This Unexpected Tool Is a Fall Essential, and It's On Sale

Cook and preserve your seasonal produce with total ease.

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From apples to tomatoes to potatoes, there are so many ingredients that come around when summer turns into fall. It's important to use that produce ASAP or preserve it for days or months to come. So grab the Hungry Artisan Ergonomic Food Mill to make both tasks easier.

This kitchen tool grinds or purees food without processing it too much, meaning it's perfect for fluffy mashed potatoes, smooth applesauce, and silky tomato sauce. And, as a bonus, this nifty tool is on sale for 36% off with a coupon at Amazon.

To buy: The Hungry Artisan Ergonomic Food Mill, $38 with coupon (originally $60) at amazon.com

Though it looks like a bowl or steamer (which you can use it for too), it does so much more than that. It has a handle to crank, along with a grinding disc at the bottom that helps break down ingredients without overprocessing them like a blender might. This is key for ingredients like potatoes that can get tough, or messy ingredients like tomatoes. It's as easy as adding the ingredient, and then just turning the handle — which has an ergonomic design that makes it smoothly glide around.

There's a ton of leeway with the consistency of your grind too, since you can switch out the milling disc on the bottom with three different sizes in fine, medium, or coarse. This is important if you want to filter out any seeds or skins as you grind fruit or potatoes. And, the mill has hooks that easily secure onto a bowl, that way you can grind anything right into what you're serving or storing it in for easy cleanup.

Shoppers say they use it for canning tomatoes, as well as making jams, applesauce, and mashed potatoes. "This one is well-made [and] easy to use and clean. It sits nicely on top of my bowls and pots, so I can mill my potatoes right in. If you operate it counter clockwise, it scrapes the skins off the bottom of the mill so you can easily take them out," one shopper wrote, adding that they should have bought one years ago.

Another reviewer touted that they love how big and sturdy it is, since you can fit a ton of ingredients in at once. One user said they've been making applesauce for years with a food mill, but this one is easy to put together and take apart for cleaning, is easier to crank than her old one, and is affordable too. From making smooth applesauce to your perfect potato-mash, you'll thank yourself for snapping up the Hungry Artisan Ergonomic Food Mill, especially since it's on sale for just $40 right now.