Cooking 'gadgets' you use sparingly

corblimey

I'm taking a skip to my cupboards this weekend, but cannot decide what to do with those kitchen gadgets I use sparingly but are vital when I do use them. For example, my food processor. I had such plans for it, but making curry sauce a few weekends ago was the first time I used it this year, and possibly last year. But I couldn't have made that curry sauce without it. So throw it back into the cupboard, or deal/work around the issue if it comes up again?

How do you guys (who I daresay have cupboards like mine) keep everything under control?

kylith

I keep it under control by not having any cupboards I only have one and I can just about fit my slow cooker and pasta machine in there. Would love room for a food processor, I think I'll have to annex some of the living room cupboards (where I have too many).

MissFlitworth

Stuff that I don't use very often lives in a big cupboard we have that fits a lot of gadgets. Or on top of the high presses in the kitchen, there's enough space up there for a blender to stand. It's v. cluttered looking though. If I'd a bit more space I'd get one of these as a combination cookbooks & gadget display stand.

I wouldn't ever throw away gadgets though, I'm a hoarder that way. One day that ice cream machine is getting used!

pwurple

So many I could not do without.

Zester. Oh zester, so much better than that daft box grater which mainly wants to grate either my knuckles or my fingertips.

I was so delighted with my zester, that I started a quest to replace the box grater. I got a mouli grater.


Completely useless. Cheese gets stuck in it, very wasteful. If anyone can replace a box grater, I'd be chuffed.

My kenwood stays. It has a pasta attachment, my bread hook, grinder attachment for grinding coffee, spices. Love it.

Dizzyblonde

My slow cooker, Kenwood Chef mixer and George Foreman grill (mainly used for wraps & toasties) all sit in one cupboard with my hand blender and its attachments. I'd love a proper food processor though, and if you threw yours away I bet you'd soon regret it. Put it in the attic, shed or similar for a while and see if you can live without it.

My bread machine, which I used to use a few times a week is in the utility room now, rarely used but I can't bear to part with it. The potato ricer I bought is thrown on top of a cupboard in the utility room because I haven't got the patience for it.

Faith

MissFlitworth wrote: »

If I'd a bit more space I'd get one of these as a combination cookbooks & gadget display stand.

That's a wonderfully simple yet brilliant idea

Alun

My gadgets are distributed across at least 3 different cupboards, and the least used ones (Kenwood mixer, deep fat fryer, pasta maker, raclette grill, ice cream maker ...) are relegated to being stored in plastic bags in that useless space on top of the cupboards gathering dust and grease because I just can't bear to get rid of them.

On that point, why do kitchen cupboards in the UK and Ireland only go up so far with that stupid gap at the top? On the continent, at least in Germany and Netherlands they go all the way up to the ceiling.

hdowney

I have one very small pots n pans cupboard and too many appliances (altho still short a stand mixer, mincer and need to replace the fryer). My bread maker, George Forman, slow cooker, steamer, blender, percolator and tassimo are on the countertop. My electric tin opener is on the fridge. My ricer and hand blender are in the cupboard. My mini chopper, electric carver and hand whisk are under the boiler. My mandolin is on the table. My box grater and spice grinder are in the sideboard with the plates. My good processor and pasta machine are in their boxes under the kitchen table.......

MrWalsh

Alun wrote: »

My gadgets are distributed across at least 3 different cupboards, and the least used ones (Kenwood mixer, deep fat fryer, pasta maker, raclette grill, ice cream maker ...) are relegated to being stored in plastic bags in that useless space on top of the cupboards gathering dust and grease because I just can't bear to get rid of them.

On that point, why do kitchen cupboards in the UK and Ireland only go up so far with that stupid gap at the top? On the continent, at least in Germany and Netherlands they go all the way up to the ceiling.

^^ This, all of this.

I wrap unused items in cling film and relegate them to the top of the cupboards with a notion to keep them til I have a kitchen with more space someday.

Ive no space left in my tiny kitchen cupboards, when I wanted to get a slow cooker my hubby insisted that I throw something out first to make space so I threw out unused and badly shaped tupperware stuff in favour of more stackable ones. Im really glad I did because I really use the slow cooker.

My popcorn maker and hand mincer have never ever been used, oh sorry, the popcorn maker was used once. Much easier to just eat microwave popcorn which is ready salted! The mincer I dont know what I was thinking.

Tree

I've put a shelving unit in the hall that has cookbooks, george foremand and espresso machine on it. They get more use than if they were in the back of the (stupid awkward) cupboards in the kitchen. The hand blender and the chopper live in a basket in a low down cupboard and get used a bit (pizza sauce and falafel). The pasta machine lives in the awkard space in the awkward cupboards as there's no where to actually clamp the blasted thing down in this house, but im hoping the next place we rent will have a spot for it. The tagine we were gifted is used for storing chocolate.

The box grater probably needs to be chucked as we don't use it since i got a microplane and this lunchboxy grater from ikea (the lid is the big side of a box grater)

catho_monster

Tree wrote: »

The tagine we were gifted is used for storing chocolate.

That is actually inspired.
I don't know why I haven't been storing things INSIDE the once used tagine in the cupboard.

corblimey

the lid is the big side of a box grate

I've got one of those in my Amazon basket at the moment, but then again, I can't remember I needed to grate something. Maybe I should buy everything with half an eye to using it as storage in the future

I can just see myself taking everything out, giving it a good wash, and then putting it right back

charlietheminxx

Moving next week so if anyone has any kitchen gadgets they don't want, I'll take them! :P starting from scratch, did a tot up of all the appliances I need and the costings are scary. I do a lot of baking, right now I wish I could be happy with a microwave and a toaster!

dee_mc

My food processor is shoved back against the tiles at the back of my lovely deep worktop, so just needs to be pulled forward an inch or two to use it. It's brilliant, because up to 2 years ago it had to live in its box in the utility room which might as well have been a 5 mile trek from the kitchen for all the use it got. New kitchen is fantastic in terms of storage
George Foreman lives on the worktop too, just taking up space really as he only gets used once a month or so. Maybe it's time to move him on to the utility room.
Processor has a blender attachment so my gorgeous heavy glass blender has been relocated to a pull out larder press that also holds a spare knife block, cookie cutters and icing accouterments, food colours and extracts/essences, baking tins etc.
Massive preserving pot is in the attic.
Most of my cookbooks are in a drawer under my bed which has been too heavy to open for a while now, maybe it's time to remedy that. The few I use regularly are in a couple of magazine holders in an otherwise dead corner beside the toaster.
Nespresso machine and food mixer are on a nice Ikea trolley in the corner http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/80116997/ ... Nespresso is used daily, food mixer is purely decorative
Ideally I'd love little alcoves behind the worktop where all the appliances, gadgets and cookery books would be really easily accessible but what I have is probably better, less opportunity for dust gathering with everything stored in larders, drawers and cupboards!

katydid

corblimey wrote: »

I'm taking a skip to my cupboards this weekend, but cannot decide what to do with those kitchen gadgets I use sparingly but are vital when I do use them. For example, my food processor. I had such plans for it, but making curry sauce a few weekends ago was the first time I used it this year, and possibly last year. But I couldn't have made that curry sauce without it. So throw it back into the cupboard, or deal/work around the issue if it comes up again?

How do you guys (who I daresay have cupboards like mine) keep everything under control?

Since I discovered that it's easier to use a blitzer stick thing to blitz soup, I rarely use my food processor. The only thing I use it for is making quick pastry, it's very handy for that. I wouldn't be heartbroken without it - I have a mini one too which is quite handy.

I definitely wouldn't be without my slow cooker. It's standing permanently on the worktop, and I use it at least once a week. I stuck a beef, mushroom and beer stew in there last night and it cooked all night and most of today. Heaven on a plate.

My main problem is a drawer full of small gadgets like apple corers and egg slicers that I never use.

Minder

The garage is given over to the storage of all things kitchen related. Smaller items go in large plastic storage boxes and the larger machines and gadgets sit on floor to ceiling timber shelving racks. Woks and large pans are hung from the ceiling on a rail of hooks. At the moment this space is quite full, but the plan for a man cave at the back of the garden should free up some more space for MORE GADGETS!!

galljga1

I recently bought a Nutri Ninja which I found to be a brilliant smoothie maker.
However, I have had to revert to my old Kenwood smoothie maker as the Ninja is hiding somewhere among the other unnecessary kitchen gadgets.

Mrs Fox

galljga1 wrote: »

I recently bought a Nutri Ninja which I found to be a brilliant smoothie maker.
However, I have had to revert to my old Kenwood smoothie maker as the Ninja is hiding somewhere among the other unnecessary kitchen gadgets.

They're not called Ninja for nothing


Anyone wants to give their waffle maker away, by all means holler me.

catho_monster

Actually, does anyone want a tagine? Once used.
happy to pass it on by parcelmotel...

charlietheminxx

I would love it! Let me know how much I'd need to send you

catho_monster

charlietheminxx wrote: »

I would love it! Let me know how much I'd need to send you

Will figure out logistics in the morning and pm you

beertons

I have a tajine too. Used once. Maybe 6 years ago. Big yoke too.

MrWalsh

catho_monster wrote: »

Actually, does anyone want a tagine? Once used.
happy to pass it on by parcelmotel...

It would actually be a great idea to have a thread dedicated to passing on unused cookware to each other.

Maybe it wouldn't be allowed on a larger scale though.

Whispered

I'm reading about your gadgets with interest. I'd love a few more myself and might have room for one or two more. Just to decide what would be the wisest choice for me!
I hate clutter. Even if it's hidden in a cupboard, I know it's there. As such I have very few gadgets.

My microwave and kettle are in the cupboard which surrounds the gas boiler. I just leave it open when I need to use either. I love to get rid of both but I'm not allowed.

We have no toaster, the grill does nicer toast IMO and it just sat on the counter looking messy.

My hand mixer lives in a drawer with the likes of the rolling pin, chop sticks, skewers and egg cups. And my food processor is on the bottom shelf of the cupboard on the wine rack (which is currently empty).

Coffee machine and baby sterilising yoke is on the counter and the George foreman lives on top of the fridge. At 5'2 I tend to leave it up there.

I think besides the standard box grater, can opener etc that's it.

Jan Laco

I got a Kenwood chef in my bread baking days. But I preferred kneading the dough by hand as it was therapeutic.
And then I stopped baking altogether and it's a decoration now.

The best gadget I have is those espresso pots that you put on the hob and the water heats up through the coffee.

hdowney

Jan Laco wrote: »

I got a Kenwood chef in my bread baking days. But I preferred kneading the dough by hand as it was therapeutic.
And then I stopped baking altogether and it's a decoration now.

The best gadget I have is those espresso pots that you put on the hob and the water heats up through the coffee.

:eek::eek::eek: if i had one of those it would get SO much use!

the beer revolu

I used my grapefruit knife for the first time in years today. Brilliant gadget. Doesn't take up much space, though.