What's the best thing for OS living and where did you get it?

newleaf

Impossible to choose just one.
Remoska, slow cooker, chest freezer, pressure cooker, all contenders. If I could only keep one of those, it would be ....





a big struggle to decide

Lefs

Ooh loving all the allotments - we don't have one but have a decent sized veg patch in the back garden that I'm currently thinking of things to get my OH to plant once the time is right .

I heart my slow cooker too - makes the best of cheap meat cuts and ends up being tastier than something made with more expensive ones.

My stock pot - waste not want not, always boil my bones, then into the freezer with it.

Other favourite thing is not so much material, but best tip I ever got - double up on veg in sauces. Was once told if you haven't doubled the amount you've got, you've not got enough veg in it!

Souk08

SC, amazing at only £10. I have since converted my best mate and Mum on to using them too and they both love it!

415SanFran

I could not part with my three tier steamer, or my slow cooker both are fantastic.
Luckily both of them came from free cycle from the same lady, she had advertised the slow cooker, and whilst we were in the garage, almost as an after thought she said "Ow would you use this" and gash have I used it!
If I am only filling two of the tiers with todays meal, I always cook a portion of rice for the freezer. It never goes to waste, and must be cheaper than having the cooking running with three hobs going.

zippychick

415SanFran wrote: »

I could not part with my three tier steamer, or my slow cooker both are fantastic.
Luckily both of them came from free cycle from the same lady, she had advertised the slow cooker, and whilst we were in the garage, almost as an after thought she said "Ow would you use this" and gash have I used it!
If I am only filling two of the tiers with todays meal, I always cook a portion of rice for the freezer. It never goes to waste, and must be cheaper than having the cooking running with three hobs going.

San, my Mum gave me a 3 tier steamer but i don't really understand it. I read the thread (some of it) but just don't get it. Assuming it is better for failies than singles?

415SanFran

Mmmm Can't say I would use it the same if it was just for me.
Although I do use it for bulk cooking beans,
chickpeas in the bottom, black eyed beans in the middle, and then kidney beans in the top. Again much cheaper than three burners for that amount of time.
A friend of mine has a much smaller one and all in the same thing she will cook potatoes, and say green beans, and also steam a small piece of fish. sounds a bit bland to me but she is on weight watchers, so that helps.

zippychick

415SanFran wrote: »

Mmmm Can't say I would use it the same if it was just for me.
Although I do use it for bulk cooking beans,
chickpeas in the bottom, black eyed beans in the middle, and then kidney beans in the top. Again much cheaper than three burners for that amount of time.
A friend of mine has a much smaller one and all in the same thing she will cook potatoes, and say green beans, and also steam a small piece of fish. sounds a bit bland to me but she is on weight watchers, so that helps.

Hmm think I will just pop it on freecycle then, no point taking up space with it!

Thaks for clarifying - oh and your friends dinner sounds blanderific indeed! Not for me he he!

415SanFran

Well, here's hoping that the new owner will love thier's as much as I love mine. Glad its not going to landfill.

Soapy955

I have a Tupperware rice cooker which is a container with a sort of collander inside. You let rice come to the boil in a saucepan and then pour it all into the Tupperware thingy. Put the lid on and leave it to do it's magic. As long as you don't peep and let the steam out you have perfect rice every time. It's a very cheap way of cooking it too as once it's boiled that's all the power you need; the steam does the rest!

i also have a thing from Betterware that I couldn't be without. It's a clamp which holds an upsidedown bottle over another to get the last dregs out of an old bottle. It has a funnel at the bottom which means no drips!
I use it for fabric softener, sauces, shampoo.... anything and everything!!

Caterina

Pressure cooker and pc (to find bargain films, theatre tickets etc).

Hopefully soon an allotment too, but for the time being in the "growing" area the best purchase for OS has been the timber and top soil to make the raised beds in the front and back gardens. Loads of veg grown in very little space!