Unused kitchen gadgets

Peartree

Fitzio wrote: »

I also have a Window Wizard. My dad it bought it for me and within 10 mins, I had got the magnets stuck together and they broke trying to prize them apart!! We taped the magnet back on, but it was still a rubbish gadget. It doesn't really do the corners of your windows!

Also have a 4 in 1 slow cooker/porridge maker/steamer/rice cooker. I have never used it. I just wanted a slow cooker and I am too scared of this contraption. Every week I intend to try it, but that's been nearly 2 years now!

And someone gave us an electric corkscrew bottle opener. Hmm, why?

I'm a bit of an appliance addict and can watch the shopping channel infomercials endlessly - particularly the ones that are badly dubbed from another language. When I was in a local discount warehouse and saw they had Window Wizard for £2.99 I was over the moon! I was with my Dad, who is a similar addict and we shot off to find one. When we did, every single set was stuck so fast we could not get the magnets apart - and despite being an elderly gentleman Dad is still very strong. I was so disappointed!

I've had all sorts of appliances and gadgets. I am trying to wean myself of the addiction but manage a sort of 'cost-benefit analysis'. If I get the product cheap enough, I'll do a mental analysis of the enjoyment/novelty factor in the first few months when I'll actually use it versus price. Then I'll feel good by offloading it to a charity shop or a family member where I know someone else will get the fun of it for a few months and then will pass it on again.

Two best 'gadgets' for me though - Morphy Richards Intellichef 9 in 1 and my vacuum packer. Each theoretically has a home in the pantry but because they are used so often they never leave the worktop. The only other appliance for which I can say the same is the kettle.

On the corkscrew front, I once bought a new all singing and dancing corkscrew affair. First time I used it was just as guests were arriving and it very helpfully shot half a bottle of red wine all over my (white) top. Still, that recollection still provides people with amusement so maybe it was worth the money....?

lee_annef

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Hi

Your all going to kill me when I say this :eek: I am so ashamed.......but it has to be my:

BREADMAKER :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

It has been used about 8 times. I find it easier just to buy a shop loaf Never seem to get the consistency correct. Can I use value flour-which is the best yeast etc? OH & DD only like white bread-which is the easiest recipe for this and cheapest?

Hanging head in shame.

PP
xx

I use my breadmaker every day.
Yes you can use value flour, try playing with the quantities of ingredients, slightly less flour, water etc but at different times, I use a mix of value flour, cheap plain flour and cheap wholemeal/brown flour and porridge oats. Yeast from tesco/asda orange packet 99p called doves farm.
good luck and keep trying.

angeltreats

I hate to admit this, but I've used my slow cooker about twice - once for a casserole, once for rice pudding. I just can't be bothered with it. I prefer a pressure cooker to get stuff done quickly. It only cost a tenner though so I didn't waste too much.

I'm trying to decide whether to give it away on Freecycle to someone who will actually use it.

ThatElliottGirl

I've been laughing so much at all the replies on this thread! I don't have TOO many kitchen gadgets, and I use all the ones I've got. I have, however, thrown away several ridiculous gadgets that my MIL has bought me. These include:

-one xmas when she bought me a "pasta machine"...it wasn't a pasta machine at all, it was basically a flask which you put dried pasta in and filled up with boiling water. It did not cook the pasta, it just made it damp and soggy.

-A "salad maker". I can't work out who would ever buy this! It was just lots of tupperware with a lid with a blade on, and you put cucumber in one, then tomato in another, etc. Then you put it all in the big bowl at the end. Result: one salad, and about eighteen bowls to wash up!

Phuddles

My breadmaker is just coming to the end of baking now, and the house smells wonderful. When I bought it my partner said 'another gadget to sit in the cupboard!' This is the second one I have had & use it at least twice a week, I don't tend to buy bread because of all the rubbish that is in it. I have a combined microwave/grill/convection oven which is used most days, toaster, coffee filter machine, all on the worktop. I bought a juicer but gave it away as it was easy to use, but too fiddly to clean. The stick blender is brilliant but gets used more in winter to puree home made soup. My slow cooker is now 26 years old and gets used all the time, I'm waiting for it to wear out so I can get a new oval one with a glass lid! :rotfl:

silligilli

I hope I've done the right thing, I've just bought my first breadmaker after becoming an OS. It was in the sale at Curry's and cost less than £15.00. I don't want it to become a useless gadget. Been to library today and got a cookbook with loads of veggie recipes for the slow cooker that has been languishing in the cupboard for over a year.:D
I've not used my George Foreman (Formby!!) Grill since becoming a veggie - any suggestions for use? I use my microwave every day to make porridge, heat baked beans, make scrambled egg etc etc. My next major purchase will be un under counter freezer so I can batch cook to my hearts content.:j

Swan_2

silligilli wrote: »

I hope I've done the right thing, I've just bought my first breadmaker after becoming an OS. It was in the sale at Curry's and cost less than £15.00. I don't want it to become a useless gadget. Been to library today and got a cookbook with loads of veggie recipes for the slow cooker that has been languishing in the cupboard for over a year.:D
I've not used my George Foreman (Formby!!) Grill since becoming a veggie - any suggestions for use? I use my microwave every day to make porridge, heat baked beans, make scrambled egg etc etc. My next major purchase will be un under counter freezer so I can batch cook to my hearts content.:j

grilled vegetables are excellent done on it, almost as nice as roasted but much quicker, just experiment with the veg you like

as a rough guide, cut them the size you want, toss in a little olive oil & on the grill for 4-5 minutes (or to taste)
tomatoes only take a couple of minutes depending on type/size/cut, mushrooms only 2-3 minutes, 3/4 cm slices of red onion are delicious but take a little longer

HTH


PS ... it also does great toasties & paninis

cooking-mama

ive been surfing the Lakeland website,mainly with the intention of ordering a Kuhn rikon pressure cooker,(after deliberating over an electric one which turns out only to be 11psi,therefore no use to me)..anyhow,since i was on the website i checked out the Remoska reviews and recipes...this rekindled my interest in the poor old remoska grand that had been relegated to the back of the kitchen since the purchase of my first prestige pressure cooker(its OK,but not as good as the kuhn rikon would be)
So todays dinner(bacon and sausage bake)will be made courtesy of the Remoska,
does anyone else have an abandoned gadget needing a second chance?

zippychick

Hi CM

Unused kitchen gadets is a similar older thread, and i'll merge this later once you get some OS input

thanks
Zip

seraphina

But more importantly have you ordered your KR yet???!?! Mine had a bit of a work out today - it's been sterilising my jars and cooking my beetroot for the monster pickling session I've just done!