Kitchen Appliances That Never Quite Fullfilled Their Promises

[earthling177]

Thomas Ortega complained about the Bosch/Siemens Liftmatic oven.

I watched the video linked.

So many questions! Wow.

Even supposing that the thing never broke and worked for 20 years as it was supposed to work... how did that make it into production?

Sure, I can see the geek appeal. But it doesn't seem like they even tried to use it in real life cooking real things in a real kitchen.

If one has a good eye for "debugging" one would immediately catch a serious flaw or two right on their video trying to advertise the thing: they show how the bottom touches something under the oven and reverses a couple of inches, for example. To me, that would immediately point out to one of the disadvantages, namely that the area and volume from under the oven to the countertop is now "wasted" to the oven if you are using it. Countertop and cabinet space is at a premium in most kitchens, and now there's this space that needs to be kept free while the oven is in use. With a regular oven, you open the door towards the floor, it feels like it'd be better to me.

The other problem is, sure, it has a self-cleaning cycle. Then it finishes, are we expected to contort ourselves to wipe the walls/inside the oven or does it come apart for cleaning? Doesn't look easy to do.

What would be the advantages? Maybe you can lower the food to check and most of the hot air stays inside so one doesn't lose heat so easily?

In any case, now that we know it broke easily, even if a new model similar to that comes out, I, for one, would be leery of it until at the very least 5 years had past so we could have some idea of the reliability, by which time they'd probably discontinue it anyway.

Cheers!

 

[askolover]

My grandmother was the first in our family to get a microwave...it was a Sharp carousel convection with timer dials and slide switches around 1983 or so.  My mother then bought the touch pad digital version of the same oven about a year later.  They both used each function all the time.  But when mother's finally died she just went with a plain microwave.  My grandmother replaced hers with the latest convection microwave version from Sharp.  I also bought a convection Sharp about 8 years ago thinking I would do away with the toaster oven and free up counter space.  Didn't happen.  Still have both.  Thanksgiving and Christmas I might fire up the convection oven to bake something I don't want to taste like the turkey or it may need a different temperature.  I've never had any problem keeping the stainless interior clean.  Most of the reviews online people complained and belly-ached about "how do you get the burned on splatters off the interior?"  Magic eraser comes to mind now but for years I used regular oven cleaner as was recommended in Mother's old Sharp owner's manual...just don't spray it into the holes inside.  But when mine finally dies I won't get another convection oven.  I'd rather use my gas oven anyway except for the fact it heats up the house in the summer.  If I ever build a new house I want to have a gas range out in the garage to use in the summertime.

 

I've read online that those hot air poppers can be used to roast your own coffee beans.

 

[tolivac]

Microwave popcorn-besides not good for your oven-its also not good for YOU!!!Too many funky ingredients in the microwave popcorn.and as John points out-the popped corn puts little or no loading on the magnetron-so something is going to give if this happens-the corn can catch fire-and QUICKLY or frequent use will cause the magnetron to burn out because the energy it generates is not properly absorbed by the food.Consider your microwave oven as a transmitter of sorts-the food would be the load or antenna-most foods are fine-there loading doesn't change as popcorn does.Its like trying to run one of our transmitters into a no load or light load-the tube will suffer and you can get RF circuit arcing.

 

[launderess]

Stand chastened and rebuked

One had no idea was surrounded by such experts in microwave cookery.

Having tried various meats and other dishes early on with microwave ovens (and was not impressed) soon settled on using them for things like porridge, veggies, certain cuts of chicken or fish, those sort of things.

Have several vintage books on microwave cooking (one from Panasonic), but again most of the recipes left one rather "meh".

 

[DADoES]

 
There was a recipe for cream cheese swirl brownies in the cookbook included with our first WP microwave in 1979, which I made quite often when I discovered it.

I use mine occasionally for packaged pasta salad.  Cooking pasta is essentially a hydration process which takes the same amount of time via microwave as stovetop but there can be only one dish involved for prep, serving, and storage.

I've done Hamburger Helper a couple times (one of the auto-sense selections is for "browning" ground beef), which comes out nicely enough since there's sauce involved and any meat "grayness" isn't an issue.

 

[launderess]

Never pasta

Well other than prepared/frozen dishes, but did try rice in MW once. Wasn't impressed so went back to stove top.

Truth to tell have been making rice that way for so long it just comes naturally.

Speaking of kitchen appliances that haven't..... A neighbor moving house years ago now gave one a Panasonic rice cooker. It has sat sitting on shelf ever since because don't see the point. Again am so used to making rice on stove that it just doesn't occur to bother any other way.

 

[tomturbomatic]

One thing where Microwaves excel is sweating down onions. Chopped onion, a little olive oil in a square Corning pan will cook faster and be much less likely to burn than on the stove top. The walls of the cavity will run with water as the great amount of water steams away. After a few minutes, I remove the pan and see if any stirring is needed to prevent the edges from scorching, but then continue cooking to the desired doneness.

 

[fan-of-fans]

How about the hotdog toaster, and the Taco Fiesta taco buffet server? And those things with a coffee maker, toaster oven, and small griddle plate all in one. I think most of these are made by Nostalgia Electrics.

Anyone remember the Kenmore Toast N Wave and Brew N Wave ovens? Never liked those as to me a toaster or coffee maker is something that gets replaced more often than a microwave.

My least used appliances are probably my waffle iron, KitchenAid blender and my Sunbeam Mixmaster. Not that I don't like these, or they don't do what they claim, it's just that I usually don't feel like making waffles or pancakes from a mix, most weekends. I wish I felt like it more often.

 

[rp2813]

I swear by my rice cookers!  I've found they work best on basamati rice.

 

[justjunque]

Cole

I think that's kind of where I am too.
I know there's more that I could do with the microwave than reheat stuff.
We buy frozen vegetables that steam in the bag.
It works great for those.
But we both work full-time, and just don't ever have the time or energy to cook like I'd like to.

As an aside, our microwave is dated July 1991.
It's a Sharp Carousel II, with ESP Sensor. Model # R-5H82.
I've had it since before my wife and I got married.
It belonged to her parents, and it quit working.
They asked me if I wanted it, but I'd have to get it fixed.
I said sure, because I'm a hoarder, and rarely say no to anything free.

Less than $20 later, the microwave repair specialist had it working like new, and we're still using it daily to this day.
Meanwhile, my now in-laws have gone through, I believe three microwaves since this one!

Barry

 

[thomasortega]

KA fresh prep shredder accessory

It works great (the new version), KA even sent me for free the fourth drum that the package and the website shows but it's not available with the product, somewhat a false advertisement.

It is extremely useful, however, it's a pain to clean because it's not dishwasher safe.

 

[rp2813]

Veg-O-Matic.  It slices, wedges and dices, but it's a PITA to clean.

 

[countryguy]

I cook all vegetables in the microwave...just a spoonful of water with the vegetables in a covered dish and cook for 3-4 minutes. I also have a Pampered Chef rice cooker for the microwave which I use to cook all rice...works great and have perfect rice every time.

Gary

 

[tolivac]

I cook my veggies in the nukebox,too.Better than on a stove.There is a Sharp Carousel microwave here at work-in the site kitchen.The oven uses cards of some sort-they have been missing since I have been here-the oven has to be well over 20 yrs old-still works.And it has heated coffee,popcorn and who knows what else.A high quality machine if its lasted this long-and it gets heavy use.Has lasted thru like 3 newer GE's and one Frigidaire microwaves.When those die here they just go into the dumpster.

 

[63kenmore]

Back in the ‘70’s we gave my mother the nickname “the gadget queen”. She had just about every frivolous appliance ever made. My dad always indulged her in this as she was an excellent cook and he liked to eat. I remember the electric donut maker, hot air popcorn popper, a portable convection oven (1970’s), just to name a few. She was the first in the family and neighborhood to have a microwave (Litton), KA mixer, electric roaster, lefse griddle, pizzelle iron, krumkake iron, bread maker, and this is just the short list. When she passed away 5 years ago, she had almost 140 cookbooks.

 

[DADoES]

 
We had a hot-air popper in the 70s.  Gnasty.

I have a mini-donut maker, received as a gift (operates like a waffle iron).  Tried a couple of the included recipes, then went to using packaged muffin mix.  It's cute but not really worth the effort.

The parents have a countertop bread maker and a rotisserie oven.  They like both, used them numerous times but slacked-off from it.

 

[launderess]

Besides Crock Pots

Think bread makers are in the top five things one sees most often at thrift stores.

Used my Phillips BM to death when purchased several years ago (ironically yes, at local thrift), but it has sat sitting for some time now. Just can't bring oneself to bin it just yet, but know it soon will have to go. For now it just sits there haunting me.

 

[askolover]

I might have to find one of those pampered chef rice cookers.  Tony's part Korean and loves rice.  He can make a meal of kimchi, seaweed, and rice. 

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Here is a "promised alternative to deep frying" or an alternative to frying that ordinarily uses oil, that I was sold on:

I bought what was $10 at a garage sale that ordinarily goes for around $20, New... And although it looked unused, I dually washed the basket and the tray, tried a few things, such as fish, potatoes and shrimp to often find the stuff often didn't fry enough, of only get what would ordinarily be 'baked'...

The breeding just tended to be a bit raw, or simply needed more time to be baked, and to the point where maybe I just need to buy fish that's already breaded...

A "poor man's air-fryer", in other words, of which I would be interested in a real one, that a while back, the store I work at briefly carried and had seen at least a couple of my co-workers buy, while another one I had overheard bought hers....

This one is the Chef Club brand, while a classmate of mine, also a Facebook friend also has one, too, though most-likely a different brand that I had seen what she'd cooked in it, more than the actual appliance, while there's whatever the store I used to work at, Walmart carries, as well as with some 10%-off coupons I have a handful of around the house, leaves Bed, Bath and Beyond, and whatever is its brands...

So I feel tempted to go into air frying (I would love a clean, neat way to make my own favorite fried fish 'n chips) but I do not know which kind or brand works best and to get...

-- Dave

 

[ozzie908]

@daveamkrayoguy

Have yet to find anything that comes anywhere near a deep fat fryer replacement have seen and used air fryers and its nothing more than a halogen oven some take forever to cook and it comes out baked and dry so may just as well use the oven. I cannot abide oven chips/fries just like bits of dry card on your plate.

Austin