Future charity shop donations, anybody?

angeltreats

I too never understood why anyone would need a rice cooker, it's the simplest thing in the world to cook!

My favourite kitchen gadget is my Kenwood Chef. It stays on the kitchen worktop all the time so it's always ready to use. I have a stick blender too but find it handier to just throw whatever I'm making into the Kenwood liquidiser attachment.

Second favourite is the bread machine, I have a Rachel Allen one that was on sale from Argos and I thought it might end up being a bit of a white elephant but no, it makes lovely bread with no effort at all and we haven't bought a single loaf from the shops since we've had it.

My only unused gadget is a pasta machine that I just HAD to have and it's still in its box, but I'm definitely going to dig it out one of these days and give it a go...

greenbee

angeltreats wrote: »

My only unused gadget is a pasta machine that I just HAD to have and it's still in its box, but I'm definitely going to dig it out one of these days and give it a go...

I don't use mine much at the moment, but I've got through phases when I've used it a lot, so give it a go.

I don't eat much bread, so never have any in when I have visitors (I usually forget to buy it too!), so did wonder whether a BM might be the solution to the problem, as I could just make it as and when it was needed...

katieclampet

I'm not a very good cook, but I wouldn't be without my steamer. Do all pots & veggies in it and they always come out perfectly cooked. I don't know if it counts, but love my toaster!!!

katiex

Tish_P

I love my rice cooker! I have a small 2-person one and it means you can just take perfect rice for granted while you get on with the curry or chili or whatever. On the other hand, I don't understand why anyone would want a great big mixer to do all the fun bits of cake making - each to her own, eh!

The stick blender is my other favourite gadget. It also has a whisk attachment but I rarely use that because I prefer to whisk by hand.

And my beloved bought me an espresso machine for my birthday! It takes up approximately 1/5 of the countertop space in our tiny kitchen and only does one thing - oh, but such an important thing. Mornings have never been better.

CCP

I know what you mean about the martini maker, ChapelGirl - I really wonder if there's anyone out there who makes enough martinis for that to be a good investment?

Thanks for the discussion on stick blenders, Zippy and greenbee - I lost the stick bit of mine when I moved at the start of the year and have been meaning to buy a new one ever since. Now soup season is upon us it's getting urgent and your discussion has given me a better idea of what to look for (as the one I lost was a dirt cheap one and was frankly pretty useless! :rolleyes:)

I'm not really a gadget person but I do love my breadmaker. I've never been able to make bread by hand (wheat based bricks, yes, but not bread) but now I actually end up with loaves I can eat. It's the one thing I would definitely replace if it broke.

My most useless gadget is my toaster - the bread from my breadmaker doesn't fit in the slots, so it's been sitting, untouched, on the side ever since I acquired the breadmaker. I keep meaning to put it up on Freecycle (or Freegle, as it is now) - must do that this weekend.

angeltreats

Tish_P wrote: »

I love my rice cooker! I have a small 2-person one and it means you can just take perfect rice for granted while you get on with the curry or chili or whatever. On the other hand, I don't understand why anyone would want a great big mixer to do all the fun bits of cake making - each to her own, eh!

The stick blender is my other favourite gadget. It also has a whisk attachment but I rarely use that because I prefer to whisk by hand.

And my beloved bought me an espresso machine for my birthday! It takes up approximately 1/5 of the countertop space in our tiny kitchen and only does one thing - oh, but such an important thing. Mornings have never been better.

I'm lazy, I find whisking absolutely exhausting! Although I never, ever make pastry any way other than by hand the way my mum taught me. I know lots of people do it in a food processor.

I really want a coffee machine (mainly to wean myself off the instant stuff) but have no idea what to look for. Which one do you have?

IlonaRN

I am on my third stick blender now. I just got the Sainsbury's Basics one, and it's good. The first one was used so much the motor eventually blew (I was in a shared house and everyone used it), the second the blades came off, so I've kept the motor bit just in case. I wouldn't get a metal one as then you can't be certain it won't scratch non-stick pans. The three have been used over about 9 years though, so it's not too bad really at £5 a go.

The other gadgets I have are a Remoska (LOVE it!), a food processor (used only very rarely) and a slow cooker (used occasionally).

Tish_P

I have this one http://www.johnlewis.com/230563583/Product.aspx
I've only had it for six weeks so it's too early to know how reliable and long-lasting it is, but it makes a delicious espresso. Is it espresso you're after?

angeltreats

Tish_P wrote: »

I have this one http://www.johnlewis.com/230563583/Product.aspx
I've only had it for six weeks so it's too early to know how reliable and long-lasting it is, but it makes a delicious espresso. Is it espresso you're after?

Thanks. That's a very very stylish coffee machine, I love it!

I'm not really sure what I'm after... possibly a filter coffee machine, but they all seem to make about twelve cups which isn't very practical when you only want a cup or two in the morning before work. I wonder if I could get an espresso machine and then just add a bit of milk to the espressos.

poshm

I agree with the stick blender - mine is very useful and doesn't take up much room - has interchangeable heads so I can whisk or pulp items to my fancy.

MOST USELESS by far is an egg cooker my parents bought me!!! I'm not the best cook in the world but I do know how to cook eggs!! Maybe if it could cook a choice of scrambled, fried, poached etc but it only does egg soldiers!

I would love to sell it but worried they will notice it's gone.