Your 5 favourite kitchen gadgets

[phenomshel]

Oh, wow. Love this thread, Ea.

I don't know if I have five favorite gadgets... at least not yet, lol.

There is, however, one thing I own that if I can't find it when it comes time to use it, the world stops (and dinner doesn't get started), until it's found. That one thing is my paring knife, or as I call it, my potato peeling knife. I found it years ago, at a garage sale, LOL. But it's remained sharp and it has the thin blade necessary to peel potatoes without taking half the potato off along with the peel. I have never been able to use a veg. peeler for potatoes, as I know a lot of people do. My mom taught me how to do it with a knife, and with the *right* knife, I can do it faster that way than most people can with a peeler.

Another thing, as lots have mentioned, is my slow cooker. I think that probably gets more usage than anything except my stove, fridge, and microwave.

Hmmm. I wonder if shelves count as a kitchen gadget? Chris and I bought a set of industrial grade wire shelving for the corner by the stove a few weeks ago, and I don't know how I ever lived without them there. That has become absolutely indispensable. I've got hooks hanging off it to hang my pans and kitchen tools, and the shelves store my bread maker and food processor, along with other things I need to grab quickly. Well, here, you can see (only please ignore the state of the bottom of my cookware...).
This made my storage challenged kitchen a much more pleasant place to cook in!

[volwrath]

Heres my favorite Kitchen gadget! http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget....08/sbboomc.jpg

[DMB]

The list of my favourite gadgets has changed a lot over the decades, depending on lifestyle and capability.

I have tried and hated stick blenders because they make a mess. The stuff being chopped flies up from the goblet and goes all over the place. What I like is my 22yo Braun food processor. It has two goblets -- one large and one small -- and does a lot of stuff I want.

Then I like my grater. There are actually several interchangeable ones that come fitting on top of a container, so that what you are grating falls through into the container.

I have quite a collection of hand whisks, but for small amounts such as a single egg, this one is ideal.

Although I like ovens for cooking, I also find a microwave an unglamorous essential for a whole range of tasks.

And then I love my stainless steel lidded pans. They go on the stove or in the oven and can be used for most things. And they are a breeze to clean if you use a bit of vinegar.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

There is, however, one thing I own that if I can't find it when it comes time to use it, the world stops (and dinner doesn't get started), until it's found. That one thing is my paring knife, or as I call it, my potato peeling knife. I found it years ago, at a garage sale, LOL. But it's remained sharp and it has the thin blade necessary to peel potatoes without taking half the potato off along with the peel. I have never been able to use a veg. peeler for potatoes, as I know a lot of people do. My mom taught me how to do it with a knife, and with the *right* knife, I can do it faster that way than most people can with a peeler.

I wonder if not it's simply the fact that it's sharp? I have a super sharp vegetable peeler, and it made such a difference from the old ones I had. If it's sharp, you don't have to put much pressure on it and can peel thinly. I would guess it's the same with the knife.
My favourite paring knife is *not* sharp and is ideal for scraping new potatoes or clenaing mushrooms

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Hmmm. I wonder if shelves count as a kitchen gadget? Chris and I bought a set of industrial grade wire shelving for the corner by the stove a few weeks ago, and I don't know how I ever lived without them there. That has become absolutely indispensable. I've got hooks hanging off it to hang my pans and kitchen tools, and the shelves store my bread maker and food processor, along with other things I need to grab quickly. Well, here, you can see (only please ignore the state of the bottom of my cookware...).
This made my storage challenged kitchen a much more pleasant place to cook in!

What? You mean they weren't black to begin with?

I envy you the wire shelves. I can't really put up anything on the (very limited) wall space in my kitchen to hang things on. I think hat's such a nice idea, to have things ready to use.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by TGS

My casserole "lives" in the oven - any time I am using the oven I am likely to be using the casserole, either in it or on the stove. These shallower ones are nothing like as heavy as the old orange ones used to be. Wouldn't want to give the impression that you can flip pancakes in them, but the weight is not that bad.

That's a good idea. I use my oven for heating things though, and it would be a bit impractical. And at least the pot would handle it if I turned on the oven even if I forgot it was in there - I partly melted a toaster not so long ago. Kept it in the oven and forgot it was there... Still usable, but... It was a nice expensive Bodum one, too

[Ea]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Hey, beppe, your stick-mixer is the one I've been suggested (instructed) by The Loved One to buy for his upcoming birthday.

That sort of draped skirt shape the Braun stick blenders have, really makes a different to the amount of splatter they produce (i.e. less).
Though I understand that a Bamix is what one wants nowadays, if one wants "the best & newest". I think I'll keep my Braun

Originally Posted by beppe

Then comes the Braun stick blender. Easy to handle. I can detach the lower part if I have to add ingredients and it stays. Powerful and easy to wash. Since I have this one I haven't used the robot.
Attachment 74928

A food processor, I assume? For a moment I imagined a butler robot chopping away at high speed and precision with a knife

[beppe]

Originally Posted by Ea

A food processor, I assume? For a moment I imagined a butler robot chopping away at high speed and precision with a knife

You mean this?

I meant this


Strong of this quote "This is completely random but in French a food processor is called “un robot culinaire”. “Culinary robot” sounds much more interesting than “food processor” don’t you think?

[Ea]

Originally Posted by beppe

Strong of this quote "This is completely random but in French a food processor is called “un robot culinaire”. “Culinary robot” sounds much more interesting than “food processor” don’t you think?

It is certainly more interesting to have a robot in the kitchen than just a plain food processor.

[Bookworm_Girl]

What an interesting thread! My 5 favorite gadgets are really small appliances:

• Cuisinart waffle maker (4 squares not round)
• Breville electric kettle
• Mr Coffee iced tea maker
• Cuisinart toaster/oven/broiler
• West Bend air popcorn maker

I also like my simple steaming basket and my roller tube that peels garlic cloves. I just looked in my kitchen drawers and realized that I have several little gadgets that I now have no idea what they are for! I also have quite a few that never worked as advertised. Does anyone have a favorite slicer/dicer/chopping gadget that they recommend?

I totally covet the Le Creuset cookware too! I also want the cobalt blue. Someday maybe...

[beppe]

Originally Posted by Ea

It is certainly more interesting to have a robot in the kitchen than just a plain food processor.

måske til jul, vil du modtage denne
(maybe for Xmas you'll get this)

[lestatar]

Cool thread!

Another fan here of the awesome Global knives:


Tempered glass cutting board:


Lever style wine opener - essential!


Circulon non-stick wok - can do it all, almost.


Another Braun multiquick blender user:

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Ea

That sort of draped skirt shape the Braun stick blenders have, really makes a different to the amount of splatter they produce (i.e. less).
Though I understand that a Bamix is what one wants nowadays, if one wants "the best & newest". I think I'll keep my Braun
...

Truth is, if it was for me I'd be wanting the Bamix because I'm a bit of a "top-shelf" person at times (and often not in a good way ), but the Braun does seem to get heaps of good reviews, both personal and professional. And if I bought TL1 the wrong thing...

Bookworm_Girl, do you have a mandolin? They're a pretty good chopping gadget and, while you can spend a lot of money on a stainless steel professional one (TL1 won't let me buy him one ), the home ones, mostly plastic, work fine (watch your fingers!). But for me as a "chopping gadget" I'd probably go a very good knife, or set of knives. A good quality knife makes chopping, carving, slicing, peeling, dicing...easier, and even a pleasure. Something like a heavy cleaver can be used even for fine slicing, and at a good Asian grocer won't cost a bomb either (though I must admit I'm yet to get TL1 his cleaver).

One thing I like in our kitchen is our Joseph Joseph cutting board set. It sits tidy on the bench and each board happily fits in the dishwasher (a high priority for me ).

http://www.josephjoseph.com/plastic-.../index-advance

Oh, and volwrath's favourite gadget...yes, for me too. Music is a must when I'm cooking.

Cheers,
Marc

[JSWolf]

#1 automatic ice maker
#2 stove/oven
#3 food cover for microwave oven
#4 garlic press that doesn't require peeling the skin
#5 George Forman grill

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Bookworm_Girl, do you have a mandolin? They're a pretty good chopping gadget and, while you can spend a lot of money on a stainless steel professional one (TL1 won't let me buy him one ), the home ones, mostly plastic, work fine (watch your fingers!). But for me as a "chopping gadget" I'd probably go a very good knife, or set of knives. A good quality knife makes chopping, carving, slicing, peeling, dicing...easier, and even a pleasure. Something like a heavy cleaver can be used even for fine slicing, and at a good Asian grocer won't cost a bomb either (though I must admit I'm yet to get TL1 his cleaver).

One thing I like in our kitchen is our Joseph Joseph cutting board set. It sits tidy on the bench and each board happily fits in the dishwasher (a high priority for me ).

Thanks for the recommendations! I think that a mandoline is what I need. I'm not very skilled with knives. I'm too timid, and it's a very slow process. I looked at the Joseph Joseph website. They seem like nice products.

[DixieGal]

In no partcular order:

1. Note pads with magnets on back to hang on the fridge and jot things down. I sometimes forget what I was thinking between the sink and the fridge.

2. Crock pot. The gods could cook up ambrosia in one of these. And they are perfect in an RV when you go camping. I use mine at least once a week, often more frequently.

3. Plastic or plastic-coated wire whisk. To heck with protecting the Teflon, because the important thing about this item is that it goes through the dishwasher without rusting.

4. Corning Ware white grill pan. Heavy ceramic, not the plastic microwave variety. I've been looking for one ever since the tornado blew away the one that we got as a wedding gift 22 years ago. You can put 4 Ballpark franks on there, put it in a nice hot oven, and roast them until they plump and split open. Corning has not made them in the past 22 years. So I am watching ebay to see if one comes along.

5. Bundt pans. Go to a Southern Baptist 5th Sunday Pot Luck, eat some of somebody's mom's monkey bread. Then you will understand.


For those of y'all not blessed enough to be a Southern Baptist, here's the recipe;

MONKEY BREAD

4-pack of cheap refrigerated tube biscuits
Cinnamon and sugar in a bowl
Butter

1. Butter a non-stick Bundt pan. Don't try this with anything that is not non-stick.
2. Cut the biscuits - all 4 cans - into 4 pieces each.
3. Roll the pieces in cinnamon sugar mixture, then put them loosely in the pan.
4. Pour a stick of melted butter over the whole thing.
5. Cook at 350 until it is brown.
6. Pull it apart with your fingers or tongs to serve.