Why I Can't Live Without My OXO Hand Kitchen Tools

Just about everybody has some kitchen hand tools and utensils that they just couldn't live without. Well I'm no exception. I could write an entire article on the importance of keeping the best kitchen knives for all sorts of reasons. But what I really want to emphasize is the importance of buying from a company that has specialized in making the best hand tools for preparing food for decades. That company is OXO. If you've ever been to Bed, Bath & Beyond, you'll have seen an entire wall and shelving area devoted just to the sale of this company's products. I have three that I use all the time and which are mainstays for me in the kitchen. I'll start with the one I use most often and go from there.

All the OXO tools are designed to make it easy for people who may not have strong hands or fingers. Their soft, almost rubbery black handles distinguish most all OXO products. The handles are thick so that one doesn't have to close the hand so completely as to hurt arthritic joints. The softness of the material is also a factor in making these tools simple to handle and to be easy on the hands. All the OXO tools are absolutely simple, with no fancy frills, just excellent gears and smoothly working parts.

My OXO can opener is a case in point. Its soft, thick black handles make it easy to grasp. The rotary blade that initially cuts into the can has never given me any problems and I've been using the thing for over six years. It's as sharp as ever. Most hand-held can openers get dull after just a year or so. The gear that pushes the opener around the edge of the can usually slip or grab--not so with OXO. It cuts around the can like greased lightening and puts less stress on the joints than any other can opener I've ever used. I'd never think of getting any other kind. In fact, it was that OXO can opener that made me start looking at other OXO products when I went to a kitchen isle of a store.

That led me to my purchase of something I also love and wouldn't part with for anything--my OXO corkscrew. Here's something someone told me about finding a really durable, easy to use corkscrew. Make sure the screw itself is very heavy duty and that the thickness of the metal is substantial. The rounds themselves should be rather small. You should be able to stick a toothpick straight down through the center of the rounds from the tip. OXO's corkscrew fits all those requirements. It also has that thick, soft black handle that's easy on the joints. The lever that fits the bottle's lip is very strong and has enough of a lip so as not to slip. Other corkscrews often jump off the lip of the bottle when you pull up on the handle in a tight cork. It works very smoothly and is simple to use, and when I'm finished with it, I just throw it in my drawer. It hardly takes up any more space than would a large cigarette lighter. Everyone should have one of these, even if there's also one of those huge contraptions available. This always works, and it works easily.

The last kitchen tool I use, with the OXO brand, is my lemon zester. This is a small handled tool with a small metal ending that has five holes with sharp, slightly tilted edges. You run it over the skin of a lemon, lime, or orange and it peels off tiny filaments of "zest" from the skin. These are what gourmet cooks use to sprinkle on salads, meats, some vegetable dishes and lots of desserts. They add tons of flavor and a beautiful presentation to any dish. But I use this kitchen tool for other things, too. I've used it on carrots and even bell pepper in salads. I've used it on peeled gingerroot and bell peppers for stir fries and to flavor salad dressings. Your imagination is the only limit to what hard-skinned vegetables and fruit can be "zessed" for extra flavor and enhanced appearance in dishes.