View Full Version : Essential Kitchen Gadgets
Scotto
06-12-2006, 08:20 AM
I know a lot of us cook on this forum. What's your favorite, most indispensible kitchen gadget? For me, it is hard to beat the Microplane (http://www.microplane.com/35000.shtml) grater. These things moved from the woodshop to the kitchen about a decade ago, and I have never looked back. Grating hard cheese, getting citrus zest, etc. has never been easier. A must have item.
(BTW, these are available cheaper from many sources. I just linked to the manufacturer for reference)
rtaylor61
06-12-2006, 08:24 AM
For me, a well seasoned cast iron skillet. Pretty much anything that can be cooked can be cooked in a cast iron skillet.
Randy
Without any doubt the most important "gadget" in my kitchen is my pepper mill. Nothing (really, nothing) makes as much difference in so many dishes as freshly ground pepper. If you don't have a pepper mill, get one. Now... even before you order that next tub of T&H or Trumpers cream.
guenron
06-12-2006, 08:44 AM
Silly shavers! The most important gadget in the kitchen is SWMBO!:lol:
Austin
06-12-2006, 08:45 AM
Silly shavers! The most important gadget in the kitchen is SWMBO!:lol:
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
The man has spoken!
Flounder
06-12-2006, 08:53 AM
what is a SWMBO?
guenron
06-12-2006, 08:56 AM
what is a SWMBO?
A highly essential kitchen gadget, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed.. aka SPOUSE, SIGNIFICANT OTHER
Scotto
06-12-2006, 08:57 AM
Alas, my wife can't cook. Lesson learned.
guenron
06-12-2006, 09:00 AM
Alas, my wife can't cook. Lesson learned.
Can I safely ass_u_me that you never watched Soupy Sales famous children's (HA!) show on his wife's ability when it came to making banana cream pie?
rtaylor61
06-12-2006, 09:01 AM
Silly shavers! The most important gadget in the kitchen is SWMBO!:lol:
That's why brides wear white, to match the rest of the appliances! :lol:
Randy (Hmmm, wonder why I'm single?)
Austin
06-12-2006, 09:02 AM
That's why brides wear white, to match the rest of the appliances! :lol:
Randy (Hmmm, wonder why I'm single?)
I wonder too! :biggrin:
Alas, my wife can't cook. Lesson learned.
My ex ante wife (we will be married in August of this year) can cook, but doesn't cook (well, not often). So I do much/most cooking here... which is fine with me because while she can cook, I can cook better (well, w.r.t most things - I can't bake worth a damn though).
rtaylor61
06-12-2006, 09:56 AM
My ex ante wife (we will be married in August of this year) can cook, but doesn't cook (well, not often). So I do much/most cooking here... which is fine with me because while she can cook, I can cook better (well, w.r.t most things - I can't bake worth a damn though).
Baking? No problem. Insert the Pop Tart into the toaster. Push down lever. Pour milk. Get plate. Toaster should be done and Pop Tart is ready. Not a problem!
Randy
A good, sharp chef's knife is a cook's best friend. With it I can slice, chop, peel, crush. . .nearly everything that needs to be done in the kitchen can be done with a good chef's knife.
Although it may not qualify as a "gadget." :wink:
I find the coffee grinder useful, not for coffee, but for providing freshly ground spices.
Ron
One other gadget I thought of is the Cameron Stovetop Smoker. Add woodchips to the bottom of this sucker, throw pieces chicken or fish on the grill and it adds big flavor to it.
As the name implies you put it on top of your stove so no fussing with an outdoor grill.
Ron
rustyblade
06-12-2006, 10:58 AM
Our most essential "gadget" is our Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy rice cooker. You havn't had rice until you have had rice from good rice cooker. Perfect fluffy rice every time. You can even set it on the timer to have rice ready when you get home. Makes good oatmeal too. There are many things you can cook in one. They are a staple appliance in asia like a toaster is here. The Zojirushi is expensive, but well built, made in Japan, and likely to last decades.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000718.php
SSLStudio
06-12-2006, 11:19 AM
Our most essential "gadget" is our Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy rice cooker. You havn't had rice until you have had rice from good rice cooker. Perfect fluffy rice every time. You can even set it on the timer to have rice ready when you get home. Makes good oatmeal too. There are many things you can cook in one. They are a staple appliance in asia like a toaster is here. The Zojirushi is expensive, but well built, made in Japan, and likely to last decades.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000718.php
Wow is that a rice cooker or a mini airplane c.q Alien technology WOW
Im IMPRESSED !
SSLStudio
06-12-2006, 11:25 AM
For me since im a Spartan read health freak I cant live without the Blender.
The blender gets used everyday for either a fruit smoothie as breakfast or the Yoghurt with bananas vice versa for each day.
a good chef's knife I agree , you have no idea what I have to deal with when I cook for friends I usually when in The Netherlands bring my own gear my own knife. In Sweden I had to do with a knife I could slice my finger with and it would do nothing ..try cutting tomatoes with that you get tomatoe puree. but not everyone sees the benefit of a good knife like why should you shave with a double edge when we have M3 and ! I almost forgot a Digital Scale that shows the calories I dont use it for that can be used but it rules when baking cakes ,cakes listen very narrow to ingredient balances .
http://cgi.ebay.nl/3-KG-DIGITAL-DIET-SCALE-CALORIES-FAT-NUTRITIONAL-SCALES_W0QQitemZ4469322929QQcategoryZ50419QQssPage NameZWD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
roughrider
06-12-2006, 11:40 AM
I love my Salter digital scale.
Flounder
06-12-2006, 11:58 AM
Our most essential "gadget" is our Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy rice cooker. You havn't had rice until you have had rice from good rice cooker. Perfect fluffy rice every time. You can even set it on the timer to have rice ready when you get home. Makes good oatmeal too. There are many things you can cook in one. They are a staple appliance in asia like a toaster is here. The Zojirushi is expensive, but well built, made in Japan, and likely to last decades.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000718.php
I have one of those and while they are expensive they are awesome... nothing like walking into the kitchen and having the rice ready to go.
Scotto
06-12-2006, 12:39 PM
I love my Salter digital scale.
Ditto. I use it constantly
With The Grain
06-12-2006, 01:26 PM
...
Dennis
06-12-2006, 01:32 PM
Oh, I can echo a few here as well:
12" Lodge cast iron skillet - BBS and oh so versatile
Digital scale - good deals found here (http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/) , like this one (http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=41) - even better than Salter.
I do like my Microplane
Along with my huge maple block cutting board
But my most essential piece of kitchen gizmo is an electronic thermometer/timer like this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S4U0/102-5300959-2434538?v=glance&n=284507) or similar. I could not roast or do much of the cooking I do without one. -- Dennis
I am surprised that scales (digital or otherwise) are so popular. I usually measure by intuition ... though, this may partly explain my problems with baking.
rtaylor61
06-12-2006, 01:41 PM
I am surprised that scales (digital or otherwise) are so popular. I usually measure by intuition ... though, this may partly explain my problems with baking.
"Eyeballing" measurements when cooking is one thing...with baking, it's a different ballgame altogether.
Randy
For me, a well seasoned cast iron skillet. Pretty much anything that can be cooked can be cooked in a cast iron skillet.
Randy
Granma was right- cast iron rocks. The plain old stuff works great, and the Le Creuset enameled cast iron will out live you, is a snap to clean, and looks great. It is, however, a bit heavy.
For my taste, an even better choice is black steel pans-
http://www.bridgekitchenware.com/category.cfm?Category=15
They're inexpensive, last forever, and become increasingly non-stick with increased use. I wouldn't think of cooking an egg in anything else. You can steal all of my cookware, but I'll come after you for the black steel.
The only other things you really need (yes, I have waaaay too many gadgets) are a few good knives.
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html
My relationship with my knives is as strong as my relationship with my razors.
Silly shavers! The most important gadget in the kitchen is SWMBO!:lol:
Wrong room, Ron.:001_rolle
Wrong room, Ron.:001_rolle
Ouch,
No room is the wrong room... :w00t:
Calphalon for normal (low fat) cooking, cast iron for cornbread, bacon and other things I pretend I don't eat, and some nice Henckels to prep everything.
Oh, also a knife sharpener. I always run my blades over it before I get started in the kitchen. I'm a much happier cook now that my knives are always feather razor sharp.
vox_rox
06-12-2006, 02:07 PM
I am surprised that scales (digital or otherwise) are so popular. I usually measure by intuition ... though, this may partly explain my problems with baking.
A more honest truth has never been spoken. I can cook up a great meal just putting stuff together that I know will work, measuring herbs and spices in the palm of my hand, grinding pepper right into the process without spoons or cups, it usually turns out great. Recipes are like guidelines really.
However, I couldn't bake a cake, even from a mix, to save my feet! Baking, to me, is like some kind of bizarre black art, and I have inability to get out of the gate with that one. Precision, I suppose, explains much of it. I guess brain damage would explain the rest...
Peace,
Pierre
...
I couldn't bake a cake, even from a mix, to save my feet! Baking, to me, is like some kind of bizarre black art, and I have inability to get out of the gate with that one. Precision, I suppose, explains much of it. I guess brain damage would explain the rest...
Peace,
Pierre
Pierre, in addition to being on the same side of the 49th parallel, I've got a feeling that we are on the same page in many ways.
roughrider
06-12-2006, 02:20 PM
Ditto. I use it constantly
I got this one.
http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/images-p-z/SALT1400.jpg
http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=251
The only other things you really need (yes, I have waaaay too many gadgets) are a few good knives.
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html
My relationship with my knives is as strong as my relationship with my razors.
Cool web site--what brand(s) do you recommend? 10" chef's knife.
Calphalon for normal (low fat) cooking, cast iron for cornbread, bacon and other things I pretend I don't eat, and some nice Henckels to prep everything.
Oh, also a knife sharpener. I always run my blades over it before I get started in the kitchen. I'm a much happier cook now that my knives are always feather razor sharp.
What exactly do you call a knife sharpener?
What exactly do you call a knife sharpener?
Sir.
I wasn't joking. I don't know of any "knife sharpener" I'd run my knives over. I don't even have a steel. Knives have to be sharpened with Japanese water stones. There really is no substitute.
As far as a recommendation goes, the Misono UX-10 or the Hattori HD are great all around knives if money isn't an object (figure 150-200), and a Tojiro DP can't be beat if it is (around 60). Realistically, you'll wind up spending as much on stones as you will on knives.
Korin usually has a 15% off sale in July, which makes them competitive. It's a great place to visit if you're in NYC, and you can arrange for a sharpening lesson from a master.
mark the shoeshine boy
06-12-2006, 07:01 PM
Silly shavers! The most important gadget in the kitchen is SWMBO!:lol:
that's right....!!!!
When God created woman HE made her feet smaller than man, so she could stand closer to the sink !!!!
How do you fix a woman's watch...you don't her clock is on the stove !!!!
I love my cast iron skillets !!!!
mark the shoeshine boy
that's right....!!!!
When God created woman HE made her feet smaller than man, so she could stand closer to the sink !!!!
mark the shoeshine boy
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
htownmmm
06-12-2006, 08:45 PM
Nothng tops my 8" santoku knife!- except for maybe my 12" iron skillet, no, wait, it must be my 10" walnut pepper mill.
As I do 99.000009 % of the cooking, my favorite place in the world has become bed, bath, and beyond( due to its huge kitchen sections).
Marty
Jonnybc
06-12-2006, 11:41 PM
I can't live without good coffee, I don't grind my own beans anymore because I can't get close to the flavour and grind of Illy. Here's my machine:
http://www.lapavoni.com/new/images/zoom/EL.jpg
SSLStudio
06-13-2006, 12:38 AM
one of these scary sharp- http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=MM80308
Im staying as far away from you dude ? You chop onions with that F^$^$^r
and miss you will be scraping your finger tops aswell. :eek:
SSLStudio
06-13-2006, 12:52 AM
A more honest truth has never been spoken. I can cook up a great meal just putting stuff together that I know will work, measuring herbs and spices in the palm of my hand, grinding pepper right into the process without spoons or cups, it usually turns out great. Recipes are like guidelines really.
However, I couldn't bake a cake, even from a mix, to save my feet! Baking, to me, is like some kind of bizarre black art, and I have inability to get out of the gate with that one. Precision, I suppose, explains much of it. I guess brain damage would explain the rest...
Peace,
Pierre
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Aha brain damage ? explains your avatar I suppose ?
I never measure when cooking , Ive learned the trade from my mother watched her cooking when I was a child and copying her but it has to be really something you enjoy.
baking is a black art without joking for real. I mean how would you by "Eyeballing " stealing Randy's word... would you measure 200gm of sugar. or 150gm raisins that is though really though its not as simple as a pinch of salt.
I usually never taste my own food when preparing really bad , I go by intuition and the smell of the food if you would measure 230gm of sugar your cake would just be more sweet not a big problem there how much milk or baking powder you add yes that does it will either rise your cake or make it collapse.
You can by all means experience, Like im using fresh lemoncurd in muffins I make and in Cakes together with grated lemon or oranges I think they call it Zest aswell ?
Scotto
06-13-2006, 09:56 AM
The only other things you really need (yes, I have waaaay too many gadgets) are a few good knives.
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html
My relationship with my knives is as strong as my relationship with my razors.
Is it just me, or in their "how to sharpen" pictures are they soaking the wetstones in the toilet? :eek:
vox_rox
06-13-2006, 10:23 AM
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Aha brain damage ? explains your avatar I suppose ?
Um, yeah, and my daily desire to hold really sharp objects agains my jugular as well, I suppose. Plus, strangely, I feel SO at home here at B&B, I can't explain that. :biggrin:
baking is a black art without joking for real. I mean how would you by "Eyeballing " stealing Randy's word... would you measure 200gm of sugar. or 150gm raisins that is though really though its not as simple as a pinch of salt.
I think my problem with baking is that you put everything together, then bake it, but once it's in the oven you have no control. It all had to be EXACTLY right first, or it's already lost.
With cooking, I can season, baste, even add ingredients along the way. I pretty much know how it's going to taste as I go along, because I can control it, at least for most things.
I think people who really know how to bake may be witches, or perhaps have witches somewhere in their lineage. That's all I can figure.
And as for coffee - really stong, dark roast, any time, thank you very much. Jonnybc's machine further up left me really wanting a Latte, or an espresso, in a really bad way. Maybe I need to get me one of those gadgets. Dammit!
Peace,
Pierre
SSLStudio
06-13-2006, 11:18 AM
[QUOTE=vox_rox]
I think people who really know how to bake may be witches, or perhaps have witches somewhere in their lineage. That's all I can figure.
Im speechless How did you find out ? my mothers Aunt was one.
With The Grain
06-13-2006, 11:47 AM
....
Is it just me, or in their "how to sharpen" pictures are they soaking the wetstones in the toilet? :eek:
:lol: :lol: :lol: They're just about the best place to buy knives, but not good at all for stones. Korin.com is better, as is japanesewoodworker.com
That sure did look like a toilet to me.
I wasn't joking. I don't know of any "knife sharpener" I'd run my knives over. I don't even have a steel. Knives have to be sharpened with Japanese water stones. There really is no substitute.
What I use is an man-made whetstone on a regular basis and a honing steel before every use. I don't see how a stone alone can leave a fine enough edge. But then again, I grew up sharpening knives with whetstones (which technically water stones fall under the category of) and steels, so they are what I am most comfortable with.
Scotto
06-13-2006, 04:04 PM
I steel my knives before every use. If they get a bit worse, I have a diamond-impregnated steel. Every few months I get out the old whetstone and give them a good edge. Works for me.
Whenever I cook at a friends house, I am mortified at how dull they keep their knives. Go figure.
Whenever I cook at a friends house, I am mortified at how dull they keep their knives. Go figure.
Most people are afraid of sharp knives for whatever mistaken reason. I never understood it.
rtaylor61
06-13-2006, 04:44 PM
I steel my knives before every use. If they get a bit worse, I have a diamond-impregnated steel. Every few months I get out the old whetstone and give them a good edge. Works for me.
Whenever I cook at a friends house, I am mortified at how dull they keep their knives. Go figure.
My understanding is that using a steel on knives is basically the same thing as stropping. You are not sharpening, but aligning the edge.
Randy
Steels do not sharpen knives, they merely align the edge. A properly maintained knife should never touch a steel. Admittedly, breaking out a box of stones for a touch up is a pain in the you know what. That's where Shapton stones shine- they don't have to be soaked. A quick splash of water on top and you're ready to sharpen. Once a good edge is established, a few quick strokes on a polish stone (5-12K grit) is all that's needed between sharpening sessions. If you must use a steel, use absolutely no pressure.
A dull knife is extremely dangerous to use. One slip, and, well, you know. You guys shave, after all.
Scotto
06-13-2006, 05:32 PM
You are correct that a steel doesn't sharpen, but I disagree with your assertion that one isn't needed. Any moderate amount of banging on a cutting board (even if it is plastic or wood) will misalign the microscopic teeth at the edge, giving you the sensation of reduced sharpness. At this point, a magnetized steel will bring them back into alignment, giving you a better cutting edge. Much less work than putting a new edge on it otherwise. Of course, once things degenerate beyond that, you have no choice but to hit the stone. The steel will just prolong the time between honings - the strop is a good analogy. You are correct in that no pressure should be used on the steel.
Running a knife over steel keeps the fold correctly aligned and the edge smooth. I see it as regular maintenance.
Hand American makes some very good steels.
http://www.handamerican.com/steel3.html
As long as you use no pressure, you can't get into too much trouble. I had a discussion about this subject with (warning: shameless namedropping is imminent) Iron Chef Morimoto last summer. He was at Korin in Manhatten getting some more knives, which gives you an indication of the clientel they deal with.
Knife sharpening isn't hard, but it does require patience and practice. Once you develop a modicum of technique, you'll never settle for dull knives again.
Would you say that a brand new chef's knife needs to be sharpened in the same way that a brand new straight razor needs to be made shave-ready?
Would you say that a brand new chef's knife needs to be sharpened in the same way that a brand new straight razor needs to be made shave-ready?
That is usually the case. Unfortunately, most buyers (and the stores that sell them) aren't in a position to properly finish their edge.
I was in Chef Central in Paramus recently. It's a huge store chock full of all sorts of goodies. One of the workers was instructing a fellow employee how to sharpen a knife. I stood in disbelief when I realised that this rookie was learning how to sharpen by working on a customer's knife. To think that the poor customer had to pay for this guy's apprenticeship. They really knew nothing about knives, other than how to sell you a set, which is the biggest ripoff going.
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