We’ve got an excellent cooking supplies shop here in Bowral (Cookshop Plus for the locals playing along) and if I have a spare moment I like to pop in and have a browse around. I love seeing the different gadgets that are out there and I am usually reminded when browsing of the bits that I always forget to get.
A few weeks ago I was in there and decided to see if I could get my hands on a crinkle cutter for making chips. It appears I am unable to make a healthy food choice at this part of my post baby situ, so I had a look and what do you know?
Schwing!
I have since been chopping like a crazy woman (potatoes only at this point but I’m sure I could dabble in veggies if I wanted) and getting the kids a little more excited about the baked potatoes that go as a side with various dinners. So much fun! AND a 87% more enjoyable way to cut potatoes for dinner every bloody night.
Last night on Facebook I read this article that American chef living in Paris, David Lebovitz posted on the 5 best things you should buy from a restaurant supply store that got me thinking about the best kitchen gadgets that are out there. I agree from the article that I need some half sheet pans.
Do you have something or a gadget that you have in your kitchen that works a treat?
Or something you thought would be great but was a fizzier?
What’s your hardest working kitchen item?
I was in cookshop plus the other day! I fucking love kitchen gadget and linen shops, my obsession borders on unhealthy. If you are ever up my way, you might like to call in on Country Bumpkin at Picton. (Near the George) It’s tiny, not exactly pram friendly, but crammed full of awesome kitchen gadget stuff and alike.
I agree with Country Bumpkin – my favourite after Cookshop Plus. If you’re there Beth go to RCoffee, 2 or three doors up, for the best coffee and great food.
Beth, a crinkle cutter is great for baby-led weaning when the time comes. Allows a 6 month old to get a good grip on lots of foods.
Oh that’s a good idea – thanks for the tip. Maggs will love that!
Oh thanks for the heads up – will try and get there!
My husband is a kitchen gadget master… he is in those shops every second he gets the opportunity … mostly ‘just looking to see what they have’ …
Best purchase: microplane. I grate everything with that sucker – even stuff I’m pretty sure you’re not meant to that kind of just mushes.
Hardest working: a good rubber spatula. Despite the lot of looking that goes on in kitchenware shops we surprisingly have only 1 of these – my red rubber spatula comes out for EVERYTHING. Scraping sweet cooking bowls, stirring savoury pasta & curries …often being washed between the two within the hour…
Worst purchase: Weak-necked flippers. Again, contrary to the lots of looking and requirements in this house we seem unable to find a flipper that isn’t flimsy and inevitably means I own four basically useless things that I attempt to start stirring pasta sauce with and give up and find my red spatula. I actually ended up with pancakes up the side of my frypan last weekend because one of the stupid things decided to flop sideways mid-pancake flip … I don’t learn though, I keep thinking “I spent good money on this it can’t be that hopeless… maybe if I hold it this way …”
My step Dad sounds like your husband – obsessed! I love our microplane too. Got it for my birthday a few years ago and gets used a couple of times a week, every week.
That looks very cool Beth,my hardest working kitchen tool would have to be the coffee maker!
Oh yes…us too!
I think of this often and always come back to my icing knife. There is just something quite exquisite about pushing around thick buttercream icing on a cake.
NOTHING better! Such a great description too!
I have a cheese grater where you cut cubes of cheese and place inside and turn the handle! (A bit like a herb chopper) I have had it for nearly 30 years – seriously!! Use it many times a week. My son only likes this type of grated cheese ! Best kitchen gadget investment EVER!!!
My mother has one of these – I used to love the fine cheese that came out of it… must investigate if it is still about… what a great memory!
Oooh that sounds good!
A garlic crusher, a cheap one from IKEA which has turned out to be the best garlic crusher I’ve had in my 20 years of living in my own home! And it was recommended to me by a friend who basically thrust it into my hand in IKEA on a shopping trip & said “buy this, it’s the best garlic crusher ever”! And I have spent way more on useless garlic crushers over the years!
They are really hard to come by (good ones that is).
Hardest working kitchen gadget in my kitchen seems to be me.
Lol.
Ha! YES.
Best gadget- a julienne peeler my MIL got me from a food fair.
Worst – spiraliser. After seeing food bloggers use it in Insta I just knew I’d love it but nope. It’s ducking useless & a waste of forty odd bucks!
Nothing worse than a ducking useless gadget 😉
Haha Apple should know I NEVER mean ducking !!! My phone doesn’t know me all ?
Ha!
My local kitchen gadget shop is a chef supply place. Serious gear. I call it the cooks version of Bunnings, it’s got everything and I have to exercise serious restraint…..
Hardest working gadget? The ice cream maker. Big, noisy, because it’s got a compressor (couldn’t be arsed freezing a bowl for 24 hours- who’s got the space in the freezer?) But oh my, ice cream like you can’t buy in the shops. Used it every single week since I bought it in Xmas sales. We’ve got raspberry ripple or burnt caramel in the freezer for dessert tonight. Lush, beautiful ice cream, and I know exactly what went in it.
And a cheap $2 ikea ice cream scoop. Winning!
i’ve been considering buying an icecream making (also one that doesn’t require massive freezer space)
Amazing!
I think my best kitchen gadget is always a good whisk (i’ve many break when i’ve attempted to clean them). The worst is either a spiraliser (i bought it off the internet and couldn’t work the bloody thing out) or every knife with the claim that it never needs sharpening…
Sounds like everyone hates their spiral thingy!
Not really a kitchen gadget person, I’m pretty simple. But if I had to say something it would be my Global knives they are the shizzle.
I have one of those crinkle cutter which I bought at a market in Vietnam while on my honeymoon, it cost a whole 30c.
Love it!
The BEST gadget I have is an ADE electronic measuring jug that weighs EVERYTHING!!! Lbs, ozs, mls, grams- you just choose by holding a button down and it switches over. Run, don’t walk……..
Oh holy SHIT. I need one of those!
You’ll never look back!!!
My best bit of kit is a heat proof egg flip my mum bought me- you know how if you have a lapse you melt the flip if it gets left in the pan? Not this baby it survives the worst treatment:)
Oh I didn’t even know they were a thing! Need one!
Me neither till my mum turned up with it…even then I was all “how good could it really be?”
Looking at the back of it- it’s app ‘thermoglass’ by Matfer no idea why they call it that afaik its fancy schmancy plastic:)
* Exoglass
Toastie maker. Now, always. Be still my beating heart.
Oh yes – a stalwart in my kitchen too!