Forget nonstick pans. Say hello to our new Hammered Carbon Steel Skillet. |
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 I hate nonstick skillets! Although they may be perfectly safe, I think of them as throwaway pans, not serious pieces of cookware. Plus, I find the notion of metal coated with a chemical finish unappealing. The best choice for virtually nonstick skillets is not cast iron—it’s carbon steel. It’s lighter and I find that the coating is pretty close to nonstick if maintained properly. (I scramble eggs in my carbon steel skillet with no sticking.) It is also a smoother finish than cast iron which is a big help. The Milk Street 11-inch Hammered Carbon Steel Skillet is lightweight, slick and built for quick and even heating. It’s ideal for quick stir-frying, sautéing, and pan-roasting. It’s broad and ultra-light—just under 3 pounds—with shallow sidewalls that make it easy to scoot a spatula underneath steaks, pancakes and omelets. The carbon steel material holds heat for even browning and the unique properties of the metal also means oils bond to the surface with regular use, creating a permanent, nonstick patina. We further improved the skillet by hammering its surface with tiny dimples that trap air between the food and the pan, making it even more nonstick. You can cook fried eggs, sautéed chicken breasts, crispy grilled cheese and fluffy pancakes with no hassle—or burnt bits stuck behind. Plus, the comfortable, ergonomic handle offers a secure grip when cooking and arches upward for maximum leverage.
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With the new Vermicular Egg & Toast Pan, you can make rolled Japanese omelets at home, plus grilled cheese, French toast and more. |
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 This art of Japanese omelet making comes home with Vermicular’s Egg and Toast Pan. At just 1.5 millimeters, this enameled egg pan (known as a makiyakinabe) is super thin and weighs under 2 pounds. Designed in Japan, it features a heat-resistant enameled surface that distributes heat evenly, cuts down preheating times and evaporates excess moisture in as little as three seconds. This means that omelets—plus grilled cheeses, French toasts, hash browns, bacon, asparagus, you name it—will cook through fast and evenly, and only need one quick flip on the pan before plating. You’ll get the desirable nonstick and cleaning benefits of enameled cast iron, too. Food slides right out of the pan, thanks to the front side’s curved “shovel” shape. The Egg and Toast Pan also comes with a stainless steel lid equipped with an easy-to-grab, self-standing handle that keeps the lid clean and your countertop dry. Plus, it traps in heat to melt cheese on eggs or toast (you can build the ultimate breakfast sandwich) and cook through thick sausages. You can also toast spices, nuts and seeds; the lid prevents them from flying all over the stovetop when shaking the pan for even toasting. Sold with a sleek oak or walnut handle, which always stay cool to the touch.
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Our Ulu knife now comes with a handmade leather knife sheath. |
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 When we need a blade that makes quick work of chopping, mincing and slicing, we turn to the ulu knife—a rocker knife with ties to the cultures of the Arctic dating back 5,000 years. Our version, designed exclusively for Milk Street by Massachusetts-based New England Knives, features a smooth, comfortable walnut handle and a rust-resistant blade made from high-carbon steel. We just just received a shipment of our all-new handmade leather knife sheath, which is exclusively designed to snugly fit over our ulu—preventing the swooping blade from dulling or any accidents in storage. (It’s also a perfect fit for our bench scraper.) After using the ulu to mince woody herbs, chop nuts, slice veggies or scoop and transfer ingredients, simply place it in the sheath and snap the fastening strap closed. You’ll never worry about nicking your fingers or chipping the curved edge in a crowded drawer again. It’s also great device for when you need to bring a blade on the road. Each sheath is hand-pressed with a small steel die to reveal our “177” logo on the front. How neat.
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This mortar and pestle is the perfect gift for the serious cook. |
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 Holcomb’s granite Perch Mortar and Pestle has an architectural ash wood base, which allows any home cook to adjust the angle to find a position that’s comfortable. (And this works whether you’re left- or right-handed.) When you tilt the mortar where you want it, you’ll get more grinding power and faster results, especially with the inner ridged rings that add even more traction. As for the pestle, the long, uniform shape lets you choke up for extra leverage or opt for a more relaxed hold higher up. I reduced whole peppercorns and other spices to dust and ground up curry, ginger and lemongrass paste with less effort than I’d usually need with similar tools. The wide, deep shape is ideal for emulsifying olive oil into pesto, mashing up avocados for guacamole and grinding chilies and tomatoes for salsa. Other design perks include: 1) non-slip silicone feet that hold the Perch steady while you work and provide noise-dampening insulation and 2) a dedicated pestle holder, so you can safely set it down when adding more ingredients. No more runaway pestles rolling off the counter and onto the floor!
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I have problems with most measuring cups from markings that fade in the dishwasher to being hard to pour or being too wide so that the measurements are inexact. The solution is Genicook’s Measuring Cups. |
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 Made from borosilicate glass, the same material as science beakers, these high temperature-resistant cups are less likely to crack, chip or scratch. And they’re naturally odor- and stain-resistant. Tall and equipped with sturdy handles, each cup stores away easily (unlike some wide-mouthed options on the market), while high walls keep ingredients contained—even when whisking or stirring. The V-shaped spouts on all three sides make for smoother, more comfortable pouring without any splatter, and the featherlight weight makes for easy pouring without any hand fatigue from heft. Their diameter and height means that measuring is more accurate, every time. Sold in individual sizes of 1-cup, 2-cup and 4-cup capacities or a set of all three.
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Last call on the best-selling small Hasegawa cutting board. |
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 Japanese company Hasegawa makes the best cutting board in the world and we have less than 30 of the smaller black model. The Hasegawa Pro PE Lite has a wood core that keeps the board sturdy at a much lighter weight, especially when compared with a plastic board. This version is dishwasher-safe and built to withstand high-temperature washing without warping or bending. I also love the black color because it shows off whatever’s on it.
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Kind regards,
Christopher Kimball
Founder, Milk Street
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