Mother's Day

Erin McMurrer’s Top Five Mother’s Day Gifts

These tools may be basic, but having quality versions of them will make anyone’s time spent in the kitchen more enjoyable.

By America's Test Kitchen | May 11, 2017

In anticipation of Mother’s Day, we decided to celebrate mothers all week at America’s Test Kitchen. Today, test kitchen director and America’s Test Kitchen TV cast member Erin McMurrer lists some of her favorite basic but essential kitchen gear.

“These are all basic kitchen items that most people have, but more often than not, the ones that folks have in their kitchens are hand-me-downs, old, and only partially effective,” says Erin. “Receiving each one of these as a gift pretty much guarantees that a mom's time in the kitchen will be much more efficient and enjoyable!”

Erin's Top-5 Mother's Day Gifts

1. Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons: I love these because their oval shape ensures that they will fit into even the smallest jar. [Read Our Review | Buy on Amazon]
2. Bee House Salt Box Salt Storage Container: This is fabulous to hold your salt in—it's cute, practical, covers the salt to keep it dust free when not using, and it makes the salt easy to access! [Read Our Review | Buy on Amazon]
3. Portion Scoop by OXO Good Grips: If you bake cookies often, and if you portion your cookies using measuring spoons or cups, this will change your life. This portion scoop helps with consistency, saves time portioning, and makes any task a breeze. (Also great for portioning meatballs, scooping muffin and cupcake batter, etc.) [Read Our Review | Buy on Amazon]
4. Bragard Travail Bib Apron: Most people have random aprons at home, and most don't give you full coverage from splatter like this winning apron gives to you. [Read Our Review | Buy on Amazon]
5. Kitchen Shears by Kershaw/Shun: Many people don't even have kitchen shears. Instead, they might use scissors (this isn't the most sanitary practice) or a knife for tasks better suited to shears. Once you have a good pair of kitchen shears in your world, you will be very happy—they're sturdy, and they make breaking down chicken or turkey effortless. The blades separate for easy cleaning, and they have a lifetime guarantee. [Read Our Review | Buy on Amazon]