DIY Housewarming Gift - Your Most-Used Kitchen Utensil?

ALIBOBSY

Poppy9 wrote: »

I still have my first pyrex jug from when I was first married almost 30 years ago. My mother put together a set of essential kitchen things for me which included this jug. After 20 years of going in dishwasher you can no longer see markings but the "new" one I bought about 10 years ago still has the markings - guess they are now made more dishwasher proof.

I have to say my clear pyrex dishes are my kitchenware staples. They have outlasted all my other oven to tablewear.

I love my pyrex and they last years. I once had a pyrex jug shatter after putting it in hot water, no damage and it went into really safe little round peices, but I emailed them to let them know and check if it was because I used it in the microwave.

I had no proof of purchase and had, had years of use, they still sent a lovely reply, said microwaves are fine and sent me a replacement, what a superb company.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

Pollycat wrote: »

We had home-made chips maybe 3 times a week - and they were cooked in lard. :eek:

But that was the tradition then and we did eat lots of fresh (from the allotment) vegetables.
And did lots of excercise.

I do home-made wedges in the oven (usually tossed in 2 tablespoons of olive oil but am currently using up the beef dripping left over from Christmas - and by God, do they taste fab) usually once a fortnight.

The latest studies show no link to high fat diets and heart issues et al and the whole low fat diet good thing has pretty much all been debunked. Lower sugar is the way to go. But never fry or bake in sunflower oil.

Ali x

PS love the wavy cutter, really want one of those mum had one when we were younger.

monnagran

Islandmaid:

Just relishing the thought of you being seduced for free.

What about a spaghetti ladley thingy.

All this talk about Pyrex makes me remember my wedding presents. 29 Pyrex casseroles, I always regretted not making the round 30. In the mid sixties it was obviously the wedding gift of choice, before the days of wedding lists.

x

Bogof_Babe

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

The latest studies show no link to high fat diets and heart issues et al and the whole low fat diet good thing has pretty much all been debunked. Lower sugar is the way to go. But never fry or bake in sunflower oil.

Ali x

PS love the wavy cutter, really want one of those mum had one when we were younger.

I've seen those wavy cutters in TK Maxx for about £1.99.

LameWolf

Pollycat wrote: »

I think an all-encompassing jar opener is great.
My ex-MIL bought me one when my then-husband went to work away.
That's over 30 years ago & it's still in my kitchen gadget drawer & it's never let me down.
I still think of her with fondness every time a new jar of picallili or gherkins is being difficult.

Every time one of us uses ours, we find ourselves saying "Thank you, Grandma".

Poppy9 wrote: »

Does anyone make homemade chips now? I rarely do but growing up it was a once a week meal.

On the rare occasions we have chips, they are home made. I have never bought frozen potato products; can't spare the freezer space when it's so easy to [STRIKE]prepare them myself[/STRIKE] blag Mr LW into preparing them.

questionss

We have homemade chips 1-2 times a week but we use an actifry not a deep fat fryer

As for gadget - corkscrew ��

annie-c

Another vote for the silicone spatula. Poundland ones are great!

One of my favourite utensils is a serrated veg peeler. The serrated edge is great for gripping the tough skin on butternut squash, swede, etc, which means you can peel them very thinly, instead of hacking great lumps out of them with a knife. Apparently the serrations also make it easy to peel grapes and tomatoes too, but I think life is too short to peel grapes!

Also, you can't ever have too many corkscrews/bottle openers....

kboss2010

Thank you everyone for some fantastic ideas of things I'd never thought of and a few I didn't even know existed!

As for the Pyrex discussion, my most treasured possession in my kitchen is my Pyrex collection. Some was inherited and we bought the bits we weren't given. I want the Pyrex chemistry collection (because both myself & OH are scientists and nerdy lol) but the only place I've ever seen it (The Range) has stopped stocking it! :-(

prosaver

steak knifes from poundland are really good, surprisingly, and a whisk.
sweetcorn holders .

To eat chocolate cake and cream, dessert forks, too impress the guest;)