The spatulas I always reach for first

I'm not saying my memory is failing, but I have no idea where these OXO cookie spatulas came from. I've had them for so long, they're in the "always had them" part of my memory. They might have been from some kind of promotion, or maybe they were tucked into a gift bag. I might have purchased one. But I know that I use them all the damned time. In fact, I had to rescue one from my dishwasher to take the photo.

The funny thing is that since I took this photo and put this post into draft mode where it languished, I somehow acquired a gray-ish colored one. Are they breeding in my kitchen drawer or what?

These are certainly not the largest or most robust spatulas I own. I mean, I'm not going to pick up a layer of cake or lift a turkey with one of these. But their small size is exactly what makes them so darned useful in the kitchen. They're a bit bendy, particularly along the tapered edge that easily gets under food. They can snuggle into the corner of a pan to lift out the first brownie, but they're rigid enough to be able to lift that brownie or an oversized cookie without bending and sending the baked goods to their doom.

Although they call this a cookie spatula, that doesn't mean it's only for sweets. I've used it to get slices of lasagna out of a pan, and I've used it for cooking all kinds of savory things on the stove because it's totally heat-safe for that kind of thing. You know, like for cooking scrambled eggs.

When it comes to maintenance, these things are the lowest of the low. Not only does food not stick, making hand washing easy-peasy, they're also dishwasher safe. Both of these spatulas have been through the dishwasher a multitude of times, with absolutely no ill effects. It's a good thing I have two of them, because it seems like one of 'em is always in the dishwasher.

Review: Hamilton Beach Cool-Touch Deep Fryer

I recently tested the Hamilton Beach Cool Touch Electric Deep Fryer. I'll be honest. I don't do a lot of deep frying, but I also have to admit that it gives the best results for some things. Chicken wings, for example. I mean, they're fine in an oven or air fryer, but the deep fried version is a different level of fry-ness. 

If you want to do a little deep frying without using gallons of oil to do it, this compact deep fryer may be just what you’re looking for. It uses a maximum of 8 cups of oil, and overall it's small and lightweight. 

While you can certainly use less oil than the max, you can’t use too much less since the oil needs to cover the heating element and have enough oil so the food in the basket is covered. The maximum fill line is embossed in the side of the black cooking pan, but it can be a bit hard to see, depending on the lighting. It might be easiest to measure the two quarts before adding it to the machine. While that doesn’t look like a lot of oil for the larger container, it accounts for the fact that the oil will bubble and spatter during cooking.

My major objection to air frying at home is the splattery mess. This has a lid you can close during frying, which helps contain some of the mess. But there's still some spattering when adding or removing the food, or any time you lift the lid.

My favorite, as mentioned, was chicken wings. Marinated in a tasty yogurt mixture overnight, and yogurt left on as a coating for frying, the wings emerged crisp and juicy. I also fried a variety of other foods including hush puppies and cauliflower. Because of the smaller capacity, this isn’t what you’d want if you’re making huge baskets of French fries for hungry teenagers (although it says it can handle up to six cups of fries in a batch), but it did a great job on all the smaller batches, which really is all I want.

I started with just four wing sections in the first batch, but went up to eight pieces per batch by the time I was done and it worked well. The instructions note that breaded or battered foods should be in a single layer so they don’t stick, while non-sticky foods can be stacked or layered and then shaken in the basket during cooking to make sure everything is getting cooked. 

This has a simple knob with temperatures at 265, 300, 340, and 375 degrees. Lights show when the machine is plugged in, and when it has reached temperature. I fried most things at 375 degrees, but appreciate that it’s adjustable for things that fry at lower temperatures. The power plug is held onto the unit magnetically, as a safety feature, and the cord is fairly short for safety, so cooking needs to be done close to an outlet. 

After cooking, the basket can hang on the cooker above the oil to let clinging oil drip off. When it comes to cleaning, none of the parts are dishwasher safe. Disassembly is simple enough. The basket comes out and its handle is removable. The heating element comes out next. This needs to be cleaned carefully, since the electronics can’t be submerged in water. The oil pan simply lifts out and the oil can be strained for another use, or disposed of. The lid is also removable, which is appreciated. However, we found that replacing the lid was a little fiddly. We got it back in place, but it’s not as easy as just sliding it into place. Once everything is removed, there are just a few places where oil needs to be cleaned up, but it’s not difficult.

Overall, I liked this machine, but I haven't used it since I finished testing. Mostly because I was moving on to testing other countertop appliances, and my counter's simply not large enough to hold all of the things. I may pull it out again next time I have a wing craving, because they really were good.

Hard boil your eggs in your microwave. No, really!

When I need a whole bunch of hard boiled eggs, usually I steam them on a rack, in a large, shallow pan. It works flawlessly. 

When I need just a few eggs, I turn to the microwave.

Yes, skeptical one. I said the microwave.

You may know that if you put an egg in the microwave, it will explode. And no one wants to clean that up. 

But with a little magic (or science, if you prefer) you can cook eggs in the microwave with very little fuss. 

I've had this microwave egg cooker for more years than I can remember (but Amazon says I bought it in 2016), and it's seriously the only way I "hard-boil" eggs when I need from 1-4 hard boiled eggs.

Before you go there, yes, I've tried cooking eggs in my Instant Pot, and ... no. Just no. I never found the exact formula for the right timing, and about half the time I got distracted and overcooked the eggs to death. 

The microwave gadget is easier. I just stick the thing in the microwave with eggs and water, set the time, and walk away. At worst, I get distracted and the eggs sit a little too long before I cool them off, but they're not continuing to cook at high temperature - they're busy cooling down. So although they might overcook a little bit, they're not on their way to becomes sauna eggs.

So, the science here is that the eggs aren't actually getting cooked via microwaves. They're shielded by the metal in the cooker, so the waves never reach them. Instead, the microwaves heat the water and turn it into the steam. The steam rises from the bottom reservoir and enters the chamber with the eggs. The eggs cook from steaming, just like the ones on the stove.

There are no adjustments or settings or buttons. It might take a few tries to get the timing perfect for eggs the way you like them, but after that, it's just a matter of setting the time on the microwave and then letting them rest a short time before cooling them in cold water - I just dump out the hot water in the reservoir and drop the eggs in there and add cold water.

Cleaning is simple. Unless an egg breaks (which rarely happens, but it can if an egg has a crack that I don't notice) there's not much to fuss with. I just rinse it off, and let it dry and I'm done.

The one I have is made by Nordicware and when I bought it, it was the only one available. Since then, other brands have produced similar microwave egg cookers. 

Nordicware is a quality brand, and I've been happy with my little egg cooker for a long time, so I recommend it. But if you find another one that appeals, I suspect there aren't a lot of differences. The bargain ones might be a tad less sturdy, but let's face it, this isn't a super-complicated device.