Top 9 Tools For The Super Bowl (Slideshow)

Grab one of those $3.99 numbers. Until you have a sharp one, peeling will always seem like a prison job.

Grabbing, holding, and pushing are penalties in most sports, but not in the kitchen stadium. Tongs are like handy friends: go for stainless steel with silicone tips.

If you're still using store-bought pre-ground pepper, it's time to man up and grind your own. It's a game-changer.

A versatile, hand-held gizmo used to grate fresh cheese, lemon peel, or nutmeg. Best to avoid your fingers, though, as they leave a distinct aftertaste.

It must be stainless steel. Your sauces should be as smooth as you are, lover boy. Now beat it.

Why worry about undercooked, salmonella chicken or overdone, dried-out roasts? Just stick this little scorekeeper in your beef or bird and you'll know precisely where you stand between well done and rare.

Seems obvious, right? Try the offset variety, cantilevered from the handle, making it particularly easy to manipulate inside a curved pan. Or splurge on a flexible one if you plan to cook a lot of fish.

Sure, you'll need a colander to drain your pasta, but a small, fine mesh strainer very often comes in handy for more than just cleaning marijuana.

Some jobs simply call for a power tool. This is the one you'll want for sauces, soups, dressings, and, most importantly, killer frozen margaritas.