by Sharon Archer
I had such a lovely time on my last two blogs with Mr Gadget’s techie toys that I thought it was only fair to open my kitchen drawer. Maybe you have one the same... it rarely sees the light of day and is stuffed full of those “must-haves” that you can’t go another day without?I’ve collected mine from various home shows over the years - each and every one of them a great idea... at the time.
Like these natty little club sandwich cutters in the shape of card suits. Perfect for serving up bite-sized cucumber and cress sandwiches at a bridge party. Um, not that I play bridge... nor have I eaten cucumber and cress sandwiches. But if I ever want to, I’ll be able to present them very elegantly.I must say I do find the heart-shaped one handy - I've used it for heart-shaped shortbread and pastry decorations on pie.
Samosas, anyone? And three different sizes! Don’t they look like sets of dentures? I confess, I've never used these so I've no idea if if they make samosa-making easy...
Then there’s the melon ball makers... I have two and one of them is a very serious piece of kitchen hardware. I must have imagined myself as a kitchen goddess flitting around the benches making delicious melon ball desserts or salads.
And how about this apparatus...it looks worryingly like it might be more at home on a hospital theatre tray for a medical procedure.
It makes curly chips... one curly chip at a time.
Since I’m a cook who loves quick and easy, what possessed me to buy something that would take an age for me to make a snack-sized serve of chips. Mind you, I expect with practice I’d get faster – I seem to remember the man who demonstrated this, twizzled his way to an impressive pile of curly chips of carrot, potato and kumara without too much trouble.
And finally, a lemon juicer – just twist it into the whole lemon and pour. Since I have a cold at the moment I might just use this later when I’m making a hot toddy!So how about you? What lovely “must-haves” have you got lurking in your kitchen drawer?
What a great collection of kitchen gadgets, Sharon! I did a double take at the dentures/samosa makers.
ReplyDeleteI love my lemon juicer--I have one like yours but it's not as fancy-looking. My favourite cooking tool at the moment is the humble silicone spatula. I've found so many uses for it.
Fun post!
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot! I love the curly chip maker. I've go a number of gadgets that rarely get used, but when they do there's nothing like them. My fave is a good quality lemon zester. I seem to have a stack of recipes that call for the grated rind of a lemon or orange or three. Instead of scraping my knuckles with a grater this is fast, easy and not dangerous for my hands. For something really decadent I have a very small grater - for fresh nutmeg on my hot choc of course!
The humble spatula is a very useful kitchen gadget, Vanessa! One that really earns it's place in the drawer!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad my "dentures" caught your attention! LOL
Thanks, Annie!
ReplyDeleteHey, I have a small grater, too - and it's got one of those easy hold rubbery handles. I love it and I haven't grated a knuckle since I started using it! Mmm, I do like the sound of the fresh nutmeg on a hot chocolate! YUM!
That's some gadgets you have there Sharon. Right now my fav gadget is my citrus press, such a simple device and so much easier to squeeze than the traditional, pip dropping gadget!
ReplyDeleteI am so undomesticated that I can't even tell you the name of the gadget that I covet. My friend at work has a little metal gadget that removes the middle part of strawberries, leaving you to pop the whole thing in your mouth without having to choke on the leaf. What's is called? Not a clue. If I steal, can I swap you for the curly chip maker?
ReplyDeleteGosh, Scarlet--I didn't even know those things existed but I want one now!
ReplyDeleteSharon, I LOVE your gadgets! I might just come over and borrow a few... The question is, would I use them any more than you have? Probably not! But they all look SO temptingly fabulous!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteWhat a collection of kitchen gadgets!
Once at an expo or show I bought a whole set consisting of grater, chip-slicer. The man showing was so fast, making onion rings, slicing thin chips, cutting cabbage into thin slices, carrots, that I thought I absolutely have to have that gadget set. And it's lying in the corner of the draw ever since! It'll take more time washing it all up after use than the normal knife which does the same things!
But I can't live without my Kenwood Chef mixer. I use it daily to knead flour for my roti. Wrist problems mean I can't knead with my hands.
I have a round simple device for samosas. It has triangle shapes cut in it so it's pretty easy to use, then I discovered pre-made samosas in supermarkets!
A citrus press sounds like a winner, Mel! I always find it hard to control the fruit over a traditional squeezer - and then you've got the challenge of keeping the pips out of the juice you want to use!
ReplyDelete:)
Sharon
Scarlet, that's a strawberry huller by the sounds of it - there's even a You-tube about using one... I must say it's a rather clever name they've coined for this one...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImJ2xdKQBhk
Uh-oh... I feel the temptation!
LOL
Sharon
Emily, I can see you appreciate my weakness in buying all these goodies! You know I think it might be beneficial to have the chance to play with these gadgets before we buy - just to see if we really, really think we'll get the use out of them!
ReplyDelete;)
Sharon
Nas, you've got it exactly - those sales people make the darned gadgets looks so, so, so simple and quick and you feel that you'd be full of regrets if you walked away from the opportunity to buy! I wonder how long they have to practise to make it look so easy!
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is the hassle of washing the parts for some of the gadgets!
LOL on the pre-made samosas - so tempting to buy those pre-made things, isn't it!
:)
Sharon
Sharon
ReplyDeleteLoved them all I do have the lemon juicer and I find that handy at times but most other things I have bought over the years sink to the bottom of the drawer and I never use them LOL
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, the gadgets *do* sink to the bottom of the drawer, don't they! Only to be rediscovered after a good rummage! And I have to confess that's where the lemon juicer was too... though now it's been "found" and the lemon tree has fruit on it, that little gadget might get a workout! That hot toddy... medicinal purposes, of course!
ReplyDelete:)
Sharon
Sharon, that's hilarious! You and Mr. Gadget were born to be together, weren't you? (Note to self, ring Hoarders and ask if they have a spotter's fee). Samosa dentures? Actually they look a bit dangerous. And that potato chip thing is just bizarre! Actually I don't really have a lot of bizarre kitchenalia although I have a LOT of kitchenalia (several household's worth thanks to personal history). I think my fave gadget is my garlic crusher.
ReplyDeleteActually Anna, Sharon should paint the samosa thingies red and make them vampire teeth for Halloween decoration!
ReplyDeleteOoh, Nas, great idea. I mean, she's OBVIOUSLY not using them to make samosas. Snicker.
ReplyDeleteAnna, combining households means a plethora of *everything*, doesn't it! we've had the same thing at different times and then we hold on to things because... well, you just never know when they'll be handy! I have whittled down a *lot* but as you can see the gadgets have over-ruled my common sense! LOL
ReplyDeleteYou are good to use your garlic crusher... I've got into the habit of using that easy garlic in a jar! I suspect all the real kitchen goddesses out there are shuddering delicately right now! ;)
Sharon
LOL, Nas! I was just looking at the photo of them thinking that they looked kind of *cheerful* but with some red paint and strategically placed "blood drips" I'm sure they could look evil enough for a halloween decoration!
ReplyDeleteYup, they're as pristine as the day I bought them, Anna... except maybe for the odd scratch mark from one of the other kitchen gadgets in the drawer!
ReplyDeleteYou know... I'm starting to feel honour bound to use them and report back on a future blog! But if I wait long enough, I'm sure the feeling will pass!
;)
Sharon, I loved your gadgets! I have a hand-winding cheese grater that looks like an implement of torture and grates cheese brilliantly, but is far too difficult to clean. TBH, it's much easier to buy the cheese pre-grated. But I thought it'd be a nice companion piece to your curly chip maker. :-)
ReplyDeleteNas, I saw one of those chopper/slicer/chip maker things demonstrated the other day. The guy was a real showman. And I did think about it. Glad I walked away now. No doubt it would've been used once and then pushed to the back of the cupboard.
Reeze, a hand winding chees grater sounds like an excellent gadget for the drawer... or the back of the cupboard! Cleaning can be a real "thing" about the gadgets can't it... which reminds me, I forgot to include the herb mincer! Darn! LOL
ReplyDeleteHey, well done on walking away from the slicer gadget - I'm proud of you and I'm sure Nas will be too!
:)
Sharon
Sharon, those gadgets are amazing! Though, I'm with Nas in that I often buy gadgets then decide the washing up was more bother than the gadget was worth and never use it again. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachel! Hey, I'm with you and Nas about the washing of gadgets! I have a salad spinner that I hardly ever both with unless I'm making a really *large* salad. It works really well but then it needs dismantling to wash it properly. We buy these things to make something *easier* but then end up falling back on the tried and true ways!
ReplyDelete;)
Sharon