Kitchen Gadgets ..

[Quassia]

Where would we be without them? How quick and easy it is now!
I've made a roast today & used the steamer for the veg, microwave for potatoes & my halogen oven to bake a cake in! What gadgets are regularly in use in your home? Does anyone use 'old' cooking / baking methods? Do any of you use 'old' gadgets? I have an old Kenwood two beater hand mixer that I still use that my mum gave to me years ago, it's much better than a modern one I bought!

[rowanwitch]

I've got a really old moulinex hand beater...got it from a car boot about 10 years ago and its still working.... looks like it was made in the late 60s/early 70s... use lots of old methods inc a mortar and pestle for grinding spices etc

[Quassia]

Has your Moulinex yellowed like my Kenwood rowan? I always wanted a pestle & mortar, nearly picked one up last Christmas, one of these gift sets from Boots with spices!

[scrummyyummy]

Quassia, what recipe do you use for your halogen cake? I have an halogen oven but I've never tried baking a cake in it. Does it come up good? If you don't mind, could I have your recipe please?

[Ratty2E]

I only use my microwave for porridge and starting off jacket potatoes, I keep thinking I should get rid of it. I used to use a very old Kenwood Chef but it blew up and yes it was yellow. I have a new silver and grey one now with lots of attatchments. I have looked at halogen ovens but they take up a fair bit of space and I'm not sure I'd use it that much, are they any good?

[Quassia]

Hi scrummy,
the cake recipe was just a 'Victoria Sponge' recipe as you would make in a conventional oven. Here's the ingredients ..
110g/ 4oz butter
110g/ 4oz caster sugar
2 medium eggs
110g/ 4oz self raising flour
Cream the butter & sugar together, add an egg, beat in some of the flour, add the other egg & beat in the rest of the flour. Grease & line a 7" deep round cake tin. Use the 'low' rack .. set your halogen to 150c and warm it up for a few minutes as you would a conventional oven. Bake cake for 35 mins/ 40 mins on 150c. Check now and again with a metal skewer or sharp knife to see if it comes out clean .. if it isn't fully baked & it's going brown on top, stick some foil over for a while longer.

[shock]

I only use the microwave for microwave meals. which is very very rare. I don't even have it in my kitchen.

I use a hand blender and potato ricer. That's about it I think.

[Quassia]

Hi ratty,
I think you would miss your microwave if you were to throw it out, funny how we miss gadgets even for the little things we do in them! Halogen ovens .. You can get dinky ones and they go up in size. The latest ones have a kind of hinged arm where it does away with lifting the lid off and needing to use a lid rest. They take a few practice runs to get use to but I love mine. Theyre great for jacket potatoes by the way! Also anything that needs crisping up like bacon/ sausage ect.. Recipes seem to be hard to find .. I picked a good basic one up called 'The Halogen Oven Cookbook by Norma Miller which has quite a few no nonsense rcipes in ! Also for you and scrummy .. this website forum I came across .. http://halogenovenrecipes.forumotion.com/

[Quassia]

Hi shock, ah .. the old manual rotary blenders ? How do you find the ricers? They seem very small if you were sieving a large amount of potato?

[whiskeysheri]

We have a very yellow Kenwood, Quassia. :)

[Ratty2E]

Quassia,
Maybe, I should replace my microwave with a Halogen oven then, apparently you can use them to defrost too. I use a ricer it's the best way to make mash, you just keep filling it up so you can rice as much potato or whatever you want mashed as you need to. I have a rotisserie oven that I used to use all the time but since I got a decent new oven it's been collecting dust, actually that did jacket potatoes too. I'm definately getting rid of my microwave lol

[Quassia]

Whiskey,
built to last! :0)
rattyratgirl .. may be you should change your name to gadgetgirl? lol !! :0)

[Ratty2E]

Errrrr should I mention the apple peeler, ice cream machine, mini chopper, mezzaluna, bread maker etc etc. Actually the apple peeler was a gift and it's rubbish, the ice cream maker and mini chopper thingy are both great and I use them all the time. I used to use the bread maker a lot but I try to make it myself these days. That's it now I'm not going to admit to anything else lol

[Euphemia]

A very old yellow Kenwood Chef

[Quassia]

ratty, lol!
you're definately a gadget girl! I had to look up mezzaluna .. I've seen the chefs use them but never knew that's what they were called.I had a breadmaker but gave that away .. got fed up with taking the paddle from the bottom of the bread and it leaving a hole. I want to get in to baking bread the normal way & I've bought the yeast and strong bread flour .. just need the time to do it now.
Euphemia - looks like the Kenwood is a old classic :0)

[scrummyyummy]

Quassia, thanks for the recipe and the link for the halogen oven - very useful! I will try the cake out this week. I've only ever cooked chicken and potatoes in it!

[Ratty2E]

Well as I said I can neither confirm or deny the existance of further gadgets ;o) In my defence I do cook a lot. You definately should have a go at making bread the 'old fashioned' way, it's better than the machine made stuff. I'm off to see if I can persuade hubby to buy a halogen oven lol

[Quassia]

Scrummy, let me know how it turned out :0)
ratty .. lol! I'll definately be having a go at the bread, so many different kinds to experiment with! Have fun if you 'do' purchase a halogen!