Monday, February 12, 2018

WÜSTHOF Burger Knives

When I got a set of burger knives from WÜSTHOF, I posted a photo on Facebook, and one of the first comments was something about how people don't need knives for burgers ... how silly is that?

(This was published 8/14/17 - scroll all the way to the bottom for my edit on 2/12/18 after I lived with these for a while.)


Well, I can kind of see the point, but then again, I have steak knives. And butter knives. And cheese spreading knives. And lots and lots and lots of kitchen knives.

I also have regular forks and salad forks and weird little seafood forks. My everyday flatware includes regular small spoons, tablespoons, and soup spoons.

Are burger knives necessary? Well, no, but neither are my salad forks but I use them a lot. Those weird little seafood forks, however, don't get used very often at all.

Burger knives might not be the best name for these knives because it doesn't really explain how versatile they are. The wide, flat, rounded blade is great for spreading mustard or mayo or other sauces. The serrated part of the knife was perfect for slicing a tomato. And then the knife also did a fine job slicing the burger neatly in half to make it a little easier to eat..

It's also great for stabbing into a burger from the top to make an interesting presentation.

So, yeah, the knives are good for burgers, but they'd be good for pretty much any sandwich assembly job. And probably other jobs as well. This time of year, there are a lot of tomatoes in my kitchen that need slicing.

Who's it for: People who make burgers and other sandwiches.

Pros: Nice multi-use knives. They look good stabbing a burger.

Cons: If you're counting down the top 3 knives everyone needs, these probably aren't on the list.

Wishes: Hmmm. They're knives. They cut. It's hard to come up with something I'd change.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review. The plate in the top photo was provided by Zak!


UPDATE 2/12/18

So, this post garnered a bit of controversy among my online friends, mostly those who scoffed at the idea of a knife make just for burgers. The horror!

But here's the thing. You don't just use a steak knife for steaks, do you? You might pull those out for pork chops or even a roast - any time there's some meat that you don't want to cut with the knife that came with your flatware set. You don't use a paring knife just for paring. You don't use a chef's knife just for ... uh, yeah, that's not why it has that name.

But anyway.

After living with these knives, I think perhaps the name was a bit to narrow, because these have become my everyday knives. Not burger knives, and not sandwich knives, as I originally suggested. Any time I make a meal that requires a knife to eat (as opposed to, let's say, spaghetti or risotto), I use one of these knives. Seriously. Every time.

I also use them when I'm making sandwiches. Yeah, I said that before, but it's worth repeating. These aren't just for eating food, you can use them for preparing food. And when the sandwich is finished, I use the knife to cut the sandwich in half, because I'm not some sort of savage.

Rather than storing these away in their box for fancy dinners, the box has been tossed and the knives are used almost every day. And, aside from the stunt burger in the top photo, I don't think I've used them at all for burgers.

Great knives. Possibly not a great name.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Degustabox February 2018

This month's free Degustabox shipment is pretty easy to write about, since I'm pretty familiar with most of the products in the box.

Or, if I haven't used the specific ones, I'm very familiar with the brands. It was a really really useful and fun box.

And - yay me! - there's no coconut in this box. Sorry, all you coconut lovers. It's just not my jam.

As you probably already know if you're read this blog before, Degustabox sends me one of their boxes for free every month, so I can describe it to you. It's tough work, but I'm up to the job.

This month's box included:

Goya Black Beans
Okay, they're canned beans. While it's cheaper to buy a bag of beans and cook them, now that I'm single, I don't need that many beans. A can of beans is enough for bean soup, chili, corn and bean salad, or pretty much anything else. I've used a whole lot of Goya products, and I've been happy with all of them.


Goya Refried Beans
Yeah, you read what I wrote about the black beans. Same thing for the refried beans. They're not that hard to make, but it's pretty darned easy to open a can when I want them for a side dish, for part of a burrito, or for nachos.


Luna Bars
These were lemon flavored, and they were little sample-sized bars. I was feeling a little peckish before dinner was done, so I opened one. It was sort of like a healthier version of those famous Krispies snacks, but with a lemon "frosting" on top. The little one kept me from getting too grumpy before dinner was done.


Lundberg Family Farms aged white cheddar chips
I didn't know these guys made chips, but I have bought their rice before, many times. To be perfectly honest, I haven't opened them yet because I have a bag of other chips in progress, but how could they not be good? Cheese, hint of garlic, chips. They'd be great with hummus or salsa or just as a snack.


Sir Kensingtons spicy ketchup
I know I've tried this before. I used to be devoted to a particular brand of ketchup, and I still keep it in the fridge, but I've also come to love the idea of the alternative ketchups that have more personality. They're great for fancy burgers where basic ketchup would be too basic, and I've also used them in recipes where I might otherwise use chili sauce or barbecue sauce.


Mrs. Renfro's craft beer salsa
I've bought Mrs. Renfro's salsa's before. First, the name simply amuses me. Second, they're good salsas. I haven't seen this particular one in stores yet, but I'll keep an eye out for it. Besides using salsa as a dip or with nachos, I've been known to use it in chili recipes or for chicken that I cook in the slow cooker.


The Spice Hunter coriander lime fusion rub
Ooooh. I love the idea of coriander and lime. I've tried Spice Hunter spices before, and I've liked them, so I'm sure this will be good. I've got a pork roast that will be getting this rub very very soon. Can't wait to try it.


Boboli pizza crust
I never tried a Boboli crust before I got one in a Degustabox shipment, but I've enjoyed them ever since. They're not quite the same thing as a home made pizza crust from scratch, but they certainly help scratch that pizza itch when I don't have the time for dough. And they're also great for times when I absolutely don't have time for a more complicated meal. A slather of sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and some heat ... and dinner is ready. When I'm being really fancy, I might add extras from the fridge, like olives, peppers, or other interesting items.


Boboli pizza sauce
This makes it so much easier. Pizza sauce in just the right quantity for a Boboli crust. So much better than opening a jar or making a sauce and then having extra that I need to find a use for. Sure, I like pizza. But not every day. Genius idea here.


Tigertail small batch mustard
I'll admit it. I don't think I've ever met a mustard I didn't like, and that includes everything from tame yellow mustard to spicy hot Chinese mustard to stone-ground brown mustard. So, yup, now I have one more to add to my mustard collection. And I'm perfectly fine with that.

And ... that's all folks. Lots of fun stuff to snack, sample, and cook with. Thanks to Degustabox for sending these!