Gadget v. appliance

[Callisto in NC]

I couldn't live without my Forman grill and I'm dying for another one. Mine fell off the counter and I had to glue it back together. For me it's the best thing since sliced bread. AND, if you ever have to live in a motel for a few days, it's a life saver. When no stove or oven exist, it's a great replacement. For me it also doesn't replace anything I don't already have. I don't have a grill pan and I suck at outdoor grilling. If I didn't have this thing, we'd never eat steak.

 

[pacanis]

.....and if I didn't have my little garlic mincer, I would never have minced garlic, since I can't chop that small

 

[Andy M.]

How does everyone feel about the citrus zester? Tool or gadget?

 

[DramaQueen]

By zester I assume you mean the one that cuts peel into strips as opposed to the grate r (Microplane.) I can't do without either. The zester cuts 4 strips at a time and it doesn it easily and perfectly.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I guess I don't consider a garlic press a gadget. Never thought about it.

 

[MostlyWater]

Heck, a dishwasher is a gadget - it only washes dishes. Most ppl don't cook fish in it.
So a fridge is a gadget too. It only keeps food cold.

 

[Callisto in NC]

How does everyone feel about the citrus zester? Tool or gadget?

Tool. I guess I'm finding more things are tools than gadgets. This is a tool that someone turned into a gadget IMO. I think of gadget, I think gimick.

 

[Jeekinz]

How does everyone feel about the citrus zester? Tool or gadget?

Gadget. I can just use my woodworking rasp.

I would consider a zester/grater a tool because I could use nutmeg and other things on it. But one of those pull zesters with the 4 little holes would be a gadget.

 

[Jeekinz]

.....and if I didn't have my little garlic mincer, I would never have minced garlic, since I can't chop that small

Do you know how to make garlic paste with the side of a knife using salt as an abrasive?

 

[Andy M.]

Gadget. I can just use my woodworking rasp.

I would consider a zester/grater a tool because I could use nutmeg and other things on it. But one of those pull zesters with the 4 little holes would be a gadget.

The zester was the only tool available for kitchen use that was effective in removing zest from citrus. It's not reasonable to bring woodworking tools into the picture. Most people with kitchens didn't have wood rasps.

Zester is a tool and the box grater is a tool, does that make the microplane a gadget? After all, it does the same things as pre-existing tools!

 

[TATTRAT]

Heck, a dishwasher is a gadget - it only washes dishes. Most ppl don't cook fish in it.
So a fridge is a gadget too. It only keeps food cold.

did you buy them in the gadget, or appliance section?

 

[Callisto in NC]

Heck, a dishwasher is a gadget - it only washes dishes. Most ppl don't cook fish in it.
So a fridge is a gadget too. It only keeps food cold.

No, it doesn't only wash dishes, along with washing dishes, it can sanitize them, it can wash hats as well as steam fish so it's not a one trick pony. And a fridge doesn't just keep food cold, it preserves food so it won't hurt you. It cools items that don't have to be refrigerated: water, beer, butter to name a couple. It extends the life of foods you can consume immediately.

And, as TATTRAT said, you don't buy a fridge or dishwasher in the gadget section.

 

[pacanis]

Do you know how to make garlic paste with the side of a knife using salt as an abrasive?

No..... but I'm willing to learn

 

[GB]

No, it doesn't only wash dishes, along with washing dishes, it can sanitize them, it can wash hats as well as steam fish so it's not a one trick pony. And a fridge doesn't just keep food cold, it preserves food so it won't hurt you. It cools items that don't have to be refrigerated: water, beer, butter to name a couple. It extends the life of foods you can consume immediately.

And, as TATTRAT said, you don't buy a fridge or dishwasher in the gadget section.

I think MW has a valid point here. Yes a dishwasher can was hats as well as dishes and yes it can sanitize your dishes, but that really all it is doing is washing things. Sure you CAN cook fish in it, but you can also use it as a giant paperweight if you want or a doorstop or modern art if you put it in your living room. It really is just a dishwasher though.

As for the fridge, it makes things cold. It does not matter the reason you are making the things cold. All it does is make things cold.

I don't think the argument that it was not bought in the gadget section works either. Who is to say that the guy at the store who decided what is a gadget and what is not is an authority?

 

[Jeekinz]

No..... but I'm willing to learn

Crush a few cloves with the side of a knife and peel. Rock your knife through the garlic to give it a fine chop/mince. Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of kosher salt per 2-3 cloves of garlic and work your knife over it like a putty knife. The photo shows one method holding the knife with both hands like you would a cabinet scraper. I just hold the knife by the handle and use more the tip of the blade instead of the side. A wood cutting board works best. It takes a little practice but you'll have garlic paste in no time.

Be careful cooking the paste because it can burn faster than chopped garlic.

 

[Jeekinz]

The zester was the only tool available for kitchen use that was effective in removing zest from citrus. It's not reasonable to bring woodworking tools into the picture. Most people with kitchens didn't have wood rasps.

Zester is a tool and the box grater is a tool, does that make the microplane a gadget? After all, it does the same things as pre-existing tools!

The wood tool reference was a joke. lol

I was referring to the style of the blade on the zester. The Microplane version cuts rather than grinds. So I don't think (haven't really tried) to use the Microplane version on nutmeg. A grinding/grating style zester is more versatile in the kithen than other styles.

 

[MostlyWater]

I have a dishwasher that came with my apt and i love it, but i never had one in the past and i'm in my 40's. maybe the choice can be if you can live w/out it or not?

IMO - you can't live w/out a fridge.

 

[Callisto in NC]

You may be able to live without a dishwasher, but I never could. I did for two years and it was the worst two years of my life. Now with the droughts we're having, a dishwasher is worth even more than it was before.

 

[pacanis]

Crush a few cloves with the side of a knife and peel. Rock your knife through the garlic to give it a fine chop/mince. Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of kosher salt per 2-3 cloves of garlic and work your knife over it like a putty knife. The photo shows one method holding the knife with both hands like you would a cabinet scraper. I just hold the knife by the handle and use more the tip of the blade instead of the side. A wood cutting board works best. It takes a little practice but you'll have garlic paste in no time.

Be careful cooking the paste because it can burn faster than chopped garlic.

Thanks.
I was thinking of spreading it on bread and toasting

 

[roadfix]

I have a dishwasher that came with my apt and i love it, but i never had one in the past and i'm in my 40's. maybe the choice can be if you can live w/out it or not?

I personally find it so much easier to do the dishes manually. I've used dishwashers before but I prefer doing them by hand.
In fact we have never used our dishwasher in our home since purchasing the house almost 20 years ago. My wife uses it for storage. And I'm pretty certain the dishwasher is inoperable from lack of use.