Oooh My Christmas Present Just Came

[Barmaid]

Mr BM got some vouchers for so many years at his company so he bought a Ninja Creami for me (without asking, he just thought I might like one).  So later on I shall be messing about with ice creams.

I like my gadgets and use most of them regularly - an Instant Pot, an Air Fryer, a food processor, a food mixer (with meat mincer and sausage filler), a vacuum sealer, a bread maker, a sous vide wand are just some of my friends.  I think they are meant to make life easier - they don't, I end up doing more complicated stuff.  Things I do not use are a rice cooker, a veg steamer, a sandwich toaster, a popcorn maker (all of which came with Mr BM and I have not yet chucked out).

I am known as the Gadget Queen amongst a small circle of friends and if anyone needs a one off use of something, they normally ask me on the basis I might have such a thing!  

What gadgets do you like in your kitchen?  (If I don't respond, I am off playing with my new toy).

[-SharonA-]

No, no, no!!!!!!

I have my coffee machine, microwave (hardly used), ninja blender, toaster. And that is it.

 

[barry1010]

I love my combi microwave with a flat bed and two shelves; use my bread maker and slow cooker daily; pressure cooker frequently; stick blender a lot. Still using a 40 year old electric knife.

Gave away a George Foreman grill, it had removable plates and seemed to steam rather than grill. Gave away a coffee machine, couldn't bear the noise and the coffee was tepid.

[Barmaid]

Sharon, you made me laugh  then!  

Barry, I forgot about the coffee maker.

I just like my kitchen toys!!!!

[barry1010]

We have a very basic mixer, I've suggested upgrading but my wife isn't interested.  What we have does the job for us, we've no intention of making sausages.

These days, we resist all temptation for as long as possible. Usually we get over it before we buy it.  Never had an electric steamer, we just use the steamer baskets over the boiling potatoes on the hob.  

[barry1010]

Never had a sandwich toaster either, we either do them in the frying pan or in the combi microwave.

[MargoTester]

Where on earth do you put them all Barmaid

[barry1010]

Got rid of the deep fat fryer many years ago, sometimes I regret it. 

[maggiebee]

I'm not a gadget person - use my microwave most days and my hand blender for soup. That's about it.  My kitchen is actually quite small so any more would just be clutter.

[barry1010]

I also bought a rotisserie, it cooked a chicken 'sitting up' and rotated it as you'd expect.  It was dangerous, impossible to get the hot chicken out safely - that went to the tip. 

[naomi24]

I'm not fond of kitchen  gadgets - they invariably end up in a cupboard never to see the light of day again until they're given to the charity shop.   I do, however, still use my electric knife when I want to carve a big joint of meat.  I've had it for years.

I've bought my husband a hamburger squasher thing (can't remember what it's called) as one of his Christmas presents.  He loves cooking and doing barbecues so that might have a chance of avoiding oblivion.

[barry1010]

I look at my mother's and grandmother's kitchen.  My grandmother had a small range that she did all her cooking on (nowt like an Aga) and my mother had a cast iron gas cooker with a single oven that was small compared to today's cookers.

They still managed to cook meals, cakes, puddings, biscuits, sauces - everything I cook without the gadgets.  I remember mother having to cut the turkey in half one Christmas because it was too big to go in the oven.

[Canary42]

Gadgets I like and use:   Air Fryer, Breadmaker, Electric Whisk (hand held), Electric Steamer, Microwave oven

Gadgets lying unused: Coffee Machine, Food processor, Rice Cooker

[rockyracoon]

Ooh. Lucky you. I'm toying with the idea of a Ninja Slushie. Not looking forward to spending £200+ on it though

[Canary42]

... and a sandwich toaster thrown out years ago.

[barry1010]

I saw this being demonstrated on YouTube the other day - was tempted for a few minutes.  It seemed to work, and very easy to clean.  Could be useful for students and maybe older folk

Amazon.com User Recommendation

[Hazlinny]

Microwave, sandwich toastie maker, blender and slow cooker which I wouldn't be without.   

[sandyRoe]

I've a coffee machine that's been used twice. Once when I was shown how to operate it, and the second time when I tried it myself.  It now gathers dust in the back of a cupboard.  Another device for chopping nuts is somewhere in there too.

A stick blender for soups isn't much use as I like them chunky.

The microwave doesn't see much use.

Two items I do use regularly are a vegetable steamer and a small rice cooker I was given recently.

[Barmaid]

Margo, the microwave, bread maker, air fryer and now the creami live permanently on the units in the utlity. The coffee maker on the kitchen units. The rest live in the pantry which is fully shelved and I just get them out as needed. 

I forgot about the electric carving knife.

Naomi, a burger press? Yes I've got a couple of those too.

Absolutely right, Barry. Years ago my grandmother and great grandmother had the most basic kitchens (in fact I think the things I use most are my g grandmother's old table spoons). They didn't need any of this stuff at all. I could manage without it, but I like my toys!!

[MargoTester]

Ah I see, I don't have the benefit of a utility room or a pantry unfortunately. I've got more of a galley kitchen with one decent length work surface and the other side in 3 shorter lengths so by the time I've got the microwave, kettle toaster one side is more or less full! We've been trying to work out where to put an air fryer but have given up, I've managed this long without one so I'll carry on. Hope you have fun with your latest toy x

[Barmaid]

Margo, I think if I did not have this space, I would not have half the gadgets.  It is a bit like a handbag though.  The bigger bag you have, the more you will find to fill it!