Kitchen gadgets.. what are your favs?

Jo777

Aug 2017
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
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485
I have a few things, some have found their way to the dusty dungeon of the basement to be re-gifted at some future white elephant party, some live in turns on my very limited counter-top in my shotgun kitchen.

Some that have earned their keep to take up precious space, whether hanging precariously above my head or on the counter itself:

My ancient refirb Vitamix. I have had you for nearly 15 years and you apparently are part vampire, you will never die.

My huge butcher block cutting board I spent an insane amount of money on.. you make chopping fun (as if playing with knives wasn't already) and moreso- you elevate the surface to a level where I don't feel like I'm slouchy.. 1940's housewives were obviously shorter.. I need taller counter tops.

My hundred pounds of seasoned cast iron, hanging above my head.. live dangerously.

magnetic knife rack. Feels so pro as I pull one off with that metal "Pwing" sound.

Coffeepot/hot water dispenser.. because when I want a cup of hot tea.. I want it now.

Fruit basket, which teaches me to either fill it with healthy produce lest the cat decides it's HER BED. She however does occasional decide to "incubate" some baby eggplants..

Spice racks from hell stretching across the whole wall, that my dear husband installed, assuming wrongly that it would clear space on my limited countertop.. all it did was allow more spice-hoarding. Oh well.

oil mister- filled with avocado oil.. I have always been suspicious of PAM, this works well.

mandoline, don't know how I lived without this veggie guillotine.

Toaster oven, yes.. never had one till recently.

... and the last and newest acquisition, one that cannot live in the kitchen for lack of space. A professional deli meat slicer.. weighs about 80lbs, has to live on a rolley-cart, but damn. Get a fine ham, or (next plan) make my own roasted turkeybreast.. slice anywhere from slabs to see through shaved slices.. It was a used freebie that was deemed too dangerous to have laying about elsewhere, so was "gifted" to us.. I love lunch meat, but hate the weirdness that some have within, now I can make my own, mwahaha! I have a friend that has a professional food dehydrator, we plan on exchanging favors with these two toys.

What are some of your "use often enough to not retire to the junk pile" kitchen stuffs?
 
I thought I loved kitchen gadgets, but you just put me to shame! I bought hubby a deli slicer for Xmas last year and we use it a ton, esp when he makes roast beef or corned beef, it was a good investment.

As far as small gadgets, my hand blender gets a ton of use, the enameled cast iron Dutch oven is used VERY often, esp for braising meat, another investment that was worth it. Potato ricer, citrus juicer and microplane are some of my go-tos. And GOOD knives. Can't say what a different good knives can make in cooking.
 
Oh yes, the enameled dutch ovens live on the stove-top. I use ok knives, but my husband takes care of sharpening for me, and he's good at that.. immersion blender- best thing to make cheesy mock mashed taters with cauliflower.
 
Okay, My favorites..
Cast Iron skillet...can't live without it.
Mandolin
Toaster oven (recent addition...purchased because our range had lost it's capacity to broil along with two of the eyes....we replaced the range this past week! But keeping the toaster oven)
Electric Grill...this is actually something my Mother got me a couple of decades ago...it's ceramic, a PITA to clean but does a good GRILLED steak.
Rotisserie oven...ONLY way I have successfully made a roast (I am ROAST impaired)
 
Oh, and crock pots rock... got a farmers chixie in there now, EN style, onions and butter and herbs.
 
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Vitamix. Oh I love it. Still learning how to use it, but LOVE. IT. It even heats up soup! Dittos on the crock pot, dutch oven, cast iron.

I really want a crepe maker. I don't know WHY crepes sound so good these days, but they do. I found a few recipes which use alternate flours.

The reviews on this thing are pretty stellar: http://www.amazon.com/CucinaPro-1448-Griddle-Crepe-Maker/dp/B001EZCJL8/ref=sr_1_1/178-5470909-8546066?ie=UTF8&qid=1389050353&sr=8-1&keywords=electric crepe makers

DJ foodie has a crepe recipe that he slices into strips aka noodle style to make fakie pasta.. I must try someday. If only I didn't have a full time 10hr+ day job dealing with kiddos. The things I could create if only. I DID have a nice year plus post op, happily unemployed, my DH came home to a happy snuggly wife, a great dinner and as he put it- I was a lot less "prickly".. but alas neither one of us makes enough for me to be a full-time or even part time house-mouse.. so, we gets what we gets.
 
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My Kitchenaid. I have the pasta maker attachment and the meat grinder one so far. Crockpot, cast iron and good knives. My DIL thinks that my wood cutting board has germs, whatever, I am not ruining my good knives using something else. :)
 
Apparently wood, because it dries, is far less germy than any of those plastic ones! I just clean mine with vinegar, occasionally soap, and give it a mineral oil bath once in a while..
 

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