[Molczan]

I was peeling and mincing garlic in the kitchen just now and thinking I needed a new kitchen gadget to make the job easier. Then I got to thinking about kitchen gadgets in general. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of addicted to the things (think I inherited it from my mother). I then got to wondering (it takes me awhile to mince garlic) what everyone's favorite gadget was. Have I missed a really cool one? Am I not "in the know?" Figured I'd better ask you all and see if I should have gadget envy!

[LaLo1103]

I have a soft spot for those "egg themed" gadgets. Like the whisk is named "Whiskey" and the masher is "Mashy". I have a whole slew of those little egg guys that I love! I really like the individual frying pan too (he's named the "Small Fry") - its great for making egg sandwiches!

I just love wandering the gadget aisle in Marshalls and Home Goods. I always find the coolest things!

[Molczan]

My last find was a pair of nut crackers that are really heavy duty...not the traditional small silver ones which always hurt my hands. This chunky pair of crackers works great on filberts and walnuts, plus it looks more "manly" as my husband put it. LOL!

[Molczan]

LaLo1103, on 14 March 2012 - 05:04 PM, said:

I have a soft spot for those "egg themed" gadgets. Like the whisk is named "Whiskey" and the masher is "Mashy". I have a whole slew of those little egg guys that I love! I really like the individual frying pan too (he's named the "Small Fry") - its great for making egg sandwiches!

I just love wandering the gadget aisle in Marshalls and Home Goods. I always find the coolest things!

Those sound great! The names are so cute! I've never heard of the Home Goods store, but we have a Marshalls not too far from here....hmmmm.

[Smiles]

Home Good is the home store of the company that owns Marshalls and TJ Maxx. There's on near the Portland airport, in Cascade Station (near Ikea).

My favorite is my electric tea kettle. How did I live without it all those years?

[Molczan]

Smiles, on 14 March 2012 - 05:55 PM, said:

Home Good is the home store of the company that owns Marshalls and TJ Maxx. There's on near the Portland airport, in Cascade Station (near Ikea).

My favorite is my electric tea kettle. How did I live without it all those years?

Yikes, I've never been to an Ikea either! Maybe I'll have to take a trip over near the airport! I've thought about getting an electric kettle...my step-son loves ginger tea and we heat up the regular kettle on the stove. An electric kettle would probably be cheaper to run too.

[tiza126]

I LOVE my handheld garlic press and my orange peeler. And my little Pampered Chef paring knives...I have a variety of colors. Ohh..and my coffee grinder. I just love kitchen gadgets in general!

[Molczan]

tiza126, on 14 March 2012 - 06:41 PM, said:

I LOVE my handheld garlic press and my orange peeler. And my little Pampered Chef paring knives...I have a variety of colors. Ohh..and my coffee grinder. I just love kitchen gadgets in general!

Oh, Pampered Chef! Those products are great! I've never actaully been to one of the parties, but my Mom has gotten me a few of their items...they have really good quality!

[PolkaDot]

LOL, the small, hand held potato peeler which I purchased in 1972! Also, my garlic press!! My 1975 potato masher, round with "holes" in it. A cherry pitter. My very old tongs, which DD tried to steal but I recovered :-)

Recently I have been using a jar opener pretty regularly, and it's on one of the newer, smooth top can openers, which I find I like very much! I also like my very old, plastic, lemon hand juicer.

At one time, I really liked my Polder Meat Thermometer. I wore it out and haven't found a good replacement thermometer yet, but when they work, they're great!

If you have never been to an Ikea, you are in for a good time!

Fun thread!

[PolkaDot]

Oops, also, my old dough blender, although I use the Vita Mix more often now in place of incorporating butter, etc. into doughs.

[scrappinchar]

I can't think of a favorite...I love 'em all! lol
apple corer
apple corer & slicer
my little egg piercer (to pierce before boiling)
mandoline slicer
tongs with silicone ends
garlic press
I have one of the "egg themed" yolk separators...I think it's called Yolky (but I hardly use it. I just use the two halves of the egg shell to do the separating. lol)
Ricer (love the texture for mashed potatoes) Makes me consider a larger food mill one day

[tiza126]

Oh yeah... my apple corer/slicer! That is fun too.

[BarbaraC1977]

About two years ago I bought a basting brush that's all silicone (fat bristles,) and go through the dishwasher. I love it for putting my homemade barbecue sauce on meats for grilling. It's a Pampered Chef item--looks so different from real hair bristles, or the old ones that you pinched with a slide. It's worth every penny!

LOVE my Keurig coffeemaker.

And you can have my Kitchen Aid mixer....



when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

[BarbaraC1977]

I love the soft, thick-handled utensils that are becoming standard in most brands. They take up more space, but are so much easier on my hands!

Rice-cooker--learned about these in college dorm. Managed to get one for a wedding present, still ticking after 34.8 years so far.

Orange zester that was the only "souvenir" I bought in the Netherlands 11 years ago. Sharp and efficient, with five slots.

Pampered Chef garlic press.

Multiple smallish plastic (cheap) cutting boards--use fresh and stick in dishwasher instead of washing over and over to prevent cross-contamination.

Dough scraper (for the rare occasions I make dough.)

Commercial (one cup salt/pepper) shaker used for cinnamon sugar.

I have a lot of kitchen gadgets, but they get used, and I take care of them. My tupperware colanders are 34 years old. My corning ware dishes are 38, and still look great. My knives are mostly 35-38 years old, two are a little newer.

[April Showers]

My favorite fairly new (like I've had it a year) gadget is a strawberry slicer. It came from Williams Sonoma, but I see it is a few dollars less on Amazon. I got the huller too. They are by Chef'n.

[Ro]

A fork. :-)

[Molczan]

Ro, on 14 March 2012 - 11:15 PM, said:

A fork. :-)

ROFL! I agree that any gadget or utensil that gets food to my mouth, is a good one!

[Sherry Lynn]

Oh dear you mean I need to pick one --- hmmmmm don't think I can but I do love my egg slicer --- now if you had asked this when I still had my bakery open then the list would be quite extensive!

[Belle]

I am known as the gadget queen. I have got just about every gadget that comes out. My favorite is my Bamix Stick Blender and all the accessories. I love the idea of an electric tea kettle. I think I must look into that one. My mandelin works well and I would not be without my jar opener. Every year at the show, I buy a new one or two. Henry is inclined to break them. They make wonderful stocking fillers at Christmas as well.

[ValerieT]

My favourite.... my timer, it saves me daily from burnt food. I constantly have to check on Ben and Kiahna, so I loose track of time very easily.

[elibar]

Fun thread - I feel the need for some new kitchen gadgets!

My favorite is probably my Wusthof tomato knife. It has a serrated blade and a forked tip. I love my garlic press too - it's Pampered Chef.

[LaLo1103]

scrappinchar, on 14 March 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

I have one of the "egg themed" yolk separators...I think it's called Yolky (but I hardly use it. I just use the two halves of the egg shell to do the separating. lol)
Ricer (love the texture for mashed potatoes) Makes me consider a larger food mill one day

I will have to keep an eye out for "Yolky" - I don't have him yet!

The electric tea kettle is also a wonderful invention!!! We have a water cooler that has hot water or cold water immediately ready. When we were without power and it didn't work I couldn't believe how attached I was to it! I didn't realize how many times I just took the immediate boiling water for granted!

Isn't it amazing how much happiness a dinky, little kitchen gadget can bring you???

[Molczan]

Everyone seems to love their garlic press. So I have a confession- I can never get one to work right. I mean, is the garlic supposed to be pressed through the little holes? Or just the liquid? I usually just end up with a smashed chunk and give up on the whole process. I need a Garlic Press For Dummies book!

[scrappinchar]

My garlic press is by Pampered Chef, too. I've had it "forever."
Yep, little squiggles of garlic should press through the holes. I usually have to scrape some off with a fork edge or spoon or something. What's great is not even having to peel the clove first. The skin will stay in the press.

[Molczan]

scrappinchar, on 15 March 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

My garlic press is by Pampered Chef, too. I've had it "forever."
Yep, little squiggles of garlic should press through the holes. I usually have to scrape some off with a fork edge or spoon or something. What's great is not even having to peel the clove first. The skin will stay in the press.

Char, is this raw garlic or roasted? If I put a peeled clove of raw garlic in my press, it just mashes it flat and nothing comes out the little holes. Maybe I need to invest in a quality press- mine's just a cheap one that I inherited from my hubby.

[PolkaDot]

Yep, my garlic press is Pampered Chef as well. I much prefer pressed garlic to minced. My family likes it for fresh garlic bread, rather than using garlic powder. In fact, I haven't used garlic powder in many years. You'll find this one easy to use, and it lasts forever.

I also like my huge, huge strainer spoon. It's stainless steel and I think I bought it in the sucker gadget aisle in the grocery store.

I like my Tupperware Pastry Board for rolling out bread and pie doughs. It's clean and easy to clean up after.

When DD was still at home she loved my hand held "mixer," (egg beater) the old fashioned kind with the two spinners and the handle you hand turn. They are handy little items!

[Cheri T]

I love my garlic press (mine is Pampered Chef very sturdy and at least 2-3 years old already) and citrus press (it doesn't get as much use but is really handy when I do need it).
My fav big gadget is my brand new Kitchen Aid stand mixer DH bought me for Christmas (I asked for it). While I *can* stir cookie dough, etc, with my own muscles, it is SO much easier and more fun with the mixer.

[elibar]

wow - we have hands up for Pampered Chef garlic presses. I've had mine for 7-8 years, maybe more, and it's still going strong. The garlic comes out in little squiggles and the peel stays in the basket.

[PolkaDot]

elibar, on 15 March 2012 - 02:55 PM, said:

wow - we have hands up for Pampered Chef garlic presses. I've had mine for 7-8 years, maybe more, and it's still going strong. The garlic comes out in little squiggles and the peel stays in the basket.

I agree! I had to think, but PC garlic press is 8 years old as well. It has lasted much longer than any other I owned. Also, and this is a real consideration, it is easy to clean!

[Molczan]

Thats it! I'm getting a new garlic press! Maybe I can find one in the sucker, I mean gadget, aisle that is good quality or I will look on-line for a Pampered Chef one.

My most used gadget is my grain mill, since I bake all our bread. I also make all our flour for biscuits, tortillas, pizza dough, pie crusts, pasta, etc. It saves on the budget and is hopefully healthier for us too.

However, my current favorite gadgets are my pasta attachments for my Kitchenaide. They are so easy to work with, since without a crank, you can have both hands free to handle the pasta. I rarely use store bought pasta any more...I just throw some grain in the mill, spelt and soft white wheat work good for pasta, mix up the dough and let it relax while I make sauce. Then while sauce is simmering I cut the pasta. Or instead of sauce I just cut up veggies that I throw into the pasta after it's drained...add a little feta or pesto and yum!