Must have kitchen gadgets

Becles

tiff wrote:

How easy is a breadmaker to use do you just throw in the ingredients and it does the rest?

Basically - yes! I know a basic brown loaf recipe off the top of my head now, so it takes me a few minutes to measure out the ingredients and switch it on. The machine then does all the kneading, rising and baking for you. It's dead easy and you soon get the hang of a everyday loaf.

I set mine away this morning, then came home to warm freshly baked bread for lunch - yum

Many have a timer, so you can put the ingredients in before you go to bed, then wake up to fresh bread. You need to take care and put the water in the bottom, then the dry ingredients and the yeast on the top though. If the yeast gets wet it'll start working before the mixing starts which will ruin the bread.

If you want to make rolls, baguettes, croissants etc., you can prepare the dough in the machine. You take it out when ready, shape the bread and cook as normal in the oven.

I've also used the ready made bread mixes (cheese and onion is nice) and cake mixes too. It's got a setting for making jam in it as well, but I've never tried that.

I got mine as a Christmas present and it's been very well used. Can't imagine life without it now.

vanoonoo

my hand held blender lives out on the side as does my slo cooker and microwave and kettle and toasterhavent really got any other gadgety things unless you count a cafitiere as a gadget

tiff

How much do you think each loaf costs to make, Becles? It sounds lovely and I do love my bread. I think I might have to ask for one for my birthday in June. What make do you have?

Quackers

MATH wrote:

a pressure cooker which scares me.

Lmao - I'm glad I'm not the only one MATH. Hubby uses ours to make some weird lamb curry that he adores. I'm sure it'd be really useful for me to use to but it makes too much noise - I just KNOW I'd end up burning half my arm off!

We use our George foreman for toasties too. I prefer them done on that than on a traditional toastie thing. We always take it on holiday for breakfast toasties when we go self catering in the uk too

Our hand held blender gets used all the time.

Our breadmaker is gathering dust. So are a million and one other kitchen gadgets :rolleyes: Mr Q went through a really scary QVC addiction a couple of years ago. He's over the worst of it. Its just on a Saturday when I'm at work and he's not that I have cause to worry. And if the postman knocks on the door my heart misses a beat - it means he's been tempted!

Becles

tiff wrote:

How much do you think each loaf costs to make, Becles?

I worked it out at about 42p a loaf using Tesco own brand flour and yeast, although I read in another thread you can get the yeast cheaper in health food shops and from Lakeland.

I was paying around 65-70p for Kingsmill/Hovis bread as I don't like the value bread, so it's saving me money.

It's a Morphy Richards machine, but I've no idea how much it cost as it was a present.

I'm scared of pressure cookers too. They remind me of dinners at my ex-MIL's where she would blast the life out of everything in the pressure cooker, so you got a plate of pale, tasteless mush instead of vegetables :eek:

moggins

I love my pressure cooker, although I never use it for that purpose. It's the only pan I have that's big enough to boil a whole chicken in.

I can get three meals from one chicken that way

Js_Other_Half

You could try some toastabags instead of a sandwich maker - you can store them in very little space.

http://www.lakelandlimited.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/GBP/ParametricSearch-Start;sid=Alrd5BcR8l3rhlU3UErW4r_Rzj-kBPC9VGQ=?search_typecode=2&search_typecode=4&search_typecode=10&search_typecode=16&search_online=true&search_availability=true&search_category_recursive=true&search_attribute_keyword=name&search_attribute_keyword=shortDescription&search_attribute_keyword=longDescription&search_attribute_keyword=SKU&sort_attribute_1=product_name&sort_direction_1=ascending&search_precision_keyword=0&search_query_keyword=toastabag

pavlovs_dog

i find the toastbags are a nightmare to clean - give me my toastie maker anyday of the week!

the other thing with george foremans (cant wait til i get one of my own) is that the fat coming off of the leanest, healthiest piece of meat (never mind a big fat greasy burger) is horrific. it makes cooking soooooooo much healthier.

the other good thing...say you are cooking a steak in your george, and wanted to serve it with some fried onions or mushrooms....rather than having to use clean oil, you can just use a little bit that has come off the meat, not only saving money, but making everything you cook in the fat taste yummy beyond words

Debt_Free_Chick

it makes cooking soooooooo much healthier.

....

rather than having to use clean oil, you can just use a little bit that has come off the meat

Sorry, I couldn't resist....

So you drain off the all that unhealthy, nasty fat then use it to fry onions & mushrooms. Per-leeeezzzzz

There is nothing wrong with some natural fat, such as that in meat. In fact, we need some of it in a complete diet. The old saying "everything in moderation" applies.

I rather suspect that a lot of what oozes out of your steak is water & other additives (see the other thread on Asda Meat)

suki1964

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

I rather suspect that a lot of what oozes out of your steak is water & other additives (see the other thread on Asda Meat)

I'll go along with that.

I was gobsmacked when the collection tray filled up whilst grilling chicken breasts, yet what collected never set so I have to concude that it was water and not fat that had drained