5 Kitchen Tools That Should Make a Comeback

When was the last time you used your pastry cutter? It may not be a 10-speed turbo-blender, but just because it's not flashy doesn't mean it's irrelevant. Here are five tools we think deserve another chance in the spotlight.

Pastry Cutter

For flaky pie dough, a sturdy pastry cutter is a great, inexpensive tool to use instead of a food processor. It efficiently cuts cubes of cold butter into flour without overworking it, and the tool is small enough to tuck away in a drawer when you're done.

From Food Network Kitchen

Food Mill

There's a reason the food mill's been around for so long: No other tool does as good a job of turning out fluffy mashed potatoes, perfectly chunky tomato sauce or even seedless jam. Plus, it gives your arms a little workout, so you can skip the bicep curls today.

Manual Timer

Sure, your phone has a timer, but do you really want to get cookie dough on its screen? Using a manual kitchen timer is cleaner and more reliable — you won't ever accidentally leave a kitchen timer on silent mode when you need it most.

Collapsible Steamer Basket

Smaller and easier to store than a bamboo steamer, a collapsible steamer basket conveniently closes or opens, so you can use it with just about any pot you have on hand. Using one to steam vegetables, meat or dumplings couldn't be easier, and cleanup is a breeze.

Pressure Cooker

A pressure cooker uses steam and pressure to cook food in an insanely short amount of time while still developing deep flavors (and the newer models are much safer than the older ones). Use a pressure cooker to cook hearty, flavorful meals when you're in a hurry — chili cooks in 30 minutes and risotto in 10, with no stirring.

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