Kitchen

[gardenman]

It's been a while since we've had a kitchen gadgets thread. (I looked back through four pages of posts and couldn't find an old thread on them.) So, time for a new one! I've got a few new things to add to the list.

One is one that's probably been mentioned before but I just found it, and that's the Oxo Good Grips measuring cups that you look down from above (or from the side) to see the markings. Those cups make measuring liquids so much easier. Just plop one down on the counter and pour in while looking down from above. Super easy, accurate, and fast.

And the second thing is a new electric toy. The Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick 500-watt Immersion Multi-Purpose Hand Blender. It was $19.99 when I bought it (now up to $35 at most places) but Wow! I use it with the whisk attachment (it comes with a milk frother and immersion blender head also) and it's fantastic! I use it for muffins, cake mix, waffle batter, pancake batter, and more. You're always told not to overmix things like muffin or waffle/pancake batter. Ignore that. Ten to fifteen seconds of using this thing has them whipped into a frenzy and the muffins, waffles, and pancakes come out super light and fluffy. I can't say how well it works for everything, but for the Krusteaze Belgian Waffle mix, the Pearl Milling (former Aunt Jemima) Pancake mix, and the Betty Crocker Corn Muffin mix it's fantastic! It seems to whip the eggs in the mixes making them extra light and fluffy. They say not to use it for more than fifty seconds at a time. You should never need more than fifteen or twenty seconds at most. It's insanely fast even on the lowest speed. I bought it because I was having trouble getting the cocoa powder adequately mixed in ice cream mixes. It solved that problem. I'm using it for almost everything that's light enough for it to handle. (No cookie dough, bread dough, or things like that.)

A third product that I've just stumbled upon is the Betty Crocker Batchables baking mixes. I've got the Fudge Brownie one now and it lets me make small batches of brownies (two or more) in muffin cups. They give directions for four or more at a time, but in the Nutrition Facts you can see that one brownie uses 42 grams of mix, so I measure out 84 grams of mix and half the recommended water for four (they recommend three tablespoons for four, so one and a half tablespoons for two) and it makes two very nice chocolate brownies. You just measure out the amount of mix you want and reseal the rest in the plastic bin it comes in. There's also a chocolate chip and blueberry muffin mix available. It's very nice for those of us who'd like a brownie from time to time, but don't want a whole pan of them. The Batchables aren't easy to find and the price varies wildly. (I paid $5.99 for the Brownie one.) If you can find them at a good price though, they're a great option. Not the best brownie I've ever had, but very good and very easy.

And I've finally bought some silicone muffin cups. In the past, I've had trouble getting and keeping silicone stuff clean, but these have cleaned up fine so far. They're the Amazon Basics ones and are well worth the money. I've used these maybe ten times so far and they still look like new.

[Bookplate]

Believe it or not, I found that I have loved the little pull-chop devices that Q sells.  Not sure if they are currently in stock.  They are small, manual choppers whose blades are activated by a coiled cord in the lid, which one pulls.  Every time I chop an onion I find myself reaching for one of these - the cuts are consistent and its quick and neat.

[cheriere]

I like the break apart shears with the magnetic cases.  They're incredibly handy! 😊

[catter70]

@Bookplate , I bought that chopper just for chopping celery and onions for my Thanksgiving dressing. It's the only meal that I cook all year. I also like the MCM egg cooker for making hard boiled eggs for my salad or for making egg salad.

[Sooner]

@gardenman KitchenAid Juice Presser with juice catcher!  Great because you squeeze and no seeds, and the juice goes in the squeezer in a little cup with a pour spout.  

You can squeeze, sit the whole thing on the counter, then pour up the juice later! 

[Biftu]

Kuhn Rikon bottle opener.  I used to struggle to open bottles and jars until I received this gift.  It easily opens any size jar or bottle.  It has been a lifesaver.

[Sooner]

@gardenman Katherine Hepburn's brownies!  Just follow the recipe and they are very good!

• Ingredients
• ½ cup cocoa or 2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened baker's chocolate
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Directions
2. Melt butter with the cocoa or chocolate together in a heavy saucepan over medium low, whisking constantly till blended. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and walnuts. Mix well. Pour into a well buttered 8-inch square baking pan.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool completely and cut into squares. These brownies are very fudgy and may be somewhat difficult to slice cleanly; use a sharp knife and a spatula to help them loosen from the baking dish.

[QVCkitty1]

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@Bookplate wrote:

Believe it or not, I found that I have loved the little pull-chop devices that Q sells.  Not sure if they are currently in stock.  They are small, manual choppers whose blades are activated by a coiled cord in the lid, which one pulls.  Every time I chop an onion I find myself reaching for one of these - the cuts are consistent and its quick and neat.

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@Bookplate , Even if you only use it for onions, it is worth the money, it's a great gadget.

[geezerette]

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@QVCkitty1 wrote:

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@Bookplate wrote:

Believe it or not, I found that I have loved the little pull-chop devices that Q sells.  Not sure if they are currently in stock.  They are small, manual choppers whose blades are activated by a coiled cord in the lid, which one pulls.  Every time I chop an onion I find myself reaching for one of these - the cuts are consistent and its quick and neat.

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@Bookplate , Even if you only use it for onions, it is worth the money, it's a great gadget.

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I agree, it's one of the best things I've ever bought from QVC!  I got the set of two and I save one just to do onions and garlic.

I bought them reluctantly thinking they would never work as advertised, but they're terrific.  And easy to clean. I always wash the blades by hand, dry them immediately and put the plastic blade guard back on.

[novamc]

These are used at least once and sometimes more every single day at our house:

--A set of medium and large flat silicone lids that loosely cover casseroles, soup, veggies and other foods being warmed up in the microwave.

These handy lids have been run thru my dishwasher daily for more than 20 years by now and were purchased in the kitchen department at Bloomingdale's.  I thought they were awfully expensive at the time but had no idea how useful they would become.  They are also heavier-weight and far better designed  than any I've seen since then.

--Other most-used gadgets include the Kuhn Rikon jar opener and Kuhn Rikon can opener.