Most Underrated Kitchen Gadget
Don't Overlook This Useful Tool
It’s no secret I’m a pretty hardcore minimalist when it comes to kitchen tools.
If you’re an active home cook then you’re well aware of the constant onslaught of new products and infomercials pushing the “latest” and “greatest” convenience gadgets for your kitchen.
I’ll admit a lot of these are pretty comical and found myself watching “Chef Tony” back in the day slicing into a concrete block and then effortlessly shaving tomatoes into thin layers. “Today, tomorrow, and the next day… it stays forever sharp” 🤣
Now it’s non-stop on TikTok and IG reels.
Some of my ‘favorite’ examples are the 1) butter dispenser 2) strawberry huller 3) quesadilla maker 4) banana slicer and some horrific-ly bad “herb scissors” that make what look to be lawn clippings 😑
There’s plenty more I didn’t even list.
To make a long story short, there’s billions of dollars spent on these kitchen uni-taskers that are in general poorly made, time wasters that don’t work at all.
I previously wrote on kitchen setup basics for pots and pans, cutting boards, knives, etc.
Here’s one tool I’ve been using a while and realized that this might be one of the most helpful kitchen tools for home cooks.
Infrared Thermometer
These thermometers use an infrared laser beam that measure temperature when the laser makes contact with a surface.
Most people think of these just for ovens or pizza makers but that’s really falling short of just how useful these little thermometers are.
This device solves the problem most home cooks have:
Mastering Pan Heat
That’s right
Whether it’s searing meat or cooking crispy skin fish most homecooks struggle with either a pan that’s too cold (protein steams instead of browning) or way too hot (burning your food).
The old advice of “wait until the oil in your pan is smoking” carries too many variables and inaccuracies now. Smoke points run the gamut from 225F all the way to 520F.
Look at the list of fats you can cook with now:
If I’m trying to crisp a piece of skin-on fish and want the pan at ideally 375-390F, by using the “smoking oil” parameter I’ll be well over 100F off by using avocado oil, which has a smoke point of 520F.
Using butter? Congrats you’ll burn the solids before the fish cooks which is why I recommend adding butter at the end of cooking. (Ghee has a completely different flavor than whole butter; it’s quite strong. Keep in mind if using).
Tired of food sticking to stainless pans?
Usually the pan is too cool (or poorly made, thinly constructed and the temperature crashes when you cook).
The infrared thermometer gives you an accurate starting point which eliminates a lot of guesswork.
Other Uses:
Liquid Temps- Ever wonder how hot the liquid is in your pot when making a stew or braise you need to put in the oven?
Just point and shoot. If your liquid is 150F you know you’re got a ways to go before you’re gonna be hitting a rolling simmer and can plan accordingly.
Sauces- Making hollandaise, bearnaise and other emulsified sauces you can monitor the temperature accurately to prevent seizing of breaking.
Pan Frying- See in real-time your fry oil temperature as you’re cooking. You can adjust your heat source accordingly to avoid burning or oil that’s too cold and will sog out your food.
Plancha Cooking- Searing on cast iron griddles or plancha outdoors, no more guesswork. Point and click ✅
Grilling- Summer is here and with a point-and-click you can instantly know your grill grate temp and also the temp of your entire grill chamber eliminating guesswork (especially to avoid sticking on grill grates).
Pizza- Whether working on a stone in your oven, a dedicated pizza oven or on a grill stone, good IR thermometers will go close to 1000F which is plenty of range for a variety of pizza ovens.
What to Buy
The technology has come a long way on these. You can get a really accurate IR laser thermometer for <$40
After accuracy I look for comfort. You want a laser gun that feels comfortable and isn’t chunky. The buttons are few, but responsive, doesn’t drain batteries and ideally has a carry case.
The carry case is really nice to have because if you’re grilling or want to store somewhere not in a kitchen drawer, it stays protected and don’t need to worry about weather or spill damage.
I tried 5 different brands in total. The OnniOne works great, temp readings are quick and responsive, uses common AAA batteries.
This is the one I’ve been using for the last ~8months.
Further the unit has a good warranty and the carry case is great value considering others in this price point don’t come with (that I saw when I was testing).
You can have it at your door within 2-days from Amazon Prime… great value. I use mine often.
This is probably the most underrated kitchen gadget to add into your stash at home and makes a great gift for a beginner or well-seasoned cook (pun intended).
There is a sale going currently for an additional 35% off, just click the box
We used to play "knife or pan" with the cookery catalogue... Can you replace this gadget with a knife, or a pan? 99% coverage haha.