Cooking gadget you couldn't do without ? Perhaps a halogen oven?

worded

I've got a 3 tier steamer
Got a foreman grill

What else is particularly great to get

Considering some halogen oven so I can avoid using so much oil ....

Faith

Mod note: Moved to main Food forum.

Dizzyblonde

I love my slow cooker. I don't use it much in the summer, but I use it lots for the rest of the year. Also my Airfryer - if that broke tomorrow I'd buy another immediately.

B0jangles

Airfryer all the way, don't know what I'd do without it.

Have you got a stick blender? They are so much handier to use than a blender when you're making soup.

Day Lewin

Potato masher. It's really difficult to mash potatoes any other way. Apple corer, ditto.

phormium

I gave up using a potato masher years ago, I use a hand held electric mixer, you know the old style small things you stick the whisks in, makes the nicest fluffiest mash ever.

I use my slow cooker a lot and also my halogen oven, ideal instead of turning on main oven for a few goujons or wedges or anything like that. Although I roast chickens/pork steak in it too, did a turkey in it last Christmas as I was cooking 2 so bigger one was in the oven. It bakes great scones too very quickly, no preheating needed.

Psychologeeee

Stick blender without a doubt!

worded

Air fryer sounds good .... less or no oil?

Any make / model / size to go for ?

Thanks

AustinLostin

Sounds stupid but getting a really good food tongs that gets a solid grip on stuff really helped me.

Keedowah

Rice Cooker & Slow Cooker

Tree

I do love my twenty year old stick blender, very much.

Digital scales are great.
The instant pot is excellent.

Coffee grinder might get the most use of all the electrical items in my kitchen though...

dee_mc

AustinLostin wrote: »

Sounds stupid but getting a really good food tongs that gets a solid grip on stuff really helped me.

I've a couple of pairs of metal ice tongs, they're sooo handy! Wouldn't be without them for turning food, making goujons without getting my hands all cruddy etc.
It's the simple gadgets that make things easier!

Dizzyblonde

dee_mc wrote: »

I've a couple of pairs of metal ice tongs, they're sooo handy! Wouldn't be without them for turning food, making goujons without getting my hands all cruddy etc.
It's the simple gadgets that make things easier!

Very true. I got this free at a Tupperware party decades ago and it's very handy for lifting boiled eggs from the pot.



As others have said, a stick blender is a necessity.

B0jangles

Ooh, yes, digital scales are an absolute godsend - the fact that you can weigh things into any container you like AND you can zero the scales after each ingredient goes in is just... magical.

I was quite sentimental about hanging on to my old weighing scales until I got my first digital one. Old one is now at the back of a press somewhere gathering dust.

arian

B0jangles wrote: »

Ooh, yes, digital scales are an absolute godsend - the fact that you can weigh things into any container you like AND you can zero the scales after each ingredient goes in is just... magical.

I was quite sentimental about hanging on to my old weighing scales until I got my first digital one. Old one is now at the back of a press somewhere gathering dust.

Yep, I was sentimental about getting my mother's scales. I thought "I can do sums; I don't need no steenking tare", but once I actually got some digital scales the - err - scales fell from my eyes .

PCeeeee

Slow cooker for me. Brilliant yoke

jimmycrackcorm

Am Irish Mammy. Nobody can match her dinners.

cee_jay

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Very true. I got this free at a Tupperware party decades ago and it's very handy for lifting boiled eggs from the pot.



As others have said, a stick blender is a necessity.

I keep trying to "procure" my mother's "egg lifter" but so far, I haven't been able to acquire it. I have a particular liking of egg spoons for boiled eggs also but they are hard to come by (smaller than a tea spoon).

My cooking gadget would be the digital scales, or my hand blender. I also use my steamer insert from Ikea quite a bit. I think it cost €4 and use it most days to cook veg with.

arian

We use a perforated ladle something like this for boiled eggs. We bought it for chips, but the oil doesn't drain well through the holes, so we use a wire skimmer now. Haven't had proper chips for ages though .

StripedBoxers

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I love my slow cooker. I don't use it much in the summer, but I use it lots for the rest of the year.

Day Lewin wrote: »

Potato masher. It's really difficult to mash potatoes any other way.

Tree wrote: »

I do love my twenty year old stick blender, very much.

Digital scales are great.

Agree with all of these. I would be lost without them. My coffee machine is another one for me.

I was recently given an Airfryer, I can't wait to start using it.

B0jangles

cee_jay wrote: »

I keep trying to "procure" my mother's "egg lifter" but so far, I haven't been able to acquire it. I have a particular liking of egg spoons for boiled eggs also but they are hard to come by (smaller than a tea spoon).

My cooking gadget would be the digital scales, or my hand blender. I also use my steamer insert from Ikea quite a bit. I think it cost €4 and use it most days to cook veg with.

You'd probably love my precious very tiny spoon that I use for mixing very small sauces (like for stir-fries).



Here it is beside a normal teaspoon for scale. Bottle-opener included, because why the hell not?

Unfortunately I have no idea where another one could be acquired; my one was 'collected' by some unnamed person from an Aer Lingus plane years ago and I've been guarding it jealously ever since.

Whistlejacket

My trusty cast iron frying pan. Naturally non-stick by now. It goes on the hob/BBQ/in the oven/under the grill. Doubles up as a handy pie dish and loaf tin, keeps flatbreads/pancakes/drop scones warm, toasts spices, gets properly hot for frying steak. Using it reminds me of my granny, who cooked and baked gorgeous meals with one of these and a covered pot on an open fire for years. It's one of the most versatile things I have in the kitchen, I'd hate to be without it.

my3cents

After committing the sin of throwing out my wifes favourite but tatty and damaged old plastic potato masher I had to make amends.

I got her this KitchenCraft Potato Masher.

Can't recommend it enough and wouldn't be without one now.

dxhound2005

Any sort of potato masher will do. The secret is to mash the potatoes with the milk and then stir in the butter with a big spoon. This makes it creamy and smooth.

rubadub

Airfryer for me, just annoys me that they were not out decades ago, as it is very basic technology.

B0jangles wrote: »

You'd probably love my precious very tiny spoon

Unfortunately I have no idea where another one could be acquired; .

I have a few small ones. I would guess you might get them for kids or babies, and maybe army/camping shops might tend to have small ones.

dealz have a baby cultery set
http://www.dealz.ie/babys-my-first-cutlery-set

my3cents

rubadub wrote: »

Airfryer for me, just annoys me that they were not out decades ago, as it is very basic technology.
....

I used to sell them about 40 years ago and they have been going for much longer. Nothing like as technical as the modern ones as they were designed for camping and use on a stove.

Some good info on them here https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/optimus-mini-oven.32819/ which also has a link to a recipe book you might find interesting.

arian

B0jangles wrote: »

You'd probably love my precious very tiny spoon that I use for mixing very small sauces (like for stir-fries).

<snip image>

Here it is beside a normal teaspoon for scale. Bottle-opener included, because why the hell not?

Unfortunately I have no idea where another one could be acquired; my one was 'collected' by some unnamed person from an Aer Lingus plane years ago and I've been guarding it jealously ever since.

How about the (plastic) spoon from a Cadbury Egg 'N' Spoon? Just have to wait 'til Easter (or, probably, New Year ).

B0jangles

Oh I still have my little spoon, I hide it carefully so no-one runs off with it I must go and have a look at the baby spoons in Dealz though, it'd be nice to have a back-up one.

rubadub

my3cents wrote: »

I used to sell them about 40 years ago and they have been going for much longer.

you saying that reminded me of an old infomercial, probably in the 80s or early 90s for a "swiss dry cooker", I never saw anything like them in shops here though. I always wanted one as a kid but it looked like a gimmick and I did not believe the claims.

Not sure if I would compare the one linked to a philips airfryer though. The "fryer" term is a misnomer, it is simply a fan oven with a very fast fan. I could knock one up myself.

Found the old advert, it was 1988, 13min 7sec in

my3cents

Brilliant! That "Swiss Dry Cooker" was one of the ones we used to sell only it was 1978 when we were selling it. I think its the next great thing in cooking every 5-10 years. Now I know the name Swiss Dry Cooker its easy to find it again online.

The oldest one which I've seen but not used is the Israeli Wonder Pot and there are plenty of other variations.

the beer revolu

Ha ha, we had one of those dry cookers in the eighties. I don't remember it being up to much.

my3cents

the beer revolu wrote: »

Ha ha, we had one of those dry cookers in the eighties. I don't remember it being up to much.

They are really only any use when you only have a couple of rings and no oven, like when camping. In fact of all of them the Swiss Dry Cooker is about the most useless. The Wonder Pot and the Omni are much better as they differ by having an extra flame deflector ring on the bottom which stopped a lot of the burning you got on the bottom with the Swiss Dry Cooker. The trick is to get the heat inside the "cooker" without it directly heating the bottom of the pan too much.

Muahahaha

Bought a silcone garlic peeler as an add-on item from Amazon for €3. They work great, I stuck three cloves inside, gave it a quick few rolls and the cloves just pop out with the skin just fallen off. Got through skinning an entire bulb of garlic in about a minute without stinking up my fingers, its a great little thing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toastabags-SGP1-Silicone-Garlic-Peeler/dp/B00KVJH670/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=garlic+peeler&qid=1558381929&s=gateway&sr=8-3

reap-a-rat

I don't eat mash but himself loves potatoes and I've no patience for using a masher. I'm also obsessed with not having lumpy mash - that's why I was put off it myself, mam would always have left big dirty lumps in it which were rank. So for Christmas I asked for a potato ricer and it just takes all the misery out of doing mash. I'll strain the spuds, pop a bit of butter in the still hot saucepan and rice the potatoes into it, mix a bit of milk and throw in a good pinch of salt and I'll use the regular masher to mix it all in then. But all the heavy lifting is done by the Ricer and I wouldn't be without it now!

Also the digital scales as mentioned before, a really simple one, my timer. It's just so much better than glancing at the clock or using a phone!

dee_mc

On the topic of garlic, I recently bought a Joseph Joseph garlic crusher and it's the job. It was €20+ but I couldn't even guess how much I've spent on crappy ones over the years. It's easy to use, easy to clean, crushes a couple of cloves at a time - great yoke!
https://www.brownthomas.com/living/kitchen/cooks-tools/easy-press-garlic-crusher/9647739.html?channable=e20979.NzN4MjAxOHgyMDA2Nw&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI64Ke2_iq4gIV573tCh1RGgc9EAQYAyABEgJ2mPD_BwE

Corca Baiscinn

B0jangles wrote: »

Airfryer all the way, don't know what I'd do without it. .

Remember the "I dont understand what a tracker mortgage is", Well I'm lost re both an airfryer and halogen oven so my questions - (and yes google is my friend but the advice here is more tailored:))

1. What would I use them for and in what way are they superior to whatever came before them?

2. Given my kitchen cupboards and worktops are full where did ye all find the space to store new gadgets? ie what did ye throw out :rolleyes:

Btw I do have a stick blender!

dudara

I’m not a fan of gadgets, too much clutter around the place, filling up cupboards, counter tops and creating extra washing. I would consider everything I have to be basic essential kit, which all gets used regularly. If I don’t see myself using it regularly, or if I don’t find it easy to clean, it doesn’t get bought. I also have an aversion to gimmicky electric appliances.

What I do have that I find very useful (I’m excluding standard appliances like blenders etc)
Pressure cooker
Mandolin (though patience and a good knife will do the same job)
Potato ricer
Different sized pestle & mortars
Mexican elbows

Dial Hard

reap-a-rat wrote: »

a really simple one, my timer. It's just so much better than glancing at the clock or using a phone!

For anyone with a Google Home, it's dead handy for timings and can do multiple ones at the same time. Presume Alexa can do the same.

rubadub

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Remember the "I dont understand what a tracker mortgage is", Well I'm lost re both an airfryer and halogen oven so my questions - (and yes google is my friend but the advice here is more tailored:))

1. What would I use them for and in what way are they superior to whatever came before them?

Airfryer is a small fan oven with a very small fan. Very quick to heat up and cools down fast enough that it does not overcook the food too much, and the fact it has a timer is very useful. I can leave it cooking and head to the shops and come home and the food has cooled down to the temp I prefer eating it at. Very energy efficient.

B0jangles

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Remember the "I dont understand what a tracker mortgage is", Well I'm lost re both an airfryer and halogen oven so my questions - (and yes google is my friend but the advice here is more tailored:))

1. What would I use them for and in what way are they superior to whatever came before them?

2. Given my kitchen cupboards and worktops are full where did ye all find the space to store new gadgets? ie what did ye throw out :rolleyes:

Btw I do have a stick blender!

I don't use a halogen oven, so I can't comment on that, but an airfryer is like an extremely fast little fan oven that browns food much more evenly than any ordinary fan oven.

So think of (almost) any food you'd want to cook in an oven. Its major benefits are the speed - no 15 minutes preheating like a standard oven, plus the food cooks anything between 25 - 50% faster than a standard oven, and the even browning - coated food comes out beautifully crispy all over, not just on the bits that were touching the tray or whatever.

It's like, do you remember trying to reheat food before microwaves? - you could do it yeah, but it took much longer and you had to dig out a saucepan to do it on the hob. Airfryer's a bit like that but for a standard oven.

They are not terribly heavy and quite compact so you could probably pack it away in its box when you're not using it. Mine lives in the utility room because the fan is a bit noisy

Muahahaha

On airfryers, mine is used almost every day so it always stays on the countertop, it has more than earned its position there. I did have a slow cooker but gave it away due to space contraints and now just used a dutch oven for slow cooking. Though I'd imagine using that in the oven costs a good bit more in electricity than a slow cooker does so when I do have more space I'll be getting a new slow cooker.

dudara wrote: »

I also have an aversion to gimmicky electric appliances.

Raclette grill and fondue set by any chance?! I've a mate who bought both in Lidl and they are now so rarely used that she is trying to foist them on me, I'm not having it!

Different sized pestle & mortars

why differing sizes instead of just one? Also my own pestle and mortar is made of rough granite and it annoys me as there is always spice dust stuck to the bottom of it even after emptying it. Has anyone got one of those ceramic ones and how do they find them, are they a better option?

Day Lewin

Ditto not a fan of electric gadgets: I can do just about every cooking job with a sharp knife, cutting board, and a handful of basic tools (which must be good, though: good tongs, strainer, grater etc, plus bowl, measuring jug, timer and good pots and pans.
and indeed, one of those granite mortars and a small china one for spices.
I even grind coffee in an old-fashioned Spong.

In electric land, is a microwave a Gadget?
Use that a lot, then next the toaster is the most used. Stick blender handy for soup. Electric Whisk for cream or meringue. Waffle iron rarely, but it is effective.

But now getting tempted by Airfryer - never seen one. But sounds useful. Fish fillets? Sausages?
And have lusted for a potato ricer for years. Where do I buy one?

Muahahaha

Day Lewin wrote: »

But now getting tempted by Airfryer - never seen one. But sounds useful. Fish fillets? Sausages?
And have lusted for a potato ricer for years. Where do I buy one?

Sausages do really well in an airfryer, instead of standing over a pan I just dump them in, switch it to 10 mins and they're done all the way around with no other work needed. Big advantage of an airfryer is no oil is required and you'll be amazed how much liquid is left behind in the lower basket.

Havent tried fresh fish fillets in it yet but frozen ones come out of it really well and your cooking time is reduced, if the packet says 30 mins in a fan oven then in general 20 minutes will do in the airfryer.

Some great info on airfryers in this thread https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057063796

Been meaning to get a potato ricer myself. I know Ikea do a decent one for about €7 but last time I was there they were out of stock.

Corca Baiscinn

Thanks to everyone for the info re airfryers, I'm def tempted! They had mostly passed me by and the odd reference I did see I took them to be a first cousin of a deep fat fryer and since i never cook chips at home thought I didn't need one! Any brand in particular you boardsies would recommend or are they much of a muchness?

Did once have a pestle and mortar but broke it!

Intrigued by all the interest in potato ricers and interest in pureed spuds, does it not remind yu of countless hotel lunches? I would only mash potatoes about 3 or 4 times a year so a hand masher is fine.

Interested in the Joseph Joseph garlic crusher though, had an Ikea one for years which was good but lost a bit from it eventually and it's a bit expensive to go all the way to Ikea just for a garlic crusher!

dudara

Muahahaha wrote: »

why differing sizes instead of just one? Also my own pestle and mortar is made of rough granite and it annoys me as there is always spice dust stuck to the bottom of it even after emptying it. Has anyone got one of those ceramic ones and how do they find them, are they a better option?

Large granite/stone one for heavier work, salsas etc. and a smaller marble one for small amounts or spices. I give it a quick wipe out with kitchen paper or a dry brush .

dudara

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Intrigued by all the interest in potato ricers and interest in pureed spuds, does it not remind yu of countless hotel lunches? I would only mash potatoes about 3 or 4 times a year so a hand masher is fine.

The problem with hotel mash is that they never use the right potatoes and then they overbeat/overwhip it. Mashed potato needs very little work with a ricer, meaning less beating, and less turning into gloop.

Interested in the Joseph Joseph garlic crusher though, had an Ikea one for years which was good but lost a bit from it eventually and it's a bit expensive to go all the way to Ikea just for a garlic crusher!

flat side of a chef’s knife is the only garlic crusher & peeler you’ll ever need.

Muahahaha

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for the info re airfryers, I'm def tempted! They had mostly passed me by and the odd reference I did see I took them to be a first cousin of a deep fat fryer and since i never cook chips at home thought I didn't need one! Any brand in particular you boardsies would recommend or are they much of a muchness?

I cant only comment on the Philips airfryer and recommend it as top notch. Only complaint is the cooking area could be a bit bigger but you can fit a 1.4kg chicken in it so its not tiny either. There is the XL version for cooking for more people at a higher cost.

Other brands to look at are the Power Airfryer XL. Theres seems to be a lot more cooking space in this model and it has add ons such as a revolving spit for cooking rotesserie chicken or meat/veg skewers. There is also the Tefal Actifry but from the airfryer thread linked earlier the paddle in these that agitated the food often broke. Other versions pop up in Aldi/Lidl from time to time, I cant comment but those would come with a 3 year warranty so long as you keep the receipt in a very dark place, anywhere near light and the ink fades within months.

Keep an eye on Amazon for sales on airfryers, my Philips cost me £80 in the black Friday sale last November, the cheapest ever price has been £69.99 iirc

vintagecosmos

Muahahaha wrote: »

I cant only comment on the Philips airfryer and recommend it as top notch. Only complaint is the cooking area could be a bit bigger but you can fit a 1.4kg chicken in it so its not tiny either. There is the XL version for cooking for more people at a higher cost.

Other brands to look at are the Power Airfryer XL. Theres seems to be a lot more cooking space in this model and it has add ons such as a revolving spit for cooking rotesserie chicken or meat/veg skewers. There is also the Tefal Actifry but from the airfryer thread linked earlier the paddle in these that agitated the food often broke. Other versions pop up in Aldi/Lidl from time to time, I cant comment but those would come with a 3 year warranty so long as you keep the receipt in a very dark place, anywhere near light and the ink fades within months.

Keep an eye on Amazon for sales on airfryers, my Philips cost me £80 in the black Friday sale last November, the cheapest ever price has been £69.99 iirc

I had the airfryer a few years ago but found it awfully difficult to clean. Despite best efforts, everything got caked in it. Had to throw it out.

freshpopcorn

We have a big gas cooker and it was eating gas.
We got a little electric Morphy Richards oven in Argos and find it great for everything.

Sajid Javid

A good wife can do loads of things, only problem is the old ones tend to make a lot of unnecessary noise, so thinking of updating to a more efficient quieter model.

rubadub

vintagecosmos wrote: »

I had the airfryer a few years ago but found it awfully difficult to clean. Despite best efforts, everything got caked in it. Had to throw it out.

some were soaking in oven cleaner solution, or putting dishwasher tablets in it.

Mine is just left filthy! it sits beside the hob and goes on the hob under the fan hood when using it. I very rarely use the regular oven now.