Indispensable Kitchen Gadgets

[possibilities]

Peeling without smashing is the Dream. Even with a silicone tube to loosen the skins, I still find the cloves get more mashed than I would like.

[Mondrianyone]

Maybe you're pressing too hard. I've never had that problem.

[possibilities]

I've found that the more the heads are aged, the easier the skins come off. That might be the problem because I usually get my garlic from a local farm and it's VERY fresh. 

[MargeGunderson]

I bought this vacuum sealer recently, and regret not buying it sooner! Yesterday I used it to freeze a few pounds of shredded roast pork. It was easy to use once I got the hang of it. It’s also not too heavy or bulky, and you don’t have to buy the manufacturer’s rolls of plastic. 

[chessiegal]

My new favorite "gadget" is onion glasses. Just thinly sliced an onion with these on - not only no tears, but zero irritation. Brand is memegege.

I had cataract surgery this summer. I don't need glasses for distance anymore, just reading. I can cook without any need for corrective lenses.

 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 11/23/2021 at 5:02 PM, chessiegal said:

My new favorite "gadget" is onion glasses. Just thinly sliced an onion with these on - not only no tears, but zero irritation. Brand is memegege.

I had cataract surgery this summer. I don't need glasses for distance anymore, just reading. I can cook without any need for corrective lenses.

 

These sound good. For years I wore contacts, which protected my eyes during onion slicing.  Since I had cataract surgery I too can feel the burn. 

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, GussieK said:

These sound good. For years I wore contacts, which protected my eyes during onion slicing.  Since I had cataract surgery I too can feel the burn. 

They really do work. I used to tear to the point of not being able to see when cutting onions. Interesting that in the reviews people are buying them for protection against the coronavirus from getting in your eyes. 🤷‍♀️

[arc]

I love a mandoline. I have a crummy one from Progressive that I will probably replace some day. It has a blade that can be unscrewed, so one time I took it out and manually honed and sharpened it a bit. And I always, always use it with a cut-resistant glove.

Anyways, it cuts even slices super fast. I once made a baked apple dessert and peeling the apples took me way longer than slicing them. Otherwise I mostly use it to make sliced or julienned vegetables for quick pickles.

[Gramto6]

14 minutes ago, arc said:

I love a mandoline. I have a crummy one from Progressive that I will probably replace some day. It has a blade that can be unscrewed, so one time I took it out and manually honed and sharpened it a bit. And I always, always use it with a cut-resistant glove.

Anyways, it cuts even slices super fast. I once made a baked apple dessert and peeling the apples took me way longer than slicing them. Otherwise I mostly use it to make sliced or julienned vegetables for quick pickles.

I have a mandoline that I am kind of afraid to use, it is pretty good for the times I have used it. I guess I need to get one of those gloves to safely use it. I can see how it would be really useful in slicing quickly though.

[MargeGunderson]

I have this mandoline and love it. Mostly I use it for slicing potatoes and onions. I don’t use a cut resistant glove but maybe I should!

[Mondrianyone]

2 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

I don’t use a cut resistant glove but maybe I should!

You should. Don't ask me how I know this.

[chessiegal]

I have an Oxo Good Grip mandoline slicer I use often. I don't use the guard, but stop slicing before I get too close to the end. It has a knob to adjust thickness which is really useful.

 

[Mindthinkr]

Where do you find these cut resistant gloves? Thx 

[chessiegal]

35 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Where do you find these cut resistant gloves? Thx 

Same place you find everything - Amazon.

cut resistant glove

[arc]

Some specialty cookware stores and/or restaurant supply stores might carry cut resistant gloves too. But yes, I think I got mine from Amazon.

Edited December 26, 2021 by arc

[chessiegal]

Bed Bath & Beyond has them too.

[Gramto6]

6 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

I have this mandoline and love it. Mostly I use it for slicing potatoes and onions. I don’t use a cut resistant glove but maybe I should!

That's the one I have too! I will be getting the glove in the next order I place with Amazon.

[Bastet]

I hardly ever use my mandoline as it's just one more thing to wash, so the time it takes me to do that is not worth (I don't have a dishwasher, and washing dishes is the bane of my daily existence) the time saved by using it, but every once in a while if I'm going to be slicing, or, especially, julienning, a good deal more than my usual, I decide it's worth it.  For those uses, I'm glad to have it.

[Gramto6]

5 hours ago, Bastet said:

I hardly ever use my mandoline as it's just one more thing to wash, so the time it takes me to do that is not worth (I don't have a dishwasher, and washing dishes is the bane of my daily existence) the time saved by using it, but every once in a while if I'm going to be slicing, or, especially, julienning, a good deal more than my usual, I decide it's worth it.  For those uses, I'm glad to have it.

My dishwasher died a couple of years ago, now I just use it as a drying rack for my hand washed dishes. It is just me here and I really don't use that many dishes. I do like the mandoline and will feel much safer using it with the glove.

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, Gramto6 said:

My dishwasher died a couple of years ago, now I just use it as a drying rack for my hand washed dishes. It is just me here and I really don't use that many dishes.

It's just me, too, but I work from home and use a lot of dishes preparing two meals a day.  Whenever I finally get around to renovating my kitchen, I will do the dance of joy nightly at being able to just shove everything in the dishwasher and go to bed, instead of ending every night with washing dishes and starting every morning with putting them away.

[Gramto6]

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

It's just me, too, but I work from home and use a lot of dishes preparing two meals a day.  Whenever I finally get around to renovating my kitchen, I will do the dance of joy nightly at being able to just shove everything in the dishwasher and go to bed, instead of ending every night with washing dishes and starting every morning with putting them away.

That's the beauty for me, I use so few dishes a day that the clean ones just live in the dead dishwasher until I need them again. No putting them away needed! :)

[arc]

My sister has a Bosch dishwasher, I think. It's super quiet, so quiet it shines a red light on the floor to indicate it's currently working. I'm so jealous.

[annzeepark914]

On 12/26/2021 at 8:20 AM, MargeGunderson said:

I have this mandoline and love it. Mostly I use it for slicing potatoes and onions. I don’t use a cut resistant glove but maybe I should!

Thanks for the link. I just ordered it. And I just ordered the cut resistant gloves (I've made one trip to the ER after using a small mandolin to slice cucumbers, soooo I've been wearing a pot holder on my right hand while using the mandolin ever since).

20 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Same place you find everything - Amazon.

cut resistant glove

Thanks for the link...just ordered a pair.

[MargeGunderson]

10 hours ago, arc said:

My sister has a Bosch dishwasher, I think. It's super quiet, so quiet it shines a red light on the floor to indicate it's currently working. I'm so jealous.

I have one too, and it is amazing. I bought it after my 10 year old $400 dishwasher finally died. 

[larapu2000]

On 12/26/2021 at 2:15 AM, arc said:

I love a mandoline. I have a crummy one from Progressive that I will probably replace some day. It has a blade that can be unscrewed, so one time I took it out and manually honed and sharpened it a bit. And I always, always use it with a cut-resistant glove.

Anyways, it cuts even slices super fast. I once made a baked apple dessert and peeling the apples took me way longer than slicing them. Otherwise I mostly use it to make sliced or julienned vegetables for quick pickles.

Apple Peeler/Slicer

The technology for this has not changed since 1912 when it was invented, lol, but it is definitely a gadget worth busting out when it comes to peeling and slicing apples evenly!  My old house had an apple tree, so every year, I would be busting through apples with this thing, cranking out the baked goods to not waste any apples.

Egg Cooker

I am in the Alton Brown School of Don't Buy Shit That Only Serves One Purpose, but I have backyard chickens and their eggs are almost impossible to peel cleanly using traditional boiling methods (We use our eggs and therefore, they never get "old" enough in the fridge to be easier to peel).  This sucker is magic!  

[Anela]

On 12/26/2021 at 12:40 PM, chessiegal said:

Same place you find everything - Amazon.

cut resistant glove

I need to buy some of these.  I keep cutting myself, and it’s starting to feel like everything around here needs a small blood sacrifice.  

[chessiegal]

3 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

On 12/26/2021 at 2:15 AM, arc said:

 

Expand  

 

Egg Cooker

I am in the Alton Brown School of Don't Buy Shit That Only Serves One Purpose, but I have backyard chickens and their eggs are almost impossible to peel cleanly using traditional boiling methods (We use our eggs and therefore, they never get "old" enough in the fridge to be easier to peel).  This sucker is magic!  

The key is steaming the eggs rather than boiling, which is what that gadget does. I put my eggs in a steamer basket. I have found that with the older eggs, I need to put a pin hole in the top where the air pocket is (which gets bigger as they age) to keep them from bursting. But steamed eggs peel like a dream - shells just fall off.

Edited January 3, 2022 by chessiegal
Messed up quoting

[Mondrianyone]

4 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

Apple Peeler/Slicer

The technology for this has not changed since 1912 when it was invented, lol, but it is definitely a gadget worth busting out when it comes to peeling and slicing apples evenly!  My old house had an apple tree, so every year, I would be busting through apples with this thing, cranking out the baked goods to not waste any apples.

Egg Cooker

I am in the Alton Brown School of Don't Buy Shit That Only Serves One Purpose, but I have backyard chickens and their eggs are almost impossible to peel cleanly using traditional boiling methods (We use our eggs and therefore, they never get "old" enough in the fridge to be easier to peel).  This sucker is magic!  

I love that apple peeler/slicer. I'm terrible at peeling and not much better at slicing (the downside of left-handedness). There are so many things I wouldn't have bothered to make without this gadget.

Hard-boiled eggs I do in the Instant Pot now. Same great result but no need for an extra appliance.

[Trini]

10 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

Apple Peeler/Slicer

The technology for this has not changed since 1912 when it was invented, lol, but it is definitely a gadget worth busting out when it comes to peeling and slicing apples evenly! ...

I'll also add my endorsement: This is great if your processing a lot of apples at once; it lessens the tedious parts.

My mom has one; and we don't have an apple tree, but we live in 'apple country' and every so often we get gifted more apples than we can eat by hand. It's great for when I'm making a big batch of applesauce.

[EtheltoTillie]

The vegetable holder part of the gadget is supposed to prevent cuts, but it's not perfect.  Those gloves are a great idea.  They're like chain mail.  I've seen people use them for shucking oysters. 

I haven't used my mandoline in years.  It seems like too much trouble and is not good for all vegetables.  Great for thin-slicing potatoes, though, if you want to make a gratin. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by GussieK

[JTMacc99]

Anybody use carbon steel frying pans?  My 12" hard anodized pan has seen better days, and I was thinking about replacing it with a carbon steel pan. It looks like with proper care and seasoning, this could become a real favorite. 

[iwantcookies]

My favorite gadget is an air fryer! Best $50 I ever spent.

[Gramto6]

3 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

My favorite gadget is an air fryer! Best $50 I ever spent.

My DD gifted me with a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer for Mother's Day/Birthday. It folds up flat against the wall so doesn't take up much room at all. It is fast becoming one of my favorite "gadgets"!

[wilsie]

7 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

My favorite gadget is an air fryer! Best $50 I ever spent.

Mine, too! I use mine almost every day.

[Gramto6]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good Air Fryer cookbook? I've been binging recipes (don't use Google). It would be nice to have a good cookbook.

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

Anyone have a suggestion for a good Air Fryer cookbook? I've been binging recipes (don't use Google). It would be nice to have a good cookbook.

America's Test Kitchen has a cookbook. I don't have an air fryer (although my Breville countertop oven has a setting for it). Their recipes are a go to for me.

ATK Air Fryer Perfection

[Gramto6]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

America's Test Kitchen has a cookbook. I don't have an air fryer (although my Breville countertop oven has a setting for it). Their recipes are a go to for me.

ATK Air Fryer Perfection

Thanks!  I look at it on Amazon.

[annzeepark914]

On 5/24/2022 at 3:33 PM, iwantcookies said:

My favorite gadget is an air fryer! Best $50 I ever spent.

What kind of air fryer did you get for $50?

[iwantcookies]

On 5/24/2022 at 11:53 PM, Gramto6 said:

Anyone have a suggestion for a good Air Fryer cookbook? I've been binging recipes (don't use Google). It would be nice to have a good cookbook.

Library has air fryer cookbooks

Barnes and noble has plenty of them on clearance 

28 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

What kind of air fryer did you get for $50?

It was $50 on Black Friday 

[AimingforYoko]

On 5/28/2022 at 10:34 PM, iwantcookies said:

Library has air fryer cookbooks

Barnes and noble has plenty of them on clearance 

It was $50 on Black Friday 

7 qt version is available for $50 on the regular at Costco.

[Gramto6]

I looked at a lot of Air Fryer cookbooks on Amazon and most had bad reviews. I think I will stick with searching for recipes of what I want to make online. Then  I can decide which will work best for me. I'm not experienced enough yet to know how long something needs to cook w/out looking it up.

My next project is roasted garlic heads I got a 1# bag of garlic in my Azure order and I have to use a bunch so they don't all go bad. Garlic oil on the horizon, and garlic chicken wings, and garlic organic beef...

[Scatterbrained]

Any recs for storage containers (mostly for the fridge)?  

I prefer glass something that can multitask, but am willing to consider all options.  I initially thought the ikea365 line was a good idea, but my nearest ikea is not an easy drive.  When I finally went to the store, there was not a lot of product displayed.  I am wondering if it is being discontinued.  I liked that different sizes (capacities) of containers used the same lids.  Keeping up with lids can be aggravating.  I also liked that they were a multitask item (fridge, freezer, microwave, oven, dishwasher, for example).  Anything that nests for storage would also be a plus.

thanks.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Scatterbrained

[chessiegal]

I got an email today from ATK where they were reviewing storage containers. They recommended an OXO Good Grip 8 cup glass with plastic snap on lid. Not sure if they have other sizes.

[Bastet]

I use Pyrex snapware glass containers for food storage in the refrigerator, pantry, and occasionally the freezer.  I have two of these sets (well, mine are slightly different as they're older, but same idea [and I got them at Costco for a lot less than that listed price; I think Costco still carries them]) -- that provides me with plenty for the things I always have stored in them plus ample extras in the cabinet for storing leftovers and other one-off uses.

As for your wish list:  They nest nicely (not the whole set, but each size with its own, then the smaller round ones inside the larger round ones, etc.), but don't all use the same lids.  The lids give a great airtight seal, though.  They can't go in the oven, but refrigerator, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher, yes.

[Leeds]

If you're a bear of very little brain, like Winnie the Pooh and me, it's important to remember that when a description for storage systems with lids like Pyrex says "24 pieces" that means 12 containers and 12 lids, not the brilliant sounding 24 containers.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Leeds

[Lovecat]

We got these as a wedding gift and use them pretty much every day. 

[annzeepark914]

I just bought a package of The Spice Way tomato powder. I went to their website where they instruct you to place 1-2 tsps of the powder into an infuser, then pour a cup of boiling water over it. Would that be a tea infuser??? (when I ordered the powder I thought I could just use the teaspoon to a measuring cup & add the water). 

[possibilities]

I often make tea without an infuser (also sometimes called a "tea ball").

Most people find the tea leaves in the cup to be annoying, so they like the infuser so they're easily strained out.

The other advantage of the infuser is it enables you to remove the tea leaves (or the spices, or what have you) after you're done steeping them, which keeps them from being in the hot water for "too long". THe longer they steep, the stronger the flavor. For some people and some blends, it could become too much.

I don't mind very strong tea, so I don't care. But if you're talking about precision steeping, the infuser gives you more control. And if you don't want to also eat/drink the leaves or have them floating around, the infuser keeps that from happening.

Edited September 18, 2022 by possibilities

[Gramto6]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I just bought a package of The Spice Way tomato powder. I went to their website where they instruct you to place 1-2 tsps of the powder into an infuser, then pour a cup of boiling water over it. Would that be a tea infuser??? (when I ordered the powder I thought I could just use the teaspoon to a measuring cup & add the water). 

Ohhh, I just went to check out that site. It looks great! I'm going to do some shopping there for sure! Thanks for mentioning it!

[annzeepark914]

1 minute ago, Gramto6 said:

Ohhh, I just went to check out that site. It looks great! I'm going to do some shopping there for sure! Thanks for mentioning it!

I found the tomato powder at Amazon for $8 a package (+ free Prime shipping🎉). But I really need to investigate the website.