Gadgets galore!

If I die first, my husband says he is going to order a skip for all the kitchen gadgets.  I think this is a little harsh, but anyway, I'm not planning to die first, and when he goes, I'm getting a chandelier for the living room!  However, I do have to admit I am at pretty much full capacity when it comes to kitchen cupboard space.  Some gadgets I couldn't do without, some I have not used very much and given away, and joyfully, I can't think of anything I haven't got and would like, except a pasta machine attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer.

I got the KitchenAid for Christmas, and gave away the bread machine to make space for it.  The mixer will knead the dough for me (and save my wrists, especially the left one which has never been the same since my tendon surgery) and I'm happy to bake the bread in the oven.  The breadmaker was ok, but it was always a pain to dig the little paddle thing out of the bottom of the loaf, it always seemed to just get pushed further in - and I didn't seem to use it that much.

 

I LOVE my KitchenAid, and don't know how I managed with a little Kenwood hand mixer for sixteen whole years, including making two wedding cakes (mixed in a storage box). I still have it in case of emergencies though.  So far the KitchenAid has done sterling work with bread, cookie and pizza dough, meringue, buttercream, whipped cream, cake mixture, fondant icing, flan filling, cheesecake and brownie mixture.  It has given better and lighter results in so many recipes including cakes, macaroons, swiss roll, cheesecakes and more.

Another gadget I wouldn't be without, and didn't have for a long time is my food processor.  Having started the new recipe resolution in January 2008 I kept finding recipes which made me think "I could make that if I had a food processor" or "that would be so much easier with a processor" and for Christmas 2009 I got my wish.  I use it for breadcrumbs, biscuit bases for cheesecakes, stuffings, macaroons (the ground almonds need to be processed with the icing sugar to make the super light), it's brilliant for shortbread and I have never bought shortcrust pastry again as it makes such a great job of it in no time. Plus you can add flavourings to the pastry like lemon zest or walnuts. I've made my own pesto, dips, tahini and hummous.  The liquidiser is fab for soups and smoothies.  The mill is good for chopping nuts and grinding spices.  I have to admit I've never been bothered to use the centrifugal juicer though.

Sometimes with kitchen gadgets, as with other things in life, it's a case of want rather than need.  Such as my washing up rack, officially named a "dish garden" by the manufacturer.  I was sick of metal ones going rusty and this one just gets a scrub now and again to make it as good as new.  I think it looks fabulous and quirky too, and even though it was quite expensive for a mere dishrack it will last for years.  Also, all the water comes out of one hole at the bottom rather than dripping all over the draining board, meaning less cleaning. It looks from the picture like you wouldn't get much on it, but you'd be surprised, with a bit of creative stacking...

Sometimes too, it's the small things that make a difference.  Like this elevated palette knife with a weighted handle (another Christmas present - my Mum took me a cookware shop to choose some presents, I was in heaven) made by the brilliant Joseph Jospeh.  No more splats on the worktop!

 

 

Other small gadgets I use a lot are my metal folding steamer basket (when my son isn't using it for an alien spaceship); silicone baking "tins" with glass base - great for cheesecakes, and no need to worry about using a metal knife when cutting into slices; my Jamie Oliver rice pot, - cook and serve rice in the same pot, and it goes in the dishwasher; a mandoline (nicknamed the "fearsome slicer", it needs to be treated with respect if you value your fingertips), poultry shears and an ice cream scoop that conducts the heat from your hand to seve the scoop of ice cream.  I buy my baking trays from amazon, supermarket ones are rubbish and buckle at the lowest oven temperatures, also there is so much choice, you can get the perfect size.

 

The biggest and favourite of all, if you can call it a gadget, is the cooker, which was half price when I bought the kitchen units.  It has a ceramic hob, which looks nice and is easy to clean but doesn't cook a stir fry as well as a gas hob would.  I haven't got gas to the house though, and it would be too much hassle to connect it just for the sake of a few Chinese meals.  I got one without a glass panel in the door on purpose, so the dirt wouldn't show from the outside and it wouldn't need cleaning as often, the second oven/plate warmer is only used for large family gatherings, otherwise it doubles up as a handy storage cupboard for baking tins.

 

 

 

I sometimes look through the Lakeland catalogue and marvel at a multitude of things I don't need - waffle irons, cake pop makers, cupcake makers, ice cream makers... but I'm very strong minded, and I still squeeze lemons with a little plastic lemon squeezer that came free with a bag of oranges!

 

In other news, I've joined the Clandestine Cake Club, just finding out about a nearby meeting to go to, with a view to starting up my own local group. watch this space...

 

Thank you for reading, feel free to share.

 

Caroline x