Farmers markets are open, lots of great produce is coming into season, and gardens are blooming. Like we said in part one of this series, it’s time to spice up your kitchen- and luckily, many companies are only to happy to help. We’ve been testing several products that should fit nicely into just about any kitchen, from the budding amateur to the seasoned professional, and have gear to suggest for just about any budget. We previously looked at some cookware and a nifty new coffee mug, but now we turn to one of our favorite companies for kitchen gadgets and accessories. The brand is JosephJoseph, and they’ve won a ton of awards for their designs. Here are two of the latest!
The JosephJoseph Shell Scale might just be our favorite so far- and is probably the best digital kitchen scale that we’ve tested. Others may have included an iPod dock (yes, really), but this one gets the basics right and blends form and function beautifully. It packs up tight, in a cute and sleek method, and unfolds or unwraps easily. The stainless steel bowl is totally removable, handy for measuring and then pouring. Plus, it holds plenty of whatever ingredient or spice you need, up to- get this- 11 pounds.
There are all of the usual functions, like the tare, an “add and weigh” option that allows you to continue adding ingredients to the pile if you’re blending them. It works for liquid or dry items, and cleans easily. That said, the plastic at the bottom feels a little bit cheap considering the classy bowl. It seemed accurate to within a gram, but we weren’t looking for greater accuracy- if you need it, then you might want to look for another option. The Shell looks great, as elegant as you can imagine a scale being, and is quite helpful. A great bargain for an item that should last years- available now for $50.
The JosephJoseph Record Player glass chopping board should add some character to a staid countertop. We liked the thickness and weight, as well as the eye-catching pattern. It’s glass, which has plenty of upsides and downsides versus woods- easier to clean, but a little more prone to marking and with no self-healing or natural anti-microbial properties. They do offer a lifetime warranty against breakage, and we found it a tough, hardy surface that’s handy for saving your counters. Rubber feet help avoid slipping, and the 12×16 inch size is pretty good for most jobs. It’s dishwasher safe, and would make a pretty nifty for anyone who is nostalgic for vinyl. At $28, it’s also a good deal. At press time, availability was unclear, but it should be more widely purchasable shortly.