Cooking gadget you couldn't do without ? Perhaps a halogen oven?

my3cents

the beer revolu wrote: »

Ha ha, we had one of those dry cookers in the eighties. I don't remember it being up to much.

They are really only any use when you only have a couple of rings and no oven, like when camping. In fact of all of them the Swiss Dry Cooker is about the most useless. The Wonder Pot and the Omni are much better as they differ by having an extra flame deflector ring on the bottom which stopped a lot of the burning you got on the bottom with the Swiss Dry Cooker. The trick is to get the heat inside the "cooker" without it directly heating the bottom of the pan too much.

Muahahaha

Bought a silcone garlic peeler as an add-on item from Amazon for €3. They work great, I stuck three cloves inside, gave it a quick few rolls and the cloves just pop out with the skin just fallen off. Got through skinning an entire bulb of garlic in about a minute without stinking up my fingers, its a great little thing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toastabags-SGP1-Silicone-Garlic-Peeler/dp/B00KVJH670/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=garlic+peeler&qid=1558381929&s=gateway&sr=8-3

reap-a-rat

I don't eat mash but himself loves potatoes and I've no patience for using a masher. I'm also obsessed with not having lumpy mash - that's why I was put off it myself, mam would always have left big dirty lumps in it which were rank. So for Christmas I asked for a potato ricer and it just takes all the misery out of doing mash. I'll strain the spuds, pop a bit of butter in the still hot saucepan and rice the potatoes into it, mix a bit of milk and throw in a good pinch of salt and I'll use the regular masher to mix it all in then. But all the heavy lifting is done by the Ricer and I wouldn't be without it now!

Also the digital scales as mentioned before, a really simple one, my timer. It's just so much better than glancing at the clock or using a phone!

dee_mc

On the topic of garlic, I recently bought a Joseph Joseph garlic crusher and it's the job. It was €20+ but I couldn't even guess how much I've spent on crappy ones over the years. It's easy to use, easy to clean, crushes a couple of cloves at a time - great yoke!
https://www.brownthomas.com/living/kitchen/cooks-tools/easy-press-garlic-crusher/9647739.html?channable=e20979.NzN4MjAxOHgyMDA2Nw&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI64Ke2_iq4gIV573tCh1RGgc9EAQYAyABEgJ2mPD_BwE

Corca Baiscinn

B0jangles wrote: »

Airfryer all the way, don't know what I'd do without it. .

Remember the "I dont understand what a tracker mortgage is", Well I'm lost re both an airfryer and halogen oven so my questions - (and yes google is my friend but the advice here is more tailored:))

1. What would I use them for and in what way are they superior to whatever came before them?

2. Given my kitchen cupboards and worktops are full where did ye all find the space to store new gadgets? ie what did ye throw out :rolleyes:

Btw I do have a stick blender!

dudara

I’m not a fan of gadgets, too much clutter around the place, filling up cupboards, counter tops and creating extra washing. I would consider everything I have to be basic essential kit, which all gets used regularly. If I don’t see myself using it regularly, or if I don’t find it easy to clean, it doesn’t get bought. I also have an aversion to gimmicky electric appliances.

What I do have that I find very useful (I’m excluding standard appliances like blenders etc)
Pressure cooker
Mandolin (though patience and a good knife will do the same job)
Potato ricer
Different sized pestle & mortars
Mexican elbows

Dial Hard

reap-a-rat wrote: »

a really simple one, my timer. It's just so much better than glancing at the clock or using a phone!

For anyone with a Google Home, it's dead handy for timings and can do multiple ones at the same time. Presume Alexa can do the same.

rubadub

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Remember the "I dont understand what a tracker mortgage is", Well I'm lost re both an airfryer and halogen oven so my questions - (and yes google is my friend but the advice here is more tailored:))

1. What would I use them for and in what way are they superior to whatever came before them?

Airfryer is a small fan oven with a very small fan. Very quick to heat up and cools down fast enough that it does not overcook the food too much, and the fact it has a timer is very useful. I can leave it cooking and head to the shops and come home and the food has cooled down to the temp I prefer eating it at. Very energy efficient.

B0jangles

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Remember the "I dont understand what a tracker mortgage is", Well I'm lost re both an airfryer and halogen oven so my questions - (and yes google is my friend but the advice here is more tailored:))

1. What would I use them for and in what way are they superior to whatever came before them?

2. Given my kitchen cupboards and worktops are full where did ye all find the space to store new gadgets? ie what did ye throw out :rolleyes:

Btw I do have a stick blender!

I don't use a halogen oven, so I can't comment on that, but an airfryer is like an extremely fast little fan oven that browns food much more evenly than any ordinary fan oven.

So think of (almost) any food you'd want to cook in an oven. Its major benefits are the speed - no 15 minutes preheating like a standard oven, plus the food cooks anything between 25 - 50% faster than a standard oven, and the even browning - coated food comes out beautifully crispy all over, not just on the bits that were touching the tray or whatever.

It's like, do you remember trying to reheat food before microwaves? - you could do it yeah, but it took much longer and you had to dig out a saucepan to do it on the hob. Airfryer's a bit like that but for a standard oven.

They are not terribly heavy and quite compact so you could probably pack it away in its box when you're not using it. Mine lives in the utility room because the fan is a bit noisy

Muahahaha

On airfryers, mine is used almost every day so it always stays on the countertop, it has more than earned its position there. I did have a slow cooker but gave it away due to space contraints and now just used a dutch oven for slow cooking. Though I'd imagine using that in the oven costs a good bit more in electricity than a slow cooker does so when I do have more space I'll be getting a new slow cooker.

dudara wrote: »

I also have an aversion to gimmicky electric appliances.

Raclette grill and fondue set by any chance?! I've a mate who bought both in Lidl and they are now so rarely used that she is trying to foist them on me, I'm not having it!

Different sized pestle & mortars

why differing sizes instead of just one? Also my own pestle and mortar is made of rough granite and it annoys me as there is always spice dust stuck to the bottom of it even after emptying it. Has anyone got one of those ceramic ones and how do they find them, are they a better option?

Day Lewin

Ditto not a fan of electric gadgets: I can do just about every cooking job with a sharp knife, cutting board, and a handful of basic tools (which must be good, though: good tongs, strainer, grater etc, plus bowl, measuring jug, timer and good pots and pans.
and indeed, one of those granite mortars and a small china one for spices.
I even grind coffee in an old-fashioned Spong.

In electric land, is a microwave a Gadget?
Use that a lot, then next the toaster is the most used. Stick blender handy for soup. Electric Whisk for cream or meringue. Waffle iron rarely, but it is effective.

But now getting tempted by Airfryer - never seen one. But sounds useful. Fish fillets? Sausages?
And have lusted for a potato ricer for years. Where do I buy one?

Muahahaha

Day Lewin wrote: »

But now getting tempted by Airfryer - never seen one. But sounds useful. Fish fillets? Sausages?
And have lusted for a potato ricer for years. Where do I buy one?

Sausages do really well in an airfryer, instead of standing over a pan I just dump them in, switch it to 10 mins and they're done all the way around with no other work needed. Big advantage of an airfryer is no oil is required and you'll be amazed how much liquid is left behind in the lower basket.

Havent tried fresh fish fillets in it yet but frozen ones come out of it really well and your cooking time is reduced, if the packet says 30 mins in a fan oven then in general 20 minutes will do in the airfryer.

Some great info on airfryers in this thread https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057063796

Been meaning to get a potato ricer myself. I know Ikea do a decent one for about €7 but last time I was there they were out of stock.

Corca Baiscinn

Thanks to everyone for the info re airfryers, I'm def tempted! They had mostly passed me by and the odd reference I did see I took them to be a first cousin of a deep fat fryer and since i never cook chips at home thought I didn't need one! Any brand in particular you boardsies would recommend or are they much of a muchness?

Did once have a pestle and mortar but broke it!

Intrigued by all the interest in potato ricers and interest in pureed spuds, does it not remind yu of countless hotel lunches? I would only mash potatoes about 3 or 4 times a year so a hand masher is fine.

Interested in the Joseph Joseph garlic crusher though, had an Ikea one for years which was good but lost a bit from it eventually and it's a bit expensive to go all the way to Ikea just for a garlic crusher!

dudara

Muahahaha wrote: »

why differing sizes instead of just one? Also my own pestle and mortar is made of rough granite and it annoys me as there is always spice dust stuck to the bottom of it even after emptying it. Has anyone got one of those ceramic ones and how do they find them, are they a better option?

Large granite/stone one for heavier work, salsas etc. and a smaller marble one for small amounts or spices. I give it a quick wipe out with kitchen paper or a dry brush .

dudara

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Intrigued by all the interest in potato ricers and interest in pureed spuds, does it not remind yu of countless hotel lunches? I would only mash potatoes about 3 or 4 times a year so a hand masher is fine.

The problem with hotel mash is that they never use the right potatoes and then they overbeat/overwhip it. Mashed potato needs very little work with a ricer, meaning less beating, and less turning into gloop.

Interested in the Joseph Joseph garlic crusher though, had an Ikea one for years which was good but lost a bit from it eventually and it's a bit expensive to go all the way to Ikea just for a garlic crusher!

flat side of a chef’s knife is the only garlic crusher & peeler you’ll ever need.

Muahahaha

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for the info re airfryers, I'm def tempted! They had mostly passed me by and the odd reference I did see I took them to be a first cousin of a deep fat fryer and since i never cook chips at home thought I didn't need one! Any brand in particular you boardsies would recommend or are they much of a muchness?

I cant only comment on the Philips airfryer and recommend it as top notch. Only complaint is the cooking area could be a bit bigger but you can fit a 1.4kg chicken in it so its not tiny either. There is the XL version for cooking for more people at a higher cost.

Other brands to look at are the Power Airfryer XL. Theres seems to be a lot more cooking space in this model and it has add ons such as a revolving spit for cooking rotesserie chicken or meat/veg skewers. There is also the Tefal Actifry but from the airfryer thread linked earlier the paddle in these that agitated the food often broke. Other versions pop up in Aldi/Lidl from time to time, I cant comment but those would come with a 3 year warranty so long as you keep the receipt in a very dark place, anywhere near light and the ink fades within months.

Keep an eye on Amazon for sales on airfryers, my Philips cost me £80 in the black Friday sale last November, the cheapest ever price has been £69.99 iirc

vintagecosmos

Muahahaha wrote: »

I cant only comment on the Philips airfryer and recommend it as top notch. Only complaint is the cooking area could be a bit bigger but you can fit a 1.4kg chicken in it so its not tiny either. There is the XL version for cooking for more people at a higher cost.

Other brands to look at are the Power Airfryer XL. Theres seems to be a lot more cooking space in this model and it has add ons such as a revolving spit for cooking rotesserie chicken or meat/veg skewers. There is also the Tefal Actifry but from the airfryer thread linked earlier the paddle in these that agitated the food often broke. Other versions pop up in Aldi/Lidl from time to time, I cant comment but those would come with a 3 year warranty so long as you keep the receipt in a very dark place, anywhere near light and the ink fades within months.

Keep an eye on Amazon for sales on airfryers, my Philips cost me £80 in the black Friday sale last November, the cheapest ever price has been £69.99 iirc

I had the airfryer a few years ago but found it awfully difficult to clean. Despite best efforts, everything got caked in it. Had to throw it out.

freshpopcorn

We have a big gas cooker and it was eating gas.
We got a little electric Morphy Richards oven in Argos and find it great for everything.

Sajid Javid

A good wife can do loads of things, only problem is the old ones tend to make a lot of unnecessary noise, so thinking of updating to a more efficient quieter model.

rubadub

vintagecosmos wrote: »

I had the airfryer a few years ago but found it awfully difficult to clean. Despite best efforts, everything got caked in it. Had to throw it out.

some were soaking in oven cleaner solution, or putting dishwasher tablets in it.

Mine is just left filthy! it sits beside the hob and goes on the hob under the fan hood when using it. I very rarely use the regular oven now.

musicmammy

Finally got potato ricer just before last Christmas after coveting one for years. It's a great bit of kit. Throw it in dishwasher after use.

This is it but I bought it in Debenhams for 20 euro.

https://www.brownthomas.com/living/kitchen/cooks-tools/helix-potato-ricer/73x2018x20100.html