Kitchen Gadgets that aren't shit - Things they say you'll use everyday but you actually use them every day

[NyQuilninja]

I have a big ol' pyrex thing that I use as such, especially cutting up big cuts of meats and seasoning them

I find lining them with silicone mats makes needing and rolling dough easier as well breading chicken. Hate getting flour everywhere the glass pyrex glass dish would work wonders like you said there very deep and nonstick

 

[Poppavalyim Andropoff]

these burger press things.

 

[Bassomatic]

Mama Basso is a big cook and I got her some mini spaculas as a moms day gift mostly as a gag. She's like this is gonna work on single cook pots help scoop out of mustard jars etc. So mini spaculas are cool. Plus super cute.

 

[Mr. Skeltal]

The Kitchen Aid stand mixer is probably the best one. I'm still collecting the attachments but I have the pasta roller and spaghetti/fettuccine cutters and they have opened my eyes to homemade pasta.
Aside from pasta it's good for any kind of baking prep. I've made everything from sourdough to tapioca pudding using that thing.

 

[High Hedgie]

I have a skillet like this that I use for darn near everything. It is deep enough that can use it as a sauce pan if I'm just making enough for me, or I can use it as an actual skillet. I love the glass lid for boiling and steaming. I actually would say I use it for making dinner 4 out of 5 nights. I got anodized aluminum and it browns chicken and pork chops like a dream, and doesn't do too bad on steaks either when I don't feel like firing up my little grill. I've never had another pan that I use as much as this one. My enameled cast iron dutch oven would come in second, but I think I like this one more because it's not as heavy and I find I use it more because it's not as deep.

 

[Tuxedo_Zemus]

Do they even sell Slap Chops anymore? I remember seeing that and immediately thinking that I would use it quite a bit, as I do a fair bit of dicing.

 

[AnOminous]

Do they even sell Slap Chops anymore? I remember seeing that and immediately thinking that I would use it quite a bit, as I do a fair bit of dicing.

It's cheap and chintzy, works for maybe a few uses before the blades dull, and shit gets stuck in it, too. Also it's flimsily constructed and will probably break even if you don't get sick of it before it does.

 

[Tuxedo_Zemus]

It's cheap and chintzy, works for maybe a few uses before the blades dull, and shit gets stuck in it, too. Also it's flimsily constructed and will probably break even if you don't get sick of it before it does.

Shit, I figured there would be a problem with the blade.

 

[NyQuilninja]

Do they even sell Slap Chops anymore? I remember seeing that and immediately thinking that I would use it quite a bit, as I do a fair bit of dicing.

Pampered chef has one and I use it all the time because well fuck cutting onions.
I just got a french press and thus far for under 2o$ it has been worth it. My coffee has never tasted better.

 

[Tuxedo_Zemus]

Pampered chef has one and I use it all the time because well fuck cutting onions.
I just got a french press and thus far for under 2o$ it has been worth it. My coffee has never tasted better.

How long have you had it, and how's the blade? I'd love to not cut onions or peppers again.

 

[AnOminous]

Pampered chef has one and I use it all the time because well fuck cutting onions.
I just got a french press and thus far for under 2o$ it has been worth it. My coffee has never tasted better.

Yeah there are things that do the Slap Chop style thing better than the chintzy Vince Offer shit. My problem with any of them though is you still have to chop the onion into sizes that fit under it. So at that point I'm already getting onion tears and I already have a perfectly fine onion chopper in my hand. Why mess with the gadget?

 

[NyQuilninja]

How long have you had it, and how's the blade? I'd love to not cut onions or peppers again.

Food Chopper

The solution to tear-free onion chopping! The stainless rotating blades uniformly chops veggies, nuts, and cooked meat. The cap doubles as a chopping board.

www.pamperedchef.com

Had for over years still sharp as day one works for all kinds stuff even soft meat

Yeah there are things that do the Slap Chop style thing better than the chintzy Vince Offer shit. My problem with any of them though is you still have to chop the onion into sizes that fit under it. So at that point I'm already getting onion tears and I already have a perfectly fine onion chopper in my hand. Why mess with the gadget?

Cut the onion in half place the cut side facing down then quarter. The chopper is great when you need to get the onion diced and several other items. It makes the prep work for omelets so much easier

 

[High Hedgie]

Do they even sell Slap Chops anymore? I remember seeing that and immediately thinking that I would use it quite a bit, as I do a fair bit of dicing.

Yes, on Amazon under different names. I have one and use it all the time for salads. The one I got also has a top to the tub underneath that is a mandolin and is awesome as well. I use the hell out of that thing.

ETA - I was thinking of something different...this thing...

 

[Screw Danlon]

I bought an Oster pro 1200 blender, and that thing is so much better than the old $20 blender I‘ve had with me since my first apartment. I had never really expected that there would be advances in blender tech.

 

[Old Wizard]

I'm a little unsure of what counts as an gadget vs a normal tool/appliance but I would say
Microplane- one of those "you can do it with a knife, but it takes more time" tools
Potato peeler- faster, takes less of the actual potato than a knife
Spice grinder- new toy. grinding spices fresh (and toasting them, if necessary) really takes things to the next level. Great value- cheap and useful

I don't have a kitchenaid but I hear they're amazing. I'd be interested in getting some kind of automatic cheese grater if that's a thing- a traditional one is good for topping food off but when parmesean is an actual ingredient in a recipe and you need a lot of it, it can be difficult. I also have the worlds dullest grater.
Mandolins freak me the fuck out. Not what the thread is about but you couldn't pay me to use one. I've seen enough fingers with a chunk missing to rightfully fear that thing.

 

[Matthew216]

How long have you had it, and how's the blade? I'd love to not cut onions or peppers again.

We’ve got one of those from pampered chef. We’ve had it for years, if not decades (really, it’s been in the cabinet so long I don’t remember when we got it). It still works great!

 

[annikaguts]

A dehydrator. Makes it easy to dry herbs and meats.

Can you recommend a brand/model ?

I'd love a stand mixer with a dough attachment... thingy... the thing that kneads dough.
I love making bread but my bread machine is on it's last legs

I'm reading through this thread years later, and I have no idea if you're still here, but these dough whisks are great for making bread. Once you do it by hand, you will probably never go back to a bread machine.

 

[reptile baht spaniard rid]

A really expensive blender is a godsend if you blend. And of course fuck vitamix and ride or die with the will it blend guy and get blendtec.

Kitchen shears are the most amazing thing ever. Just scissors for cutting shit, works wonders in many cases - like pizza. Just make sure they easily come apart for washing.

 

[Poppavalyim Andropoff]

someone gave me this can strainer thing a few months ago
I've spent a lifetime opening a can a little bit, pouring out shit, then open the rest.
Now I'm just zinging that lid off in 1 go and out the liquid goes.

 

[I mean I'm just saying]

A while ago I bought an Instant (of Pot fame) brand "Electric Dutch Oven" on a deep discount around when the company filed for bankruptcy.



There's already rightful praise in this thread for for "Large pot on a hotplate as a small countertop appliance" devices:

This will change your life. I have it and love it.

I love my Ninja crockpot because it can brown everything that I need it to before switching to slow cooking mode.

Having a small countertop device which can perform a decent sear, saute, and slow cook is incredibly useful, and a multi-cooker sets itself apart from a pure slow cooker simply with the ability to saute/sear your ingredients in the same pan you slow-cook in. Even if other appliances like the big boy oven can do most of the same jobs better, there's still value in having an extra space to cook multiple things in parallel.

What makes this specific device special is that its insert is a complete enameled dutch oven (admittedly of middling-at-best quality) which isn't limited to the base it comes in. It seems like a small thing, but the ability to move the pot to different surfaces lets this otherwise cheap and limited countertop appliance punch above its weight. The heating element in the base is a tad weak for things like high-temp searing, so in that case I routinely take out the pot and put it on another device with a stronger burner like the oven range for that initial sear before moving the whole pot back into the base for a quiet overnight slow cook. If I start a pot roast and find it's filling the dutch oven to the brim, I'll stick it in the oven for the slow cook to heat from all directions instead of just the bottom. When the base eventually breaks or I otherwise don't feel like using it anymore, the pot inside will outlive it and still be useful for years to come.

The ability to dial in a temperature is very nice, offering granular control even if the temperature is almost certainly not very accurate to the true temperature of what's inside- no need to be at the whims of what the manufacturer decides is "low" and "high".

In my experience with both this and an Instant Pot, this dutch oven does searing, sauteing and slow-cooking significantly better at the cost of being able to pressure cook. Personally, I'm pulling this out way more often because I don't find myself actually pressure cooking that often outside of the occasional batch of beans or rice. I love slowly stewed fatty cuts and pressure cooking usually falls short of the lovely fall-apart texture I'm looking for.

I doubt there's anything special about it being Instant brand, in fact I'd say the software is acceptable but a bit janky. If you're interested in this kind of multi-cooker device and don't care much about pressure cooking, I highly recommend looking across different for an "electric dutch oven" or any other multi-cooker with a removable dutch oven insert and ideally granular temperature control.