Kitchen Gadgets and Gizmos

[canuckinchile]

Originally Posted by Brodie

I really like the Cuisinart Grind and Brew with the Stainless Insulated Carafe. You're right though, the Grinder is a pain in the butt to clean all the time, but you can use ground coffee and bypass it and still have the grinder when you're feeling ambitious... It's a great coffee maker... A little pricey, but very nice...

Me too! I really like it, and they always go on sale. Thanks for the knife info too

[Google]

 

[Brodie]

Originally Posted by buglover

See every non-stick item I've ever bought has ended up getting ruined. I've done the no metal utensils thing, no hard spoons, etc. but they only last for maybe 5 years before they begin to peel.

You want to get the anodized aluminum stuff. I got mine when Kitchen's Etc. was going out of business a couple of years ago... Love it... The Silverstone or Teflon coated stuff they sell in discount stores will peel after a while. The anodized aluminum stuff is in a different league...

[Jamie5632]

I just started with Le Creuset in the past year and I am totally hooked. Started with the big 7 1/4 pot, and have a few more. I cannot believe the difference. Luckily, I live by an outlet so can get the seconds for about $100. After spending enough time looking and a salesperson determined to find me the best she could, I can't see a thing wrong with my two seconds. Also, the outlets have a mailing that sends out killer coupons about four times a year and every other month a different color is on sale. So if blue and a coupon coincide, I go for the perfect ones and end up spending what I would for a second. One thing I got on somewhat of a whim (I told myself I was done after the two big pots and the stock pot) is the griddle skillet. Beats the pants off my George Foreman grill and is perfect when its just me wanting a burger or chicken.

[AJane]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Cast iron is easy to treat. Get some crisco and grease those babies up and put in the oven. I forget how long, but I'll look it up for you. Then you NEVER ever use soap on them or put in the dishwasher. I wash mine with water only and then dry it and always give it a good spray of Pam to keep it well seasoned. One of mine is about 120 years old!!!! It's my favorite.

And it's the most non-stick cookware I own.

Thank you. I've never known what it means to "season" a cast-iron skillet so I avoided buying one. I'm going to watch for your post saying how long it should be in the oven. This is probably a dumb question, but do you spray it with Pam each time you cook with it? Do you spray it before you cook or after? Also, is there anything that you wouldn't use it for? I have teflon fry pans and I know that stuff isn't good for you, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on an expensive pan. I'm not much of a cook.

ETA: I just noticed you were also asking about coffee makers, mrd. I have a Tim Horton's one (my husband won it in a draw ) and I love it. I don't know if they're available in the U.S., but I imagine there's something online. It brews a pot of coffee in two minutes flat. I don't even miss having fresh-ground that much with this machine.

[iguanachocolate]

i love my mini food processor - i have a big one as well, but i only use it with pastry dough or at Thanksgiving type of meal prep. i have cast iton that i love, but to be honest, i absolutely love le Creuset. it's expensive, but you can get deals on it (EBay is great for this)and it lasts forever and can be passed down with the warranty (the warranty is for 102 years). there is nothing it won't clean up easily after.

i've never heard of a magic bullet as a kitchen appliance.... until someone described what it did, i had a really different impression of what happened in your kitchens!

[burntbrat]

Originally Posted by AJane

Thank you. I've never known what it means to "season" a cast-iron skillet so I avoided buying one. I'm going to watch for your post saying how long it should be in the oven. This is probably a dumb question, but do you spray it with Pam each time you cook with it? Do you spray it before you cook or after? Also, is there anything that you wouldn't use it for? I have teflon fry pans and I know that stuff isn't good for you, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on an expensive pan. I'm not much of a cook.

All the seasoned (hardy har har) iron skillet users are going to at me, but I do not follow those silly iron pan rules. I wash my iron wok and my iron skillets with soap and steaming hot water after each use. I am a germ freak and there's no way I'd be able to use a pan that just got rinsed after each use. *shudder*

This is what I do and I've never had a problem with rust or uhh... whatever seasoning is supposed to do. After the pan is washed I completely dry it and then put a tablespoon of canola oil (or less maybe) in the pan. Then I rub the oil in with clean paper towel until all of the cooking surface is oily and nice. Then I line the cooking surface with paper towels and put them away. Ta-da! That's it. Next time I need the pan it's nice and black and iron-y.

[myrosiedog]

I don't worry about the germs because the heat kills them. I've been eating food cooked in cast iron with no soap all my life and I never have gotten sick. What I typically do is wash the pan and put it on a hot burner to dry out the water completely. Then I spray it with Pam.
Depends on what I'm cooking, but I do generally give it a good spray of Pam before cooking. I dont' even have problem with eggs sticking and they peel right off the pan when I make scrambled eggs and have "leftover" portions in the bottom of the pan. It is SO non-stick.

Here's the info on how to season or re-season a pan.

Seasoning Cast Iron

Seasoned Cast Iron can be considered the "grandfather" to today's "non-stick" cookware.

Cast Iron Cookware must be seasoned properly and it will last a life-time.

New Pans
Heat the oven to 250o - 300o F.

Coat the pan with lard or bacon grease. Don't use a liquid vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky surface and the pan will not be properly seasoned.
Put the pan in the oven. In 15 minutes, remove the pan & pour out any excess grease. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
Repeating this process several times is recommended as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond.

Also, when you put the pan into service, it is recommended to use it initially for foods high in fat, such as bacon or foods cooked with fat, because the grease from these foods will help strengthen the seasoning.

Pans needing Re-Seasoning
If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned.

Remove any food residue by cleaning the pan thoroughly with hot water and a scouring pad. I understand that heating the pan first to a temperature that is still safe to touch helps open the pores of the metal and makes it easier to clean.
Dry the pan immediately with dish towel or paper towel.
Season the pan as outlined above.

Caring for Cast Iron Cookware
Seasoning a cast iron pan is a natural way of creating non-stick cookware. And, like you cook and clean the modern non-stick cookware with special care to avoid scratching the surface, your cast iron cookware wants some special attention too.

Clean the cookware while it is still hot by rinsing with hot water and scraping when necessary. Do not use a scouring pad or soap (detergent) as they will break down the pan's seasoning.
Never store food in the cast iron pan as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and the food will take on a metallic flavor.
Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Should rust appear, the pan should be re-seasoned.
When you purchase cast iron cookware, they are medium gray in color, but after usage, they start turning darker. (My pans are very black in color.) This is normal and should be expected.

[ClosetNerd]

5 months ago I tried to sell my microwave and toaster in a yard sale.
They never sold, but I didn't get around to bringing them back into the house.
Here is is all this time later, and we've never missed either one of them!

Well, we have missed the CLOCK on the microwave!

However, my life would be highly lacking without my RED KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer with slicer-shredder and meat grinder attachments. Now THAT is a can't miss combo!

[Marleybone]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Where did you get yours? And how expensive was it? (I know that's a crass question, you don't have to answer it, but I was kind of wanting a ball park figure before I get my heart really set on Le Creuset)

ETA: they can go in the oven too right?

I've had it a couple of years, so I can't remember exactly. I think it was in the neighborhood of $250. I sold a bunch of stuff on e-bay to raise the money to buy it. I may have also bought it on ebay - I researched to find out the retail cost, and then searched and watched for a seller who had the best price. It was one of those e-bay store kind of things where I could just buy it and not have to bid and wait for an auction to end.

Oh, and yes, they can go in the oven.

[Marleybone]

Originally Posted by ClosetNerd

However, my life would be highly lacking without my RED KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer with slicer-shredder and meat grinder attachments. Now THAT is a can't miss combo!

My KitchenAid stand mixer is one of the best investments I have ever made. I also have a KitchenAid blender, and would like to get the hand mixer for small jobs that don't really need the big mixer.