Some useful new'ish kitchen items

As you may have surmised, I love kitchen gadgets. But, I'm pretty strict about them- they must be well-made, must really work, must be relatively comfortable and easy to use and clean. Though I don't own one, the honey dipper, for example, does not fit this bill. I can't figure out why I wouldn't just use a spoon, especially as most traditional dippers are made of wood and thusly cannot go in the dishwasher. I don't want to spend more time cleaning honey out of those pesky little rings and grooves than I did using the actual honey. In Philly a few months back, I bought this pastry cutter because sometimes, forks and knives don't work that well and I don't always want to plunge my hands in buttery dough. I am quite pleased with this and the consistent cutting in of butter or shortening it facilitates. If you're in the market for one, consider the version with a padded handle; I rather wish I'd opted for it.

Another new find is this jar scraper. When your jam, mustard or whatever is getting low, it is often quite difficult to get out the last bits. This is critical if you really need the full amount for a recipe and were certain you had enough but actually almost don't, or if whatever's in the jar is really flipping good and you can't fathom the thought of wasting even a tiny bit. The bottom 80% of this spatula is nice and flexible, and I love the thin, elongated shape. I feel this will become a solid addition to my kitch.