Slashfood points out a study from Pricegrabber.uk: “Not all kitchen gadgets are as costly, or as cost effective, as they sound.”
I think we all knew that, didn’t we? Theoretically, having a fondue pot means you won’t go out for fondue, but we all know that if you are of a mind to go out for fondue and have the money, you still will, because it isn’t so much the fondue as the experience.
Of course, the other factor besides the dining experience reveals itself in ease of use: Will it be easier to drag the gadget out, plug it in, use it, clean it and put it away? Often, no. Most gadgets for the kitchen are just that, gadgets. They don’t save time, they don’t make possible something that wouldn’t ordinarily be possible otherwise.
All that said, I do have gadgets I love. (and I am highly susceptible to lure of new gadgets as an idea. We don’t buy them, but I put them on my wish list and think about them long enough for the allure of another dust collector to wear off. Sort of a regrettable kitchen gadget prevention project.)
In no particular order, these are the “gadgets” (by UK pricegrabber standards) that I love
1. Toaster oven-less expensive to heat than a whole oven, easy, versatile. (though they should come with better “baking pans” and an easier way to clean the inside.)
2. Vita-mix (blender)- mine is an aged one, but still handles everything with ease. Their customer service rocks too. Once mine had an issue, years after I bought it, and I called them with little hope. They replaced the part for free, fast and super-friendly.
3. Waffle iron. Yes, it probably goes on the high price per use list for most people, but since we have an egg hater in our home, this waffle iron has more than paid for itself.
4. Black and Decker handy chopper. Loved mine, miss mine. Best thing in the world to chop one onion, one apple, etc. (Vita-mix can stand in but not the same)
5. Stand mixer. We currently use a KitchenAid that was my mother’s. Since it does not have the pouring shield, it isn’t my favorite. I preferred my old Oster Kitchen Center. Heresy, I know. I just have never felt comfortable with the KitchenAid, though figuring out which beater to use when helps! On the plus side, the power and retro-ness of a KitchenAid can’t be beat.
I will be back with gadgets I regret or gadgets I hate soon. What kitchen gadget do you love?
definately love our kitchenaid stand mixer….waffle iron too….many are still packed however due to having a kitchen little bigger than a closet….oh wait I know, I can’t live without my hand crank flour sifter when baking
Ha I was just thinking that we ought to sell a very expensive gadget, similar to the one the monkey just bought at Goodwill. We never use it and everytime I see it I growl. We could buy a B&D Chopper with the money and refill our Starbucks card.
I want to steal my mothers hand crank flour sifter Lee! But I won’t. I think instead I might try to steal a cookbook.
I like my cuisinart mini-chopper. It’s like a mini food processor. But the cover broke during one of my last moves and it won’t work with a broken cover and I haven’t gotten around to moving it yet.
lol – the expresso machine kinda works…if I played around with it enough I might be able to get it to work properly. It scares Piper silly.
I think the only appliances I really use regularly though are my coffee maker and my toaster.