Indispensable Kitchen Gadgets

[Mondrianyone]

Most people say either shortly after the warranty expires or after two to three years.  Which, if it happens to enough units, makes it more of a disposable item than a long-term purchase.  The price when I bought mine was close to $400.  I want something I spend that much on to last more than a couple of years.  We use ours at least three or four times a day, because, as you say, it's a great alternative to firing up the big oven, especially for just two people.

It doesn't do my heart good to criticize this appliance.  I loved it, and I wish I could go on loving it.  I still love how it works, but the quality control at Breville has been a big disappointment.

[chessiegal]

I got my Breville oven at BB&B, so it was 20% off, closer to $300. If I get 3 years out of it I'll call it a wash.

[Mondrianyone]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I got my Breville oven at BB&B, so it was 20% off, closer to $300. If I get 3 years out of it I'll call it a wash. 

The thought of adding more disposable crap to the waste stream wouldn't let me just toss things out that casually.  I try to buy things that will hold up and fix them if they break.

[possibilities]

I've been looking for a spice grinder that won't burn out after 6 months, something I can run more than a few seconds at a time and use for large volumes of spices and herbs. I grind a lot of dried roots, seeds, and leaves. The leaves are the easiest, but if you want to do a quart each of 10 different things, even relatively easy leafy herbs are not viable with an appliance that says not to run it more than 9 seconds at a time and then rest it.

ANYWAY: I looked at what was supposed to be a "professional" spice grinder for restaurants, and it was still not really heavy duty enough.

I finally called a wholesaler of herbs and spices and asked them what they use, and they told me they use a mill (which apparently is not the same thing as a grinder), but they won't tell me the brand. They said not to get one that's meant for making flour, because grains are not as tough as roots and hard-shelled spice seeds. But it was at least a hint.

She said some of their customers who don't want to buy a mill will use a Ninja or a Nutribullet, but I'm just not believing they're suited for this task.

[chessiegal]

Got an email from ATK this morning touting the next greatest thing in countertop ovens - an intelligent oven, on sale for just $650 ($100 off!)

June Intelligent Oven

Supposed to recognize your food and cook it to perfection.

[Giselle]

On 12/27/2018 at 3:38 PM, MargeGunderson said:

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.....

Mmmmm... Sweet potato biscuits!!! Sweet potato anything!!!

If they don't sell it near you go to Walmart.com & buy some white Lily flour. It helps to make the best biscuits.

They carry both AP and self rising. 

[Giselle]

On 4/13/2019 at 9:20 AM, icemiser69 said:

How important are reviews when it comes to buying gadgets?   Is there a number or star level that you would consider so low that you wouldn't purchase the product?

I have been looking at Vitamix a lot lately.   I have been wanting to purchase one for years, but I wasn't sure if I could justify the expense.  It would be mostly used for smoothies using frozen fruit and ice.  But it seems as though now there more negative reviews than ever before.

I usually look at the lowest reviews first.  Print out the complaints and then go to a local story and look at the item in person to see for myself, just to look it all over.   I buy locally, and hopefully help businesses to retain employees.  Sure, it may cost a few more dollars, but I think it is worth it.

I went to a local specialty cookware store recently and they no longer sell Vitamix.   They sell Breville as well as other brands.

I did see a really cool all metal vegetable spiral cutter.  It was extremely expensive.  I wish I could remember the brand, but my memory is pretty horrible. 

I had thought about buying an instant pot.  I wasn't sure how long they lasted before having to get a new one.

I have also been eyeballing a food processor. 

A couple of decades ago there was this dude who had a tv show and he would make pizza dough using a food processor.   He never used a mixer.  I thought it was pretty cool.  I have been eyeballing food processors for years, but every time I get my mind made up on one, I would see a review that would cause me to not buy the item.

The one gadget I have and use most often is a "V" slicer. 

It depends. When it comes to kitchen equipment I tend to look at what people don't like about a product. Sometimes what they complain about is why I like it or it alerts me to an issue. I've had the opportunity to work with good equipment and those experiences guide my choices when it comes those particular items.

I've used Vitamix's 5200 model for years and later bought the 2 smaller wet pitchers. It is a beast in the kitchen then and now. I chose that model again because I didn't want all the presets and buttons. I bought my new stainless steel base one  directly from Vitamix. The old one still works very well & gets lugged around. What I also like about it is that you can change the pitcher and base parts out of they ever become worn. A good spatula for it is the  Ici brand slim spatula. 

I have no interest in an instapot because I have those appliances already and believe each one does a better job individually than the one multipurpose instapot. OMMV.

I have a food processor and use it but don't really use it for doughs.

The one thing I always will recommend is a metal shaft immersion blender.  Drinks, dip, salsas, marinades & a lot more. Plus you can use it on the stove. I love mine and will at times use it rather than the bigger appliances. 

What brand of v slicer do you have and what do you like and not like about it? I use a Benriner and have been happy with that. It suits my needs but I'm always looking. 

Who can recommend a good Spiralizer? I'd like it to be able to handle sweet potatoes. Right now I use the Benriner for veggi "noodles" but it uses a lot of hand strength for tougher items. Does anybody use or recommend the kitchen aid mixer attachments version?

[mishy]

On 4/13/2019 at 4:29 PM, Mondrianyone said:

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.

On 4/13/2019 at 5:42 PM, chessiegal said:

got my Breville oven at BB&B, so it was 20% off, closer to $300. If I get 3 years out of it I'll call it a wash

I've had this same oven for almost 4 years and I use it 5 times a week, and have never had a problem with mine. I also got mine at BB&B with the coupon so if it takes a crap *knock wood* I think I've gotten my moneys worth.

[mansonlamps]

On 4/13/2019 at 11:20 AM, icemiser69 said:

How important are reviews when it comes to buying gadgets?   Is there a number or star level that you would consider so low that you wouldn't purchase the product?

I have been looking at Vitamix a lot lately.   I have been wanting to purchase one for years, but I wasn't sure if I could justify the expense.  It would be mostly used for smoothies using frozen fruit and ice.  But it seems as though now there more negative reviews than ever before.

I usually look at the lowest reviews first.  Print out the complaints and then go to a local story and look at the item in person to see for myself, just to look it all over.   I buy locally, and hopefully help businesses to retain employees.  Sure, it may cost a few more dollars, but I think it is worth it.

I went to a local specialty cookware store recently and they no longer sell Vitamix.   They sell Breville as well as other brands.

I did see a really cool all metal vegetable spiral cutter.  It was extremely expensive.  I wish I could remember the brand, but my memory is pretty horrible. 

I had thought about buying an instant pot.  I wasn't sure how long they lasted before having to get a new one.

I have also been eyeballing a food processor. 

A couple of decades ago there was this dude who had a tv show and he would make pizza dough using a food processor.   He never used a mixer.  I thought it was pretty cool.  I have been eyeballing food processors for years, but every time I get my mind made up on one, I would see a review that would cause me to not buy the item.

The one gadget I have and use most often is a "V" slicer. 

If you are going to buy a food processor with the intent of breadbaking, make sure to get a big enough bowl.  I bought a 9 cup and can only make recipes with up to three to three and a half cups of flour, which is to say, not very many.  I wish I had gone for a 12 cup.

[Scatterbrained]

My Keurig died.  I have used it mainly for its’ measured hot water dispensing abilities.  We don’t use pods for any drinks.  I do use the My K-cup for coffee.

so, basically, I need something that will dispense 10 oz. of hot water for tea and other things, and that I can used to make a single serving of coffee with my own grounds.

Any recs?

[Brookside]

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 10:48 AM, Scatterbrained said:

My Keurig died.  I have used it mainly for its’ measured hot water dispensing abilities.  We don’t use pods for any drinks.  I do use the My K-cup for coffee.

so, basically, I need something that will dispense 10 oz. of hot water for tea and other things, and that I can used to make a single serving of coffee with my own grounds.

Any recs?

An electric kettle (cheap not fancy is just fine).  Once you've used it, you won't understand how you lived without one.  And a ceramic pour-over coffee thingy like this

https://www.hario.jp/seihin/productdetail.php?product=VDC-01W

[Mindthinkr]

I didn’t know quite where to post this but I think my Sister-in-Law has the most organized spice cabinet I’ve ever seen! 

[chessiegal]

3 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I didn’t know quite where to post this but I think my Sister-in-Law has the most organized spice cabinet I’ve ever seen! 

Are they in alphabetical order? 

[Mindthinkr]

36 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Are they in alphabetical order? 

Lol. No, but the back of the door space isn’t wasted. I did a smaller version on the back of my pantry door. I can’t begin to tell you how convenient it is to go to it and see what I need. She expanded hers which is why I took the photo. I stand in awe of all the spices she has....and uses. 

[chessiegal]

I cooked in a kitchen of a woman who built her dream home. She had special drawers for spices, and all were in alphabetical order. I came home and took all the spices I had on a lazy susan, and put them in alphabetical order. Now I can't have them any other way. 

[Bastet]

Pretty much anything I have quite a few of is organized alphabetically - spices, books, DVDs, etc. - because that's the quickest way of locating the particular item I'm looking for.

That spice rack contains as many things as the spice aisle at my local market; if not alphabetically, how does she have them organized, to know where everything is?

[Mindthinkr]

She categorized them. Asian, Italian, baking etc.

[Bastet]

4 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

She categorized them. Asian, Italian, baking etc.

But not alphabetized within the category, just all Asian spices hanging out together in random chaos?  And what did she do with the spices that are equally common to two types of cuisine?  It's madness!  I'd start twitching. 

( 🙂 of course.)

[Mindthinkr]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

But not alphabetized within the category, just all Asian spices hanging out together in random chaos?  And what did she do with the spices that are equally common to two types of cuisine?  It's madness!  I'd start twitching. 

( 🙂 of course.)

Nope! It’s fend for yourself. It would take me awhile to get used to her system and my bro has learned just to steer clear of the kitchen unless it’s for eating. 

[biakbiak]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

But not alphabetized within the category, just all Asian spices hanging out together in random chaos?  And what did she do with the spices that are equally common to two types of cuisine?  It's madness!  I'd start twitching. 

( 🙂 of course.)

I organize by “genre” and than alphabetically within categories for books, movies, music and spices. For spices I also have an additional category of spices I use a lot so that is where the spices that are used in a lot of cuisines usually go. 

[JTMacc99]

On 5/19/2019 at 6:46 PM, Bastet said:

That spice rack contains as many things as the spice aisle at my local market; if not alphabetically, how does she have them organized, to know where everything is?

I personally would organize by type. Baking stuff, herbs, peppers/chilies, salts, spice blends (with sub categories like bbq, vegetables, southwestern blends), and so on. 

And that’s such a great display that I can’t imagine ever looking for something very long even if it’s been been put back willy-nilly by a “helper”.

[Brookside]

On ‎5‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 10:12 AM, Mindthinkr said:

I didn’t know quite where to post this but I think my Sister-in-Law has the most organized spice cabinet I’ve ever seen! 

Is it wrong that I'm jealous because someone's spice cabinet is as big as my apartment? 

[chessiegal]

I shopped at Whole Foods today, and when I got home I had an email saying because I had shopped at WF, I have a $10 credit on Amazon Prime Day. I have no idea what to get. I'll probably just pass. I don't need anything.

[chessiegal]

I found away to use my $10 prime credit. Our local homeless prevention center put out a call for bath towels. They have an Amazon donation account, so I bought towels and bottled water.

[Mittengirl]

Does anyone know if such a thing as a combo microwave/toaster oven exists?  Since my mother has started using a walker, I need to get rid of a kitchen cart and combining those two appliances would help.  We can’t stack them, since she would be unable to reach the toaster oven (that would have to be on top).  I have a small kitchen so getting more “open space” hasn’t been easy.

[Mondrianyone]

I don't know anything about the combo ovens, beyond the fact that they exist.  But I Googled and found a ton of sites that rate them.  Here are three, and you can find a bunch more by just searching for "microwave toaster-oven combo":

https://www.kitchensanity.com/microwaves/microwave-toaster-oven-combo/

https://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/best-microwave-toaster-oven/

https://cooknovel.com/best-microwave-toaster-oven-combo/

[Mittengirl]

I had checked the reviews on many of those convection/microwaves and most either don’t mention toasting things like bagels or say they can’t toast.  I was hoping someone here might have hands on experience with one.

Granted, I could just buy a toaster, but then we are back to more clutter, not less.

[Mondrianyone]

Well, that's too bad.  I just kind of assumed that an appliance called a microwave/toaster oven would actually . . . you know, toast.

My next step would be to check out reviews for some of them on Amazon and see if people who've bought one mention the toasting function.

I hope you have better luck down the road finding something that fills the bill.

[biakbiak]

I wonder what they mean by doesn’t toast like doesn’t have a toast setting? Because even regular ovens toast. 

[AngelKitty]

This topic sounds fun since I am a gadget addict and I have to forbid myself to buy them anymore since I have a "few" tucked away in the cabinets. Things like a Sandwich Griller that makes 4 little sandwiches (remember those?), a Quesadilla maker, a bread maker and probably more that I can't think of. The most recent gadget is a mandolin that my MIL gave me money to buy because I was slicing potatoes for an au gratin one day she was here. Unfortunately, the first time I used it I cut a finger and then remembered why I didn't have one.

[Mondrianyone]

Holy ancient gadget, Batman!

I was watching something on YouTube today, and one of those thumbnail videos was about testing very old kitchen gadgets that the presenter had found in a junk store.  I'm also a gadget addict, so of course I watched it, and she was funny and smart, so I watched her next video, and then her next one was about the inside-the-egg scrambler, sold by Ron Popeil back in the day.  And I said, "Hey, I have that exact gadget! Let's see if it still works!"

So I dug it out of the back of the gadget cupboard (every cupboard in my kitchen is the gadget cupboard, who am I kidding?), and dusted it off and plugged it in.  I couldn't find a switch or a button on it anywhere--it hasn't been plugged in for like a century, and I couldn't remember how to activate it.  Finally I figured that the pressure of the egg itself pushing down on the needle scrambler must be what does it.  So I put an egg on the needle, but I bore down too hard, and the egg cracked apart in the little bowl.  Anyway, to make a long story short (too late, I know), I took toothpicks and Q-tips and picked away any old invisible residue and then figured I'd sacrifice one more egg, and what do you know, I got it working!

Right now I'm hard-boiling two eggs to see how they come out.  From back when I actually used this gizmo, I remember that if you spun the needle for a long time, you got a solid yellow egg, but if you managed to hit the sweet spot, you'd get this beautiful yellow-and-white marbleized little oval sculpture.  Time will tell.  I love it when I can bring things back to life, even if they're useless to everyone but me.  I'll post photos if they're good.

[KnoxForPres]

On 7/21/2019 at 9:32 AM, AngelKitty said:

This topic sounds fun since I am a gadget addict and I have to forbid myself to buy them anymore since I have a "few" tucked away in the cabinets. Things like a Sandwich Griller that makes 4 little sandwiches (remember those?), a Quesadilla maker, a bread maker and probably more that I can't think of. The most recent gadget is a mandolin that my MIL gave me money to buy because I was slicing potatoes for an au gratin one day she was here. Unfortunately, the first time I used it I cut a finger and then remembered why I didn't have one.

I remember the sandwich griller and coveted it!  I asked and got it for Christmas. As a kid, on the infomercial, what sold me were the cherry turnovers. 

I dutifully buttered my bread and carefully applied cherry pie filling. They were bad but I told myself they were really great. Then I have no more memories of that gadget. 

Racheal Ray makes a pasta pot that holds the full size of the noodle with no issue. I coveted this as an adult. I started stalking it for a good price and got one last year and I have to say I like it.  I used it last night, even. The caveat it’s big- 6 quarts (I think- maybe 8 and oval) so not good with little cabinet space. 

[possibilities]

Don't all noodles fit in all pots? They get soft when they hit the water. I have never had to cut up a noodle to cook it.

Or am I misunderstanding what the noodle pot does?

[AngelKitty]

On 7/31/2019 at 3:01 AM, possibilities said:

Don't all noodles fit in all pots? They get soft when they hit the water. I have never had to cut up a noodle to cook it.

Or am I misunderstanding what the noodle pot does?

Heh, heh, Rachael Ray does know how to market things. It's just an oval pot so it's long and you don't have to worry about bending the pasta. Trust me, if I actually had an income now, I would probably buy one.

[possibilities]

Hmmmn... does it heat evenly? My stove burners are round, so I'm imagining an oval pot would not sit evenly over the heat.

I should probably just look for a photo of it.

[KnoxForPres]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

Hmmmn... does it heat evenly? My stove burners are round, so I'm imagining an oval pot would not sit evenly over the heat.

I should probably just look for a photo of it.

Mine are old school burners. It heats evenly and I love it. Keep In mind- I was likely sold on a gimmick. 

Edited August 2, 2019 by KnoxForPres

[annzeepark914]

I started using a somewhat shallow Dutch oven-style pot to cook pasta in. This pot came in one of those sets, probably from Macy's. I like that I don't have to stand there and wait for the spaghetti to bend so I can fit it into a saucepan. 

[ALenore]

11 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I like that I don't have to  there and wait for the spaghetti to bend so I can fit it into a saucepan. 

Or you could buy this: https://www.muellerspasta.com/our-products/pot-sized-pasta/spaghetti/

I've never tried it, but I saw it at the supermarket recently.

[biakbiak]

I had no idea so many people didn’t just use a stockpot with a pasta insert, so I guess that’s my indispensable “gadget”.

[Gramto6]

26 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I had no idea so many people didn’t just use a stockpot with a pasta insert, so I guess that’s my indispensable “gadget”.

I have one of those it is a large pot with a pasta insert that you lift out to drain the pasta. Very handy!

[Mondrianyone]

39 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

I have one of those it is a large pot with a pasta insert that you lift out to drain the pasta. Very handy!

I have one as well.  You can also use it to steam vegetables when there are too many to fit in a normal steamer and also boil potatoes (although I use the Instant Pot for cooking potatoes now).  I think if you have a standard 8-quart stockpot, you can get an insert that will likely fit in it, even if your pot didn't come with one.

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, ALenore said:

Or you could buy this: https://www.muellerspasta.com/our-products/pot-sized-pasta/spaghetti/

I've never tried it, but I saw it at the supermarket recently.

But...would I be able to successfully twirl it on a fork? 😊

[Mondrianyone]

I forgot about another use for the strainer insert:  blanching.  My husband goes insanely overboard when fiddleheads are in season--he usually buys 25 pounds of them.  And of course they have to be frozen, because who can eat 25 pounds of fresh fiddleheads?  You have to blanch them first, and getting them out of the pot and into ice water is so much easier with the insert, rather than fishing them out with a spider or a slotted spoon a few at a time.  So anyone else who's married to a crazy person might find this useful.

[wilsie]

2 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

I forgot about another use for the strainer insert:  blanching.  My husband goes insanely overboard when fiddleheads are in season--he usually buys 25 pounds of them.  And of course they have to be frozen, because who can eat 25 pounds of fresh fiddleheads?  You have to blanch them first, and getting them out of the pot and into ice water is so much easier with the insert, rather than fishing them out with a spider or a slotted spoon a few at a time.  So anyone else who's married to a crazy person might find this useful.

I had never heard of these so I checked with google and found this on the the Spruce Eats website: "As always with sauteing, heat the pan first and then add the oil or butter to coat the pan before tossing in the ferns. You may be tempted to cook them just a bit and keep them crisp but know that fully cooking fiddleheads reduces the chance of food poisoning from these wild-grown delicacies."  I didn't know if you knew about this but I thought it'd be good information to have.

Edited August 19, 2019 by wilsie
left out a word

[Mondrianyone]

Thanks, @wilsie, that's very sweet of you!  We've been gorging on fiddleheads for years now.  We live surrounded by native Mainers who are experts on them, we buy them from a very reliable forager, plus we both researched ferociously before we first cooked them and then before we first froze them (which we had heard wasn't a good thing to do, but if you do it right, it's fine).  Fiddlehead Fred (not his real name) eats them all year long and hasn't keeled over yet.

This is a pretty good summary of how to prepare them.  Anyone who has a bad result can blame Canada.   🤢

[possibilities]

Fiddleheads are a delicacy

[wilsie]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

Thanks, @wilsie, that's very sweet of you!  We've been gorging on fiddleheads for years now.  We live surrounded by native Mainers who are experts on them, we buy them from a very reliable forager, plus we both researched ferociously before we first cooked them and then before we first froze them (which we had heard wasn't a good thing to do, but if you do it right, it's fine).  Fiddlehead Fred (not his real name) eats them all year long and hasn't keeled over yet.

This is a pretty good summary of how to prepare them.  Anyone who has a bad result can blame Canada.   🤢

You are more than welcome.  Wow, so much good information available!  You really did your homework.  I'm glad you were able to figure out how to freeze them.  It's such a treat when you get to have something you love out of season.

[chessiegal]

Anyone have something like a soda stream device? I'm trying to drink more water, and this morning I was wishing I had some Perrier rather than plain water. I keep seeing ads for the gadgets that make carbonated water. They look very tempting.

[biakbiak]

32 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Anyone have something like a soda stream device? I'm trying to drink more water, and this morning I was wishing I had some Perrier rather than plain water. I keep seeing ads for the gadgets that make carbonated water. They look very tempting.

I have had a SodaStream for so long that I  don’t even remember when I got it, it was a gift so I don’t use it a ton and mainly just use it to make soda water for cocktails because I never remember to pick any up at the store but it works well for that and has held up. I like that it doesn’t have to be plugged in or anything so you can put it anywhere. I would probably buy a new one if it broke so I guess that’s an endorsement! 

Edited August 22, 2019 by biakbiak

[larapu2000]

I have a Soda Stream as well, and I also mainly use it for parties to make club soda.  But they are really easy to use and the CO2 bottle lasts a fair amount of time for the money.  You can buy flavors, or you can make your own.  My mom likes the sugar free grapefruit one, and she doesn't use the full amount recommended, so it's like a hint of grapefruit and it's pretty refreshing instead of cloying.