Small Appliances on your Counters

[ea56]

These days I only have a 1972 Proctor toaster and a Magic Chef MW on the counter. I had a Sunbeam Radiant Control Toaster that I bought for $5.99 at Goodwill about 10 years ago that finally gave up the ghost, and I wasn’t able to resurrect it so I got rid of it. I truly enjoyed it while it lasted.

I’ve got a KA Classic stand mixer and a Cuisinart FP stored in upper cupboards, both which I haven’t used in a couple of years. For mixing I use my 3 speed KA Classic hand mixer. I also have several drip coffeemakers and percolators all in storage. I also have three vintage hand mixers stored. I also have a Chef’s Choice electric knife sharpener that I keep in the same cupboard with the other small kitchen appliances as well as a Braun Coffee grinder and a Krups Coffee grinder stored. I take these smalls down when I need to use them.

And stored in another cupboard I have a Hamilton Beach Grill Press, nice vintage Farberware Griddle and a Black and Decker Electric Knife, all that I seldom, if ever use anymore. And in the storage shed I have a beautiful vintage 1970’s GE toaster, that makes terrible toast.

Since David only drinks one cup of coffee in the morning and I drink one in the morning and one after dinner we’ve been using a one cup Melitta pour over for coffee. Its nice to not have a lot of clutter on the counter.

The older I get, the more simple I like to keep things.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 12/8/2019-16:44]

 

[sarahperdue]

Fun resurrection

I was halfway through Kelly’s list when I though,”wow, this reminds me of Kelly.” That’s when I looked up, saw it was Kelly’s and realized how old the thread was.

Here:
Sunbeam C30 alternates with 1993 Krups Espresso Nova
Vtg Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-r-Oven

Sometimes:
Sunbeam blender in wood grain with orange controls
Sunbeam egg cooker

In the cupboards:
Sunbeam electric skillet
Kitchen Aid 4qt mixer
12C Sunbeam Mixmaster
3A Sunbeam Mixmaster
Braun stick blender
Sunbeam Oskar food processor
Coffee pot sized Salton Hotray
Larger Salton Hotray

In pantry storage:
Corningware Electromatic warming tray
Nesco roaster oven

In the country:
Corningware Electromatic skillet
Westinghouse roaster oven
Sunbeam C30 coffee maker

Sar

 

[chachp]

Counter top appliances

 

A Keurig K-Cup machine (Hubby and I don't like the same kind of coffee and he isn't picky)

Breville Coffee Grinder

Stagg Electric Water Kettle

Chemex Coffee Pot

Omega Juicer

Vitamix Blender

Breville Toaster

Olive Oil pourer thingie and a crock of spatulas, tongs, next to the cooktop.

 

[petek]

Looking back I've still got the Panasonic Flash Xpress toaster oven on the counter but the Hamilton Beach brew station was replaced with a Hamilton Beach Flex Brew. Nothing wrong with brew station but the partner wanted a machine that did K cups too. I donated the Brew Station to the thrift store which pained me but I have to start pairing down LOL. Everything else that gets at least once weekly use is on the wire rack within arms reach pretty much, if it's seldom used or never used it's in the basement .

 

[vacerator]

only 3;

Kitchen Aid stand mixer, in a corner, Kitchen Aid large toaster oven, and on the coffee bar, a Cusinart 10 cup combo. Keurig machine. Leaves the remaining 10-12 feet of work tops clean for use, and ease of cleaning.

 

[lordkenmore]

A Goldstar microwave. One of my better Goodwill buys--I think it was only a $1 or $2 thanks to a special holiday sale.

 

I have a KA mixer that sits on the counter, but hasn't been used in a long time. I'm not actively baking anything past very stuff that's easily and quickly mixed (and for a long time I didn't even do anything like that).

 

I also have Presto hot plate/burner and a Toastmaster Toaster oven on the counter, too. These are the closest thing I have to a stove these days. The toaster oven was another good Goodwill buy--clearance tag sale item. Some special feature doe&#92s't work, but it does the basic stuff I need (bake, broil, toast).

 

[lordkenmore]

I have a bunch of other appliances, but I won't list them. Listing them only serve as a reminder of I have this many? LOL Plus I'm not actively using most, since I'm in pretty much keep cooking simple mode. They wait for "someday" when I have a better kitchen and more enthusiasm...

 

 

 

[lordkenmore]

we’ve been using a one cup Melitta pour over for coffee

I drink more than a cup or two of coffee a day, but I've more often than not used single cup brewing systems. I guess I like simplicity, and also it means each cup is fresh.

 

Right now, I'm using a French press. In the past, I've used drip makers that sit on the cup that have a permanent filter.

 

I tried the Melitta, but didn't particularly like them--it seemed like the coffee was too watery or weak. I can't remember; it's been too long. I've sometimes wondered if a smaller cone size model would have worked better.

 

[chachp]

Melitta

 

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">#LordKenmore</span>

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">Have you ever tried Chemex?  I tried Melitta years ago and didn't care for it moreso because I didn't think the filters did a very good job.  I really like the Chemex pourover because the filters are designed to remove the things that make coffee bitter.  Chemex makes a cute little one cup model.  I drink a whole pot myself every day so the one cup would be a PIA for me.  The watery or weak could be the grind.  A course grind in pour over can result in a weak cup of coffee.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">I personally don't care for a French Press because I don't like the sludge they leave behind.  I've never seen one that filters all that well.  Some people don't mind that but I think it makes the coffee bitter.</span>

 

[lordkenmore]

No, I've never tried Chemex, although they seem interesting. Maybe one day I'll have a chance...

 

Re: grind with Melitta--I can't remember my experiments. But I'm guessing I should have had a fine enough grind. I wondered about the filter size because while the filter was the size used for electric coffee makers that brew 4 cups. I've seen smaller pour over cone makers that take a smaller filter, and so I idly wondered if those wouldn't work better. Also I've thought part of my problem might be that I never mastered pouring the hot water into the grounds. Maybe one day I'll dig out the Melitta pour over and experiment some more. Or try one of the smaller cone models (which I just saw recently again when I wandered through a local Ace Hardware).

 

The drip makers that I used years back worked nicely in that they were specifically designed to make a small amount of coffee, and they seemed idiot proof. There was a separate water compartment over the grounds that appeared to help regulate the flow of water and made sure it was spread out over the grounds. These filters, though, were probably more sediment prone.

 

 

<a style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;" name="start_40472.1053783"></a>

 

[chachp]

Process...

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;"> </span>

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">NOTE:  I fully acknowledge I am over the top nuts about my coffee so read the following with that understanding, no need to send a bunch of responses that I'm nuts.  I already know that.  LOL.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">I am a little OCD when it comes to my coffee so I probably take it to a level many don't.  I buy green beans, roast them, grind them and am very particular in the process to make the coffee.  It's a combination of filter, grind, water temperature, process, etc.  I have tried just about every type of automated pour over maker and none are as good as the manual method but again that's me.  I know there are many who will not agree.</span>

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;"> </span>

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">The Chemex website has information for making coffee and the process would work for most pour over devices I would think.  It can't hurt to see what you might want to add to your routine.</span>

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;"> </span>

https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/brewing-product-care-instructions

 

[washerboy]

Cookie jar

Ralph: I live across the river from you!!..I understand the OCD thing!! I have nothing on my counters except a cookie jar. All small appliances go either in the pantry or in the cabinet. Coffee pot comes out at night, used the next morning and goes back to it's hiding place before I leave for work. I've tried to keep a few things like the toaster and kitchen aid mixer; for some reason all that stuff out makes me feel like my kitchen is dirty.

 

[norgeway]

Right now,

A Dormeyer Mixwell mixer, A pink Dormeyer portable mixer from the 60s, a pink Dormeyer blender, a Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster from the 60s All are subject to change, I rotate them out every now and then,A model 12 Sunbeam is ALWAYS close at hand and my favorite Kitchen Aid a 3 B

 

[chachp]

 

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 14pt;">My husband is a saint.</span>

 

[lordkenmore]

over the top nuts about my coffee

I've been that way, too. I was very much a purist when younger, although I never went as far as roasting beans. (Although I've been curious to try.) I've loosened up a lot since then--"drinkable" is often good enough (my 20-something self would cringe at this!), although I still think there is something special about a perfect cup of coffee.

 

The Chemex instructions (removing Chemex specific details, of course) look like what I recall having read in the past. Although I can't remember what I ever did with that Melitta--it's been so long. (It's possible that I saw a "pour over" tips article after I'd quit playing with the Melitta.) As I say, I might dig it out and experiment...

 

I, too, have to say the best coffee in my experience has always been manual systems of some sort. Automatic systems are not as good; however, they admittedly do have convenience, and--for me--are fine if "drinkable" is good enough. I had a period of even using percolators, which would  make coffee purists shudder! But they were convenient, were fun to play with, and surprisingly were good enough--at least for me--when all I cared about was drinkable coffee. (I'd even say that a good percolator, carefully used, seems to produce better coffee than bad drip. I haven't made comparisons, but I also wonder if I wouldn't like it better than Keurig.)