Kitchen Gadget Must Haves

[PierreBear]

Hello PSers! I currently have a kitchen aid mixer and a vitamix. Both are fancy gadgets that I originally didn't think I need but am glad that I have now and use regularly. Any inputs on whether a food processor is a must have as well? I've always relied on knife cutting by hand but perhaps I've been missing out. Would love to know your preferred brand/model and what you do with it.

Also if you also have other kitchen gadget recommendations, please feel free to mention it! Thanks in advance!

 

[ksinger]

An InstantPot pressure cooker. Hands down THE most used small appliance in our house - makes THE most delicious stock ever. Next is my Cuisinart 11 cup food processor. Make killer hummus with it. Chop nuts. Make tart dough and pie crusts. Ask me again in a year, I'm sure the list will have grown.

Both of those are items we find make our lives much much simpler.

Oh, and just recently pulled out the Imperia pasta machine that was my mother's. We made a lot of pasta with it when I was a kid. Now, of course, we have access to real Italian flours and my recent tour around the rollers, has shown me that it's gotten a whole lot better. So, stand mixer w/hook to make the pasta, the machine to roll it out. Yay!

 

[t-c]

I don’t cook, but I do bake (a lot), make candy (caramels, nougat, truffles, no hard sugar), and ice cream. I have a commercial (NSF) kitchen aid mixer and I put that sucker through it’s paces.

I find a food processor incredibly helpful and would recommend getting one specially if storage space is not an issue. I use it for grinding nuts or grains, making cookie crumbs, scones, shortbread, sometimes pie crusts.

I used to make ice cream a lot, but now that I have to keep my ice cream maker in storage, not so much. I don’t regret getting an ice cream maker though — even if it’s utility is limited.

 

[kenny]

Hand-made hand-forged Japanese high-carbon steel knives and a big heavy end-grain cutting board.
(End grain doesn't dull a knife as quickly.)
Two knife sizes: a chef knife and a paring knife.

These knives fall through thick hard raw carrots as if the carrots were warm butter.
It's very very bizarre when you first use them.
I'd compare it to the first time you drove a car with power steering, if you're old enough to have driven standard steering.

The exotic alloy allows for the thinnest blades you've ever seen.
The alloy also allows the blade to take a long-lasting scalpel-sharp edge.

Very pricey but worth it.
I thank the PS poster TristanC for turning me onto these objets d'art.

I can't go back to our old stainless steel German Henckels.
Cutting with those now, even when very sharp, is like pushing a freight train up a hill.
My SO is not allowed to touch MY Japanese knives .
He gets the Henckels.

 

[ksinger]

Hand-made hand-forged Japanese high-carbon steel knives and a big heavy end-grain cutting board.
(End grain doesn't dull a knife as quickly.)
Two knife sizes: a chef knife and a paring knife.

These knives fall through thick hard raw carrots as if the carrots were warm butter.
It's very very bizarre when you first use them.
I'd compare it to the first time you drove a car with power steering, if you're old enough to have driven standard steering.

The exotic alloy allows for the thinnest blades you've ever seen.
The alloy also allows the blade to take a long-lasting scalpel-sharp edge.

Very pricey but worth it.
I thank the PS poster TristanC for turning me onto these objets d'art.

I can't go back to our old stainless steel German Henckels.
Cutting with those now, even when very sharp, is like pushing a freight train up a hill.
My SO is not allowed to touch MY Japanese knives .
He gets the Henckels.

We've got both. I got into Japanese knives earlier this year. I ended up getting my husband a Yoshihiro santoku, of high carbon non-stainless steel. I got him the water stones to go with it. Yeah, a serious birthday present. And it really is all that and a bag of chips. Razor sharp. I've gotten a couple of very clean and nearly painless cuts with it. Just knicks, thank goodness, because one of those things can take off a digit.

I still like the old Wusthofs though. My husband keeps them very sharp, and they don't have to be babied like the Japanese one we have. That German ease is a nice option because the Japanese knife will start to rust within about 15 minutes if you don't keep it utterly dry between chopping this or that. Most times I'm not, but sometimes I'm too lazy, I confess. I get another one, it will be a stainless version.

 

[Elizabeth35]

I use a Cuisinart in addition to a Kitchenaid. I use the Kitchenaid primarily for baking and whipping creamy french style mashed potatoes. Cuisinart is used for hummus and also for pulsing fruit that I use for making ice cream. Also use Cuisinart with slicing blade for making shredded brussel sprouts and veggies, chopping nuts, etc. So, very different purposes.
It still does not take the place of many cutting/chopping tasks though.

I end up adding tools as I explore recipes and try new things. I am going to go research the Japanese knives that Kenny mentioned. We are in need of a really good sushi knife. We do Sashimi, sushi rolls, Tuna poke at home and our filet knife is not ideal.

What do you like to cook? And eat? We are not pasta eaters but if we were we would probably get a pasta machine.

 

[lyra]

We need a food processor. It's on our kitchen bucket list. Space is at a premium in our kitchen, so we just have to find something fairly basic and not huge, or with a ton of parts.

I've found that an immersion blender is really handy to use for blending soups. It probably has other uses, but it's so much easier than pouring hot liquid into a blender, then back into a pot.

 

[kenny]

We've got both. I got into Japanese knives earlier this year. I ended up getting my husband a Yoshihiro santoku, of high carbon non-stainless steel. I got him the water stones to go with it. Yeah, a serious birthday present. And it really is all that and a bag of chips. Razor sharp. I've gotten a couple of very clean and nearly painless cuts with it. Just knicks, thank goodness, because one of those things can take off a digit.

I still like the old Wusthofs though. My husband keeps them very sharp, and they don't have to be babied like the Japanese one we have. That German ease is a nice option because the Japanese knife will start to rust within about 15 minutes if you don't keep it utterly dry between chopping this or that. Most times I'm not, but sometimes I'm too lazy, I confess. I get another one, it will be a stainless version.

True, the high-carbon steel requires careful care.
I explained it all to my SO and he said, No Way!
But he's never actually cut anything with one.
That's just fine with me.

Honestly I consider proper care to be very little hassle for the substantial benefit of good Japanese knives.
It takes 15 seconds to wash and dry it.
And it's no extra work to wash it immediately after use compared to leaving it in the sink and washing it hours later like you can with a quality stainless steel knife.

BTW, if properly maintained high-carbon knives develop a patina that reduces their vulnerability to rust ... though of course no patina will build up on the actual sharpened edge itself if you keep the knife sharp.
IIRC you can accelerate the patina's development by rubbing raw potato on the knife ... but do your own homework regarding this.

 

[Gussie]

Love my moulinex chopper. It's the handiest small gadget I have. I get out my huge food processor about once a year. Bulky and hard to store. I cook and bake a lot and also love my kitchen aide mixer that I've had since college. Those things are built like tanks!

 

[stracci2000]

I have a Borner mandolin slicer. So nice!
Also, I couldn't live without my 12" Griswald cast iron skillet.

 

[freezing_in_MO]

Could you please post pictures or a brand name? I know next to nothing about Japanese knives, butcwoujd appreciate a chance to learn.

Thanks in advance!

Hand-made hand-forged Japanese high-carbon steel knives and a big heavy end-grain cutting board.
(End grain doesn't dull a knife as quickly.)
Two knife sizes: a chef knife and a paring knife.

These knives fall through thick hard raw carrots as if the carrots were warm butter.
It's very very bizarre when you first use them.
I'd compare it to the first time you drove a car with power steering, if you're old enough to have driven standard steering.

The exotic alloy allows for the thinnest blades you've ever seen.
The alloy also allows the blade to take a long-lasting scalpel-sharp edge.

Very pricey but worth it.
I thank the PS poster TristanC for turning me onto these objets d'art.

I can't go back to our old stainless steel German Henckels.
Cutting with those now, even when very sharp, is like pushing a freight train up a hill.
My SO is not allowed to touch MY Japanese knives .
He gets the Henckels.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Airfryer! I have two sitting on a table on my deck and they are both used every day. Great for quickly roasting or grilling things and dehydrating fruit!

You can cut butter with the kitchenaid creaming blade! I use the creaming blade to cut butter into flou when I make pastry! Takes longer than the food processor but I just go do something else.

 

[BlingDreams]

I agree with Kenny that knives and cutting boards are uber important. I upgraded about seven years ago and it revolutionized my cooking; no more struggling to cut things or having to force knives through food. I chose MAC Chef Series knives and Boos Board 1” cutting boards in three sizes.

I also couldn’t do without my cast iron pots and skillets. There are several good brands out there and I went with Le Creuset because of their design/colors. I now own around 13 various shapes and use every one of them quite often. I’d recommend starting with a braiser and a Dutch oven (around a 5qt size) and build from there.

 

[PierreBear]

An InstantPot pressure cooker. Hands down THE most used small appliance in our house - makes THE most delicious stock ever. Next is my Cuisinart 11 cup food processor. Make killer hummus with it. Chop nuts. Make tart dough and pie crusts. Ask me again in a year, I'm sure the list will have grown.

Both of those are items we find make our lives much much simpler.

Oh, and just recently pulled out the Imperia pasta machine that was my mother's. We made a lot of pasta with it when I was a kid. Now, of course, we have access to real Italian flours and my recent tour around the rollers, has shown me that it's gotten a whole lot better. So, stand mixer w/hook to make the pasta, the machine to roll it out. Yay!

Thanks @ksinger for the input. I've considered whether I should replace my slow cooker and rice cooker with the instantpot. The idea was to take out two devices and just only have one to worry about storage. However, there are instances where I would need to make a chili or stew but also require rice at the same time so I thought there to just keep things as is for the moment. I did hear that the instantpot cooks brown rice quickly though. I appreciate the extra nutrients of brown rice over white but it takes almost 1 hour in my rice pot! Any other reasons to switch to instantpot? I appreciate your help!

 

[PierreBear]

I don’t cook, but I do bake (a lot), make candy (caramels, nougat, truffles, no hard sugar), and ice cream. I have a commercial (NSF) kitchen aid mixer and I put that sucker through it’s paces.

I find a food processor incredibly helpful and would recommend getting one specially if storage space is not an issue. I use it for grinding nuts or grains, making cookie crumbs, scones, shortbread, sometimes pie crusts.

I used to make ice cream a lot, but now that I have to keep my ice cream maker in storage, not so much. I don’t regret getting an ice cream maker though — even if it’s utility is limited.

I would love to come to your house for a snack! Those candy treats sound delicious. What gadgets do you need to make those items if you don't mind me asking?

I've considered an ice cream maker as well but then feel like it wouldn't be used very often to offset the price of just purchasing in the store. Have you found that it is worth it to make your own creations and flavors? I would love to make honey ice cream. Yummmm had that once at an old fashion ice cream parlor and it blew my mind!! Hope you bring out your ice cream maker out of storage even though it is the fall season. Pumpkin ice cream anyone?!

 

[PierreBear]

I use a Cuisinart in addition to a Kitchenaid. I use the Kitchenaid primarily for baking and whipping creamy french style mashed potatoes. Cuisinart is used for hummus and also for pulsing fruit that I use for making ice cream. Also use Cuisinart with slicing blade for making shredded brussel sprouts and veggies, chopping nuts, etc. So, very different purposes.
It still does not take the place of many cutting/chopping tasks though.

I end up adding tools as I explore recipes and try new things. I am going to go research the Japanese knives that Kenny mentioned. We are in need of a really good sushi knife. We do Sashimi, sushi rolls, Tuna poke at home and our filet knife is not ideal.

What do you like to cook? And eat? We are not pasta eaters but if we were we would probably get a pasta machine.

@Elizabeth35 - Thanks for chiming in with your gadgets. How do you make french style mashed potatoes? I must be missing out and only associate the kitchenaid mixer with sweets instead of savory dishes. I suppose you use the whipping attachment for that and put in the boiled potatoes and then add heavy cream/butter etc?

Ok I think you are hitting the nail on the head for me. I can use a food processor for slicing/shredding vegetables. However, for a family of 2, I have been doing fine doing it with my own knife. Is the food processor really used for those tedious vegetables if you want a uniform look? I'm thinking I would personally be using it to shred carrots to add into a salad instead of buying it pre-shredded at the store. The brussel sprouts you mention is also another good example. Not easy to cut by hand and would take forever.

I actually bought a pasta machine because I enjoyed it so much in one of my baking classes. This was before I had my kitchen aid mixer so I've never tried the pasta attachment. The manual pasta machine gives you more control but it takes 2 hands to do it. I generally make pasta dough and then freeze it until I'm ready to use it. Defrost it the day of and then roll it out to use. Making pasta for 2, the rolling out process takes me about 30 minutes. A bit tedious but DH can tell the difference and really appreciates it. Talking to other people, the kitchen aid mixer pasta attachment goes too fast even on the slow setting. However, I've never tried it! Good luck and keep me posted if you get one!

 

[PierreBear]

I have a Borner mandolin slicer. So nice!
Also, I couldn't live without my 12" Griswald cast iron skillet.

Thanks for sharing! When would you use a mandolin slicer over a food processor?

I agree with the cast iron skillet! Great for browning meats!

 

[PierreBear]

Airfryer! I have two sitting on a table on my deck and they are both used every day. Great for quickly roasting or grilling things and dehydrating fruit!

You can cut butter with the kitchenaid creaming blade! I use the creaming blade to cut butter into flou when I make pastry! Takes longer than the food processor but I just go do something else.

Never used an air fryer before. Does it still require the use of oil? A healthier way to cook? Must be amazing if you have 2 of them!

 

[Gussie]

My MIL is the queen of kitchen gadgets! I hate to sound ungrateful but I told my husband that if she gives me one more appliance I am going to go crazy! The last few years she has given me:

Soda carbonator (used twice - gave to the housekeeper)
Pasta maker/roller (still in the box - don't have time for it)
Ice cream maker (used maybe 3 times in about 4 years - takes up sooo much space)
Whirlygig popcorn popper (see ice cream maker)
Countless small gadgets (lol, who needs a garnish carver, egg separator, battery powered can opener, etc.)

Pretty much all I need is decent cookware and bakeware, great knives and chopping board, a stand mixer, wooden spoons, and measuring spoons and cups, and a vegetable peeler. The rest is just fluff or takes up space!

 

[ksinger]

True, the high-carbon steel requires careful care.
I explained it all to my SO and he said, No Way!
But he's never actually cut anything with one.
That's just fine with me.

Honestly I consider proper care to be very little hassle for the substantial benefit of good Japanese knives.
It takes 15 seconds to wash and dry it.
And it's no extra work to wash it immediately after use compared to leaving it in the sink and washing it hours later like you can with a quality stainless steel knife.

BTW, if properly maintained high-carbon knives develop a patina that reduces their vulnerability to rust ... though of course no patina will build up on the actual sharpened edge itself if you keep the knife sharp.
IIRC you can accelerate the patina's development by rubbing raw potato on the knife ... but do your own homework regarding this.

Ah, but you see Kenny, I'm a kitchen version of a vampire with grains of rice - they must count them, I must clean properly. Unfortunately, everything I do is a very fine calculation: will my energy last until the end of the process? If unlikely, I'll probably go for the tool that can be treated a bit roughly in a pinch. When I crash, it can be pretty sudden. So while it may not technically be extra effort, it can often be the bit that I just can't squeeze out. Unless you have ever had to deal with the mental fatigue of having to estimate the energy expenditure of every.single.thing you want to do, down to a gnat's ass, you really can't understand how hard that can be, and as I said, tiring. As things stand, I take a lot of rests while cooking. If it's a time-sensitive dish, I generally don't even attempt it.

 

[ksinger]

Thanks @ksinger for the input. I've considered whether I should replace my slow cooker and rice cooker with the instantpot. The idea was to take out two devices and just only have one to worry about storage. However, there are instances where I would need to make a chili or stew but also require rice at the same time so I thought there to just keep things as is for the moment. I did hear that the instantpot cooks brown rice quickly though. I appreciate the extra nutrients of brown rice over white but it takes almost 1 hour in my rice pot! Any other reasons to switch to instantpot? I appreciate your help!

I would get rid of a rice cooker in a heartbeat, just a well-sized (for your purposes) non-stick pot should do the trick. The time you might save with doing rice in a cooker or pressure cooker, isn't worth the dragging it out, in this case, IMO.

When I was in college, a Persian friend taught me how to cook white/basmati rice. Most of the time, I keep it super simple because the method she taught me was the simplest, but really, to Persians, rice is serious business - an art. (I now make a creditable tahdig, and even have a bag of smoked basmati rice in my fridge - stuff's amazing) But brown rice? Always a problem for me until just recently.

So, brown rice.....plain old cookware, no special handling required method...
Big pot. Lots of water - 10 cups or so. No precision here, just remember, lots more than the amount of rice.
Bring to a rolling boil. Add salt if you like.
So, approx 1-2 C of brown rice. Add to water once it's boiling. Let it come back to a simmer-ish type boil.
Boil uncovered for 30 minutes. Drain. Immediately put the hot rice back in the hot pot, cover with lid. Forget about it for 15-20 minutes. No burner heat, just residual. Perfect fluffy, non-sticky every-grain-separate brown rice, every time.

So water to boil - 5 min
boiling rice - 30 min
forgetting about rice - 15-20 min
50-55 min total, better end result by far, trust me. After endless pots of gummy brown rice, this is the method I always use, because it always works.

 

[stracci2000]

Thanks for sharing! When would you use a mandolin slicer over a food processor?
I agree with the cast iron skillet! Great for browning meats!

The mandolin makes perfect tomato slices. My hubby loves it for slicing tomatoes for his sandwiches.
I actually don't have a food processor. I never felt the need for one.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Another vote for air fryer! It's basically a small convection oven, we use it almost every night!

 

[Austina]

Another thumbs up for Le Creuset cast iron enamelled pans. I've had some of mine since 1990 and they're still perfect.

I have a food processor and small hand held mixer. In all honesty, I haven't used most of the attachments on the processor. I've also got a stick blender, which I used a lot.

I'd never bother with a rice cooker, it's a lot easier (and better results) just cooking it in a pan, after thoroughly washing the rice in running water for several minutes.

A Kitchen Aid is on the wish list once we move.

 

[Gussie]

I guess I am in the minority when it comes to Le Creuset. By the time I get the blasted things out, I am too tired to cook with them! Way too heavy! I have about 7 pieces and really only use the Dutch oven. Sometimes the braiser. None of the rest of it. The dutch oven is awesome for simple bread. My family will eat a loaf in one sitting!

 

[PierreBear]

I would get rid of a rice cooker in a heartbeat, just a well-sized (for your purposes) non-stick pot should do the trick. The time you might save with doing rice in a cooker or pressure cooker, isn't worth the dragging it out, in this case, IMO.

When I was in college, a Persian friend taught me how to cook white/basmati rice. Most of the time, I keep it super simple because the method she taught me was the simplest, but really, to Persians, rice is serious business - an art. (I now make a creditable tahdig, and even have a bag of smoked basmati rice in my fridge - stuff's amazing) But brown rice? Always a problem for me until just recently.

So, brown rice.....plain old cookware, no special handling required method...
Big pot. Lots of water - 10 cups or so. No precision here, just remember, lots more than the amount of rice.
Bring to a rolling boil. Add salt if you like.
So, approx 1-2 C of brown rice. Add to water once it's boiling. Let it come back to a simmer-ish type boil.
Boil uncovered for 30 minutes. Drain. Immediately put the hot rice back in the hot pot, cover with lid. Forget about it for 15-20 minutes. No burner heat, just residual. Perfect fluffy, non-sticky every-grain-separate brown rice, every time.

So water to boil - 5 min
boiling rice - 30 min
forgetting about rice - 15-20 min
50-55 min total, better end result by far, trust me. After endless pots of gummy brown rice, this is the method I always use, because it always works.

Thanks for the tutorial! Are you sure you aren't a food blogger? : ) Wow, smoked basmati rice sounds amazing. Yum!

 

[lyra]

I was going to just go for the 6qt Le Creuset, but then I discovered Lodge pots. I got the 6qt dutch oven in PURPLE! It's great quality at a much lower price. I love it. It was a bucket item and is on display in the glass fronted cabinet, lol. Purple!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Broke my Japanese knives cutting fresh squash! Doh not meant for hard shells--leave those to Henkels. But I do love knives. No "good" kitchen complete without them.

Love my cast iron cookware. I use it for everything. Good thing I have big muscles!

As for gadgets....I don't think I have too many. When we moved last year (and downsized) I kept (only) my Kitchen Aid Mixer. It is not only beautiful but serviceable. My sister, however, is a gadget Queen. It is an addiction, really. Her huge kitchen is filled with everything imaginable--and in her dozens of cabinets and drawers.....she knows where every item is!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Elizabeth35]

Ok--DH is the french style mashed potato maker. And it is NOT low fat!
They are soupier than regular mashed, made with heaps of cream and butter using the whipping attachment. We do not use red potatoes---use yukon golds. You could probably google and find a recipe for proportions. I actually prefer somewhat lumpy, less creamy mashed with garlic and smoked pepper. But then again, any mashed potato is good in my book!

I don't use the food processor for tons of veggies--for the most part we chop/slice by hand as it's not worth setting up the processor. For example, do not use for sliced or chopped tomatoes. I do use for certain recipes. It really depends on how you cook and what you like.
I make my own ice cream (and use food processor to pulse fresh fruit for it) using an Italian machine--it's a Gelatiera Gaggia from the 70's. And it is by far better than store bought ice cream. Seriously. I use a Ben and Jerry's ice cream cookbook and my DH is one happy man. Practically cries. Friends and dinner guests rave.

@Elizabeth35 - Thanks for chiming in with your gadgets. How do you make french style mashed potatoes? I must be missing out and only associate the kitchenaid mixer with sweets instead of savory dishes. I suppose you use the whipping attachment for that and put in the boiled potatoes and then add heavy cream/butter etc?

Ok I think you are hitting the nail on the head for me. I can use a food processor for slicing/shredding vegetables. However, for a family of 2, I have been doing fine doing it with my own knife. Is the food processor really used for those tedious vegetables if you want a uniform look? I'm thinking I would personally be using it to shred carrots to add into a salad instead of buying it pre-shredded at the store. The brussel sprouts you mention is also another good example. Not easy to cut by hand and would take forever.

I actually bought a pasta machine because I enjoyed it so much in one of my baking classes. This was before I had my kitchen aid mixer so I've never tried the pasta attachment. The manual pasta machine gives you more control but it takes 2 hands to do it. I generally make pasta dough and then freeze it until I'm ready to use it. Defrost it the day of and then roll it out to use. Making pasta for 2, the rolling out process takes me about 30 minutes. A bit tedious but DH can tell the difference and really appreciates it. Talking to other people, the kitchen aid mixer pasta attachment goes too fast even on the slow setting. However, I've never tried it! Good luck and keep me posted if you get one!

 

[BlingDreams]

I was going to just go for the 6qt Le Creuset, but then I discovered Lodge pots. I got the 6qt dutch oven in PURPLE! It's great quality at a much lower price. I love it. It was a bucket item and is on display in the glass fronted cabinet, lol. Purple!

OMG, too funny because my first Le Creuset purchase was a 7qt PURPLE Dutch oven too!

Purple!!!!