Comments on: Should My Gadget Stay or Should It Go: It’s Spring Cleaning Time

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:44:31 +0000

Funny that you got rid of your Kitchen Aid — I love mine along with my Cuisenart Food Processor and Slow Cooker. I also recently got a popcorn make and I use it quite a bit especially after I figured out how to make Bacon Rosemary Caramel Corn!

By: Jenny Oh

Jenny Oh — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:12:36 +0000

While it sounds like we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum gadget-wise, I am a fan of cast-iron pots/pans, good knives and of course – good ol’ fashioned elbow grease!

By: Stephanie Rosenbaum

Stephanie Rosenbaum — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:03:21 +0000

People are always giving me immersion blenders, and I give them away just as quickly. I use them in the kitchen at work–they are great for pureeing huge pots of soup–but at home, I’ve never warmed up to them. They look like vampire vibrators to me! I’d rather just do the old dump-and-blend in the blender if I really need something pureed; I also love my food mill, which gives the best velvety texture to things like pumpkin puree. That said, I LOVE my waffle iron and couldn’t live w/o it. What else? A hand-held cherry pitter, for once-a-year cherry pies (they work for olives too). Decent biscuit cutters. I don’t buy large electric appliances–too heavy, too bulky–but I love a few small, quirky items, like the cherry pitter, my French press, and my doughnut cutter–basically just a double-ring biscuit cutter. Otherwise, I stick with a knife, some cast iron pots/pans, and my hands.

By: Jenny Oh

Jenny Oh — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:57:45 +0000

A good friend of mine swears by his pressure cooker, especially for beans and potatoes. I haven’t made the leap yet — but given my gadget-loving ways, I probably will test one out in the near future!

By: ML

ML — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:56:06 +0000

How about the good ‘ol pressure cooker? It’s indispensable in my house.

By: Jenny Oh

Jenny Oh — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:36:56 +0000

My husband would definitely agree with you on the coffee bean grinder front! It’s definitely a beloved object (I’m more of a tea-drinker). Thanks for sharing your list!

By: eclecticdeb

eclecticdeb — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:34:24 +0000

1) Coffee Pot
2) Coffee Bean grinder
3) Old Coffee Bean grinder (for spices)
4) Kitchen Aid (I love mine, it’s the nicest thing on my counter)
5) Waffle Iron. You can do SO MUCH more than just sweet waffles. Some favorites are savory (filled with caramelized onions, parm cheese, bacon, herbs), then topped with a micro greens poached egg and hollandaise sauce), or Cheese Cheddar waffles topped with spicy chile. Mmmmmmm…..
6) Stick blender (don’t have a fancy one — it’s old, inherited from my mother).
7) Ice Cream maker. Turns a simple dinner party into one that people talk about for weeks.
8) Toaster.
9) Ninja Blender (gift from my teenage son, it was a “win-win” for him as he loves smoothies)

That’s it for the plug ins. Whew. No wonder why my tiny kitchen is so crowded!

By: Jenny Oh

Jenny Oh — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:54:48 +0000

Hey Caroline, I think it’s safe to buy a used juicer from CL; I had bought a different model years ago through a listing on there. Good luck with finding one!

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:50:53 +0000

Timely post. I was just browsing Amazon for a juicer and debating whether I will use it enough. I wonder if it’s “safe” to buy a used juicer from Craigslist. I am with you on the toaster oven — it’s the little oven that can! I am a Korean-American also, but I have packed away the rice cooker. I have limited counter space in the kitchen and found that cooking rice on the stove top is pretty easy and fast.