Indispensable Kitchen Gadgets

[ebk57]

We have a couple of 1 liter kettles.  We travel with one, alone with a folding filter basket that will go over a coffee cup.  That way, we can get coffee we like and make our own coffee in hotels since the "free" coffee in the room usually sucks.

 

I would love some recommendations for rubber spatulas.  I've found they don't actually make "rubber" spatulas anymore (I loved my Rubbermaid ones).  The ones I've been using have started (or finished) falling apart.  I see silicone seems to be the thing, but I want to make sure they're flexible enough to get all the stuff out of the bowls, but it's hard to tell from the Amazon descriptions.  So if you have a favorite brand, I'd appreciate it.

[JTMacc99]

I got a set of silicone spatulas from Le Cruset a few years ago that have served me well. The current designs are different than the ones I have.

There are a couple of reviews of spatulas to look at. I'm not sure if you can really go too wrong. Silicone spatulas are pretty good tools.

If I have any useful advice, it would be to include at least one spatula that looks like a big spoon in your set. That one tends to be my go to spatula.

[possibilities]

Has anyone used a "baby food maker"? I'm trying to assess whether they actually are more than a glorified mini food processor.

I have a sick cat who I'm (oral) syringe feeding, and the food has to be extremely well pureed, because even the smallest particles will clog the syringe.

So I need something that will truly turn meat to extremely smooth mush. I'm tired of buying baby food in tiny jars and diluting it. I'd like to be able to just make my own.

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, forumfish said:

Re: spatulas -- a few years ago, my sister bought a silicone-coated spreader to give Mom as a stocking stuffer. That has turned out to be a very useful tool -- it is flexible enough to get into the bottom edges of mayo jars, yet sturdy enough to actually use as a spreader. I also have a set of two silicone spatula-spoons. Great for getting the last of the peanut butter out of the jar.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a soda maker? I was given a little bit of Christmas money and want to buy something I normally wouldn't. I also really need to cut back on my Dr. Pepper habit, so I thought cutting it with fizzy water might be helpful, 'cause no way am I going cold turkey. I've looked into Soda Stream, but they seem to really sell their flavor packets, and that's not what I would be using mine for, I just want to make carbonated water. I wonder if an old-fashioned seltzer bottle would be best? I don't want to spend lots on the refill cartridges, though, so maybe a Soda Stream-type setup is better, if it makes a greater quantity per cartridge.

You can buy seltzer water at the grocery store. Mine sells their store brand at 59 cents per liter bottle.

Edited December 18, 2017 by chessiegal

[biakbiak]

I have a soda stream, it was a gift, never have used their flavorings. I prefer it over buying seltzer because it's less waste. 

[DeLurker]

10 hours ago, forumfish said:

I also really need to cut back on my Dr. Pepper habit, so I thought cutting it with fizzy water might be helpful,

Have you tried cutting the Dr Pepper with seltzer water already to see if the end result would be workable for you?  I'd check that out with store bought water first.

[larapu2000]

I find that the soda stream is also ideal for entertaining.  For parties, no more lugging lots of bottles of club soda from the store.  Just make a few in advance and replenish as necessary!

[biakbiak]

I got an immersion circulator for Christmas , does anyone have one? Any great recipes or blogs you like for sous vide?

Edited December 26, 2017 by biakbiak

[Jeanne222]

Does anybody happen to have that    'As seen on tv'  jar opener?  Thinking about buying one.  I can't seem to get the lids off jars anymore!

[Zahdii]

Well, got an Instant Pot for Christmas.  Wasn't in the market for one, so I was surprised to get it.  It's kind of exciting, though, a new toy to play with and all.  I'll be spending some time reading up on it before I start to use it, but I think I'd like some kind of meat in gravy type of recipe.

[Mittengirl]

I got my almost-90-year-old mother an Instant Pot (it should arrive tomorrow thanks to Amazon’s 2day shipping that will take 7 Days).  She has been using a pressure cooker for years - the same one, in fact.  We cannot find new rings for it, so I decided to replace the whole thing.

 My mother is like Mikey when it comes to presents, she doesn’t like anything.  I anticipate complaints that we already have a slow cooker and stove top pressure cooker and what the heck do we need one more appliance for and where the heck are we going to put it and ...

 I think she will like the IP if I can get her to take the time to get used to it.  We use a crock pot for a few things and the pressure cooker mostly for pot roast and stuffed peppers.  Any suggestions for basic recipes to try first?  It is usually just the two of us, but leftovers are good.  The fewer the ingredients, the better.  And minimal prep.  My mother is a cook who cooks because she has to, not because she likes to.  Anything with too many ingredients or steps or gets too many pots, pans or utensils dirty are all grounds for complaints.

[Angeltoes]

Quote

I'll be spending some time reading up on it before I start to use it, but I think I'd like some kind of meat in gravy type of recipe.

There is a Facebook page called Instant Pot Community.  It's an endless stream of recipes and helpful hints.  They are very good about holding the hands of newbies.

[Snarklepuss]

It's probably been mentioned to death, but I finally got a Vitamix for Christmas and need to find some great smoothie recipes.

[Qoass]

It's not very fancy but I call my favorite smoothie the Elvis: half a cup plain fat free yogurt, one frozen banana, one tablespoon peanut butter, one tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder. Blitz and guzzle.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Qoass

[JTMacc99]

So I was talking about my new Instant Pot and my dad says, “who makes it?”

So I looked it up. Cool.

[auntlada]

16 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

My mother is a cook who cooks because she has to, not because she likes to.  Anything with too many ingredients or steps or gets too many pots, pans or utensils dirty are all grounds for complaints.

Sounds like my mother (except she doesn't really complain -- she just doesn't do it). She always said she wasn't cooking anything that took more than 20 minutes work on her part. I have adopted that philosophy, and it has served me well. I will spend more time if it's something special -- usually baked things.

I got my niece an Instant Pot for Christmas and told her she could find all kinds of recipes online. She just graduated from college last year and is living in her first place by herself. She's a police officer and I think doesn't always have a lot of time to cook -- or want to take a lot of time. She works nights, so  her schedules are all weird.

[Trini]

On 12/26/2017 at 11:50 PM, Snarklepuss said:

It's probably been mentioned to death, but I finally got a Vitamix for Christmas and need to find some great smoothie recipes.

When my mom got hers, she ordered it from QVC (or HSN?) and it came with a whole cookbook. 'Great' is subjective, but the Vitamix website has recipes: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/browse/recipes/Smoothies/

My Morning Mix:
+ 1 cup milk (dairy/soy/almond),
+ 1 whole banana,
+ 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter (or other nut butter),
Optional additions: 1 quarter cup of berries (fresh or frozen), or 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

[Snarklepuss]

35 minutes ago, Trini said:

When my mom got hers, she ordered it from QVC (or HSN?) and it came with a whole cookbook. 'Great' is subjective, but the Vitamix website has recipes: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/browse/recipes/Smoothies/

My Morning Mix:
+ 1 cup milk (dairy/soy/almond),
+ 1 whole banana,
+ 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter (or other nut butter),
Optional additions: 1 quarter cup of berries (fresh or frozen), or 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

Thanks so much!  I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to open the box yet but this is a fantastic start!

[DeLurker]

On 12/26/2017 at 10:50 PM, Snarklepuss said:

It's probably been mentioned to death, but I finally got a Vitamix for Christmas and need to find some great smoothie recipes.

Mine is unsightly, but oddly addictive (at least for me) - mix of baby spinach/kale/chard, couple of oranges or tangerines and a chunk of fresh ginger. 

I made it a couple times to up my veggie intake when I was super busy - by the third morning, I was craving the stuff.

[JTMacc99]

Just made baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. Insanely easy and they came out perfect. 

I think tonight I will use it to steam some green beans (a family favorite) to see how that works. 

[Lisin]

On 12/26/2017 at 11:50 PM, Snarklepuss said:

It's probably been mentioned to death, but I finally got a Vitamix for Christmas and need to find some great smoothie recipes.

 

4 hours ago, DeLurker said:

Mine is unsightly, but oddly addictive (at least for me) - mix of baby spinach/kale/chard, couple of oranges or tangerines and a chunk of fresh ginger. 

I made it a couple times to up my veggie intake when I was super busy - by the third morning, I was craving the stuff.

Mine's similar to yours @DeLurker 

frozen leafy spinach (not the kind in a brick), frozen berries/mangoes/whatever frozen fruit is on sale, ginger, coconut water sometimes a scoop of greek yogurt, sometimes honey or a banana. 

[Lovecat]

On 12/26/2017 at 5:34 PM, Mittengirl said:

 I think she will like the IP if I can get her to take the time to get used to it.  We use a crock pot for a few things and the pressure cooker mostly for pot roast and stuffed peppers.  Any suggestions for basic recipes to try first?  It is usually just the two of us, but leftovers are good.  The fewer the ingredients, the better.  And minimal prep.  My mother is a cook who cooks because she has to, not because she likes to.  Anything with too many ingredients or steps or gets too many pots, pans or utensils dirty are all grounds for complaints.

One of the cool things about the IP is the sauté function--you can brown your meat and sweat your veg before adding liquid and putting the lid on to finish cooking under pressure.  One-pot cooking at its best!  Words of advice, though:

• Remember to take into consideration any time needed for browning ingredients, the time for the pot to come up to pressure (10-15 min), and the time to release the pressure (2-3 min for a "quick release," where you turn the valve at the end of pressure cooking and release the steam all at onece; 10 min sitting time + another minute or so to release steam for a "natural quick release," where most of the pressure dissipates during a rest time at the conclusion of pressure cooking).  Don't believe recipes that say "on the table in 20 minutes" unless they are VERY simple and literally only cook under pressure for 5 minutes.
• Relatedly, don't be one of those people who cook everything in the IP just because you can.  It's great for meats, stews, and soups, and I've made some delicious potatoes and a risotto dish that was amazing, but sometimes it is faster to use another method of cooking (see below re: steaming vegetables).  
• Conversely, it seems counter-intuitive to use the IP for hard boiled eggs, which are already pretty easy to make, but they come out wonderfully and slip right out of the shell.  1 cup of water, eggs on the trivet that comes with the pot, 5 minutes under pressure, 5 minutes natural quick release, then fill the pot with cold water and let them sit for at least another 5 min.  Game-changer.
• If you've pressure-cooked before, you probably already know this, but I was a newbie to the whole concept, so I was super-surprised at the amount of steam that came out of that thing!  I have to remind myself not to release it directly under my cabinets because I don't want to steam the paint off :). It also weirds me out a little that you can't smell the food cooking until you release the pressure.  I'm still working on building my trust :)
• The instruction manual that comes with the IP is crap.  I swear it was written in Japanese, then translated to Esperanto.  You'll get a better feel for how the pot works just by following some recipes.

One of the easiest meals for a newbie is pasta with meat sauce.  There are more precise recipes online, but basically you brown some ground meat with onions, peppers, mushrooms (whatever you like--don't forget to season!), deglaze with 1/2 c wine or broth, add dried pasta and some water, stir, cover the whole thing with a can of crushed tomatoes (add some more seasoning!), DO NOT STIR, slap the lid on, and cook under pressure for a ridiculously short period of time (5, 6 min?).  The pasta miraculously soaks up the water and cooks perfectly, and when you stir the whole thing up when it's done, it's delicious.

2 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Just made baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. Insanely easy and they came out perfect. 

I think tonight I will use it to steam some green beans (a family favorite) to see how that works. 

Don't bother with steaming green beans in the IP.  It's much faster to do it on the stovetop or in the microwave.  Potatoes, OTOH, come out AMAZING.  I think the pressure-cooking does something to the consistency that they turn out different than oven-baked, and so delicious!  

[Mindthinkr]

I have been reading for pages about how thrilled y'all seem to be with your Instapots. My daughter has just heard of them and is interested in getting one. Are they really as good and as quick? You sure are temping me!! I mostly do all my cooking the old fashioned way. By hand. No processor, no electric mixer etc. I call it arm exercise. 

[chessiegal]

4 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Just made baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. Insanely easy and they came out perfect. 

I think tonight I will use it to steam some green beans (a family favorite) to see how that works. 

How did you cook them? I'd like to give that a try.

[JTMacc99]

2 hours ago, Lovecat said:

5 minutes natural quick release,

What does that mean? Wait five minutes after it’s done and then quick release, or release the steam after five minutes of pressure cooking and then wait five minutes until opening?

38 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

How did you cook them? I'd like to give that a try.

Put three big Idaho potatoes on the steam rack, which was one layer in the bottom. One cup of water. Pressure cooked on normal high for 12 minutes, let the pressure come down naturally. 

I read 10 minutes but it looked like that person had cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. 

[possibilities]

I use my pressure cooker constantly. I actually have two; that's how much I use it.

Is the Instant Pot really any different or better than a regular pressure cooker? Are people who love it people who have used pressure cookers before, or only people for whom this is the first one?

I love kitchen stuff, but I don't need three pressure cookers, unless the 3rd one is something more.

[Lovecat]

5 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

What does that mean? Wait five minutes after it’s done and then quick release...

Exactly!  Quick release means immediately after cooking, natural release means leave it sit until all the pressure releases, and natural quick release is a combination of a short sit followed by a release of the remaining steam. The recipe will tell you what to do.

[biakbiak]

36 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I use my pressure cooker constantly. I actually have two; that's how much I use it.

Is the Instant Pot really any different or better than a regular pressure cooker? Are people who love it people who have used pressure cookers before, or only people for whom this is the first one?

I love kitchen stuff, but I don't need three pressure cookers, unless the 3rd one is something more.

I love it because I barely used my stovetop one for anything other than canning. With the timer function its great because you can set it and leave the house. Also, you cancook overnight and its also a slow cooker, rice maker and makes yogurt. Also , the fact that it doesn't take a burner is awesome for holidays or big meals.

Edited December 30, 2017 by biakbiak

[justspiffy]

I am tempted to buy the https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8MMLBI/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1RKT9I7JAX4MC&colid=39AWHTCO21JR&psc=1

(joule Sous vide) implement. Serious Eats gave it a good review, and it will fit in a drawer. I have no room for any more counter top appliances. Has anyone tried at home Sous vide?  

[chessiegal]

I posted this in the Instant Pot thread, but am putting it here also.

After I finally successfully made easy to peel hard boiled eggs today in my electric pressure cooker, I saw Alton Brown make them in his "electric kettle". his was an induction heating model like my KitchenAid. Put eggs in pot with cold water, heat to boiling, let pot turn off, let sit for 15 minutes, pour off hot water, replace with cold, let sit a few minutes and peel. I gave it a try and the eggs came out perfectly with the shell just falling off. I feel like I have now conquered easy hard boiled eggs.

[biakbiak]

On 1/2/2018 at 5:55 PM, justspiffy said:

I am tempted to buy the https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8MMLBI/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1RKT9I7JAX4MC&colid=39AWHTCO21JR&psc=1

(joule Sous vide) implement. Serious Eats gave it a good review, and it will fit in a drawer. I have no room for any more counter top appliances. Has anyone tried at home Sous vide?  

I got the Avona for Christmas and enjoying it, making great paoched eggs that last in the fridge, a 36 hour pork roast that was perfect and currently making turkey meatballs stuffed with mozzarella and basil. I also made my own gin and tonic. 

[chessiegal]

4 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I also made my own gin and tonic.

Hahahahaha! Says the person getting ready to make another. :)

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Hahahahaha! Says the person getting ready to make another. :)

They both came out redder than normal, the black pepper is most likely to blame for the gin's color and the Cinchona bark and grapefruit zest for the tonic, but were quite delicious even though we used cheap vodka from TJs for our first experiment. Looking forward to making other infusions, bitters, and liquers. 

[chessiegal]

Anyone have an air fryer? I just bought a new Breville counter top oven that has an air fryer capability (or so they claim). It's not why I bought it, but I'm curious if I should try something.

[jamesluke]

Hi everyone

I am looking for a best Panini press for my home kitchen and small restaurant located in Main Street. My budget is no more than 500$ .....i think it is enough, Can anyone help me suggesting best recommend for me? Please clean my mind with your kind suggestions. 

 

Thanks, best regards

[JTMacc99]

Ooh, I forgot about this thread. I got four new things for my kitchen for my birthday. The big gift is a boning knife, which was hand made by some little forge in Texas. I haven't received that one yet. The little guys usually ship everything out like once or twice a month. It looks beautiful in the picture. 

And then I got three new gadgets. First is a citrus juicer. Just the standard one that you put the half lime in, fold the handle over it and squeeze it down like a pair of pliers. I have NO idea why I never dropped like $10 on one of these before because it is so much easier than squeezing them by hand. Jeez. Second I got one of the Oxo Avocado tools. The thing that has a little plastic knife on one side, the pit remover in the middle and the oval slicer end.  Again, I have no idea why I didn't drop the few dollars on one of these before, because SO much easier.

And lastly I got a spiralizer. I have no idea what I'm going to spiralize, but it was on an Amazon flash sale for $15 instead of the normal $30 when I was buying the other two things, so I put it in the cart. 

[HunterHunted]

9 hours ago, jamesluke said:

Hi everyone

I am looking for a best Panini press for my home kitchen and small restaurant located in Main Street. My budget is no more than 500$ .....i think it is enough, Can anyone help me suggesting best recommend for me? Please clean my mind with your kind suggestions. 

 

Thanks, best regards

I have the Cuisinart Griddler. It's pretty good, heats up quickly, and has removable plates. There is also  Cuisinart Griddler Elite. It's bigger than the one I have.

However if you're operating a small restaurant, you may want something a little more heavy duty. I believe VillaWare makes a professional grade panini maker. As does AvantCo and Waring.

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

And then I got three new gadgets. First is a citrus juicer. Just the standard one that you put the half lime in, fold the handle over it and squeeze it down like a pair of pliers. I have NO idea why I never dropped like $10 on one of these before because it is so much easier than squeezing them by hand. Jeez.

I've had this one for years, because I love the two different sizes (for lemon or lime).  There is the occasional season in which my tree yields lemons that are the slightest bit too large for it, but usually it's just right.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Bastet

[JTMacc99]

30 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I've had this one for years, because I love the two different sizes (for lemon or lime).  There is the occasional season in which my tree yields lemons that are the slightest bit too large for it, but usually it's just right.

I bought one just like it.  Like I said, I should have owned one of these things for the previous 20 years. So much inefficient squeezing.  (Heh. Didn't think I'd type that sentence today.)

[Qoass]

Whereas I enjoy using a wooden reamer!

[possibilities]

I find it really difficult to juice limes. Lemons are no problem, but the limes always feel like they're leaving way too much juice behind to get wasted. I may look into a gadget, if they're more effective.

What I currently use looks much like this:

https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Citrus-Juicer-Reamer-Heavyweight/dp/B004780HX6

I like it because it's glass.

Edited March 7, 2018 by possibilities

[chessiegal]

I always give lemons and limes a good hard roll back and forth on the counter before I use the press gadget. Gets more juice out than not rolling them.

[Mondrianyone]

Also, try nuking them in the microwave for up to half a minute for lemons, less for limes.  It increases the amount of juice by a great deal.

[JTMacc99]

17 hours ago, possibilities said:

I find it really difficult to juice limes. Lemons are no problem, but the limes always feel like they're leaving way too much juice behind to get wasted. I may look into a gadget, if they're more effective.

I have no idea if the gadget I bought does a better job than the glass reamer you linked, but I do feel like there wasn't much left to give from the limes I juiced. They appeared to be spent. 

ETA: By the way, an unfortunate side effect of this purchase and my newfound abundant supply of lime juice is that before this latest hideous snowstorm I stopped at the liquor store and brought home Triple Sec and Tequila. 

Edited March 8, 2018 by JTMacc99

[Lovecat]

On 3/8/2018 at 11:29 AM, JTMacc99 said:

ETA: By the way, an unfortunate side effect of this purchase and my newfound abundant supply of lime juice is that before this latest hideous snowstorm I stopped at the liquor store and brought home Triple Sec and Tequila. 

Valid life choice, IMHO!

[Scatterbrained]

I am interested in something to make veggie “noodles” with (like a spiralizer).  I want something electric and something that can easily handle harder items like sweet potatoes.

Any recommendations?  Or any to avoid?

[Lisin]

On 3/6/2018 at 6:09 AM, jamesluke said:

Hi everyone

I am looking for a best Panini press for my home kitchen and small restaurant located in Main Street. My budget is no more than 500$ .....i think it is enough, Can anyone help me suggesting best recommend for me? Please clean my mind with your kind suggestions. 

 

Thanks, best regards

This may be too late but I have this one and quite like it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H4O1L9Y/?coliid=I24P3DZP5ICD0U&colid=27GBUEMB1UCXG&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it. It's not specifically a Panini press but it does the job. 

[mansonlamps]

Not a gadget, but I just got my very first Le Creuset Dutch oven.  I'm ridiculously in love with it already even though I haven't used it yet.  Any suggestions for its inaugural use?

[Quof]

America's Test Kitchen beef stew always seems to taste especially yummy in mine. 

[mansonlamps]

Unfortunately you have to subscribe to their website to get their recipes and I just don't need any more food website emails LOL.