A Quartet of Gadgets

We are always on the lookout for kitchen items that are easy to use and serve a purpose.  KosherEye has been using the following four "kitchen helpers" for several months, and each one has proven to be useful and has earned a "home" in our kitchens.

From Rösle, manufactures of kitchen utensils for more than a hundred years (actually, since 1888), we are delighted with the following two products.

Rösle Collapsible Colander: A colander is a colander—correct? Not always. The average sized colander takes up space and, with the kosher kitchen requiring two or more of each item, that can be a lot of cabinet space for some of us. The design of the Rösle colander is a winner in both design and construction. Made of stainless steel with silicone side walls, it is ideal for straining pasta or vegetables. Three burls in the base provide a steady rest position. And the best part; this collapsible colander folds for easy storage. 

It comes in a variety of colors, 8 or 10-inch sizes and is dishwasher safe. Awarded the ""Kitchen Innovation of the Year 2009" in the category of functionality, innovation, product benefits and design, this product also has our vote.

Rösle Tomato and Mozzarella Slicer:
Now, who would think that a tomato slicer is something that would be useful?  After all, just use a knife and slice away. We needed to slice several tomatoes and decided it was the perfect time to try the Rösle Tomato Slicer.

Made of stainless steel, with 10 sharp serrated blades, the slicer quickly and neatly produced evenly sliced tomatoes. The synthetic material POM base, used to hold the tomato for slicing, also safeguards the blades (and fingers) during storage.  A word of caution: the blades are sharp. This product is dishwasher safe and has a Lifetime warranty.

We did not try slicing Mozzarella cheese and cannot offer an evaluation of that feature. We do know that we love it for slicing tomatoes and, with our anticipated bounty of homegrown tomatoes, expect a lot of usage over the summer!

Cuisipro, a division of Browne & Company, has more than 250 products and offers a 25–year warranty. That does say something about quality. We especially love two of their products.

Cuisipro Citrus Juicer:
We like the juicer for many reasons but mainly for its design and ease of use. It is ergonomically designed— at a comfortable angle—that allows easy fruit rotation for maximum juice extraction. It comes with two sized reamers; a small one for lemons and limes and a larger one (snap on) for grapefruits or oranges. The strainer (pulp selector) is adjustable and, in addition to catching the seeds, gives you the option to have more or less pulp. The clear, angled base is a measuring cup, complete with pouring spout, that holds up to one cup or 250 ml. An added feature is that it is top shelf, dishwasher safe.

We were able to juice a bag of lemons in no time!

Cuisipro Herb Keeper:
Another great item from Cuisipro is the Herb Keeper. It is both functional and economically efficient; a great way to keep fresh herbs fresh longer. Most of us have experienced the problem of buying fresh herbs and having them go bad in a few days— this item helps to eliminate that problem. It kept parsley fresh for longer than we would like to report!

Cuisipro Herb Keeper’s unique suspended tray system makes it easy to store and access herbs. The Herb Keeper is perfect when you wish to enjoy flavourful meals with the addition of fresh herbs.

It is available in two sizes and fits most refrigerator doors. It is easy to use; put water in the base and place the herbs in the suspended tray. When ready to use the herbs, just pull up the tray and remove what you need. The stems of the herbs are immersed in water for freshness and hydration. An added plus is that is also keeps asparagus fresh.

It really works, and with our summer herb bounty, we hope that we will need more than one!

For additional information on these items, please visit RosleUSA.com and Cuisipro.com.