What's your favorite kitchen tool at the moment?

[maybelle]

I recently acquired a spiral slicer. Oh boy, have I been missing out! Zoodles! Heaven!

What's your favorite kitchen tool at the moment?

[baileygirl3]

I am not sure if this really counts as a tool, but my crockpot...our oven went out the other day and I did not realize how much I use it. I miss it terribly so I have been creative with my crockpot!

[Furi]

Not counting essentials (pots/pans, chef knife), probably my immersion blender. It whips cream, makes mayonnaise, protein shakes, soups, gravies, cocoa, etc and takes up almost no room/is super easy to clean

[SkeeterN]

I posted this in the recipe room.

I just figured out something terrific for me! I am the worlds biggest klutz and I have this wonderful mandolin slicer.



but I cut myself so bad last time I have been scared to try it again. I just watched a youtube video where the chef recommended Kevlar gloves. The pair of gloves he had on I knew we had in the garage. My son had gotten these when he worked at a local factory and I went outside in the garage and got them. They were so nasty but I thought soap and water here I come. I scrubbed these then threw them in my washer along with a load of towels. They aren't perfect but at least they are clean. Let me tell you these were the bomb! They are easy enough that you can still move your hands and I just sliced two zucchini's for zucchini lasagna tonight. The mandolin just cut the squash like butter without fear I was going to get sliced too! I am so excited. I found a smaller pair I ordered today that are new and keep them just for kitchen duty.



If you have a mandolin this should be a mandatory purchase when owning one. They are even called cut resistant gloves. I also kept them on when I washed it as this is when I cut myself last time.While using it I was really careful but for some reason when washing it my finger slid right under the blade. Thought I would have to get stitches it bled so bad.

[maybelle]

Originally Posted by SkeeterN

I posted this in the recipe room.


If you have a mandolin this should be a mandatory purchase when owning one. They are even called cut resistant gloves

that's a fantastic idea, Skeeter. I actually thought about getting a couple finger protectors, kind of like the ones for sewing, so that I would finally stop grating my fingers along with the food. (although, extra protein )

[clackley]

Oh, I need those gloves - sliced off the top of my index finger about year ago.

Currently my fave is my new set of knives. I hadn't realized how crappy my old ones were until I finally couldn't even cut a salami but rather mangled it.

[Annabel Lee]

My cast iron skillets.
I have various sizes and love how well food cooks in them.
So easy to clean too!

I also love my jellyroll pan that I line with foil to bake my bacon in every morning!
After I harvest the bacon fat, clean up is a breeze.

[limetwist]

Originally Posted by clackley

Oh, I need those gloves - sliced off the top of my index finger about year ago.

Currently my fave is my new set of knives. I hadn't realized how crappy my old ones were until I finally couldn't even cut a salami but rather mangled it.

My gosh, there is nothing like a nice knife. Only recently have I really started to get into having and maintaining good knives. I've been sawing away for the past few years with my dull "kitchen starter" college student knives. Once I switched to good, reliable brands (and SHARPENED them) the difference has been astounding.

I guess you could say my favorite kitchen gadget right now is a knife sharpener. Works wonders--I already cut myself on one of my nice, newly-sharpened knives.

I also recently got a grill. Weber Kettle.

[PaminKY]

I love them all, LOL.

I love kitchen gadgets and cookbooks. We planning on building a retirement place near the lake and I've already told my husband that I want a big kitchen with really big pantry to store all my treasures in.

One of newest gadgets is my Cuisinart egg cooker. LOVE IT!!! It cooks 7 eggs at a time in minutes and when it clicks off I dump the eggs into ice water and the shells come off easily. Clean up is a breeze.

Funny story about it. When I first tried it out I read in the instructions where it said to pierce the big end of the egg with the piercing pin located on the bottom of the water measuring cup. I pick up the first egg and pressed the pin against it and it shattered sending egg guts everywhere. I cleaned that up and went to try the second egg but this time I got smart and held it over the sink, same thing happened but at least it all ran down the sink. I was getting a little frustrated so I finally went and got my glasses and then I realized there was a little clear protective packaging sleeve over the piercing pin.

After I removed that it worked great.

[princessmommy]

Guess mine is my cast iron skillets and my wisk Lol. I am getting a stand slicer and Food saver soon. My hubs got to pick a gift from a catalog for his 25th anniversary at work and we decided on those! Perfect for deer meat and now I can buy meat in bulk and measure it out and seal it up!

[GratefulParrot]

For me (outside of cast iron) it's still two gadgets. The mandolin as stated above. I thought zoodles were made with a veggie peeler until I got the mandolin and has a zoodle setting. (not sure what it's really for, but it's perfect zoodles every time)

The other is my wife's Kitchen Aide Mixer. I grind my own meat and have been finally getting my christmas (of 2 years ago) money's worth out of it.

[CarolynF]

Mine is my Immersion Stick Blender..It makes the bestest faux caulitaters..nice and fluffy.. and it came with a little food processor, which makes great nut flours.

[zagnut]

My little hand-powered whipped cream maker, makes it in seconds. We also just got a food dehydrater to do beef jerky, but haven't made that in it yet, if it comes out good, that will probably be my favorite thing of all time, i love jerky!

[Vilya]

I can't decide between my yogurt machine and my muffin top pan. I use both constantly!

[DJFoodie]

Probably my vacuum pack machine. I do love that thing ... shockingly! I didn't realize how much I would use it when I got it. GREAT kitchen tool!

[LindaSue]

I love my "Ove" Glove. Actually, I got one for Christmas and liked it so much that I bought a second one for my other hand. It makes is so much easier to remove awkward casserole dishes and roasting pans that don't have handles from the oven and that sort of thing. My favorite use for them is when I make custard in custard cups that sit in a water bath. It's a pain trying to remove the hot cups from the water with a pot holder but it's super easy with my glove on. The ones I've got are the real "Ove" Glove brand. I've read some bad reviews of the knock-off versions. The ones that I have work on either your right or left hand.

[Charski]

Asking me to choose a "favorite" kitchen gadget would be like asking me to choose a "favorite" child (if I had more than one!) - I'd be hard-pressed to do it!

Right NOW, the "frequent flyers" are my mandoline slicer, my new microwave chip maker (great for sweet potato chips), my dehydrator, and my Vitamix.

But there are many others!

[Nikki2777]

Going to check up on that Cuisinart Egg Cooker! Eggs cooked in 1 minute!!!

Thanks PaminKY.

Nikki

[goheels]

Mine is simple, silicone utensils, especially spatulas.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by Charski

Asking me to choose a "favorite" kitchen gadget would be like asking me to choose a "favorite" child (if I had more than one!) - I'd be hard-pressed to do it!

Right NOW, the "frequent flyers" are my mandoline slicer, my new microwave chip maker (great for sweet potato chips), my dehydrator, and my Vitamix.

But there are many others!

Okay, just what I don't need is one more thing in my kitchen, BUT microwave chip maker????!!!!! I looked at them at 'the big one that sells everything including the kitchen sink' (can never remember if I can mention names or not) and saw two versions. Charski, did you purchase it there? If so, which one did you get? And what do you make chips from? Jicama, kale, ?????

Oh and my favorite kitchen gadget right now, Cuisinart Ice cream maker, not really a gadget but a simple ice cube tray for making and freezing pesto. Garden is overflowing with basil. Have dried enough for the neighborhood (even though I don't live in one), so now on to pesto. After that, not sure what to do with all this basil still growing. New mandoline for zoodles but already cut myself in 2 places, got to get those gloves! And my silicone pans I pop right into my toaster oven to bake LC goodies in. Things just slide right out.

[Ann Lytle]

I was all set to give in, add to my collection and buy a mandolin slicer, but after all your comments, sounds like they are dangerous and I.ve been talked out of wanting one. Guess my favorite I use a lot is my Ninja............................ Ann

[Charski]

Tilly, I got the Mastrad 2 tray chip maker (I didn't need the mandoline they included in some, I already have an Oxo that I love!) - so far I've only made sweet potato chips with it. The trick is to slice them very thinly, spray very lightly with olive-oil flavored spray on one side, sprinkle lightly with salt, then nuke til done. They do need to sit about a minute outside of the oven to get crisp and they don't keep well in the humidity here, so I just use 1 potato and make enough for DH and me to eat with lunch or whatever!

I've got them stored on edge in a pullout cupboard with pegboard - they hang fine in there!

[maybelle]

Originally Posted by Charski

Tilly, I got the Mastrad 2 tray chip maker (I didn't need the mandoline they included in some, I already have an Oxo that I love!) - so far I've only made sweet potato chips with it. The trick is to slice them very thinly, spray very lightly with olive-oil flavored spray on one side, sprinkle lightly with salt, then nuke til done. They do need to sit about a minute outside of the oven to get crisp and they don't keep well in the humidity here, so I just use 1 potato and make enough for DH and me to eat with lunch or whatever!

I've got them stored on edge in a pullout cupboard with pegboard - they hang fine in there!

I'm a hopeless kitchen gadget junkie. Charski, now I want a chip tray too

Have you tried any other vegetables than sweet potatoes? Would a zuchinni work?

[Dixie Barkley]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have gotten a lot of ideas.

[Charski]

Tilly, I haven't tried anything else yet. I DID just make a bunch of dehydrated zucchini, and have made chips from those in there too!

[mirinblue]

My food processor, hands down...but I love my stepchildren too..my coffee pot (thanks for keeping me sane..) my stick blender (oh! creamy soups, I <3 you), my Kitchenaid mixer (you are my Queen), my Gefu Spireli (zoodler extraordinaire) and all of the rest of my kitchen things. OK...can I just say my favorite thing is the KITCHEN???????????? hehe

[PaminKY]

Originally Posted by Nikki2777

Going to check up on that Cuisinart Egg Cooker! Eggs cooked in 1 minute!!!

Thanks PaminKY.

Nikki

Sorry if you misunderstood, it does longer than one minute and I've never timed it but it doesn't take long and it so much easier, kind of a "set it and forget it" type thing. When it's done it beeps really loudly and I just pick up the whole tray and dump the eggs into ice water to stop the cooking. Perfect eggs, peel easy, and no funky colors.



I bought a microwave chip maker at Goodwill a while back but it's different from the one Char has. It came with a mandolin slicer but the chips stand up on the edgle in a circular rack. I haven't used it yet.

[PaminKY]

Originally Posted by Ann Lytle

I was all set to give in, add to my collection and buy a mandolin slicer, but after all your comments, sounds like they are dangerous and I.ve been talked out of wanting one. Guess my favorite I use a lot is my Ninja............................ Ann

They are a great tool, makes slicing onions so much easier and everything is a uniform thickness but you have to be careful.

I can't slice onions without getting dizzy and sometimes have to lay down for a bit but with this I can get them sliced so fast that it doesn't effect me as bad.

[Charski]

Pam, have you tried using a dust mask and/or some safety glasses when you cut onions? I use my safety glasses and it cuts WAY back on the eye watering - just a thought!

[clackley]

Another is my new Cuisinart coffee bean grinder. It is fast, quiet and looks good too! And my hexagon ice cube tray is pretty great for making almond butter cups. They are so easy to get out!