Gadgets

[KeirasMom]

What's your favorite gadget and why?

I'm a sucker for kitchen gadgets and have no idea why. I don't cook! I'm looking at the Yonanas machine now. I don't like ice cream either.

I have a large crock pot, but am thinking of getting a smaller one just for oat groats. I am also looking at a Keurig. Have I mentioned, I have a tiny kitchen with very little counter space? I'm insane!

Which gadgets have made your life better, and which could you do without?

[sterlinggirl]

Well i love my Egg slicer.. its so easy to make egg salad once ya slice and dice the eggs...Thats the only gadget i could think of that i use like alot.. oh i love the K Cup for coffee thats great too .. its soo fast and fresh to brew one cup at a time

[gotsomeold]

Coffee maker

[Scotty]

Oh, dear...

I do cook and have a LOT of trouble saying no to kitchen things. My husband says I have every gadget known to man, and he is not far from wrong.

Favorite? I love my wine bottle opener-the rabbit, I think they call it. Once I finally figured out how to use it I fell in love. Also, the foil cutter. Simple, but so handy. Hmmm, I think I am beginning to see a pattern here...

I love love love my microplane. Being a frugal Yankee, I didn't get it for the longest time, it costing $12.99 and all. Got it in my stocking and what a great thing it is!

They're not really gadgets, but every penny was well spent on my Cuisinart large capacity, and my Kitchenaid mixer.

I'm sure I could think of more...

[SummerAnne]

I absolutely love my mandolin. I don't know how I ever lived with out it! It makes the most perfect even super thin slices of cucumber - the only way I like it is super thin, and I could never slice it right freehand.

Second most used is my food processor. I toss chicken breasts in it to shred superfine for for chicken salad. I'll even toss cooked ground beef in it when making taco meat to make it more the consistency of taco bell's meat, I don't like the ground beef to be chunky.

I want a microplane. I have this zesting tool that has four holes but I think it would be much easier to drag the fruit across a microplane then try to hold the fruit and use this piece of junk.

[b_lou_who]

zoku popsicle maker! new fave, pressure cooker, crockpot with 3 sizes of crocks (LOVE and use almost daily), magic bullet, big food processor, french press and stovetop espresso maker, electric kettle, fabulous potbellied tea pots, are really good knives a gadget?, microplanes for zest cheese nutmeg and chocolate, oxo handheld mandolin, kitchenaid stand mixer, stainless stick blender for soups, and mason jars, black iron dutch for popcorn, allclad pans

[Joyjoy]

I want a mandolin. I love our Vitamix blender. You could grind your dining room table in it. And although I love cappuccino, I am not in love with my lovely man's espresso grinder, which sounds like a shop vac and takes up almost as much room in the kitchen.

[laceylady]

I was telling DH this morning that I need to get a shelf just for my electronics... last week I bought a portable table-top ice maker which is wonderful; love my Keurig; recently got a toaster oven that we use a LOT; gotta have the microwave; looking forward to using the blender and/or smoothie maker since we now have the ice maker; have the table-top rotisserie that makes WONDERFUL chicken... DH loves his electric wine-bottle-opener (best Christmas gift EVER in his mind!)... we need a bigger kitchen or somewhere to store, but have readily accessible, all of these wonderful things! I also must agree with the egg slicer -- great for chopping eggs for potato salad!!

[b_lou_who]

left out the babycakes maker! love that ridiculous little gadget
and all things kitchen and foodie.
also adore my silicone cupcake papers shaped like teacups with saucers

[KeirasMom]

Originally Posted by b_lou_who

zoku popsicle maker! new fave, pressure cooker, crockpot with 3 sizes of crocks (LOVE and use almost daily), magic bullet, big food processor, french press and stovetop espresso maker, electric kettle, fabulous potbellied tea pots, are really good knives a gadget?, microplanes for zest cheese nutmeg and chocolate, oxo handheld mandolin, kitchenaid stand mixer, stainless stick blender for soups, and mason jars, black iron dutch for popcorn, allclad pans

You definitely have me beat! The zoku popsicle maker was something I looked at and thought I'd use once and then never again. Keira's 7, though, so I may still get it. And the babycakes maker! Oh dear lord. What a great idea for portion control!!

Originally Posted by laceylady

I was telling DH this morning that I need to get a shelf just for my electronics... last week I bought a portable table-top ice maker which is wonderful; love my Keurig; recently got a toaster oven that we use a LOT; gotta have the microwave; looking forward to using the blender and/or smoothie maker since we now have the ice maker; have the table-top rotisserie that makes WONDERFUL chicken... DH loves his electric wine-bottle-opener (best Christmas gift EVER in his mind!)... we need a bigger kitchen or somewhere to store, but have readily accessible, all of these wonderful things! I also must agree with the egg slicer -- great for chopping eggs for potato salad!!

Portable, table-top ice maker?? Wherever did you find one of those, and is it horribly expensive? We have an ice maker in our fridge, but when we moved, there's no water line we can hook up to easily. The only spot for the fridge is clear across the kitchen from the sink. I'd LOVE to have ice again without dealing with trays in and out of the freezer!

[Tag425]

I would like to know this also as I have the same problem with the freezer/water hook up.

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by Joyjoy

I love our Vitamix blender. You could grind your dining room table in it.

My favorite appliance gadget is my stick blender.

My "deluxe" George Foreman grill which also functions as an electric frying pan and waffle iron gets a lot of use, as well as the popcorn popper & crock pot.

I use my coffee grinder for spices--esp. fresh garam masala.

Unfortunately all the electrical sockets on one side of my house stopped working a few months ago. I had to run an extension cord from the bathroom into the "kitchen" (tiniest darn thing, I'm not sure it deserves the name) to work the toaster & grill.

So I no longer can use a microwave.
And while I've never had a "real" oven in this house, I did have a convection oven that was big enough to hold a pie pan or 9"x13" casserole/cake pan/cookie sheet. Now I have a tiny toaster oven that SOMETIMES works for 2 minutes before tripping a breaker.

My favorite non-electric gadgets & tools:
--silicone mats, cupcake molds, & candy/ice cube molds
--zester, microplane, good graters & peelers
--molcajete y tejolote (mortar & pestle made from volcanic rock)
--tortilla press
--bamboo steamer
--double boiler
--candy thermometer
--canning funnel
--heavy-duty muddler (works for guacamole, hummus, mixing peanut butter & tahini)
--pastry cutter: I use it as an egg slicer!
--chopsticks for stir-frying/using as tongs
--mini-anything: spatulas, whisks, tongs, ladles

Freezer tape & parchment paper are also very important to me.

I **want** a vegetable spiralizer doohickey!!!
I have to stay out of the kitchen sections of stores, because almost everything looks useful and/or adorable!!!

I have a lot of things I don't often use because of the space/electrical issues in my house.
--ice cream maker
--Zojirushi hot pot
--coffee percolater/tea & wine warmer with GLASS interior (so sad I can't plug this in somewhere!!!)
--"Stir Crazy" popcorn maker; also good for roasting/candying nuts
--mini-donut baker
--a normal blender!!!

[laceylady]

Originally Posted by KeirasMom

Portable, table-top ice maker?? Wherever did you find one of those, and is it horribly expensive? We have an ice maker in our fridge, but when we moved, there's no water line we can hook up to easily. The only spot for the fridge is clear across the kitchen from the sink. I'd LOVE to have ice again without dealing with trays in and out of the freezer!

I got my "Magic Chef" at Kohl's -- it was on sale for $179 or so, but I had a 30% off coupon so I saved $57(!), got two $10 Kohl's cash, and since it wasn't in stock, they had it delivered to my front door with free shipping! It's about the same size as a bread maker, makes 2 sizes of "cubes", and so far I'm quite pleased.

[krow134]

Originally Posted by KeirasMom

What's your favorite gadget and why?

I'm a sucker for kitchen gadgets and have no idea why. I don't cook! I'm looking at the Yonanas machine now. I don't like ice cream either.

I have a large crock pot, but am thinking of getting a smaller one just for oat groats. I am also looking at a Keurig. Have I mentioned, I have a tiny kitchen with very little counter space? I'm insane!

Which gadgets have made your life better, and which could you do without?

I dont really have a gadget that I use. I do have my rachael ray pots and pans, and utensils that I LOVE!!!!! I cant live without those. I am a knife and chopping board and do it myself kinda person.

Oh be careful when you buy your keurig. I wanted one so bad, saved my extra money each week. Bought the limited edition one and returned it 3 times before I asked for my money back from the store. The keurig and well water dont mix well, it clogs it and pretty much kills the coffee machine. It would work for a few weeks then just quit brewing. I even bought a filter system to filter the water before using it in the keurig, bought bottled water.....just wouldnt work for me!!! Its sad I miss it, it was so nice just making that one cup instead of half a pot of coffee each time.

[stargazer]

My Dutch Oven.

A huge witches's cauldron thing in black cast iron. You can use it outside to cook on a fire, in the oven to cook crusty bread, on the stove top to make family sized casseroles and curries. The thick wide base fries off meat beautifully.

They are half the price of Le Creuset and twice as good and make your kitchen look olde worlde.

Taking ours camping this summer.

[tobelowcarber]

My essential kitchen gadgets:

meat grinder
spice grinder
food processor
pressure cooker
stick blender
microplane grater
ice cream maker
candy thermometer
yogurt maker

I am thinking of getting vitamix if I can convience my DH that is worth spending $$$ on it

[Henush]

Stick blender, hands down. I have 3 of them!

[Joyjoy]

Hahahahahaha! I just googled "stick blender" after so many of your references. Had no idea what it was. And I find out it's what we call our whizzer. Love the whizzer. I should have figured that one out.

[buttoni]

I know you'll probably laugh when I tell you my favorite gadget was free. When we bought this house, there was a 7x10" sheet of stiff aluminum on the mantle with two slits on one side (think it's something to block the intake on our fireplace heatilator that we never use). I enlarged the slits for hanging by the stove and have used it now for 10 years to scoop up (in one motion) all the veggies and stuff I chop on my 3'x3' chop block by my stove. In one scoop, I can gather 2-3 cups of chopped food and dump it right into my skillet. The commercial scoops you can buy aren't that big. That piece of metal is even handier than my food processor, as I use it preparing nearly every meal!

[zipp2play]

Originally Posted by laceylady

I was telling DH this morning that I need to get a shelf just for my electronics... last week I bought a portable table-top ice maker which is wonderful; love my Keurig; recently got a toaster oven that we use a LOT; gotta have the microwave; looking forward to using the blender and/or smoothie maker since we now have the ice maker; have the table-top rotisserie that makes WONDERFUL chicken... DH loves his electric wine-bottle-opener (best Christmas gift EVER in his mind!)... we need a bigger kitchen or somewhere to store, but have readily accessible, all of these wonderful things! I also must agree with the egg slicer -- great for chopping eggs for potato salad!!

What brand is your Table Top Ice Maker???? Oh and also brank of electric wine bottle opener???

[zipp2play]

Originally Posted by laceylady

I got my "Magic Chef" at Kohl's -- it was on sale for $179 or so, but I had a 30% off coupon so I saved $57(!), got two $10 Kohl's cash, and since it wasn't in stock, they had it delivered to my front door with free shipping! It's about the same size as a bread maker, makes 2 sizes of "cubes", and so far I'm quite pleased.

OOPS sorry I just saw your answer! I MUST HAVE THIS!!!!!!!

[zipp2play]

I found this Magic Chef Ice Maker at Walmart (Online) for $129. I am so going to order this up!

[WildIrishRose]

I too love all things "kitchen", I do cook a lot though!

I recently broke down and bought a Vitamix......I am in love!!! I have used it every day sometimes twice a day since I got it!!

The other kitchen item that you could not pry out of my cold dead hands! LOl is my keurig coffee maker....I am the only one in the house that drinks coffee so it is perfect for me.

[Acor]

My Nespresso CitiZ espresso maker. Small footprint, easy to use and clean (pod system), and truly makes awesome European-style espresso and lungo. I use it more than any other appliance I own.

[KeirasMom]

Originally Posted by Acor

My Nespresso CitiZ espresso maker. Small footprint, easy to use and clean (pod system), and truly makes awesome European-style espresso and lungo. I use it more than any other appliance I own.

Oooh, that's pretty!

[Scotty]

Funny-I've had a Vitamix for 20 years, and I think I've used it twice...

[theredhead]

I cook much more than I used to, and I absolutely LOVE kitchen gadgets, but after seeing what all you use, I think I don't cook much, after all, lol. I do really love my hand-held blender, my Ninja, and my Pampered Chef hand chopper. I actually bought an egg slicer, but forgot to use it yet. (Thanks for the reminder, Kissa!)

It's not a gadget, but I really love non-stick aluminum foil. I use it to line my springform pan with before I put cheesecake batter in it. It's a lot easier to handle than parchment paper. It's perfect to bake Almond Cracker on, too.

[leonak]

Wow! Would you beleive I had to Google most of the "things" to even find out what they were!

I do cook too!

[KeirasMom]

Originally Posted by theredhead

I cook much more than I used to, and I absolutely LOVE kitchen gadgets, but after seeing what all you use, I think I don't cook much, after all, lol. I do really love my hand-held blender, my Ninja, and my Pampered Chef hand chopper. I actually bought an egg slicer, but forgot to use it yet. (Thanks for the reminder, Kissa!)

It's not a gadget, but I really love non-stick aluminum foil. I use it to line my springform pan with before I put cheesecake batter in it. It's a lot easier to handle than parchment paper. It's perfect to bake Almond Cracker on, too.

Ooh, this reminds me how much I love my Pampered Chef garlic press, and the wet/dry measuring cup thingie I got from PC as well!

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by buttoni

I know you'll probably laugh when I tell you my favorite gadget was free. When we bought this house, there was a 7x10" sheet of stiff aluminum on the mantle with two slits on one side (think it's something to block the intake on our fireplace heatilator that we never use). I enlarged the slits for hanging by the stove and have used it now for 10 years to scoop up (in one motion) all the veggies and stuff I chop on my 3'x3' chop block by my stove. In one scoop, I can gather 2-3 cups of chopped food and dump it right into my skillet. The commercial scoops you can buy aren't that big. That piece of metal is even handier than my food processor, as I use it preparing nearly every meal!

Oh, I love those "scoops"!!! (aka bench knife/dough scraper)
I made myself a cheap-o one with 1/4 of an old flexible plastic cutting mat!
Nice "recycling", buttoni!!!