Last Friday, I found a Reed’s Rocket nut cracker at an estate sale. It was hefty and seemed to be well-made, so I plunked down $2, hoping I’d finally found a nut cracker that wouldn’t disappoint me (I’ve tried a lot of nut crackers over the years, but none have been worth even the yard sale price that I paid for them).

This morning, my husband and I decided to put it through its paces.

We pulled out several different types of nuts, since it said it could handle pecans, English Walnuts, almonds, filberts and Brazil nuts.

First we tried it on pecans … It shelled a cups-worth in record time. And it left them whole.

Then, we tried it on English Walnuts. It handled those beautifully, too.

We also tried it on almonds, but my husband ate those before I got to take a picture.

Excited to have finally found something that works, I jumped online to see if this lovely contraption is still available today. And yep, it is! The latest model looks just like the old-school one that I bought – same design, and same steel construction mounted on a wood base.

If you’ve been struggling to find a good nut cracker, like I have, I highly recommend the Reed’s Rocket Nut Cracker. Nut season is still a few months off, but it would be well worth sticking this gadget on your wish list.

When you stay in a hotel, you probably snag the shampoo and maybe even the coffee and tea, but I’m betting you leave those shower caps behind. Not me. I take them home, and use them to cover bowls of leftovers. Just slide one over the top of a bowl, and pop the whole thing in the fridge. They stay on better than plastic wrap, and they’re easy to wash and reuse.