Sunday, December 10, 2006

Ode to My Kitchen Appliances

I have a "thing" for kitchen appliances. Okay, kitchen ANYTHING. Ask my husband. Gadgets, dishes, utensils, cookbooks, recipes clipped from magazines...you name it. I know that secretly it makes him crazy, but he's learned over the years not to say anything about it. I'm thankful for the large pantry in our new house, which provides ample room for all of my kitchen toys. In no particular order, my favorites are:
  1. Crock Pot - How can anyone live without a crock pot, I ask you? I currently own a 5.5 quart Rival digital model, and I fear it is a bit too big. I think I may need to get a 4-quart one, also (don't tell Steve). My favorite crock pot is the kind that is all one piece (rather than the removable stoneware type). While this large one that I have is great, I think it would be handy to have a smaller one, too.
  2. Food Saver Vacuum Sealer - Seriously, I love to vacuum seal. Thank goodness the special bags are a bit on the spendy side, or everything in our house would be sealed in tidy little bags.
  3. Bread Machine - I use my bread machine 1-2 times per week. I love it. I love to make pizza dough in it, and I am trying to get back to making our bread, rather than buying it. I use to love to make bagels, but haven't attempted it since having children. Lots of steps to bagel-making and I can't yet envision being able to complete all the steps without having to stop and feed a baby, change a diaper, or play with a preschooler.
  4. Folding Electric Griddle - This thing is great. It is just very handy that it can be folded up for storage.
  5. Smokeless Tabletop Grill - Okay, so I've only ever used this thing once, in the 2+ years that I've had it, but it is so nifty. It is basically along the same lines as a fondue pot - - it is a round non-stick grill plate that you place over a can of sterno, and then everyone at the table can grill their own food (bite-size pieces of meat, veggies, seafood, etc.). My sister-in-law and I had a grand time one night with this thing.

I've recently decided I'd like to have a digital toaster oven. Maybe Santa will bring me one. Are there any appliances out there that I failed to mention, that maybe I should add to my collection?

3 comments:

Joy said...

I couldn't live without with my Pampered Chef food chopper! I use it every single day! YIKES!

As boring as this one is - my regular toaster. I think Paco and I have something toasted for breakfast each morning. What would I do without it???

So agree with you on the crockpot, though I prefer the one that is two-pieces so I can put the insert in the washer. Lazy, I know!

kirsten said...

Do you have any good (non-red meat)
crock pot recipes? We have one but I don't have any good recipes and would love to use it.

Anonymous said...

I agree that the one-piece crockpot is the best. It's more energy efficient, too, I believe.

My Showtime rotisserie is one of my favorite appliances. Nothing beats a chicken or a pork loin that's been rotisseried: so tender, so juicy, so flavorful.

My bread machine is practically a shrine in this house. Actually, I have TWO bread machines for those days when I want to fire up both and really go to town!

Oh, and yes, the Foodsaver is a gem. I love sealing meats of all kinds and popping them into the freezer. When Steve was in Iraq, I vacuum-sealed the granola which we sent to him.

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