Kitchen Essentials

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series A little hand mixer is just such a useful thing to have in the kitchen and this, from Bodum's Bistro collection is an attractive little thing with five different speeds. Will tackle everything from whipping cream to kneading dough. I know this is essential because I once hosted a

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series Sometimes things are so-called good design because they are simply beautiful. Sometimes, it is because they are simply so practical that nothing else will do. This is one of those items. Every cook needs a measuring jug. Well maybe Jamie Oliver can do it all by eye these days

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series The first time I used a ceramic knife I was terrified of losing a finger. Or three. But it doesn't take long to get used to. They're incredibly light, incredibly sharp and, crucially, they don't blunt.  They're made from Zirconium Oxide (the next hardest thing to diamond). Recently, at

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series So many garlic crushers can be fiddly to load and even worse to clean. This is the opposite. Bash the clove with the flat side then roll over it with the grooves until it reaches the desired level of, shall we say, "crushedness". Then the next really clever bit

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series Twin brothers Richard and Anthony Joseph make some of the best designed and most useful kitchen products around. Their Chop to Pot is already in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and their lemon grater with pip catcher is a daily joy in my kitchen. But if

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series The thing about kitchen appliances is that the amount they are actually used is directly related to the amount of time they spend in the cupboard. Which means you need to find space for them on the worktop or you might as well leave them in the shop. This

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series These graters, or to be more accurate, rasps as they are long and thin, are incredibly easy to use. You may not think that grating cheese is what counts as hard work but if you've ever had to make large quanities of lasagne you'll know where I'm coming from.