Favorite cooking gadget or appliance...
By krebstar5
@krebstar5 (1266)
United States
March 15, 2007 10:05am CST
I own a ton of what I like to call "cooking gadgets." They do all sorts of things from pitting cherries to zesting lemons. However, I definately would say that I don't use all these gadgets equally. In fact, there are some that I wonder why I bothered ever buying in the first place.
There is one thing I own that I just love. It's a hand mixer. I really couldn't imagine life without it. It's just so great to be able to take what you are cooking, dip the mixer in, and blend the contents into something thick and delicious. It's great for blended soups, mashed potatoes (with no lumps) and even smoothies and shakes in the summer. The sad thing is that the real owner of my hand mixer is my sister. She added it to the kitchen when we moved in together. One thing I know for sure, when I do move out, I simply must go out and buy a hand mixer for myself! It really is one of my favorite cooking aids.
Of all the things you buy to make cooking easier, what has been your favorite discovery? What could you no longer imagine going without?
3 people like this
14 responses
@nageswari75 (675)
•
15 Mar 07
Undoubtedly,a food processor.South asian and south east asian food involves so much of grinding into a paste,crushing into a corse paste and the like and I just love cooking elaborate dishes.So wherever I go,I have to have my food processor with me.It is almost my right hand.Can;t imagine my kitchen without it.I have never used the stick blender though but have the hand mixer-the one which is mostly used by home bakers.That is indispensable for my cake baking,which I do very frequently too.
1 person likes this
@krebstar5 (1266)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I love my food prcessor when the summer rolls around. I use it to make dips and cold soups.
I know what you mean about the hand blender. I couldn't afford a Kitchen Aid mixer, so my hand mixer is an absolute must for my cake decorating.
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
15 Mar 07
By hand mixer, you mean a stick blender right? At first I was thinking of a hand mixer/blender thing that is really popular with baking , you know the kind that has two whisks attached?
I'm not a huge fan of "gagets" I find they tend to clutter things up. In fact I try to turn to Alton Brown for some diirection on this front, and his hatred of "multi-taskers". That said, I too love the stick blender. it's so easy to use and (and this is importnat to me) easy to clean :-) I also love my foreman grill, but for the the usual meat grilling you would think of. I love making pressed sandwiches in my fireman grill. It's like getting a fancy panini but I get to make it exactly the way I like it. I also love making grilled veggies in it. One of my favorites is grilled grean beans. just coat in olive oil and salt, and throw on the grill :-)
1 person likes this
@krebstar5 (1266)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Oh, you are right, I did mean stick blender. Sorry about that. Hand mixers are those electric mixers you use for baking. Then again, I have one of those too.
Oh, and Alton Brown hates "uni-taskers." Don't you hate it that myLot had no edit function. So anyway, you and Alton are right. The things I use the least are the ones that do the fewest things. I've gotten better about the things I buy, but I wonder if some opf my things have uses that I haven't even thought of.
@Sir_bobby88 (8231)
• Singapore
16 Mar 07
My favourite cooking appliance i think is the mircowave yea , because partly i don't do much cooking yea ... i simply make it hot by using it yea
@amitksing (1323)
• India
16 Mar 07
Well, I dont do too much of cooking as I stay alone for studies and I have joined a mess for the purpose of meals. But I do have kept some cooking gadgets as I enjoy cooking and at times, I prepare something really good!
Among all my gadgets, I like my frying pan a lot. Actually, it is my main utensil. I cook almost all of the things in it only and use others just seldomly. I must say I have got a bit emotionally attached with my lovely frying pan, and I cant think of ever throwing it. I love it!
1 person likes this
@ctinabina (386)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I have got to say a standing mixer. You can just plop all of the ingredients in the bowl, turn it on, and watch it make batter before your eyes. I used to always have trouble getting a nice pie crust. But whatever the problem used to be, the standing mixer fixes it right up.
As far as a gadget- I have this neat hand-held peeler that, instead of peeling, it will make small matchstick-like ribbons. I love it because cutting matchsticks is *never* fun.
@dlkuku (1935)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I can't live without my kitchen aid mixer, yes, it was expensive, but soooo worth it! I make a lot of cookies, and some batter is just impossible to mix with a hand mixer. I can't tell you how many I burned out!
I also love my crock pot, as a working mom, it comes in handy.
My son bought me a cookie press which I enjoy using.
And two other things I can't live without are the microwave and the coffee maker.
1 person likes this
@Bev1986 (1425)
• United States
15 Mar 07
I love my baking stones. I bought them from Pampered Chef and I have about 8 of them in all sizes and shapes. They just make everything taste so good and even if you overcook something, it still tastes great!
I also love my can opener that takes the whole top off the can and doesn't leave any sharp edges. I hate throwing cans in the garbage when the lids cut the bag open! This one doesn't do that.
@gypsylady28 (945)
• United States
16 Mar 07
My favorite kitchen gadget is a small wire whip that I got at a pampered chef party. They handed them out as a gift, and the first thing I thought was "What the heck am I suppose to do with this." It was formed like a normal wire whip, and I stuck it in my purse and didn't think anymore about it. I tried it about a month later, and it is the best thing ever! I use it whenever I am baking now. I don't even bother to get the electric mixer out or anything!
@myrosiecheeks115 (15)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Hey Krebstar,
I am and avid baker and cook dinner six nights a week so I use alot of gadgets. But my favorite which is not used alot except in the fall is my apple peeler. It hooks to the counter top or table and it peels, slices and cores the apple. From there I can bake pies, make apple crisp, apple cake, applesauce. Its not a multi function gadget but sure helps my arthritic hands out. Another favorite is my Hamilton Beach counter top roaster. Sure helps in not heating up the kitchen in the summer.
1 person likes this
@songbirdnaimh (1422)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I don't think I could live without my french press and my hand held cheese grater....I use both daily.
The French Press is great for 1-2 cups of coffee....it doesn't use paper filters (so it's a bit more economical) and it makes a wonderful cup of coffee.
The cheese grater can be stored in a utensil canister on my counter and I can just grab it and voila, grated cheese!
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
16 Mar 07
probably my crockpot.
certain meals you can just throw everything in,leave it to simmer,and be free to work on other things while it is doing that with minimal watching :)
