See all videosChef Meg's 6 Favorite Kitchen Tools (5:51)
As a world master chef, you would think that Chef Meg's kitchen would be full of fancy tools. Nope. She prefers to keep it as streamlined as possible. She shares her 6 favorites with SparkRecipes.com.
Member Comments About This Video
Chef Meg - Your BEST VIDEO yet! I love these helpful tips for those of us trying to be productive in the kitchen but not knowing how. More of these types of clips, please! :) - 5/18/13
Love the idea of using salt to clean my grinder! - 5/17/13
I use my silicone brush to season everything. It works really will for just about any liquid. Then I just pop it in the dish washer. - 4/22/13
I can tell my husband to stop buying junks...I wish I can resale my stuffs, too many of them. - 4/20/13
I love kitchen tools and I have way too many for my tiny kitchen! - 4/14/13
Great suggestions; thank you! Silicon spatula is also a must for me. We have a small kitchen, so no room for a big food processor. I found a little hand crank one that makes salsa-making and cauliflower ricing a breeze. - 4/14/13
A good knife is probably the most important tool. My favorite tool is a small colander that's the perfect size to drain & rinse a can of black beans, wash off fruit etc.
- 4/14/13
Never been able to get all the juice from a lemon, lime, or orange...will try the fork! I love my wooden spoons!! Favorite gadget was my Ultimate chopper, so much I burned up the motor!! Need to find a good chopper, not too big and not too small, any ideas? - 4/2/13
Better for the environment to throw away cheesecloth instead of a paper towel? Really?
It's easier to remove fat from stock by cooling it, then removing the solidified fat.
My fave 6: high quality knives, whisk, rubber scraper, non-stick skillet, heavy stockpot, vita-mix. Hard to stop at 6... - 3/31/13
I learned some things--particularly the salt as a cleaner. A favorite tool of mine that didn't get mentioned is the kitchen shears. We never had a pair in our kitchen when I was growing up--now I don't know what I'd do without them. - 3/18/13
Well, you possess way more self-control than I do when it comes to acquiring kitchen gadgets. The tip about using the fork to juice lemons etc is really nifty! Thanks! - 3/12/13
I'm a garlic lover. I use one of those rubber things you use to open jars to get the skin off the cloves, then I have a very small 2-piece plastic garlic chopper. Not motorized, you just put half cloves in, squish it shut, then twist back and forth and it work great.Then I don't smell like garlic. - 3/10/13
good ideas... - 2/20/13
I love my bamboo spoons, garlic peer and hand chopper - 2/15/13
Love the coffee grinder for spices idea. - 2/9/13
Wow the video keeps stopping that kinda annoying so I will watch later "oops!"
Looks interesting!!!
- 2/8/13
Don't peel your carrots. Carrots hold their nutrients just under the skin and when you peel them, you are stripping away vital nutrients. - 2/3/13
GREAT SIMPLE IDEAS.THANKS. - 1/30/13
Great tip about using salt to clean a grinder. I love garlic, so can't live without my garlic press. - 1/26/13
love your ideals chef meg who would have thought a coffe grinder could be used like that and a fork for juicing citrus fruits. Great.I will keep watching for more of you great and inexpensive ideals. - 1/21/13
I am just starting to cook my food and it is great to see I can keep it simple. No need for fancy kitchen equipment. Thanks! - 1/11/13
Love, love, LOVE the cheese cloth for getting fat off the top of my soups! Thanks Chef Meg!! - 1/7/13
I love kitchen gadgets. Probably too much! One of my favorites is this nut chopper that I got several years ago. It chopps nuts evenly and so quickly and I love it. - 1/6/13
Favorite: Lee Valley silicon poach pods for eggs. Easy clean up and storage. I can make poached eggs the way everyone likes them or prepare boiled eggs with no shell for later use. - 12/30/12
Great tips Chef Meg. The coffee grinder is super suggestion, thank you! So nice to hear a chef suggest Dollar Tree ! :) DT does have excellent items that are only $1.00. Do have trouble finding cheese cloth. One suggestion I do have a gravy/fat seperator works well. Thanks again :) - 11/8/12
I learn something every day I log on to SP
thank you! - 11/4/12
Never thought of using salt for the coffee grinder. Instead of using cheesecloth to remove fat why not chill whatever and just skim the fat off that hardens on top. - 11/4/12
great tips - 10/20/12
I love my bamboo spoons and the Pampered Chef Spreader. - 10/5/12
My favourite Kitchen Tool by far has to be the Bamix with it's chooper accessory as it is so versatile and has many uses. I can quickly and easily grind coffee beans with it, chop vegtables with it, purée soups with it, make Smoothies and cakes etc... etc... - 10/4/12
Best thing you can get for your kitchen; a good chef's knife and learn how to keep it sharp. - 9/19/12
Informative video - thanks!! - 9/18/12
Informative. Good things to know - 9/18/12
I love love love my Bamix immersion blender! I can puree soups right in the pot and also use it for my smoothies. Instead of using a coffee grinder to grind spices, I use the processor attachment. - 9/16/12
I love the coffee grinder to grind my flax seeds. BUT my all time favorite is my Blend Tech 3 horsepower blender that I can use to make green smoothies so I get the fiber and don't have to chew all day. - 9/12/12
interesting. - 9/11/12
salt is good for cleaning a cast iron skillet If food is stuck on it. Rinse it with hot water first and then sprinkle with salt and rub with a paper towel. Keeps the coating I have worked hard to get on my skillet. I never thought of salt to clean my grinder. Wonderful tip. - 9/9/12
great tips - thanks - 9/8/12
I couldn't live without my crockpot , pressure cooker, and a special serrated knife. It's just the right size, and works for everything except watermelon. - 9/7/12
My favorite tool is a high quality knife ... worth spending a few extra dollars for one that is really sharp! - 9/6/12
Never thought to use a fork like that! Thank you. My favorites: blender, food processor, good knives, coffee mill (vs grinder). - 9/1/12
You hit on my favorite Kitchen tool, the kitchen fork. I never thought to use it for juicing though. I use a fork instead of a whisk - 9/1/12
Love the video! One of my favorite kitchen tools is a rubber spatula that is heat resistance!!! - 8/31/12
great - 8/30/12
awesome tip about the coffee grinder. I am going to have to find some of those cheese clothes - 8/29/12
thanks for the ideas, I didn't know about the salt for cleaning the coffee grinder - 8/29/12
These are all great ideas. I also can't live without my personal blender, NuWave oven, slow-cooker, mandolin slicer, kitchen scale, rubber scrapers (Pampered Chef - never waste a thing in the mixing bowl.). There are more but I'll stop there! - 8/28/12
Three cheers for Chef Meg! She makes me feel like I can actually do some of this cooking stuff. - 4/29/12
Love your idea for cleaning the coffee grinder. Also use a microplane for garlic. Works great. - 4/29/12
Great video, I'll have to try the salt for my grinder! I purchased a chefmate a few weeks ago & I just love it. It's actually good for chopping(which I didn't even know this when I bought it) & great for scooping onions and such into your skillet!! I think I've seen Chef Meg use one before. - 4/3/12
I enjoy Chef Meg's tips! She mentioned the "Dollar Tree" and I want to say this is a super place for kitchen utensils/gadgets! Some of the items are very nice. Instead of expensive cookware, my cast iron skillet is ideal! Also, love my spatulas and my whisks... - 4/3/12
Prep bowls. Love cooking & got to have my prep bowls. If I don't have time after work to do all the prepping, I can prep in the morning, cover bowls, & come home ready to throw everything together. - 2/7/12
So helpful! Thanks for the demos of tools I need to buy and use! Chef Meg rocks!!! - 10/27/11
I absolutely LOVE Chef Meg. I learn so much from the videos, and I appreciate the emphasis away from the zillion gadgets, and the clear descriptions of how the food should be prepared and how it will be affected by variations. - 7/11/11
Chef Meg,
I enjoy your presentations so much. Thank you for all your insight.
Lynda - 6/12/11
You can also use salt and ice to clean your glass coffee pot. Just swish around and around. Then rinse well. I learned this trick when I use to work at Pizza Inn about 30 plus years ago.
Thanks for all your great tips! - 3/10/11
loved the ideas on your video, especially "anger management" rolling pin. zester is one of my favorites in my kitchen; I love a good, very sharp knife for cutting meats, veggies, etc. sharpener does not seem to work very well. - 3/9/11
Good ideas - 3/8/11
Loved this video....glad I saved a stash of BBB coupons...heading out to buy a microplane zster, french rolling pin and peeler today! - 3/8/11
Thanks for the great tips....who'd thought to use salt to clean a coffee grinder! - 3/7/11
Thabks for the tips , glad fot the salt in the coffee grinder. - 12/10/10
I have a coffee grinder too - but didn't know that about the salt. I like using it with nuts & flaxseed but then the oils get in there and make it a mess... now I will probably add flax back into my diet!! Using the bread trick for cleaning coffee grinder I hadn't heard of, either - thanks! - 11/30/10
Interesting suggestions Thank you - 10/23/10
I highly recommend kitchen shears. I use mine from opening difficult sealed food packages to removing the netting from around those pork shoulders. I go crazy when it's missing from its hanging hook. - 9/20/10
Wonderful video with great tips! I loved the tip on chicken. - 7/14/10
i love my cuisinart food processors, my large one is 30 years old and small one 15 years old. great for chop meat and just about anything else. - 7/14/10
I love my immersion blender. It's so handy and hardly any clean up. Here's a tip for cleaning your coffee grinder, use a slice of bread in it after grinding something strong like cloves, or pepper. It will clean the grinder and take out any odor it that may have been left behind. - 6/20/10
My favorites are my 5" santoku knife and my heat-proof scraper. Those and a good, dishwasher-safe cutting board are the workhorses of my kitchen. - 5/20/10
love the salt idea! - 5/5/10
i love my cast iron frying pan. i use it atleast once a day. it cooks evenly,nonstick, and will last several lifetimes. - 5/4/10
yea I agree many uses for forks and rolling pins zesters also - 5/2/10
Nice tips. I also like using my scale. Especially when trying to learn portion sizes. - 4/28/10
Some good ideas. I agree that a wisk is a must. - 4/25/10
I use my rolling pin in the same way to crush things such as ice for drinks etc,graham crackers for dessert bases and nuts for recipes. The cheese cloth makes a good strainer too. - 4/24/10
I love the idea of using the cheesecloth to soak up the grease. It's enviromentally friendly which is always a selling feature for me. And of course we need to mention the cost savings as well. - 4/22/10
I am such a fan of my microplanes, they are definitely one of my favorite tools when in the kitchen! But, I had no idea before watching this video that you could use a peeler on a watermelon!! Does anyone know how to go about doing that? - 4/12/10
I do not own a micro-plane (sp), but I am going to have to invest in one! I also love my food chopper, because I can't get my daughter to eat veggies and my chopper. I use it a lot. Thanks Chef Meg for this wonderful tips. - 4/12/10
Nice Video. Now if you can only show me an easy way to peel apples - 4/9/10
I have been pounding my chicken breast this way for years. Love the "anger mangagement" of it & it always scares the kids and husband. LOL - 4/8/10
neat tips, thanks! - 4/7/10
Great tips. I did get a giggle out of the "throw the cheesecloth away" comment. I dunk mine in the hot sudsy wash water in the sink then put them in a lingerie bag and send them through the wash with my whites then spread them wet over the line to dry in the sun. - 4/5/10
GREAT VIDEO I now need to uy items and try learning how to cook at 49. Never have liked cooking but I am trying to change habits so these little tips help make cooking more interesting - 4/5/10
Very interesting! Will definetly use these tips - 4/5/10
this is great info!! - 4/4/10
I use my coffee grinder to make bread crumbs. I grind up the crumbs left in cereal boxes, cracker crumbs , anything which is left in the bottom of various dry foods. I keep a plastic zip-top bag in the freezer where all the various crumbs are mixed. I never have the same breading mixture twice. - 4/1/10
really useful video!
- 4/1/10
Enjoyed it very much. I have so much to learn and videos like this are so helpful. I really want to get healthy and you guys are my gurus! - 4/1/10
Microplane zesters are great - I find I use a lot less cheese when grating with a microplane zester rather than a regular cheese grater. It makes a little bit of cheese go a long way! - 3/31/10
Yummy! Makes me what to start cooking! - 3/30/10
going to try this one
- 3/30/10
How wonderful to take such simple things and use them for multiple purposes. I love the rolling pin idea, and the coffee grinder tips especially!!! - 3/29/10
Thanks Meg! These are some great ideas! I love my kitchen gadgets but I love the idea for the coffee grinder the most!!!! - 3/29/10
Cool video. Another way to clean the coffee grinder is with rice. - 3/28/10
I love my 3-tine fork (granny fork). Thanks for the tip on how to clean the coffee grinder. I had forgotten how versatile salt can be. - 3/28/10
I appreciated every one of your tips. Thank you for great information. - 3/27/10
Thanks Meg, great tips!
I also love my: silpat silicone baking sheet - 3/26/10
good ideas, Thanks - 3/26/10
all very useful will incorporate tips, especially cleaning the coffee grinder! - 3/26/10
Very informative...I have a coffee grinder that sits in the cupboard. And I have never seen the reason for a hand held cheese grater since I would have to work to hard to do it but now... - 3/26/10
I don't drink coffee, so would never have bought a coffee grinder, but after seeing your video, I want one to grind spices. Thanks for all the tips! - 3/26/10