Indispensable Kitchen Gadgets

[BizBuzz]

Tools are what make cooking the ultimate it can be.  Without the proper tools, I am almost lost in the kitchen.  I can go into any one's kitchen and do whatever, but I do it FAST and FURIOUS in mine.  ::giggle::

 

What are your favorite kitchen gadgets, and bonus, what do you usually do with them?

 

I will start. 

 

I can't have soy, so I make my own mayonnaise.  I make it in less than a minute with this handy dandy tool, the Immersion Blender.  I also love it when I make soups.  I can't have wheat to thicken some soups, so I always take half the veggies out, puree in the pot the other half and that gives me the thickness you need with some soups.

 

Next? 

 

 

 

 

[BatmanBeatles]

I love my immersion blender. I didn't like have to puree soup in small batches at a time. I like my vegetable steamer. I can use it for large pots so I can steam large amounts of vegetables.

[Athena]

Food Processor. I have a KitchenAid one, and it's OK. Definitely essential since I like making nut butters and pesto with it.

 

I like the Kitchen-Aid mixer. I don't own one myself yet, but I've used my parents once in awhile. I'm saving up for the Pro one. The standard is a bit weak for my liking. Even though I knead my own bread, those machines are really useful.

 

My wishlist is big. I'd like an immersion hand blender and a milk frother as well.

[BatmanBeatles]

I want a new mixer. The one I have now doesn't mix things together very well and it doesn't come with a whisk.

[Bastet]

I, too, like my immersion blender.

 

Also, my mandolin slicer.  I just use a knife for routine cooking (which is for one), but when I'm having a dinner party I pull that thing out for fast slicing.

 

I'm not big on one-purpose tools, but I make an exception for my garlic press.  If I'm mincing more than a couple of cloves, I calculate that I'll spend less time cleaning the press than I would chopping the garlic, and go for the press.  I have the Kuhn Rikon recommended by America's Test Kitchen, but my mom and best friend both have the Pampered Chef press and I really like that one, too.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Bastet

[Shannon L.]

Food processors are great, but I love my mandolin slicers even more.  I have a nice big one and a hand held one.  Suddenly, I don't feel put off by recipes that require a lot of vegetables because all of that slicing and dicing?  Ugh.  I'm not one to find cooking relaxing. I find it a chore and the faster and easier I can do it, the better.

[OnceSane]

I used to love my Magic Bullet.  It made it so easy to make small portions of baby food (before my son was eating solids 100%).  But it broke when I made some pasta.  Good thing I don't need it for baby food anymore!  Though with the hot summer weather, I miss making individual-sized milkshakes.

[photo fox]

I love my silicone spoonulas. They are great multi-taskers and cut down on the number of implements I have to wash. I use them like a spatula with my mixer, and then I use them like a spoon to ladle the batter into pans or muffin tins. Plus, since they hold up to heat, I can use them on the stovetop, even for extreme heat such as is involved in candy making.

[joanne3482]

I'm Kitchenaid Mixer's bitch. I love it. I didn't even want it. My mom sent it to me via my dad the last time I moved. Now I can't imagine my life without it. My mother's tip would be to see about finding one 2nd hand. I know mine was significantly less than the true charge. I painted my kitchen cobalt blue to match it when I moved into my house. Now I want the ice cream attachment. 

 

Food processors are great, but I love my mandolin slicers even more.  I have a nice big one and a hand held one.  Suddenly, I don't feel put off by recipes that require a lot of vegetables because all of that slicing and dicing?

 

My friend cut off the very tip of her finger with hers. She saved the tip and took it with her to the ER where they did basically nothing because it isn't like there really is anything they can do, which upset her. I asked her why she brought the tip and she said she thought they could sew it back on. Clearly she's never had stitches before because one stitch into that would destroy that very teeny fragile piece of skin.  The whole thing cracked me up but now she's very anti-mandolin. 

[LuckyBitch]

This is a basic, very simple item, but I love my set of Progressive International Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons. It's the best set I've ever had, and I've given a set to my mother, mother-in-law, and friends, who all love them too.

 

The fact that they nest inside each other and are magnetic is great. They stick together, nothing gets lost in the drawer, and they're not attached on some ring, which I hate dealing with. I also like that they have two sides, rounded and more narrow. The narrow end can fit in a spice jar, and it's nice having two ends in case you're measuring two different things with the same spoon, such as needing one tablespoon of a dry ingredient and one tablespoon of a liquid ingredient. No need to rinse it out or anything; just use one end for each ingredient. Also, you can set the spoons down flat on the counter.

 

They say they're dishwasher safe, but I always hand wash them. I've had for them for more than a couple of years and use them often, and they're holding up well.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

This is a basic, very simple item, but I love my set of Progressive International Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons. It's the best set I've ever had, and I've given a set to my mother, mother-in-law, and friends, who all love them too.

I want it!

[FormerMod-a1]

I'm not sure these are all "gadgets" but I'm sharing anyway.

 

I am an avid baker (and a good one).  So even though I kept hearing the wonders of baking with parchment paper, I never tried it nor did I want to.  My cookies never stuck, clean up was easy.  I used think why do people rave about this and/or need it?  Then I used it.  I love baking with parchment paper now.  It's not even that it's that much easier, but I still love it.  Clean up is a snap.  

 

I also love glass bakeware.  I love my pyrex 9x13 and 8x8 pans so much I got a pyrex pie plate and a pyrex loaf pan.  They clean up SO easy, so much better than anything else.  I can put them all in the dishwasher no matter what I cooked in them and no matter how long they sat before I tried to clean them.

 

And finally - this one is actually a gadget (I think), the brown sugar saver.  I've done the bread thing, and that works to keep the sugar soft, but this really works.  Even if your brown sugar is one big rock hard lump, this will restore it.

[BizBuzz]

Unfortunately, my liking ability has been terminated for a little while or I would like every single of your posts!

 

This is a basic, very simple item, but I love my set of Progressive International Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons. It's the best set I've ever had, and I've given a set to my mother, mother-in-law, and friends, who all love them too.

 

I

WANT

THIS

 

Seriously, that is about the coolest thing I have seen for awhile.  My daughter is always mad at me cause I don't nest the measuring spoons in the drawer.  Just for the fact that I wouldn't have to listen to her complain about me would be worth.every.penny.

[photo fox]

I've got probably three or four sets of measuring spoons, and I just took them all off their little rings and put them handle-side-down in a shot glass on the counter.

 

Why the heck do they put them on a ring?  It makes them so cumbersome, plus you'd have to wash the whole set every time you use one.  Ridic.

[Bastet]

This is a basic, very simple item, but I love my set of Progressive International Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons. It's the best set I've ever had, and I've given a set to my mother, mother-in-law, and friends, who all love them too.

 

And you've found them to be accurate?  When America's Test Kitchen tested measuring spoons, they were horrified to discover how many were inaccurate.  Unfortunately, they didn't give information (on the show; I haven't checked further) on which ones fell into that category and instead went right to ranking the functionality of those that passed the accuracy test.  So now I've been a little paranoid about using anything other than the ones I know they confirmed as accurate. 

 

That set you have looks great, and if no one in your circle has noticed their baking coming out funny since they started using them, I'm guessing they're accurate.  I may have to pick up a set.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Bastet

[photo fox]

And you've found them to be accurate?  When America's Test Kitchen tested measuring spoons, they were horrified to discover how many were inaccurate.

 

I've noticed a huge disparity myself, but it's never seemed to affect anything I bake.  I do try to use all one set or another in one recipe, so things are at least proportionate.

 

eta - a huge disparity with measuring spoons in general.  I've never used that particular type/brand.  :)

[FormerMod-a1]

I also recently bought these* - mini wet measuring beakers - for measuring small amounts of liquid, like 1 teaspoon of extract or 2 tablespoons of water, etc.  I have no hard proof but my gut tells me they are more accurate for liquid measures.  Just like the normal measuring cups are better for liquid measures than the dry ones.

 

Well, not these exactly, I picked mine up from Bed Bath and Beyond.

[photo fox]

^^^ I want!

[Bella]

I'm not sure these are all "gadgets" but I'm sharing anyway.

 

I am an avid baker (and a good one).  So even though I kept hearing the wonders of baking with parchment paper, I never tried it nor did I want to.  My cookies never stuck, clean up was easy.  I used think why do people rave about this and/or need it?  Then I used it.  I love baking with parchment paper now.  It's not even that it's that much easier, but I still love it.  Clean up is a snap.  

 

I also love glass bakeware.  I love my pyrex 9x13 and 8x8 pans so much I got a pyrex pie plate and a pyrex loaf pan.  They clean up SO easy, so much better than anything else.  I can put them all in the dishwasher no matter what I cooked in them and no matter how long they sat before I tried to clean them.

 

And finally - this one is actually a gadget (I think), the brown sugar saver.  I've done the bread thing, and that works to keep the sugar soft, but this really works.  Even if your brown sugar is one big rock hard lump, this will restore it.

 

Ditto. Ditto to the entire post. Every word of it.

[LuckyBitch]

Yeah, I totally recommend those measuring spoons. I just checked my Amazon account and they were $10.54 when I ordered them a couple of years ago, but I'd still say they're worth the current price of $14.88, (free shipping with Amazon Prime). They make a great little gift, like a Christmas stocking stuffer, or to put with a gift of a cookbook, or with a wedding shower gift.

 

@Bastet, I haven't noticed any accuracy issues, but I haven't really done anything to confirm that. Maybe I'll try comparing them to some other sets of measuring spoons I have floating around in my big ol' drawer of cooking utensils. I'll let you know.

 

@aquarian1, those little beakers are very cool. I was just going to post about a similar item that I like, this Anchor Hocking 5-Ounce Measuring Glass. Super cheap on Amazon (free shipping as an add-on item), but my mother also found it at Walmart, (for $1.50, I think). It's a quick and easy way to measure teaspoons and tablespoons of liquids. As far as the reviews complaining about red lines rubbing off, I wash it out by hand and have no problems with it.

 

I think I need that brown sugar saver. I just used my brown sugar earlier today for the dressing for that Asian slaw recipe that I posted above. As usual, my brown sugar was a hard rock. I broke off a piece and then microwaved it for ten seconds to soften it.

 

I also am a big fan of parchment paper and my pyrex glass baking dishes. I use them all the time. I have my pork chops marinating in one now, because I can't stand marinating in plastic bags. 

[beatrixkiddoe]

I finally took the plunge and sprung for a Vita-Mix a couple of months ago and I have to say that I love it even more than I thought I would. I know it's crazy expensive, but it works so well.  The other day I was standing in my kitchen marvelling at how it pureed a raw beet into my smoothie in literally seconds. The package I bought also included the dry goods container and it is so cool being able to grind my own flour.

 

I also absolutely love my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, I know you can mix by hand but it just makes things so much easier (not to mention faster). My parents bought if for me as a birthday gift ages ago and every Christmas I still wonder how I ever made so many batches of cookies without it. 

 

One last gadget, it's not something I use very often, but I'm so happy I have an ice cream maker. It's another birthday gift from my parents, early supporters of my love of all things kitchen related, and you just can't beat making ice cream from scratch.

[Bella]

I love my ice cream maker, @beatrixkiddoe - I use it a lot, primarily because the world does not seem to agree with me that cinnamon should be a basic ice cream flavor, and I want my cinnamon ice cream!

[joanne3482]

I also absolutely love my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, I know you can mix by hand but it just makes things so much easier (not to mention faster). My parents bought if for me as a birthday gift ages ago and every Christmas I still wonder how I ever made so many batches of cookies without it.

 

And it is so versatile. I read on Pinterest (probably) that you could use it to shred cooked chicken. I eat a lot of recipes that have shredded chicken as a base and totally just boil the chicken breasts and then toss them in the mixer. It shreds them perfectly while I can get the rest of my enchiladas or whatever I'm doing together. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Anne Burrell made ginger ice cream today and I was thinking, Gaaaaahhh, I wish I had an ice cream maker.

[beatrixkiddoe]

I love cinnamon ice cream, Bella! It's so hard to find, I've only ever seen it in one ice cream place where I live and they went out of business. To me that's the best part of having an ice cream maker, being able to churn out flavours that you can't find anywhere else. My current summer ice cream love is vanilla buttermilk, it tastes amazing on top of a fruit crisp or pie.

 

 

And it is so versatile. I read on Pinterest (probably) that you could use it to shred cooked chicken. I eat a lot of recipes that have shredded chicken as a base and totally just boil the chicken breasts and then toss them in the mixer. It shreds them perfectly while I can get the rest of my enchiladas or whatever I'm doing together.

I had no idea you could shred chicken with it. I'm a vegetarian now, but that would've been handy to know before I gave up meat. I always used to hate getting chicken-y bits stuck under my nails.

 

I have a kitchen gadget question that I'm hoping somebody can help me out with. I'd like to start making fresh pasta and I'm trying to decide between getting the KitchenAid attachment or the hand crank kind. Anybody have any experience with either? 

[possibilities]

I used to hate gadgets, but have now surrendered to thw awesomeness of the perfect tool for any particularr job.

 

Things I use constantly:

 

salad spinner (Oxo brand)

Kuhn Ricon garlic press (it really does clean up easier and require less force to press, like American Test Kitchens reviews said)

pressure cooker

pyrex cookware

air popper (I eat a lot of popcorn and get tired of the burning oil)

canning funnel (I store a lot of things in glass jars and this cuts down the spills dramatically)

Corelle plates (lightweight, easy to clean, hard to break)

 

I really want to make my own nut butters but am worried about burning out the motor on whatever machine I use to do it.

[beatrixkiddoe]

I always used my KitchenAid food processor to make almond butter (now I'll use the Vita-Mix because it takes a fraction of the time) and it worked well. You just have to be prepared to stand in front of it and constantly pop off the lid and scrape down the sides.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

salad spinner (Oxo brand)

I have that one. I really like it.

 

I have a marble rolling pin. I had no idea how much better it is that the small wooden ones. Dough and crust doesn't stick to it as much as the other one.

[bosawks]

I'd be lost without my silpat baking liners and my microplane graters.

Edited August 9, 2014 by bosawks

[mansonlamps]

This is a basic, very simple item, but I love my set of Progressive International Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons. It's the best set I've ever had, and I've given a set to my mother, mother-in-law, and friends, who all love them too.

 

The fact that they nest inside each other and are magnetic is great. They stick together, nothing gets lost in the drawer, and they're not attached on some ring, which I hate dealing with. I also like that they have two sides, rounded and more narrow. The narrow end can fit in a spice jar, and it's nice having two ends in case you're measuring two different things with the same spoon, such as needing one tablespoon of a dry ingredient and one tablespoon of a liquid ingredient. No need to rinse it out or anything; just use one end for each ingredient. Also, you can set the spoons down flat on the counter.

 

They say they're dishwasher safe, but I always hand wash them. I've had for them for more than a couple of years and use them often, and they're holding up well.

I loved the idea of these so much I ordered them today, but not in the stainless steel since they were available so much cheaper in a color. Hope that doesn't affect their usefulness!

[LuckyBitch]

@mansonlamps, I didn't even see the green and white set back when I ordered the stainless set a couple of years ago. I just checked now and I see them for $9.03, which is a good deal.

 

In my last post above, I mentioned that when I ordered the stainless set they were $10.54 but now they're $14.88, (free shipping with Amazon Prime). But, now today I see they've changed the price again and they're $15.39. I guess I got a pretty good deal a couple of years ago, since the price is now almost 50% higher than what I paid.

 

My only suggestion with the green set would be to hand wash them. I hand wash my stainless set and they've held up well after a lot of use. With the green set, I was just reading the Q&A on Amazon and one person said they got warped in the dishwasher, and one person said the lettering wears off over time, (even with hand washing).

Edited August 10, 2014 by LuckyBitch

[mlp]

I was making some tomato jam this morning and was reminded of a kitchen helper I can't do without - a container that solves the problem of brown sugar getting hard.  Several years ago after a lifetime of throwing away rock hard brown sugar, I decided to try a particular Rubbermaid container I had on hand and it worked.  It's the kind with a red lid that you can buy in the supermarket.  The container is hard plastic, clear with a frosted swirl design, not the ones that are opaque.  I dump the sugar out of the box or bag it came in and keep it in the refrigerator.  The brown sugar stays as soft as new for months and months.  In fact, I've never had any become hard before I used it up since I started using this storage container.

[joanne3482]

air popper (I eat a lot of popcorn and get tired of the burning oil)

 

How do you handle the butter with that? I have one but I can't ever get the butter right with it. But mine didn't come with that little butter dripper like the one my parents had did. 

[possibilities]

I usually use olive oil instead of butter on my popcorn, but you can get a butter melting tool, and melt the butter on the side:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A1055398%2Ck%3Abutter%20melter

[stillshimpy]

What air popper do you have, possibilities?  I've had two so far and one caused unpopped kernels to ricochet out (which is a common problem) and so it made an ungodly mess.  

 

Then the other one was some kind Nostalgic Gadgets brand that I should probably point out, DO NOT BUY IT...it's a miracle it didn't burn the damned house down, but thankfully I take that "do not leave unattended" stuff seriously.  The kernels got trapped in the popping tube and only popped to small, circular kernels...and then burned without ever exiting the tube and would have caught fire if I hadn't been standing there watching like a hawk.  

 

So....is yours better than that?  It can't be worse.  I've eyed up the cuisinart popper but it uses a tablespoon of oil.  I currently just use a pot to pop popcorn :-)  

 

By the way, here's my killer air popper so that you know it wasn't just me.  The vast majority of reviews are one star.  

[stillshimpy]

Also, I know it is a high cost item and that people wonder, "Wow, can it really be good enough to justify that price?"  but I LOVE my vitamix. LOVE IT.  

 

I bought a stand mixer that cost the same and have to admit, I don't really dig it that much (I read consumer reports and chose the Cuisinart over the Ktichen Aid and wish I had a time machine to redo that decision) so I was wary of buying the vitamix.  I read one review that called it a "zero regret purchase" and it really, really is for me.  I use it every day and when the seal on the cannister went bad, Vitamix just shipped out another to me, so they honor the warranty without any problem.  

 

I freaking love that thing and use it a lot which is good, because it's really a pretty costly piece of equipment. 

[possibilities]

I have an old Wearever Popcorn Pumper I received as a gift when went away to college 30+ years ago. The thought was that it would be great for making popcorn in the dorm-- and it was. But it's started to show signs of age (sometimes it doesn't seem to be hot enough, or it sounds funny and weak), so I recently also bought a Presto 04820 PopLite Hot Air Popper ($20 at Amazon), after reading reviews. They don't seem to make the "popcorn pumper" anymore, but this one is very similar. The main problem is that it doesn't have an on/off switch, so you have to plug it in each time you want to use it, and then unplug it after each use to turn it off-- which to me is a hassle, but in the grand scheme of things, not that big of a deal. I am trying to remember where I read the reviews recommending this model. I think it was at www.consumersearch.com, but I'm not sure.

 

I haven't had any problems with kernels being flung anywhere. It's a little delicate when you pour the corn into the chute at the beginning because if you pour too fast, some will bounce out (not a problem with the old pumper, but is with the new poplite). So I just pour them carefully. But once it heats up, everything comes out the chute and into the bowl like it's supposed to. You do need to have a big enough bowl so that it doesn't overflow, but you can deal with that by either using a big bowl or putting less corn into the machine to pop in the first place.

[ramble]

Also, I know it is a high cost item and that people wonder, "Wow, can it really be good enough to justify that price?" but I LOVE my vitamix. LOVE IT.

Vitamix lover here too! I debated paying for one for more than three years before I jumped in, especially since I has a standard blender. It isn't the same at all. I use it a lot to makes shakes similar to ones I would pay far too much for at the gym. I could never get the right thickness & consistency before. I just made some celery hair treatment in mine that my youngest wanted to try. Celery juice in moments. Amazing! Love the thing! Edited August 23, 2014 by ramble

[LuckyBitch]

What air popper do you have, possibilities?  I've had two so far and one caused unpopped kernels to ricochet out (which is a common problem) and so it made an ungodly mess.  

 

Then the other one was some kind Nostalgic Gadgets brand that I should probably point out, DO NOT BUY IT...it's a miracle it didn't burn the damned house down, but thankfully I take that "do not leave unattended" stuff seriously.  The kernels got trapped in the popping tube and only popped to small, circular kernels...and then burned without ever exiting the tube and would have caught fire if I hadn't been standing there watching like a hawk.  

 

So....is yours better than that?  It can't be worse.  I've eyed up the cuisinart popper but it uses a tablespoon of oil.  I currently just use a pot to pop popcorn :-)  

 

By the way, here's my killer air popper so that you know it wasn't just me.  The vast majority of reviews are one star.  

 

I was looking for an air popper about a year ago, having not owned one for over twenty years and decided that my kid needed to experience real air popped popcorn, not those microwave bags. I read reviews on Amazon and went with this one:

 

Presto 04821 Orville Redenbacher's Hot Air Popper

 

I'm very happy with it. You don't need oil, the little butter melter on top is also a measuring cup for the kernels, it pops fast and just about every kernel is popped.

 

The only minor issue is the same one possibilities mentioned for the other Presto model, that there's no on/off switch. You plug it in and go, then unplug when the popping is finished. That's not really a big deal for me, though.

 

 

ETA:  I just Googled the one possibilities mentioned and I think it's this one:

 

Presto 04820 PopLite Hot Air Popper, White

 

Ha, I just realized that we have the same one. Just click on the other white one and that's the one I have. It has the Orville Redenbacher name on it instead of PopLite and it's a couple of dollars more. All the different colors are priced differently and I'm pretty sure I got the one I did last year because it was the cheapest one at the time. I'd go with the other one now for $19.87. They'e all the same, just different colors and marketed differently with the name.

Edited August 24, 2014 by LuckyBitch

[stillshimpy]

Thank you both, I appreciate it and I immediately ordered the one possibilities suggested because I want an air popper, or more accurately, I hate that I have been so soundly defeated by trying to buy an air popper thus far.  It just does't seem like it should be all that difficult and yet this will be my third one.  

 

Here's hoping! 

[LuckyBitch]

Good luck with it, stillshimpy. Yeah, that's really the same one I have, they just market the different colors differently.

 

Let us know how you like it.

[possibilities]

I used to have a "mouli grater" which was a hand-cranked tool with different grating wheels that would either slice or shred in various sizes. I loved that thing and used it constantly until it disappeared during one of my many moves from one apartment to another. I have no idea where it went and have not been able to find one like it anywhere. Other rotary graters are too small, or... I dunno.... just not as good. Because of the design, my mouli used very little force to turn, could grate large volumes (potatoes, carrots, apples, cheese, whatever) and was easy to clean. I first discovered it through a college roommate. When that household split up, I bought my own. And when mine disappeared 25 years later, alas! Nothing like it anywhere. I even tried eBay, hoping for a used one.

 

I loved that old nut chopper with the glass jar and the wooden disk in the bottom. I prefer it to any of the modern methods.

 

Anyone have a favorite pressure cooker?

 

I think it's funny that the same popper is marketed under different names and prices which vary only by color otherwise.

 

ETA: They still make mouli graters, but the new ones are smaller, and have a different design. My old one had feet, and you could crank it using only one hand, and it held more food in it at once. It also came apart, for easier cleaning, and you could change the wheels for different types of processing.

Edited August 24, 2014 by possibilities

[Bella]

I love my wearable Polder timer. I live in a townhouse; my kitchen is on one floor and my home office is on another. The wearable timer is great for when I know I'm going to be moving around from one floor to another while waiting for something to cook or bake. I do lose track of time otherwise.

[stillshimpy]

Yay!! possibilities, you friggin' rule!! The popper works well and without shooting hot ,unpopped corn kernels all over the kitchen (or burning the joint down). It took me this long to post because after Lucky B posted, I thought I'd actually made a mistake, because the one that shoots kernels all over my kitchen? A presto popper with Orville Redenbocker on the side of it. So I was just going to thank my lucky stars that it was only twenty bucks and give up at that juncture.

So the unopened new presto popper sat in my hall for a while and then I figured, "Oh well, what the hell, maybe my Orville presto popper was just evil and that's why it was shooting high-velocity, hot kernels around the place."

It turns they are slightly different designs. I must have a slightly different one than Lucky B has. I actually took side by side pictures if anyone gives a hoot, but the Presto one is bigger, has a wider mouth and deeper shoot (there aren't too many ways to describe that that don't sound a wee bit pervy, sorry) .

Anyway, I have achieved air popper corn and I didn't have to bother the fire department :-) Thank you!

[possibilities]

I'm glad it worked out! I wonder if the Orville designs changed by "model year" or something; maybe they had a lot of complaints and then did a redesign.

 

I'm also pleased to report that after going on and on about it, I did another search and finally found a used but in great shape replacement for my beloved mouli grater.

[stillshimpy]

I don't know, possibilities, I think if anything the Orville one I bought, which I got within the last year from Kohls would be the more recent design. If that's the case, they are in for a requested redesigns.

It was smaller than the one you recommended. I actually simply decided that I'd left it sitting in my foyer for long enough and it was time to deal with it when I realized the "cup" on top, used for measure corn or melting butter was round on the one you recommended vs. oval on the one I had, so that's part of the reason it came out of the box for a side-by-side comparison first.

So it seems like I might have gotten a later model Orville popper. Here I'll upload those pictures in a minute. I know it's boring stuff, but one doesn't work well and the other does...so in case anyone else was wondering.

I'm so glad you found your mouli grater :-)

ETA: Least interesting photos to follow!

Edited September 5, 2014 by stillshimpy

[bosawks]

I don't know, possibilities, I think if anything the Orville one I bought, which I got within the last year from Kohls would be the more recent design. If that's the case, they are in for a requested redesigns.

It was smaller than the one you recommended. I actually simply decided that I'd left it sitting in my foyer for long enough and it was time to deal with it when I realized the "cup" on top, used for measure corn or melting butter was round on the one you recommended vs. oval on the one I had, so that's part of the reason it came out of the box for a side-by-side comparison first.

So it seems like I might have gotten a later model Orville popper. Here I'll upload those pictures in a minute. I know it's boring stuff, but one doesn't work well and the other does...so in case anyone else was wondering.

I'm so glad you found your mouli grater :-)

ETA: Least interesting photos to follow!

At the very least I think they make a cute couple.

[Jac]

I want a Kitchenaid mixer very, very badly. I bake a lot and I have quite significant hand disabilities that make holding a hand mixer for 15 minutes while whipping buttercream a real PITA.

I love my immersion blender and my food processor. My food processor in particular has allowed me to make a lot of things that I would have not been able to make before because of my inability to chop things finely.

[emma675]

I know it's ridiculous to list these two, but a garlic press and a box grater changed my cooking. I come from a long line of non-cooks; not to say that they didn't try, but there wasn't a lot of "from scratch" cooking on my mom's side (my dad's side definitely did, but those women did not want anyone helping out in the kitchen, so I didn't learn a lot from them). I love my garlic press because it just makes the garlic melt into things and I don't have to worry about chunks of garlic in a smooth sauce. The box grater just makes things all around easier.

Edited September 8, 2014 by emma675d

[joanne3482]

Just reminded in the Childhood favorites thread, but a toaster oven is the best! Growing up we always had a toaster oven and I was regularly envious of those that had the pop up toaster (like on tv!). But now that I'm a grown up I find the value in the toaster oven. It is so much nicer to use than the regular oven when heating up one little thing (like individual, pre-cut cookies, taquitos, corn tortillas).