Kitchen Toys

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vilasman1

Senior Cook
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
152
While I know there are always new and interesting kichen gadgets to get, have any of you ever gotten to the point where you looked around your kitchen and you had your knives and your kitchen aids and such and were like, I;ve got all my toys , now i've got to go grocercy shopping and actually cook something
 

Michael in FtW

Master Chef
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Messages
6,592
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Yep! :oops:

On the other hand - how many kitchen toys have you bought that you've never used? One I just ran across last night was my Joyce Chen dumpling maker ... it looked like a winner when I bought it but I've discovered it's far easier to make them by hand than cut the dough and try to get it to fit into the dizmo to make the dumplings. Garlic press was another waste of money ...
 

jkath

Hospitality Queen
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
11,447
Location
Southern California
I have yet to use my pierogi cutter...
but my feemster slicer is it, for me. (Mom's had one since I was a wee one, so I assume they've been around forever.)
 

southerncook

Senior Cook
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
273
Location
louisiana
My Favorite toys are the kitchenaid mixer, an emulsion mixer, my madoline, and my cuisinart 1/2 blender 1/2 chopper combo...I've given the large cuisinart away. This is a lot easier...now if I had the kitchen of my dreams, I'd have room for everything, but I cannot stand the stuff out on the counter, so it has to have a place to live., for me, smaller, better.
And I cook a lot, and do large parties...Just do it twice.
 

choclatechef

Washing Up
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
1,680
Location
USA
I think I love kitchen toys more than I love cooking! They just fascinate me! :shock:

I have got to stop somewhere! They are taking over! :roll:
 

Audeo

Head Chef
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
1,871
Location
USA,Texas
Michael in FtW said:
Hold the Don Perion - choclatechef is dizzy enough from playing with her toys! :LOL:

Now, haven't we already established that this would be HIS toys..???
 

AllenOK

Executive Chef
Joined
Aug 25, 2004
Messages
3,463
Location
USA, Oklahoma
I'm actually on the other side of the question. I'm looking at "What do I get rid of next?" I've purchased A LOT of gadgets over the years. Some I used, some I didn't use, most I haven't used in years. When I moved from OK to MI, I actually threw away about half of my gadgets, as I hadn't used them in years and they were taking up space.

I have an idea. Tell me what kind of gadget you have or want to get, and I'll tell you how to get around not having it. It's kind of amazing what you can do with some basic tools.
 

GB

Chief Eating Officer
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
25,510
Location
USA,Massachusetts
I have gotten better at realizing which gadgets I will use and which will sit in the drawer collecting dust BEFORE I buy them now. I love gadgets though and it is hard to resist some of them.
 

buckytom

Chef Extraordinaire
Joined
Aug 19, 2004
Messages
21,935
Location
My mountain
i lost the little beater arm for my breadmaker, so now i have one more gadget that just collects dust. i'll have to get around to getting the model # so i can buy a replacement, so at least it will be a functioning bredamaker collecting dust.
 

Juliev

Washing Up
Joined
Sep 3, 2004
Messages
2,394
Location
USA
I like my boat motor.. and I use my George Foreman alot.. comes in handy with an apartment.
 

mish

Washing Up
Joined
Oct 4, 2004
Messages
4,355
Must admit I'm a softie when it comes to buying cooking gadgets & gizmos. I'm contemplating purchasing these handy-dandy food injectors. Has anyone tried them? Any interesting ideas?

Although, this is not a new idea, I watched many interesting ways to add more flavor to foods in a presentation on qvc. The product is for liquid & solid food injectors. You can inject liquids like lemon or orange juice into chicken, etc. The solid injector will hold garlic, cranberrys, sun dried tomatoes, basil, etc. for roasts, turkey, ham etc.

On the demo, a roast was made on a rotisserie (I think w a rub on the outside), & after slicing you could see the bits of garlic, sundried tomatoes & basil/pesto. Thought this would perk up holiday dishes, the big bird, ham, etc. Any thoughts? (Please, talk me out of it?)
 

JohnL

Head Chef
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
1,191
Location
USA,Maryland
I only have two gadgets that I no longer use,
One is a shaved ice maker (the type that you put a frozen block of fruit juice/ koolaid/ect.. in) and an electric grilled sandwich maker, (sort of a press with compartments, where you place two slices of bread in and insert your favorite fillings). I used both when my children were small and lived at home but I haven't used them since.
Wanted to get rid of them, but I figured I might break them out one day for grandchildren, (if I'm lucky) :D
 

norgeskog

Washing Up
Joined
Aug 28, 2004
Messages
3,615
Location
Eugene, Oregon
I have been to so many yard sales and flea markets I have lost count. I love to rummage through all that old stuff. I have a collection of kitchen gadgets/toys/tools on display on a book shelf in my kitchen and some arranged artfully on the wall. I do not use these, just for show. Quite a number of them I have no idea what they possibly be used for. One a friend figured out as a cheese grater, it is 4x6 inches and about 1/2 inch thick with a frame with two legs on the bottom and a handle on top. There are about six pieces of bamboo with teeth on them on both sides. Guess the grater is a good use for it. These gadgets get lot of attention from my friends.
 

choclatechef

Washing Up
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
1,680
Location
USA
Michael in FtW said:
Hold the Don Perion - choclatechef is dizzy enough from playing with her toys! :LOL:

Michael, you are so right!

It is truly pathetic when seeing an old carbon steel forged knife -- especially Sabatier, or a rare Hobart/Kitchenaid mixer or attachment makes your heart palpatate!

Lord knows I salivate over thick heavy copper pots, and go into a fever over a wanting that vintage Copco enameled cast iron oval casserole!

I truly love my kitchen toys! I need to win the lottery!
 

Juliev

Washing Up
Joined
Sep 3, 2004
Messages
2,394
Location
USA
norgeskog said:
I have been to so many yard sales and flea markets I have lost count. I love to rummage through all that old stuff. I have a collection of kitchen gadgets/toys/tools on display on a book shelf in my kitchen and some arranged artfully on the wall. I do not use these, just for show. Quite a number of them I have no idea what they possibly be used for. One a friend figured out as a cheese grater, it is 4x6 inches and about 1/2 inch thick with a frame with two legs on the bottom and a handle on top. There are about six pieces of bamboo with teeth on them on both sides. Guess the grater is a good use for it. These gadgets get lot of attention from my friends.

That is a neat idea.. to display vintage kitchen gadgets. I love going to garage sales/flea markets. You never know what you'll find!
 

Michael in FtW

Master Chef
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Messages
6,592
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Mish, if you've got a friend who is a nurse/paramedic/physician then they "might" be able to help you procure a large 10-50cc syringe and a large bore needle 3"-4" in length. That's really all the liquid injector is. I know I've seen these liquid injectors at the grocery store for fairly cheap prices (under $5).

As for the "solids" injector, which really is for injecting a thick puree - a couple of workarounds here. If you have one of those cookie press/cake decorating sets you can use that - just use a plain round tip to inset into the hole you've made. Or, the method I use, is a plain round pastry tip and a pastry bag - that way I have a choice of tip sizes and can thus make a thicker or thinner puree as I wish.

For packing in more solid material ... diced sun dried tomatoes, garlic, etc. - make a trip to the hardware store and get some wooden dowel rods in various diameters (the sizes you will be needing depending on how large of holes you're going to make) and use them to stuff with.
 

runninduo

Senior Cook
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
197
Location
USA,California
I bought a ice cream sandwich maker/storage unit.

basically, it's a round cooking cutter so the cookies come out evenly. then it has a cylinder to store the cookies. i was sure I'd use it this summer, but didn't. I'm glad I returned the $16 one I saw at Williams-Sonoma and got a $5 one from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

I try to get things as I need them.

Oh......I bought a tart pan that needs to be initiated. Anyone have any good tart recipes (that don't include custard).

Thanks.
 

cafeandy

Senior Cook
Joined
Aug 25, 2004
Messages
136
Location
alvin, tx
jkath said:
I have yet to use my pierogi cutter...
but my feemster slicer is it, for me. (Mom's had one since I was a wee one, so I assume they've been around forever.)

what's a feemster slicer...or have i been sucked into a joke? i use my pierogi cutter to make little bitty fried pies.
 
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