Love My Kitchen Gadgets !!!

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Kitchen-aide mixer.
Cuisinart food processor.
Blender.
Mixer (Hand held).
Microwave.
Toaster.
Coffee Maker.

The two I use most frequently are the microwave (daily to heat water/coffee) and the Coffee Maker.

The Drip Coffee Maker and my using it is a relatively new thing. Until a year or so ago I was using a stove percolator one that I had managed to keep with me for over a decade, one that I bought at a yard sale for 50 cents and rolled off a factor line in 1958-1960. The stem broke off the basket... It was a horrible traumatic experience for me.

All of the new ones are thin walled and appear to be made out of crap metals.

My place is only 450 square feet. My kitchen counter space is 101 inches long (8'5") And that has a sink in the middle of it. Dish drainer since I don't have a dish washer. So pretty much everything I have in the way of gadget has to be in a drawer or a cabinet.

As it is I stole from the bathroom and the bedroom during the retrofit to get more room for a modern sized refridgerator and a 36x32 space for my pantry.



I have an old hand crank egg beater with a wooden handle, similar to the one shown above. I use that a lot more than the electric mixers.

I also have a hand crank food mill that I use more often than I use the food processor. In the long run with as much pureed stuff that I can (apple cause, plum sauce, tomato sauce/paste) Adding a steady stream while cranking the food mill takes is just easier than opening and closing and emptying and filling the bowl of a loud, obnoxious food processor.

Knives is where I go a little cray-cray... That and cutting boards. Since I cook predominately kosher, I have cutting board dedicated to cheese, cutting board dedicated to meat - knives dedicated to cheese, knives dedicated to dairy, knives dedicated to meats. Fillet knifes, paring knives, vegetable knives, butcher knives - I have a knife for every occasion.

[MisterTinkles]

Kitchen-aide mixer.
Cuisinart food processor.
Blender.
Mixer (Hand held).
Microwave.
Toaster.
Coffee Maker.

The two I use most frequently are the microwave (daily to heat water/coffee) and the Coffee Maker.

The Drip Coffee Maker and my using it is a relatively new thing. Until a year or so ago I was using a stove percolator one that I had managed to keep with me for over a decade, one that I bought at a yard sale for 50 cents and rolled off a factor line in 1958-1960. The stem broke off the basket... It was a horrible traumatic experience for me.

I have never considered a microwave a "gadget", as its more of a staple cooking appliance nowdays than anything else. But hey....

OMG, I miss percolators SO badly!!! When I was little (younger than 10 years), I had a huge passion/fascination for percolators!! Anytime one was thrown away, I would grab it out of someone's garbage, take it back home and clean it up. I dont know what it was about them, but I just HAD to collect them. Now, I wish I had kept them all, Im sure one or two of them would be worth something now.

They still make percolators, but they are simple, plain ones. Not fancy and in different shapes like they used to make them in. But the invention of the "Mr. Coffee" changed all of that forever.

If you still have your old percolator, you can get replacement baskets for them online.
You can find them on ebay, Amazon, and some other sites.

I loved the old style egg beaters too. Those were so much fun to use when I was little.
I have my granny's old one. It actually has the thick glass bottom bowl that it sits on, so you can whip something up in the fitted bowl, or in another bowl.

Electric can openers have been something I have stayed away from. They never work.
I found a nice, heavy duty hand crank, all metal can opener at a thrift store back in the 1980's, and I have used it ever since.

Another one of my favorite gadgets is a stove top popcorn popper. I found it at a thrift store....and actually, I was out looking for just this item. I really did not expect to find it. But low and behold, there it was, waiting for me to take it home. I love it.

This video is the WhirlyPop version, made in Australia, but its the same
gadget, just with a different name....but you can see how it works....



I have a two cup drip coffee maker that was my mommas. I have used it a couple of times for coffee and for making tea.
I use instant coffee usually, so I dont use it much. I would prefer to have a coffee pod one cup maker. I love those, but they are so freeking expensive. And I have a TINY kitchen, so I have no where to put it.

I have a small. two slice toaster from the 1970's (also was my mommas). I like it, but its falling apart. Would love to have a new stainless one, but Im not paying $50.00 for a freeking TOASTER!!!!! Thats just a complete ripoff.

[MisterLove]

[...]
My egg cooker

[...]

I find this one fascinating.

Why not a regular kitchen pot instead?

[MisterTinkles]

I find this one fascinating.

Why not a regular kitchen pot instead?

This gadget basically steams the eggs, it does not boil them.
I find, when boiling eggs, sometimes the shell will stick to the egg when trying to peel them, or one side of the egg will get more cooked than the other.

This gadget ensures that the eggs are cooked just perfectly. Although I rarely use it, It does make the perfect cooked egg.

[MisterLove]

I have never considered a microwave a "gadget", as its more of a staple cooking appliance nowdays than anything else. [...]

Hopefully I won't need to buy a microwave at all.

As soon as I get my salary, I'm planning to buy this beauty:




The Zanussi ZOP37902XK electric oven.

This is pyrolytic, so it's self cleaning and, if I'm not mistaken, the programs include a heat/defrost function, so maybe this means I won't need a microwave.

[MisterTinkles]

Hopefully I won't need to buy a microwave at all.

As soon as I get my salary, I'm planning to buy this beauty:

The Zanussi ZOP37902XK electric oven.

This is pyrolytic, so it's self cleaning and, if I'm not mistaken, the programs include a heat/defrost function, so maybe this means I won't need a microwave.

Super nice! LOVE that its a huge convection oven! That big assed fan in the back of it means it cooks by convection...which means even cooking, and no burning in one spot if you leave it in too long. Perfect for pastries, cakes, cookies, and large pieces of meat.
Pizza's usually come out perfect in a convection oven.

Self cleaning ovens have been around for a long time, they just arent popular, because, well....an oven really cant clean itself. A human still has to get in there and clean it sometimes.

I LOVE the way they did the controls. Very nice. I hate tons of buttons all over the front of something....very confusing.

You will have to let us know what you cook in it, when you get it!!!!

[Bowyn Aerrow]

This gadget basically steams the eggs, it does not boil them.
I find, when boiling eggs, sometimes the shell will stick to the egg when trying to peel them, or one side of the egg will get more cooked than the other.

This gadget ensures that the eggs are cooked just perfectly. Although I rarely use it, It does make the perfect cooked egg.

Place eggs carefully in a pot. Fill pot with cold tap water until eggs are under 1 inch of water.

Place pot on stove on high. When pot hits a rolling boil, cover pot, remove from heat - let stand 17 minutes.

Put pot in sink, run cold tap water until eggs are cool. Most of your eggs will be easy to shell - assuming the eggs ain't old.

[southbiochem]

I have never considered a microwave a "gadget", as its more of a staple cooking appliance nowdays than anything else.

Depends, not everyone considers microwaves as necessity...

a lot of people in my little piece of land do not...

so for me and many others, it's another gadget...but things may change from country to country

[MisterTinkles]

Depends, not everyone considers microwaves as necessity...

a lot of people in my little piece of land do not...

so for me and many others, it's another gadget...but things may change from country to country

Thats interesting to know. Hmmm, I figured microwaves would be replacing most ovens by now. I mean, everybody is always in a hurry, and wants stuff cooked NOW. I know very few people who actually cook nowdays.

[MisterTinkles]

Place eggs carefully in a pot. Fill pot with cold tap water until eggs are under 1 inch of water.

Place pot on stove on high. When pot hits a rolling boil, cover pot, remove from heat - let stand 17 minutes.

Put pot in sink, run cold tap water until eggs are cool. Most of your eggs will be easy to shell - assuming the eggs ain't old.

Geez, I dunno.....that recipe is SO hard to follow!!!
LOL

I have a large wok, and I usually use that when cooking large amounts of shelled eggs.
For some reason, I guess its the shape of the wok, the eggs never have settled or burned on any one side. Plus, I cook them on medium for an hour, and they have always turned out perfect. But its a lot of work to do that....so I dont break out the wok unless Im boiling a LOT of eggs.

Actually, I rarely use the egg cooker, cause I forget I have it. Buy the time I am boiling water for my eggs, I remember I have the damned thing, and then its too late.

Mmmmm.....I want some deviled eggs now!