Best Kitchen Gadgets / Cooking Appliances

I want to know from people what they see as the most useful kitchen gadgets or cooking appliances.

I've been hearing a lot about air fryers lately, and how they produce such nice results similar to frying, but without needing any oil (or at least needing very little of it).
Another one I've heard a lot of good things about are digital pressure cookers, like Instant Pot. They allow meals to be cooked faster while staying juicier.

Sous-vide cooking is also another good one, particularly for meat, because it allows meat to be cooked at precise temperatures for longer periods, and is supposed to give great results in an error-proof way.



I'd like to know if anybody has any of these, and can give the pro's and cons from their own experience.


What other gadgets/appliances are worth having, and why?

sanman said:

I want to know from people what they see as the most useful kitchen gadgets or cooking appliances.

I've been hearing a lot about air fryers lately, and how they produce such nice results similar to frying, but without needing any oil (or at least needing very little of it).
Another one I've heard a lot of good things about are digital pressure cookers, like Instant Pot. They allow meals to be cooked faster while staying juicier.

Sous-vide cooking is also another good one, particularly for meat, because it allows meat to be cooked at precise temperatures for longer periods, and is supposed to give great results in an error-proof way.



I'd like to know if anybody has any of these, and can give the pro's and cons from their own experience.


What other gadgets/appliances are worth having, and why?

Click to expand...

A good pressure cooker.

Details to follow.

Crock pot. We use ours a lot. One of the things you need to be careful about is that a lot of the new ones will boil even at the lowest setting. We wanted a larger one, and bought it, but it doesn't work properly, so it just sits in the cellar.

I use my Aerolatter frother every day. It's perfect for mixing hot cocoa (not that horrid kid stuff), for whipping up hot milk for espresso, or for matcha.

https://www.amazon.com/aerolatte-De...=1538408129&sr=8-9&keywords=aerolatte+frother

Basically this depends on your ambitions in the cooking arena. Our Cuisinart broke, we have to replace it. We have a good stand mixer, but it's for making things from scratch.

You need a good cast iron fry pan, get one about 12 inches wide, or bigger.

This is a terrific, and cheap, coffee maker. Just remember that good coffee is 90% of the battle with coffee.

https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coff...1g9MexOT8L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

Find an old Joy of Cooking. Needs to be 20 or 30 years old, they changed it, and the newer ones aren't very good.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-lis...qid=1538408763&sr=8-1&keywords=joy+of+cooking

Fledermaus said:

A good pressure cooker.

Details to follow.

Click to expand...

Have you heard of Instant Pot? It's a pretty famous appliance that's become a hit.

There's another new one that's recently come out, called the Ninja Foodi - it's both a pressure cooker and an air fryer:

"Mental image" of my appliances used in order of frequency - first one the most, last one the least:

basic coffee machine, toaster, pressure cooker, hand mixer, micro wave, blender, crock pot

appliances that haven't been used in the last 10 years and I think they have to go soon (grin): bread machine, rice cooker, pizza turn table, dry popcorn popper

sanman said:

I want to know from people what they see as the most useful kitchen gadgets or cooking appliances.

I've been hearing a lot about air fryers lately, and how they produce such nice results similar to frying, but without needing any oil (or at least needing very little of it).
Another one I've heard a lot of good things about are digital pressure cookers, like Instant Pot. They allow meals to be cooked faster while staying juicier.

Sous-vide cooking is also another good one, particularly for meat, because it allows meat to be cooked at precise temperatures for longer periods, and is supposed to give great results in an error-proof way.



I'd like to know if anybody has any of these, and can give the pro's and cons from their own experience.


What other gadgets/appliances are worth having, and why?

Click to expand...

Ive got one called the Joule, its pretty nice and you can control it with your smart phone

Barnacle said:

"Mental image" of my appliances used in order of frequency - first one the most, last one the least:

basic coffee machine, toaster, pressure cooker, hand mixer, micro wave, blender, crock pot

appliances that haven't been used in the last 10 years and I think they have to go soon (grin): bread machine, rice cooker, pizza turn table, dry popcorn popper

Click to expand...

Rice cooker gets used at least once a week. Bread machine hasn't seen light of day since President Obama was on his first term. Dry popcorn popper got 86'ed during Reagan years.

Fledermaus said:

A good pressure cooker.

Details to follow.

Click to expand...

While that's true and they're AMAZING when appropriate, and I'm guilty of that myself, the whole "OMG WE EVEN USE THEM TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER SAMMICHES!!!!" as portrayed in the commercials remains a fantasy.

My choice would be either an immersion blender or mebbe something as cheap as a $20 mandolin.

Drip coffee maker and microwave are used the most. I use the stand mixer a lot (even to make mashed potatoes).

sanman said:

I want to know from people what they see as the most useful kitchen gadgets or cooking appliances.

I've been hearing a lot about air fryers lately, and how they produce such nice results similar to frying, but without needing any oil (or at least needing very little of it).
Another one I've heard a lot of good things about are digital pressure cookers, like Instant Pot. They allow meals to be cooked faster while staying juicier.

Sous-vide cooking is also another good one, particularly for meat, because it allows meat to be cooked at precise temperatures for longer periods, and is supposed to give great results in an error-proof way.



I'd like to know if anybody has any of these, and can give the pro's and cons from their own experience.


What other gadgets/appliances are worth having, and why?

Click to expand...

About 7 years ago, since I saw an ad on TV, I was absolutely entraced by the idea of a kitchen countertop deep fryer.

Got one. Even named it: "Duke Mungle". Long story.

Used it THREE times, and each time was utterly delicious and each time progressively showed me how stupid it was to have one.

Pierogis. Just fantastic, almost like kreplachs, esp. if you had apple sauce, sour cream and grilled onions.
Bacon wrapped game-meat sausages: really good, but nothing you couldn't do in an iron skillet. Just quicker because they're immersed in boiling oil.
Homemade sweet potatoe 'tater tots': good, and delicious, but it could have been done in an oven.

Thing is, you end up with this HUGE reservoir of oil that you have to use before it goes rancid, and it's full of breading you have to skim out, bits of things from your last attempt, etc...

Then, what do you do with that oil?

Tanngrisnir said:

While that's true and they're AMAZING when appropriate, and I'm guilty of that myself, the whole "OMG WE EVEN USE THEM TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER SAMMICHES!!!!" as portrayed in the commercials remains a fantasy.

My choice would be either an immersion blender or mebbe something as cheap as a $20 mandolin.

Click to expand...

Got a mandolin about the time my daughters moved out.

It is sleeping on top of bread maker.

fledermaus said:

got a mandolin about the time my daughters moved out.

It is sleeping on top of bread maker.

Click to expand...

why do you hate cooking, you commie bastid???!?!?!!??

Tanngrisnir said:

why do you hate cooking, you commie bastid???!?!?!!??

Click to expand...

I love cooking. I hate cleaning the toys. :lol:

Air fryer - Got one. It works pretty good for most of the pre-fried stuff you get out of a bag such as chicken patties. I wouldn’t call it a regular use item.

Clam shell grill - I’ve got one like a Foreman grill but it’s some other brand. Works pretty well for flat stuff but not so much for stuff that isn’t a uniform thickness. Makes a good panini press.

Kureig coffee maker - use it all the time

As a life long amateur chef, a gourmand, not a gourmet, who has taken cooking classes in France, Italy, Spain, Austria and my native NYC over the years, this is a topic close to my heart. I've also compiled and edited more than a dozen cook books that still sell well, some older than 20 years. I'm not going to respond with a single reply but a number of different replies for different subject matters. Keep in mind, many of the tools I will recommend can be expensive, but they do not have to be hard on the pockets. There is nothing wrong with tag sales, estate sales, restaurant liquidations and so on. The key is training the eye to recognize quality products beneath the patina and accumulated dirt and carbonization of time.

With a few rare exceptions, I avoid all trendy electronic devices advertised on late night and cable TV. Per example air fryers, formerly known as oven crispers. Basically a large rectangular mesh basket with a matching drip tray underneath, used for centuries in ovens to reduce the costs of expensive cooking oils while using high temperatures to seal in juices of whatever was being cooked. A high quality toaster oven/convection oven costing about $60 and capable of reaching 500-550 degrees will do the trick with far greater diverse uses, requiring only the addition of an airfare/crisper tray and basket for between $15-20 instead of those inexpensive $29 payments for six months. I use my toaster oven almost daily, even if it is just for toast. Nothing better for heating prepare dishes, your own or commercial bought, or open faced cheese melt sandwiches the grandkids love and eat if you tell them it is some kind of pizza. 1/2 a bagel, a touch of mustard, a slice of ham, a thin slice of tomato, a touch of oregano, 2 different cheeses and toast for about 4-5 minutes until the cheese melts, let cool a bit, slice into quarters and the kids, particularly the picky eaters, eat.

Next

Cast iron skillet.

OK..thats not an 'appliance.' So...microwave. Rice cooker. The ever taken for granted dishwasher.

Tanngrisnir said:

While that's true and they're AMAZING when appropriate, and I'm guilty of that myself, the whole "OMG WE EVEN USE THEM TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER SAMMICHES!!!!" as portrayed in the commercials remains a fantasy.

My choice would be either an immersion blender or mebbe something as cheap as a $20 mandolin.

Click to expand...

2nd on the immersion blender. Used very often, especially in soups such as creamy potato, split pea, squash, black bean etc.

Tanngrisnir said:

why do you hate cooking, you commie bastid???!?!?!!??

Click to expand...

:lol: I now have to second fledermaus's take on mandolins. I got one thinking it'd be useful, needs to hit a garage sale soon. Funny thing about bread makers. My sis in law bought us one as a gift about 10 years ago and never used it, gave it to goodwill unopened.

Oh, get a citrus squeezer, especially if one likes to make cocktails at home.

VanceMack said:

Cast iron skillet.

OK..thats not an 'appliance.' So...microwave. Rice cooker. The ever taken for granted dishwasher.

Click to expand...

IDK if I'd refer to the Mrs. as an appliance, taken for granted, sure. :2razz:

sanman said:

What other gadgets/appliances are worth having, and why?

Click to expand...

As far as appliances, induction cooktop. I've had mine for about 5 years, will never, ever use anything else again. Also gives one a good excuse to buy new cookware.

One thing I have taken for granted - automatic can opener.

I'm in transition from old house to new house and in the meanwhile for some reason the automatic can opener didn't make the transition house cut. I thought, it's okay I can open cans by hand for a couple months and even use that expensive can opener someone gave me years ago. Never again! Not only is it not intended for left handed people but it's a pain in the ass to open a can by hand.

Winchester said:

:lol: I now have to second fledermaus's take on mandolins. I got one thinking it'd be useful, needs to hit a garage sale soon. Funny thing about bread makers. My sis in law bought us one as a gift about 10 years ago and never used it, gave it to goodwill unopened.

Click to expand...

WTF?!!! Has DP become a haven for an AMERICA HATING MARXIST ANTI-COOKING CABAL?!!?

Fine. We'll just agree on immersions and leave the mandolins for bluegrass players and people who need to slice large amounts of the same thing for big dishes.

And, yes, bread makers are a scam perpetuated on the unknowing. Complete waste of time and it obviates the need to actually learn baking skills, which, to me, at least, is like not knowing how to change a tire, hang/true a door, sew on a button, clean a gun, make an omelet, build a fire, etc...

If someone's a man and he can't do stuff like that, he needs to get life lessons, pronto.

Winchester said:

As far as appliances, induction cooktop. I've had mine for about 5 years, will never, ever use anything else again. Also gives one a good excuse to buy new cookware.

Click to expand...

Oh, yeah. We bought two Nu-Wave cooktops a few years ago, and they are amazing. Haven't actually used our relatively nice range/stove in all that time.

Slow cooker- if you want things easy, just chop all the ingredients and stick it in there.
Blender/food processor- essential for making hummus, smoothies and gazpacho.

And a whisk- pretty much required for sauces.