Kitchen scissors is another recent issue. I have a dozen pairs. Two i purchased 5-6 years ago and one is falling apart. This main pair of two i keep in the knife drawer right under my main prep zone. A half dozen pairs in the 'junk' drawer that end up all over the house and never returned. (DH, lol). One i found outside when the snow melted.

I thought LeeValley might have a good pair but no luck.

I like a kitchen scissor that has 10-in-0ne. Bottle openers, screw driver, herb stripper...but that pair went missing years ago.

Both fridge light bulbs went out at the same time but not a simple Lowes bulb switch. Needs a house call that would take months. Special bulbs that cannot be purchased on-line or anywhere. But that is just household maintenance. Still annoying.

Just Spring cleaning blues.

-sleeve

Interesting! I always think of Lee Valley for cabinet fittings. Glad you found what you needed. My favorite ladle was my mother's, predates me, and is irreplaceable. My second favorite, has a built in colander. My skimmer is nylon, though I'd love one like it in stainless, with more solid than holes, which are small and well spaced. what kind did you get?

I don't know if Lee Valley has these, but I like them:

I've never used the surgical brushes—do they bend? I love this three-panel brush because you can kind of wrap it around a carrot, or whatever. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIX20UQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This Progressive one (my second of this style) is my all time favorite. It has both root stiff and mushroom soft bristles, an eye digger, but most of all the curved back cuts down on fatigue. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007UTKGKI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is my all time favorite reamer. They all look the same, but this one—which was an impulse buy in the produce section—is better. Partly it's the sharp point, and partly the firm ridges. I think. It gets more juice out, and faster and easier than any other reamer I've tried. https://www.amazon.com/GOODCOOK-slip-grip-Citrus-Reamer/dp/B08Y76S63G/ref=sr_1_84?crid=1482ET72WVI3S&keywords=reamer+citrus&qid=1679860323&sprefix=Reamer+citr%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-84

I only have two kitchen scissors. Orange handled paper scissors, and this multi-purpose kitchen shears. They come apart for easy cleaning, which make cutting open raw food wrappers so much easier! Not your full out multi tool, but the tabs on the loops release jar lids better than the church key, and there's a ridged area below the loops which can grip things, and open bottle twist caps, and crack the occasional nut. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0795FC36C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We were just at Lee Valley yesterday. I love that place! They have really expanded their kitchen tool lone. Really cool stuff! Hubby had a gift card so he bought plans for a rocking horse for our newest expected grandchild. And I found a Danish whisk. I haven't used one yet and am excited to try it.

I would just say that you can put your dish washing and vegetable brushes in the dishwasher, and they will come out like new. I wash mine in the upper tray with the bristles up.

That is exactly the scissor i would expect LeeValley to carry. All stainless and comes apart. The one that went missing was like that though it often separated in your hand if opened too wide.

I like the surgical brushes because they are somewhat soft. Much softer than most vegetable brushes and gentle for hand washing. 12.50$ for a dozen. Cheap. I mentioned in my first post that they go in the dishwasher all the time. I just need more since i took some to work and gifted my parents a couple. And now putting them on handles for the showers.

I don't use sponges anymore. They get funky so fast. Especially with bread baking. Before i put one of the bathroom sink brushes in the dishwasher i do a quick scrub of the sink and surrounding counter. Then wipe with a cotton cloth. The one in the kitchen sink this morning i used last night to wipe the dinner plates into the garbage. A roll of paper towels lasts 3-4 months. Rarely need them.

You will love the dough whisk. A miracle worker for bringing together batters like cornbread without much effort.

I just replaced my citrus squeezer, long overdue as I've probably eaten most of the enamel by now. Unfortunately I'm not happy with the stainless replacement. The upper handle is hollow and not sealed, so it's neither dishwasher safe nor submersible unless you don't care about whatever getting stuck in there and growing. And the handle is just shy of being firm enough; it flexes with a lot of pressure. I think we've covered this topic before here but if anyone has a favorite squeeze type juicer I'm all ears. I spent less than $20 for this one so I won't be happy about throwing it out but I won't cry, either.

I'm also on a continual search for a good spatula. Another topic I'm sure we've covered. Bought some Winco's at the restaurant supply and was quickly reminded of why I threw the last ones out. Tired of having to shave off the melted nylon bits to give them a new "edge."

I bought this citrus juicer a couple years ago Amazon. https://a.co/d/hmn96ud we really like it. i do put it in the DW

@Lulu - While a different brand, it looks just like the one I bought. Does the upper handle look like this?

I see the ChefN one that Lee Valley is selling earns top spot rating from Serious Eats and second place from Epicurious. Kitchenaid shares top two on both sites.

That does look like it.

True story.

I had to look for a new digital meat thermometer. Doing some research reading reviews and reading questions and answers for one promising model.

A potential buyer asks, " Can this meat thermometer be used as a rectal thermometer?".

The seller/manufacturer's tech support answers, "We don't recommend that use. However, if you insist, I suggest you consider buying two."

dcarch

If you are going to use a meat thermometer for body temperature, you will have to use mirrors to read it, as they do not keep the temperature reading, once they have been removed. Most do not read decimal degrees, and so they are not all that accurate. Thermometer guns are better, and we use those to check pizza stone temperatures, but they also work for the pool and spa.

Ouch, dcarch, I felt a hole tear just reading that!

Lars, after some recent frustrations with my electric griddle I just pulled the trigger (no pun intended) on an IR gun. Reading up on emissivity and such I'm wondering just how accurate these things are, but I think even knowing relative temps will be helpful. I've been wanting this toy for a while.

This is my daily go-to for a spatchula for cast iron, carbon steel, and oven sheet pans. Called a fish spatchula. No idea where mine came from.

And a few of these from Thermoworks. One sale now. The mini set are great for small jars and blenders. The larger ones i use for eggs and tonights risotto, etc.

The shipping is, i think, 5.50 flat rate.

I have three kitchen scissors - one for chicken, one for general use, and a pair of curved shrimp scissors, which I use on chilies more than anything else.

I have several fish spatulas - regular metal and then silicon for non-stick pans. They are not the spatulas I use the most - I have one that has a round head that looks like this, and it use it the most often. I also have a silicon offset spatula that I use about as much, and I often use them together. These two hang on magnetic hooks on my fridge next to the stove, along with two oven mitts. I only have four magnetic hooks in L.A., but I have over a dozen in Cathedral City because I have less storage space there. In L.A., most of my spatulas hang on the pot rack above my peninsula.

After first having a cute (and expensive!) yellow enamel coated lemon juicer (which ended up with the enamel peeling off), I bought a stainless one from Amazon. It was thin and flexed when I used it, and I was very disappointed. But then I purchased this one and I’ve been pretty happy with it - it’s sturdy and gets the job done easily.

https://www.amazon.com/Lemon-Squeezer-Stainless-Premium-Quality/dp/B07JBKXN5B/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=12EM2NHFAC455&keywords=zulay+lemon+squeezer&qid=1680029958&sprefix=zulay+lemon+squeezer%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A1JGTWPBX7NK4E&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFRTk1DMUowUklWMzAmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwNDU3MjJMS1pBRExROTVTUlYmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDA3MzU0MTJaRFNKNU9NQ0pGNUomd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I've been thinking about FOAS’s question about the spatula. My favorites are nylon in three sizes (different maker). But they don't melt. The smallest gets edge crud from the pan sonetimes, but cleans right up, So why not? And I realized I use tongs a heck of a lot more. I don't cook fish and my own falling apart potentials are mostly latkes, which like the solid spatula better. Same for pancakes and omelettes. The flexibility is good for baking, though I do sometimes use an old metal pancake turner for cookies. My biggest nylon was meant for lifting cake layers, but is also useful for frittatas and similar. But anything with more structual integrity gets tongs! I have some shorties with silicone tips, which are as close to using one's fingers as possible.

This is my largest spatula, and I use it for okonomiyaki

It is 6½" wide, and I use it with another large spatula when turning the okonomiyaki, which I like to make on weekends.

The issue I keep seeing with the stainless juicers are hollow handles despite the descriptions. One star reviews address this, even when they get thousands of five star reviews like the one LMC liked above. I guess it doesn't bother most people but it bothers me.

Here are my nylon spatulas. Top to bottom we've got my old Calphalon which I'm very happy with but they don't make anymore. You can see it's held up well. Next is an Oxo which I bought 1.5 years ago. The wavy edge is the result of having had to dress it several times already. Last is a Norpro (I incorrectly said Winco above) which you can see is ready for a shave. That one is only a month or two old and is the worst of the bunch.

I just wish I could find that Calohalon again. Not only has it held up, but for me it's the only one that I like for size, shape, and stiffness. I have a larger one that sees little use. I actually found a used one on eBay a while back for something ridiculous like $20. I wasn't going to pay that but eventually got notification that the price had dropped to $2 so I went to buy it. Got a note from the seller that "obviously" the price was a mistake and she canceled the sale. I wrote back that I actually thought $2 was reasonable for an old, used spatula!

Oh! All of mine are thin and flexible, and bigger. Perhaps there's a silicone one of the shape you like? They take higer heat.

@foodonastump, I went back and read the one star reviews and I’m surprised; I find that juicer extremely sturdy, but I suppose it could be that I’m a weakling and am thus unable to exert enough pressure to cause it to flex. Crate & Barrel has this one on clearance right now, I wonder if there were complaints about chipped enamel.

https://www.crateandbarrel.com/dual-citrus-squeezer/s258663

The one I bought is pretty much sturdy enough, could be a bit more so but if I grab closer inward I'm ok. My issue with the hollow though is it lets water in. My oxo garlic press lets water in though in a different way, and when I take it apart to clean it well what's growing in there isn't pretty. The juicer, mine at least, cannot be washed properly.

I managed to break my egg slicer ... so, there's that ....

Okonomiyaki...a new-to-me word.

^^^ Me too, and it looks good. Order placed for okonomiyaki sauce! Thanks Lars!