Favorite Kitchen Gadgets for Core?

[pugdoggy1]

Wondering what your favorite kitchen gadgets are to help with Core cooking and why?

Here are mine:
1. Crockpot - for making rotisserie chicken, soups, beans
2. Pampered Chef Food Chopper (I think there's a similar hand chopper at Williams Sonoma) - for chopping apples for oatmeal and veggies for salads
3. A set of good knives and sharpener - it's so much nicer to slice with a good sharp knife than a dull one

My poor bread maker has been delegated to the basement!

[Rita]

George Foreman grill - I use the one with the removeable grill plates. Works great and easy cleanup.

Also my blender - for those yummy smoothies! and my frother - for those yummy lattes!

[Tina]

My favorite appliance is my electric tea kettle. My favorite gadget for core is my popcorn popper. I hate microwave popcorn, but love air popped!

[sarpon]

I have a George Foreman rotisserie oven. I make whole chickens in there, and wonderful pork tenderloin, pork chops, and london broil. It was about half the price of a Ronco oven.

[CoreIsCool]

Zojirushi rice cooker

I hesitated to buy one because of theprice when there were cheaper ones out there. I bought a cheaper one and was very dissatifsfied. After reading so many posts about how good this machine is, I bought one and have never regretted it.

Crockpot

I try to cook at least one meal a week in my crockpot. Since I work full-time it's really the best way I ahve found for having home-cooked meals on a weekday.


Microwave

For obvious reasons. The quicker I can cook a healthy food, the less likely it is that I will reach for something unhealthy that doesn't require cooking.

[KristenKP]

1. The fuzzy logic rice cooker/steamer I bought from Williams-Sonoma. It was EXPENSIVE, but well-worth the investment. It's got a timer so I can tell it to make the brown rice ready to serve at 6:30pm before I leave for work, and voila! it will be ready at that exact time. The steamer is great for carrots and other veggies, too, and I suspect this fall I'll use the slow cooker feature for soups (it's smaller than my my big crockpot).

2. The giant peppermill I use to coarsely grind the four-flavor pepper blend I use. Makes it so tasty.

3. The lazy susan next to my stove which holds all my spices. Everything is right there at my fingertips.

4. The garlic press.

5. The ridged round grill pan we use for grilling during the winter; the ridges allow any fat to drip off and leaves attractive grill marks.

6. The toaster oven, which also works as a broiler. Since my stove is on its last legs and the broiler feature doesn't work, this does it perfectly for us.

[tammy35]

I want a rice cooker - but afraid to eat too much brown rice. I will have to work on that.
But...
1. My non-stick skillet and cast iron skillet. I can use just a 'spray' and I can make my meals for the week in either. The iron skillet can seer the meet and then go right to the oven.

2. Disposeable plastic containers. Again to keep my lunch meals for the week. I am addicted to these things.

3. like Kristen - the spice rack. I am amazed at what I DON'T miss because I am not taking the time to season food better - even with little or no salt.

[BeckyinCA]

My favorite gadgets are a set of measuring glasses. They're marked for teaspoons, tablespoons and ounces. No more trying to pour teaspoons of oil and other liquids into a measuring spoon!

My favorite appliances:

George Foreman grill -- we also have the one with the removable plates. It's wonderful to be able to take this one apart and put it in the dishwasher.

Electric skillet -- If I'm not using the GF, chances are that dinner is cooking in this. It's the first one I've ever owned, and I will mourn when I finally wear it out.

Rice steamer -- before WW, this appliance was in a cupboard and hadn't been used in years. Now, I use it at least 5 times a week.

Blender -- over the weekend, I scored a bar-quality blender for free from my mom. She was about to yard sale it, and I grabbed it. She thinks she had only used it twice! My old one had just given up the ghost, so the timing was perfect.

[mikkid24]

My favorites:

1. Crock pot--used a LOT!

2. Generic version of the George Forman grill--mine has non-stick removable plates that go right into in the dishwasher--love it!

3. Braun emulsion blender--mine also has a chopper and whisk attachments. Great for smoothies, pureeing soups, chopping herbs/garlic/shallots, and frothing/whipping (if I use a really cold bowl from the freezer and freeze the whisk attachment, I can actually whip skim milk into whipped "cream"--yummy!).

4. Spare coffee grinder--I use it to grind spices to, as they say, "kick it up a notch" in flavoring recipes.

5. Flexible plastic cutting boards--I have several, and use them to cut chicken/meat in a sanitary way (they protect the kitchen counter and go right into the dishwasher to clean), and also to cut veggies which can then be just carried over and tossed into a pan for recipes.

6. Silicon spatulas--really stand the heat for stir-frying, stirring soups, stews, chili, etc. Plus the "spoonula" is the greatest invention ever!

That's my list. I have hesitated to buy a rice cooker because I have limited storage space in my kitchen and so I try to avoid appliances that don't "multi-task".

mikki

[shirllg]

I love the "magic bullet blender"....it grinds up ice and makes a great smoothie in seconds...I'm even planning on taking it with me on my next trip. It is something that is so small and compact that I could throw it in my suitcase and clean it in the hotel sink. This is one of the best investments I have made.

[jlk819]

My new favorite thing in the kitchen is my Food Saver. My fiance and I have a bad habit of forgetting the food that is frozen in our basement freezer, then winding up having to throw most of it out.

Now, we vacuum pack it, and it stays for a very long time. Great for buying in bulk and always having chicken or fish on hand to make a quick core meal.

[mamaw4kkma]

My favorite like others is the spice rack that DH made for me. It fits right on the cabinet door. The GF grill with removable plates.
New one-one coffee maker. I don't use it for coffee, but makes wonderful green tea.
Also the silcone spoons, spatula's, etc. Does with stand the heat.
I have a micro rice cooker and have only used it one time. Keep forgetting that I have it.

Good idea about using the coffee bean grinder for spices.

[nra3aa]

Favorite gadgets - Good set of knives

Favorite appliances - I love kitchen appliances! Most used:

Crockpot
Vita-Mix blender
Rice cooker

[thewwgirl]

I have 3 towel bars in the kitchen mounted above one another about 1 1/2 feet apart.

I hang large "S" hooks from them and off of the hooks I hang all of my tools of the trade. I can garb the quickly and having them out I use the ALL. Can opener, peeler, stainer, tongs, flipper, measuring cups, measuring spoons, wisk.......... YOU NAME IT, I HAVE IT. About 4 dozen tools I can't live without!

[nightsinge]

ritaskc said:

... and my frother - for those yummy lattes!

Rita: I've been wanting a milk frother and thought of buying one as a reward later on. Will you tell me about yours? Does frothing milk make nice, stiff foam like the steaming attachment at espresso places? Can you froth it while it's hot? What kind do you use???

I don't have too many fun kitchen gadgets yet. I'll have to say microwave for popcorn, oatmeal and ff refried beans. OH! My salad spinner cause I hate wet lettuce.