What's your favorite/must have kitchen gadget?

MoochNNoodles

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My Mother had a Pampered Chef party last weekend and I still can't make up my mind exactly what I want/need. Some of their things are more than I want to pay, but I know from experience that some imitations of their things just don't hold up or work right. I really need help deciding. So what's your must have or most used kitchen gadget? Or what one do you always wish you have?

My favorite thing from them so far are the Cookie Scoops because they do make baking easier. I use the scoops for filling muffin cups too (esp mini muffin cups with the smallest scoop).

Anyway, so trying to decide what I really want has got me down to thinking what I will use often. I'm thinking it's going to be the Ultimate Mandolin (https://www.pamperedchef.com/orderin...te%20mandoline). Mom said she'll get it as her hostess item and just borrow it from me when she needs it, since it is $60!!!

I'm always making veggie and pasta salads and I think this would save so much prep time. I bought a cheap version of one last year that didn't have even half of what this one has and lets just say I used it once and it's remained in it's box ever since. I really like the safety of the holder for this one too. I don't have to worry about slicing my fingers!

So that's probably my most desired item right now. But there's so much else I liked! Kitchen stores are like candy or shoe stores to me.

So help me think!
Since Mom is letting me get this at her hostess price I can probably get few other things, depending on the price. But when it comes to Pampered Chef, I know it needs to be something I'm going to use and something where quality really does count. (last year I broke my egg slicer trying to slice an olive...least it was just a walmart one, but I was still not happy ya know?)


**sigh** Oh if money were no object.....
 

lore

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My kids LOVE cheese, so we buy it by the block (those rectangle ones)

we have a marble board thing with a lever with a wire to pull down and easily 'cut the cheese'.

Its called a cheese cutter I guess...

However when we got it, my kids called it a 'Hanker' Thus this gadget has been dubbed the Hanker in my house
 

jennyr

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The one thing I have taken with me on my moves around the world has been my zester. You cannot get them everywhere and I would never want to be without it. I put a lot of citrus peel into things and it is invaluable. Also very small and portable.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by littleraven7726

Stone bar pans.
I make the best chocolate chip cookie bars in those.
Ooo....I was thinking of running to the store for ingredients for chocolate chip cookies too....
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

The one thing I have taken with me on my moves around the world has been my zester. You cannot get them everywhere and I would never want to be without it. I put a lot of citrus peel into things and it is invaluable. Also very small and portable.
That's one of the things on my list here! I was never a fan of zesting till I found using a good zester (which I don't have) seems to make the difference between getting the good flavor and finding chunky pieces of citrus peel in your food, which doesn't seem to let the flavor out either.
 

bella713

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I love Pampered Chef...I use the stone pan a lot for pizzas etc. And the cheese grater is a MUST IMO
Also Love their little paring knives
Uhh I could go on and on, I have way too much of their stuff
 

gailc

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I buy lots of my kitchen gadgets at William Sonoma as I don't have the sales pressure from one of those at home party things.

For small stuff I have a couple microplane graters one which small holes and one larger so depending on what I what to grate I grab one of those. I think the only pampered chef item I have is the rotating tool caddy. I have right by stove and its stuffed with wood spoons, spatulas of all sorts (small skinny ones are handy), measuring spoons, the graters etc....
 

monaxlisa

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Well a good blender is a must for me.
I have a flat stone baking sheet from Pampered Sheff which I really like, it makes great pizzas. And it made great cookies too, now I just toss all my cookie batter into a glass pan and turn it into cookie bars.

Hmm, what else...a nice set of silicone spatulas if you have pots and pans that can be scratched by metal.
 

EnzoLeya

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MICROWAVE!!!!

I've asked people how they ever lived without one! I find myself cooking things in the microwave that I used to cook on the stove, like green beans and hotdogs.
I could never have a kitchen without a microwave.
 

laureen227

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well, if you're talking Pampered Chef stuff, i'd probably get silicone spatulas/spoonulas. i have 1 - i really like it.
regular gadgetry - either microwave or coffeemaker. i don't drink coffee - i make tea in my coffeemaker! come to think of it, i use it WAAAAAY more than the microwave - but i wouldn't want to do w/o either of those!
 

clixpix

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Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

Definitely my smoothie maker- i use it all the time!
Sister, in this house, that's called a "blender"!
 

butzie

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Originally Posted by laureen227

well, if you're talking Pampered Chef stuff, i'd probably get silicone spatulas/spoonulas. i have 1 - i really like it.
regular gadgetry - either microwave or coffeemaker. i don't drink coffee - i make tea in my coffeemaker! come to think of it, i use it WAAAAAY more than the microwave - but i wouldn't want to do w/o either of those!
I didn't know about the Pampered Chef stuff, so I looked it up. I agree that from what I saw on their site, I would get lots of silicon spatulas/spoonulas and brush basters. I would also buy wire whisks in every size.

I love my salad spinner and have a big one and a small one. I use them for much more than salads.

Extra cutting boards are great. I have a great grater that is about as long as a knife.

Of course, my favorite gadget is my food processor. Especially at holiday times.
 

momofmany

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I have a long list of must have kitchen gadgets, but the one that most people overlook and I never realized how great they are until I bought my first pair: A good quality pair of kitchen scissors that you can use to cut thru bones.

And btw - I had the pampered chef version of these and while they were OK, I ended up buying a much better brand.
 

natalie_ca

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This is not a fair question!! LOL

I LOVE KITCHEN STUFF!!!


My most favourite? Hmm....you said "gadget" which is different than "appliance", so that rules out my Kitchen Aid, blender and food processor.

So for gadgets, I'll go with my rasp tool. I bought it at a hardware store and I use it to zest lemons, limes and oranges. Next would be my cake decorating kit. I think I have every decoration tip known to man!

My most useless one is something I got as a gift at a Tupperware party. It's a citrus peeler. It's hard plastic, you score the skin with one end and peel it off with the other. I can do the same thing with a knife or a spoon, and do, hehe
 

mom of 4

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

My most useless one is something I got as a gift at a Tupperware party. It's a citrus peeler. It's hard plastic, you score the skin with one end and peel it off with the other. I can do the same thing with a knife or a spoon, and do, hehe
Send it to me! They are wonderful for people with kids - the kids can learn to use it without being in dnger of hurting themselves.

My knives. I had the same set for 30 years and just replaced them with the same brand & model.
Rubber lid opener - those flat, free things
Chip clips - for all kinds of bags
Tupperware organizers - spice holders and other size for various flours, rice, noodles, etc - keeps the bugs out so I don't have any in the kitchen
 
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