Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

[Spud1]

My kettle is my favourite, followed by my Dolce-Gusto machine...the Kettle is a necessity for making tea for the evenings, whilst the Dolce-Gusto makes pretty darn good espresso or latte for the morning or a weekend afternoon. Certainly not as good as a "real" espresso maker but miles and miles better than any form of instant rubbish.

[scaryjim]

Have you tried feeding it to your cat?

Yes - she thinks it's food, but not very good food... !

She much prefers it once I've marinated it in soy sauce and sesame oil and fried it, but now we're drifting inexorably away from kitchen gadgets and into recipes

[Million]

My new favourite:
http://coffeegeek.com/proreviews/qui...nstein/details

Only useful if you have a 'proper' coffee machine though

[emzallan]

I love my hand blender for soup, milkshakes etc, so much easier than having to clean a jug blender (although mine comes with a little container which is great for making marinades etc in too) Have had this one for a while.... http://www.johnlewis.com/230994086/Product.aspx

To be honest I do love kitchen gadgets but cleaning some of them is a complete nightmare!

Parents have a bread machine, but I prefer doing it by hand when possible.

[dave87]

For me? My Mobile.

Fantastic tool for hot chinese with minimal effort. Rumour has it other types of food can also be requested.

[shaithis]

My most used has to be the giant bottomed and deep pan.....and my silicone/rubbery spatula thingy......helps loads in making sure all the mixture gets from A to B and to stop things sticking when cooking on high heats.

[Tattysnuc]

My wife

[Saracen]

My kettle is my favourite,....

Not quite what I meant. I guess I should have been a bit clearer.

I guess I'm taking certain things as effectively essentials, though I suppose that that definition is rather subjective. I'd put certain things in a category of kitchen 'basics', and either essential or to most of us, pretty close to it. Those would include (obviously) oven and hob (or combined), but I'd also include fridge, freezer (though I'm sure some people manage without), and microwave (though I know people manage without that). And I'd put kettle in that list.

What I really meant was those things that are more of a whim or personal choice than "basics", though I'd agree it's not a very clear line between them.

[Butcher]

Espresso machine and coffee grinder for me. Freshly ground espresso is amazing, about 1000% better than Starbucks or the like.

That knock box Million linked is interesting; I use an old tupperware box at the moment, something a bit less oversized would be useful.

[GoNz0]

i will soon be adding this to the list http://direct.tesco.com/product/default.aspx?r=207-1781

intellisteam for £20, thats about a 3rd of the usual price you can find it for

solves the issue of dropping the broccoli into the cauliflower after the caulis been on for 3 minutes so they cook at the same time

[timread]

My list:

Mino Sharp Plus 3 knife sharpener. Having properly sharpened knives is somewhat an obsession of mine, and I've tried MANY over the years. This one is the best yet without spending silly money
Wusthof Classic Cook's Knife 20cm. Well balanced, great general purpose cook's knife.
Wusthof Classic 10cm Paring Knife. Great for jobs the Cook's Knife is too big for.
Poachpod Egg Poacher. I like the occasional poached egg. These do a great job. You do need to follow their advice and put a drop of oil in the bottom/rub it around before cracking the egg in and cooking it, though.
Chef'n Kitchzen Silicone Balloon Whisk. Silly name, good for using in non-stick pans for hot food, as well as whisking cold foods.
Chef'n Switchit Spatula. Great silicone spatula. Literally use this every day, and it doesn't scratch non-stick pans.
Falcon Multigrade non-stick reusable liner. This one is BRILLIANT, came across it on a cookery course and now use it all the time to line baking trays for cookies, potatoes, chips, fish, veg, etc instead of using foil. A sheet lasts ages if you clean it properly (easy in the dishwasher).
Kitchen blowtorch. Good for caramelizing sugar, and also crisping up crackling (although you'd want a bigger blowtorch for large roasts etc)
Pestle & Mortar. I got a nice solid granite one from Tesco's a few years ago - great for grinding spices. Seems to work better and is easier to clean than those white ceramic ones, which I've also owned.
Vacuvin Wine Saver Pump & Stoppers. Essential for keeping opened bottles of wine fresh for a few days.

[Million]

Espresso machine and coffee grinder for me. Freshly ground espresso is amazing, about 1000% better than Starbucks or the like.

That knock box Million linked is interesting; I use an old tupperware box at the moment, something a bit less oversized would be useful.

I would highly recommend it. It's a very small thing that I didn't think I needed, but now I have it I wouldn't give it up! Very ethically sound company too, if that interests you

[Sandrike]

Knife, board sharpening stone, the one used to sharpen garden tools, its better than the metal thing. Brings me so much joy when cuttin meat or vegies, especially tomatos which are slightly soft, the joy of cooking

[HSK]

I can't say this is really a gadget, but don't underestimate the frying pan, specifically a decent Tefal non-stick pan. I recently picked one up, and I want to slap my self for not doing so earlier.

[Ceefer]

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/11390/Pota...D5B8632AC.app1

Potato Ricer. I've been using this exact same model for well over 20 years. Makes the best mashed potato ever.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Cook...7717610&sr=8-9

Digital thermometer. Takes the guesswork out of perfectly cooking a joint of meat. But mostly I use it for accurate oil temperature when making chips! Indispensible.

[Butcher]

I can't say this is really a gadget, but don't underestimate the frying pan, specifically a decent Tefal non-stick pan. I recently picked one up, and I want to slap my self for not doing so earlier.

I use a sub-£5 cast iron job, it's amazingly good - the non-stick rivals the best tefals I've used.

Also, bought the knock box, very impressed so far.