# Favourite gadget



## lynne (Oct 6, 2001)

Besides a great set of knives and an awesome collection of pans, what is your favourite kitchen gadget?

Mine is my stick blender--great for so many things!! From saving a broken hollandaise to pureeing or creating rustic soups, awesome homemade apple or fruit sauces... Mine actually came with other attachemnts; a mini food-processor kind of thing (perfect for softening a small amount of cream cheese, etc), a wire whip, etc.


What's your favourite toy and why?


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Yep that one is mine too Braun...Sams carried them for $25ish I picked up several...I go through 3 a year.....what can I say I live with 3 boys and we are rough on equipment, floors, cars, etc.........

[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited 11-01-2000).]


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

the kitchen gadget that im about to describe is absolutely wonderous.

This gadget will outperform virtually any other gadget in the kitchen.

Sometimes this gadget will work for next to nothing.

Used properly, ths gadget will even help you move house, clean your car and even take out the garbage.

All this gadget requires, is a small stipend and a little teaching.

Yes, this amazing gadget is the "All new apprentice".

It will do anything you ask.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Yeah Right!!!!!I've heard that one before.
They are non exsistant here.....


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

knuckle peeler! great for peeling AND zesting!


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

I love my cheap Japanese madoline. Just watch the fingers!! Also my stick mixer and my Kitchen Aid stand mixer!!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

HOw do you make raviloi with a salad shooter? I'm just not getting that one.
Joy Stick it is .....less clean up, great to cart around to cooking demos.


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## live_to_cook (Aug 23, 2000)

Does anyone have a source for that Japanese mandoline? I'd love to get one but I can't pay $100+ for the classic model.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

One more. This is a well designed site with many of selections of mandolines (do a search)
http://www.kitchenetc.com/index.cfm


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## lynne (Oct 6, 2001)

I've used and abused by knock-off for 3 years now. It's a plastic version I got a Williams and Sonoma for $15. I've seen it since at The Kitchen Collection/Corning Outlet at big outlet malls. It doesn't have as much width variable capability as the expensive ones, but it's what you put into it! If you want paperthin slices, thicker slices, julienne and frenchfry thickness, it does fine. I only regret it doesn't do a ripple cut for waffle fries.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Live to cook... have fun shopping!
http://www.chefscatalog.com/product.jhtml?sku_id=1183 
http://www.surlatable.com/common/sea...ordresults.cfm

reasonable prices: http://www.kitchenemporium.com/cgi-b.../srchform.html 
search mandoline

http://shop.go.com:80/search_res.htm...f=4&oq=&col=EC

https://www.CulinaryStore.com/culstore/products/224.asp

http://63.73.165.10/tradepoint/asp/search.asp

http://www.cookswares.com/cgi-bin/co...dd+to+Cart.y=9 
http://wwkitchens.com/shop/wwkshop.cgi//ctools 
http://st4.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch...2Fnsearch.html 
http://www.kitchen-classics.com/mandolin.htm


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## live_to_cook (Aug 23, 2000)

Thanks cchiu, very helpful in filling out my Christmas list


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## chef david simpson (Sep 25, 2000)

Is there really such a thing as a garlic peeler?


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

It's a rubber cannoli that peels it as you roll the clove around in it. I just crush and go....though there was a chef that gave me a 5# bag of garlic to peel when I asked what I could do to help out.....BOY was that fun!!! I had tape on my fingers within an hour.

[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited 11-03-2000).]


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

To a chef, The best honed chefs knife and that seasoned sautee pan are really all we need. The gadgets and such come later. Master the foundation of your skills with the best knives and cookware you can afford, then move toward gadgets that assist you. There are many! And many are a waste. A good bleander and emersion bleander are great, Also find a thick, sturdy cutting board. With these few Kitchen staples you can create almost anything


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## 724 (Sep 27, 2000)

I can't believe no one has listed a good corkscrew yet. CC may make a great dinner with his limited equipment, but I'm going to enjoy it a lot more with an open bottle of wine!


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

A few weeks ago, I bought a balloon whisk - Ball & Cage, here's a picture









That's a nice find. This stainless steel whisk incorporates a round wire cage containing a ceramic ball within the "balloon." This increases the whisk's contact area, and thus the speed of the whipping process.


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## jock (Dec 4, 2001)

I have a lot of gadgets that I like but pehaps my favorite is my citrus zester. Grating lemon (or lime or orange) zest on a grater is a major pain in the tush for me. No matter what tricks I try, at least half the zest remains in the grater or is otherwise lost. A few strokes with the zester and a quick chop with the knife and, voiala!

Jock


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## marzoli (Nov 17, 2000)

I loved my new KitchenAid mixer! And then I was trying to get ready for the big day . . . yesterday, I was all set to mix up cakes and do other assorted Christmas dinner related things--my mixer just died! I have a problem with my hands and wrists that sort of rules out hand mixing, so there I was--no mixer. Fortunately, I had some pumpkin pie makings on hand and I can use a whisk. Now the full-year guarantee office is closed so I can't even rant about it and get a replacement (I hope they honor that!).
Does this classify as a "poor me" post, or what!?!


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Nope...that's Murphy's law!


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## chiffonade (Nov 29, 2001)

At Christmas, I like to make tiny tartlets filled with cranberry or pecan pie filling, etc. To make the indent into the mini-muffin tin, I have a *wooden tamper* which fits snugly into each muffin cup, allowing a thin crust on each tartlet. Until I got this wooden stick with the bulbous end, I used my thumb which always yielded tartlets with thick sides.

I've also come to appreciate my *citrus zester*. I used to zest a lemon or an orange with a veggie peeler and julienne the strips. A zester cuts out that second step.


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