Page 1 of 6 1234 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 82

Thread: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

  1. #1
    Admin (Ret'd)
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    18,481
    Thanks
    1,016
    Thanked
    3,208 times in 2,281 posts

    Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    What are yours?


    My top ten, I think (though I've no doubt missed something) are :-


    - microwave oven
    - bread maker
    - sharp knives
    - knife sharpener
    - steamer
    - slow cooker
    - vacuum sealing machine
    - meat/food slicer
    - pasta machine
    - decent, reasonably accurate digital scales

    .... and that's not in any particular order. Oh, and food processor probably ought to be in there, though I'm a recent convert.

  2. #2
    Pork & Beans Powerup Phage's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    6,260
    Thanks
    1,618
    Thanked
    608 times in 518 posts
    • Phage's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Crosshair VIII
      • CPU:
      • 3800x
      • Memory:
      • 16Gb @ 3600Mhz
      • Storage:
      • Samsung 960 512Gb + 2Tb Samsung 860
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA 1080ti
      • PSU:
      • BeQuiet 850w
      • Case:
      • Fractal Define 7
      • Operating System:
      • W10 64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Iiyama GB3461WQSU-B1

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Ooooh, I'm looking for some recommendations on decent scales. What's the low-down ?
    Society's to blame,
    Or possibly Atari.

  3. #3
    HSK
    HSK is offline
    Over Worked & Under Paid HSK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    West London
    Posts
    2,369
    Thanks
    451
    Thanked
    139 times in 111 posts
    • HSK's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Z87-Pro Socket 1150 DVI HDMI DisplayPort 8-channel Audio ATX Motherboard
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50GHz Socket 1150 8MB Cache
      • Memory:
      • Corsair Vengeance LP Memory CML16GX3M2A1600C9 16GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3
      • Storage:
      • Seagate 2TB BARRACUDA 3.5" SATA-III Hard Drive - 7200RPM 64MB Cache X 2 + Samsung 256GB 840 Pro SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Point Of View 8800GTS 512mb PCIE DVI
      • PSU:
      • Corsair Professional AX860 Fully Modular 80 PLUS Platinum 860W PSU
      • Case:
      • Corsair Graphite 600T Mesh Black Case
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 8.1
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell UltraSharp U2713HM 69cm (27")
      • Internet:
      • Plus.net

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    A george foreman grill! (or similar).

  4. #4
    Admin (Ret'd)
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    18,481
    Thanks
    1,016
    Thanked
    3,208 times in 2,281 posts

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Quote Originally Posted by Phage View Post
    Ooooh, I'm looking for some recommendations on decent scales. What's the low-down ?
    Define "decent"?

    What I meant is, basically, accurate enough for most cooking purposes.

    The ones I got are .... hang on, I'll get a link ....
    .
    .
    .
    ..... right, I'm back. Typical, I got mine from John Lewis and they seem to no longer do that particular model. That might account for the price.

    Similar, though, and the same brand (Salter), is this

    Here's the complex bit. I ran a whole series of tests on these, including hysteresis and linearity, eccentricity, repeatability and so forth, and I did it with very accurately calibrated, and certified test weights. By certified, I mean that shops selling produce by weight have to have scales calibrated, tested and certified to be within margin of error, across their operating range, as defined by EU Metrology legislation. And those weights are currently certified as accurate for that purpose by my local trading standards. I know that, 'cos I've used them to certify (or decertify) supermarket scales.

    Within that context, I know my testing methodology is accurate, and the scales I got (Salter 1035 SSBKDR) are "reasonable" for kitchen use. I wouldn't want to see my pharmacist using them to measure out a few grams of a drug for medicinal use, but for flour for bread, they're fine.

    They measure up to 5KG, supposedly in 1g increments. More on that later. They're small, about the size of a tea plate, with a little lump on the front for the display. They measure in grams, millilitres, pounds and ozs and fluid ounces. As far as I can tell, what the capacity measurement mean is that capacity of water. Obviously, 10 fl oz of molten lead weighs more than 10 fl oz of water. If you switch between grams and fl.oz, the reading does not change.

    When I bake bread, I know I need x amount of water (depending on dough type). I use these to get that right. But other liquids might vary.

    One very useful feature is to add incremental weights, and zero.

    For instance, a bread recipe requiring 250g of wholemeal flower, 225g of white, 6g of salt and 8 g of sugar. I just put a bowl on, and zero. Add the wholemeal flower, to 250g, and zero. And the white flour, and zero. Add salt, zero, add sugar and zero.

    And I do it that way round for a reason. I mentioned the "1g increments" earlier. The reason was this ....

    - if you have a weight of 3g, and add 1g, are the scales accurate? Answer, not very.
    - if you have a weight of 50g and you add 1g, are they accurate? Answer, yes.
    - if you have a weight of 400g and you add 1g, are they accurate? Answer, yes.

    So .... in that flour recipe, if you add salt then sugar, accuracy is probably okay, most of the time. But I wouldn't want to add 3g to 2g and rely on it. But once you get above about 8g, and certainly above 20g, they're accurate to within about 0.1g, and that was established with 0.1g trim weights of a known accurate weight. Doing it the way round I do it with that recipes ensures accuracy, and consistency. The scales will give accurate repeatable results all day long.

    Another issue was ..... if you have weight of x, add 1g then remove 1g, do you go back to x? That's the hysteresis bit. Answer, usually, yes .... but not reliably, under about 10g.

    So, again, it comes down to technique. If I want to be sure of accurate measurements of small (sub 5g) weights, use a container. Pre-load the scales with a plate or something, then zero them. Then, add your sub-5g weight.

    As you can tell, I went to town on these scales. And yes, I know, I need a life.

    The results were that they were pretty good, with the caveat mainly of dubious accuracy very close to the supposed 1g minimum. And that, by the way, is why you'll find commercially accurate scales (of a class for shop use) might have a maximum load of 5Kg, 10Kg or even 15Kg but they'll also have a 50g or 100g minimum to their operating range too.


    The overall conclusion of my mini-review .... they're very small, extremely neat, easy to use and, within the bounds of reasonable expectations for home-use kitchen scales, accurate. Just don't rely on them for running a meth lab.

  5. Received thanks from:

    Apex (21-09-2011),Phage (14-09-2011)

  6. #5
    Hooning about Hoonigan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    2,322
    Thanks
    172
    Thanked
    445 times in 319 posts
    • Hoonigan's system
      • Motherboard:
      • MSI MEG X570 ACE
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
      • Memory:
      • 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB
      • Storage:
      • 2x 2TB Gigabyte NVMe 4.0
      • Graphics card(s):
      • MSI RTX 4080 Super GAMING X SLIM
      • PSU:
      • be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum 750W
      • Case:
      • Corsair Crystal Series 680X
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 11 x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Alienware AW3423DWF + ASUS ROG PG279Q
      • Internet:
      • Giganet (City Fibre) 900/900

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Saracen, that's quite some write up on how good your scales are.
    Although I did just sit here and read the whole thing...

    For me, the favourite gadget has to be the toaster, everyone loves a bit of toast in the morning

  7. #6
    Admin (Ret'd)
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    18,481
    Thanks
    1,016
    Thanked
    3,208 times in 2,281 posts

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Quote Originally Posted by Hoonigan View Post
    ....

    Although I did just sit here and read the whole thing...

    ....
    AHA! You're the one.


    Quote Originally Posted by Hoonigan View Post
    Saracen, that's quite some write up on how good your scales are.
    ....
    Or, as the case may be, how good they aren't.

  8. #7
    HEXUS.social member Agent's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Internet
    Posts
    19,185
    Thanks
    738
    Thanked
    1,609 times in 1,048 posts

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    One day we'll find something he doesn't have impeccable knowledge of....

    Living with 3 other adults, all of which seem to drink exclusively from cans (why?!), the recycle bin can get rather full of them...Solution. Granted that most people won't need one though
    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen View Post
    And by trying to force me to like small pants, they've alienated me.

  9. #8
    Admin (Ret'd)
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    18,481
    Thanks
    1,016
    Thanked
    3,208 times in 2,281 posts

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Quote Originally Posted by Agent View Post
    One day we'll find something he doesn't have impeccable knowledge of....
    ....


    It wouldn't take much, believe me. Just work out what I don't comment on, and you've got a guide to my extended absence of knowledge.

    For a start, football. I think it involves a bunch of overpaid idiots running up and down a field kicking a bit of leather about. But that's about the depth of my knowledge. Or interest. Oh, and that Beckham bloke is one, isn't he?

  10. Received thanks from:

    Hicks12 (22-09-2011)

  11. #9
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Favouite kitchen gadget: a wife...

    /fetches coat
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  12. Received thanks from:

    Apex (21-09-2011),Hicks12 (22-09-2011),jim (15-09-2011),Terbinator (14-09-2011)

  13. #10
    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Derby
    Posts
    10,872
    Thanks
    632
    Thanked
    1,192 times in 945 posts
    • GoNz0's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Rampage V Extreme
      • CPU:
      • i7 something X99 based
      • Memory:
      • 16gb GSkill
      • Storage:
      • 4 SSD's + WD Red
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX980 Strix WC
      • PSU:
      • Enermax Galaxy 1250 (9 years and counting)
      • Case:
      • Corsair 900D
      • Operating System:
      • win10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 24"
      • Internet:
      • 220mb Cable

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    i would assume the wife would say i'm her fav kitchen gadget.

    mines got to be,

    range cooker,
    kenwood mixer
    dishwasher

    Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack
    off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

  14. #11
    Lovely chap dangel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Cambridge, UK
    Posts
    8,398
    Thanks
    412
    Thanked
    459 times in 334 posts
    • dangel's system
      • Motherboard:
      • See My Sig
      • CPU:
      • See My Sig
      • Memory:
      • See My Sig
      • Storage:
      • See My Sig
      • Graphics card(s):
      • See My Sig
      • PSU:
      • See My Sig
      • Case:
      • See My Sig
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • See My Sig
      • Internet:
      • 60mbit Sky LLU

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    AnySharp knife sharpener

    http://www.anysharp.com/

    The marketings amusing but we love ours Mr Stabby is always ready for action!

    I also like my wine aerator and my mini chopper (ohh behave).
    Crosshair VIII Hero (WIFI), 3900x, 32GB DDR4, Many SSDs, EVGA FTW3 3090, Ethoo 719


  15. #12
    Administrator Moby-Dick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    There's no place like ::1 (IPv6 version)
    Posts
    10,665
    Thanks
    53
    Thanked
    384 times in 313 posts

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Quote Originally Posted by peterb View Post
    Favouite kitchen gadget: a wife...

    /fetches coat
    why would I want the cooking done badly ?

    /runs away without getting coat
    my Virtualisation Blog http://jfvi.co.uk Virtualisation Podcast http://vsoup.net

  16. #13
    Grumpy and VERY old :( g8ina's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Northampton
    Posts
    6,795
    Thanks
    2,636
    Thanked
    1,725 times in 1,115 posts
    • g8ina's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASRock Z75 Pro3
      • CPU:
      • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570K CPU @ 3.40GHz 3.40 GHz
      • Memory:
      • 16GB Corsair 1600MHz DDR3.
      • Storage:
      • 250GB SSD system, 250GB SSD Data + 2TB data, + 8TB NAS
      • Graphics card(s):
      • XFX Radeon HD 6870
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster Elite 430
      • Operating System:
      • Win10
      • Monitor(s):
      • Iiyama 22"
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 100MB unlimited

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    1 - Minosharp sharpener
    2 - New tin opener, actually works !
    3 - My 30cm sauté pan by Anolon £70 but worth every penny (now over 10 years old and still perfect)

    OK the last is not a gadget, but I still love it
    Cheers, David



  17. #14
    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Gateshead
    Posts
    15,196
    Thanks
    1,232
    Thanked
    2,290 times in 1,873 posts
    • scaryjim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Dell Inspiron
      • CPU:
      • Core i5 8250U
      • Memory:
      • 2x 4GB DDR4 2666
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Radeon R5 230
      • PSU:
      • Battery/Dell brick
      • Case:
      • Dell Inspiron 5570
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 15" 1080p laptop panel

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Hmmmmm, I'm not really a gadgety cook, I have to say. Much prefer nice, old fashioned, very heavy implements.

    That said, I'd be miffed to be without:

    1) Glass-jugged blender. Almost exclusively used for grinding Soya Beans to make tofu out of. Yes, I am that weird.
    2) Sandwich toaster. Currently rocking a genuine breville, although I've yet to find a modern sandwich toaster that can come close to the quality of my original breville that lasted the family over 20 years and actually cut and sealed the samdwiches.
    3) Panini press. For when you've got unsliced bread or rolls but still want a toasty Although I have to admit preferring the above.

    And those items that I'm not convinced qualify as gadgets:

    Slow cooker. Yes, I know Saracen included it in his list, but I'm not convinced it's really a gadget as such. But I love mine (well, technically it's actually on loan to my wife from one of her friends from many years ago...!).
    Pestle and Mortar. It's a couple of lumps of marble, so I'm not sure it counts as a gadget, but on the other hand it's non-essential and small. Best garlic bread I've made in a long time was done by mashing garlic, olive oil and salt in my P&M. An absolute must.

    And finally: my cheap 'droid tablet. Not technically a "kitchen" gadget, but I eventually lost track of the number of times I used it to look up recipes & check conversions and measurements whilst cooking. I now use my laptop to do the same job, but it's nowhere near as convenient...

  18. Received thanks from:

    Apex (21-09-2011)

  19. #15
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    32,042
    Thanks
    3,909
    Thanked
    5,213 times in 4,005 posts
    • CAT-THE-FIFTH's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Less E-PEEN
      • CPU:
      • Massive E-PEEN
      • Memory:
      • RGB E-PEEN
      • Storage:
      • Not in any order
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVEN BIGGER E-PEEN
      • PSU:
      • OVERSIZED
      • Case:
      • UNDERSIZED
      • Operating System:
      • DOS 6.22
      • Monitor(s):
      • NOT USUALLY ON....WHEN I POST
      • Internet:
      • FUNCTIONAL

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Quote Originally Posted by scaryjim View Post

    1) Glass-jugged blender. Almost exclusively used for grinding Soya Beans to make tofu out of. Yes, I am that weird.
    Have you tried feeding it to your cat(I mean the tofu and not the grinder)??

    Quote Originally Posted by scaryjim View Post
    And finally: my cheap 'droid tablet. Not technically a "kitchen" gadget, but I eventually lost track of the number of times I used it to look up recipes & check conversions and measurements whilst cooking. I now use my laptop to do the same job, but it's nowhere near as convenient...
    ...and not as easy to clean dried soya beans off!!

  20. #16
    jim
    jim is offline
    HEXUS.clueless jim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Location: Location:
    Posts
    11,466
    Thanks
    614
    Thanked
    1,649 times in 1,310 posts
    • jim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z
      • CPU:
      • i5 2500K @ 4.5GHz
      • Memory:
      • 8GB Corsair Vengeance LP
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Sandisk SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ASUS GTX 970
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX650
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Fortress FT03
      • Operating System:
      • 8.1 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2716DG
      • Internet:
      • 10 Mbps ADSL

    Re: Favourite kitchen gadgets ....

    Quote Originally Posted by HSK View Post
    A george foreman grill! (or similar).
    This is the only kitchen gadget I own, and thus use

    (I love it to bits)

Page 1 of 6 1234 ... LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Project: Kitchen Utensil+ (Mk II in progress 22/09/10)
    By Rob_B in forum Chassis and Mods
    Replies: 96
    Last Post: 22-09-2010, 10:30 AM
  2. Kitchen Islands - Anyone have one?
    By SammEl in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 15-05-2010, 10:07 AM
  3. Your favourite Michael Jackson songs and music videos
    By Parm in forum Movies, TV, Music and Books
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 26-06-2009, 12:43 PM
  4. SIG SIZES ARE GROWING....please shrink them guys
    By Zak33 in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 23-11-2007, 10:28 PM
  5. Favourite Lists!
    By megah0 in forum Consumer Electronics
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 25-12-2004, 06:04 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •