Silvermark kitchen products – review
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When Tyna and I were developing we heart this and our eat, drink, be merry section was in it’s early stages, we knew in addition to recipes and our beloved cocktail of the month, we wanted to bring readers reviews of the best kitchen products around. One company, and specifically one product came immediately to mind; Silvermark and their cornerstone product The Toss and Chop. I’ve wanted this since it’s introduction in 2002. Even before it had a spot on the coveted “O List”. Well Oprah, it now has a spot on the “wht list”, because I can honestly say, I heart this!!
I was pleased to learn the Toss & Chop was developed by a couple. Wendy Silver, a stay-at-home mother of two, wanted to recreate a chopped salad that she had eaten in Manhattan restaurant. She soon discovered just how time consuming they are to prepare at home. I can relate, I love chopped salads, but after making one at home, I quickly decided this would be a restaurant only treat. (Seriously, who has time for all that chopping?!) Wendy sketched the device that would become the Toss & Chop, which allows all the ingredients to be put uncut, right into the bowl, then mixes and chops everything at the same time. After sharing the vision with her husband Michael, he resigned from his position at a major cosmetics company, and a legendary kitchen product was born!
Luckily for us, the couple realized they had a knack for kitchen gadgets and now there is a whole line of items that make your time in the kitchen not only shorter, but more enjoyable. And I really appreciate that most items are available in bright, fun colors (along with the standard grey and black). Wendy sent us a few of Silvermark’s best sellers to review…
Of course, we received the Toss and Chop (which I promptly snagged!) This is the single coolest kitchen tool I have ever used. Imagine a pair of scissors with 4 curved blades and a small scoop attached to the bottom. Now throw whatever items you desire into a large salad bowl (check out their recipes if you need ideas) and chop away. A chopped salad is minutes away. Not to mention homemade baby food, chicken salad and pasta sauce. You really won’t believe how amazing this is!
The Herb Snips are a versatile kitchen tool for fine cutting jobs. Specially designed for snipping and mincing herbs, scallions and other delicate foods. Complete with a stripping feature that allows you to take leaves from stems in seconds flat. We got these in their brand new bright fuchsia.
The Microfiber Salad Dryer Bag has a cult like following amongst foodies. Simply place washed produce in the bag and refrigerate. The microfiber material absorbs excess water and helps keep produce fresh. And, a heck of a lot more space saving in the fridge that your salad spinner.
I predict a purchase of a Resin Coated Santoku Knife in my near future. A heavy gauge, high-carbon, hollow ground stainless steel blade, that is coated with a non-stick material that prevents food from sticking. Available in different sizes and a rainbow of bright colors, all the knives come with protective sheaths and are really reasonably priced for such a high quality knife.
And last but not least, a Folding Cutting Board made of durable polypropylene that won’t dull knives. Sold in 2 sizes, this gives those with small kitchens more compact storage, and these clever cutting boards allow neater transfer of food to the pan or bowl by folding into a chute.
Review Team: let us know which Silvermark item you were lucky to receive and if it’s been added to your own must-have list!
OMG. I have to find a way to get on this “tester” list because I LOVE kitchen products and cooking and stuff. You can ask your Mom, Stef. I’m a gadget guru and love to try out ways to make cooking easier.
I was the very lucky receipiant of the Silvermark Folding Cutting Board. While I don’t have a small kitchen, it’s not laid out very well and I have very little counter space. The smart gals at WHT knew I’d find this space saver useful. Not only is it great for a small kitchen but it’s also great for travel. If you have ever rented a beach house or cabin for the summer that has a “fully loaded” kitchen you never know what you’re going to get. A cutting board is one of those things that just screams germs to me, I’m a bit of a germaphobe. The thought of using an old cutting board in a house that may or may not have been cleaned after the last tenants left almost makes me never want to rent again. Now thanks to my new Silvermark I won’t have to lug my big one on trips anymore! It’s also very durable and easily washable! I also must confess that after receiving this product I went on the website to find other things that I would heart. I purchased the Microfiber Salad Drying Bag. As you all know I have bunnies and my buns eat fresh greens. Of course the snobs that they are they prefer Organic. I’ve found Organic produce has a much shorter shelf life and on some occasions I would be throwing away pricey greens within a few days of purchase. No longer! This little bag has extended the life of my dandelioin and kale to 5-7 days. This is not only great for my bank account but keeps my buns happy too!
I received the Resin Coated Santoku Knife. Let me preface my review by saying that I love to cook, but weirdly, I’m not a gadget/tool person. I’ve always thought that I should just never buy really great kitchen tools because I figure that they’re expensive and then I’ll get used to wanting kitchen items of a certain caliber, so if I just use what I have, I’ll never know what I’m missing (I realize it’s convoluted logic). For years, I’ve been using steak knives as my regular food prep knives. I didn’t truly realize what I’ve been missing out on until I used the Santoku Knife. The first thing I did was use it to slice a bagette to make appetizers. When it didn’t smush, shred, and flatten the bread I was a bit confused. What? OMG, this knife can slice bread into see-through, paper-thin slices without damaging the bread. What kind of magic is this???? It slices through tomato like butter and doesn’t send seeds squirting at me like projectiles? How can this be??? It trims the fat off meat with zero effort or struggle and is actually easier than my friend, the kitchen shears. Say what?!?
I now refer to the dark ages of using steak knives for food prep as “B.S.K” (Before Santoku Knife). I am now spoiled and don’t know why I spent all these years without a quality knife. Especially since the price tag for the Santoku knife is a mere $12.99. If you knew how much easier it made slicing and dicing, you would know that the price is a bargain.
I am now coveting the Toss and Chop. The Summer is the season for salads around my household and that little gadget looks like it’ll make my life a whole lot easier.
Is it weird that I’m excited about making salads JUST because of a gadget?
The Santoku knife is indeed a wonderful tool. It stays sharp and cuts through virtually anything. This has become my go-to knife in the kitchen. From a value perspective, it is by far one of the best investments you can make in your kitchen.
I tested out the Herb Snips. I love them because they’re pink and second but really should be the first reason they work great! I used them to cut up chives first, which i used to do with my other sissors and almost always cut off the tip of my finger because of the length of normal scissors. These are shorter with a much pointier tip for precision. The handle is like a rubber so the grip is really good even if your hands are wet. I’m also going to comment on the Santoku Knife. I actually received one last year for christmas. One of the best knives ever! Mine was a little serated. It cut tomatos like butter! Bread with ease without squishing it. The holder it comes in is great because you never misplace it! Krista i can’t believe you’ve been using a regular kitchen knife for prep! Using this knife must be like a whole new world for you. A great knife makes all the difference and now with all these great lines coming out you can buy one for a great $! Next on my list is the Toss and Chop! All i can say is WOW! that thing sounds amazing!
Ahhh, I want those Toss & Chop scissors so bad! I love, love, love chopped salads, but never make my own, due to the amount of time and effort it involves. I saw that they have a great gift set on the Silvermark site where you can get the Toss&Chop and a recipe book for only $25 – I am totally ordering this for summer!
I received the Microfiber Salad Dryer Bag for testing. I am already a firm believer that careful storage can add days and days of life to your greens. My issue was that my standard (one of those spin containers) was SO Large – it took up way too much space in my refrigerator. I live in a two person household, so I can’t imagine how much valuable real estate one of those spinners would occupy in a family home. Anyway, my new and better routine is to rinse and spin my greens and than store them in my handy Salad Dryer Bag
that fits neatly into my crisper bins. Not only do I save so much space, I also noticed my greens last longer and in a better state then before. They stay green and crisp in the little bag. I think the bag helps so much because it absorbs all of the excess water, so your lettuce does not turn mushy. Salad lovers will really love this bag!
I’m glad I’m making you all covet the Toss and Chop, it’s very covet worthy! I found that I like to use 2 bowls, one for lettuce, one for chunky stuff like tomatoes and cucumbers. I just found on the first few uses, chopping chunky stuff has a different feel than the flat stuff. I’m sure with more practice I could probably only use one bowl.
This is a really amazing tool, you’ll be amazed how quickly it works and how fine you can dice your veggies. I love use super sharp scissors in cooking anyway, so this is like 2 scissors at once!
For those of you with dishwashers, it’s worth noting that they are dishwasher safe too. I’m a hand washer, but I know that matters to people.
Bronwen—I can’t believe I used a regular knife, either. I am a savage. *hangs head in shame*
I discovered the toss and chop scissors about a year ago and have been in love ever since. I even bought a pair for both my mom and my mother-in-law for mother’s day. These make excellent gifts. I actually got mine at Williams-Sonoma, so if you have a store near you run and get these soon…you won’t regret it! My mom got me the salad bag and I also love it. Your lettuce really does stay fresh longer. I LOVE cooking and LOVE kitchen gadgets. Sometimes things I buy sit there unused, but all my Silvermark products get lots of love!
Wow, these all sound fabulous. The santoku knives and Toss and chop scissors sound especially great.
All these glowing reviews. I’m going to have to do some kitchen shopping now! :)
I bet that microfiber drying bag would be such a find! It’s such a pain and wasteful to use paper towels to clean your lettuce but I bet the micro-fiber really speeds it up!
That microfiber drying bag needs to be mine! I waste so much letuce it’s horrible. This would really help save me money!
What is the best way to find the product I am looking for ?
Kaitlyn, you can buy directly from their website. The site also has a list of stores that carry the items.
You can link to it directly from the post (anything in orange on we heart this is a link)