RECOMMENDATIONS: Kitchen tools and gadgets (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/18/2011 7:06:02 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Zhukov][Edited]
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So, what are your favorite gadgets or tools in your kitchen? My ultimate favorite is my Foreman grill. I bought the bigger one with the removable plates. I use it almost every day. If it had temp control, it'd be perfect. Second place is my santoku knife. It's just a cheap Chicago from Walmart, but it too gets used almost every day and it seems to be holding it's edge well. Maybe for my birthday I'll get a nice Wusthoff. Honorable mention goes to the food processor. I used to never really use it, but more and more I'm finding uses for it. I doubt it could ever overtake my beloved Foreman, but it's getting more and more mileage. <Changed thread title so make this the official kitchen tools/gadgets FAQ entry - Z> |
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My favorite is my Moulie horizontal grater/slicer. Think of it as a manual food processor. Has it's limitations, but I use it often.
Second would be my V-slicer mandolin. Makes short work of many slicing jobs I don't consider my kershaw shun knives gadgets. |
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Originally Posted By JIP:
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/jimp6995/51srS-NtPaL.jpg Hands down but I do the baking in the house. Something like this is on my want list. On my have list? Favorite is a 2 basket deep fryer. Damn handy gadget, that. Second place would have to go to my mandolin slicer as mentioned above. Damn thing is very useful. |
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Your basic pulltap
I've seen people spend $100 on all kinds of fancy corkscrews that don't work as well as this simple device. |
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The best tools in my kitchen are my set of knives.
I've managed to piece together a good set of Classic Wusthof knives and have trained the wife on how to care for them. I keep them clean and sharpened; they put in a lot of work when I'm cooking/grilling. |
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"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."
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"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."
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Not in my kitchen, but my Weber Performer is hands down my favorite cooking tool ever!
Weber Performer 
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Originally Posted By Bladeswitcher: Your basic pulltap I've seen people spend $100 on all kinds of fancy corkscrews that don't work as well as this simple device. I got that one from an estate sale for like $.50 and it is the best wine key I have ever used. I have tried other bigger ones and different contraptions but that one has the best leverage you can get. |
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http://importfood.com/mortarpestle.html 8" granite mortar and pestle. i buy a lot of my spices whole and grind them here. also good for pastes,salsas, and just mixing stuff up. the 8" is just the right size.
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My favorite "gadget" in the kitchen is my wife...
We have an understanding you see. I cook everything and she cleans up when were done. I try to "work clean" and keep up as I go, but come service time I'm putting lots into the sink. |
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Number one gadget that I can't live without - my Zyliss garlic press: Also way up there is a Thermapen:  |
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Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
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Infrared thermometer. It's just so handy for letting me know if the cooking surfaces are too hot or too cool. Hard to tell because I have a very slow-to-heat electric range. Take a long time to heat up and when I add food in to fry it cools down the oil fast. |
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Originally Posted By JIP: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/jimp6995/51srS-NtPaL.jpg Hands down but I do the baking in the house. The tilting head version is easier to load the bowl and manipulate the attachments. I played with that version in the store and thought it was clunky and bought a tilt head. I later, watched Emeril lose his mind on a show using one of those. He had a Hobart on his next show. There are several wattages of the mixer available with different price gimmicks. Buyer beware, get the one with more power. I use mine for breads, and have the meat grinder attachment for making burger and sausage. I have a three head set for making pasta, but I need much more practice with the mix. |
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Originally Posted By wildearp: Originally Posted By JIP: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/jimp6995/51srS-NtPaL.jpg Hands down but I do the baking in the house. The tilting head version is easier to load the bowl and manipulate the attachments. I played with that version in the store and thought it was clunky and bought a tilt head. I later, watched Emeril lose his mind on a show using one of those. He had a Hobart on his next show. There are several wattages of the mixer available with different price gimmicks. Buyer beware, get the one with more power. I use mine for breads, and have the meat grinder attachment for making burger and sausage. I have a three head set for making pasta, but I need much more practice with the mix. I had the Artisanal model (tilt head 5-quart) for a couple of years and my bread batches grew out of it. The one I have is the pro-600 which is the 6-quart model that has higher power. I am aware of the 5-quart model that has the drop bowl but has lower power that is why I bought the pro-600. By the way after using both models for years I am much happier using the drop bowl model , the only drawback I have with it is it does not seem like the blade goes low enough in the bowl with my 600 but I am sure that can be changed with some adjustment I have just never bothered to do it. Honestly as soon as I started making sourdough breads and larger batches my Artisanal model could not keep up I was to the point of almost burning out the engine. In fact I burned out the pro-600 shortly after I purchased that as well but KA promptly replaced it for me. |
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Originally Posted By JIP: I had the Artisanal model (tilt head 5-quart) for a couple of years and my bread batches grew out of it. The one I have is the pro-600 which is the 6-quart model that has higher power. I am aware of the 5-quart model that has the drop bowl but has lower power that is why I bought the pro-600. By the way after using both models for years I am much happier using the drop bowl model , the only drawback I have with it is it does not seem like the blade goes low enough in the bowl with my 600 but I am sure that can be changed with some adjustment I have just never bothered to do it. Honestly as soon as I started making sourdough breads and larger batches my Artisanal model could not keep up I was to the point of almost burning out the engine. In fact I burned out the pro-600 shortly after I purchased that as well but KA promptly replaced it for me. It's easy to do. The manual has instructions. |
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Originally Posted By Admiral_Crunch: Originally Posted By JIP: I had the Artisanal model (tilt head 5-quart) for a couple of years and my bread batches grew out of it. The one I have is the pro-600 which is the 6-quart model that has higher power. I am aware of the 5-quart model that has the drop bowl but has lower power that is why I bought the pro-600. By the way after using both models for years I am much happier using the drop bowl model , the only drawback I have with it is it does not seem like the blade goes low enough in the bowl with my 600 but I am sure that can be changed with some adjustment I have just never bothered to do it. Honestly as soon as I started making sourdough breads and larger batches my Artisanal model could not keep up I was to the point of almost burning out the engine. In fact I burned out the pro-600 shortly after I purchased that as well but KA promptly replaced it for me. It's easy to do. The manual has instructions. Manual??? what is this Manual you speak of??. |
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Originally Posted By JIP: Originally Posted By Admiral_Crunch: Originally Posted By JIP: I had the Artisanal model (tilt head 5-quart) for a couple of years and my bread batches grew out of it. The one I have is the pro-600 which is the 6-quart model that has higher power. I am aware of the 5-quart model that has the drop bowl but has lower power that is why I bought the pro-600. By the way after using both models for years I am much happier using the drop bowl model , the only drawback I have with it is it does not seem like the blade goes low enough in the bowl with my 600 but I am sure that can be changed with some adjustment I have just never bothered to do it. Honestly as soon as I started making sourdough breads and larger batches my Artisanal model could not keep up I was to the point of almost burning out the engine. In fact I burned out the pro-600 shortly after I purchased that as well but KA promptly replaced it for me. It's easy to do. The manual has instructions. Manual??? what is this Manual you speak of??. It was that paper you threw away that told you how to operate the thing you bought. |
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
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Originally Posted By Covertness: My cutting board I made out of maple, walnut, and cherry. http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/P1000393.jpg Very pretty - I'd be worried about using that thing. Isn't the walnut a tad soft for a cutting board? On a side note, I love the smell of walnut when you cut it... |
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Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
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Originally Posted By Zhukov:
Originally Posted By Covertness:
My cutting board I made out of maple, walnut, and cherry. http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/P1000393.jpg Very pretty - I'd be worried about using that thing. Isn't the walnut a tad soft for a cutting board? On a side note, I love the smell of walnut when you cut it... The cutting side is the end grain of the wood so you are not cutting across the wood fibers. Plus I finish them in walnut oil which dries harder than mineral oil (aka butcher block oil). I've been making them for a couple of years now and haven't had any compliants. The one in the picture is now three years old and aside from cut marks, it is still flat as the day it was made. |
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Originally Posted By Covertness:
Originally Posted By Zhukov:
Originally Posted By Covertness:
My cutting board I made out of maple, walnut, and cherry. http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/P1000393.jpg Very pretty - I'd be worried about using that thing. Isn't the walnut a tad soft for a cutting board? On a side note, I love the smell of walnut when you cut it... The cutting side is the end grain of the wood so you are not cutting across the wood fibers. Plus I finish them in walnut oil which dries harder than mineral oil (aka butcher block oil). I've been making them for a couple of years now and haven't had any compliants. The one in the picture is now three years old and aside from cut marks, it is still flat as the day it was made. If you decide to make some for sale, I'd like to be in line for one. I've got to retire my old block and I'd like to get a new one. |
"A goverment that's big enough to do everything for us, is powerful enough to do anything to us."
--Fred Dalton Thompson
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."
--Fred Dalton Thompson
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."
|
Originally Posted By Admiral_Crunch: Now what fun would learning how to operate a new piece of technology be if you actually read a manual??Originally Posted By JIP: Originally Posted By Admiral_Crunch: Originally Posted By JIP: I had the Artisanal model (tilt head 5-quart) for a couple of years and my bread batches grew out of it. The one I have is the pro-600 which is the 6-quart model that has higher power. I am aware of the 5-quart model that has the drop bowl but has lower power that is why I bought the pro-600. By the way after using both models for years I am much happier using the drop bowl model , the only drawback I have with it is it does not seem like the blade goes low enough in the bowl with my 600 but I am sure that can be changed with some adjustment I have just never bothered to do it. Honestly as soon as I started making sourdough breads and larger batches my Artisanal model could not keep up I was to the point of almost burning out the engine. In fact I burned out the pro-600 shortly after I purchased that as well but KA promptly replaced it for me. It's easy to do. The manual has instructions. Manual??? what is this Manual you speak of??. It was that paper you threw away that told you how to operate the thing you bought. |
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Originally Posted By Covertness: Originally Posted By Zhukov: Originally Posted By Covertness: My cutting board I made out of maple, walnut, and cherry. http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/P1000393.jpg Very pretty - I'd be worried about using that thing. Isn't the walnut a tad soft for a cutting board? On a side note, I love the smell of walnut when you cut it... The cutting side is the end grain of the wood so you are not cutting across the wood fibers. Plus I finish them in walnut oil which dries harder than mineral oil (aka butcher block oil). I've been making them for a couple of years now and haven't had any compliants. The one in the picture is now three years old and aside from cut marks, it is still flat as the day it was made. Wouldn't walnut oil go rancid eventually? Thanks for reminding me that I haven't oiled my cutting boards recently, BTW. |
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
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Originally Posted By Covertness: No, walnut oil is a drying oil just like mineral oil. It doesn't go rancid; it cures in the pores of the wood. That's odd. I've always been told that walnut oil should always be stored in the fridge because it goes rancid quickly. |
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
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Another recommendation for a kitchen gadget is a good knife sharpener. Now some people are skillful enough to sharpen knives with a stone and free-hand the whole thing. I'm not one of those. As a matter of fact, the quickest way to dull a knife is to hand it to me along with a sharpening stone. My lifesaver, albeit expensive, solved that problem. I bought the Edgepro Apex 3 set, and couldn't be happier:  It's done a wonderful job on all my knives and I couldn't be happier. |
Daddy loves you. Now go away.
Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
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Originally Posted By Covertness: you might be talking about walnut oil used for cooking. The kind I use is made as a food safe wood finish. Didn't know there were two kinds. I was just aware of the kind you get at the grocery store for salads and such. Cool. |
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
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my all time faves in the kitchen are a cast iron dutch oven without legs and a frying pan. they're both very old and very smooth on the inside.
at one time, many years ago, i had the same setup, but the lid didn't fit both. i was at a campout with 15-30 other folks, and was discussing this around a fire after supper. a gal next to me sez: hey, i got the same prollem. we got our gear out, and sure enough, her fry pan fit my gear, and my fry pan fit her gear. we swapped immediately. success. with a d.o. and a fry pan, you can feed 4-6 folks quite easily with a stove or a campfire, even better in your own kitchen. it's cast iron. to ruin it you gotta blow a hole in it with a deer rifle... the ultimately forgiving gear. -tom |
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Originally Posted By Zhukov:
Number one gadget that I can't live without - my Zyliss garlic press: http://www.boxtopper.biz/img/1/53.jpg Also way up there is a Thermapen: http://heatrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/SplashProofThermapen-gallery_y1.jpg Once you own and used one, you don't question the price. |
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Originally Posted By Admiral_Crunch: <Please keep this a review/recommendation thread please. Thanks - Z> Great. I can't remember ever having a post edited by a mod, and now I don't remember what I said that got edited. |
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Some more of my favorites:
Joie covered microwave bacon cooker The cover cuts the mess and keeps the after smell down. You'd be shocked at how crispy this thing gets bacon in only a few minutes. Tupperware microwave divided meal dish I own six of these. Four of the small size, and two in the large 11" size. Every weekend I cook my lunches for the week and prepack them so it's easy to grab a meal before work every morning. I grill a lot of meats every weekend and usually 3 or so side dishes. To the person who said the silicon basting brush was great--this is even better. I just got this four or so weeks ago and use it for basting wings and shrimp and scallops. Pampered Chef basting bottle |
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Originally Posted By JIP:
Manual??? what is this Manual you speak of??. Originally Posted By JIP:
Originally Posted By Admiral_Crunch:
Originally Posted By JIP:
I had the Artisanal model (tilt head 5-quart) for a couple of years and my bread batches grew out of it. The one I have is the pro-600 which is the 6-quart model that has higher power. I am aware of the 5-quart model that has the drop bowl but has lower power that is why I bought the pro-600. By the way after using both models for years I am much happier using the drop bowl model , the only drawback I have with it is it does not seem like the blade goes low enough in the bowl with my 600 but I am sure that can be changed with some adjustment I have just never bothered to do it. Honestly as soon as I started making sourdough breads and larger batches my Artisanal model could not keep up I was to the point of almost burning out the engine. In fact I burned out the pro-600 shortly after I purchased that as well but KA promptly replaced it for me. It's easy to do. The manual has instructions. Manual??? what is this Manual you speak of??. I've got a Pro 600 as well, you just turn that little flat head screw that's visible when the bowl is dropped. The beater should be just low enough to kick a dime around. |
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Originally Posted By Eazy_E: So, what are your favorite gadgets or tools in your kitchen? My ultimate favorite is my Foreman grill. I bought the bigger one with the removable plates. I use it almost every day. If it had temp control, it'd be perfect. Second place is my santoku knife. It's just a cheap Chicago from Walmart, but it too gets used almost every day and it seems to be holding it's edge well. Maybe for my birthday I'll get a nice Wusthoff. Honorable mention goes to the food processor. I used to never really use it, but more and more I'm finding uses for it. I doubt it could ever overtake my beloved Foreman, but it's getting more and more mileage. <Changed thread title so make this the official kitchen tools/gadgets FAQ entry - Z> I like my Foreman grill Got a Cuisenart food chopper too, great for chopping onions to put in like spaghetti, mac 'n' cheese, etc  |
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Originally Posted By rob78:
If you decide to make some for sale, I'd like to be in line for one. I've got to retire my old block and I'd like to get a new one. Originally Posted By rob78:
Originally Posted By Covertness:
Originally Posted By Zhukov:
Originally Posted By Covertness:
My cutting board I made out of maple, walnut, and cherry. http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g326/Covertness/P1000393.jpg Very pretty - I'd be worried about using that thing. Isn't the walnut a tad soft for a cutting board? On a side note, I love the smell of walnut when you cut it... The cutting side is the end grain of the wood so you are not cutting across the wood fibers. Plus I finish them in walnut oil which dries harder than mineral oil (aka butcher block oil). I've been making them for a couple of years now and haven't had any compliants. The one in the picture is now three years old and aside from cut marks, it is still flat as the day it was made. If you decide to make some for sale, I'd like to be in line for one. I've got to retire my old block and I'd like to get a new one. I'm donating a special one for the Team Ranstad Raffel. Buy a ticket or better yet a six pack. 
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Originally Posted By TwistedSister: Love this thing http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee365/TwistedSister1989/IMG_2136_zpsybbfq3fw.jpg I got one of those, got tired of cleaning splatter off inside of microwave |
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"Bullets change governments far surer than votes.." - Lord of War 2005
"Act like a thug die like one!"
"Bullets change governments far surer than votes.." - Lord of War 2005
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Originally Posted By AssaultRifler:
I got one of those, got tired of cleaning splatter off inside of microwave Originally Posted By AssaultRifler:
Originally Posted By TwistedSister:
Love this thing http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee365/TwistedSister1989/IMG_2136_zpsybbfq3fw.jpg I got one of those, got tired of cleaning splatter off inside of microwave The funny thing about that gadget is that I've had more men comment about it and say they wanted one than I have women. Dirty microwaves are gross. 
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http://markmanson.net/fuck-yes
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Not really kitchen but for outside use my maverick et-733 wireless thermometer. No more having to get up and go outside to check the temp of the smoker or the meat because I'm lazy like that http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KHAANNC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 |
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1-KitchenAid stand mixer--hands down, the best thing ever to happen to my kitchen.
2-Thermal carafe coffee maker because coffee is life and burnt coffee is gross. 3-I have this little Fiskars knife sharpener thingy that I stole from uxb. It may be bad for my knives. I dunno.  But alas, I did not inherit my dad's ability to look at a blade from across the room and make it sharp.  I hate gadgets as a rule, and anything I use needs to be simple, fast and easy or it won't get used. So I keep this in my kitchen drawer. When I start having to work too hard with the knife, this comes out. Swick, swack, swick...a few passes, back in the drawer. On to cooking.
4-These little bitty bowls. (Shown with a salad fork as a size comparison). I have five. (Two are in the dishwasher as we speak.) Found them at Cracker Barrel on a sale table years ago for fifty cents each. I don't remember a meal EVER where at least one of these hasn't been out and in use. For basting sauce. For spice mixtures measured ahead of time. For one egg or two egg yolks. For lemon zest. For a tablespoon of this or that set aside at the ready. I'm not sure I could cook without them now. 
5-Well-seasoned cast iron skillet. I can cook eggs in it and they don't stick. Oh and cornbread done in anything else is bogus. 
Not so much gadgets, but they changed my world as a cook-- 4-high-arc kitchen faucet with pull-down sprayer (yep, this is a kitchen tool to me because it works so damn hard and so constantly.) I've worn out one, and about to wear out the second one. Will have to go with a higher-end faucet next time. That hose can act as an "out of sink" pot filler when I need it to so I don't have to lift that huge, full stock pot up and out of the sink, and next to my Gerber chef's knife, that sprayer head is the tool I reach for more often than any other. 5-Weber gas grill--Does this count as a tool? This was a splurge for us at the time, but I do not regret it. All other grills can stand down. I think it was Zhukov who recommended this grill to me years back when cooking was part of homestead/garden. I love this thing. It's right outside my back door, and it does the cooking more nights of the year than my kitchen range. Sears steak like a mofo. Work. Horse. |
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Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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I have several 'gadgets' which I find myself using quite often. The two items that seem to get the most use is a mandolin for slicing and a vacuum marinade container from Food Saver.   |
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Originally Posted By Zhukov: Number one gadget that I can't live without - my Zyliss garlic press: http://www.boxtopper.biz/img/1/53.jpg Also way up there is a Thermapen: http://heatrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/SplashProofThermapen-gallery_y1.jpg I really want a Thermapen and the whole BBQ series of probes too. Pricey, but do seem worth the coin. |
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