapefruits and oranges, you'll want a manual press at the very least. The Hamilton Beach 932 is the industry standard but other much less expensive options exist. The 932 is faster and easier to use but may wear out faster due to its gearsets, requiring replacement parts. Considering the minimal cost, it is imperative that you keep a hand press or two around in case your primary juicer commits harakiri. Norpro and Amco both make excellent units. For less than the cost of the Norpro, you can get both Amco's orange and lemon/lime presses.

We juice daily. We also have a centrifugal juicer for pineapple and other harder fruits/vegetables. We mix 1 part fresh pineapple juice with 3 parts canned, unsweetened, not-from-concentrate pineapple juice. Except for the fancy bars primarily, few have switched to fresh pineapple juice. The good canned stuff is generally perfectly fine.

~Good luck!

A Citrus press for around $320 at the time. Use it mostly for making cocktails, but fresh squeezed lemonade is also great. It works pretty well but I wish the build quality was a bit higher for the price, and when you just want one limes worth of juice it is a hassle to clean the whole thing.

It's this one on Amazon.com.

Oh and video games, Have over 400 games on Steam now(lots gathered through bundles) but for the time playing I think it is justified. If you include everything from Early consoles to now it gets out of hand.

Cocktail Kingdom is good but the quality for many pieces seems to have dropped off (e.g. broken jigger, Koriko tins and mixing glasses) That being said almost everything I use everyday is from them.

Uber has some quality products and also offers sets. Reviews say that the quality varies in the sets, but the spoon and muddler I use work well. I believe they are based in Austria as well!

I have just discovered a new website called Parched Penguin. I have not bought anything yet but am interested in their mixing glasses and many decorative pieces for special occasions.

If you are just getting started I would buy:
-Hawthorne
-Jigger
-Hand Juicer
-Small Tin
-Large Tin

Once you enjoy it and have mastered all of your favorite shaken drinks:
-Mixing Glass. We use these at my bar because they are cheap and can go through the dishwasher.
-Muddler. Once again dishwasher friendly and industructible.
-Bar Spoon. A cheap and effective spoon, easy to learn a proper Japanese stir.


Then comes the books...

Hey, I'm a drinky ex-mormon myself. Welcome to the other side! A couple of my sisters asked me for similar advice when they were first trying out alcohol and they seemed to like sweet wines and low-octane, sweeter drinks best. Maybe try out some fresh fruit blender drinks.

As for equipment, most of what you need may already be in your kitchen. I get the most use out of my hand-held citrus press, my peeler and my OXO angled jigger. Shakers are fun-looking and could be a good gift, but I rarely use mine. Glassware is always a fun gift!

I hope this helps! Good luck!

Thanks... you take care as well!


All right, you asked for it. But be warned, I'm a real stickler on my cocktail recipes. If you can't manage the recipe below before the weekend, just have a Vodka martini for me, VERY cold, heavy on the Dry Vermouth and 2 olives! If you can't mange that... just turn up whatever bottle you have, belch loudly, and yell, "MAN, FUCK THIS FUCKING SHIT... THAT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE" at the next player who splats you.


Double Bourbon Old Fashioned, Martini Style, Extra Sweet


2 Shots (100mL) Cheap Bourbon


2 Tablespoons (30mL) Simple Syrup


4 Dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters (Do NOT get the Angostura Orange Bitters accidentally... it's terrible)


Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Fill to top with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour into a frozen Martini glass. Garnish with a (proper) lemon twist, a maraschino cherry, and a drizzle of cherry juice on top.


Extra notes:


Cheap Bourbon Preference: Benchmark or Evan Williams - Evan has slightly more bite which I like, but Benchmark is quite good for the price. Less than $20 for a 1.75L


Simple Syrup Recipe: 50/50 ratio - Measure equal parts sugar and water into a Pyrex measuring cup. I actually use a "Dry" measuring cup to get exact measurements of the the sugar AND water into the Pyrex for consistency. Bring to boil in microwave. Stir, cool, store and keep.


No need to bother with the expensive, fancy bitters. Can't go wrong with this old staple! Angostura Aromatic is honestly my favorite and it's also the most common.
http://www.popsugar.com/food/What-Angostura-Bitters-7829426
(Side note: I do also very much like Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6. It's not too sickly/disgustingly sweet like the Angostura Orange variety, and it's a little bit peppery - so, yum)


Proper lemon twist: Run a channel knive all the way around the lemon once. Pull/twist gently on the resulting lemon peel to release some of that citrus oil on the skin. Wrap the peel around your finger or a spoon handle or something to create the curly-Q.
This is my lemon zester. The channel knife works VERY well at channeling off a lemon twist.
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Lemon-Zester-Channel/dp/B00004OCJO

A rice cooker can help with meal prep - you can put the rice in, and some models also have a steamer basket you can put on top (put vegetables, tofu, small pieces of chicken, etc. in there at the beginning of the cycle, let it cook, salt, serve). You can also get frozen peas, corn, etc. in bags that can be put straight into the microwave for cooking, no further preparation necessary (and if you place the pouch into a bowl without emptying the contents out and then cut it open, you won't even need to do any dishes). I have also found that getting an apple wedger and having apples on hand increases my eating of actual fruit a lot - although it doesn't take the skin off, so if you don't like apple skin, that one's maybe not for you.

Also, my favorite "bachelor chow" consists of leftover rice, with canned black beans (drain the liquid from the can first though), shredded cheese if you tolerate that, and some taco-type seasoning (you can get it in packets in the store, but a health food store might have it in a shaker, and I prefer it that way because then it is cheaper and you can add different amounts). Heat and mix until everything is boiling, then eat. Add shredded lettuce, salsa, chips, etc. if desired and on-hand.

You might also be interested in a project called Soylent, which is an experimental food-replacement drink. However, it is expensive and we aren't sure what the effects of a liquid-only diet are on healthy people over the long run. If you want to go this route, my best guess from the science right now is that you should still eat something solid... once or twice a week?

Also, whether you improve your diet in other ways or not, you should probably take a multivitamin. (If you can't take large pills they make them in chewable and gummy forms as well, these days.)

I have 3-4 juice presses that I use, most of them are extremely old cast iron because I tend to use a lot of antique items, though my modern one is a norpro citrus juicer which has held up quite well. Unless you're going to be doing massive amounts of juicing the hand press will probably tide you over for a while. At this point, I'd say spend the money on quality spirits and ingredients over an huge table top juicer.

I have a bottle of Velvet Falernum that I use, though I'm looking toward making my own when I can come up from air at my day job. There was a great reddit thread here that talks about making your own from a recipe vs the JDT bottle.

Tiki farm stuff is really big especially here in Orange County, CA. They have great stuff. Some friends of mine designed the Meihana mug for the cocktail of the same name.

Good Luck!

Don’t peel! The peel adds extra fiber and a lovely rose color. You don’t need a food mill; I used an immersion blender last year but the peels disintegrate quite well. A food processor or even blender or mixer would work. Unless you like your applesauce chunky, though, I’d recommend a food mill. That thing has made my canning a dream.

Do dump the cores and seeds, those are bitter and there’s no point to try and save those or cook down before milling. I’ve found just using a standard slicer-corer makes quick work and preserves most of my apple. I also use softer apples with less waxy skins that break down better.

I haven’t found a peeler that has worked with my counter system. I’ve considered models for my stand mixer or that attach to my table but I can’t justify the cost myself since we like the skin and don’t eat apple pie that much.

Good luck!

> Stainless Spatula (slotted or unslotted)

I like a slotted metal-core silicone spatula for frying in my non-stick pans, and a very thin solid metal spatula for scraping my cast-iron (something like this).

> Silicone spatula

Yes, preferably a regular size one and mini one for getting into narrow jars.

> Silicone spoonula

Yes, see above.

> Stainless spoon 5. Slotted stainless spoon

I prefer plastic and wood, since they're non-stick safe, unless they're polished ones to use for serving.

> Ladle

Yes, preferably plastic

> Wisk

Yes, both a high-density balloon whisk and a silicone-coated one for nonstick pans.

> Tongs (should they be silicone or stainless? do you use these in your nonstick pans?)

Both. Stainless are easier to use, but I always keep a silicone one around for my non-stick pans.

> Peeler/juliene peeler

I'd say no on a peeler. I've found the best approach is to buy cheap ones and toss them when they get dull. Nothing is more dangerous that a dull peeler that you don't want to part with because it matches a set. I personally use the Kuhn Rikon ones that are 3/$10.

I have a julienne peeler, but it's more trouble than it's worth, and I wouldn't recommend it. If you're doing small quantities it's almost as fast to use a knife, and if you're doing large quantities just get a spiralizer.

> Draining spoon (for pasta)

Yes for slotted spoon, but no need for the "pasta spoons" with the tines for grabbing spaghetti. You're much better off just draining your pasta in a colander.

> Potato masher

I've never used mine. I use my RSVP Potato Ricer instead.

> Measuring cups

Yes, preferably metal dry measuring cups and a Pyrex wet measuring cup. For dry measuring, I like the stainless ones with short sturdy handles (such as the KitchenMade ones). Even though the handles are a bit short, they're incredibly sturdy and won't bend or break, and the handles are short enough that they won't cause the cup to tip. For wet measuring, go with the original-style glass ones, and skip the ones with the inaccurate angled measuring surface.

> Measuring spoons

Yes, again preferably stainless and with the little hooks on the end of the handle so you can lay them down flat on a counter (like the Cuisipro ones have).

It's what I tend to do when pineapple is cheap.

Use the corer. Just be a little careful not to go so far down that you break through the bottom of the pineapple. It will pull out the rings of fruit, but there will still be the actual core in the middle of the 'cup'. I take a knife and cut it out (looks better without).

Blend the fruit (using fresh pineapple is sooooo essential for a good pina colada!). Add in and blend cream of coconut.

At this point, if you've used all of the fruit and an appropriate amount of cream of coconut, you've got quite a bit of the pineapple/coconut mix (about 4-5 pineapple cups worth once you add in rum/ice). Remove half of mix, and refrigerate for later use (second batch).

With half the mix in the blender, add rum and ice. Blend together. Pour into pineapple cup (and you will have plenty left that can go into a regular cup for another person, or you can save it to refill the pineapple cup).

Add in a straw (I very highly recommend Boba straws for this), and any decorative touches you might be inclined towards.

If you do not have a food mill I would strongly suggest investing in one. Oxo makes a great model that I have used for years. It comes with three discs and works perfectly for what you want.: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Food-Mill/dp/B000I0MGKE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549834628&sr=8-3&keywords=food+mill

It is a good investment for a lot of other uses as well. Great mashed potatoes or other purees./sauces you want to make.

Favorite? Negroni, hands down. Equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. However, a friend of mine made me one with DRY (white) vermouth and it was incredible! So I've been making mine that way lately. Craziness. (FWIW, we both use Dolin vermouth, my favorite.)

2nd favorite, probably a margarita. 3 parts tequila (I prefer reposado), 2 parts fresh lime juice, 1 part orange liqueur.

3rd favorite, bourbon + lime + ginger beer. Wait, or maybe a manhattan. Or a sazerac. Scratch that - 3rd favorite, nearly anything with bourbon or rye in it.

I almost always make my cocktails at home because I'm cheap :) And, I'm a cheap drunk. One cocktail and I'm not really fit to drive.

For anyone wanting to do cocktails at home, I want to recommend this citrus press. It's incredible.

another picture of the meal

The Meal
Chicken:

• 4 chicken thighs
  
• Basil
  
• Cherry Tomatoes
  
• Black and White Beans (from a can)
  
  
  Mashed Potatoes:
  
• 3 Idaho Potatoes
  
• 2 Yams (sweet potatoes)
  
• 1 Large yellow (sweet) onion
  
• 3 cloves of garlic
  
• cream/milk/somethinglikethat
  
• sugar
  
  Special Tools:
  
• potato masher thing like here or here i know it's not a 2 dollar item, but you'll only need one for the rest of your life if it's a metal one
  
  
  
  
  Directions: i'm going to assume you have basics like olive oil, salt and pepper. from this point ill stop assuming anything
  
  Ill start with the chicken because that took no time at all. Spread beans over tinfoil'd pan. on that bed of beans lay down the chicken. It's up to you if you want to leave the skins on the thighs, i kept one but it's a lot of fat. pepper and salt dat chicken. scatter torn basil on top and cherry tomatoes. Pop into oven at 325º. keep in there until outside of chicken is brown. after about 35 minutes i take one pice out with a fork and cut into it to see how done it is. if it's pink, but it back in (that's what she said).
  
  mashed potatoes:
  
  this is like my favorite thing to cook.
  
  cut up potatoes and yams into about 3-4 equal pieces each. put into pot of water that completely covers all the potatoes/yams and bring to boil. keep em rolling around but you may want to turn down the heat. after about 15 minutes take one out with a fork and slice in half. knife should go cleanly through really easily. if not, put back in pot and keep boiling.
  
  
  dice onion and garlic and over tiny pan let them simmer. salt and stir. sugar and stir. i do about 2 extremely generous pinches of sugar. you want more than you think an onion needs. stir. let it keep cooking. keep stirring once in a while. you want to cook these until the opinion kind of changes colors and becomes soft. taste test when you think it's done. when it no longer has any bite (unless you're into that), take off heat and put aside.
  
  When potatoes reach good consistency: drain water. use potato masher to bash into submission. add some milk/cream. keep mashing. you don't want it watery. i do it to taste. add onion/garlic mix.
  
  
  eat like a champ
  
  notes: this made enough for 3 full meals for me and i eat a lot. ~2800+ calories a day. the chicken thighs were on sale for 2 dollars and something cents, i'm still adding basil and tomatoes to my breakfast eggs, and the beans were about a dollar a can. i think this entire meal aggregated cost about $4 and i got 3 meals out of it.

This manual juicer isn't the cheapest, but it's the best. It's geared to deliver 2000 lbs of force on your oranges. It will last a lifetime, versus breaking apart after a year like those cheap electric spinners. Also, clean up is easy.

You could make cauliflower rice! I've never had it myself, but evidently it's a thing.

I like to cook cauliflower in chicken broth or stock, then puree it. It's very reminiscent of potato soup.

I also like to steam potatoes and carrots, then put them through the ricer together. It's a nice combination, and the carrots add a nice sweetness. No need to add milk or cream.

In case you're interested, this is the ricer I use. It has a very comfortable grip. I had a different one previous to this that had a very uncomfortable grip that actually made it painful to use, so I switched.

Nice tip. By the way, in case you DID want more lemon juice, I use this lemon squeezer. There's much cheaper versions starting at $5, but this happens to be the one I own.

It takes 5 seconds (cut, squeeze, dispose) and comes out in a perfectly squeezed cup. The leftover skin is practically dry to the touch and doesn't waste a drop. If you regularly deal with lemons (I really like lemon in my water), I highly recommend it.

Does he have a good shaker though? If he doesn't have a Koriko Shaker set he's missing out. You can even get like a gold/copper/black one so it stands out. They're almost roo good at creating a seal. https://www.cocktailkingdom.com/barware-sets/essential-cocktail-set-copper

A lot of cocktail enthusiasts never spring for a Chef'n juicer either but they're incredible. You generally don't need the orange-sized one and you can put limes in the lemon-sized one so that one is great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002XOB0P0/ref=twister_B00H9HWZCI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Green or Yellow Chartreuse both cost like $50-$60 for a bottle but are absolutely required for a lot of great cocktails. There's no substitutes.

It's just experience and practice. The only equipment you might want is a channel knife—it's basically a little V shaped blade that lets you cut spirals out of a citrus peel. The easiest ones to use are where the cutting direction is parallel to the handle (like http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Channel-Knife-Polypropylene-Handle/dp/B000MF46H6) rather than perpendicular (like http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Lemon-Zester/dp/B00004OCJO).

Then just buy, like, a dozen lemons and start cutting twists. It takes some practice and a steady hand. If you want to make really nice spirals, you can then wrap the twists around a barspoon or any other stick (even a straw). You can find videos online if you need help.

I personally don't usually do twists, I usually just cut a thin swath of rind. I like this because you can express the oils from it in a very controlled way, and I think a swath of orange or lemon peel looks really nice in a drink (like http://www.foodrepublic.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/enlarge/recipe/Classic%20Negroni.jpg instead of like http://caskstrength.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/negroni1.jpg).

I can't speak for the OXO squeezer as I've not used it but I have this one and love it: http://www.amazon.com/Bellemain-Premium-Stainless-Squeezer-Silicone/dp/B00L5G2074/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1452571917&sr=1-5&keywords=citrus+squeezer

Extremely well make, heavy duty, my only complaint is the rubber grips fall off easily but I ended up just taking them off entirely and it's fine. Whatever you do just don't skimp on it, it's worth the extra 10 bucks to get something that's quality.

If you want something for stirred cocktails but don't want to spend $40 on one of those ballin mixing glasses, I use a pyrex beaker and it works just fine. I think mine is 500ml.

A few questions:

Where are you buying limes? If there's a Mexican grocery in you area, try there. In my town, limes are WAY cheaper at the Mexican grocery than they are at the Kroger.

What are you juicing them with? A hand juicer will do all right but a juice press like this one will get you more juice per lime and faster processing for batches of them.

As for whether bartenders juice limes all day, the answer is no--we do a whole bunch all at once at the very beginning of the shift. I do about four pounds at my bar on weekend days.

It is absolutely worth having fresh citrus juice to make drinks. If you go to bottled stuff the quality dropoff is pretty steep.

Hi! This recipe is found on my blog at https://veggiechick.com/olive-tapenade/

Olive Tapenade

• 1 (10-ounce) jar pitted green olives, drained
  
• 1 (10-ounce) jar pitted kalamata olives, drained
  
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I prefer to use dried,. If using sun-dried tomatoes from can soaked in olive oil, drain oil first and rinse with water)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons capers
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup*, optional
  
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
  
  INSTRUCTIONS
  
  

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Process until blended. You might have to stop once and stir with a large spoon and blend again. Serve.
   
2. Store in an airtight container. Lasts for 2-3 days in the fridge. Make 2 cups or 8 (1/4 cup servings). 
   
   

   NOTES
   

   
   

• Zest the lemon before squeezing for juice. I like to use this zester.
  
• Adding a tiny bit (just 1 teaspoon or less) of maple syrup balances the sour taste from the olives and lemon juice. If you prefer it more sour, you can leave the maple syrup out. Or add it in later if needed, after taste testing.
  
• A food processor is the best way to make this tapenade. I’ve tried a blender and it gets stuck and won’t spin as easily as a food processor. It could be possible, but it’s going to require more effort.
  
• Feel free to experiment with different types of olives. If you have a olive bar at your nearby supermarket, you can get creative. Just be sure to pit the olives before adding to the food processor!

• 0-5 Who doesn't need funnels? I need funnels.
  
• 5-10 Freezer labels. I freeze a lot of homemade stuff and these supposedly stick in the frigid temps.
  
• 10-20 Potato ricer. See a cooking trend here?
  
• 20-50 Immersion blender!! Super handy to have on hand.
  
  What a great idea OP!

Kosher salt dissolves easiest. If you can grind it up Sea Salt would be good as well. I'd stay away from table salt because you are drinking it in such high quantities and they add iodine (which is good in the small doses you use in cooking but not in these doses).

You can always sub limes for the lemon if the lemon gets boring. Though you'll need to use more limes and lime is harder to juice. You can also use maple syrup or agave sweetener if that taste better to you. Just make sure that it is 100% of whatever sweetener you choose and natural is better.

If you do start doing this regularly one of these is a solid investment. It cuts the time and effort in half at least.

Im a cook, when i was in culinary school, my in laws one year for christmas got me a bunch of random kitchen gadgets (and a really nice cutting board). Among them was a strawberry huller that i never thought id use, but it turns out it actually works really well.

And its great for tomatoes too, cherry tomatoes to be stuffed for hors doeuvres, or just the stem end of romas or globes before dicing/slicing. Yes you can do it with a pairing knife, but the gadget is quicker when youre doing a ton, same amount of things to wash.

I have this citrus juicer:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000CFBZP/ref=ya_aw_oh_pit
It is awesome, I can juice a ton of citrus very quickly. My wife has no problem operating it. It is heavy and large, which I count as a good thing. As a bonus it does a pretty good job of juicing Pomegranates as well.

Truly not trying to be snarky, here, it just sounds like you might be using one of those annoying glass juicer bowl things or doing it without a tool. In that case, I totally understand; trying to get enough juice for lemonade or something would be obnoxious. But have you tried one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L5G2074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_p4XMDbZT2XT3C

It makes juicing a ton of citrus super easy, which is why you see them all the time at bars. I feel like I’ve read that citrus juice oxidizes quickly and changes flavor, so this might be good way to get better juice faster.

Looks good to me, although I don't see the need for two different sized shakers.

If you want to add something, perhaps a good channel knife and pairing knife could do you some good. Also a juicer! Those are really handy when making cocktails from fresh juice. "Chef'n" is a great brand, and by far my favorite juicer. http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-FreshForce-Citrus-Juicer-Lemon/dp/B002XOB0P0

A little pricey but certainly worth it's weight in gold.

http://www.amazon.com/Lexen-Products-Healthy-Juicer-GP27/dp/B0002LY8PA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=98IDZCH3JJNI&coliid=I28T0TGH9S8DH8
i just turned 45 on the first and decided to get into better shape. i already walk around 7 to 10 miles a day. but i want to make my own juices. good luck in your training and thank you for your service.

The 3 piece shaker is more work to clean and has a smaller capacity than a 2 piece shaker. That hawthorne strainer looks useless. the spring on it is not nearly taught enough to filter out small pieces of ice or pulp. I don't use speed pourers at home and don't know why someone would want to.

Cocktail kingdom carries top of the line stuff. To start I'd get a 2 piece shaker from them, their hawthorne strainer, and then any julep and tea strainer will do. The oxo jigger is very nice for home users. I've also heard good things about "top shelf bar supply", and I believe their stuff is more affordable.

cocktail kingdom sells the best muddler, but you don't need that at the beginning.

You'll want a hand-held citrus juicer eventually. Something like this is the way to go, with as much metal as possible.

for garnishes you'll want a y-peeler, and for a y-peeler you want kuhn-rikon. 3 of those are still like 1/3 cheaper than brands that work way worse.

barspoons are nice but you can get by with a chopstick or just a regular old spoon.

Eating a bowl of cookie dough and watching K dramas are the best way to relax! XD


Get me out of here!

We have the one from Cocktail Kingdom. Functionally it's very good, but because it's aluminum, I think there are better options out there. This Norpro is the best I've used. It can handle larger lemons than the CK one, and is only a few dollars more expensive.

we used to have an apple tree.


first: get one of these if you don't have one. Send the pic to your friends and borrow one for a few days.


Second, leave the skins on. Wash the apples well, but the skins have oodles of nutrients and taste.


My favorite recipe is my sister-in-laws. She's vegan, and very health conscious.


Oil a big cake pan. (Use butter if you're not vegan.)


cut up as man apples as will fill it to about 3/4 full.


make an oatmeal crumble to lightly coat the top.... oatmeal, a bit of brown sugar, enough agave nectar to make it into a sticky, loose, crumble.


Put this in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350, or until the apples are soft-ish with a bit of crisp.


mmmmm.


She eats if for dessert. Some family love it with a scoop of ice cream. i eat it for breakfast.

Uh, I'd really like this strawberry stem remover.

Reaction!

I'm super duper happy for you!!!

I love me some lemons. If you like some lemonades, or even lemon granita, this would be PERFECT.
ZOMG We Need this!

Call me old fashioned, but I use a food mill for basically everything. Thirty five bucks for a great one, and I can make perfect pumpkin puree, soups, sauces, etc. I adore the thing.

Chef'n Lemon for lemons/lines: https://www.amazon.com/Chefn-FreshForce-Citrus-Juicer-Lemon/dp/B002XOB0P0

(I like something a little heavier duty for lemons/limes as it's the workhorse)

Oranges/Grapefruits either a larger hand squeezer or reamer:

https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Orange-Citrus-Hand-Juicer/dp/B076FDNWZK

https://www.amazon.com/Drizom-Citrus-Orange-Squeezer-Measuring/dp/B07CNJZ6F7

For Pineapple juice I'm using a generic Cold-pressed juicer, I can get about 1 liter of juice from a good pineapple and find that it still tastes good after a couple weeks:

https://www.amazon.com/Machines-Masticating-Extractor-Function-Vegetables/dp/B07DCKYJ5D/

Protip for next time. Use a potato ricer. Makes it go much faster and the mashed potatoes are perfect every time.

PS You sound like a great mom!

I got this one as a baby gift with my first to make baby food. It was great for that. I will use it again.

I hope it turns out too!!

This is my go to recipe for lime cordial, it is uncooked, and uses all of the peel as well as the juice. I use a Microplane to remove the lime peel, without getting the bitter white pith. It makes simply amazing Gimlets. Throw a capful of vodka or gin in it, and it will hold over a bit longer too.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015312-raw-lime-cordial

If you are juicing on the fly, and want to create a quickie cordial, you can add in simple to fresh juice. This is the juicer I use (which has a rachet mechanism to extract the juice way easier). IMO though, having the peel in the cordial makes all the difference, as that is where the real essence of a lime lies. Cheers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XOB0P0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We attended an event where participants were using old technology to perform everyday tasks. One area was dedicated to cooking. They were cooking Apple Butter over an open fire in big copper pots. One of the benefits they stated was the ease of processing a lot of apples fast. From memory (likely slightly off):

• Rough chop entire whole apple. They used a slicer corer that does this in one motion. like this one
  
• Boil the rough chop seeds and all. They said the core contained natural pectin.
  
• Once soft, run through a sieve. They had a cone shaped sieve with a wooden tool to push the soft apples through the holes. Found one!
  
• Boil for like 8 hours.
  
• Eat or store.

Makeup sponges $3.35!

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Nice concealer palette $4.55

Delicious Meiji chocolates $4.95

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A bunch of midi rings $1.58!

STrawberry stem remover $5.28

I use a potato masher. Works great too. Just twist the handle as you mash and it shreds nicely.
something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Potato-Masher/dp/B00004OCJK

I agree. This is probably the best recipe for "non-adventurous" aka "picky" people.

Although I prefer a potato masher as I like them somewhat lumpy.

Potato Masher - Amazon.com

Do yourself a big favor and get one of these. I am pretty good with a knife but, over the next decade would will save your self a lot of time (father of 19 year old twins).
https://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Easy-Apple-Corer-Slicer/dp/B000SOAT0Y/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525537485&sr=1-4&keywords=apple+slicer&dpID=41kYvGdkxmL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Yes, good juicers are so worth it. A friend has this one in his bar at home (he takes his cocktails seriously).

This hand juicer is excellent and worth the money. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XOB0P0/

I agree with Kaiotic, a ricer makes the best mashed potatoes. I have this model from RSVP. It was highly recommended by Cook's Illustrated and is only $14.

The only difference between juicing and blending is blending keeps fiber/ pulp. Blending is better for fruits. Use your juicer for green juices (like Kale, Spinach, etc). A juice should have no or very few fruits in it since there is no fiber.

There are two types of juicers: centrifugal vs masticating juicer. There is some debate, but if you want leafy greens, a masticating juicer is better in my opinion (I have a masticating juicer as I juice leafy greens).

Juicers can be costly (around $400). So if you want to test the water so to speak, get a manual one to see if you will actually do this long term. Something like : http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002LY8PA/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/188-9213756-8573367

this

i've been trying to eat right and lose weight and I absolutely love mashed cauliflower. I've been using forks to mash my veggies and I've broken at least 2 of them. PLEASE SAVE MY SILVERWARE!!!

Thanks for this recipe! I don't know if you're aware but there are a couple of tools that make cutting up apples way easier. I use one like this . It doesn't peel them but I've seen fancier ones that do.

Not OP, but I bet it is from using a potato ricer to mash up the potatoes. E.g. http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Potato-Ricer/dp/B00004OCJQ My understanding is that it helps to gently break up the potatoes, as compared to a food processor, which can make the potatoes glue-y.

I normally agree but there are a couple that save a lot of time and that I use often enough that they're worth the drawer space. That includes citrus juicers and the avocado tool that was briefly shown in the video.

Protip: Long thumb nails are great for hulling strawberries, and save you a few quid.

This one is pretty awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L5G2074/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This will do you fine for what you will be juicing. I have one of these and a pricier electric one. I use it for cabbage and other greens. You will need a counter to mount it too and the ability to turn the crank.

The Original Healthy Juicer - Lexen GP27

Nice start! I see you have the copper mugs so definitely get on the Moscow mules. I don't really like sweet cocktails so I won't have much to add, but definitely consider making your own simple syrup at some point (especially if you use a lot of it), and eventually swap out that Rose's lime juice for the real deal.

Get one of those handheld citrus juicer things, like this. It will change the way you see cocktails once you get some fresh juice instead of the premade stuff.

Awesome suggestion. Are they big enough for grapefruit? Either way I just ordered one to give a go before I spend more on an expensive one like the Hamilton Beach.

Closest to $2.00 is: [$1.29] (http://www.amazon.com/Worry-Child-Radio-feat-Martin/dp/B0097BI5T6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2G57H85D06D3D&coliid=IVY1Y2Y0XI86C) from my "For Listening (mp3/albums)" wishlist. (This was definitely the hardest to find on my wishlist. I had a lot that came close to all of the other amounts.)

Closest to $4.00 is: [$3.99] (http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Black-Soup-Spoon-A7738BK/dp/B0036IJJ64/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1P7RVA30TV2K3&coliid=I14O2A33J5JNXI) from my $10 and under wishlist.

Closest to $6.00 is: [$6.01] (http://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-Company-Tanzanian-Mountain/dp/B0002DJWR2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2WE7NVT4WQQRX&coliid=I5G35RAP1NITT) from my "For my Puppies" wishlist.

Closest to $8.00 is: [$8.00 exactly] (http://www.amazon.com/Amco-Enameled-Aluminum-Lemon-Squeezer/dp/B0002V23BG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1P7RVA30TV2K3&coliid=I35D0UCYHJPTHF) from my "$10 and Under" wishlist.

Thanks for the contest!

Get this juicer, which is probably the most effective for small-batch juicing available. It's quick, easy to clean, and has very little loss.

As others have said, citrus juice does deteriorate quickly, usually within 30 minutes to an hour. However, whole citrus (lemons and limes and sometimes oranges; I don't usually deal with whole grapefruit) does keep for a long time in the fridge. Get a bag, toss it in the fridge, toss out any that mold or rot ASAP, and use as needed. For context, I just finished off a 5# bag of limes I got two months ago at Costco and had to throw out maybe one.

With a ricer (e.g.). You can just use a potato masher as well, but the results are a little different, but not prohibitively so. Don't forget to squeeze out the water afterwards...still makes delicious food, but it'll be soggy and unusable as a pizza crust.

Oxo Good Grips Food Mill.

I got one as a wedding gift and it does what it's supposed to. Not bad at $50.

There are many good hand presses. You may have to spend in the low tens of dollars. I like and use the Norpro stainless steel.

Haha, problem solved, now eating healthy is awesome again!

I'll add a mexican elbow to the must haves. Also, the guy apparently likes Old Fashioneds, a stirred cocktail, so I'll add a mixing glass as well. That also puts a bar spoon in the must haves. :)

Edit: You'll need a julep strainer for the mixing glass.

Definitely go Organic. Can't stress it enough. Oranges have a texture that really holds on to pesticides and other chemicals.

For zesting, get yourself one of these.

Edit: Also, Valencia oranges are my favorite for sweet orange peel. You can use just about any of the other regular varieties for bitter.

very nice. do you have one of these ? so worth the money :)

You can get a cheap zester that will quickly get the job done. I have this one from OXO and have used it for years: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Lemon-Zester-Channel/dp/B00004OCJO The only thing is it will make long pieces of zest which you would then need to chop with a knife, but that only takes a few seconds. You can also invest in a microplane grater which also works well on things like ginger and hard cheeses. Zesting should never take up a ton of prep time, and I never get as much zest as they say I should (two teaspoons? from one tiny lemon?).

Alex: I don't know. But she used a potato ricer, which made it pretty smooth.

John: Indeed. When it comes to non-lumpy mashed potato, a potato ricer is your friend. Lumpy mashed potato is enough to make me vomit.

Using a potato masher works pretty nicely, too!

I use this applesauce recipe and it's delish, especially if served right away and it's still a bit warm!

I use one of these devices to cut and core my apples, and my food processor is great and really blends it up well, so I keep most of the skins on and can't tell a difference in the end product.

You can easily do a pot roast in a 5 1/2 qt saucepan such as this one. Rub your meat down with salt/pepper or something like Montreal Steal Seasoning. Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil into your saucepan and sear the roast.

Once the roast is seared, you can shove some veggies of your choice into the pan pour in about 1/2 of a cup of a hearty red wine and some beef bone broth and allow to simmer until it is cooked through. I use the following spices: thyme, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, and occasionally sage, or a combination thereof depending on what is in my garden. I always cook meats by temperature. I have also been known to throw in a couple of pieces of bacon or sausage to impart their fat and flavor. The veggies that I use are: onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and celery root (celeriac).

You can use the same ingredients in the slowcooker. Put the veggies into the slow cooker before the meat. After the meat is seared place it on top of the veggies, put the spices on the meat, and pour in your liquids. If you are using onions, keep in mind that they impart A LOT of water to a slow cooked meal and you may want to reduce the red wine and bone broth. The liquid should only come up an inch of the meat.

Searing your meats does nothing for keeping moisture in the meat, it is for flavor. And it is a lovely flavor.

The roast that you didn't sear was tough and dry either because there was too little liquid in the slow cooker, or it cooked for too long. The roast that wouldn't shred wasn't done cooking in the slow cooker, or didn't have enough liquid to cook in. The slow cooker was designed to trap the moisture of whatever is being cooked and use that moisture to continually baste the meat. I always try to go for the low setting with mine, and to use the appropriate bowl (I have this one. It has three bowl sizes. To optimize the functioning of the slow cooker the bowl should be 3/4 of the way full.

With a roast, I will also turn the liquid into a gravy by reduction. Strain the liquid with a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, put the liquid into a large pan with a big opening at the top, such as the 5 1/2 qt pan that I linked at the top, and boil the hell out of it. The larger surface area of the pan allows for more water to evaporate more quickly. You can also thicken with arrowroot powder, but the gravy will break down quickly and turn runny.

Let me know if you have any other questions or need more information!

edit: I forgot that I also make a gravy with the liquids from the slow cooker and the veggies. I use this to turn the veggies into a thick, flavorful liquid and then bled it with the juices. While I'm doing all of the veggie squishing and blending, I'm roasting veggies in the oven, sauteing, or making a gargantuan salad.

Also, but this amazing contraption to make eating strawberries 100X more fun!

http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-StemGem-Strawberry-Stem-Remover/dp/B002XOHZWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335322168&sr=8-1

You need to invest in a better hand squeezer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00L5G2074/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1501087661&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=hand+squeezer+juice

Also, the flat juicey side goes DOWN in that. I've seen so many people try to put the half lime/lemon into it so that it fits the cradle (curved side down).

Haha yes. It still kinda works, but a LOT of people do it incorrectly. In the... Oh, few times I've ever seen a juice squeezer used by someone else, all but 1 were backwards.

EDIT: Ha, look, some of the product photos for this juicer have it backwards: https://www.amazon.com/Zulay-Premium-Quality-Metal-Squeezer/dp/B00YBP918M/ref=pd_sbs_79_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZPTQ98Y7K27GZGZ0QA8M

Are you going to only juice oranges and other citrus? How would you juice spinach or kale in this thing?

This is not what you need for juicing imo.

Although I'm more of a proponent to smoothies over juicing (I think the fiber helps reduce sugar spike) -- I think you should get a slow juicer instead of that thing.

If you want a manual deal, do something that looks like this (just the first hit off google that I found): https://www.amazon.com/Original-Healthy-Juicer-Lexen-GP27/dp/B0002LY8PA

Let's do it in the kitchen!

One of these bad boys for easily just slicing and coring your apples in one move. Simple, elegant, effective.

It's what you want in a kitchen gadget

I have this one I found on Amazon, and so far, so good. It's well reviewed. I like it.

Potato ricer! How are all you heathens making decent mashed potatoes without one?? Mashing like barbarians? Heaven forbid a food mill? Go buy one of these now, and then all YOUR relatives can insist you bring it to make the potatoes at every family holiday dinner.

I can vouch for this model.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004OCJQ/ref=asc_df_B00004OCJQ5388608/



However after looking at above comments OP’s is probably for juice. Buy a ricer anyway though.

More like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00015NN0S/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1459066977&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bar+juicer&dpPl=1&dpID=31AXYRWHA5L&ref=plSrch

But yes.

a) I mean like through a food mill like < this >. Not sure what a Victorio is.

b & c) Typically chunky salsa takes I think 15ish minutes in the water bath, hot packed (where the ingredients are boiled first). Off the top of my head tomato sauce is supposed to take somewhere around 35-40 minutes, hot packed.

IMO, a better option than buying pre-sliced apples is to buy whatever apples happen to be on sale and buying an apple slicing tool like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Easy-Grip-Apple-Slicer/dp/B000SOAT0Y

Where I live, sliced apples tend to be more expensive than a whole apple.

I've tried 3 variations:

1. The one I landed on above.
   
2. "oleo sugar extraction" method, I then use the lime juice to "rinse" the sugar off the peels.
   
3. Making the lime syrup and letting the zest soak over night and straining.
   
   2 works REALLY well if all you have is a vegetable peeler and can only get garnish-style strips of peel.
   
   However, all 3 are indistinguishable if you use a zester like this:
   https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Lemon-Zester-Channel/dp/B00004OCJO/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1474928146&sr=1-5&keywords=citrus+zester
   
   My guess is that so much surface area is exposed using zest that it doesn't make much of a difference on the technique.
   
   To add to my above, I'll usually strain through a chinois and give a gentle press with a spoon to really get that good shit out.

A potato ricer makes super smooth potatoes. I've seen where you can even put them thru a 2nd time if you want them smoother.

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Potato-Ricer/dp/B00004OCJQ

Best thing I've found to get as close to the silky smooth instant mashed potatoes as you can get.

I love this guy

<3 This would be something I have always wanted. I love fresh pineapple and never have a way to cut it!

I had originally put a pencil sharpener on here, but that is no longer needed. :)

No need to have an electric juicer even if you're juicing en masse.

I have two hand tools in my kitchen: one for lemons and limes and one for grapefruit and oranges.

They're quick and efficient and sturdy.

I own this: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK/ref=sr_1_20?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1457980020&sr=1-20&keywords=citrus+press

In avid home bartender use for 3 years. Good press. Would buy again.

This awesome thing.

amazon knockoff/clone and astroturfing review game is strong on this thing.

I went with the OXO one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007WTGR90

Someone started a kickstarter to sell me a lemon zester for my butter?!

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Lemon-Zester/dp/B00004OCJO

No thanks. :)

Annnnd here we go again

)

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How are you squeezing them? I never have seeds in anything because I either squeeze through my fingers (wash your hands first of course) or with one of these lemon squeezers...which, btw, extract more juice than most can by hand.

I have this one and it's amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00015NN0S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473884329&sr=8-1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Hamilton+Beach+juice+press

I have had this one for about 6 months. It seems pretty solid.

amazon link

This is what I use. Perfect texture every time.

You really don't need that much equipment to use fresh juices. I do cocktails at parties and all you need is a cutting board, a small knife and this guy

Sure. Its pretty intuitive as soon as you use the press, but you squeeze about 80% and it's mostly juice, then you hit some resistance. Squeeze harder and it's more juice but very pulpy. Then squeeze very hard and you get dribbles which are very oily and bitter. If you do that and then touch the press you'll find it's very oily.

They're pretty cheap on Amazon, let me see if I can find it for you. Here: fifteen bucks.

Just like a ShinyTile, bringing a juicer to a knife fight...

Actually I'm just after cheap movie cliches - I use a squeezer myself. Worth every f**king penny and I have yet to break it.

I used King Arthur Flour's recipe. Interestingly enough, i'm pretty sure that the photo on that page is not a kaiser roll. Here is what they typically look like.

So a couple of things here. I probably could have and should have proofed them another 15-30 minutes. They weren't quite as big as i think they should have been. I was in a bit of a rush to have them ready for dinner, though, so i just rolled with it. (please don't kill me)

I also didn't have a kaiser stamp, such as so. I used an apple slicer instead.

Also i totally meant to make the recipe at least 10% whole wheat but i totally forgot. Whoops.

EDIT: Sorry for summoning the Amazon price zombie. :(

EDIT2: TIL how to shape kaiser rolls 30 different ways

Nice cutting board $100

Food mill $50

Cream whipper $30

Grill pan $33

Peel $60

Kitchenaid meat grinder/sausage stuffer $60

Culinary torch $20

I have this one and it seems pretty sturdy.

Strawberry hullers are extremely useful for this recipe:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XOHZWC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0017106FA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=11PFSBJDXFKX6VZV68MA

Shakers: http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/all-barware/shakers/set-of-two-korikor-weighted-shaking-tins.html

Strainer: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-1058016-SteeL-Cocktail-Strainer/dp/B0000DAQ93/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991455&sr=8-2&keywords=hawthorne+strainer

Fine strainer: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-3-Inch-Strainer/dp/B001713L84/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991666&sr=8-3&keywords=tea+strainer

Spoon: http://www.amazon.com/Winco-11-inch-Mixing-Stainless-Removable/dp/B000HBOKIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991471&sr=8-2&keywords=bar+spoon

Jigger; http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Angled-Measuring-Capacity/dp/B004VLYQEK/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991493&sr=8-11&keywords=measuring+cup+oxo

Juicer: http://www.amazon.com/Amco-Enameled-Aluminum-Lemon-Squeezer/dp/B0002V23BG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991583&sr=8-2&keywords=hand+juicer

Muddler: http://www.amazon.com/Cocktail-Muddler-Bursting-Cocktails-Guarantee/dp/B00DDTGV12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991636&sr=8-1&keywords=muddle

That is really all you need to pretty much do anything. You can also check your local store for a small cutting board, paring knife, cocktail napkins, etc.

Also, /r/cocktails

Edit: Almost forgot: http://www.reddit.com/r/cocktails/comments/1vb2os/not_cocktail_of_the_week_54_alaska/cfx501b

In addition to everything that people have said about effective storing, you could also invest in an apple slicer for really quick, consistent, minimal effort chopping.

I have the strawberry thing and even used it last night. It is very helpful.

http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-StemGem-Strawberry-Stem-Remover/dp/B002XOHZWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394552662&sr=8-1&keywords=strawberry

Specifically, this one. I have a pint glass full of channel knives that suck. This one produces a very solid twist. Perfect depth.

Rather than buy a mixer I have a big pyrex bowl and an Oxo good grips potato masher to mix things up with.

making cheesecake with it.
http://i.imgur.com/w9xqp.jpg

Use a ricer. I just made a sweet potato pie with one and it came out unbelievably smooth. I did use a stand mixer after that, but once you have the puree I imagine a whisk/fork would suffice to mix in the other ingredients.

Just be careful about not letting the puree sit around too long before making the pie, or it will start to separate.

Cooking is all about experimenting. Give it a try :p mills don't cost that much and they're useful for other things too (like homemade apple sauce):

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Food-Mill/dp/B000I0MGKE/

https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Strainer-Sauce-VICTORIO-VKP250

Buy this and 30 limes. Juicing should take only about 10 minutes if you get into a good rhythm and 30 should give you just enough for 70cl.

I use one like this. It is extremely durable. You can find them at Target.

This is the same type that a restaurant I frequent uses in their bar - so you know it gets a good workout.

Do yourself a big favor, get a strawberry huller. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Really.

A list of stater ingredients I used
cardamon
cassia
chamomile
cloves
coriander
gentian
quassia
allspice
star anise
carraway
cinchona
orris root
lavender
mint
cinnamon sticks

Dried cherries, blackberries, blueberries, mango, currents

Rasins (really helps get a closer angostura flavor for aromatic bitters)

Orange, lemon, limes, grapefruit. Peel these (I use the oxo zester) place them on a cookie sheet for 15-30 min in the oven at 200 degrees until dried.

As you probably read elsewhere, the potatoes are cooked (peeled and boiled or baked whole with the meat scooped out of the peels) then riced, which just means putting them through a ricer, which is a very inexpensive press that works in the same way as a garlic press. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Potato-Ricer/dp/B00004OCJQ

You can get a cheaper one at a grocery store.

nope, like this.

This ricer is recommend by america's test kitchen and it's a tiny bit cheaper. http://www.amazon.com/Potato-Ricer-Baby-Food-Strainer/dp/B000OLA7KS

this is what you need you can squeeze all the juice out of a lime in like a second

The less you mash, the better. Never use a mixer. I recommend this potato masher.

Not sure if it’s the best, but I use this.

if you are pre-straining with cheesecloth, and you already have your cannabis wrapped up nicely, just drop the bundle into a potato ricer. it acts like a citrus juicer or a garlic press & just squeezes the dickens out of what you drop in there. you get way more butter/oil than if you just squeezed it by hand, or pressed it through a strainer. and you also, make less of a mess of yourself in the process.

Tire iron: A tool that separates the rubber from or fits the rubber onto the rim. Not to be confused with a lug wrench, which actually turns the lug bolts or lug nuts.

If you decided to use a screwdriver, the tire iron would also be redundant. The iron will, however, do the same job in less time with less effort.

Do you use a whisk or fork to mash potatoes? Because you could save a ton of time by using a potato masher. What about using any form of teapot? Coffee maker? Toaster oven? Microwave?

All these things are 'redundant', but that doesn't mean they're "not worth it".

I would love to say any of the 430 ebooks on my $5-$10 ebook list but those are very specifically to my tastes. I will have to go with this apple corer and divider. It makes cutting up apples so much easier!

Can openers and citrus squeezers. I recommend these

ZYLISS Lock N' Lift Can Opener with Lid Lifter Magnet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HK03HI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_U6IhDb3J4PZWJ

Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer (Lemon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002XOB0P0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z7IhDbQWEWW49

I got my juicer for $15. Not sure why they pumped the price up so high.

This lemon/lime squeezer thing. Best $12 spent ever. It always took me forever to squeeze every drop of juice from lemons (even harder with limes), and after about 3-4 of them my hand cramped up bad. This handy device lets me get all the juice out and I waste less of the fruit and my time and energy.

this strawberry huller is really useful. i dont use it as often as I should, but when I do it really saves time.

Let's do it in the kitchen.

I like this one... this is a good one!

My most recent:

I was making dinner and needed to mince some garlic so I get out my garlic press , plop the garlic in, and squeeze.... only to realize that it was indeed NOT a garlic press and in face a lemon juicer. So I mistook one of these for one of these. Yeah, I felt dumb.

This guy, we'll call him Talula, was sitting on a branch and gathering seeds for the winter, when he heard a call. It wasn't the usual bird call from a mate or chick, but a soft whistle. Some mystical instinct took over and he followed it dutifully. When he reaches the source of the call, it's that bitch Cinderella who needed helped getting dressed again. If she can clean a house she can wash her own damn hair.

Potato Ricer for awesome mashed cauliflower!

I've heard of people using a zester with good results, but haven't tried it myself

I have one of these and while I haven't had it for too long, I really can't imagine it breaking. Really solid.

My only complaint with Alton is that I feel he sort of lost his way towards the end of the series. When he recommended the huge, uni-tasking, counter-sculpture of a juicer over the much smaller, just as useful hinge juicer, I lost a lot of respect for him.

Uh I think it's like a food mill. something like this
As far as measurments, the only thing you really need to be careful of is the vinegar at the end. You don't want to add to much and ruin the flavor. But even that I only added, then tasted, kinda thing

Anndddd .. I just bought one on Amazon after watching this lol

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007WTGR90/

Personally I use a Potato Ricer I just find that much less messy and effective than trying to squeeze them with a towel.

I had the same problem, and so I would rarely eat apples.

I finally bought an apple slicer, and that made all the difference. I started eating apples pretty regularly after that.

I use plenty of butter and milk and this potato masher and only give it a few hits.

The more you mash/beat/whip potatoes, the gummier they get.
I use the fewest number of hits that make it look mostly mashed.

its what they want you to believe

wow

I

offer

you

weapons.

I use this OXO channel knife.

It's a lemon zester

Edit: Someone else pointed out that it's a channel knife (which a lot of zesters have as part of their design)

Zester and a channel knife

Similar to:

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Lemon-Zester-Channel/dp/B00004OCJO

You could just get a ricer to make cauliflower rice.
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Stainless-Steel-Potato/dp/B00004OCJQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ricer&qid=1565911420&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Using a ricer of coarse.

A potato ricer forces the cooked potato through a seive. Makes incredibly light & fluffy potatoes and will make your gnocchi an 11!

I have this one

http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Good-Grips-Potato-Ricer/dp/B00004OCJQ

Here is the mobile version of your link

Try one of these...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OXO-Good-Grips-Apple-Divider/dp/B00004OCKT/ref=pd_lpo_201_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MNMD25B8RRD8F12P7CBX

nope, but i have one of these

Most juicers are made so that you don't have to peel it.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK
I have this one. It's all metal, I don't think I will ever break it. I bet that plastic one will eventually break.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002IBOAK?cache=11258ab7facfac4e03e5f26e49d744af&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1410236276&sr=8-2#ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Or, ya know, just get one of these

/u/OliverBabish, there are tools for squeezing lemons my dude!

If you eat apples or need quick snacks, this is something I used to use all the time

That's how I started and then eventually upgraded to the Oxo Food Mill.

It's going to be nothing but milk for a bit. Then rice paste and crackers.

Then get yourself two of these and one of these and start making stuff like this.

How about a food mill? http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Food-Mill/dp/B000I0MGKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375838330&sr=8-1&keywords=food+mill

>one of those potato mashing devices that you put the potatoes into and push the potatoes through the holes (forget the name).

A potato ricer.

I got one of these and it changed my apple slicing game forever : https://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Easy-Apple-Corer-Slicer/dp/B000SOAT0Y

I cant live without my apple slicer

every morning I make smoothies and this thing is a time/mess saver!

Let's do it in the kitchen.

This is the right answer. Get one of these
You'll eat way more apples this way.

Edit: fixed link

I think /u/Hypno-phile has the right idea. Peel a long thin potato then use one of these on it lengthwise

http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Easy-Grip-Apple-Slicer/dp/B000SOAT0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426762730&sr=8-1&keywords=apple+slicer

This. The Lemon one is bigger than the Lime one. They make an Orange one, too, but I've never had issues with the Lemon size:

https://smile.amazon.com/Chefn-FreshForce-Citrus-Juicer-Lemon/dp/B002XOB0P0

I think it's this one https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XOB0P0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The red one is a strawberry huller. [This] (http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-102-138-005-StemGem-Strawberry-Huller/dp/B002XOHZWC) and the other is a pineapple corer. [This] (http://www.amazon.com/All-Ware-Stainless-Pineapple-Slicer/dp/B000GA53CO)

You need this.