Indispensable Kitchen Gadgets

[chessiegal]

I'm very happy with my Oxo Good Grips.

[Brookside]

9 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I'm very happy with my Oxo Good Grips.

This is one of the ones I've tried.  Sadly.  I may have to accept defeat.  Since I learned about Pomi (in bricks) for tomatoes, and the fact that buying fresh tuna can be as cost effective as canned tuna that doesn't taste like cat food, perhaps it's all good.  (Struggled yesterday because I needed to make a massive tuna salad for a family event.  Next time I'll sign up for the Caesar.)

[Jaded]

I've had a few Kuhn Rikon can openers over the past 10 years that have worked well. The one I have now is listed for $19 on Amazon. I got it last year for $7 from Amazon Warehouse as "used" but it looked brand new. So I'm not sure if it was a return or something else. 

[Mondrianyone]

I have this one, which I really love.  I enjoy standing there and watching the device circle the can.  I may need a hobby.  I bought mine online, but I see that it's sold on Walmart's site, so it might be sold in the store.  The reviews there are so-so, but I've never had a minute's trouble with mine.  And I don't think I've needed to change the batteries once in like five years.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Mondrianyone
to clarify my otherwise odd meaning

[larapu2000]

Try the Swing Away opener.  It's a crank, so it's pretty dummy proof.

If you do get a lid jammed, don't use your fingers.  Use a butter knife as a lever to pry the lid open far enough to get product out.  

[possibilities]

I like the Swing Away, also.

But if it's really that hard for you, why not just get an electric? I have resisted, but when I had carpel tunnel syndrome I really wish I'd done it, because I absolutely couldn't open one with a manual.

[theredhead77]

My parents must have a magical refrigerator because produce lasts for!ever! in it. I've never had great luck with produce, not when I lived close by (same climate), not when I moved across the country.

I picked up a Rubbermaid FreshWorks container at the grocery store as an impulse buy and HOLY CRAP do they work! Raspberries previously  moldy within a day are now lasting a few days (I eat them pretty fast so I don't know how long they would really last). Same with strawberries. I picked up a set at Bath and Body Works and will be getting a few one-off of different sizes.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

http://www.rubbermaid.com/en-US/fresh-works

[DeLurker]

On 4/4/2018 at 12:44 PM, JTMacc99 said:

Fantastic. I've got the ratio of coffee to water down to what I need for two full mugs in the morning. I'll be using more coffee going forward than I had been using, but not by much. Also of interest, the way the ground coffee is sold by the actual Dunkin Donuts (3 pounds for $19.99 by the way) is not too fine for a French Press. There is a little bit of settling at the bottom of a cup, but not bad at all. This is good news because it keeps me from having to go buy a burr grinder. I may still do so, as fresh ground is even better, but for now when I want to do that I can use my regular coffee mill and just be careful about how long I grind it. 

I just saw this delightful version of the French Press and was almost tempted to order one.

It is buy the same company that makes my pour over, which I love (truly, madly, deeply).  Dealing with the grounds was probably the only negative I had with a FP and that was just the nuisance factor.

[chessiegal]

This really isn't a kitchen gadget, but I go to so many pot luck lunches I ordered this today. I'm taking pumpkin & sage ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce next week, and I think this will be perfect for transporting and keeping it warm.

Crock Pot 3.5 Quart Casserole Crock

 

Edited October 21, 2018 by chessiegal

[HunterHunted]

This isn't a gadget either, but  I find my West Bend slow cooker indispensable because it really does let you sear meat, caramelize, and develop a fond.

I have an Instapot and a Crockpot, but I probably use my West Bend more.

[DeLurker]

A question actually - does anyone have any input on electric roaster ovens?  I've toyed with the idea of buying one for larger roasts since getting then in/out of the oven can sometimes be a bit dicey for me.  I'm also wondering if it might be more versatile for me in the long run since a fair amount of the year here is hot and I am not inclined to use my oven, but then I miss out on things like oven roasted chicken.

As the extended family grows, I am at the point where I need to purchase a larger roasting pan which will only be used really once or twice a year.

[larapu2000]

On 11/18/2018 at 2:31 PM, DeLurker said:

A question actually - does anyone have any input on electric roaster ovens?  I've toyed with the idea of buying one for larger roasts since getting then in/out of the oven can sometimes be a bit dicey for me.  I'm also wondering if it might be more versatile for me in the long run since a fair amount of the year here is hot and I am not inclined to use my oven, but then I miss out on things like oven roasted chicken.

As the extended family grows, I am at the point where I need to purchase a larger roasting pan which will only be used really once or twice a year.

I don't have anything to add in terms of brand preference, etc, but we always use a roaster at Thanksgiving in order to leave the oven open to other things like stuffing, roasted vegetables, etc, or a second turkey (if needed)!  I don't think they're that expensive, and they make more sense than double ovens!  

If you can find one with a hinged lid, I would go with that one, but only if the spot you would put it in allows for clearance for the hinged lid.  Otherwise, the regular lid is fine!

[DeLurker]

@larapu2000 - Thank you - I'll keep the hinged top in mind!

How does it do on browning turkey skin?  The reviews I've read are kind of all over the place on this aspect.

[larapu2000]

33 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

@larapu2000 - Thank you - I'll keep the hinged top in mind!

How does it do on browning turkey skin?  The reviews I've read are kind of all over the place on this aspect.

Yeah.  No.  It's no bueno on crispy skin.  It holds the moisture in, where an oven evaporates it.  It does hams, turkey breasts (like the foil wrapped Sara Lee one), etc, really nicely because they don't need that exaggerated browning.

You might find it more handy cooking your sides in it if you are a crispy skin fanatic.  Most roasters double as a warmer, too, so it's handy to use it to keep your turkey or sides nice and warm once they're ready for serving.

[Mondrianyone]

I've had one on my wish list for a while now, but the flabby-skin thing has kept me from going ahead with it.  The one I'm looking at has a sear function, so I'm wondering if you could roast, then sear to get the skin crisped up?  Or maybe finish up the last part of the cooking process with the lid off?  I obviously don't know what I'm talking about.

[HunterHunted]

@DeLurker do you have a toaster oven? A roaster oven is less expensive and has a larger capacity, but a decent toaster oven will allow you to get things crispy. I've had toaster ovens since I first went to college 25 years ago. I've upgraded when the old ones died (I'm actually in my third one). I currently own a Breville Smart Oven and it is probably my most useful piece of kitchen equipment. I use it multiple times a week. I live in Texas and I'm also a big baker. I've made whole roasted chickens (about 5 lbs) in there. I've made bread in it. I've made scratch pizza in it. I've made casseroles in it. It's amazing.The three things that I've had to purchase at least for my needs is a secondary rack, a pizza stone (which I keep in there permanently as a heat sink; it doesn't lose a lot of heat, but it works for my purposes), and a sheet pan and casserole dish that fit it (I want to say it fits an 8 x 10).

If you really want a moist chicken, but with crispy skin, you could roast the chicken separately from its skin and make a chicken skin crackling to top the final dish.

I'll also add that a lot of people miss opportunities to use equipment like slow cookers, rice cookers, toaster ovens, and microwaves for alternative uses. You need to roast nuts for a dish? If you don't have a toaster oven and your oven is filled with dishes for the main meal, try the microwave.

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/toast-nuts-in-the-microwave.html

Maybe you are cooking mac and cheese in a slow cooker, but you want it to have a crispy breadcrumb topping. You can toast that separately in the toaster oven or in a pan on the stove. You want to keep your side dishes warm, but you don't have any more space in the oven, turn your slow cooker into a chafing dish by putting hot water into your crock, turning the slow cooker to low or warm, placing your already cooked side dish in its own dish into the crock with water, and covering it with foil to keep warm until you are ready to eat.

Sometimes innovation is the key. I started making my own "deli style" cold cuts a couple of years ago. My actual smoker was broken, but I made a smaller oven smoker from foil pans. Once done, I let the meat sit. When cooled, I wrapped it in foil and stuck it in the freezer for a little while and used my mandolin to get those thin slices.

Edited November 20, 2018 by HunterHunted

[chessiegal]

I bought the Breville Smart Oven Air to replace a smaller Breville counter top oven that served me well for many years. I use it several times a week. My Jenn-Air range has a huge oven which is a waste of propane gas to heat, especially if I'm making 2 baked potatoes. I absolutely love it.

Breville Smart Oven Air

I got it at Bed, Bath & Beyond, so 20% off.

ETA: I see in the specs it says it can fit a 14 lb. turkey.

Edited November 20, 2018 by chessiegal

[DeLurker]

Thanks for all the input - it gives me more info to evaluate and to think about before I make a purchase of anything.

@HunterHunted - I do have a toaster oven, but it is a pretty modest sized affair.  My kitchen is really small and counter-top real estate is at a premium so I only can commit to a counter-top appliance if it is going to be a real workhorse.

[biakbiak]

I got an air fryer for Christmas and can’t decide if I want to keep it, or rather buy it again because my dad decided he wanted one and so is taking mine and then  will buy me one on Amazon so we don’t have to ship this one back to California, does anyone have one? Thoughts? Good, bad, indifferent?

Edited December 27, 2018 by biakbiak

[FormerMod-a1]

I like mine a lot, granted I mostly use it to make soups!  But I love soups, and to get a good soup in 25 minutes? is heaven on a weekday.  I have also done short ribs, which turned out great, too.   I know most people love how hard boiled eggs come out, but I haven't even tried that yet.  I love that I can sautee right in it, and then switch to pressure cook, then when done switch to simmer.  (You can simmer at any time, of course).  Mine also doubles as a slow cooker, haven't tested that out yet.

[auntlada]

I'm thinking of getting a culinary torch, mostly for toasting marshmallow. Does anyone have any recommendations on good ones?

[JTMacc99]

I got a cast iron (Lodge, and WAY less expensive on Amazon) wok for Christmas. 

Used it yesterday for the first time. It is fantastic! It gets and stays super hot, which is key to what I'm trying to do in a wok. Super pleased with this addition to my tools. 

[DeLurker]

I didn't know Lodge made woks!

[possibilities]

Lodge is THE BEST.

[JTMacc99]

56 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Lodge is THE BEST.

It is a beautiful piece of cookware. Perfectly seasoned right out of the box. I made stir fried cauliflower rice, including the part where you push the "rice" up the side and cook scrambled eggs in the middle for 30 seconds.  Nothing stuck to the sides, everything was hot and cooked quickly. 

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

I didn't know Lodge made woks!

I spent a couple minutes browsing around the site when I got that link. They make a bunch of things that aren't just frying pans. The pizza pan (listed as a baking pan) caught my eye. I can see how that would be fantastic.

[MargeGunderson]

I got a Lodge biscuit pan last month and finally used it to make sweet potato biscuits for Christmas. They turned out beautifully. I foresee making many more biscuits in my future.....

[chessiegal]

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 6:21 AM, biakbiak said:

I got an air fryer for Christmas and can’t decide if I want to keep it, or rather buy it again because my dad decided he wanted one and so is taking mine and then  will buy me one on Amazon so we don’t have to ship this one back to California, does anyone have one? Thoughts? Good, bad, indifferent?

What are you planning on using the air fryer for? My Breville countertop oven has an air fryer function with a special rack to air fry on. I just don't what to do with it.

[biakbiak]

12 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

What are you planning on using the air fryer for? My Breville countertop oven has an air fryer function with a special rack to air fry on. I just don't what to do with it.

Not sure. I didn’t ask for one, it was one of those things where it was on my brother in laws list, we both like to cook so the person who got it for him also got me one. After looking into it more I think I will just use the money for something else. I don’t eat enough fried things to justify having a separate appliance taking up space.

[chessiegal]

My Breville countertop oven has 14 different function settings. I mostly use it to make baked potatoes, toast, reheat, keep warm, and frozen pizza. I'm just at a loss on what on what could be air fried. I make baked potato wedges sometimes by spraying them with canola oil and sprinkling them with Emeril's Essence.

Edited December 29, 2018 by chessiegal

[biakbiak]

18 hours ago, chessiegal said:

My Breville countertop oven has 14 different function settings. I mostly use it to make baked potatoes, toast, reheat, keep warm, and frozen pizza. I'm just at a loss on what on what could be air fried. I make baked potato wedges sometimes by spraying them with canola oil and sprinkling them with Emeril's Essence.

In the research I did to see if I wanted to keep it l, it appears that an air fryer is just a cheaper, smaller, less versatile convection oven so someone at Breville, most likely in marketing, had them create an “air fryer” setting to cash in on the trend and that you don’t actually need that setting to do anything you want.

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

In the research I did to see if I wanted to keep it l, it appears that an air fryer is just a cheaper, smaller, less versatile convection oven so someone at Breville, most likely in marketing, had them create an “air fryer” setting to cash in on the trend and that you don’t actually need that setting to do anything you want.

It's not just a setting, it came with a special tray you're supposed to use when you're air frying food. I suppose I should go to the Breville website and see what they have to say.

[chessiegal]

Breville's website didn't offer any air frying suggestions, but after doing some googling around, it seems most of the air frying suggestions are things you could just bake. The only thing I saw that looked good were Fried Onion Rings.

[HunterHunted]

On 12/30/2018 at 11:28 AM, biakbiak said:

In the research I did to see if I wanted to keep it l, it appears that an air fryer is just a cheaper, smaller, less versatile convection oven so someone at Breville, most likely in marketing, had them create an “air fryer” setting to cash in on the trend and that you don’t actually need that setting to do anything you want.

Breville and Copper Chef make air fryer baskets that you can use in the Breville countertop oven or a regular oven with a convection feature.

https://www.breville.com/us/en/parts-accessories/accessories/bov900amb0nuc1.html

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Copper-Chef-2-Piece-Copper-Crisper/185743294

or you could just use a roasting or baking rack and a sheet tray. 

I'd go with any of these options over a dedicated air fryer. You likely already have the equipment for the third suggestion.

[biakbiak]

Thanks! I don’t have a convection oven, will probably get one if my toaster oven ever dies. I don’t really do a lot of fried foods so when I do it on the stove with oil. 

[DeLurker]

I have a Chasseur enamel cast-iron dutch oven that my Mom gave me a few years ago.  I used it earlier to brown some meat, saute some onions et al and now things have to simmer for a couple of hours.

I moved the pot to a smaller burner since even on the lowest setting the pot is at more than a simmer on the largest burner (it is a big pot), but even on the smaller burner and the lowest setting the heat retention is still so good that it is almost to high of a simmer.

I have a couple of knock off enamel pots and they do a good job, but not as good as the Chasseur. 

[Ahionna]

 I have one  goes on my Chef BUT if you just want a food processor (so something to chop veggies etc) you can buy these much much cheaper so I think you need to think about what you want to do with your new toy? 

The obvious point to make is that a Chef is nice but it doesn't do your cooking for you (shame that isn't it?!) and IMO it isn't the most obvious starting point to your journey to cooking from scratch it is though a great tool if you are planning to do lots of baking. I did make do for years just with a hand whisk though until I was sure that I was going to get my money's worth from a Chef. 

I also  got a KM010 https://www.evababygear.com/best-baby-food-maker/ about a year ago and it's earnt its place on my worktop, definitely. However, I'd spent about 5 years cooking from scratch before I bought it and I'm not sure I would have used it as much if I'd bought it a few years ago, when I wasn't doing so much. 

It's absolutely brilliant in my eyes but you need to have it out on the counter ready to use really, and it's big. The other thing is, the KM020 is bigger than the KM010 so you could save money by going for the KM010 unless you feel you need the extra capacity (mine is plenty big enough and I've been making MASSIVE cakes!). I would say if your cooking involves a lot of baking, as you say, it would be a very good thing for you.

[Mondrianyone]

I bought an Instant Pot last year, based on advice I asked for here, and I've been loving it.  Every time I'm skeptical that a particular dish won't work in it, I try it anyway, and I'm always pleasantly surprised.  Like lasagna, which I convinced myself was going to be a flop and was excellent.  And it's a perfect way to proof no-knead bread, which I haven't had great success with in the past.  I've made two different loaves in the last two weeks, and both came out fabulous.  So thanks for the good advice, and next week I'm making yogurt and maybe risotto--without all the stirring.

P.S.  I've bought a few little accessories for it.  My favorite so far is a silicone steam diverter, which lets me vent the pot without blasting the bottom of my cabinets or the bulb in my pendant light fixture.  Or my face.  Very useful little gizmo.

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

And it's a perfect way to proof no-knead bread, which I haven't had great success with in the past.

I love doing it in there. So much more flavor than other no-knead breads and so “fast”.

Just made a soft polenta in it and turned out fabulous with basically no stirring!

[Mondrianyone]

14 hours ago, biakbiak said:

So much more flavor than other no-knead breads and so “fast”.

Absolutely, on both counts.  Cuts proofing to a third of the usual time, so you can start at lunch and have bread for dinner.  Love that.

[mansonlamps]

On 1/24/2019 at 2:26 PM, Mondrianyone said:

Absolutely, on both counts.  Cuts proofing to a third of the usual time, so you can start at lunch and have bread for dinner.  Love that.

Not following this.  How do you use the instant pot for the no knead bread?

[Mondrianyone]

You mix up the dough in a bowl that will fit into the IP, standing it on the trivet.  Cover with plastic wrap, put the lid on, set for Yogurt, and let it go for about three and a half hours.  No pressure involved, obviously, and it seems to be the perfect proofing environment.  Then you bake in a dutch oven.

Here's a basic recipe.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

You mix up the dough in a bowl that will fit into the IP, standing it on the trivet.  Cover with plastic wrap, put the lid on, set for Yogurt, and let it go for about three and a half hours.  No pressure involved, obviously, and it seems to be the perfect proofing environment.  Then you bake in a dutch oven.

Here's a basic recipe.

I don’t even put it in a bowl in the IP, just plop the dough on apiece of parchment.

[Mondrianyone]

I put parchment in the dutch oven.  Today I used a proofing basket to raise the dough after it came out of the IP.  Looks very pretty!

[mansonlamps]

Interesting.  I make the no knead bread all the time, but had never seen the twist of proofing in the Instant Pot.  Thanks I will have to try that.

[JTMacc99]

I recently purchased a 200 sheet pack of parchment paper that fits perfectly on my half sheet pans. 

I think it’s pretty unlikely that I’ll ever go back to the standard roll available in the supermarket. SO much easier!

[Mondrianyone]

I love the parchment sheets--as much as I hated the roll!  I also have parchment rounds that I bought in the size cake pans I use most often.  But if you know the trick for cutting rounds (not pencil tracing, although that works, too), you can quickly cut any size rounds from the sheets.

[chessiegal]

I usually check America's Test Kitchen for equipment reviews. Problem is, they change their top picks before an appliance wears out (blender, food processor). I've seen many people make dough in a food processor. I belong to ATK's websites, so I have access to everything on their sites. ATK is showing Breville's BBL620 as their top rated mid-priced blender.

As for ratings, I probably wouldn't buy anything less than 4 stars. Sometimes people have a bad experience with a product that may just have been a defective product. I bought the largest Breville countertop Smartoven, over 12 functions, cooks with convection. Someone panned it in a review but mine has been humming away for over a year with me using almost everyday, sometimes several times a day. I'm cooking for 2, so it's so much better than heating up my huge Jenn-Air oven.

Everyone I know who has an Instant Pot loves them. BB&B is now carrying them so you can use your 20% off coupon. I've not heard of anyone having to replace one.
 

[auntlada]

I look at the comments on people's reviews on Amazon. Some people rate things low for what I think are stupid reasons. Or they don't know how to read instructions or product descriptions (apparently).

I also like to check Consumer Reports for big purchases.

[Mondrianyone]

I might've been the person panning the Breville Smart Oven in that Amazon review, although I was by no means alone.  I have the same one, and I adored it at first.  Then the LED display went dark, just after the warranty ran out, and we couldn't use the oven because we couldn't see what function we were on, or the time, or the temp.  They agreed to send us a replacement--not a new oven, a refurb--which they didn't have to do, and I was very pleased.  After a short time, the display on the replacement went all wonky, too, in a different way.  They charge a flat fee of $119 to repair the unit, and there are no local places authorized to do so.  For another hundred-plus bucks, I could get a whole new toaster oven.  We continue to use the one we have, fiddling with the controls until we get the right reading.

There are lots of reviews saying that the unit has problems just out of warranty, so there's apparently a honeymoon period and then things tend to fail.  It's a great appliance, but it might not hold up long enough to justify the higher price.  Read the low-star reviews from people who come back after having it a while.

[chessiegal]

7 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

Read the low-star reviews from people who come back after having it a while.

How long is a while? It's well over a year since I bought it, and as I said, daily use.