Super Tools

If you've got a powerful gas stove like mine, you'll know it's virtually impossible to set the flame to low; all too often I'll turn the nob, only to watch the flame flicker and burn out before I can settle on the right amount of heat. If you're the owner of a gas-lit stove and frequently encounter the same issue, I've got a solution for you. It's called a heat diffuser.

Often used in commercial kitchens, this flat, metal stovetop tool distributes heat evenly and automatically lowers the flame setting. This comes in particularly handy when cooking heat-sensitive items like rice and caramel, which will scorch in a heartbeat. In these scenarios, a heat diffuser can help control the flame and improve your cooking. Try out these three significant ways use a heat diffuser.

Sure, multisided box graters offer different sizes and shapes, but for us, the most essential grating tool to have in the kitchen is the classic Microplane ($15), which produces a pillow of fluffy, lightweight, snowflake-like zest. Almost every chef has one, and here's why: it's portable, handheld, produces even shreds, and is super easy to clean.

The Microplane was originally used as a woodworking tool, yet in 1994, by pure accident a housewife picked up her husband's new Microplane tool and used it to zest an orange for her cake recipe. The company realized her accidental genius and rebranded the item for kitchens, too. See what makes the Microplane so great.

If you've ever tackled a recipe that calls for honey or peanut butter, you've undoubtedly felt the pain of trying to scrape every last bit of gooey goodness out of your measuring cups. Last week, I faced the challenge of accurately measuring out 2/3 cups of goopy sourdough starter — a task rendered unbelievably easy thanks to my adjustable measuring cup! This cylindrical tool measures both wet and dry ingredients in cups, ounces, milliliters, and pints, but the best part is the interior plunger that guides sticky ingredients out of the tube and scrapes down the sides in one push. Corn syrup, jam, and molasses are no match for my wonder tool.

Still, I won't let go of my standard measuring cups, which are still the best for measuring flour out of the tub and for small jobs, but the KitchenArt Adjust-A-Cup is an important member of my tool arsenal. Are any specialized tools must haves in your kitchen?