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Fess up: what weird kitchen appliance or gizmo do you own that you rarely use...


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My weirdest gizmo is probably the mini doughnut maker that I bought for $1 at a yard sale. I have used it maybe twice, much to my son's complete delight.

 

But no Ronco inside the egg scramblers on this end. :lol: Anyone??

 

We pulled out the waffle maker this morning (yummy ginger-spelt waffle recipe here) which had not seen the light of day for a while. Waffles used to be a regular Sunday breakfast in this household but have gone by the wayside.

 

What got me thinking about this was my Dad who told me earlier in the week that he was going to cook a pot roast in his clay pot, a Schlemmertopf, something that I too own but have not used in an age.

 

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I have decided to challenge myself either to use some of these things more often or send them on their merry way.

 

Inspire me or make me laugh, please!

 

Jane

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We have a SnoCone Maker - never used.

We also have a plastic S'Mores Maker - also never used. I think we used the sticks for making some swords for History class, though.

 

I do not believe I purchased either one. But somehow, we've got them. They are taking up valuable storage space, and I'm not sure why I still have them...and we've had them A LONG time.

Edited by LauraGB
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My husband is king of kitchen gadgets :D

(unused kitchen gadgets) He's like a the guys who collect Star Wars toys and keep them in the package.

-dehydrator never used & HUGE

-malt machine hasn't been used in year, but a very cool color of 50's green

-mandoline slicer beautiful, expensive, never used (this was from when we were eating a lot of raw foods)

-soft serve machine used twice this summer, made amazing vegan soft serve, I don't know what happened there?

-bread machine, inlaws found a nice one at a garage sale for me, never used

 

okay...my husband and I are reading this list and laughing now.

what is wrong with us?

 

Those are the big obvious thing, there are many, many others.

The funny thing is that I do a lot of good cooking, maybe all I need is a knife and an iron skillet. :001_huh:

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The funny thing is that I do a lot of good cooking, maybe all I need is a knife and an iron skillet. :001_huh:

 

Same for me, Helena.

 

What astounds me is how many of the gizmos mentioned in this thread I own (sans malted milk and soft serve machines, S'mores maker, and a couple of others).

 

My cookie press belonged to my mother and I have wonderful memories of making cookies with her using this device. So now even if I only use the gizmo once every three years, I will not part with it.

 

My fondue pot is used once annually on Christmas Eve. And every Christmas Eve we say "Let's have fondue more often!" Do we?

 

By the way, the woman who owns my local cooking supply store says that her best customers rarely cook. They just collect stuff!

 

Jane

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Same for me, Helena.

 

What astounds me is how many of the gizmos mentioned in this thread I own (sans malted milk and soft serve machines, S'mores maker, and a couple of others).

 

My cookie press belonged to my mother and I have wonderful memories of making cookies with her using this device. So now even if I only use the gizmo once every three years, I will not part with it.

 

My fondue pot is used once annually on Christmas Eve. And every Christmas Eve we say "Let's have fondue more often!" Do we?

 

By the way, the woman who owns my local cooking supply store says that her best customers rarely cook. They just collect stuff!

 

Jane

 

{{{{shudder}}}} Jane, my image of you has been shattered. We own a toaster, a waffle maker (2x per month), a French press and really sharp knives. That's it. Someone once gave us something like this from a very nice store. I felt guilty giving it away but hey, a sharp knife and a cutting board are easier to clean and kids can sweep floors for fun. Perhaps the fact that I met my husband while both of us were working in a restaurant during college explains the absence of superfluous gadgets in our home. The man could cook a great meal with a campfire and two flat stones. Besides, gadgets would cut into my book money.:D

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I got a chuckle out of all MICH elle's Pampered Chef items that go unused. My weird, unused items are mostly PC stuff too--the chopper thingee, the sno-cone maker. I also have the cookie press, which usually gets used around Christmas but, I agree, the dough has to be just right, which makes it a pain to use.

 

Among my non-PC least used items--pie plates (love pie, rarely make it) and double-boiler. Oh, and the stainless steel gravy boat--a gift from mil. We just don't do gravy much. And mini-muffin tins because they're such a pain to clean.

 

 

Cinder

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{{{{shudder}}}} Jane, my image of you has been shattered. We own a toaster, a waffle maker (2x per month), a French press and really sharp knives. That's it. Someone once gave us something like this from a very nice store. I felt guilty giving it away but hey, a sharp knife and a cutting board are easier to clean and kids can sweep floors for fun. Perhaps the fact that I met my husband while both of us were working in a restaurant during college explains the absence of superfluous gadgets in our home. The man could cook a great meal with a campfire and two flat stones. Besides, gadgets would cut into my book money.:D

 

My Capresso coffee maker is used daily. My toaster and food processor are used fairly often, mixer and slow cooker on occasion. That is pretty much it with regard to small appliances (except for that dusty donut machine!)

 

But I have lots of other kitchen stuff. Some things, like the pizza stone or a wok, I use with great regularity. Other things, like the aforementioned cookie press or the massive stock pot that my husband uses for brewing beer, are pulled out less frequently.

 

My cupboards seem full of miscellanea--and I'll be the first to admit that some of it should go. I think part of the problem is that, because I cook and bake, people tend to give me kitchen gizmos and gadgets, thinking that I will use them. The most recent acquisition was a gift--a muffin pan with cups shaped like vegetables! Indeed, more clutter.

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Great thread.

 

I guess we're weird in the sense that we intentionally collect such things. My dh loves to cook and whenever someone on his side of the family has passed away he's gotten some of their kitchen gadgets. We have a huge collection of cast iron pans and ice cream scoops for example. We do use those regularly. Then we have other items, like serving platters, punch bowls, and soup tureens (sp?) that we don't get much use out of.

 

I'm not nearly as sentimental as my hubby and have often gifted non-heirloom items that I don't use. I've given away 2 george forman grills, a bread machine, a quesadilla maker, and a pampered chef food chopper.

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I got a chuckle out of all MICH elle's Pampered Chef items that go unused. My weird, unused items are mostly PC stuff too--the chopper thingee, the sno-cone maker. I also have the cookie press, which usually gets used around Christmas but, I agree, the dough has to be just right, which makes it a pain to use.

 

Among my non-PC least used items--pie plates (love pie, rarely make it) and double-boiler. Oh, and the stainless steel gravy boat--a gift from mil. We just don't do gravy much. And mini-muffin tins because they're such a pain to clean.

 

LOL, I thought you meant Politically Correct. (I was thinking, what is a politically correct kitchen gadget??!)

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[quote name=Jane in NC;1212563

 

What got me thinking about this was my Dad who told me earlier in the week that he was going to cook a pot roast in his clay pot' date=' a Schlemmertopf, something that I too own but have not used in an age.

 

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I have one of these, too! I bought it at a yard sale, and was very excited about it, since my Mom owns one. (We called it a RĂƒÂ¶mertopf.) Mom actually uses hers quite a bit; it makes lovely roasts. I think I've used mine once.:D

 

Many of the items mentioned here are things I own and do use. My PC bread pan was so frequently used that I bought a second one. I also use the food chopper (nice for nuts), my double boiler, and the apple peeler/corer/slicer. (I've been using that one more lately; in-laws own a small apple orchard, so we get many wonderful apples this time of year. We looove apple crisp. :))

 

Besides the RĂƒÂ¶mertopf, the other very infrequently used thing here is a huge, heavy stoneware bowl dh bought me for mixing large quantities of bread dough. Now that I have my KitchenAid Pro, I very rarely use the bowl. Still, it comes in handy for the occasional batch of granola or whatnot. Plus, I love it, so it's staying. :) The things that I really don't use, I do get rid of. So far that has included a fondue pot and a bread machine.

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My strangest one is a spaetzle maker. :D

 

I bought it for spaetzle, which I love, but I've never used it for that. However, it is also known as a potato ricer and man does it make great riced (mashed) potatoes. Mine comes out a couple times a year around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

Other stuff that hasn't gotten much use include a malt maker (which I probably need to toss as it has a broken piece) and a hot air popcorn popper. I did take the popper to Bible study once for snacks and had all the kids crowded around it to watch the popcorn. They were all young enough that microwave popcorn was all they'd really ever seen.

Edited by Sebastian (a lady)
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We use all our weird stuff.

 

We had fondue last Thursday. Let me tell you the pound cake & strawberries dipped in chocolate. Yummmmmmm.

 

We have a dehydrator that we dry garden produce.

 

We have a sprouter that we grow sprouts.

 

We have a ice shaver. I don't think it is technically a snow cone machine. It is from about 1970 and you put in ice and turn a crank and it shaves it. Great for sick kids or hot days.

 

We have a pizza stone that gets used once a week. Waffle maker about once a month. All the other normal appliances too.

 

My downfall is not appliances, it is pans/molds/cookie cutters especially holiday ones. I buy them and then forget to use them.

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I got a chuckle out of all MICH elle's Pampered Chef items that go unused. My weird, unused items are mostly PC stuff too--the chopper thingee, the sno-cone maker. I also have the cookie press, which usually gets used around Christmas but, I agree, the dough has to be just right, which makes it a pain to use.

 

Among my non-PC least used items--pie plates (love pie, rarely make it) and double-boiler. Oh, and the stainless steel gravy boat--a gift from mil. We just don't do gravy much. And mini-muffin tins because they're such a pain to clean.

 

 

Cinder

 

How funny! I LOVE my PC chopper thingy. AND I use my mini-muffing things several times a year, but not for muffins. I make these sausage/cheese/ranch filled wonton appetizer things that everyone loves, and I need the mini-muffin tins for those.

 

As they say, one man's trash (or one woman's useless kitchen gadgets...) :-)

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I just can't figure out what to do with our unused kitchen gadgets and I feel guilty throwing away perfectly good stuff (I don't do yard sales).

 

We have a cotton candy machine that has been used once or twice in 5 years. Three waffle makers, one of which gets used, a cookie press, and then lots of small odds and ends.

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I don't cook. Everyone else in my house does, so unfortunately when I go in the kitchen and find it full of gadgets, I don't get to throw them away. When I moved in I brought the toaster and mixer, one knife and one cutting board. Then my hubby added a counter top grill, a griddle and another cutting board and set of knives. Then the teens added a coffee pot, espresso machine, hot air popcorn machine and drawers full of plastic gadgets. It drives me nuts but I am not allowed to complain. It's one of the rules. If I complain then they won't feed me and if I throw something away then I have to replace it. No fun to be had in the kitchen I tell ya.

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I use all of my gadgets, some more than others, but the one thing that I have that I have never ever used was my mother's silverware that she gave me when I got married. She got it for a wedding gift when she married my dad. It still sits in it's wood box underneath my linens in the linen chest. I always tell myself that I should use it someday, but I would have to polish all of the silver first and it's just easier to use my flatware. Maybe I'll give it to my dd when she gets married and it can sit in the bottom of her linen chest til she has a daughter. :) :D hehe

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Try fudge (the Eagle brand condensed milk version) in the Pampered Chef cookie press, put the fudge in it when nearly cool but not all the way set, if you can get it right onto the serving plate, it stays all 'fresh from the bakery' shiny!

Love my food chopper...love my apple/peeler/corer/slicer...since I need to cook, it might as well be entertaining!

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I just can't figure out what to do with our unused kitchen gadgets and I feel guilty throwing away perfectly good stuff (I don't do yard sales).

There is a third way -- donating them to thrift stores/charities (Salvation Army or whatever) -- or if your friend or local organization is going to have a yard sale, you could donate to them to sell. I once walked into one store and about half of the first floor was kitchen gadgets. It was sobering.

 

I am getting rid of some of mine. I haven't quite readied myself to get rid of the waffle iron -- because it's so small I'm keeping it around for a while to see if I'll use it. I have gotten rid of the cookie press. Too fiddly.

 

I make crepes in a cast iron pan. I do have an apple peeler thing and I have used it; it's awfully fun, but take it from me, that blade is SHARP!

 

My husband considers a potato peeler a useless kitchen gadget, but I love mine. ;)

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I have a question about pizza stones. How are you supposed to clean them?? I have a big round one and I washed it with dish washing soap and water and it foamed terribly. :blushing:

 

They come with a little plastic spatula thing you are supposed to scrape them with. This just doesn't seem to be enough for me:tongue_smilie: so I take a scotch brite sponge, you know, the ones with the rough side? Anyway, I squirt a little dawn on it, run water on it, and then wipe off the stone without submerging it in water. Then I rinse it off under running water and quickly dry it. I let it sit out and completely air dry before using but mine is so well seasoned (read well used) that it has a slick surface and none of the water soaks in. Do not submerge the stone and definately don't put it in the oven wet!!! The stones do tend to get a bit of a dirty look, for instance, the first time I used mine there were distinct circles where the cinnamon rolls were.:001_huh: After alot of use though, they just look darker all over. They work wonderfully and everything cooks so even. All my cookies turn out perfect since I started using the stone, and none of them ever stick!

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They come with a little plastic spatula thing you are supposed to scrape them with. This just doesn't seem to be enough for me:tongue_smilie: so I take a scotch brite sponge, you know, the ones with the rough side? Anyway, I squirt a little dawn on it, run water on it, and then wipe off the stone without submerging it in water. Then I rinse it off under running water and quickly dry it. I let it sit out and completely air dry before using but mine is so well seasoned (read well used) that it has a slick surface and none of the water soaks in. Do not submerge the stone and definately don't put it in the oven wet!!! The stones do tend to get a bit of a dirty look, for instance, the first time I used mine there were distinct circles where the cinnamon rolls were.:001_huh: After alot of use though, they just look darker all over. They work wonderfully and everything cooks so even. All my cookies turn out perfect since I started using the stone, and none of them ever stick!

 

 

THANK YOU!! :) Wow! I never dreamed that I could make cookies on it. I'm so boring. I thought I could only make pizzas on my pizza stone. hehe It never occurred to me that I could make something else. :tongue_smilie:

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About the cookie press. I don't have a pampered chef one but I do have quite a collection of the older ones. I tend to pick them up at yard sales to get the different discs. We use ours alot. I love the cream cheese spritz cookies and also make butter and cocoa ones. If the dough is too soft just add a bit more flour till it is right. The cookies are great. I also make the round swirl ones into thumbprint cookies and put jam in the middle, or sometimes melted chocolate, yum! I finally found a disc with a scottie dog shape. Our little scottie's name is Koko so we make Cocoa Koko cookies now.:001_smile: You can also use the press to fill things like cream horns and twice baked potatoes.

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I have a question about pizza stones. How are you supposed to clean them?? I have a big round one and I washed it with dish washing soap and water and it foamed terribly. :blushing:

You scrub it with whatever kind of scrubbie you use for dishes (I usually use one of those plastic scrunchie dish scrubbies or the green scrubber with the sponge attached), using just water. You're not supposed to use soap of any kind, as the stone is very porous. The soap will flavor your food. On the rare occasions when I have used dish soap, I only do it if my stone is well seasoned, and I make sure to get my stone wet first to lessen the chance that the soap will be absorbed. And I do it really quick and rinse well. But scrubbing is the main thing you use to clean it.

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You scrub it with whatever kind of scrubbie you use for dishes (I usually use one of those plastic scrunchie dish scrubbies or the green scrubber with the sponge attached), using just water. You're not supposed to use soap of any kind, as the stone is very porous. The soap will flavor your food. On the rare occasions when I have used dish soap, I only do it if my stone is well seasoned, and I make sure to get my stone wet first to lessen the chance that the soap will be absorbed. And I do it really quick and rinse well. But scrubbing is the main thing you use to clean it.

 

 

Thank you. :) Gosh now I'm wondering about all the things I should be making on it. :) I should do a spin off thread for favorite recipes with a pizza stone. :) I hardly use mine. Mostly because I just forget that I have it. :tongue_smilie:

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THANK YOU!! :) Wow! I never dreamed that I could make cookies on it. I'm so boring. I thought I could only make pizzas on my pizza stone. hehe It never occurred to me that I could make something else. :tongue_smilie:

 

You go girl!!! Use that stone, they like abuse.:D To get you started go get a cake mix out of the cabinet, ( I like lemon best but they all work good) Mix the cake mix with 1/2 cup oil and 2 eggs, mix till it forms a big ball. Break off pieces and roll into little balls, about 1-1 1/2 inch balls and place on baking stone. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and then bake cookies for 12 minutes. Let them sit on stone to firm up and cool about 5 min and then remove to plate. These are so easy and they are good! My kids all like the devils food ones, sometimes with nuts added. These taste just like brownies.;)

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