Purchasing Mistakes with kitchen equipment

[Claire]

I really don't know quite where to put this. What have you bought in the way of kitchen equipment that is now just sitting there or on its way to Goodwill? What do some consider indispensible, but in your kitchen would probably never get used?

I bought a food processor that had a blender as well ... and in four years I have used the blender part maybe once or twice. My electric mixer hasn't been used in a couple of years. Write about your "misses".

 

[Alix]

I'll take that blender Claire. Mine is about to die from all the smoothies I make.

My goof was an electric bread knife. I thought that evenly sliced homemade bread was very important. Now I don't make bread so much anymore and the knife is gathering dust.

 

[kitchenelf]

I use pretty much everything except my pasta machine - probably because it's put "up". I tend to use things if they are easily accessible. I don't use my bread machine much but I should. I need to re-organize and have things more handy. That's my biggest problem in not using my gadgets and appliances.

I love my panini grill, Kitchen Aid (especially the meat grinder - it makes great gazpacho), I am glad I have a stick blender, I love the rotisserie too.

I can't live without my mandolin, santoku knife, food processor and those other standard small appliances.

As far as "gadgets" the most useless one is the little orange thing that helps you peel oranges and the spout thing you can push down in one that when you squeeze the orange the juice is actually supposed to come out of the spout - well it comes out all around it too!

I don't have a garlic press - A good whack and chopping with a knife works for me.

If you ever feel like you need a mini-processor/chopper realize that cheap isn't always good. I bought a 2 or 3-cup size that is perfect for those smaller jobs but the motor just isn't powerful enough. So.....that one will go to somebody or Goodwill. You may not want to pay $30 - $40 but I guarantee it will be worth it!

I'm sure I'll think of more

Alix - those smoothie makers REALLY do a great job. Better than a very expensive blender in getting all the ice chopped up so it's smooth and doesn't have those annoying ice chunks in them.

 

[Andy M.]

I have a spaetzle maker I think I used once. I saw it for $3.00 so I bought it on a whim and made beef goulash and spaetzle. SO didn't care for the spaetzle so the maker is in dead storage.
Another cheapie item ($5.00) I bought was a grater box. A plastic box that you could put different grater/shredder attachments on top of and grate into the box. All very neat and clean. I have never used it.

I also have a spatter shield and a wok lid I never use.

Also:

Espresso maker
Bean pot
2 slow cookers
2 warming trays

If I got up and went into the back room, I could make a longer list.

 

[GB]

My indoor electric grill and my rice maker have been used one or twice tops and will never be used by me again.

 

[Alix]

Alix - those smoothie makers REALLY do a great job. Better than a very expensive blender in getting all the ice chopped up so it's smooth and doesn't have those annoying ice chunks in them.

I have been thinking about one, but I don't really use ice in mine. I just toss in a bunch of fruit, some vanilla yogurt and a bit of milk to smooth it out. That is the only way my family wants them. I am thinking of putting one on my wish list for Christmas though. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[pdswife]

I have a cheap stand mixer that I got for
filling out a survey once... I've used it once but can't
make myself toss it. I MAY need it again one day.

I only use my blender two or three times a year but when
I need it I need it. So, can't get rid of that.

I have three nut crackers that are still in the package they came
in. I never buy whole nuts any more. The shelled ones are so
much easier. I could use them with crab to crack the shells
but I don't remember ever buying crab in the shell.

I also have a few garlic mincers thingy bobbers... they never did
work too well... can't seem to throw them away.

The electric wak, electric frypan get used maybe once a year and take up
way more room than they are worth!!

And when we moved in to our last house the people we bought it from
left us the broiler pan that had come with the oven when they bought it.
We brought it to this house two years aga and it's still brand new. Still in it's
plastic wrap that the factory workers put it in. I have a million bowls and only use
the small medium and largest ones... time for a garage sale.

 

[urmaniac13]

The Onion chopper. I found it much faster and easier using our handy blender on the lowest setting, and it has much less pieces to wash afterwards.

 

[kitchenelf]

I have been thinking about one, but I don't really use ice in mine. I just toss in a bunch of fruit, some vanilla yogurt and a bit of milk to smooth it out. That is the only way my family wants them. I am thinking of putting one on my wish list for Christmas though. Thanks for the reminder!

You will still love it. A friend bought one of those $200 professional jobs and it doesn't work as well as the smoothie maker - I think you will love it.

I only use 1/2 cup of ice in my smoothies and the chunks are big so it's not much at all - mmmm - I think I'll go make a smoothie!

 

[AllenOK]

Don't get me started....

One of those rubber tubes for peeling garlic. Way easier to lay the flat side of my chef's knife on the clove and tap it lightly.

Numerous little gadgets, like a pastry blend (handheld thingy to cut fat into flour), a small knife for Parmesan cheese, and other stuff that I can't think of.

My old Atlas pasta machine. I never used it enough.

My terra cotta garlic roaster. Just as easy to use a small pan.

 

[Andy M.]

...My terra cotta garlic roaster. Just as easy to use a small pan.

I forgot I have one of those! Sis got me one as a gag. I use foil.

 

[corazon]

Got a nice slow cooker for a gift two years ago but have never used it and a dehydrator DH won't let me get rid of.

 

[tancowgirl2000]

I couldnt think of anything cuz all my stuff has been in storage for 2 months but I have spring form pan things, and endless gadgets, cuz well I might use them one day....I have two electric hand mixers, a big electric mixer, I use these often enough and I could never live without my electric frier.....I dont know why I have an elecrtric wok, nor a bread maker....I have more "lids" then I do tupperware and I have more pie pans then Ill ever use...I just dont make pies.....

 

[janetGood]

One of those coffee makers that you pour the hot water in then push down, I just keep it for camping or if the power goes out I can boil water on the wood stove, I must have coffee.

 

[amcardon]

Maybe I'm cheap or something, I dunno. I will only buy something if I absolutely know I will use it. Usually this means that I really could have used it at least 10 times recently and am now willing to spend the money... Some things I'm getting ready to purchase are a pasta machine, a scale, larger food processor... I dunno, we'll see what I actually end up getting.

Some things that I don't know what I would do without are my Wusthof Santuko, my silpats, microplane, stick blender, and some little things like my silicone spatulas and basting brushes...

I swear, we should set up a "trading post" in here where people can trade the things they never use for the gadget collecting dust in somebody else's kitchen!

 

[kitchenelf]

Maybe I'm cheap or something, I dunno. I will only buy something if I absolutely know I will use it. Usually this means that I really could have used it at least 10 times recently and am now willing to spend the money... Some things I'm getting ready to purchase are a pasta machine, a scale, larger food processor... I dunno, we'll see what I actually end up getting.

Some things that I don't know what I would do without are my Wusthof Santuko, my silpats, microplane, stick blender, and some little things like my silicone spatulas and basting brushes...

I swear, we should set up a "trading post" in here where people can trade the things they never use for the gadget collecting dust in somebody else's kitchen!

A trading post is in the works - just need to fine tune it.

 

[purrfectlydevine]

An assortment of gadgets over the years. They don't take up much space so.....
Pasta pot-the kind with a perforated insert that you can lift out to drain the pasta. It seemed to me that you could cook only a small amount of pasta without having a boil-over. I have a number of appliances that I only use 2 or 3 times a year. I think if I had the space to leave them on the counter or store them where I could easily get to them, I would use them more often.

 

[mudbug]

Having gadgets, appliances, etc. ready to hand would make a big difference to me as well.

I think the deep fryer thing was the last item I got rid of because I never used it.