The Simple $10 Kitchen Tool That Changed My Cooking Game for Good
Fact: Not all kitchen utensils are created equal. I discovered that when I bought a $2 basting brush from a discount bin at my local grocery store a few years ago. It had a wooden handle, plastic bristles and was terrible at its job. A few days in, the handle snapped, and for weeks I gripped the portion just above the bristles to unevenly slather marinades (the smell refused to leave the bristles!) or apply butter to a baking dish. Within a month of its arrival, the hard-to-clean brush was tossed in the bin, and I eventually replaced it with OXO’s Silicone Basting Brush. And readers, it’s been a total game-changer!
Sure, there may be cheaper alternatives out there, but OXO’s basting brush is like the Ferrari of basting brushes, in it for the long haul. I have had mine for years and it still looks as good as new. The 10.7-inch long handle is ergonomically designed for incredibly easy gripping and features an angled tip that keeps marinade-coated bristles off my countertop when set down. A hole at the back of the brush lets me hang it on a hook (or in my case, these Command hooks) near my prep counter for easy access.
But it’s the silicone bristles that really make this basting brush so special. For starters, they’re layered to prevent clumping and have gaps in the center to retain liquid or sauces. This makes a huge difference when I’m trying to transfer sauces or glazes without creating a mess. It also helps with more delicate baking tasks, like applying egg wash to seal pastry dough or brushing milk on a bread loaf for that tender, golden crust. The bristles are also soft and flexible, picking up every last drop from a bowl. Once I’m done, I simply pop the brush in my dishwasher for easy cleaning.
The brush is heat resistant up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which is useful if, like me, you only remember to coat your veggies in olive oil after they’ve been roasting in the oven for over 10 minutes. The heat-resistant design also makes this tool a must-have for all my grilling sessions and pretty much all of my everyday cooking.
Honestly, I never thought something as simple as a basting brush can make such a huge difference in the kitchen, but upgrading to OXO has changed my cooking game for good.
Buy: OXO Good Grips Silicone Basting, $10 (normally $13)
This post originally appeared on Kitchn. See it here: This Simple $10 Kitchen Tool Changed My Cooking Game for Good