# What's your favorite kitchen appliance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 4, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295 "2009-11-04T17:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/1 "2009-11-04T17:06:37Z")
I know there are a ton of fantastic cooks on the Dope, so I was wondering what your favorite appliances are. My very favorite appliance in my kitchen is my KitchenAid mixer, seconded by my pressure cooker. What about you? ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/2 "2009-11-04T17:18:00Z")
I’m quite fond of my microplane. Second place: the immersion blender with the kung fu grip. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/3 "2009-11-04T17:27:55Z")
> [@LouiseE](#): > > I’m quite fond of my microplane. Second place: the immersion blender with the kung fu grip. Those two would be on my list, but not in the number one spot. My bread maker would be there. I make bread at least once a week. Latest favorite bread was a Corn Bubble Bread, made with flour, cornmeal, egg, milk, water, sugar, salt, yeast. Minced green chile and canned (drained) corn added at the raisin beep. Dough divided into 20 balls and placed in a spring form pan. It was awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/4 "2009-11-04T17:29:56Z")
#1, as in I-cannot-live-without-it is my KitchenAid mixer, along with all the attachments. #2, as in I-could-probably-live-without-it-but-I-don’t-want-to is my [Vita-Mix](http://www.vita-mix.com/) blender. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/5 "2009-11-04T17:29:56Z")
Rice cooker, hands down. I don’t like lots of extra unnecessary electrical appliances. I know other people do, but I’d much rather just get by with a great knife to chop and spoons to stir. Yeah, I’m just one of _ **those** _! My rice cooker, however, I am totally stuck on. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/6 "2009-11-04T18:04:52Z")
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is my wine opener. But before you throw things at me, I’ll vote my cast-iron skillet. It cooks everything! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/7 "2009-11-04T18:08:58Z")
#1 on my list is definitely a good, sharp chef’s knife. #2 would have to be the microwave. I use it for a lot of things. It’s a defroster/steamer/rice cooker/potato baker/reheater/water boiler… ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/8 "2009-11-04T20:40:23Z")
Knives and skillets are tools, not appliances. Appliances use electricity. 😃 Alton Brown will probably chastize me for liking a unitasker, but bar none, my favorite unitasker is my 3-cup Zojirushi rice cooker. Yeah, it does one thing, but it does that one thing very, very well and very, very easily. Second up would be the 6-quart “Pro” model Kitchen Aid stand mixer. If you’re gonna buy one of these things, might as well get the good one… and the “Artisan” series has plastic gears. Not a problem if you never do more than cake batter, but we abuse the hell out of the mixer at Christmastime with very stiff cookie dough and restaurant-scale production of scones. (You know the scone dough is ready when it stalls out the motor.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/9 "2009-11-04T20:46:55Z")
Kitchen Aid stand mixer, hands down. 2nd place would probably go to our crockpot. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/10 "2009-11-04T20:49:20Z")
My food processor. I use it all the time and I’ve put it through hell, but it’s still going strong. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/11 "2009-11-04T20:50:57Z")
Electronic: Microwave. Did you know there’s microwave instant mashed potatoes now that don’t need milk? Non-electronic: 12" chef’s knife. My mom tried to steal it from me 3 times, even when I was sitting right there. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/12 "2009-11-04T21:37:53Z")
My disemboweler. Saves me so much time. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/13 "2009-11-05T00:05:13Z")
Since I’m not lucky enough to have a Kitchenaid mixer, I’ll have to go with my crockpots. Honestly though, my favorite things in my kitchen are my knives. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/14 "2009-11-05T00:26:46Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Knives and skillets are tools, not appliances. Appliances use electricity. 😃 What, my hand-crank meat grinder isn’t an appliance? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/15 "2009-11-05T00:28:52Z")
A 50-year-old Norwegian hand-cranked deli slicer, made of wood and steel, with a delineator that goes down to 1mm. And still so sharp I still cut myself on it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/16 "2009-11-05T01:31:52Z")
George Foreman Grill We use that thing for a ton of stuff, from just grilling chicken to making bulgogi. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/17 "2009-11-05T02:08:24Z")
The refrigerator is my favorite appliance. I can’t imagine having to shop every day for a single day’s needs. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/18 "2009-11-05T02:18:46Z")
Like others, the KitchenAid mixer is tops for making bread, which I do often. I’m going to start grinding my own burger and making my own sausage soon, so it’s going to get a workout. It’s going on 15 years old and still a workhorse. Second would be my Berndes cookware, which is the next best thing to seasoned cast iron. Microplane graters would be a close third, along with the OXO garlic press. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/19 "2009-11-05T02:50:21Z")
Microwave. Followed by my really nice toaster oven, ideal for the two of us. If I get an electric frying pan, I will have hit the trifecta. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295/20 "2009-11-05T02:54:12Z")
Crock-pot, or “slow cooker”. Only the crock pot can turn cheap, tough cuts of meat into tasty meals, especially given my limited cooking skill. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-kitchen-appliance/516295.md?page=2)