Must have kitchen gadgets

MaggieBaking

sharloid wrote: »

I have some cotton bed sheets but after a few washes they went bobbley. A few people on this thread have mentioned they are good so am I doing something wrong?!

You can get all kinds of different cotton bedsheets - there's something called a "threadcount" - the higher the count the better the quality.

A bit like duvets have togs and paper has weights of gsm if you know what I mean. Perhaps it wasn't a very good sheet, in spite of it being cotton?

liz545

I'd agree with many of the things that have already been mentioned, especially knives and saucepans. I'd say get a steel and learn how to use it - good knives are a great investment, but not if you don't know how to sharpen them! Failing that, I got one that looks like this for about a fiver from Tesco.

A decent potato peeler - trying to peel spuds for the sunday roast with a pound shop peeler can bring tears to your eyes. Spend £5 and get one of the OXO good grips ones.

A mop. The Vileda ones aren't that expensive, and when the pound shop one breaks halfway through mopping the kitchen floor, you'll understand why it was cheap.

A Pyrex measuring jug. If your flatmate uses it to cook baked beans in, it won't go orange, unlike the plastic ones!

chanie

Shoes - I bought a cheap pair for work from Tesco in Feb/March and they are aleady falling apart.....

Jeans - I love jeans and wear them loads. A good fitting pair can be dressed up or down. I'm amazed at the amount of people i see with ill-fitting jeans.....

A bed - because of the amount of time we spend in bed

Somebody above said its worth paying for a washing machine - the engineer who repaired my Mums one said that its not worthing paying out for one because they dont last (this is coming from someone who spends their time reparing them, not from personal experience).

GreyQueen

sharloid wrote: »

I have some cotton bed sheets but after a few washes they went bobbley. A few people on this thread have mentioned they are good so am I doing something wrong?!

Hi Sharloid, cotton varies a helluva lot in quality. Have you handled/ owned a really nice quality cotton tee-shirt, thick and lush, which washes and wears beautifully? Then there's the el cheapo cotton tee-shirt which looks OK in the shop, loses most of its looks after the first wash, and is only fit for the ragbag a month later?

The same applied to cotton woven into bedsheets as cotton knitted into tee-shirting. Cotton fibres can come in various lengths and the longest fibres make the smoothest and strongest weaves. Then there is also the "threadcount" as the other poster has pointed out; the amount of threads per square inch. The higher the better, and the cost will be more, too.

A nasty little trick, (which has been around for decades) to pass off an inferior cotton is to "dress" it at the mill with starchy stuff which comes out in the first wash or two. This dressing gives the fabric a denser, stiffer feel so as to appear to be a better fabric than it actually is. An inferior cotton can and will bobble and wear out quickly.

This is why I mentioned in my earlier post about rubbing textiles between finger and thumb; if it's a thin rubbishy cotton doctored up with dressing, you can feel it (it's slightly scratchy) and sometimes see if by holding the sheet against a light-source; you can sometimes see flecks of starchy stuff among the weave.

The thumb and forefinger rub is the trick because it feeds a helluva lot of sensory data back to your brain, a lot more than if you just touched the surface with a fingertip.

There's a bit of a knack to this, I was taught it by my mother and have a background in textiles and costume and can identify most fabrics by touch alone touch. Some pals don't believe this is possible and have tested me blindfolded with clothes and I can tell them what fabrics and make a good guess when fabrics are blended as to the proportions of each. I don't have superpowers, it's just a case of having an interest and practising.

Charity shops are excellent places to practice your touching skills (with very clean hands, naturally).

I appreciate that most bedlinen is sold packaged but my branch of John Lewis is very understanding if you explain that you want a chance to feel the sheet(s) before you make your choice. An experienced saleperson will know that you can't make a decent choice by sight alone. If a shop wouldn't undo a package a tiny bit so I could touch at a small amount of the sheet, I'd say walk out the door; what are they trying to hide?

My bedsheets are mostly Sketchley ones made for the hotel trade; they weren't new when I had them and the quality is superb. All of them are well over a decade with me, and I expect another decade of service at least.

BTW, if anyone feels a bit squeamish about 2nd hand textiles, a famous laundering firm who launders for hospitals and the pharmaceutical manufacturing trade (overalls) told Mum (in her working life she was involved in this kind of thing) that almost nothing (ie germs) can survive being washed at 72 degrees. Wash your new 2nd hand sheets at 90 degrees and relax.

Reverbe

MaggieBaking wrote: »

There's two words that are bleeped out in the last couple of posts... I'm having great fun trying to work out what they were :rotfl:

Christy and Karcher???

j.e.j.

I love this thread

For me I made the mistake of buying a cheap mattress and I regretted it, - started to get aching shoulders and sore neck - so I'd definitely recommend spending a bit more on a decent quality one.

Cheap shoes are also a false economy.

I'm also for buying a good brand of washing machine, as i wouldn't want it leaking down into the flat below:eek: . My sister has a Miele which has a 10-yr guarantee. Bosch and AEG are also good.

ETA: I forgot to add; undies:D! how many times have I bought 'bargain' knickers for £1.50, only to have to throw them away cos they're so-oo uncomfortable!!

Winged_one

Just a few pots and a pan are fine starting out. I'd be inclined to get a rectangular pyrex casserole dish too - if rectangular, you can use it for lasange or traybakes. If it has a lid, you can do large stews. And if it;s large, you can do your roasts etc in it initially. Le crueset cast iron ware is great also although I'd look in charity shops for that (very expensive).

Or one good metal tray ostensibly for baking sponge cakes but also great for things like oven chips, fish fingers, roasting a couple of chicken breasts with some veggies, ....(actually, that might be slightly better than a large casserole for a singleton). I've found some VERY good bakeware in TKMaxx for very little money.

Get one bread knife, one large chopper and one small chopper knife to start with. We've found IKEA knives are good, but that was by accident when we had to replace a good one from a set (present) that the builders had used to open tins of paint.

You can live without things like salad spinners (clean tea towel and spinn your arms madly in the back garden), deep fat fryers, electric carving knives, and all sorts like that. Get a decent kettle though, and I found that while I got away without a food processor or kenwood chef for a few years, a mini-processor (stab blender, little chopper and there's a whisk that I never use) was a GREAT investment. I still use the blender and the chopper gave up last year after 11 years of pretty constant use.

I'd agree on the sheets and towels - get 2 sets of sheets and 3 bath towels and 4/5 hand towels (assuming you're just you) in the best quality you can afford. Or get 2 good bath towels and just 2/3 cheap hand towels now, but aim to get better hand towels in the Christmas sales. And if your sheets and pillow cases are good, then a cheap duvet cover will be fine and can be the colour in the room.

Now is a good time to look with the summer sales on - there are often really really good deals in the expensive brands in Dept stores. Or ask for vouchers for the good stores (John Lewis, Debenhams, whatever is good near you) for Christmas to spend in the sales afterwards in the homewares Departments.

IKEA really is great on lots of stuff - their pillows are great, and duvets. A good mattress is very important - even if it's on the floor initially.

You don't need to spend a lot on things like measuring jugs - my mum has a (specially bought) baby's bottle that she uses to measure things in the kitchen but also to mix salad dressings etc in (cos she can measure and then mix all in one). Although a clean jam jar works well for mixing too.

A decent iron is worth it, but it will be replaced over time anyway. We tend to go in the upper range but not OTT - decent weight, good steam pressure etc.

redlady_1

Dont bother with the Ikea "Le Creuset" stuff, get the real thing. It is just not up to the job. But I second their knives. I also second the pans, shoes, matress and pretty much most other things.

My iron is a steam generator. Cost a fortune but over the years has saved me so much time and everything looks fab.

Aarons_mummy

I wouldn't say that buying cheap always means a false economy but I will say invest in a decent couch. I bought mine (in the sales naturally) for £150, it was rubbish and so uncomfortable. I now have a second hand £35 sofa with a throw over it. Ok so it isn't in the greatest condition and needed a good scrub but it is much more comfortable than the one I had for 6 months!

I would also say furniture that lasts, it doesn't even have to be brand new or expensive, I have a TV stand and coffee table I was given and they could last a lifetime and have already been in use for 5 years!

I agree with the don't follow fashion. I never do, my wardrobe is filled with a variety of tops, trousers and dresses that were all bought in the sales, half price or less. They never date, a top is a top really, I also haven't found with this that if you buy cheap you buy twice. I have tops from Primark I have used on a very regular basis for 5 years and they are still in good condition.

Kitchen products such as kettles don't have to be basics but the next level up is just as good and does the same job as a more expensive brand. I had a very expensive kettle that broke, I now have a cheapo £7 and it's lasted me well so far. I got my hand blender from Next (with a gift voucher) the set cost £16 all together but it has a pot with a lid for making coulies, sauces etc, a tall cup thing that I use to blend mainly smoothies as it fits in the fridge door and another part. I envisage it will last a long time.

I think if you care for the products and look after them well then anything can last just because something has a brand name doesn't mean it's particularly any good. I love my house and a lot of stuff is second hand or bought heavily reduced in the sales and I have to say I think it looks FAB!

Instead of paying for expensive decorations, do your own. I'm working on a photo collection of my LO, frames are 45p in Asda and can be painted to your liking, adding gems etc and can make great gifts as well. My next project is to buy a large canvas and cover in various pictures of my tot. I will cherish that much more at the cost of £5 than an ornament or picture I don't particularly like just because everyone else does.

Check out charity shops, car boots, freecycle, ads in the paper, ebay for various bargains. I can't believe what people throw away or are willing to when things are in such good condition. Also improvise! You don't need to buy X Y Z just for 1 meal, try something else or miss it out, I've saved a lot of money this way

budgetboo

For sheets and towels feel the weight of the fabric rather than choosing the trendy pattern/fabric or the brand.

I got some heavy pink (loathe pink!) towels 22 years ago that have been redyed approx every 5 years since and are currently trendy teal. If you are near London then the common street markets (romford, deptford, east street not the trendy ones like greenwich or camden) often throw hotel quality household linens and pots and pans. Dunheilm mill can be another good source.

Go for the heaviest stainless steel pans you can afford. If you ever burn anything then soaking in biological washing powder will restore them to their former glory. There's a catering supplier in most major cities if you look for them. Likewise an aisian greengrocers for a decent cast iron wok - these are so useful for all sorts of situations and cuisines.

A couple of good knives from somewhere like TK max.

I like le parfait preserving jars as they really do last a lifetime and store everything from dried beans to jam. Cheap empty old fashioned sweetshop jars are fine for flour.

It is worth spending money on a decent clothes airer or sheila maid for air drying clothes indoors in bad weather. A well made on will last 20 years, a cheap one will fall apart in months. Even if you normally tumble dry most things this is an item you'll appreciate in bad weather for jumpers/coats etc.

For little kitchen gadgets - handblender, kettle, toaster microwave, slowcooker- the basics range is fine. Save your money towards a decent washing machine and cooker.

The only exception to this would be a food processor/stand mixer if you get that into home cooking - then go for kenwood as the parts are easiest to get hold of.

I'm still regretting getting a Beko washing machine last time instead of the John Lewis brand (made in same factory as a famous german brand) and frankly although it needs to last me another couple of years won't miss it all upon it's demise. Look at the length of the wash cycle on any machine you buy - a 3 hour one is a flipping pain. Lots of items really only need a 30 degrees 30 min cycle.

Spend your money on the mattress not the bedframe. A double bedframe can be picked up for peanuts second hand or in the sales. A decent mattress is worth every penny. Bounce on it in the shop to check it really is quality and not a brand name you are purchasing.

Second hand wooden furniture (see the shabby chic thread for inspiration!) is a much better investment than the godawful flimsy flatpack modern cheaper stuff. You can sand and repaint it for a life time, whereas many chipboard modern chests of drawers won't last 12 months in a kids bedroom.

When choosing curtains go for cotton fabric - dying them to match your new decor will be so much cheaper in 10 years time than buying new again.

fleece fabric can be bought fairly cheaply at this time of year - use it to make blankets and throws you'll be glad of come another bad winter!