Your Next Kitchen Tool....?? Kitchen Gadgets

Your Next Kitchen Tool....??

dugger 18 years ago

Your next kitchen tool?
What are you missing? What would be really helpful. This topic is a conversation starter. It is not supposed to supply the answer. What is you most useful tool, or what would you feel like you had lost a best friend if you did not have it?

OK, I admit it. My many years in manufacturing have made me a tool addict. I see the need and the benefits. So let me list some things we may want to talk about. Some are not worth the powder to blow them up with. Others can be a great help.

Garlic Press
Ricer
Citrus Squeezer
Pasta Strainer
Food Processer, small
Food Processer, magilla sized
Meat Mallet, pounder
Potato Peeler
Food Chopper, small

The list can go on forever. What do you really appreciate? What do you use more than once a month. What have you relegated to the cellar?

Flag
dancegypsy67 18 years ago said:

I recently bought a citrus squeezer. I\'d been looking around at the various kitchen stores in the area but couldn\'t justify the $15 cost for something I wasn\'t convinced I\'d use all that often. I recently found a heavy plastic one for $4 - I figure if I break it, that means I\'ve been using it and I\'ll fork over the higher price for the replacement.

I bought a ricer last year. It hasn\'t been delegated to the cellar but I haven\'t been in a mashed potato mood for a while. Any thoughts about other ways to use it?

Flag
bitsyskitchen 18 years ago said:

If you've ever watched Alton Brown and the gadgets he uses in his shows compare him to me.. I love gadgets! I have a gadget for everything. Doesnt mean I use them all the time buts its nice to know I have it when needed. Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Anyhoo, My favorite... which really isnt a gadget I guess, is my wooden spoons. I would die without them. That and my paring knife. I do however love my mini food chopper/ processer. My next would have to be a mandolin (sp?) I have yet to convince my hubby how beneficial they are though..lol

Flag
dugger 18 years ago said:

Admittedly they are great for mashed potatoes. Also for Potatoe Latkes. Also for fruit to be cooked like apples. You can put slices in with the peel and the peel stays behind.

Flag
thepiggs 18 years ago said:

Of course! I hadn't thought of them as gadgets but I can't cook without them. I used my share of them this week as I cooked my little heart out.

Flag
invisiblechef 18 years ago said:

I should just list off what I do have and go from there. I have a smoker, blender, hand whisk (which blows) food processor, bread machine, waffle iron, slow cooker and a indoor grill.

What I want is a Kitchen Aid electric mixer the one that you can buy different attachments for and would also like a Japanese Steamer, more mixing bowls, a rice cooker, a really nice juicer and then just a lot of the little kitchen gadgets, like a citrus squeezer, ginger grater, potato peeler- for now I just use a knife oh. and I don't have a wooden spoon! need one and I need a tart dish.

The meat mallot should be first on my list, i'm tired of using a hammer.

Flag
dancegypsy67 18 years ago said:

Invisiblechef...you really don't have a wooden spoon? Really? I have three bamboo spoon/spatula-style (I use them both ways anyway) utensils from Pier I I'm guessing 15 years ago and, while I use them ALL the time, I've barely broken them in. They would get my highest recommendation for a gadget no kitchen should be without.

Flag
thepiggs 18 years ago said:

I love mine. I've had them for years and they just keep ticking. I have one that is like a flat spatula that I love using to scrape the bottom of pan, when stuff sticks.
My teeth want to fall out when I hear metal scraping metal so you can be sure the wooden spoons are a necessity here.

Flag
invisiblechef 18 years ago said:

I really don't have a wooden spoon!!! I know you could easily pick one up I'm sure anywhere, it's just whenever I do have extra money it always goes to food, I will stand there and look at the item for awhile maybe even pick it up and put it in my cart but usually end up putting it back thinking I will get it next time-my husband is the one who ends up buying my gadgets if there on my wish list or something. I use a plastic spatula usually to mix or scrape the bottom of ingredients for now.

It's not like we are extremely poor or anything I'm just not sure why I do it, I'm the same with clothes for myself. I guess I would rather spend the money on food.

Something else I would like are single serving porcelain bowls with lids, but like the Japanese Steamer, I can't find them anywhere. Now if I find these two items anywhere which will probably be somewhere online I'm definately buyting them. And I may go out today and pick up a wooden spoon. It better not be over 10 dollars, just kidding. Bamboo does sound nice- I love bamboo. style bowls.

Marie

Flag
invisiblechef 18 years ago said:

My list of haves is not complete I can't believe I forgot to mention my food saver, this is my my most important gadget, as it keeps our fish safe from ice burn for as long as our fish last.. It does take work if you want it done correctly, by blotting the fish with paper towels and then wrapping the fish in wax paper, then taping it closed this does keep the fish fresh longer! we have a separate freezer and it is just for our salmon, so that is why it's our favorite and most needed kitchen gadget.

Another gadget I really want is a food mill, one so I can make tomato sauce and such. Martha Stewart has had hers since she was very young and she got it at a flea market so they must last a LONG time.

Marie

Flag
thepiggs 18 years ago said:

Do you have access to an Asian grocery? We have at least one in our city and it has everything. If you want something, go closer to the source. Ethnic stores tend to carry what they use in the old country so you should be able to find what you need there.
You might be surprised at whatelse you might find there.

Flag
invisiblechef 18 years ago said:

Yes I am lucky enough to live next to a Oriental Store. They have the traditional Chinese Steamer only, and they have no individual serving size porcelain bowls with lids. But I do get all my Japanese style ingredients from them. They do have a nice cooker I'm eying and always have really pretty bowls, cups and tea sets but really not what I'm looking for at the moment.

Flag
dee 18 years ago said:

When I get moved back to the states this is something that I want to get. I am so fascinated with all the different ideas for using this. Sweet to savory .. small and big ones Wooo hooooooooooooo Oh Oppsss! Sorry..... I got carried away there for a min... :-)

I'd get some now but the shipping will be just awful and I will be home soon!
Here is the link.
http://www.cookschoice.com/

Flag
heatherbudapest 18 years ago said:

I have a number of recent kitchen acquisitions since I moved to a new place. I really love all of them.

I invested, finally, in a top-quality knife set. It has changed my life in the kitchen. It's a Wusthof set in a counter block that I found on sale at Macy's. I thought having a bunch of steak knives at the bottom would be overkill, but they are really handy and useful for many more things than I was expecting. Cutting cheese to snack on, for instance. But the chef's knife, the paring knife, and the serrated bread knife (very useful for cutting tomatoes, too, without squishing them all over the place!) are always the ones in a set that I can't live without. It makes a world of difference to have good-quality ones.

A lot of the other stuff I've bought at garage sales, or on clearance, here and there. It's very handy having a tea kettle, so you don't have to fuss with a pot every time you want warm water. I also have a tendency to forget when I'm making tea, so it's nice that it whistles. I found it at someone's yard sale for a couple dollars.

I guess the most really gadgety things that I got recently were a citrus juicer and a rice cooker. The citrus juicer I got is the kind that you cut the lemon or lime in half, place in the juicer, and squeeze to extract the juice. It has holes that are large enough to allow the juice to pass through but it captures the seeds. I love it. It's so very handy, and gets out much more juice than when I used to just squeeze the lemon in my hand.

The rice cooker, I think, is the surprise winner, though. It probably cost about $40. I bought it in an Asian shop. It was one of the cheapest ones they had. It's the kind that's got kind of molded plastic on the outside, and the lid has a hinge to lift up and down, and it has a steam vent. It's simple as pie to operate; you plug it in when you want to use it. The default setting is "warm," so you have to unplug it when not in use. You take out the metal insert that the rice fits in, measure the dry rice in a plastic measuring cup that comes with the unit, dump the rice into a strainer to rinse it, then dump the washed rice into the steamer pan. Add water up to the appropriate mark on the side of the pan -- 1 for 1 cup of rice, 2 for 2, etc. I put 1.5 times the amount of water when cooking brown rice (which is the norm for me), because it takes a little longer to cook. Put the metal insert back into the steamer, and set the lever to "cook" instead of "warm". The whole process takes about 1 minute total, and then I can go off and do something else for 45 minutes and forget about it until I smell the delicious toasty smell of rice. This is roughly the amount of time it takes me to swim across the lake in my backyard, so this has significantly improved my quality of life! I get more whole grains in my diet, eat more rice (which is very cheap!), and feel more liberated to exercise! When I return to the house, I'm greeted by the wonderful smell of an easy dinner being almost ready -- just have to find something else to cook fast to go with the rice. It's already paid back for itself, as far as I'm concerned.

Flag
thepiggs 18 years ago said:

You have some good thoughts on your favorite gadgets.
I also have to have good knives. I just can't work with one that isn't sharp.

Flag
pleclare 17 years ago said:

I have gadgets galore but my mixmaster mixer has really slowed down after 30 years of undying loyalty. Would reall love to get a professional kitchenaid mixer.

Flag
pointsevenout 17 years ago said:

Evaluate the Cuisinart mixer before you splurge for another mixer.

Flag
pointsevenout 17 years ago said:

I need a recommendation for a can opener. I have always suffered through life with one of those little hand openers, and then p38 when I was in the service. But I recently bought one of those hand held openers that open the can from the side of the lid to supposedly cut down on metal shards in the food. It lasted for a month before it started not to cut so good and progressively got worse. I'm back to one of those little hand operated crank-style openers.
Would like an electric one but I don't have the under the shelf area to mount it. Suggestions please!

Flag
ksfoodjunkie 17 years ago said:

My next tool will be a pure indulgences. Right after I get knifes that cut. I am buying a cake turn table. Hopefully before the family birthday rush gets underway. I make these over the top 2 day long process cakes for my son and 4 neices and nephews and the turntable will be a huge help.

Flag
thepiggs 17 years ago said:

Too bad you can't try the hand held openers out before you buy them. Hubby picked up the BEST hand held opener that I've ever come across. I don't know for sure where he got it but it was probably from Wal-mart, nearly four years ago.
I love it, as it's almost like not turning it at all, as it is so easy and quick. With that, there is absolutely no need for an electric.
I might suggest taking some used cans to the store with you and testing out some of the hand helds, to see if you like any of them. You just might discover one you can live with until you find your perfect electric.

I have a nice under-cabinet one that I've had for a gazillion years that I also really like. It's one that can be turned up, to hide the opener side, when not in use. Of course, there is no way that one will still be for sale and besides, you don't want an under-cabinets model.
Good luck finding one you like.

Flag
thepiggs 17 years ago said:

I remember using a lazy susan type turn table when I used to make enough cakes to need something of that sort.
Rubbermaid used to make them for putting in cabinets for spices, etc.
Even if the cake is larger than the spin, I could always put the cake cardboards over the spin and still use it, just as long as the cake wasn't terribly large.
Maybe you could find the spice spin or maybe even a small lazy susan.

Flag
themechams 17 years ago said:

I love my knives. They are a big plus in the kitchen. But as far as gadgets go, theMagic Bullet is the surprise gadget of choice for me. My daughter actually asked for it after watching an informercial so we got it for her birthday. We use that little thing every day. From protein breakfast shakes to ranch dressing we couldn't live with out it!

Flag
thepiggs 17 years ago said:

I've heard good things about the Magic Bullet and have considered getting one in the future.

Flag
kukla 17 years ago said:

I agree with Piggs.....Best can opener I ever had -- going on 20 years now -- came from Walmart.....
I've had an electric (don't know what happened to it), tried the side-style you spoke of (LOUSY - got shards everywhere...) and got totally fed up with the ones in Scotland (different metal content in the canned goods made it impossible!) AND I still come back to my good-ole Walmart special!

Hand-held, manual, large "gear" make it easier to use than the standard silver ones, and large rubber-coated handles make it extremely easy to grasp and hold the can....Turning key is large (about 3 inches long) so you don't have to work too hard, even on the large tins...and, has 3 wheel gears with a cutting wheel that has never been dulled over the years.. (OUCH!!)

Brand?? Well, it's got "Swing-A-Way" etched on the metal, with Made in the U.S.A. on the other side, about 8 X 2 inches in size, and that's it!

Used to have two, but my son like them so much that he "borrowed" one the last time he was here....Hope I never lose this one!

BTW, I must thank you for the eye-opening chance to get so intimate with my can-opener.... :)

Flag
kukla 17 years ago said:

http://images.google.com/images?client=REAL-tb&hl=en&q=swing-a-way+can+opener&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

LOVE it!

Flag
kukla 17 years ago said:

More precisely:

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/large/6659.jpg

Flag
pointsevenout 17 years ago said:

I couldn't find the swing-a-way but the small appliance aisle was ugly with can openers. Bought one with the biggest turning handle and the longest holding handle. The holding handle does open up to 180 degrees. Brand name Kitchenaide. Haven't used it yet.

Flag
borinda 17 years ago said:

Simple pleasure - my rasp for zesting citrus. It is easy, fast, and they even come in a variety of sizes so I can tweak how tiny or thick I'd like the zest.

I have the KitchenAid "Epicurean" and I have a secret to share... I do not love it. It has a larger capacity than the one all of my friends have and a more powerful motor. It is way too easy to overbeat batters in it and frankly that's a nuisance. I do better batters in my large capacity Cuisinart food processor.

Another really simple pleasure but a useful gadget... and egg separator. So much easier than the back and forth in the cracked shell system.

I find the OXO gadgets fairly reliable and not overly priced. Occasinally I see KitchenAid gadgets in TJ Maxx.

Flag
pleclare 17 years ago said:

Oxo are a good product!

Flag
wynnebaer 17 years ago said:

I have a kitchenaid manual can opener and it's the best opener I've ever owned...:)

Flag
pointsevenout 16 years ago said:

Finally got to go Christmas shopping for me today:

Two new cookie sheets
An oven liner
A measurement weight scale
A basting bulb w/injector attachment
A large sealed cookie jar
A silicone dough rolling and baking mat
Two new sink fine drain screens
A wooden sauce spatula

Flag
foodie4eva 16 years ago said:

I need things. You know, yes, I have pots and pans, but I want better quality ones, and mine range in age from old to ancient (now, the ancient ones are my cast iron skillets, which I will not part with, but my non-sticks are from the era before they improved non-stick, and the non has worn off and the stick is left.....). So I am researching the best new pots and pans. Any suggestions? Price is no object, because I am in the research phase and price doesn't matter yet.
Next, I need new knives. I have PLENTY of knives now of every kind, shape, description but none of the ones I need (good chef's knife, butcher, boner, filet, carving, etc.). And none that I would call sharp. So I am researching knives as well. :-) And any suggestions in this area would be welcome, since the above reference to price applies here as well.
After that, next on my list is a good quality mandolin. I love the concept, and they use great quality ones on Iron Chef America, and all the Food Network guys have great ones, but I don't know which ones they are. (I would also love to have a commercial meat slicer, but I don't know why--I don't have a commercial kitchen--they just always looked really handy to have for precision slicing of meats). :-)
And last, but certainly not least, I would like to have a Kitchenaid 6 quart mixer (and all the attachements, of course, just iin case there was a time when I would need it). Now I don't know why I would NEED it to be a 6 quart, since there are only 2 of us in my household, but I do subscribe the the Tim Allen addage of bigger/more powerful=better. (deep grunt---AARR, AARR, AARR). This is fun! :-)

Flag
pointsevenout 16 years ago said:

Look a Quisinart for a stand mixer. Their bowl is larger than 6 quart and the motor is oversized to proclude any chance of burnout.
See Dugger for info on a mandolin.
Go for Anolons' titanium pot and pan set. It is anodized and the only pot and pan set that does not void the warranty if cleaned in the dish washer, IF YOU USE A LOW PHOSPHORUS CONTENT SOAP.
Do not clean your knives in the dish washer. The heat from the drying process takes the temper and sharpness out of the knives. Always hand wash all your knives. Most importantly, run your non-serrated knives a couple of times over that sharpening steel rod that sits in your wood block that you never use. A couple of swipes before use will keep the blades sharp.

Flag
thepiggs 16 years ago said:

Foodie, Welcome to this group.
I have a few suggestions for you, different from what Point has suggested. we can't all think alike...
Pan set...You want something heavy, that will hold the heat well. Some of the department stores do have some decent sets. So does Sam's Club. If you watch the stores, you will find them on sale. If you aren't made of money, just choose what you like and wait for the sales.
Same with the mixer. I have the nice stand mixer from JC Penney. It's motor is much larger than Kitchen Aid or Quisinart and appears to be a combo of both of those. You can even get attachments for it in the store catalog.
If your knives aren't worth keeping, pick out something that you can afford and if you can't afford the whole set, consider getting the pieces you need, one at a time.
I would also suggest that you watch America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country, both on PBS. You will gain a wealth of information on products that you will want purchase, such as knives, baking utensils, pots, pans, non-stick pans, etc. They also also make some darned good food on the two programs. It's well worth watching both.
I hope you can use some of this information.

Flag
foodie4eva 16 years ago said:

Thanks, points and piggs (LOL, that rolls off the tongue nicely....). I should have checked back sooner. I appreciate the suggestions, and I will check out both suggestions on the pots/pans. I hear you about the knives, points, and that is one thing that I do wash by hand...both to preserve the knife, and for safety sake--if I am going to cut myself, I want to do it when I am actually using the knife to cut something legitimate! :-)
I will also look into anodized---I have heard a lot about that, but don't really KNOW anything about it. Thanks again for the suggestions, and I am looking forward to more knowledge from this group!

Flag