Kitchen gadgets ...what is/is not essential

squeaky

I've done bread crumbs in a blender. Small amounts of bread at a time, a very quick whizz, then tip them out ready for the next bit of bread. About ten bits of bread per slice

Loadsabob

Str4berr3 wrote:

I thought that you would need a food processor for grating the bread into crumbs- so can a blender do the job?

No problem with my blender. I break up a tough crust into about three or four pieces and whizz it away. I have only ever needed to do a few crusts at a time though, and like Squeaky, I'll tend to do one, tip the crumbs into the freezer bag, do the next and so on...

Perhaps my blender isn't as bad as I first thought? It is one that can grind up ice...apparently...never tried!

Penny-Wise_4

Curry_Queen wrote:

Oh, and going OT for a moment ... you're all gonna be so proud of me today!!! (well at least I am anyway ) cos I've been out this morning to the shops ... TWICE!!!!!

Just read this thread and wanted to say WELL DONE :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Galtizz

Curry_Queen wrote:

Oh, and going OT for a moment ... you're all gonna be so proud of me today!!! (well at least I am anyway ) cos I've been out this morning to the shops ... TWICE!!!!!

I'd missed this too :T :T :T :T CONGRATULATIONS :T :T :T :T

Well done you :beer: you deserved a rest, a girl can only take so much excitement in one day. I bet you're so proud of yourself

squeaky

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So those of you suddenly finding that you need more dishes because you're cooking more, I can't recommend these enough.

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BWZN93

The_Biff wrote:

Hand grater - useful for breadcrumbs, grated cheese, coleslaw etc. & only a couple of quid!

You just saved me from buying a food processor - I was trying to do breadcrumbs and it wasnt working so well and got thinking, pricing things up etc, and then I had a thought - to check out this thread. I was getting excited, thinking - yes, I clearly need one, but then I read your post! Thanks for saving me £25 - I never even thought of using the grater!

Jo XX

BWZN93

I caved. I went to ebay and bought a mini(ish) one for the grand cost of a fiver, that comes with juicer, and a blender etc. The stick blender just wont cut it!! Great for soups and what have you, but I really need something to mince and chop and crumb etc!

Jo xx

AussieLass

My food processor won't do bread crumbs with stale bread. I still have to grate them. Maybe if I brown them in the oven first it would cope. It was a cheapy though. Is this normal or do most of them work with bread? One of the reasons I bought it was so it would do them. Drat.

D&DD

My mountain of gadgets has built up steadily over the years but I do use them all and would be lost without any of them..I have been OS for many years now ever since I left home and got married we've been skint so its a case of at first having to be and now after 20 years I enjoy it so I couldn't live any other way.Anyway back to my embarassingly long list I have off the top of my head...
Ovatio food processor (for huge cake/pastry baking sessions)
braun hand blender/whisk/chopper (for little jobs)
pressure cooker (christmas puds/stews)
steamer (spongepudsveg etc)
sandwichmaker (hubbie often has these for lunch)
doughnut maker (saves me a fortune the boys love them)
waffle maker (ditto)
snackmaker (new addition was cheap at lakelands and makes sausage rolls etc)
Ice cream maker (trying to cut out additives etc so homemade is best!)
pancake maker (find the boys eat these cos they're small)
v slicer (do batches of julienne carrots/chips with this as broke my FP blade)
Breadmaker (also used for jam and fruited loaves etc)
Dehydrator (got this from Tchibo last year for drying stuff I grow in garden)
Preserving jars/bags and clutter..
Then comes the eight cupboards jammed with assorted baking tins and such like..there really is nooooo hope for me

gravitytolls

I gave the steamer away; the sprouts were like billiard balls.

We like the toaster, cos even the 4 year old can make toast and claim to have cooked.
The sandwich machine, used occasionally, could live withou it.
The microwave used daily, cos teenagers vary times of arrival at teh dinner table.
Food processor, cos I'm lazy.
Bread machine, couple of times a week, and childrne like to claim to have cooked bread. Chocolate bread's lovley.
Coffee machine, filter bit useful, but cappucino bit wasted.
Goerge Foreman grrr, waste of money.
Deep fat fryer, rarely used but on the rare occasion we have chips I dig it out.
Stick whizzer, used twice.
Electric wine cellar; Xmas gift this year, one minute wonder.
Juicer, wasteful.
Electric knife, great thing, cos I'm rubbish with a carving knife.
Coffee grinder grrrrr.
Blender, stupid thing doesn't blend just gets bunged up.

That's about it, we have far too many gadgets really.