|
Post by brownrexx on Nov 23, 2019 8:34:07 GMT -5
If you watch any TV, have you noticed that just about every other commercial pertains to some kitchen appliance?
Lots of commercials for Ninja Foodies, fancy coffee pots and air fryers. Lots of these appliances have magical powers to improve our diets and allow us to "eat healthy" or they save so much time that cooking is a breeze.
Will you be picking up any new appliances this year?
I bought an Instant Pot last Fall and I am still learning to use that but I have decided that I do really like it. I don't really need or want anything new for Christmas.
|
|
|
Post by octave1 on Nov 23, 2019 9:26:39 GMT -5
I should be buying a new stove since the one we have runs on 3 burners instead of 4, but I like the double oven feature so much that I just can't let go. I also have been researching "double oven electric range", and found that no decent unit will cost less than $1,300. There are "cheaper" models available ($700 to $900, so not exactly a bargain), but they are not made as well as the pricer ones and have many bad reviews. I am a heavy user, and no cheap stove has a chance to last with me.
|
|
|
Post by september on Nov 23, 2019 10:28:53 GMT -5
No more kitchen gadgets for me, too many already sitting unused. I do need a new dishwasher, the old white plastic covered wire racks are rusting out and falling apart. I found a cheap small dish rack that I put over the worst area, and it's kept going so far. I bought my electric stove at the same time I got the dishwasher, and I was noticing that the stove is getting a bit ratty looking, but until something goes wrong, I will keep it around. Would like to replace them at the same time from the same store to save on delivery and installation, if possible.
But I am in love with my Shark Professional Steam pocket mop, which I recently got on sale at Target! A light weight little mop that uses plain water to steam clean bare floors which are left barely damp, unlike wet mopping. It came with two thick mop heads, and I ordered two additional ones to be able to cover more territory. You can toss them in the washing machine to clean and don't need to buy any kind of cleaning fluid. I never liked the Swiffer thing I had, seemed like it just pushed the dirtier areas around, and you have to keep buying pads and chemical cleaner. Probably works fine for people with cleaner floors than I have.
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Nov 23, 2019 10:41:54 GMT -5
As part of our kitchen/pantry/storage area remodel this year, all the appliances have been replaced. Next year the only gadget that may be purchased would be the electric skillet if it gets worn out. It is the main go-to machine for everyday meal prep.
|
|
|
Post by ladymarmalade on Nov 23, 2019 10:50:41 GMT -5
Yesterday I saw a vertical belgian waffle maker at Costco that I really, really want! I've already hinted to my family that I would love one.
Other than that, no plans for adding appliances this year.
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Nov 23, 2019 11:40:21 GMT -5
vertical belgian waffle maker I had to Google that to see what it was and I see that's it's like my flip over Belgian waffle maker except that you can pour in the batter from the top and I put the batter right on the griddles before closing the top and flipping it over. I bought my little flip over one to make waffles for Christmas breakfast when my brother stay's overnight at our house and I really like it. It makes really good waffles and is easy to clean. I like that it's small enough to store easily too. september, you need to get that Instant Pot out of storage and use it. I was intimidated at first but now I am seeing the advantages to it!
|
|
|
Post by september on Nov 23, 2019 12:04:37 GMT -5
brownrexx , I've been tempted to several times, I'd love to taste some of the stuff you have cooked in there! But there isn't room on my counter to leave it sitting out on a daily basis, I keep it in it's box in the basement. And the shorter cooking time is offset by the long time for pressure release, so it's not time saving for me. I probably will test it a couple more times during the winter when I am bored, but I suspect I will end up giving it to my son and his girlfriend eventually. I prefer my old crockpot that I fill in the morning and don't have to mess with until supper.
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Nov 23, 2019 15:58:52 GMT -5
I've been tempted to several times, I'd love to taste some of the stuff you have cooked in there! september , you really need to get that thing out of the box and try it. You son will be just as happy with a gently used one instead of a new one if you decide to give it to him. You are looking at the IP the same way I did in the beginning. I think that people imagine that they can put a roast in the pot and dinner will be ready in 10 minutes. That is not the case. I explained this to my DIL who was thinking of getting one. It takes about 5-10 minutes to pressurize, then it cooks and after that it takes 10 minutes to de-pressurize but for many recipes you can do a quick pressure release which takes about 30 seconds. For someone like my DIL who wants to come home and not have to deal with cooking, the crock pot is ideal. It is not as much of a big time saver as it is a flavor savor. The meats are incredibly tender and tasty. I cooked chicken breasts and we cut them with our forks. Pot roast was fabulous. If you like pulled pork you can try this - I bought a 4 lb pork shoulder and cut it into about 4 large pieces and coated each piece with a dry rub. I cooked it in the IP for 50 minutes and it was the best tasting pulled pork that I have ever made. I have made it before in the crock pot but it is more watery and takes all day. This took about 1 1/4 hours. I am cooking my potatoes in the IP for Thanksgiving. I just peel them and put them into the pot whole. The cooking time is 15 minutes and I do not have to chop them up and boil them. After cooking we put them through a ricer but you could also use a hand masher. I thought the same as you about having it on the counter and I thought that I would keep it in my pantry but I seem to be keeping it on the counter. You really need to try this thing. You will be amazed - I was.
|
|
|
Post by september on Nov 23, 2019 17:08:24 GMT -5
brownrexx , I agree with all you say, but my main obstacle remains, in that I HATE to cook! If I can get any prep out of the way earlier in the morning when my energy level is high, it works much better, so crockpotting is my fave. Late in the afternoon, about the time most people start their suppers is the time that I get very lethargic and want a nap, have a really difficult time making myself spend time in the kitchen!
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 23, 2019 19:46:18 GMT -5
I have to ask, september, if you hate to cook so much, why do you grow all that food? The reason I grow all that food, is because I love to cook, or should I say, eat! lol That IP turned out to be much more useful than I thought it would be, when I first got it. As with any tools or appliances, the more you use it, the better you get at it, and the more uses you will find for it. As for getting more appliances in my kitchen - I don't think so!
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Nov 23, 2019 20:45:28 GMT -5
I won't say that I ever hated to cook but when I was working 40-50 hours per week at my lab job plus about 20 hours per week on nights and weekends with hubby to build our rental property business, I only cooked to fill our stomachs and we also ate out a lot. Of course I was about 40 lbs heavier too. However once I retired and started to grow all of the different veggies in the garden I became interested in learning how to cook them all. This led to a real interest in cooking for me and now I guess that I can say that I also love to cook. We really enjoy eating made from scratch high quality food and now that we eat healthier than we did in the past and we feel a lot better too. september , I have a friend who must hate to cook also. She is retired but her working husband still cooks all of the meals. Maybe she is a terrible cook, I don't know because whenever we have visited for dinner, her husband does the cooking.
|
|
|
Post by daylilydude on Nov 23, 2019 20:55:00 GMT -5
Most EPC's also have a slow cooker setting on them...Our 6 and 8 qt. ones do, but our 4 qt. does not.
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 23, 2019 22:59:23 GMT -5
I use that slow cooker mode a lot, and also use the rice cooker mode, though not always for rice. And then there's that yogurt making thing in the IP, that makes perfect yogurt, for those interested in that.
|
|
|
Post by september on Nov 23, 2019 23:16:49 GMT -5
pepperhead212 , Because I like the challenge of growing in and of itself! Especially in my zone 3 where most don't bother with things like melons and longer season tomatoes. I enjoy watching the veggies grow as much as the flowers! I keep growing things like five eggplant varieties even though I hardly ever eat any of them, but the fruit shapes and colors are fascinating. I delight in trying new varieties, it's all a fun experiment, and the good eating is a bonus. Some of what I grow goes to waste, because I can't use it all or never get around to processing it. I love to eat and would gladly try new exotic recipes, I just wish someone else would do the actual cooking while I sit and read a book! brownrexx, I know a couple like that too. She does do some cake desserts once in a while, but her husband plans and does all the meals and they even have a little wall-hanging in the kitchen, that it is His Kitchen. He enjoys it, so why not. They are both retired, but he is much more active in all other ways too. I don't think I am a bad cook, I just don't enjoy the cutting, and chopping and mixing and frying and the dreaded clean up!
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Nov 24, 2019 8:35:57 GMT -5
I enjoy watching the veggies grow as much as the flowers! the fruit shapes and colors are fascinating. You are definitely hooked on gardening. I enjoy those things too. I am constantly amazed at how a single, small seed can turn into such a large plant and eventually produce so many fruits. daylilydude , you have 3 different electric pressure cookers? Are you really enjoying cooking in them and using them a lot?
|
|
|
Post by spike on Nov 24, 2019 23:52:59 GMT -5
No new appliances for me. No room for any really. I do want a dough board though.
|
|
reubent
Pro Member
Posts: 389
Joined: May 2011
|
Post by reubent on Nov 25, 2019 4:46:53 GMT -5
I don't watch TV, don't even have one, the computer gets too close to being a TV as it is. I don't care fer cookin myself. So my plans are, just don't. Eat everything fresh from the garden and forget cookin it. One man I heard of who hated to cook, and was a gardener, lived to 152 and only died because he stopped eating what he grew. He was invited to live where he didn't have to grow his own or fix it himself. So the one appliance I might get later on is a better juicer. Something to conveniently make juices from various fresh fruits and veggies. I have a vitamix, and a hand crank grass juicer. (might put a motor on it for convenience) my brother has an electric screw press juicer. But the one we don't have is a walker juicer. Created by Norman Walker, the man who lived to 132 according to his last wife. (nothing to document how old he really was and he refused to tell because no one believed him when he did) and he died of a trail riding accident.
|
|
|
Post by mgulfcoastguy on Nov 25, 2019 12:25:40 GMT -5
Someday I'll buy a new electric induction stove but it is way down the list. No more new cooking gadgets for 5 years is my goal. My galley kitchen hasn't the room or the counter space . What possessed the builders in 1972? Same thing with the "master bath". First world problems!
|
|
|
Post by pondgardener on Nov 25, 2019 13:53:39 GMT -5
mgulfcoastguy,I have had similar problems with our 1965 era house. The kitchen had a drop-in 27" stove/oven combo. When it came time to replace it with a more modern one, there was nothing available other than the exact same thing from just the original manufacturer. But with a little creativity, we now have a 30" induction top and we are happy with it. And why would bathroom doors only be 24" wide? Fortunately before my wife had mobility problems, I widened it and at least a walker can get through it.
|
|
Tim Horton
Junior Member
Posts: 69
Zone:: 2
Joined: October 2019
|
Post by Tim Horton on Nov 25, 2019 14:35:20 GMT -5
I am forbidden to bring home any more counter top appliances.
However, when I found the 4.5 qt. Kitchen Aid mixer for $30. I snapped it up and nothing was said.
There are a few things that will get replaced if, when need to comes along. For instance... That being the counter top roaster. I think this is a 12 qt, not the big 18 qt or what ever the biggest is. It is the right size for us to do meals with just enough left overs. It also has a slow cooker, crock pot temp setting. It works well that way also.
Otherwise we go through a new hot water kettle every couple years or so. Our toaster is quite old at this point. I'm surprised it has hung on this long. Knock on wood.
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 25, 2019 17:20:15 GMT -5
Some friends were over last night that reminded me of an appliance that I looked into getting a while back - an electric roti/tortilla maker. She said that it seems that I make more of them than she does (and she's Indian!), but I told her that the reviews of them, when I looked into them (and still about the same), weren't that good, even for the more expensive ones. And even in Indian stores, there aren't many, that I can actually look at, to see the strength of the handle (one of the main problems). Maybe someday...
|
|
|
Post by bluelacedredhead on Nov 25, 2019 17:54:59 GMT -5
mgulfcoastguy, Have had our induction range for 18 months now and I have no regrets about spending the extra money to buy it! We timed boiling water in the microwave vs electric kettle vs stainless steel stovetop kettle (induction compatible) and the stovetop on highest setting was 45 seconds vs double+ than that in the other two appliances. We've found it heats much faster, is far better insulated than the average glasstop Sears range that came with the house. And therefore saves us on our electrical bill as well. We did however, use a portable induction cooktop for over two years to see if we liked it. Now we take that camping with us and use it when we have an electric campsite.
|
|
|
Post by mgulfcoastguy on Nov 25, 2019 21:42:20 GMT -5
I have a portable countertop induction “hot plate” that I mainly use for canning. I like it.
|
|
|
Post by mgulfcoastguy on Nov 25, 2019 21:45:53 GMT -5
mgulfcoastguy,I have had similar problems with our 1965 era house. The kitchen had a drop-in 27" stove/oven combo. When it came time to replace it with a more modern one, there was nothing available other than the exact same thing from just the original manufacturer. But with a little creativity, we now have a 30" induction top and we are happy with it. And why would bathroom doors only be 24" wide? Fortunately before my wife had mobility problems, I widened it and at least a walker can get through it. My mother uses a three wheel walker. She can move the handles together so that it is narrower.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2019 0:39:06 GMT -5
Does it work with the All American Pressure Canners, mgulfcoastguy?
|
|
|
Post by pepperhead212 on Nov 26, 2019 1:03:35 GMT -5
I have one of those countertop induction burners, and it works great - Only thing it's not great with is stir frying in a wok. If I ever had to get another range (though my range will outlive me), that would be the type. I use it as soon as the weather changes, and I will be using my AC, as those gas burners put out a lot of heat! And as soon as I stop using the AC, it gets put away. I had to switch a bunch of my pans, as the old calphalon was not induction capable. Never got rid of those copper pans, however!
|
|
|
Post by carolyn on Nov 26, 2019 9:52:28 GMT -5
I have thought about the instant pot but really... its just another appliance for me. I have slow cookers, pressure cookers, a rice cooker and an egg cooker that all work perfectly fine. getting rid of perfectly working items goes against my grain. now as they quit working maybe I will wait to replace them and eventually get an instant pot.
|
|
|
Post by mgulfcoastguy on Nov 26, 2019 15:12:37 GMT -5
Does it work with the All American Pressure Canners, mgulfcoastguy? Only done hot water canning so far.
|
|