Which appliance purchase was your worst mistake?

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I got one of those in my stocking at Christmas. It is absolutely the worse gadget ever. :LOL:
 
I am shocked, shocked :shock: that some of you don't enjoy your rice cookers. Coincidentally, I posted on the cookware forum on gardenweb just this morning in reply to a person asking what we considered our favorite gadget or kitchen appliance. I assumed she meant something beyond the mundane knife or food processor and so told her that I love my rice cooker. It's one of those fancy fuzzy logic ones and set me back quite a few dollars.

But unlike some appliances I've bought over the years -- can you say Yogurt Maker? :wacko: - - I use this at least a couple times a week. Sure, you can cook rice in a pan, but this is so simple, foolproof, and doesn't need my attention after I throw in the rice, water, and a dash of salt. Perfect rice -- whether it's regular, basmati, sticky, brown, etc., -- every single time without sacrificing one of my burners. Plus, if you're adventurous and the autormatic rice cooker cookbook, there are many good rice-based dishes you can make in it. Oh, and it's a breeze to clean.

I am not an employee for any manufacturer of said product, nor do I own stock in any related company.:LOL:
 
I have never used a rice cooker. I think I gave one to my son when he was going through his vegan period (about 10 years ago). Come to think of it, I've never seen him use it.:LOL:
 
mudbug said:
Vera brings up a subject I was just thinking about last night (probably should be in a separate post, but oh well)

Those of you who have a microwave over your stove, where does all the smoke/grease from the stovetop go? On the underside of the microwave?

Mine has vents above the microwave with cabinetry right above.... so the smoke and junk goes thorugh the filters, out the top of the microwave (these vents get a yellowish slime build up if not wiped after every use) and yellow cabinets that use to be white. :wacko:

I can't think of an appliance that I don't use.... well... I guess a toaster oven, kind of a waste of space since I use it maybe twice a year.
 
I agree that rice cookers are great. Yeah, rice is about the easiest thing in the world to cook, but they still serve a purpose, and they do it very well. You won't find many homes in Japan or other Asian countries that don't use a rice cooker every day, and for good reasons:
  • The "set it and forget it" feature -- throw in the rice and water, turn it on, and don't think about it until dinner time.
  • The cooked rice is in good shape for several hours.
  • Having a rice cooker frees up a burner.
  • They have settings for several kinds of rice.
  • They can be used for cooking other things.
Not all rice cookers are created equal. The best are from Japan, notably the National brand with "fuzzy logic" controls.
 
I did not purchase it, but I received a Ron Popeil Pasta Maker as a Christmas present. I used it about a dozen times and did not find the pasta to be at all superior to dry packaged pasta as other fresh pasta. I tried numerous recipes and none of them were worth the trouble.
 
My worst mistake was buying a George Foreman table-top grill. Compared with those available from Taiwan the George Forman Grill is in the Middle Ages.
 
Microwave oven. Since my family has grown, it gets used about once a month to make scrambled eggs or to cook some frozen peas. Or once, in a very blue-moon, it gets used to heat a ready-prepared steamed meal from Marks and Spencer! Although when my family comes home or I have visitors, it gets more use. Still doesn't pay its way though! :)
 
CharlieD said:
Kitchen Aid gas stove - $1600 + tax from Sears, junk, they've stoped making it since it is such junk, but now I'm stock with it, for who knows how much longer. Can't wait the day when i could afford to remodale my kitchen and get something new.

I'm so sorry that I didn't know about your problem sooner. You could have called Sears when you realized that you didn't like your stove and they would have exchanged it for you. Sears has some of the best customer service policies on record. I have used electric all my life but thought I would give a gas stove a try when we built our home in Las Vegas. I used that stove for a month and it was not at all as good as electric. I hated it. Took longer to boil water and I couldn't control the heat as well as I could on electric. I called Sears, and back it went, no questions asked. I picked out an electric stove and am as happy as I can be. I love it. By the way, I too, paid $1600 for the gas model. The electric one costs $550.
 
Constance said:
A bread machine was my worst. I'd never been able to make a decent loaf of bread, and thought for sure I could do it with a bread machine. But I still couln't get my bread to turn out right, and after I used it 3-4 times, that durned motor burned up.
The company replaced it, but by then I'd given up on bread, and I gave that one to my daughter.

I'm curious to know what the problem was with your bread. I had a Breadman Ultimate for 3 years and made a perfect loaf every time. Maybe you were doing something wrong. Let me know.
 
MY biggest problem appliance is the KitchenAid side by side refrigerator. It is a great machine, cools and freezes perfectly, but apparently cannot be made to dispense water without a drip. KA service has been out several times and the customer service supervisor was so rude. The factory basically said they would not support it any longer and basically, "stop calling" even if it is under warranty and cost over $4,000.

i have a rice cooker- don't use it. It is one thing that takes longer to clean than it is worth. I use the microwave every day-love it.
But the BEST thing in my kitchen is the ice maker. Forget the fridge- the under counter ice maker is wonderful.
 
TATTRAT said:
I would have to say, the little plastic scraper thingy I was given, to scrape things up I guess. It is like a little dough knife, and useless to me at home or work.

That sounds like the scraper that comes with stoneware. Is it?
 
Hopz said:
MY biggest problem appliance is the KitchenAid side by side refrigerator. It is a great machine, cools and freezes perfectly, but apparently cannot be made to dispense water without a drip. KA service has been out several times and the customer service supervisor was so rude. The factory basically said they would not support it any longer and basically, "stop calling" even if it is under warranty and cost over $4,000.

I think I would report this to the BBB or a tv consumer reporter. That is just way too much money to spend on something that is not perfect. The customer service supervisor shouldn't be able to treat people like that. They should fix it or give you a completely new frig.:mad:
 
Half Baked said:
I think I would report this to the BBB or a tv consumer reporter. That is just way too much money to spend on something that is not perfect. The customer service supervisor shouldn't be able to treat people like that. They should fix it or give you a completely new frig.:mad:

Agreed, but I have heard of similiar problems with other high end appliances like the Subzero fridge. When expensive appliances break, they break big! My co-worker had a problem with his 2 year old Whirlpool Duet washer and it cost $400 to fix it. My washer only cost $300!

It's funny that some mention a microwave and toaster oven the worst appliance purchase. I use both of those daily!:)
 
Did anyone, anyone in the world fall for that plastic tube gadget thing that you could pour hot water in and add your pasta, then let sit on the counter and it cooked the pasta to perfection????

I still have a bread maker that I use when I'm pushed for time - but, I just use the mix, knead & rise features. Then I remove the dough and play with it. I never cared for the crust or texture of the bread when I tried baking the dough in the machine.
 
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