Rice Cookers and other kitchen gadgets......

_Dara_

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

Counter space? Am I the only one that has a press for all that crap?

Nope, my press space is also at a premium!

Clareman

_Dara_ wrote: »

Nope, my press space is also at a premium!

At this stage attic space is getting to be an issue for me, I forgot the blender, food processor, smoothy marker and the "spare" George Foreman

_Dara_

Clareman wrote: »

At this stage attic space is getting to be an issue for me, I forgot the blender, food processor, smoothy marker and the "spare" George Foreman

Ooh, look at Mr. Fancy Pants with his attic space. :pac:

A food processor is also something I don't want to own. I know they are very useful but I just don't think I'd use it enough to justify the space it takes up and how much it costs.

Clareman

_Dara_ wrote: »

Ooh, look at Mr. Fancy Pants with his attic space. :pac:

A food processor is also something I don't want to own. I know they are very useful but I just don't think I'd use it enough to justify the space it takes up and how much it costs.

Used to make coleslaw with it until I discovered a grater would do the same job.

If we are talking non electrical sh1te I've also a few slap chops, spiralizers, roasting rack/tins, rolling pins, bun racks up there as well

_Dara_

I keep forgetting to buy a rolling pin. That I can justify because I have space in the drawer for it (just about) and they're chape enough. Usually end using a glass or tin of beans the few times of years I need to roll out dough.

Spiralisers. Are they the yokes for making courgetti? I've never made but my sis made cauliflower rice once and she was like "Yeah... it was grand but I'm never making it again, not worth the effort". I suspect courgetti suffers the same fate often.

Clareman

_Dara_ wrote: »

I keep forgetting to buy a rolling pin. That I can justify because I have space in the drawer for it (just about) and they're chape enough. Usually end using a glass or tin of beans the few times of years I need to roll out dough.

Spiralisers. Are they the yokes for making courgetti? I've never made but my sis made cauliflower rice once and she was like "Yeah... it was grand but I'm never making it again, not worth the effort". I suspect courgetti suffers the same fate often.

I don't know to be honest, I've never used it, I thought it would be handy for the kids to get them to eat their veg but I forgot they love their veg so it's not needed. I've a soup maker as well in a press as well as a mini food processor for baby food.

Oh yeah, I also have a couple of coffee machine, bean grinder and a tea infusion kit, I have an awful lot of sh1t but in my defence some of it was bought for me and almost all of it was bought when it was on sale

beertons

I've loads of stuff. A steamer, big food processor, hand held food processor, deep fat fryer, toasted sandwich thing, slow cooker. Also, the salt and pepper mills are battery powered.

_Dara_

Clareman wrote: »

I don't know to be honest, I've never used it, I thought it would be handy for the kids to get them to eat their veg but I forgot they love their veg so it's not needed. I've a soup maker as well in a press as well as a mini food processor for baby food.

Ok, the soup-maker is really making my mind boggle.

Chopping board, knife, peeler, saucepan and, if blending, me auld stick blender.

Clareman

_Dara_ wrote: »

Ok, the soup-maker is really making my mind boggle.

Chopping board, knife, peeler, saucepan and, if blending, me auld stick blender.

I know, I f**king know.

I used to have a steamer until Mrs. Clareman put it on the hob and turned on the hob (no I'm not making it up)

LirW

I'm more of the old school of doing anything by hand. I have a microwave and a slowcooker, that I only use to cook in bulk and I honestly am not the biggest fan of most dishes, it's not saving me much work. I find that most dishes come out alright but would be better cooked conventionally. For example when I'm doing a batch of Bolognese sauce I'd usually put the ingredients together on the stove and then dump it into the slow cooker for the hour long simmer. So I call it my simmer machine.
I especially hate when you put raw onions in, I love onions but I'd rather saute them to get the sharp taste out. Nothing worse than a dish with this sharp onion-y taste.

Anyway I have a food processor too, a cheapish Lidl one, it does the job but I don't have in on my counter and it only comes out at occasion because I'm too lazy to clean it.

Toying with the idea of getting a rice-cooker because we eat a lot of rice here and I would get a lot of use out of it.
Also my man wants a waffle maker, but that again is a thing that you'd need for making waffles, otherwise no waffles.

Maybe not a gadget but gonna buy a fancy wok soon, we switched to induction recently so my old one is useless. 99% set on the Lotus wok, it comes with a steamer insert!

Lady Haywire

I might eat rice maybe once every few months so it'd be a bit useless for me!
Have a smoothie maker, stick blender, toasted sandwich/panini press, microwave and food processor. I used to use the smoothie make for blending soups but it was so cumbersome getting in and out of the press that I got the stick blender and that's pretty much what I use all the time now, do make smoothies in summer though.
Microwave is so handy for reheating or cooking veg/noodles quickly, could do without it but I would use it a few times a week. Food processor is mainly for making pastry because i'm lazy :P

We do have the solid fuel cooker which is on almost every day except really hot days in summer so have that as my slow cooker. I'd honestly be lost without it, can't imagine not having one to cook on or keep things warm!!

Oh I've a spiralizer as well, though it's one of the handheld ones. I use it maybe once a week too

elperello

Rice cooker does it's job while you do other prep/cooking etc.
If you have room for one it's a good investment.

dudara

I’m kinda anti-gadgets, I don’t want to waste money and kitchen space. Plus experience has taught me that most gadgets require extra cleaning.

I have a stick hand blender, Kenwood chef stand mixer but I consider them basics. The Nutri Ninja has actually turned out to be extremely useful for sauces & soups. The other item I find very helpful is my old school pressure cooker.

Thargor

The Philips Airfryer is the best gadget released in the last 10 years imo, you can easily replace an oven with one, its so fast and clean.

em_cat

InstantPot electric pressure cooker, used 4-5 times per week & my very old beloved Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Asked hubby if the kitchen was on fire what would he grab to save? him: panini toaster & coffee machine (percolator). me: Stand Mixer without a doubt & micrplanes....couldn’t live without them...

_Dara_

I have two of these yokes and use them a lot. They remove the need for a separate steamer of course but another use I've found for them is as frying pan splatter guards. I hate the conventional ones, they're too cumbersome and get manky fast. The steamers work well because they cover the pan but allow steam to escape so that the pan contents fry instead of stew. They also get cleaned perfectly in the dishwasher and store neatly. Between the two uses I have for them, they each get used a few times a week. A fiver each.

kylith

I need a new steamer. I had a stove top one but the pot gave up after about 10 years. I've considered getting one of the inserts, but it's too handy to be able to cook potatoes/pasta in the pot while you steam the veg in the baskets above. I'll have to keep an eye out for a good one.

rubadub

em_cat wrote: »

Asked hubby if the kitchen was on fire what would he grab to save? him: panini toaster & coffee machine (percolator). me

I read that first as your husband would save the toaster, coffee machine and then, once they were safe, go back to get you!

dxhound2005

kylith wrote: »

I need a new steamer. I had a stove top one but the pot gave up after about 10 years. I've considered getting one of the inserts, but it's too handy to be able to cook potatoes/pasta in the pot while you steam the veg in the baskets above. I'll have to keep an eye out for a good one.

I have a 24 cm one with a couple of extra inserts. The steam works with four inserts, probably more.

This one is a good price in Woodies. There are some very expensive ones, but I don't think they would be any better. And if you have other saucepans, you can use them as the base instead.

https://www.woodies.ie/kitchen-classics-24cm-3-tier-steamer-1105342

Outkast_IRE

With regards to the rice steamer, for a long time i just used to do it in a pot and once you got the time, rice and water quanitity correct and let it cool for 5 mins at the end it would come out nice. But last year i got a Sistema microwave rice steamer, i must say its a great way to do rice and works really well, takes up very little space, well worth the investment.

kylith

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I have a 24 cm one with a couple of extra inserts. The steam works with four inserts, probably more.

This one is a good price in Woodies. There are some very expensive ones, but I don't think they would be any better. And if you have other saucepans, you can use them as the base instead.

https://www.woodies.ie/kitchen-classics-24cm-3-tier-steamer-1105342

That's the kind I used to have, but from M&S. I'll have al look in Woodies, but probably most kitchen shops would have them.

Clareman

I'm stopping myself buying this at the moment, I think I really do have a problem when it comes to gadgets

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075YGQ44Q?tag=ho01f-21

Malari

_Dara_ wrote: »

I mostly have non-stick pots so can only use this in my old battered pot for fear I'll scratch the others! Dead handy though.

I'm mostly anti-gadget though. We do have a coffee-maker and bean-grinder, which stay on the counter.

My stand mixer, and hand-held blender are in the cupboards and my electric juicer (yes, it gets used several times a week!) is in the appliance garage - hidden away with the toaster and kettle.

We do have a toasted sandwich maker which only gets used once or twice a year. I know we didn't buy it, so I think it must have come from a family member or something.

Oh and the science oven is in the utility so it's not in the way.

kylith

Malari wrote: »

I mostly have non-stick pots so can only use this in my old battered pot for fear I'll scratch the others! Dead handy though.

I'm mostly anti-gadget though. We do have a coffee-maker and bean-grinder, which stay on the counter.

My stand mixer, and hand-held blender are in the cupboards and my electric juicer (yes, it gets used several times a week!) is in the appliance garage - hidden away with the toaster and kettle.

We do have a toasted sandwich maker which only gets used once or twice a year. I know we didn't buy it, so I think it must have come from a family member or something.

Oh and the science oven is in the utility so it's not in the way.

Why are your toaster and kettle in the garage?

Malari

kylith wrote: »

Why are your toaster and kettle in the garage?

They are in the appliance garage. Also known as a tambour unit. Like this:

https://www.houzz.co.uk/photo/6379658-kitchen-tambour-unit-modern-kitchen-london

norabattie

_Dara_ wrote: »

Ok, the soup-maker is really making my mind boggle.

Chopping board, knife, peeler, saucepan and, if blending, me auld stick blender.

Bought one after christmas and think it's the best thing ever. 23 minutes from start to finish and its all done. Delighted with it to be honest.

kylith

Malari wrote: »

They are in the appliance garage. Also known as a tambour unit. Like this:

https://www.houzz.co.uk/photo/6379658-kitchen-tambour-unit-modern-kitchen-london

Oooooo! Fancy!

em_cat

rubadub wrote: »

I read that first as your husband would save the toaster, coffee machine and then, once they were safe, go back to get you!

It would depend on how hungry he was...

em_cat

rubadub wrote: »

I read that first as your husband would save the toaster, coffee machine and then, once they were safe, go back to get you!

It would depend on how hungry he was...

_Dara_

Malari wrote: »

I'm mostly anti-gadget though. We do have a coffee-maker and bean-grinder, which stay on the counter.

My sis and her hub have a bean-grinder and it's a very neat little yoke, hardly takes up any room on the counter. They don't have a coffee-maker, just a cafetiere and a moka pot. So their decent coffee needs are catered for without much space being used at all.