Thinking About Appliances

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

The list of our appliances on here recently got me to thinking about what appliances do for us and how they fit in our lives.

I would be curious to know which ones get the most use at your house and just WHY that is. I saw so many different things listed and started to wonder what you all are cooking out there! Ethnic food? Meat and potatoes? Soups and stews? What do you cook most often and what appliance makes it easy?

Our bread machines and rice cooker get real workouts. Why? Because they allow us to have great fresh toast and brown rice for stir frys, salads and as a side without having to tend to it, and it doesn't stick to the pot bottom. Important when you work, and we've found it's wonderful when you retire.

Our water boiler was something we wouldn't have used until we retired and were home all day, but now we have a ready way to make a fresh batch of tea, iced or hot, quickly. And we use it for other things also.

Instant pot? We have a quick sweet potato any time we want in our 3 qt one or a couple chicken breasts from frozen. And lots of veggies cook quickly without us monitoring them as well. It's smaller than the 6 qt. and used much more.

What we value most is being able to cook things without being tied to the kitchen and to specific buzzer alerts that we have to go right then to get something. And a good consistent product like rice.

feline groovy · ‎07-29-2014

My apartment - and my budget - is small and my kitchen is tiny so I only have a

toaster-convection oven, microwave, electric kettle, and a toaster.

It's just me and I use these on a regular basis.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@feline groovy wrote:
My apartment - and my budget - is small and my kitchen in tiny so I only have a
toaster-convection oven, microwave, electric kettle, and a toaster.

It's just me and I use these on a regular basis.

@feline groovy I have been there before! Do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking? In every house before this one counter space on either side of the cooktop was far more of a issue. I had large marble floor tiles and I would put those on the burners to make more space to sit things.

If you take something hot off of a burner you need space to park it don't you? Ouch! Been there too many times!

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

With everything I do, I look for the smarter/faster way to do it, and I particularly hate spending hours on my feet in the kitchen with food prep.

I love my instant pot and microwave for what they can do for me in a short period of time.

If I don't have a plan for supper, I always ask my husband what he'd like, before 2:00. About 75% of the time he gives me a quick response and all is good. But then there's that 25% of time when it's after 3:30 and he comes out with "you know I'm really craving chicken and dumplings, or pulled pork". The instant pot makes it happen by our usual supper time, with no sweat on my part.

feline groovy · ‎07-29-2014

@Sooner wrote:
@feline groovy wrote:
My apartment - and my budget - is small and my kitchen in tiny so I only have a
toaster-convection oven, microwave, electric kettle, and a toaster.

It's just me and I use these on a regular basis.
@feline groovy I have been there before! Do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking? In every house before this one counter space on either side of the cooktop was far more of a issue. I had large marble floor tiles and I wouldput those on the burners to make more space to sit things.

If you take something hot off of a burner you need space to park it don't you? Ouch! Been there too many times!

Nope; I spend as little time cooking as possible.

Quick and easy is what I prefer.

Yep, counter space can be a problem.

Clever of you to use the tiles in that way. 8)

TBH, I rarely use the stove as it's a cheap electric one and expensive.

But I agree re: where to put the pot/pan/whatever.

I try to aim for my trivet but sometimes use the sink instead.

Sage04 · ‎07-10-2011

@feline groovy wrote:
My apartment - and my budget - is small and my kitchen is tiny so I only have a
toaster-convection oven, microwave, electric kettle, and a toaster.

It's just me and I use these on a regular basis.

@feline groovy you got it made. Not a lot to clean. If you need extra space to put food until you are ready to eat you can always get a folding table and use the trivets. I could never do without an electric kettle. I always have an extra "just in case" one.

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

I tend to make most meals in double batches in order to freeze 1/2.

So the most used equipment is the microwave, followed by the coffee maker & the coffee grinder.

We do not have an instapot, or an air fryer.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

tiny 2 · ‎03-10-2010

"But then there's that 25% of time when it's after 3:30 and he comes out with "you know I'm really craving chicken and dumplings, or pulled pork". The instant pot makes it happen by our usual supper time, with no sweat on my part."

@RedTop Do you do the dumplings in the instant pot or just the chicken?

feline groovy · ‎07-29-2014

@Sage04 @ wrote
@feline groovy wrote:
My apartment - and my budget - is small and my kitchen is tiny so I only have a
toaster-convection oven, microwave, electric kettle, and a toaster.

It's just me and I use these on a regular basis.

@feline groovy you got it made. Not a lot to clean. If you need extra space to put food until you are ready to eat you can always get a folding table and use the trivets. I could never do without an electric kettle. I always have an extra "just in case" one.

Thankful for less to clean.

Good idea re: the folding table. 8)

I like foldable anything when it comes to furniture, etc.. Especially since I live solo in small spaces.

My stovetop kettle and microwave back-up my electric kettle, but that's a good idea to have a spare. Like you, I'm also a 'just in case' person; a 'plan B' one as well.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@tiny 2

Yes I make the dumplings in the instant pot. I use canned chicken in these fast preps, with chicken broth, add milk and bring to a boil. I do drop dumplings into the hot liquid, cook 5-7 minutes uncovered, then cover and let sit on warm about 5 minutes.