Kitchen Tool Takedown

It's time for another Tool Takedown! As always, we go head-to-head in a match-up of the latest kitchen tools and gadgets vs. the traditional culinary method.

The Artichokester This tool may have a funny name, but it means business. The Artichokester is designed like a corkscrew. You start at the bottom of an artichoke head and twist the tool in to detach the heart. The Artichokester also comes with a scoop attachment to scrape the fuzzy choke off the heart once it is pulled out. While the tool is small in size and dishwasher-safe, we found it difficult to screw the Artichokester into the tough fibrous leaves of an artichoke head. On the other hand, the Artichokester is a safer alternative to a paring knife. Team traditional took the win in this round.

The Spring Nutcracker
This tool is useful and fun! It consists of two pieces: a small circular base with an indent that holds your nut in place, and a giant spring. The spring creates a dome over the nut, and has a knob at the top for leverage. Pull the spring up until you feel tension, then let it rip! The spring smacks into the nut and cracks its shell.

One benefit of the Spring Nutcracker is that it contains the mess of broken shells within the tool surprisingly well, unlike a traditional nutcracker. It's a fun addition to a cheese board for a party, that your guests will love to try out. This tool was a great contender against the traditional method (which in this battle was a mallet and a towel to contain the shells) but team traditional took the win again.

Three-in-One Ginger Tool
This tool is a true ally for the home cook. The first feature on the Ginger Tool is a lip on the side, which can be used to scrape off the ginger's skin. The second feature is a small rasp for grating, and the third is a small mandoline for thin slices of ginger. While the Three-in-One Ginger Tool was created for ginger, the features on this space-efficient gadget can be used for other veggies, fruits and cheeses. This tool went neck-and-neck with the traditional method to peel, slice and grate ginger—but then won in the end.