Top 10 Kitchen Tools for Kids
Top 10 Gadgets for Kids
Getty Images
Use these tools to get your kids cooking
By Rachel Wharton
Why encourage even the smallest children to move into the kitchen? Because they can help you get dinner on the table, says Sandra K. Nissenberg, the Chicago author of "The Everything Kids Cookbook." And as she says "helping out at an early age, means helping out at a later age," we asked childhood cooking experts for their top 10 kid-friendly culinary tools -- gadgets that will convince your offspring that cooking can be fun, and give you access to a mini cooking crew.
Top 10 Real-World Kitchen Tools for Kids
The George Foreman Grill
"It might sound shocking" that a chef would suggest using a George Foreman Grill, but Richard Ruben says he thinks of it more "as a sandwich press." Most people have one of these sitting around, and older children can assemble and press hot sandwiches for a quick weeknight family meal while their parents tackle the sides, he says. You could also use a waffle iron or a real press, if you have one, Ruben says.
Recipe: Cinnamon-Raisin Apple Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches
A Plastic Knife
For young children between the ages of 3 and 7, parents "should really get a plastic knife," says Richard Ruben, a chef-instructor at New York City's Institute of Culinary Education. Kids can learn how to handle the tool while doing prep work for you, including slicing soft foods like boiled potatoes, chicken breasts, tomatoes, avocados, green peppers and greens. You could buy a special "lettuce knife" or child-centric design, but "sturdy plastic will serve you just as well," he says.
Recipe: Chicken Tacos
A Colorful Spoon
Really young children "need something to call their own; they need something to feel special about," says Sandra K. Nissenberg, the Chicago-based author of "The Everything Kids Cookbook." If they have their own set of utensils -- spoons, spatulas, a cutting board – they'll be more likely to use them. You could opt for something decorated by Disney, she says, or just let them pick their favorite color. Also try starting with one tool and then add to the collection over time.
Recipe: Veggie Fried Rice
Scissors
Capable home cooks use kitchen shears to snip fresh herbs or green onions, and kids of all ages can do the same thing, says Ennis Bashir, who teaches at the Young Chefs Academy franchise in Duluth, Ga. "We just give them a little scissors," he says. At the Academy, which is owned by his wife, Donna Tisdale, they'll also quarter soft vegetables or even onions that the kids can then easily "dice."
Recipe: Tangy Green Goddess Dressing
Vegetable and Garlic Choppers
Super-safe, plastic-enclosed vegetable dicers with handles are available at Williams-Sonoma, says Kim Rushing, the general manager of the Kids Cooking Company in Dallas. "We call them 'alligator choppers,'" she says. "The kids love to feed the hungry alligator and are able to chop safely by themselves."
Recipe: Soft Garlic Bread
Vegetable Peelers
By age 4, kids can use vegetable peelers to peel carrots or make zucchini ribbons, Richard Ruben says. Just give them the straight traditional kind as the Y-shaped ones so popular with chefs are harder to hold, he adds. Chef'n also makes a covered blade "tunnel peeler" that you roll in the palm of your hand, Ennis Bashir says. Very young children can "roll away and safely peel vegetables," Bashir says.
Recipe: One-Pot Chicken with Carrot and Zucchini Ribbons
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Real chefs always use "mise-en-place," the French term meaning measuring out your ingredients beforehand. That's a perfect task for any child old enough to grip a cup, says kids cookbook author Sandra K. Nissenberg, and there are plenty of wide-handled, easy grip models out there; some even pop out and fold flat for storage.
Recipe: Healthy Pancakes
A Salad Spinner
Washing salad greens may be tedious for adults, but it can be fun for kids, says Sandra K. Nissenberg, especially when they get to use a salad spinner to dry them off. They get to play with water, "and they love that," she says. If you don't have a salad spinner, kids can just wash the leaves in the sink and shake them out in a colander or lay them out on clean dry cloths.
Recipe: Romaine Toss
Immersion Blender
An immersion or stick blender is "an inexpensive fun gadget" for 15- to 16-year-olds who have reached an age where they can safely do anything an adult can, says Richard Ruben. Boil or steam a few vegetables and your kids can blend up an easy soup, or they can puree tomatoes into sauce. "Just don't lift it above the water line," counsels Ruben or that sauce will splatter everywhere.
Recipe: Potato-Leek Soup
Pasta Machine
Kids as young as 3 can use a pasta machine to roll and cut their own spaghetti, Ennis Bashir of Georgia's Young Chefs Academy says. And while making fresh pasta doesn't make your weeknight dinner faster and easier, a weekend session will help teach your kids that cooking can be fun, priming them for the next time.
Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Recent Comments
SwordMan29 02:17:18 PM Dec 25 2009
My Grandson that is now 18 years old started helping me cook as soon as he could crack an egg at 1 year old. He continued to progress as he got older. He now can cook as well as I can. Eveyone that tastes what I make tells me I am a very good cook. So is he.
EileenTruskowski 01:23:59 PM Dec 25 2009
CANNOT access the items. What's with this I have tried all morning... MUST all be JUNK if I cannot access them
ALABradleyT 10:39:58 AM Dec 25 2009
Personally I hate gadgets! I use a LeCreuset square grill pan... does everything the Foreman does but faster, quicker, tastes better and cleans up in five seconds! get the Panini press to go with it and you can do just about anything! Le Creuset.com is the website I think! happy Holidays!
FBERT817 10:30:45 AM Dec 25 2009
My wife never cooked growing up and she is a great cook . My daughter nevered cooked growing up and she is learning on her own and is being coming a great cook, It is not hard just need to know how to read and follow directions
MManozzi 10:26:28 AM Dec 25 2009
The Foreman Grills are great! I started with the smaller one, then graduated to the larger one..... I use it so often that I'm going to have to buy a new one!
WTre428476 09:04:21 AM Dec 25 2009
i USE A SMALL FOREMAN TO HEAT A SHAVING TOWEL.WORKS GREAT
christadams221 06:14:10 AM Dec 25 2009
I had been overweight for the past five years. I had tried almost everything in the market, right from taking diet pills to enrolling in a gym but nothing really worked. Yes I did lose a few pounds but nothing substantial. It was then that a friend recommended Acai Pure ( http://tiny.cc/AcaiPure ) to me. I have been using the product for about a month now and have slimmed down considerably. I have actually started to wear all those dresses that I had put off for so long. The product is definitely one of the best weight loss products in the market today. I have already finished two bottles of Acai Pure and am on my third bottle now. It totally changed my life! Not only did I lose a lot of weight quickly, I have also never felt more energetic and so full of life!
IsabelleVanRoy 07:41:27 PM Oct 07 2009
I personally think that kids could be great cooks if their guardians just allowed them to and responsibly taught them how to properly use different utensils, such as knives and blades. They should also know how to operate a gas stove if you have one like I do. If they know all of the rules, then they should be able to experiment with different recipes. If they mess up, thats okay. They're just learning something new!
Greenrjenny 08:48:49 PM Jun 05 2009
Here is a green product kids love. You can eat but they sure will have fun Tickling it. The TickleMe Plant is the REAL Plant that MOVES when you Tickle IT! The leaves instantly close and even the branches droop when Tickled. Plus it would make a great gift for Farthers Day and Graduation Day. You can use the coupon codeBLOG as I did to save $2.00 at http://www.ticklemeplant.com First see the videoso you can see the "Pet" TickleMe Plant in action.
