What kitchen item(s) could you not be without?

Dial Hard

Not obvious stuff like good pots & pans or your favourite knife.

Mine are my microplane grater and pestle & mortar.

I haven't used my garlic press in years, since I got the microplane and it makes short work of nutmegs or chocolate or pretty much anything you could care to grate finely.

I don't have the space for a food processor but use my pestle & mortar for making everything from pesto to salsa to curry pastes. Plus you could absolutely brain someone with it perchance a burglar ever happened by while you were making guacamole :-)

Anyone got any indispensable kitchen bits they'd like to share?

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Knife sharpener. I can't prepare anything without razor sharp knives.

Speedwell

My rice cooker. My slow cooker. Both like having an extra helper in the kitchen.

foodaholic

Potato ricer

Tree

Silicone spoon with the flat top. Ace for scraping eggs up or caramel, and takes the high temperatures of toffee grand.

squonk

My Instant Pot pressure cooker. Makes all sorts of cooking easier. I also like my garlic peeler. Also would go with kknife sharpener! Also my food processor, very useful!

MissFlitworth

Chopping board with a ridge around the edge to let meat juices collect in. Many chopping boards in general.

My glass jugged blender, can crush the living daylights out of things and never gets tainted by strong spices or oils.

The Hill Billy

My Chinese cleaver. It is just a great all-rounder. For chopping it has great weight & balance. Also good for smashing garlic, lemongrass, etc. I even use it for delicate tasks like peeling ginger. And great for scooping up whatever you've prepared & carrying it to the pan.

anothernight

Pressure cooker and food processor. One gets used a lot in the winter and the other in the summer. Without them my diet would have less variety, and I'd have less free time!

fro9etb8j5qsl2

My slow cooker and actifry are lifesavers. OH was fairly sceptical (as was I tbh ) when I bought them thinking that they would just end up chucked in the cupboard but I use them loads. The slow cooker lives on top of my hob, I use it so much.

Funnily enough, I thought I'd get loads of use out of a food processor and pined after one for ages. Spent a small fortune on one and hardly ever used it

I've been thinking of getting a rice cooker so interesting to see it mentioned

dee_mc

Chopping boards with grippy bits on the base - such a simple thing but I'm terminally clumsy so these save me from all kinds of knifey spinny mishaps!
A good sharp kitchen scissors for trimming meat fat and for quickly chopping cooked meat over bowls of pasta etc - less wasteful than a knife (with my cack-handed knife skills, anyway) and saves me using another board, too!
One thing I use if I'm doing a lot of baking is an egg separator like the first one in this article http://www.eggsanytime.ca/terms-equipment/how-separate-egg-whites-and-yolks - for some reason egg white really irritates my hands so I can't do the old 'separate with my hand' trick anymore.

holly_johnson

2 things. My coffee machine. CANNOT function without gallons of the stuff in the morning and my Kitchen Aid mixer. I use it all the time to make bread, mix batter, make sausages, loads of stuff. Truly my kitchen friend.

StripedBoxers

My hand mixer, my garlic press, meat thermometer, Le Cruset ceramic dishes (god they are amazing), and the corkscrew. The best gadget of them all. :P

harr

My magimix, airfryer and my good knives ...oh and an oil stone for sharpening said knives ..I have to many gadgets in kitchen 😳

pwurple

Zester! Lots of satisfaction from zesting a lemon in those neat rows for some reason.

After that, favourite thing is the kenwood. What an awesome wedding pressie that was. Just so handy, it's in use every day... Kneading bread, grinding spices, chopping veg fast for stirfry or coleslaw. Love it and all its accessories.

Dizzyblonde

I have to mention my little paring/all purpose knife because it's the one thing I couldn't do without. The blade is just the right thickness and it sharpens really well.
After that, my slow cooker and Airfryer. My favourite little gadget is my lemon squeezer.

Day Lewin

A timer.
Not just for baking (for which a timer is really indispensable) but for all sorts of other little must-remember-isms. I drop it in my pocket when I leave the kitchen, so my vegetables won't be forgotten, etc.

Also, it is very hard to mash potatoes without a decent masher: one with a handle that doesn't bruise the palm!!

Neyite

Microplane, Slow cooker. Have hankered after a pestle and mortar set and a rice cooker for a while now too. I have sod all space so daydream a lot about a big kitchen that has room for loads more gadgets.

And I finally copped on to wasting money on pizza wheely-cutters and now use scissors to cut a pizza - so much better.

My smoothie maker too. I have a spare beaker that I use to make my Thai curry pastes and it blends anything strongly flavoured, like my basil & garlic salad dressing.

MissFlitworth

Obviously, obviously, given the nature of the forum & the general lack of hilarity of saying your partner is a kitchen item - don't be posting here saying 'herself/himself, amirite' cos it'll go down like a cold cup of Angel Delight

Mellifera

Kenwood kitchen mixer...had withdrawal symptoms after the first one gave up (after 10 years) and had to wait for Santa to bring another one.

Dial Hard

squonk wrote: »

I also like my garlic peeler.

Is that one of the tubes you roll the garlic in? Might have to get one, so. I find certain batches of garlic (particularly the younger stuff) an absolute bitch to peel, even after semi-squashing it with the flat of a knife.

Speedwell

Dial Hard wrote: »

Is that one of the tubes you roll the garlic in? Might have to get one, so. I find certain batches of garlic (particularly the younger stuff) an absolute bitch to peel, even after semi-squashing it with the flat of a knife.

Try the two-bowl trick: http://lifehacker.com/5844865/peel-a-head-of-garlic-in-less-than-10-seconds-with-two-bowls

Taboola

Seeing a few people saying Actifry makes me want to buy one now.

Speedwell

Taboola wrote: »

Seeing a few people saying Actifry makes me want to buy one now.

We've been meaning to for years but can't really justify the cost. If it was under 50 EUR we'd probably jump at it.

Teyla Emmagan

I love my Kenwood mixer. It makes me happy everytime I take it out of the press

And my jam funnel is the best invention ever.

MaceFace

Another vote for a Kenwood.

Nothing else comes close for me.

harr

MaceFace wrote: »

Another vote for a Kenwood.

Nothing else comes close for me.

When I cook/bake I use my magimix and I find it fantastic .we were lucky enough to get one as a gift last year but my wife who would be the main backer in the house still insists on using her 20 year old kenwood even though we have a top of the range magimix with all the bells and whistles ...she claims she can't get same results from anything other than the kenwood 🀔

Speedwell

Here are a few really weird "would not do without" items:

Wire paper clips. No, really. They're steel and generally food safe. Best ever gadget for stoning cherries and hulling strawberries. Holds tops of bags closed. Unfolded into an S shape, holds strips of marinated steak from the oven rack when I'm making biltong, or supports bundles of herbs drying on the kitchen rack. I've even used them to hold a stuffed turkey closed.

A set of American measuring tools. No, a standard "cup", "tablespoon", or what have you are not the same as the ones over here. I've measured. If you want the best results from recipes on American websites, you need the proper measurements. (That said, Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks produce exactly what they say they will, no matter what side of the pond you are on.)

A Scottish spurtle. Damn, if it isn't the best tool for what it's for, which is stirring grains in the pot without causing them a lot of damage. Best tool I ever used for risotto, which should be creamy with separate grains, not mashed.

Oh, and I, too, love my Kenwood. I have the top user review for my old food processor on Amazon.com, but my Kenwood is just better.

Neyite

Oh yes, American cup measures. And a set of measuring spoons.

anothernight

Come to think of it, another thing I really can't live without is my kitchen scales. The batteries died the other day and in the two days it took me to replace them, I found out that I use them much more than I realised before.

Taboola

Speedwell wrote: »

A set of American measuring tools. No, a standard "cup", "tablespoon", or what have you are not the same as the ones over here. I've measured. If you want the best results from recipes on American websites, you need the proper measurements. (That said, Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks produce exactly what they say they will, no matter what side of the pond you are on.)

I didn't realise there was a difference between the cup measurements we have here and the ones in America. That explains why some of my cakes are not turning out as well.

Speedwell

Taboola wrote: »

I didn't realise there was a difference between the cup measurements we have here and the ones in America. That explains why some of my cakes are not turning out as well.

The formulation of baking powder is a bit different, as well, but I am not finding it troublesome in practice. Probably the difference between fresh and stale baking powder is greater. More than anything, I have to adjust for using a fan oven for recipes that were designed for a non-fan oven (I rent and our cooker has no option to turn off the fan for normal baking that I can see). Flour is a bit different as well, but again there is probably more difference between brands of flours than between American and Irish flours as a whole. One last thing: When an American recipe calls for large eggs, they are more or less the same size as medium Irish eggs.

MissFlitworth

I love paperclips as a kitchen tool too, Speedwell! I use them to keep parchment closed if I'm baking something en papillote

hairyprincess

For me it's my cake lifter. No more do I have to struggle with two fish/egg slices with my heart in mouth fretting that the cake is going to fall apart!

Mellifera

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

And my jam funnel is the best invention ever.

My jam 'funnel' is the bit that came with the dishwasher for filling the salt! It fits perfectly over the jars. Brilliant!

Mellifera

Taboola wrote: »

Seeing a few people saying Actifry makes me want to buy one now.

What is an Actifry?

Deise_vixen

Most used for me during the winter is definitely my soup maker, I love it!!

Roughly chop what ever veg is rolling around in the bottom of the fridge, throw them in the jug add seasoning, water or stock or passata etc. to the level, put the lid on, hit the button then 20 minutes you have a full jug or steaming hot blended soup ready to go. Deadly

harr

Mellifera wrote: »

What is an Actifry?

http://www.currys.ie/category/fryers/396.2.9?gclid=CJDz4vGs8soCFYTnGwod0tIJtw&s_kwcid=AL!3391!3!55564227357!e!!g!!actifry&ef_id=Vr2ndAAAAMTqAXou:20160212134008:s

The air fryer is one I have and I would be lost without it, I cook everthing in it from chips,full chickens and even small roasts...

Taboola

harr wrote: »

http://www.currys.ie/category/fryers/396.2.9?gclid=CJDz4vGs8soCFYTnGwod0tIJtw&s_kwcid=AL!3391!3!55564227357!e!!g!!actifry&ef_id=Vr2ndAAAAMTqAXou:20160212134008:s

The air fryer is one I have and I would be lost without it, I cook everthing in it from chips,full chickens and even small roasts...

Do you get the same crispiness you'd get with a regular fryer?

harr

Taboola wrote: »

Do you get the same crispiness you'd get with a regular fryer?

Yep and some times a better crisp

Taboola

harr wrote: »

Yep and some times a better crisp

Interesting. I think it might be my next purchase.

Dial Hard

Rather germane to this thread, Aldi have lots of kitchen didgeridoos from Thursday.

Seriously, if I had the space I'd be like those people you see on Extreme Hoarders.

ElleEm

I have a great little knife from Ikea that cost 65c or something. It is super sharp and very easy to use for my clumsy hands. I even have a spare hidden away in case anything happens to the one I use. I sound like an ad for Ikea but they do a fantastic garlic press that I use all the time. My food processor is also a well used item in my kitchen. I make soup at least once a week in it.

harr

Dial Hard wrote: »

Rather germane to this thread, Aldi have lots of kitchen didgeridoos from Thursday.

Seriously, if I had the space I'd be like those people you see on Extreme Hoarders.

Just had a look at the Aldi stuff that multi chef looks ok , if I arrive home with any more kitchen gadgets I will be put out

Tree

The stick blender needs some praise in this thread. Good for soup. Good for fixing lumpy crepe batter. Made sauce for the pizza with it earlier.

Right Turn Clyde

I'm gonna keep it simple and say potato/vegetable peeler.

Gloomtastic!

So many things, but the utensil I probably use the most is the potato peeler. It's used virtually every day to peel veg and to cut strips of cheese for the kids' sangwiches.

I do love my dough cutter as well. It's great for scraping the caked fat off the grill tray, nothing else matches it.

My hand blender has to get a special mention for making the best gravy in the world (according to my son)

And last but not least, as I think I've mentioned before, the humble sink basin puts up with so much abuse - washing veg and dirty dishes, soaking clothes and whenever anyone is throwing up, it's always tucked up beside them. What a workhorse! :rolleyes:

Electric Sheep

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Knife sharpener. I can't prepare anything without razor sharp knives.

What kind of knife sharpener do you have? I need a good one.

dee_mc

I can't believe I forgot to mention my oxo goodgrips vegetable peelers - bought on recommendation from someone here and just the best peelers I've used. Robust and comfortable to use and very very sharp even after a few years daily use. Highly recommended

pampootie

ElleEm I love the ikea garlic press too!

I think my stick blender is my favourite item, I eat soup all the time in winter so it's on the go constantly, also so handy for curry pastes. The coffee machine is a close second and I really want an actifry ... I love kitchen accessories, my OH has a phobia of aldi special buys because we have a press full of unnecessary stuff.

Speedwell

Wow, all these posts about what kitchen stuff we can't do without makes me wonder if everyone's kitchen is full to the ceiling. Come to think of it, that's the main thing I need badly, can't do without, and am without... sufficient storage!