Gadgets

I was thinking about the things in my kitchen that I really use, the things I would miss in a non-electric world.

Right at the top is my egg cooker. I'm the only person I know who has one and I adore it. The perfect gadget for someone with attention span issues- it turns itself off. T1 & T2 can operate it (they can also do their own laundry and T1 has recently learned to fry eggs). This little beauty does hard boiled eggs, soft boiled eggs and poached eggs. It makes a huge difference in my ability to get everyone out the door on time in the morning. I can use the poacher setting with a little extra water to turn out egg salad in five minutes with no egg peeling. It makes perfect medium cooked eggs for use in the bento molds. Best part: having soft boiled eggs often gives me an excuse to make egg cozies. Like these....








OK. Enough Cute. Back to appliances...


Number two on my list is the Rice cooker and it is a very close second. I borrowed one a few years ago assuming that it was just totally unnecessary and a waste of kitchen space and money. It was love at first steam. The one I first used was a Zojirushi, the Cadillac of rice cookers. I loved it, looked at the price, and promptly bought a Sanyo on Ebay for 1/3 the cost. It has served me well for nearly 3 years.

In a pot, I cannot make brown rice that anyone in my family will eat under any amount of duress. In the cooker, we all eat it happily. It makes perfect sushi rice. It makes cheaters risotto. It makes barley risotto. It makes soup. It has a timer! I can fill it with oats, water, sweetener and butter the night before, set the timer and we wake up to hot breakfast. However, Farina does not work this way- you get a 2 part mess of slimy water on top and slimy cement-like glop on the bottom. I can set it in the morning to have hot rice ready at 5 & it will be kept warm until I need it. Love my rice cooker.





Next on the list is my grinder. The whispermill died last winter and we started looking into replacing it. I would have just bought another one since they are supposed to be the best on the market. HM started researching- if it has a motor he will research it- and had me look at the KoMo line. I had never seen them before and had a few doubts but the reviews were excellent and it was just so pretty. It wasn't plastic and replacement parts can be ordered for simple repairs, the motor shipped back for a rebuild if ever needed. Greener, better looking, more versatile, quieter...and more expensive. I was inclined to be cheap but HM was strongly in favor of spending a little more for better quality so we did. I love my KoMo. It was worth every penny.

Here's a big jump from paying top dollar for great quality to buying what you can afford: The food processor. Last summer I had a rebate from Fred Meyer and they had a 20% sale going at the time when I went to Pyrah's U-Pick and brought home 50 lbs of carrots, 40 lbs of Zucchini, and 20 lbs of other veggies. I needed the food processor or the veggies were going to rot before I waded through them all. With my coupons and rebate, I paid about $60 for a cheapy 12 cup Oster and, looking back, wish I had done it sooner. It makes prepping veg and making short crusts a breeze. Much better than the blender for pesto.

Last on my list is the Bosch Mixer. It's ten years old now and has given good service but I have to say that I just don't love it. Its ugly and I'm not a fan of the center post. The planetary gear is going and when it does I think I'll just go to a Kitchenaid. A beautiful retro aqua one that I can leave on the counter and smile at when I walk past. Or maybe a Fire Engine Red one since they can be had with the larger motor. But the Bosch still gets a very regular work out. Bread. cookies. birthday cakes. macaroons.



The only things that I think I want are a dehydrator and a meat grinder. I don't know for sure that I would love a dehydrator enough to justify its cost so that will have to be a yard sale or craigslist find. The meat grinder will have to wait for the Kitchenaid unless I find a manual one cheap at a yard sale too.

What do you use most? What's on your wish list?