These creative kitchen tools look like they make preparing food easier – but do they? Lim Hsiao Hui puts them to the test.

(L-R): Zevro Perfetto Pasta Cooker, Oxo Good Grip Corn Stripper, Microplane Herb Mill and Zyliss Classic Cheese Grater

ZEVRO PERFETTO PASTA COOKER
$22.90, from Tott in Singapore

It is hard to score al dente pasta with this. I followed the instructions to soak the pasta in boiling water in the canister for double the recommended cooking time on the pasta packaging. I also tried it with different timings, but the spaghetti turned out either too hard or sticky and limp. I got it right on my fifth attempt by trial and error. It’s also not for big batches of pasta – it cooks up to two servings at a time.

OXO GOOD GRIP CORN STRIPPER
$37.95, from Howards Storage World in Singapore

It strips kernels from the cob more cleanly than a knife would. A compartment holds up to two rows of kernels; turn it upside down to pour the kernels out. Washing up is fuss-free – there are no nooks to trap the corn in.

MICROPLANE HERB MILL
$61.80, from Tott in Singapore

Dry your fresh herbs thoroughly before mincing them in this mill and they’ll be well-chopped. It is near impossible to mill damp herbs – they get stuck to the blades and are hard to wash out.

Editor’s Rave: ZYLISS CLASSIC CHEESE GRATER
$35, from Lemon Zest in Singapore

Grating cheese is effortless with this. Just pop a block of cheese into the chamber, hold it in place with the clamp, and turn the handle to finely grate the cheese block down to the last bit. Washing up is a breeze – twist to dismantle, wash with soapy water and scrub the blades with a rough sponge.

(L-R): Daiso Banana slicer, Westmark Multi-purpose Slicer and Lex Living Silicone Lemon Lime Squeezer.
Product photography: Frenchescar Lim, Styling: Sherry Leung

Great Find: BANANA SLICER
$2, from Daiso in Singapore

Made of plastic, this is so safe and easy to use that even kids can slice bananas for their muesli or ice cream. All it takes is a push with a spoon for the banana slices to drop cleanly into the bowl.

WESTMARK MULTI-PURPOSE SLICER
$22, from Tott

I can slice ping pong-sized foods perfectly with it. Halving the foods makes it easier to slice them. The blades are incredibly sharp – I accidentally cut my finger while washing the slicer.

LEX LIVING SILICONE LEMON LIME SQUEEZER
$10.90, from Lemon Zest

The squeezer wraps half a lemon snugly but it doesn’t do anything more than filter the seeds and pulp.

This article was originally published in Simply Her Apr 2012.