favorite gadgets...
So I just wanted to know what your favorite kitchen gadgets are. I'm so not a possesions persons except for the kitchen and then I want everything.
I was also wandering what infomercial items have you bought that actually work. I don't have t.v. but I do love a good gadget...
Here are my favorites:
A good chefs knife and a nice sturdy cutting board
my food processor
heavy mixing bowls, I like crockery ones. the thin metal one just slide all over the place
good wooden spoons
mandolin
In the summer my grill, in the winter my grill pan
microplane
good salt and pepper grinders, I actually found one at Ikea and bought 3 pairs so I could have them at different places ::)
As for infomercial items I like, these are the only two that I can think of that I love:
The Hercules hook http://www.herculeshook.com/?cid=239658
The food saver http://www.foodsaver.com/
I know, I know but they actual work as well as the commercials say they do. ;)
that's a pretty good list. I also really like my garlic press...although it's totally unnecessary! lol! I think a mortar and pestle are handy to have around as well.
I bake a lot. And I can not live without my kitchen aid mixer. It's the stand alone one, not the handheld. They're expensive - a good one will run $1200. But, they last forever. I got mine as a gift from my (almost) step dad.
That thing will do anything. Mix, whisk, knead dough, mash potatoes. With the attachment, it will also slice, dice, shred, and cube. I'm in love with that thing. I've been known to pat and caress it after using it. ;D
I should add that even if all I had left was a good knife, a bowl and a heavy skillet I could be perfectly happy.
Oh and a wine key.... ;)
First and foremost, decent, sharp, well-balanced knives. The balance between blade and handle is vital. It should balance on your forefinger if you lay the joint flat on your first knuckle. Heavy handle=tired fingers.
My hand blender with the chopper box so I can blitz onions into bits that Dh doesn't notice (and complain about!) and the whisk attachment.
A mandoline slicer for quick potatoes, carrots etc.
An acrylic chopping board that I can just slide in the dishwasher on top of the glasses to wash.
A decent cast-iron or cast-aluminium pot, nonstick. I dream of Circulon but it isn't available here.
Loaf pan for making banana bread.
Serving bowls, large. Most Spanish dishes have some kind of sauce involved so platters aren't necessary.
Definitely my knives and a decent chopping board; mortar and pestle; hand blender and food processor. Oh, and the kettle - I'm a tea jenny - what can I say?
Informercial wise:
Aerogarden. I have 2 of them and they work amazingly well. One is filled with herbs and the other with salad greens. The salad greens produce enough for me to make a side salad every other day.
Aerogarden is very interesting! I am going to find out more. My favorite gadgets now seems insignificant.. They are two seed grinders. One is sesame seed and the other is flax seed grinder. I love to grind seeds into my salad, rice, and soup right at the table. It is fun to do it.
I'd never heard of the Aerogarden-- I just looked it up and those are pretty pricey!! It looks interesting though...
Informercial wise:
Aerogarden. I have 2 of them and they work amazingly well. One is filled with herbs and the other with salad greens. The salad greens produce enough for me to make a side salad every other day.
oooh, ive wanted to try the aerogarden! i am admittedly a bit of an infomercial ho... i wanted one of those GT 101 expresses, and coincidentally someone gave me one of hers.
its hilarious...you can turn anything into a pocket! soup, bisquick pocket. veggie tortilla pocket. chocolate cake pocket. ;D i never use it, but once i took pancake batter and made it into a pocket :).. and it was actually good...big and fluffy.
i also looooove my handheld cuisinart immersion blender w/ whisk, little food processor attachments. its soo handy and you dont have to lug out the big kitchenade to make a batch of cookies
i also love my electric kettle. since i have an electric stove, it takes literally a 1/2 hour to boil a big pot of water...so if i heat up the water iin the kettle,its so much easier and faster, and not to mention, saves energy. its also almost immediate to get couscous!
oooh, ive wanted to try the aerogarden! i am admittedly a bit of an infomercial ho... i wanted one of those GT 101 expresses, and coincidentally someone gave me one of hers.
its hilarious...you can turn anything into a pocket! soup, bisquick pocket. veggie tortilla pocket. chocolate cake pocket. ;D i never use it, but once i took pancake batter and made it into a pocket :).. and it was actually good...big and fluffy.
That's hilarious Lucidanne! I literally laughed out loud when I read "infomercial ho" and then again when I got a mental picture of myself trying to eat a "soup pocket." haha. Seriously?
I usually add fiber, fruit&veggie powder, protein powder, or flax to it.
What brands do you use? I have flax but was more interested in what you use for the fiber, f&v powder and protein powder (I can't find any vegan protein powder, or maybe I'm not looking in the right place?).
I think a juicer will be on my Xmas gift list this year!
What kind of juicers do you guys have, and how much should I expect to pay for one? From the research I've done, there is a pretty wide price range.
oooh, ive wanted to try the aerogarden! i am admittedly a bit of an infomercial ho... i wanted one of those GT 101 expresses, and coincidentally someone gave me one of hers.
its hilarious...you can turn anything into a pocket! soup, bisquick pocket. veggie tortilla pocket. chocolate cake pocket. ;D i never use it, but once i took pancake batter and made it into a pocket :).. and it was actually good...big and fluffy.
That's hilarious Lucidanne! I literally laughed out loud when I read "infomercial ho" and then again when I got a mental picture of myself trying to eat a "soup pocket." haha. Seriously?
what can i say... i want ALL those gimmicky gadgets!! :D :D :D
its a dangerous night full of ron popeil, late nights and my credit card! ;D
really, though, its AMAAAAZING! what can be turned into a pocket.
you could make your whole dinner, sides and all, into a pocket!
Aerogarden is very interesting! I am going to find out more. My favorite gadgets now seems insignificant.. They are two seed grinders. One is sesame seed and the other is flax seed grinder. I love to grind seeds into my salad, rice, and soup right at the table. It is fun to do it.
I haven't bought flax seeds for a few years. I buy the oil to add to my critters food. I thought the only way to grind them was with a coffee grinder. I want to start adding flax to my cereal, salads etc., and think the grinder sounds great. Being able to grate the flax as needed. SO, I googled and here is the one I found: http://www.kingarthurflour.com:80/shop/landing.jsp?go=DetailDefault&ref=ti&id=8793CRNBRY&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=flaxseedmill&utm_campaign=misc&utm_term=flax+seed+grinders&gclid=CKbE6ezYgo4CFQILPwodLWxlLQ
Do you keep yours in the fridge so the flax doesn't go rancid?
I do believe I will order one for my sister and myself. I will give her it as an extra Christmas gift.
This site also has a neat cinnamon grinder for those that use a lot of cinnamon. Both would make a lovely Christmas basket for someone if you added some cinnamon and flax seeds.
If Cali is better by Canadian Thanksgiving, I will be going to Michigan for a few days. When I know I am visiting my friends, I order stuff from the States and send it to their house. I save on shipping, duty and taxes. Thanks for the great idea. Your favourite gadgets are far from insignificant!
The cinnamon grinder is under gadgets and tools.
Does the microwave count as a gadget? ;)
Informercial wise:
Aerogarden. I have 2 of them and they work amazingly well. One is filled with herbs and the other with salad greens. The salad greens produce enough for me to make a side salad every other day.
Wow! I'd never heard of an Aerogarden but I went to their site and now I want one, too. Very cool.
I have yet to meet a kitchen tool I didn't like. At the top of the list are my new blender, garlic twist, zester, cast iron skillets, rice steamer, and knife sharpener. Gotta have sharp knives!! :)
Informercial wise:
Aerogarden. I have 2 of them and they work amazingly well. One is filled with herbs and the other with salad greens. The salad greens produce enough for me to make a side salad every other day.
Wow! I'd never heard of an Aerogarden but I went to their site and now I want one, too. Very cool.
Now I'm not sure if I want an aerogarden or a sprouter. ::) Too many decisions...
http://www.sproutman.com/freshlife.html
Hi, Diver-Di,
My sesame grinder is this http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-CB-AA10-Sesame-Grinder-Grams/dp/B00009K3TL/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7397431-1619633?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1187677119&sr=8-1
My flax seed grinder looks like that but with no brand and make in Taiwan with a electric cord needs to plug in (not battery operate.) My sister bought it in a organic supermarket from Taiwan and mailed it to me. It is very powerful and break the flax seed shell very well. I was told that flaxseed meal is easier to go bad. However I do keep my bulk seeds (sesame and flax seed both raw in the freezer) My sister told me to eat seeds with the shell break up easier to digest! Just make sure the flax seed grinder you found is powerful enough! My sesame seed grinder can't grind flax though!