The Finest Spice Toaster of 2024

I’m not a gadget individual. As a cussed and intensely skeptical particular person, my intestine response is to imagine they’re all simply gimmicks. However I do often relent after I spy a instrument that appears prefer it simply is sensible. I am happy to say my instinct paid off after I purchased this stainless-steel spice toaster, which even has a locking lid.

What Is a Spice Toaster? 

This little aluminum skillet clocks in at simply over 4 inches in diameter and 10 inches lengthy and suits simply in my kitchen utensil drawer. It is designed for toasting sesame seeds for recipes like goma-ae, but it surely works simply as properly with complete spices and small nuts like pine nuts—the latter of which I’ve by no means not burned earlier than proudly owning this pan.

What units a spice toaster other than a skillet is its locking mesh display screen lid. It permits me to shake the spices across the pan frequently, which promotes even toasting with out shedding something over the sting. It’s tough to stir small spices in a giant skillet in order that they toast on all sides with out scorching on others. The spice toaster lid works equally to a splatter display screen, however as a substitute of containing oil, it retains the spices from popcorning throughout my stovetop as they warmth up. 

I spied this spice toaster at a neighborhood retailer, Umami Mart, and instantly knew I needed to have it. Being a faithful residence prepare dinner means I do know the place there are holes in my provide closet that I have to fill. So as a substitute of being an out-of-character impulse gadget buy, my assembly with this spice toaster was meant to be.

It has been a terrific buy, if for no different motive that I now not incinerate pine nuts. When you think about the price of these suckers, buying a spice toaster has actually saved me cash. I’ve additionally used it for home made garam masala, toasting nuts, and making dukkah.  

How Do You Use a Spice Toaster?

1. Unlock the lid from the deal with and open it. Add your complete spices or seeds, shut the lid, and safe the lock in place. 
2. Place the spice toaster on a burner over low to medium-low warmth. I like to recommend erring on the facet of warning and maintaining the warmth low.
3. Toast the spices, shaking the spice toaster always to stop scorching. You can even management the warmth by lifting it off of the burner as wanted and proceed toasting with simply the residual warmth of the pan. 
4. Proceed shaking and cooking the spices till aromatic and/or visibly toasted to the specified shade. The timing will depend upon the scale and form of the seeds or spices. Instantly take away from the warmth.

Execs

• It does its supposed job properly, toasting seeds and spices shortly and effectively.
• The light-weight stainless-steel conducts warmth very effectively. It’s straightforward to maneuver the pan on and off the warmth to react shortly to the toasting course of. 
• Its small footprint makes it straightforward to retailer.

Cons

• The smallest sesame seeds can escape the display screen in the event that they hit it at simply the proper angle. 
• The skinny aluminum lid can get bent off form simply in case you’ve bought it banging round a utensil drawer. Thankfully, you’ll be able to form it again into its correct alignment simply. 

FAQs

Do I want to make use of oil in a spice toaster?

Oil is just not crucial for toasting spices. The lid design is particularly for the fixed shaking of the pan, which eliminates the necessity for oil. The display screen retains the spices throughout the pan, however the holes aren’t sufficiently small to carry again oil splatters. You should use oil if desired, however maintain the warmth low to stop splatters. 

Are you able to toast floor spices in a spice toaster? 

Whereas the spice toaster can be utilized for floor spices, it really works greatest for toasting complete spices.

Are spice toasters dishwasher-safe?

This spice toaster is greatest cleaned by hand. The wood deal with wouldn’t fare properly by way of a visit by way of the dishwasher. But it surely’s tremendous easy to wash as a result of it’s sometimes simply used for dry toasting.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Meleyna Nomura is a meals author with over a decade of expertise growing recipes, testing cookware, evaluating cooking methods, rating gear, and cross-testing recipes for cookbook authors like Nik Sharma and Sara Forte. 
• She is extraordinarily skeptical and hype makes her grumpy, so if she likes one thing, there’s most likely motive for it.