Tool Takedown: Game Day Party Prep Edition | The Kitchen: Food Network

It’s time for another Tool Takedown, and this time the theme is Game Day Party Prep. These tools claim to help with shrimp cocktail, crudité and pulled pork prep. As always, we go head-to-head in a match-up of the latest kitchen tools and gadgets vs. the traditional culinary method. We judge the products by these 3 criteria: do they save time, do they make prep easier and do they deliver quality results?

This tool takes on the messy job of peeling, deveining and butterflying shrimp, all in one gadget. Insert the tool right below the top of the shrimp shell, then pull through the shrimp until the peel and head come off. There is a small blade that butterflies and removes the vein, while the larger piece removes the peel (and the head if desired). While the tool is small and made of stainless-steel, it takes some practice to get the hang of it. Team traditional took the win in this round, but the hosts agreed that if you had a large quantity of shrimp to clean, this tool would be a great pick.

This tool comes in handy for crudité platter prep. It consists of 2 pieces: a tube with a v-shaped stainless-steel blade inside, and a plunger that fits inside the tube to push your veggies through. Place the veggies inside the tube, place the plunger on top and push down to move the veggies down the tube and cut them. A downside to this tool is that you still need a knife to cut down larger veggies like cucumbers and carrots in order for them to fit inside the tool, but it works and is efficient.

This tool went neck and neck against a kitchen knife (the traditional method), but team traditional took the win again.

This tool is the perfect match for any fan of pulled pork. The dishwasher-safe tool shreds braised meat into pulled perfection in a matter of seconds, and it couldn’t be easier to use. You simply place cooked meat inside, cover with the lid and, holding the handles, rotate halfway several times. This tool actually beat the traditional method in speed, but the hosts agreed that they preferred the quality of the fork-shredded pork with the traditional method. If you’re cooking pulled pork or chicken tacos, nachos or enchiladas for a crowd on game day, consider this tool.