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Which kitchen gizmos actually work and are worth buying

Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker

This British chef’s gadget appears silly, but performs seriously.

By Lisa McManus | June 27, 2011

flavourshaker

The Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker is something the test kitchen was skeptical about, but as soon as we tried it we were sold.

It looks like a Russian nesting doll, and it works like an enclosed mortar and pestle. You use it to blend salad dressings, crush spices, and mix marinades. Just unscrew the shaker in the middle, throw in some garlic, oil, vinegar and herbs, and toss in the hard little ceramic ball. This is like a very heavy little ping-pong ball that bashes around and mixes everything up as you shake.

It’s very fast, and fun to use. My kids love it. The Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker costs about $30.

What are other favorite well-performing gadgets that are also a blast to use?

About the Author: Lisa McManus

Lisa McManus is senior editor in charge of all equipment testing and ingredient tasting stories at Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, and writes testing and tasting features for Cook’s Illustrated. She joined America’s Test Kitchen in 2006, after working as a newspaper food editor, and magazine and newspaper journalist for many years in Boston, New York, and California. She is a graduate of Brown University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her husband, Hugh, is a rocket scientist, and they have two sons.

Full Bio | Other Posts by Lisa McManus

One Comment

  • July 25, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    i had this for a couple of years now.. the gasket gets warped and wont make a good seal and the spices always sticks around the ball. what am i doing wrong?

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