Indispensable Kitchen Gadgets

[ariel]

3 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

 I'm considering the Kitchen Aid mixers with the drop down bowl, and wondered if any of you had any strong opinions one way or another on it?  I mean, a Kitchen Aid is an investment and never a waste of money, but there's no need to spend it if I'm just gong to hate the design.  I grew up with the classic Kitchen Aid and vastly prefer that as well over the Hamilton Beach.

I have a classic Kitchen Aid & it's about 15 years old.  I love it.  If I needed to replace it, I'd go on the Kitchen Aid website & look to see if they have any refurbished ones to buy.  A friend of mine did this & she saved a boat load of money vs purchasing new.

[spiderpig]

I love my drop-down bowl and have had it for 30 years.  My friend who bakes cakes and sells them loves her tilt-head model for ease of adding ingredients (I have one of those plastic collars, so it's not an issue for me, but different strokes...)

Shoot...get one of each!!!

[Qoass]

I have the drop down bowl and honestly, if I had to do it again, I would go with the tilt-head model. I'm not coordinated enough to attach and detach the paddle to the mixer easily.

I have the huge Professional Kitchen Aid model-- it claims you can mix five loaves worth of bread dough at once although I've had no occasion to test that out-- and it's very heavy so I've put it on a tea cloth and shoved it into the corner of my countertop. When I need it, I just yank on the cloth to pull it into a convenient space. The cloth is a mess though. I really should give it a wash now that I think of it...

[Lovecat]

19 minutes ago, Qoass said:

I have the huge Professional Kitchen Aid model-- it claims you can mix five loaves worth of bread dough at once although I've had no occasion to test that out-- and it's very heavy so I've put it on a tea cloth and shoved it into the corner of my countertop. When I need it, I just yank on the cloth to pull it into a convenient space. The cloth is a mess though. I really should give it a wash now that I think of it...

I've done something similar with my toaster and electric can opener.  I have deep corners on my counter, and I'm only 4'9", with stubby little T-Rex arms.  I can't reach anything back in those corners without a step stool, so I've put those two small appliances on cheap plastic platters from IKEA and shoved them into space that would otherwise be wasted.  When I want to use one of them, I can easily reach the corner of the platter and slide it out! 

[spiderpig]

Anybody here remember salt bags?

My grandmother (born 1894) used them to season her cast iron skillets.  She'd pour a handful of salt into a handkerchief (I don't want to even think about it), tie it up into a little bundle with a pipecleaner, and rub down her kitchenware with it.

Enough of us survived to possibly carry on the tradition.

[MargeGunderson]

On 7/4/2017 at 3:23 PM, spiderpig said:

Anybody have those teensy 3.5 inch cast iron skillets we've seen on cooking shows?  Are they worth buying?  They're so cute.

I want a set to do this: http://iamafoodblog.com/skillet-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[spiderpig]

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

I want a set to do this: http://iamafoodblog.com/skillet-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Yumma Yumma Yumma!

[Blergh]

Forgive me if this was mentioned upwards but I can think of ONE kitchen gadget that NO cook can do without (or at least not be majorly hobbled re not possessing)- a nose! If one can't SMELL the ingredients, steam, etc. , one has no way to predict the outcome!

[biakbiak]

Any prime members who are on the fence about getting the Instant Pot it's on sale on Prime Day for 89.00 for an 8 quart.

[Snarklepuss]

4 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Any prime members who are on the fence about getting the Instant Pot it's on sale on Prime Day for 89.00 for an 8 quart.

Is it worth getting the 8 quart?  I was thinking of getting the 6 quart but it's not on sale on Amazon.

[mansonlamps]

1 hour ago, Snarklepuss said:

Is it worth getting the 8 quart?  I was thinking of getting the 6 quart but it's not on sale on Amazon.

I ordered the 8 quart since it was cheaper than the 6 quart with the Prime Deal and I have tons of counter space,  but really don't need one that big.   Pretty excited though. 

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Is it worth getting the 8 quart?  I was thinking of getting the 6 quart but it's not on sale on Amazon.

The 8 quart takes up nearly the same amount of counter space and it works the same even if you make smaller quantities. I am fine with a six quart do if it was an equal deal I would say do that but this deal is so crazy good and gives you more options.

I was this close to getting my BFF the six quart 6 and 1 because I know she will never attempt yogurt but this deal came along and switched.

Despite all my posts in this thread to the contrary you can live an amazing life without the Instant Pot. But on this deal my sister and I bought 6 all for other people!

[ariel]

If you like hard boiled eggs, the Instant Pot makes perfect ones.  The shells just slide off.

[Snarklepuss]

5 hours ago, biakbiak said:

The 8 quart takes up nearly the same amount of counter space and it works the same even if you make smaller quantities. I am fine with a six quart do if it was an equal deal I would say do that but this deal is so crazy good and gives you more options.

Thanks, I just ordered one.  :)

[mansonlamps]

1 hour ago, ariel said:

If you like hard boiled eggs, the Instant Pot makes perfect ones.  The shells just slide off.

While it sounds ridiculous for the money spent, this is one of the reasons I made the purchase!  Can't wait to try it out.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, mansonlamps said:

While it sounds ridiculous for the money spent, this is one of the reasons I made the purchase!  Can't wait to try it out.

It doesn't. My cholesterol level is probably not better for it.

[PRgal]

I was TOTALLY going to get an Instapot on Amazon yesterday, but the only one available on sale for Prime Day was an 8 quart - and I don't need anything that big...

[Mellowyellow]

14 hours ago, PRgal said:

I was TOTALLY going to get an Instapot on Amazon yesterday, but the only one available on sale for Prime Day was an 8 quart - and I don't need anything that big...

I make pho and stock in a 15 quart pot so 8 is nothing!!!!

[mansonlamps]

On 7/11/2017 at 11:14 PM, biakbiak said:

It doesn't. My cholesterol level is probably not better for it.

I don't know if its your thing,  but I saw my coworker eating hard boiled egg halves with scoops of hummus instead of the yolks.  Then I got thinking,  hmm why not scoops of guacamole, or artichoke jalapeno dip?  So many ways to enjoy the hard boiled egg.   I just got a notification that it has arrived, my most exciting Amazon purchase in a long time.

[2727]

Because I love Egg McMuffins so very much, the Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich maker. It's easy to use and works great. Pretty much a single use appliance, but there's a "recipe" book with 150 sandwiches, so maybe that gets half a point from Alton.

 

Edited July 15, 2017 by 2727

[annzeepark914]

I'm sure this product has already been mentioned but I just replaced my 5 yr old Oxo veg/fruit peeler and wow! the blade is verrrrry sharp and can peel nectarines easily.  They had two kinds of Oxo peelers at BB&B but I bought the original style and love it.  Mr. P914 doesn't (he was peeling potatoes with the new one and did a job on his thumb--not enough for the ER like my incident years ago, but he needed a tight bandage!)  So now I can peel fruit so easily (as opposed to doing the boiling water trick).

[Bastet]

Oxo makes a lot of good stuff.  I have quite a few Oxo utensils and gadgets in my kitchen drawers, and they come in first in a fair number of America's Test Kitchen equipment testings. 

[ariel]

13 hours ago, 2727 said:

Because I love Egg McMuffins so very much, the Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich maker. It's easy to use and works great. Pretty much a single use appliance, but there's a "recipe" book with 150 sandwiches, so maybe that gets half a point from Alton.

 

I would have loved that in my college dorm.  If I had that, I'd probably the most popular person on campus.

Edited July 15, 2017 by ariel

[Zahdii]

My daughter got one.  She said she only got one use out of it before it stopped cooking the egg.  I guess she got a lemon.

[possibilities]

I wish it was easier to sharpen a peeler. I have one with a wooden handle that's so comfortable... but the blades are so dull it's practically useless.

[mansonlamps]

On 7/15/2017 at 0:44 AM, 2727 said:

Because I love Egg McMuffins so very much, the Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich maker. It's easy to use and works great. Pretty much a single use appliance, but there's a "recipe" book with 150 sandwiches, so maybe that gets half a point from Alton.

 

I bought this year's ago for the same reason.  It's also a toaster, so not as much of a one trick pony, but also has a larger footprint and is more expensive.  Worked great until I melted the control panel off.

 

[ariel]

I think at one time Paula Deen had her name on a gadget that had a toaster & fried an egg.

[MargeGunderson]

@2727, does it toast the English muffin too? I love breakfast sandwiches but only if the English muffin or bagel is toasted. I want some crunch in my sandwich!

[2727]

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

@2727, does it toast the English muffin too? I love breakfast sandwiches but only if the English muffin or bagel is toasted. I want some crunch in my sandwich!

The muffin does get a bit crisp on the side that's in contact with the heat plate, but not as much as if it had been done in a toaster.

[MargeGunderson]

Speaking of toasting, I love my Breville toaster oven/convection oven. At the time I thought it was stupid expensive but I had a gift card so I splurged. It is awesome. Since I don't have air conditioning, it's a great alternative to the oven in the summer. I can easily fit a 9x13 pan in it, and it's big enough for a 12 inch pizza. And it's great to have at Thanksgiving when oven space is at a premium. 

[chessiegal]

1 minute ago, MargeGunderson said:

Speaking of toasting, I love my Breville toaster oven/convection oven. At the time I thought it was stupid expensive but I had a gift card so I splurged. It is awesome. Since I don't have air conditioning, it's a great alternative to the oven in the summer. I can easily fit a 9x13 pan in it, and it's big enough for a 12 inch pizza. And it's great to have at Thanksgiving when oven space is at a premium. 

Love mine too. Bought it at BB&B so $50 off with coupon. It's just the 2 of us - perfect for baked potatoes.

[possibilities]

Which model do you have? I'm seeing a few different ones online.

[MargeGunderson]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

Which model do you have? I'm seeing a few different ones online.

I think the closest one is the Breville Smart Oven Pro. Mine is several years old but it looks like the functionality and size of the Pro is the same. 

[Giselle]

The turntable in my microwave.

When I need quick nachos or to melt cheese on more elaborate nachos I've begun building them on the big glass turntables that go in the microwave. It's big. Easy to heat and it's oven to table. I've got 3 more from other microwaves that have died. I love them!

I have  some large rattan chargers with a rim that they sit on to counter act the wobbly center cog.

[ariel]

I'm not sure if this can be considered a gadget, but I like Formaticum cheese storage bags.  They keep my cheese fresher for a longer time.

[ariel]

I splurged & bought myself a Thermapen Digital Thermometer.  It just arrived today. Sadly what I'm making for dinner tonight doesn't need it's services.

[ariel]

I used my Instant Pot to do corn on the cob.  It came out great.

[Qoass]

I've decided to stop buying those reusable plastic storage containers and invest in Pyrex. Sure, they're heavier but they last much, much longer in  better condition and I can put them in the oven. If only the lids were as durable as the containers.

[FormerMod-a1]

I love my pyrex containers.  Not only are they oven safe, but they clean up so much easier.  But yes, they are heavier, which is especially noticeable when using them to bring lunch to work. 

[DeLurker]

Pyrex is superior to plastic just based on the lack of tomato sauce stains.

[JTMacc99]

I forget I have them sometimes because I store them in a different place than the plastic ones. 

[Qoass]

Confession: I just bought a 5 by 7 inch one because I read another small batch cookbook and that's what is called for to bake smaller cakes and stuff. I have a recipe earmarked for cinnamon rolls  but I'm not really good at yeast breads so I want to practice without wasting pounds of ingredients. A recipe for  just four cinnamon rolls! This could get dangerous!

[mansonlamps]

Is anyone else getting deluged with emails from Amazon for the Live Fresh splatter screen for $2.97 (normally $29.99) if you try Amazon Fresh?  I already own one and its amazing,  but the three dollar price wouldn't get me to pay $14.99 per month for grocery delivery anyway. 

[biakbiak]

We have glass containers that we use for the refrigerator but for freezing we use takeout plastic containers, I haven't purchased a good storage containers in more than a decade.

[chessiegal]

I have Zip Loc containers I have been reusing for over 10 years - I wash them in the top rack of the dishwasher. About 5 years ago we had a tropical storm come through, and I was concerned about losing electricity. I bought bags of cubed ice to fill up empty space in the freezer, and filled in the nooks with the containers filled with water that I froze. Thankfully, didn't need it.

[Bastet]

I use Pyrex glass containers (the Snapware line) for food storage, too; I switched a couple of years ago because I didn't like the extra dish dirtied by storing in plastic and then microwaving in something else, and I wanted to reduce the amount of plastic, even unheated, touching my food.  I bought two sets from Costco. 

I posted my plastic storage containers (Glad, Ziploc, even some old Tupperware) on Freecycle, so they'd continue to be reused.

[Mittengirl]

Qoass, what is the name of the small batch cookbook?  I think I need to try cooking that way; maybe have fewer leftovers and more variety.

[Qoass]

@Mittengirl, my most recent read was Baking for two : the small-batch baking cookbook for sweet and savory treats by Tracy Yabiku. It is a baking book so not too many entrees and I haven't actually tried to make anything out of it yet. (I have my annual checkup soon and I'm trying to stick to mostly fruits and veggies over baked goods.) The author has a website and a mailing list. Swing by the Cookbooks thread for a couple of other small batch book recommendations.

[Mellowyellow]

Omg I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pyrex! I recently invested in a shelf full of pyrex containers with lids!

I still use my Decor plastic containers to freeze food in though because I have visions of opening my tetris freezer and sending all my pyrex crashing to the floor.

But everything that is not frozen gets kept in a Pyrex.

I also managed to convince MrMellow to bring Pyrex containers to work for lunch. He complained lots about the weight at first but has grudgingly accepted it since everyone else at work is also using Pyrex only. They are ribbing him about his juice poppers which I hope he will give up one day but I doubt he will.

[larapu2000]

On 8/29/2017 at 0:35 PM, Qoass said:

Confession: I just bought a 5 by 7 inch one because I read another small batch cookbook and that's what is called for to bake smaller cakes and stuff. I have a recipe earmarked for cinnamon rolls  but I'm not really good at yeast breads so I want to practice without wasting pounds of ingredients. A recipe for  just four cinnamon rolls! This could get dangerous!

Honestly, cinnamon roll dough is generally really easy to work with and not as challenging or scary as other yeast breads.  It's usually a nice, soft, pliable dough, easy to roll out and work with.  At least in my experience!