The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 65

the best inexpensive model, which is slower and more
difficult to use but still perfectly serviceable, check out the
CDNProAccurateQuick-ReadThermometer($16.95).
2.DigitalKitchenScale
If you’re on the fence about whether or not you need a
kitchen scale, jump tohere, “WeightVersusVolume,” and
readthatsection.Gotit?Seewhyyouwantadigitalscale?
OnceIgotone,I’veuseditalmosteverysingleday.Agood
digital scale will make inaccuracies and inconsistencies a
thing of the past.And if you’re the obsessive type, a scale
can also help you figure out how much moisture your
chicken lost during roasting, or exactly how far you’ve
reducedthatstock.Hooray!
Things to look for in a good scale: at least 1-gram (⅛ounce) accuracy; a capacity of at least 7 pounds; a tare
(zero) function; measurements in both metric and imperial
units;alarge,easy-to-readdisplay;andafold-flatdesignfor
storage.
The OXO Good Grips Food Scale with Pull-out Display
($45.95)hasgotallofthat,plusaneatpull-outdisplaythat
allows you to read measurements with ease, even when
weighing large, bulky items that would otherwise obscure
the screen. The only problem? Annoying fractions in the
display instead of decimal places. Who the heck wants to
measure ⅜ ounce?TheAquatronic Kitchen Scale by Salter
($49.95)lacksthepull-out-displayfeature,butituseseasyto-readdecimals,whichmakesbothmathandlookingcool
infrontofEuropeansmucheasier.
Ifyoudon’tmindfractionsorintendtogoallmetric,then


stickwiththeOXO(that’swhatIuse).Otherwise,theSalter
Aquatronicwins.

3.DigitalTimer/Stopwatch
Did you know that in restaurant kitchens, croutons are the
number-oneitemmostburntbylinecooks?§Ican’ttellyou
thenumberoftimesI’vepoppedatrayofslicedbreadinthe
ovenforcrostinionlytopullitoutthirtyminuteslaterafter
itsetsoffthesmokealarm.
AtleastIusedto.
These days, I keep a Polder 3 in 1 Timer, Clock, and
Stopwatch($13.95)aroundmyneckatalltimes.It’sgotan
easy-to-readdisplay,anunobtrusivesize,intuitivebuttons,a
loud alarm, a magnet for sticking it to the fridge, and a
nylonlanyardforkeepingitaroundyourneck,sothere’sno
wayyoucanforgetaboutyourroastingpeppers,evenifyou
leave the kitchen. With both count-up and count-down
functions,whatmorecouldyouwantinakitchentimer?
4.ImmersionBlender
Really?someofyoumightbesaying.You’dreallysaythat
your immersion blender is more important than your food
processor or mixer? Well, if you rate importance by
frequency of use, then absolutely. I use my immersion
blendersofrequentlythatIhaveitmountedonaholsteron
thewallrightnexttomystoveandcuttingboard,readyata
moment’s notice to emulsify a sauce, whip up a batch of
mayonnaise, roughly puree some whole canned tomatoes
directly in the pot, blend a cheese sauce, puree soup, whip
creaminnotimeflat...yougetthepicture.It’saversatile