What is your favorite appliance/kitchen gadget?

[ladypirate]

With Thanksgiving just over and the holiday season upon us, I thought it would be fun for everyone to share what their favorite appliance or kitchen gadget is!

I love our KA mixer, obviously, but my favorite kitchen gadget might just be our cherry pitter. It is so handy in the summer! We also just got a seltzer bottle and it is so fun making our own sparkling water.

So how about you guys? What are your favorites?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My favorite ever (had in our last house) was a bottle opener that was attached to the edge of a lower cabinet. That way when we had friends over, nobody ever had to ask where to bottle opener was. Just walk over and pop the top off.

We don't have one of those now and I'm not much of a "gadet" person, nor much of a cook. I have no idea what is my favorite. Maybe my simple frying pan.

 

[drk]

I get the most use out of our immersion blender - use it lots for soups, milkshakes, smoothies. Comes in very handy.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 2:11:30 PM
Author: drk
I get the most use out of our immersion blender - use it lots for soups, milkshakes, smoothies. Comes in very handy.

Oooo--that''s a good one! Awesome for soup.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 1:57:51 PM
Author: MC
My favorite ever (had in our last house) was a bottle opener that was attached to the edge of a lower cabinet. That way when we had friends over, nobody ever had to ask where to bottle opener was. Just walk over and pop the top off.


We don''t have one of those now and I''m not much of a ''gadet'' person, nor much of a cook. I have no idea what is my favorite. Maybe my simple frying pan.

We keep our bottle opener as a fridge magnet for the same reason--it''s super handy!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 11/28/2009 2:13:08 PM
Author: ladypirate


We keep our bottle opener as a fridge magnet for the same reason--it''s super handy!

My husband bought one in FL. . .It has a skull and crossbones on it and says something about poison. I can''t get it to work for some reason.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 2:20:12 PM
Author: MC

Date: 11/28/2009 2:13:08 PM

Author: ladypirate



We keep our bottle opener as a fridge magnet for the same reason--it''s super handy!

My husband bought one in FL. . .It has a skull and crossbones on it and says something about poison. I can''t get it to work for some reason.

LOL! Very piratical! Ours is just a standard churchkey--nothing fancy.

 

[Pandora II]

My Kenwood Titanium Mixer - I''m a Kenwood rather than a Kitchen Aid fan...

Otherwise I suppose the Nespresso Coffee Machine is pretty high on my list!

 

[Octavia]

My KitchenAid and my food processor both get a LOT of use. I don''t really go for single-use gadgets for the most part, so I''d have to say my silicone spatulas in various sizes and shapes are at the top of the list for versatility. But I do love our egg timer -- it''s one of the ones that looks like half an egg with markings for soft, medium, and hard, and you submerge it with the eggs you''re cooking, and it changes colors to indicate how done the eggs are. I also need to break out the pasta maker again, it''s been way too long since I used it and there''s not much better than fresh pasta!

 

[Haven]

I don''t use a lot of gadgets, but I adore my garlic press. I hand chop everything else, but I do love that garlic press!

I cook with a lot of garlic, so that little guy gets used almost daily.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 5:49:10 PM
Author: Octavia
My KitchenAid and my food processor both get a LOT of use. I don''t really go for single-use gadgets for the most part, so I''d have to say my silicone spatulas in various sizes and shapes are at the top of the list for versatility. But I do love our egg timer -- it''s one of the ones that looks like half an egg with markings for soft, medium, and hard, and you submerge it with the eggs you''re cooking, and it changes colors to indicate how done the eggs are. I also need to break out the pasta maker again, it''s been way too long since I used it and there''s not much better than fresh pasta!

Octavia--that sounds awesome! I make soft boiled eggs all the time and that sounds like it would be so handy!

 

[Octavia]

It is! This is the one we have: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=762&f=910. Works like a charm -- DH likes soft-boiled eggs and I like hard-boiled ones, so it takes all the guesswork out of making us both happy

 

[Rachel9]

Vita Mix! only way I can push veggies in the house.

 

[indecisive]

I love kitchen gadgets and have way too many. Probably my grapefruit spoons that are serrated on the sides. It makes a squirt in they eye much less likely!

ETA: I looked it up and now I really want an egg timer and seltzer making bottle!! I have no self control with kitchen gadgets!

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 8:28:24 PM
Author: indecisive
I love kitchen gadgets and have way too many. Probably my grapefruit spoons that are serrated on the sides. It makes a squirt in they eye much less likely!


ETA: I looked it up and now I really want an egg timer and seltzer making bottle!! I have no self control with kitchen gadgets!

I will warn you, though--a seltzer bottle makes a squirt in the eye way more likely! The first thing FI and I did was have a seltzer fight!

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 6:55:54 PM
Author: Haven
I don''t use a lot of gadgets, but I adore my garlic press. I hand chop everything else, but I do love that garlic press!


I cook with a lot of garlic, so that little guy gets used almost daily.

I hear you on that one, Haven--the one we have separates out, too, so it''s really easy to clean. I

that thing!

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 4:49:16 PM
Author: Pandora II
My Kenwood Titanium Mixer - I''m a Kenwood rather than a Kitchen Aid fan...


Otherwise I suppose the Nespresso Coffee Machine is pretty high on my list!

We just tried that coffee machine out at Sur La Table--it''s pretty awesome. I don''t know if we drink enough coffee to justify it, though!

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 11/28/2009 8:20:43 PM
Author: Rachel9
Vita Mix! only way I can push veggies in the house.

What is Vita Mix? I''ve never heard of it!

 

[Rachel9]

Date: 11/28/2009 9:33:33 PM
Author: ladypirate

Date: 11/28/2009 8:20:43 PM
Author: Rachel9
Vita Mix! only way I can push veggies in the house.

What is Vita Mix? I''ve never heard of it!

It''s a powerful blender, I make everyone in the house ''drink'' their smoothie in the morning made with most if not all veggies and fruits avail.

 

[zhuzhu]

My citrus juicer has saved me A LOT of money from buying fresh squeezed OJ! I also love the limenade/lemonate I can make!

 

[akmiss]

My Champion Juicer! I use it daily

My KA mixer is cool but I rarely use it - at least it is purty to look at

 

[sba771]

Oh man this is tough. Kitchen stuff is my favorite. I have put WAY too much time into that part of our registry. My favorite is a tie between my immersion blender (Best thing ever!) and my wok. I am a huge fan of stove top and Asian inspired cooking so my wok is my go to pan.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 11/28/2009 2:11:30 PM
Author: drk
I get the most use out of our immersion blender - use it lots for soups, milkshakes, smoothies. Comes in very handy.

Ditto. Way easier to use for hot stuff than a blender, and easier to clean up too!

Other than that, maybe my silpat. Or the George Foreman. We make everything on the GF...

 

[missrachelk]

Mine is the aerolatte frother! I LOVE frothy lattes and this thing makes them great at home. It is the reason I was able to switch to skim milk in my coffee from half and half. Plus it''s only like $20, I got mine from Crate and Barrel.

I haven''t tried to do whipped cream but I bet it wold do small amounts really nicely.


My next favorite would have to be the toaster oven. We have a convection one and it is so quick for small meals for one or two.

 

[elrohwen]

Rice cooker! I always though they were silly unless you ate tons of rice, but I finally bought one for $25 and we use it at least once a week! I thought you could only use it for making plain white rice, but we also use it for those rice sides with the seasoning mixes. It's so nice to throw it in and forget about it.

ETA: I want to add my simple hand crank pasta maker. Sure it's not very versatile, but I love it and the pasta that it makes

 

[ksinger]

Not a big gadget person. Honestly, my OLD, slightly rusty now, potato peeler. For some reason it''s sharper than the newer one we have, and I''m wicked fast with it. That and a plain old wooden lemon reamer. Fast and deadly and low-tech. I''m pretty low-tech...

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 11/28/2009 9:32:56 PM
Author: ladypirate

Date: 11/28/2009 4:49:16 PM
Author: Pandora II
My Kenwood Titanium Mixer - I''m a Kenwood rather than a Kitchen Aid fan...


Otherwise I suppose the Nespresso Coffee Machine is pretty high on my list!

We just tried that coffee machine out at Sur La Table--it''s pretty awesome. I don''t know if we drink enough coffee to justify it, though!

If you don''t drink a lot of coffee then it is ideal for you!

I rarely drink coffee, but when I do I want a really good espresso, and DH will normally have one a day. If we bought coffee in bags then we would always be throwing it out as it would go stale before we finished a bag. Also DH and I have different preferences in coffee taste.

With the capsules, they last for ages and come in loads of flavours. They bring out limited editions at Christmas (gingerbread espresso - mmmmm) and you get gifts once in a while as a member of the Nespresso Club.

I also like that if we have people over for dinner I can offer them really good coffee. It''s also really quick to make.

The capsules aren''t cheap, hence why it is so ideal for people who don''t drink much coffee!

 

[Clairitek]

I''ve always wanted a stand mixer but my mother talks me out of it every single time. She claims that I can do everything a stand mixer can do with a hand mixer, a whisk, and my hands.

Perhaps I will get one when we have a bigger house and kitchen and more space.

I use my electric kettle a ton. It is so convenient for more than just making tea. We use it to boil water for any cooking needs because it is much faster than using doing it on the stove top entirely. I''ve had two in my life. The first needed to be directly plugged in to the wall to use it and didn''t have an automatic shut off (which I pretty dangerous IMO!) but our second one has a base that is plugged in that you place the kettle on. It also automatically shuts off when the water has boiled.

 

[lilyfoot]

I don''t have many gadgets .. I guess the new George Foreman has to be my favorite .. we got the one with the interchangeable plates, and even though I''ve only used it for burgers thus far (mmm), I know it''ll come in handy for a bunch of stuff. And because the plates come off, it''s easy to clean.

 

[janinegirly]

the microwave and the take out menu! sorry, i''m not a great cook. Which is too bad since I''ve got some great kitchenware as wedding gifts..