Favourite kitchen gadget?

acpgee
acpgee Posts: 7,965 Member
edited November 27 in Recipes
I recently bought a cherry pitter, which I mostly use on olives for pasta sauces like puttaneca. Works great and is much easier to operate than expected.

Also swear by the instant read meat thermometer I bought last year which takes all the guess work out of roasts and BBQs.

Do you have a gadget to recommend?
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Replies

  • B23_Kate
    B23_Kate Posts: 24 Member
    I like my zester. I use it to zest orange, lemon, and lime peel and I use them to flavor my recipes.
  • hapa11
    hapa11 Posts: 182 Member
    I love my immersion blender.
  • layanqui
    layanqui Posts: 13 Member
    I'm really into my julienne peeler that I bought last year. I use it to finely shred veggies for stir fries and for tacos. I've been meaning to get an instant read thermometer for a while. It's on my wish list. :)
  • vegmebuff
    vegmebuff Posts: 31,389 Member
    Mandeline definitely...I use it for just about every meal I make
  • U2R2
    U2R2 Posts: 260 Member
    Might be my apple corer/slicer. One push apple ready to eat, ingenius.
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,595 Member
    My immersion blender! I use it a couple of times a day (protein shakes with fruit and ice).
  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
    Mandoline, spiralizer and meat thermometer.
  • RenaTX
    RenaTX Posts: 345 Member
    So many. I love gadgets. My garlic press maybe the tool I use the most frequently however. I found a great one on Amazon that has a little gadget to clean it so it makes it easier to use. After that then maybe my Kitchenaid with all of it's attachments. I use the food processor attachment the most . Makes really short work of slicing, shredding etc. and it's so easy to clean up. No bowl so I place a bowl on top of my food scale and weigh things while using the food processor.
  • sytchequeen
    sytchequeen Posts: 526 Member
    I have to say it's my pressure cooker. It makes it so easy to produce meals quickly. Tonight I am making mongolian beef - once it's up to pressure it will take about 8 minutes cooking time, 10 minutes resting time, and the beef will be melt in the mouth tender. I used to wait until weekends to cook things like this, because of the time needed.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    I love my Hamilton Beach mini-food processor because I absolutely HATE chopping onions.
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    Egg poacher
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Mostly my knives...
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    My collection of jar openers.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited July 2018
    Not exactly a gadget, but I eat almost everything with a dinner spoon, specifically one spoon that was a gift from my grandmother when I was a child because I always commented how much I loved her spoons. It's the perfect size and shape. Most spoons are too large, too wide, too long, too shallow, too deep, or just don't have the right feel in my mouth. This old spoon with nothing written on it except "stainless steel" is better than anything I've been able to find, and I've looked a lot trying to find anything that remotely compares.

    It's the one in the middle with two other spoons for comparison. This shot was taken at night and the light makes them look yellow.
    jeun6207cj75.jpg

    Edited to add the photo. Forgot to add it.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    Instant pot, vitamix and mandolin slicer are among my favorites. Love my lemon juice handheld thingy too.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,899 Member
    Instant pot and vitamix....kitchen shears....food scale.
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    My digital meat thermometer gets used pretty much any time I'm cooking meat.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    My Nutribullet hands down. I use it everyday.

    Smoothies, sorbets, soups, banana "nice" cream, the base for my protein bars, juice (and strain most of the pulp), it grinds up my seeds and make powders and more.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    My knives?? :P Lol
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    My pizza wheel.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I also love having kitchen shears.
  • HeyJudii
    HeyJudii Posts: 264 Member
    Not really a "gadget" but,
    Ziploc baggies: They help me cut oil usage. If it calls for 2 tbsp, I place 1 Tbsp in the baggie, squish the baggie to smear it around to coat the inside of the bag, place whatever I am coating inside (usually veggies of some type, but it works for everything that calls for being drizzled or any other oil coating), close the bag and shake and swoosh the contents around until they are evenly coated.
    Roast/bake/saute/pan fry, as usual.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,965 Member
    HeyJudii wrote: »
    Not really a "gadget" but,
    Ziploc baggies: They help me cut oil usage. If it calls for 2 tbsp, I place 1 Tbsp in the baggie, squish the baggie to smear it around to coat the inside of the bag, place whatever I am coating inside (usually veggies of some type, but it works for everything that calls for being drizzled or any other oil coating), close the bag and shake and swoosh the contents around until they are evenly coated.
    Roast/bake/saute/pan fry, as usual.

    I do this too, Only I am cheap and just use supermarket plastic carrier bags to shake things in oil or coat in breadcrumbs instead of ziplocs.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,354 Member
    My handiest gadget is hands down my Cuisinart Air Fryer/Toaster Oven. It’s a counter top multi-function oven that does EVERYTHING! It has settings for the air fryer, toasting, warming, regular baking, regular broiling, convection baking and convection broiling. I use it for so many things—I can make a week’s worth of chicken breasts in under 15 minutes, toast to go with eggs, roast veggies, re-heat leftovers…just about any kitchen chore requiring heat can be done with this little guy. It cooks faster on lower heat settings and doesn’t usually need pre-heating, so it saves time and energy. I use it so often, I’ve probably only turned my big oven on once or twice since I got the Cuisinart back in April.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,965 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    My handiest gadget is hands down my Cuisinart Air Fryer/Toaster Oven. It’s a counter top multi-function oven that does EVERYTHING! It has settings for the air fryer, toasting, warming, regular baking, regular broiling, convection baking and convection broiling. I use it for so many things—I can make a week’s worth of chicken breasts in under 15 minutes, toast to go with eggs, roast veggies, re-heat leftovers…just about any kitchen chore requiring heat can be done with this little guy. It cooks faster on lower heat settings and doesn’t usually need pre-heating, so it saves time and energy. I use it so often, I’ve probably only turned my big oven on once or twice since I got the Cuisinart back in April.

    I love my air fryer too. Mine is the compact Phillips Viva. I use it for everything from grilled cheese sandwiches, to frozen spring rolls, to fish and chips, to chicken wings where the fat is rendered off so well that they taste deep fried, to Sunday roast beef or leg or rack of lamb with potatoes. I also use it for roast vegetables. At a lower temperature, I made a cherry clafoutis in it tonight. I bake lasagnas in the air fryer too.
  • HeyJudii
    HeyJudii Posts: 264 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    My handiest gadget is hands down my Cuisinart Air Fryer/Toaster Oven. It’s a counter top multi-function oven that does EVERYTHING! It has settings for the air fryer, toasting, warming, regular baking, regular broiling, convection baking and convection broiling. I use it for so many things—I can make a week’s worth of chicken breasts in under 15 minutes, toast to go with eggs, roast veggies, re-heat leftovers…just about any kitchen chore requiring heat can be done with this little guy. It cooks faster on lower heat settings and doesn’t usually need pre-heating, so it saves time and energy. I use it so often, I’ve probably only turned my big oven on once or twice since I got the Cuisinart back in April.

    Based on your rave review ;) I just bought one. Just used it too.

    Since I changed my eating habits, I eat real food now, so that means cooking more. I debated and debated about the expense, but after turning on my large oven this morning to warm my (single) danish, I knew it would be a good buy.

    I could have just got a simple toaster oven, but I have also wanted an air-fryer so, two birds and all that. Now I need to give my toaster a going away party. :D:'(
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    Breville Smart Oven Pro.
    Used every single day. Much much better and versatile than air fryers.

    I have one of these. I love it. It gets used a lot!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    my immersion blender.
    i use it for soups, mashed potatoes, ice cream shakes, yogurt smoothies, making oatmeal flour, whip cream
    mine has the cup and the whisk
  • MelmothWanders
    MelmothWanders Posts: 47 Member
    Mandoline, immersion blender.
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