What are your favorite kitchen appliances?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, what appliances are in your kitchen and how would you rate them? You can assign them to the following categories or just name one overall winner:

**Necessity **
This is the appliance you’d have to replace immediately (same day, next day at the latest). You probably use it several times a day without thinking about it. For me it would be the microwave.

**Convenience **
This is the appliance you use several times a week. If it broke, you’d probably replace it within a week. For me, this would be the vegetable/rice steamer. I use I to steam the veggies or rice (surprise!) while I’m preparing the rest of dinner.

**Coolness **
This is the appliance you have on the counter because it looks nifty or does nifty things. You may not use it everyday or maybe you do. If it broke, you might not replace it or it would be a special gift to yourself (or from you SO) if you did. For me this would be either the breadmaker or the coffee/cappuccino machine.

**Other **
We also have a food processor that I’ve used once, a blender my hubby seems to be using daily now, a large oval crock pot that I should use more often, a George Foreman Grill, a waffle maker, an electric griddle and of course a toaster.

2

Necessity: I could do without a µwave all together, since I pretty much only use mine to heat up water for tea and superheated liquid experiments. My necessity item would be the under-the-sink water filter that feeds a tap on my countertop. In close 2nd place would be my tea infuser.

Convenience: I don’t use a rice steamer, either. I use -get ready to be shocked- a regular old three quart saucepan. Comes out perfect every time. My convenience item would be my automatic coffee maker. I could do without it for a few weeks since I have several personal drip pots that sit charmingly on your coffee cup while they brew.

Coolness: I have very few gizmos on my kitchen counter purely for aesthetics. My kitchen is highly functional/practical and counter space in short supply. Even “cool” items go in a closet or cabinet unless they are in almost constant (i.e. daily) use. The only thing I can think of that fits into this category is a little hand held frother (frothier?) that I stick into a cup of latte to whip up some instant foam. It’s battery operated and small enough to sit in the veggie basket with the onions & potatoes. Coming 2nd in this category would be my marble mortar & pestle.

Other: I own very few “true” gadgets of any kind, really. The only real exceptions are the coffee maker & toaster. Everything else I do the old fashioned pre-gadget way. For example, instead of a food processor, I use a pair of light weight cleavers for mincing garlic (or whatever) super-fine. I can’t think of any past situation where I’ve ever said to myself “Damn! I wish I had a food processor to do this job!” I have an electric hand blender, but it only comes out into the daylight whenever I need to whip up some egg whites for an angelfood cake.

I may get a breakmaker soon, but that’s only because I can’t find a local bakery that makes a good rye loaf or cheddar-dill loaf.

3

I insist that you provide a breadmaker-friendly recipe for cheddar-dill bread!

4

Necessity-my thermal carafe coffee pot. Keeps the coffe hot for hours without cooking it anymore and giving it that burnt taste.

Convenience-the refrigerator or microwave…keeping food cold or zapping heat into it can be a wonderful thing!

Coolness-I really don’t have anything on my counter for pure aesthetics.

Other- I love love LOVE my blender and corded hand mixer! I always clean them immeadiately after use because I adore them so much. Of course, I probably love 'em because I use them to make two of my favorite things in the world…salsa and soups.

5

Necessity
If we’re talking ALL appliances, then the Fridge and the Range/Oven are #1. The fridge is nothing special, but the Range is a dual-fuel, electric convection oven on bottom and gas on top. If it broke, I’d go out and buy another just like it.

The coffee maker. Coffee is a necessity.

KitchenAide mixer. I use it for everything.

Toaster: they’re so cheap, why would you live without one?

Convenience

Microwave: I could live without it for most things, but defrosting chicken stock/meat/etc. is pretty nice.

Blender: Needed for cocktails and pureeing vegetable soups. Rarely use it for anything else.

Food Processor: Didn’t have one for years, now that I have one I use it occasionally. Could probably live without it.

Coolness

Um, I don’t have room for anything that’s just for looks. If it’s not essential for a particular recipe, or it doesn’t get used at least twice a week, it gets tossed.

6

Necessity
Microwave, definitely. I can cook almost anything in my microwave, with the exception of chicken divan (which is really too bad). And actually, you know, I might just be able to cook chicken divan in the microwave. Can you microwave broccoli and cauliflower?

Convenience
Blender’s nice. It’s hard to make smoothies without one.

Coolness
So totally the professional milkshake machine. It’s vintage! It’s restaurant-style! Comes with three stainless steel cups! Easy to clean! Automatic on/off switch when you load the cup! Two mixing speeds (fast and faster)! It’s that old shade of aqua that looks like it belongs on a car with huge tailfins! I bought it for $10 at a garage sale because the people didn’t think it worked! It did, I don’t know what their problem was! It causes me to use too many exclamation points!

Other
We have a pop up toaster and a toaster oven. I don’t know why we have both. I have used the toaster oven once, and it was to make stuffed mushrooms that I didn’t even like the taste of and will never make or eat again.

7

** Necessity **
The rice cooker. We eat a lot of rice. My wife especially can’t live without it. So much so that when we finished the rice late one night, she wanted to immediately run out to the store to get more while wearing her pajamas. No time to change, this was an emergency! :slight_smile: Also, I’d put the microwave in this category as well.

** Convenience **

We have an electric kettle that we use almost daily to make tea. We also have an electric skillet and an electric countertop grill (similar to the George Foreman grill) that both get used at least once a week.

** Coolness **

Don’t have any really cool appliances. It’s function over form for me.

** Other **

I’ve got a hand mixer and a blender, both of which are rarely used. I’ve wanted to get a bread maker and an ice cream maker, but haven’t because I suspect they would be used once or twice, then forgotten.

8

Necessity
Mr Coffee, how could I live without that,especially the the timer bit.
Blender: That_darn_fiance would have to replace immediately if it broke, Margaritas being a non-negotiable staple of hers,
Microvave is pretty vital. of course stove and fridge go wihtout saying.
Convenience

Toastalator “What’s that?”, you ask. It’s my pet name for our little hot sandwich maker, the kind that seals everything up. Great grilled cheese 'specially with Bacos. Brevel, for you English types.:slight_smile:

Coffee grinder, nothing like a fresh cuppa.

French Press :frowning: That_darn_fiances broke, we have to live without for now.

Coolness

Immersion blender…Cool, I find uses for it
Mortar and pestle: keeps me from grinding spices in my coffee grinder, then having to clean it.

9

Necessity
My humble little pan in which I cook many things. It’s been with me for many years and has never let me down. Also, my small sharp knife that i use for chopping the vast multitude of veggies i consume. I don’t find a microwave necessary - i lived without one for 3 years and it was just fine.

Convenience
The toaster. I love toast and when i do it on the grill i always miss that millisecond between it being merely warm bread and a small lump of soot.

Coolness
I am addicted to nifty gadgets, but they’re not exactly cool. There’s my fancy garlic crusher. Or my spray contraption for olive oil. I wish i had a chrome coffee maker sigh

Other
Strangely, i never seem to use the blender. I can never face the washing up it causes.

God, we’re thrilling people aren’t we? I think this may have induced an early mid-life crisis in me. Must… buy… motorbike… Must…be … more… exciting.

10

I am SO jealous. I adore vintage kitchen appliances!

11

Hmmmm. Racinchikki, perhaps you can answer a question that’s been bugging me for some time. There’s a special word for the stainless-steel cups that you make shakes in; do you by chance know what it is?
As far as the original thread, I can only answer one category. Our coolest kitchen appliance is our KitchenAid mixer. It makes the most marvellous worm-gear sound; quiet power…

12

I’m redoing my kitchen shortly so I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. (The redoing is borderline-crisis; the appliances are so old they’re avocado, and neither the dishwasher nor the oven works. I’m left with an energy-sucking fridge and a cooktop.)

Necessity:

The coffee maker. I recently indulged and bought a Krups Grinder-and-maker, which took only three months to go Kaputt. Thankfully, I’d saved my almost 10-year-old Braun, which still works great. Simple is Beautiful.

The microwave (how’d you make that micro symbol?). I generally cook a lot and reheat, so it’s a Joy and Wonder.

The dishwasher. Even though I live alone, I really miss it.

The KitchenAid Mixer. It was my mom’s, so there’s some sentimental value, too. Might replace it with a Bosch mixer/blender combo.

Non-appliance doohickeys: My cast-iron skillet. My knives. I use the 10" monster for large vegetables, the 8", which is curved nicely, for mincing, my Henkels boning knife for everything but boning (flexible blades are great), and then a 3" Global for paring. The Global knives (i only have the one) are stunning, wicked-sharp. Gradually I’ll replace the other knives. Oh, I also have a cheap bread knife.

Odd, little things I love: a “cream cheese spreader” that’s great for mayo on sandwiches. A little glass lump you throw into a pot of water - it rattles when the pot boils so I don’t need a kettle. My Le Creuset heat-resistent spatulas! (They’re amazing, and the extra expense is worth it - they withstand 500 deg. and still like new.) (And I recommend Le Creuset over other brands.)

Convenience

The nonstick cookware.

The bread-baker-toaster-oven. Could live without it, but why?

The electric skillet. Use this one all the time.

The (better) coffee grinder, purchased when the Krups Kaputted.

The (cheaper) coffee grinder, now used for herbs and spices (all eleven of 'em!)

The electric griddle. Great for breakfast when there’s a crowd, like every weekend at the beach house.

The Cuisinart. Don’t use it that often, but there are a few things that make it A Nice Thing to Have.

Coolness

My grandmother’s Toastmaster waffle iron. It was a wedding present to her in 1934, still works.

Other

I don’t use the blender much, either. It’s nice for the rare shake, but I don’t have those that often, especially since the dishwasher’s broken and I hate washing the damn thing by hand.

Now, here’s the kicker: All of the above coexist peacefully in a 45 square foot kitchen, along with a complete, 1950-era “everyday” service for 8 (including 20 serving pieces), about two dozen cookbooks, and, at the moment, some poison-resistant mice. (They’re eating the glue traps!!!)

13

Necessity

My Global knives (you’re right, xtnjohnson; wicked sharp in all senses); assorted All Clad and cast iron cookware.

Toaster oven: I love it and use it constantly. Pefect for everything from bagels to nachos to too-pooped-to-cook quickie baked fish.

Cutting boards of various sizes and weights.

Tiny digital timer. Easy to use; can be popped into my pocket during “sit down and read a chapter” cooking times.

Convenience

Food processor. It can be a pain to clean but it’s versatile. My blender cacked and I don’t miss it; the processor fills in adeqately. (Yes, even for smoothies.)

Microwave: to be honest the only thing I use it for is popcorn but I really, really love popcorn. (It’s almost 20 years old, the size of a coffin and has knobs instead of buttons. Guess it takes a lot of popcorn to wear these things out.)

Coolness

Clunky little hand-held mixer. I lust, positively LUST after a Kitchen Aid standing mixer. And an immersion blender; those are the only gadgety things I’d really love but don’t have.

Veb

14

I have one device that fits all the categories: my toaster oven. It is, in fact the only appliance I cook with, which makes preparing soup a challenge, but I love challenges.

A close second would be my freezer, which is where the mystical ice cubes reside.

15

[**Necessity **
Fridge, and coffee maker. I’d replace the coffee maker before I’d replace the fridge! Though I have three Italian stove top espresso makers, two chrome percolators & a camp coffee set up for back up. Did I mention I’m a coffee-holic?

**Convenience **
Microwave & stove/oven. Oh, dishwasher too, I suppose.

**Coolness **
I don’t have any appliances for coolness. But I have an outrageously expensive “Vita Mix” processor/blender that was a wedding gift. It’s the identical machine they use in Starbucks. I can make flour, grind coffee, chop vegetables, make gazpacho & fruit smoothies. I also make my dogs’ raw veggie glop for the veggie portion of their meals with it. According to the video that came with it, I can also reduce a 2x4 to sawdust in seconds. I call it my cement mixer, & I love it.

**Other **
I don’t have any other electric gadgets. The dogs clean crumbs off the floor. Are dogs appliances?

16

We had a MAJOR mouse problem in our old house. Once they get to the point where there snacking on poison and glue traps, it’s time for a feline solution.

It was the only thing that worked for us.

17

Thanks for the suggestion, but there are several major problems:

(1) These are New York mice. Cat schmat, I’m still gonna take a dump on your countertop.

(2) Much as I like cats, I’m allergic to them.

(3) Hi Opal.

(4) This is a 425 square foot apartment, which just doesn’t put enough space between my nose and any litterbox.

I’m hoping that the poison may eventually work anyway. I heard distinctly mouseish screaming, which made me rub my hands envisioning there itty bitty bodies dissolving from the inside out. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

18

OK, I’m not going to count the large appliances (fridge, freezer and cooker). I’ll try to name an electrical or mechanical appliance for each, but if there’s a notable ‘thingy’, I’ll mention that, too.

Necessity
I’m not sure, but I’m probably going to go for the toaster. It’s more from my man’s point of view than my own. He likes all sorts of bread, especially toast, mini naan breads and pitta bread - all of which can be conveniently heated in the toaster. I also use the microwave quite a lot for vegetables, fish and reheating. My favourite thingy is my medium size steel lidded pot. It goes from stove top to oven, and I use it almost every day.

Convenience
I use my hand blender quite a lot. I actually use the mini-processor attachment most of all. It’s a boon for mincing onions. Otherwise there’s my potato ricer. I could go back to pushing cooked spuds through a sieve , but I won’t. I also won’t countenance a potato masher. Stupid potato mashers.

Coolness
Hmmm. There’s a small deep fat fryer that we don’t use that often. It doesn’t look at all nifty, and it’s been banished to the outhouse. I just bought a bamboo steamer for reasons of nift as well as convenience, but I have the feeling that I will be using it fairly often.

Other
I remember buying a large gratin dish and not using it for ages. Then I found a good recipe for imam bayildi (which I shall post in the recipe thread. I have a backlog of recipes for the recipe thread) and the gratin dish is exactly right for one large eggplant’s worth of imam bayildi.

There are other things too, but I am not at home, so I forget them.

19

Necessity
I’ll have to go with the range, then the refrigerator. Yeah, the refrigerator that dispenses my precious crushed ice and water through the door. I’ve really gotten used to that. Also, the coffee maker, and coffee grinder. I must have my coffee.

The biggest necessity is the 13" TV at the end of the counter. If that ever went, I’d have to replace it immediately. Heh - a big TV with home theater in the living room, and where do we watch most of our TV? Yep. In the kitchen, sitting on bar stools.

Convenience
Microwave, bread maker, and the Salad Shooter!

Coolness
The vintage 1956 Kitchen Aid Mixmaster - black and chrome.

Also, my Green Mile Hot Dog cooker. OK, it’s something made by Presto, but I started referring to Green Mile Dogs, because it has spikes that you put the franks on, and it electrocutes them! Cool.

Plus the Braun Hand Blender, a Pasta Machine, and an antique Coca Cola bottle opener mounted to the wall.

Other
That would be the dishwasher. Yeah, we use the dishwasher every day - when there’s no room left in the dish rack by the sink, we pull out the top rack of the dishwasher and stack stuff there to dry!

20

Necessity - the toaster. I’d be lost with out it.

Other things that I love and use a coupla times a week: My ice cream maker and espresso machine! I loooove my icecream maker cause I make the best lemon sherbert (lactose free for me!) And I always make a few lattes/mochas on the weekends.