# Gadgets



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

What is your favorite gadget? The one item that nobody _needs_ but you absolutely love.


----------



## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I love my aluminum batti carni. A heavy pan would do, but I love it.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Hi Mez,

What's a "batti carni"?

I have a small gadget for julienning green beans.

Also love my little garlic mandoline. It gives me nice paper thin slices on one side and the other side purées it.


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

I love my mandoline and my food mill not sure if htey qualify as gadget though.


Kimmie I am curious where did you find a garlic mandoline??


----------



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

I would also love to know more about the garlic mandoline. I have a recipe for garlic "chips" that I want to try out on my mother ( she's a BIG fan of garlic anything). What is the source? How much? etc.

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Svadhisthana ]


----------



## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

A batti carne (spelling???) is what you use to flatten veal scallops, chicken breast, etc. I think carne/carni means meat. Batti may mean beat. I won't go there.....


----------



## coolj (Dec 12, 2000)

I have my tomato shark, it's basically a miniature mellon baller, with a serrated scoop, used for coring tomatoes. I also have a mini garlic slicer, I got it at liquidation world for $0.99, it's pretty cool, although the coolest gadget I've ever seen in the kitchen, is the pocket blow torch, I would really like to get one of those.

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: coolJ ]


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Gotcha Mez!

Sisi and Svadhisthana,

I had to send someone on holidays in Texas to pick one up for me at Williams-Sonoma. But don't cry, I think I saw it at La Soupière...

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]


----------



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

I found it here


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

That's the one. Glad you found it.

In exchange, I want you to tell me how to do that "here" thing...pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase!!



[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]


----------



## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

You will have to pry my stick blender out of my cold dead fingers. Yes, I could use a whisk for most of the things I do with it, but I love my stick blender. Also love my vacuum sealer. Allows me to buy big hunks of good cheese [good, not great - unless I buy by mail I'm not going to get great here] and reseal it so that it stays fresh for months, which is a good thing for us home cooks. I also use it to preserve bulk yeast so that I only spen $3-4 per year on yeast.


----------



## pooh (Mar 13, 2001)

I have a little battery powered milk frother, perfect for Capuccino.

It's like having a magic wand!

Hubby laughed at me when I bought it. Guess who's having the last laugh!


----------



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

*Nancya*,
I love my stick blender too. So much so that I no longer consider it a "gadget". I think _every_ kitchen should have one. 

Kimmie, I am going to two local gourmet kitchen supply stores and see if they have the garlic mandolin. Have you found any non-garlic related uses for it? I love to multitask my "toys"


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Yep! I also use it to purée ginger. Makes nice slices too on the reverse side.

Another thing I love is the "Great Grater" from Martha Stewart. Talk about multitasking, this thing grates cheese, chocolate, garlic, ginger, it's fantastic for zesting either an orange or a lemon or a lime. I paid way too much for it (canadian exchange and all) but it's a very versatile "toy".



[ June 04, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]


----------



## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

My stock/soup/gumbo skimmer. I do not have the fine motor skills necessary to skim stock with a metal spoon or ladle. 
Following the Path of Least Resistance....

PS Mezz, thank you for your restraint


[ June 04, 2001: Message edited by: KyleW ]


----------



## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

A pie cooling rack. But, not for cooling crust or bread, the wire criss-cross pattern is perfect for pushing through avocados & hard boiled eggs for a perfect dice without making a mess with a chef's knife.


----------



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

Thanks Chef John Paul, that's a great tip.


----------



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

I bought a garlic madoline yesterday! $7.99 at bed bath and beyond  Can't wait to use it.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Svad,

Used your garlic mandolin yet? Two months have passed since your purchase...


----------



## markdchef (Jan 26, 2001)

Spiral whisk for long narrow containers sold at Williams Sonoma. Looks very George Jetsen. Great for whipping in measuring cups. Love the tomato corer/strawberry corer too!


----------



## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

Kimmie,
Oh, yes! I've used it several times for garlic _and_ ginger. Thanks for asking.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

You're welcome Svad. I'm glad you like it. Have you been away? I missed your posts...


----------



## pastachef (Nov 19, 1999)

My garnishing tool kit. I can do so many fun things with fruits and vegetables, and the girls at the sorority are as cute as little kids with the things I make. A simple example of their youthful exuberence...I bought a new gold fish bowl and filled it with blue jello and let it thicken in the fridge. Then I put a few gummy gold fish in and let the jello harden. You wouldn't believe how many college girls went fishing for the gummies!


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

That is so cool Pastachef. A garnishing tool kit has been on my wishlist for a while. maybe one day....


----------



## chouxbacca (Aug 10, 2001)

does anybody know where to find a "microplane grater"? It is a flat piece of stainless steel, about 7-8" long and 2 inches wide with tiny holes (not portrusions)all over. I see it used alot on the food network and cant seem to find them (let alone anybody who has heard of them) anywhere. would appreciate any help.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

You should find it easily in good kitchen stores. If you wish to shop on the net, www.marthastewart.com carries one under the name of "Great Grater". You could also do a search through google.com. Just click here for google.com

and welcome to Cheftalk, chouxbacca.



[ August 29, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]


----------



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

MICROPLANE GRATER: I got mine at Sur La Table.


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

I love gadget! I love moulds too!


----------



## chouxbacca (Aug 10, 2001)

thanx kimmie  
you already welcomed me as jonas.
I just changed my name


----------



## jill reichow (Mar 12, 2001)

Two gadgets. One is a totally useless toy that make hard boiled eggs square Peel a hot boiled egg, drop it in and twist on the top, drop in cold water...presto! The other is my german egg slicer. Works great on strawberries, oilves, mushrooms...and eggs...


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Chewbacca? Is that you?

Click here.


----------



## anneke (Jan 5, 2001)

Whoa Kimmie! Now that's a real man!!


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Yeah, a little too hairy for my taste though!

Cute graemlin, Anneke.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

CoolJ,

As far as blow torches go, this one from *Williams-Sonoma* is pretty nifty.

I just hope it's the correct size?


----------



## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Maybe you guys can help me find a replacement for what WAS my favorite gadget until it died...I had a battery powered wisk that had four different attachments. I think it was made by black and decker company. It was a wall mounted set with a appliance like a small drill, then you put your different whisk attachment into it, it had a high and low speed.

I didn't need it, but when my arm was tired or I was just too lazy to pull out the mixer it was so handy, portable and easy to clean.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

W.,

If it is a Black & Decker, they have service centers all around the country. Scroll down 'till Illinois, you will find address, phone and fax numbers. They will probably send you a new one. Good luck.

and *Click here*


----------



## coolj (Dec 12, 2000)

That's awesome Kimmie, thanks.


----------



## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Oops, I threw it out. I'll look over there and see if they still make my favorite gadget, thanks for the site reference!


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

You can get a small torch for a lot less in a hardware store. 


KImmie Reno Depot has a nice one for 20$.


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Are you kidding? I got a larger model several years ago from Canadian Tire but don't you think W.S.'s is cute?


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Ok I'll give you cute.


----------



## pastachef (Nov 19, 1999)

I've been doing it the hard way for years, until, one day, I saw Sara Moulton using the tool that came in my garnishing kit - my lemon zester. Aaargh!  Oh well. I'm having a good time with it now. Isa, send me your address private email. I will mail you an extra garnishing kit that I have. If, that is, it's the kind of set you want. I just saw your post today. I don't need to let this set sit around and rust


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Are you serious Pasta??? Thank you so much!!!!


----------



## pastachef (Nov 19, 1999)

Of course I'm serious, Isa. Send your address to [email protected]


----------



## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

I know this is an old thread but I did not feeling like starting a new one just for this.

Have you ever found a new toy and just love it so much ?

Well yesterday I was busy with mine, here it is.....Does anyone have one ?





  








029.JPG




__
petalsandcoco


__
Sep 13, 2012







.......you have to love science ! Petals.


----------



## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Don't have one of those Petals, but it looks like a load of fun. How hard do you have crank that thing? and it's got to be bear to clean, yes?

Can we see the end product?


----------

