7 small kitchen appliances you don't need

[frigilux]

Pat-- I've seen water in a Pyrex measuring cup "explode" a in the microwave a few times. Happened with butter, once, too.

It usually happened when, after heating the water to boiling I let the vessel sit in the microwave for awhile, then had to reheat it. Luckily, just opening the door of the microwave was enough to jostle the water, sending most of it flying in all directions. Quite a thing to witness, but was glad my hand wasn't in the way!

 

[NYCWriter]

Yep ...

... the most-used appliance in this chick's kitchen is the TELEPHONE to order delivery!

Purchasing a stand mixer was a life-altering event for me. I held out for so many years before finally buying one. When I first used it, it was absolutely revolutionary; like having an extra set of hands! Now I can leisurely measure and add ingredients while the unit is mixing, rather than the constant on/off/set down/pick up/on/off repeat repeat repeat madness I'd become used to!

Electric kettle? I don't have one of those, but one of the most-used devices on my countertop is my trusty Sunbeam "Hot Shot". Same principle, but different design; more like a mini Mr. Coffee; the little unit holds up to 2 cups of water (you put in ONLY water), and heats it to boiling in 90 seconds! Yes, faster than a microwave, and certainly faster than a pot on the stove (which I use only when making an entire POT of tea).

Popcorn maker. Depends on the method. Hot air is the healthiest and cleanest way to make popcorn. Pops in less than five minutes, and there is absolutely no cleanup.

Blender. SERIOUSLY? Don't buy a BLENDER? Funny, the author says her food processor does a better job of crushing ice and blending fruit. I've found my high-quality blender does a better job of chopping and mincing food than my food processor. And its variable speed and more powerful motor enables me to do a hell of a lot more than what my food processor can do. If anything, I'd recommend chucking the food processor and getting a really good blender.

 

[tomturbomatic]

While I love my instant hot dispenser and use it for many things, it does not produce boiling water for tea. An induction unit is faster than the Hot Shot, but the Hot Shot is part of the tea ceremony that occurs on non-work mornings when time is not of the essence. It got a workout during the shutdown.

If I ever have a cough or sore throat, the Instant Hot is very useful for making a mug of my favorite flavor Jell-O which I sip as a very soothing pain-reducing and phlegm-cutting drink.

 

[NYCWriter]

The Hot Shot ...

... also makes instant oatmeal in a snap!

 

[foraloysius]

I love the Quooker, a combination of normal kitchen tap and boiling water dispenser. It's the newest thing here, after they have sold a separate boiling water dispenser for many years. Sleek design too!

http://www.quooker.co.uk/enuk

 

[NYCWriter]

Fantastic design ...

... on the "quooker"!

But I'm far too high-maintenance about my drinking water. No tap water for me -- it all has to be filtered through my Berkey.

 

[joe_in_philly]

Quooker is very nifty!

 

[sudsmaster]

I would swear by my Saeco 50 oz electric kettle It is selectable for 105, 150, 200 or 212F. I find the 200 setting best for tea. It will hold that temp for 2 hours. The 212 setting is basically a boil, and the machine will shut off after that temp is reached. I often use it when a recipe calls for hot water, or I need to add more boiling water to a pot that has something that needs more cooking.

Yes, you can get buy with a minimal complement of kitchen appliances and gadgets - if you have nothing else to do and don't care that the results may be inferior. Hand beating cake batter, or hand kneading bread? Nice work if you can get it, but most of us don't have the time for that.

 

[petek]

There is the least useful countertop appliance there is. The red West Bend electric wok. Guaranteed that no matter which thrift store you go in, no matter where from the arctic to the gulf, from the atlantic to pacific there will be one of these on a shelf. LOL

 

[cornutt]

We've got a lot of these. No electric kettle; my wife loves her Melitta single-cup coffee maker, and we seldom drink hot tea. Two of my favorite gizmos are my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker, and my West Bend Stir Crazy popcorn popper (air popped popcorn is as dry and tasteless as rice cakes IMO). I agree that those George Foreman-style grills aren't worth the trouble; you can do the same thing in the oven or on the stove top, and they are hard to clean. We had a waffle maker that we used the heck out of for a while, but it too was very hard to clean. When the thermostat quit working, we tossed it and haven't bought another. My wife also had one of those egg cooker things; same deal. It's still in the back of a cabinet somewhere, I think.

But my "favorite" useless appliance was the battery-powered bug vacuum. It sucked -- which is to say, it didn't suck!

http://cars

 

[sarahperdue]

Each user is unique

The best part of this thread is reading your opinions. I think many appliances are useful if they meet the needs of the user. There are others that might be almost universally considered junk.

Stand mixer (at least one) is a must have if you really cook. We use the Sunbeam MMA for cakes, frosting, whipping... And the KA for bread and dense cookie dough.

The blender and food processor do different things and are both essential.

I'm with you on the West Bend wok. I had hippie friends in college who kept theirs going 24/7 with some odious pot pourri concoction because they thought it would mask the smell of weed.

 

[sarahperdue]

Each user is unique

The best part of this thread is reading your opinions. I think many appliances are useful if they meet the needs of the user. There are others that might be almost universally considered junk.

Stand mixer (at least one) is a must have if you really cook. We use the Sunbeam MMA for cakes, frosting, whipping... And the KA for bread and dense cookie dough.

The blender and food processor do different things and are both essential.

I'm with you on the West Bend wok. I had hippie friends in college who kept theirs going 24/7 with some odious pot pourri concoction because they thought it would mask the smell of weed.

 

[washman]

I suppose you could throw in my Sunbeam

T23 automatic toaster too!

 

[yogitunes]

I suppose what ever makes you happy, and functional for your own daily lives is really what is best for any individual...theres no right or wrong...

come on, if theres one thing we have all learned, theres no clout in any article from CR, to any writer/columnist out there with a lick of sense to know or investigate anything they write about...we have yet to see any with a show of intelligence...outside of talking out their @ss!!!....

these people write articles, most likely their first, and proabably the last, definately the only time you will ever had heard of them....or would ever want to again....

this is social media...when have you not seen them blow things out of proportion!...and stretch the truth so far out in the universe!....then again, your only good as your last article...

 

[norgeway]

As I read this..

I think of all the little old ladies when I was growing up, most baked cakes every week, and just about all of them used portable mixers, I collect portables, but I dont have time or energy to use one all the time, Donalds Mother is a prime example, she is a great old fashioned cook, but will not use anything that would make her life easier, she does not have...and will not even consider,a pressure cooker,a stand mixer, a blender,a griddle,a toaster oven,a clothes dryer,a dishwasher,a electric frypan,and of course not a food processor..She could have any labor saving appliance , she does not want them, she does all her canning in a blue enamel water bath canner, even vegetables which authorities shudder at, but then, most older older folks wont use a pressure canner,im too lazy for all that work, and boiling beans three hours in a water bath in a non airconditioned house is not my idea of fun, but it doesent bother her one bit, and she is close to 80!,She makes slaw about every week, ...with a hand chopper,im talking about a circular blade with a handle on it, I asked her if she didnt want a box grater..NO! My Momma didnt like them, so I will just do it like I always have!!I wish I had half the energy she has,,im lazy, I love kitchen gadgets, but I will say, even though I have a food processor, I very seldom use it, but you will get my stand mixers only if you pry my cold dead fingers from around the handle..LOL!

 

[tolivac]

"bug" vacuum? I just use any of the ones I have that are handy to catch the bug-esp those you don't want to touch becuase they are yucky-or bite,sting.The NSS M1 does very well-the poor bug has to go thru that 7" vacuum fan!