What Your Kitchen Might Be Missing: A Solid Toolset!

Why a tool set is essential for a good kitchen

Have you ever, like me, wandered around the kitchen frantically looking for something to open the glass bottle of Sprite in your hand? In these moments all you want is a refreshing soft drink after a hot day in the sun. You know you have a bottle opener, but where is it? Or do you even have one and you didn’t think it would be a problem when you purchased your 6-pack of Sprite? Oftentimes, simple, yet important, kitchen tools go overlooked until a moment comes when you find yourself scrambling around, opening up cabinets until you realize–wait, I don’t actually have a bottle opener! In this article I want to provide an overview of 3 kitchen essentials that are often overlooked when stocking a kitchen. These handy tools are: a paring knife, a potato peeler, and a bottle opener. Thankfully, they can be purchased all at once as HuBee’s toolset. 

Why do you need a paring knife?

Paring knives are truly an essential. Frankly, in my kitchen it's the most used tool–even more so than my chef’s knife. If I’m cutting up apples for a quick snack or scooping peanut butter out of the jar, I’m using my paring knife. These knives are excellent because they are the perfect size for just about anything. They’re sharp and they’re quick to clean. While paring knives are typically meant for delicate cuts, they are very versatile. Use them to cut the stems off of strawberries, devein shrimp, core tomatoes or to peel vegetables.

How to use a paring knife

While you can use your paring knife the same way you would use any other knife, there are a few tricks you need to know to be a true pro with yours. For delicate processes like trimming strawberries or peeling vegetables, you’ll want to know the proper technique.

Before trying out the tougher vegetables, start by practicing on strawberries. You want to hold the knife so that the handle is cupped by your four fingers, and the blade is facing your thumb. With your other hand, slide the strawberry between the blade and your thumb. Then, delicately press the blade towards your thumb to cut a chunk off of the strawberry. Make sure to do this with care! I don’t want you to press too hard and cut your thumb.

After you’re comfortable with your paring knife, you can move on to the more advanced topics such as potato skins or apple skins. This is essentially the same technique: hold the item that you are peeling with your non-dominant hand, and feed it into your new thumb+knife machine. Again, be sure to cut softly and with care! Once you get this form down you’ll be using it with all your snacks with this technique, from string cheese to summer sausage.

How to use a potato peeler

Ahhh, the potato peeler. This is the most commonly lost item in my kitchen and in all the restaurants I’ve ever worked at. In the restaurant industry, these tools are coveted and you should not be caught using someone else's peeler without permission. Luckily, the HuBee potato peeler has brilliant color and a sleek wood handle so you’ll spot it easily in your kitchen. A potato peeler is simple. Firmly hold the item you are peeling and press the y-peeler’s blade into its flesh. Suavely pull the peeler towards your body while simultaneously pressing down to maintain solid contact. The skin will flow through the slit in the blade and you’ll be left with a beautifully peeled vegetable!

How to use a bottle opener?

This is an amazing question, and I can honestly say that this is a question I have never asked. To use your bottle opener, hold the handle with your dominant hand. With your other hand, hold the bottle you are trying to open. You will see that there is a hole in the stainless-steel head of the bottle opener, and this hole should perfectly link to the cap of the bottle you’re holding. Put the head over the cap, and make sure that you hook the underside of the cap with the steel shelf inside the opening of the bottle opener. Pull up on the handle while simultaneously pressing down on thead of the bottle opener. This will create a lever that will pop your bottle cap right off! Now, enjoy your beverage :)

These three items come in a good looking set from HuBee. If you are in need of a bottle opener, you lost your peeler, or you’re ready to own a paring knife, give our shop a look and upgrade your kitchen!