"Four Kitchen Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy"

[lordkenmore]

So I use it once/twice per year, does that mean I should get

The usual rule of thumb seems to be: has it been used in the last year?

Although I find such a rule too simplistic. The real questions: is the item likely to be used in the future? If discarded, how hard is it to replace the item?

I have stuff in my kitchen I don't use--but it's not the ITEM, it's the PHASE of my life. And some things would NOT be easy to replace. Thrift shops aren't the happy hunting ground for me they once were, and buying new means often the choice is Made in China vs Made in China.

 

[launderess]

Griddle

IMHO those vintage cast iron or alumimum griddles that stride one or two burners are more useful than electric ones, especially those combination waffle irons/griddles.

Once properly seasoned one can do flap jacks, eggs, bacon, ham, open or closed sandwiches etc... far easier and with faster washing up. Peep into any diner or restaurant kitchen and that is what one will find.

Such griddles used to be a common built in feature of vintage ranges and IIRC you can still find them on some including AGA types.

Problem one has with electric griddles has mainly to do with the amount of heat, even distribution and recovery times.

 

[frigilux]

Launderess, I agree with you about electric griddles. The recovery time on them is slow. Ditto many household deep fryers and electric woks. I always deep fry on the range in a Dutch oven. I have an aforementioned two-burner griddle. It pairs perfectly with the bridged burners on my electric stovetop.

 

[launderess]

Main Problem Once Again Is The USA's Silly Electrical Sy

You can only get so much heating power out of a 120v/15amp or even 20amp electical circut. For appliances that require larger amounts of heating power you have to go with 220v power. Sadly many American kitchens have gas ranges which means unless there is an 220v stove circut somewhere on the panel that is that.

Think of how much easier and efficient many kitchen appliances would be if they could access 220v power. Washing machines and other appliances with motors would benefit even without built in heaters because 220v motors under heavy loads are more efficient than 120v.

Even ironers (for those of us that use them) would run better as the things would be able to hold and return to heat faster with 220v power. My 220v powered Pfaff ironer is the go to appliance for doing large amounts of ironing since it recovers and keeps temps faster and better than the Ironrite or Frigidaire. Also because it's heating power is greater it can deal with "wetter" laundry better as well. The next best alternative would be going to gas (natural or propane) heated ironers, but that requires a major investment.

 

[tolivac]

I can go along with Launderess on the 120V/220V power supplies.You will get MORE power for the cable size with 220V vrs 120V and yes motors work more efficiently on the higher voltage-Like in a factory--a 100hp motor run on 2500-4160V will be more efficient than the same HP motor run from 480V.The med volt switchgear is more expensive,though.
Back to the kitchen--I have LOTS of countertop machinery--including Sunbeam mixers obtained thru Mixfinder and other members.These are used as regular as my VitaMix and Blendtec blenders.I use tabletop skillets a lot.The countertop grills stay in the cupboard-the GE Advantium oven is easier and faster.Same with my outdoor grill-Propane powered-bought from a freind-only used it once.Just easier to use the Advantium.I have several bread machines-don't know what or why it is-bring them home from yard sales.to be honest its more expensive for me to make the bread in the machine than to buy fresh loaves from the Food Lion.I have a Champion juicer-it does make nice juice-but you have to use a LOT of produce to make the juice-and its parts won't go into the dishwasher.So--I "juice" with the Vitamix or Blendtec instead-both make the pulp in the juice creamy,delicious to drink.-and less waste and prepartion.And their containers can be "spin cleaned" with dishsoap in the container and hot water-run the machine for 10 sec-its done.

 

[sudsmaster]

I thought the most efficient way to power an electric motor was three phase, regardless of voltage. US 110 is single phase, and US 220 is still essentially single phase (split-phase if you will) so it would take a back seat to three phase 220 and higher.

Some homes may be able to get three-phase power from the utility, esp if they are on farmland or around factories. Not so on my block. I believe there's three phase on the main drag a block away, but I understand it would be impossible (or extremely expensive) to convince the power company to run it to my home. I'm only interested because I'd like to get some three phase machine tools in my workshop. Otherwise I'd have to settle for either a phase converter or some newer equipment that actually works well enough on single or split phase (they use inverters for speed control).

I've already move a number of lesser-used appliances off the countertops to undercounter storage cabinets in the enclose patio kitchen. Some stuff there never gets used so it will have to go into boxed storage - to make room for other seldom-used stuff that's still taking up kitchen counter and table space.

The juicer is one I'm a bit perplexed about. I had a Waring juicer that did ok, but exchanged it for a Jack LaLanne juicer because the JLL version had a continuous pulp bin. That was kind of a mistake, since the continuous feature doesn't work all that well and the thing doesn't seem to extract as well as the Waring did. And it takes up more counter space as well.

 

[launderess]

220v/Three Phase

Or any three phase motor trumps single or "two" (don't know what exactly split/two phase is, but my Miele says it has it on the electical plate), which is again why nearly all commercial washing machines have three phase motors, even "small" units. IIRC both professional and domestic units these days are built with inverters to make the switch internally thus units can be used where only single phase exsists.

Three phase motors are one of the reasons laundromat and other professional/commercial washers are rarely bothered spinning rated loads at speed with duty cycles that would kill domestic washers in a short period of time.

Broken down like a fraction for us lay persons, *LOL*:

Three-phase motors 101

Three-phase power and converters; explained in layman's terms. June 19, 2003

www.woodweb.com

 

[circlew]

I've only been in one house that had three-phase power. It was one of my cousins, and the house is very large (over 7,000 sq. ft.). It is all electric, with an in-ground pool (heated), and has 5 central heating and air conditioning units. I'm thinking the service is rated at 800 amps. Three-phase was available at the road, so with all the motors for HVAC and pool pump, it was a wise decision.

Three-phase power is available at the corner of my street, but the power co. charges so much per ft. for the additional wire and equipment, if three-phase isn't necessary to serve the load. I believe the customer must also pay up front for any engineering work necessary.

Also, three-phase today is usually 120/208Y volt service, not 120/240. This has been standard for many years; in fact, the high school I attended was built in '66, and 120/208 was the voltage installed there. However, 120/240 three-phase is also available.

 

[gus]

Hi Guys, In my humble opinion, I'm not an electrician I think most of the rest of the world has 220v.So it should be better by far!. You can have the same or better safety devices to avoid elect. shocks so it's no problem, and besides as you have already said motors work better y more reliably. That's my opinion. Gus

 

[launderess]

Much of Europe and the UK had the luxruy (if that is what you can call it) of having to rebuild major portions of infrastructure and housing damaged during WWII. It was then decided to switch to one 220v/50hz standard for various reasons. Prior to that it was not uncommon to find 110v/120v, along with 220v/240v. Indeed you can find older appliances made and or at least sold in EU/UK that run on 120v power.

Right off the bat 220v or in some cases even 408v power made sense in European/UK homes because of heating demands from all manner of electric appliances. You aren't going to get "boil wash" temps out of 120v power without waiting ages.

The United States OTHO only really fought over DC or AC power (AC mainly won out for domestic use), but 120v for most homes quickly became the standard and wasn't going to change after the war. Though if anytime to do so would have been then due to the housing boom that followed from around the 1950's through 1960's.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I bought my bread maker at a thrift store for $13.00 and used to by the boxed bread mixes all the time. I never made anything from scratch it because I didn't get an instruction manual with it. I have the large George Foreman grill it's been in the basement ever since I moved here two years ago, LOL. I wouldn't mind having a juicer, and I haven't had an electric can opener in years.

 

[lordkenmore]

"I never made anything from scratch it because I didn't get an instruction manual with it."

I'm not sure a manual is absolutely essential. It seems that ANY basic recipe designed for bread machines should work. The tricky part is making sure that the recipe will fit the machine. (A recipe designed for the biggest machines will be quite a dramatic disaster made in the smallest machine. Think of that I LOVE LUCY episode with bread coming out of the oven!) Figuring out the machine's controls might also be a slight challenge--particularly some of the more exotic cycles. But both these issues could be issues with mixes.

I have never once used a mix with either bread machine I've played with. I considered it for the first round, but then took a look at how much the mixes cost....

 

[aegokocarat]

i dissagree about the bread maker statement, we use ours quite alot

 

[sudsmaster]

The 220 service available in the USA is really two 110 volt single phase circuits 180 degrees out of phase with each other. Connect them across a load and you get a 220 volt drop. It sort of looks the same as single phase 220 except there is no neutral required for the US 220 - but it's included anyway for 110 volt components to use. And for the past few decades a ground wire is also required by code.

I've seen US 220 referred to as split phase, dual phase, even single phase just to confuse everyone.

Euro 220 is true single phase with a neutral wire and a ground wire. And then those funny plugs with fuses or breakers built right into them because Euro house wiring sometimes leaves something to be desired.

I once read a bit where the author compared US 110 volt service to Euro 220 volt service and claimed it said something about the quality or style of life in each region. I've always wondered exactly what he meant by that. Offhand, for the same number of watts of work, a 110 volt system will require higher amps and hence more copper in the wiring. Copper is expensive but the USA is a copper producing nation (or was, at least) so maybe materials had something to do with it. The higher 220 voltage on the other hand has more tendency to arc so the insulation has to be a bit thicker, and I understand Euro power cords are rarely the simple twin lead lamp cord we use, but rather two or three wire wrapped in a protective outer sheath of vinyl. Probably safer all round. I get confused when Brits start talking about their weird house wiring - stuff about circles and loops and such. So I won't bring it up, lol.

 

[launderess]

Bread Machine Recipies vs Making Dough By Hand

And Vice-Versa

The only real main concern with using a non-bread machine recipe is that the dough must lend itself to whatever parameters are programmed for the various mixing, kneading, rising then baking cycles. That is the dough must work on the machine's schedule rather than being allowed to do it's own thing.

For this reason you usually find bread machine mixes and or recipes make much use of dough conditioners and yeast foods such as vital wheat gluten and adding vitamin C (yeast loves the stuff), to coax and insure the dough will rise under the various conditions found inside a wide range of bread machines, not to mention their methods of mixing and kneading.

Some bread machines do allow one to extend all or at least the final rise period. Others allow for programming of custom cycles, and so on and so on.

Bread machine yeast is a type of uber-yeast designed to give results with machine made yeasts. Personally have never bothered and only use SAF yeast packets.

As with making pastry dough in a food processor one finds it better to have some knowledge of baking bread from scratch by hand. This gives one an education as to what to look for as the dough is mixed, kneaded and rises.

 

[autowasherfreak]

No Manual

Usually the manual has recipes in it, and I didn't know if I could take a standard bread recipe, and make in the bread maker or not. A friend copied some recipes from her bread maker manual, and one for zucchini bread, which I tried and it was very successful. I friend gave me a couple of #10 cans of white bread dough mix intended to restaurant use I guess, and it worked and was delicious.

My favorite box brand is Krusteaz, especially their Hawaiian Sweet Bread, yummy!

 

[lordkenmore]

I wouldn't try baking a regular bread recipe in a bread machine. Recipes could be adapted or converted, I suppose, but one would need to have a clear idea of what to do. Frankly, bread machines interest me so little that it just wouldn't be worth the time or trouble.

When I suggest non-manual recipes, I mean, of course, bread machine bread recipes published in bread machine cookbooks, etc.

 

[lordkenmore]

This may be stating the obvious. But the missing bread machine manual MIGHT be available for download. I'm amazed, sometimes, at how many manuals (even old manuals) are available for download off the manufacturer website.

 

[foraloysius]

"Euro 220 is true single phase with a neutral wire and a ground wire. And then those funny plugs with fuses or breakers built right into them because Euro house wiring sometimes leaves something to be desired."

Euro voltage is between 220 and 240, officially it's 230V.

The funny plugs are only found in the UK, the rest of Europe uses the Schuko system, with some variations. The British need those plugs because they have ring wiring, which is forbidden in the rest of Europe.

 

[tolivac]

Three phase motors are always used in industry.the 100 hp example I used above would be 3Ph.when you speak of such large motors the 3Ph is assumed.100Hp is a very common industrial motor.At the plant I work in-its a gov't facility-for large gov't facilities-the input power feed from the utility is 3ph 4160V.In our main transformer room we have transformer banks-3ph-that step 4160V to 208/120V for main building power,230V 3ph for the Continental electronics 420A 500Kw transmitter 230V supplies(run pump,blower motors,LV supplies)another 208/120V for the control room,and a small 480V supply for the dummy load.-its pumps,blowers.The main transmitter power supplies run from the 4160V.Of course-all three phase.Most motors in this plant are 3 ph.
There are "Euro" type power supplies in the BBC and AEG 500Kw transmitters-a transformer 3Ph steps the 4160V to 400/220V 3ph for the pump,blower motors,and the LV supplies.The AEG transmitter has "Schukel" connectors around its base for the 220V test instruments that came with the transmitter when it was purchased and installed 25 yrs ago.
Usually with many 230V US 3ph supplies( Delta connected) you may get a "bastard" voltage from phase to ground-usually around 170V This is not normally used.A transformer steps the 230 to 120V.Or you may have what is called a "red Leg" a center tapped 230V leg that gives 120V.these are not run anymore.Replaced by the 208V/120V supplies.Power companies don't like one leg heavily and uneven loaded.So the 208/120V supplies-each phase can be evenly loaded with 120V loads.It was especially hard to run transmitters on Red Leg supplies-anytime the tower lights flashed(heavy 120v load)the transmitter could dump off,or distort.One transmitter site had that-replaced with 208/120V Tx problems went away.