What's New in Kitchen Gadgets?

[Toliver]

The Chef's Thumb looks far too cumbersome to use. Why not learn proper knife skills and then you won't have to wear a Dumb Thumb? 

[Anna N]

This is the kitchen gadget I dreamed of for years. A built in vacuum cleaner that takes care of the dirt once you have swept it from your kitchen floor. Friends and family have them and I was green with envy. I don't need or want the app that goes along with it and the truth is I no longer need the damn vacuum, I have a couple of Roombas that do a fine job on my floors and don't leave me with any leftover lines of dirt that need to be dealt with. (And no I am not wealthy. With the help of Kerry Beal have found at least three in thrift stores which only needed a new battery.) But there was a time when I would have willingly spent whatever it took to get one of these!

[Deryn]

That hole at the bottom is not anywhere large enough for me. I have half a Siberian to be sucked up daily for most of the year.

[dcarch]

This is the kitchen gadget I dreamed of for years. A built in vacuum cleaner that takes care of the dirt once you have swept it from your kitchen floor. -------

 

I would be very concerned.

 

A vacuum's filter is not very effective. Most of the harmful fine particles (germs) pass thru the filter and blown in air for you to breath in. Also, the smell around the garbage can is not exactly pleasant to recirculate. 

 

dcarch

Edited May 19, 2015 by dcarch (log)

[dcarch]

Host's note: this post refers to a post that was split, along with several others, into its own topic on Kitchen cleanliness: methods, and when is it going too far?

 

 

I believe that HEPA filters might solve that problem.  If you're not familiar with them, here's a brief overview.

 

Some vacuum cleaners have HEPA filters that trap more dust from their exhaust. HEPA-equipped

vacuums throw less dirt and fewer microscopic dust mites back into the room as you vacuum.

Some people say allergy symptoms improve after using these vacuums.

 

I only use HEPA filters in my vacuum cleaner.  They are a definite improvement over regular filters, but I don't know for sure if they will filter dust mite droppings.

 

I think we are talking about the vacuum here which is built into the trash can. Does it have a HEPA filter? If so, how often do you have to replace it?

 

dcarch

Edited May 19, 2015 by Smithy (log)

[Toliver]

It's funny...the hair salon where I go to get my hairs( ) cut has vacuum units like this trash can except with much larger openings. Whoever is sweeping the cut hair on the floor just moves it over to one of these vacuum units...turns it on (it sounds like a loud vacuum, of course), sweeps the hair into the unit's opening at floor level, and then the sweeper-person shuts it off. Easy peasy.

I've also seen homes built with a central-vacuum that have a floor level kick plate in the kitchen. Do your sweeping, kick the kick plate which opens the vacuum slot and sweep your sweepings into it. It shuts automatically and is very quiet (since the central-vacuum itself is in the garage usually).

[MSRadell]

So what happened to getting accustomed to bacteria to develop a resistance to them? Seems the quest to rid the house of "germs" leads to more sickness than it avoids. Personally 

I blame the advertising agencies selling "germ destroying" products.

We've had that discussion around our house many times.  I certainly agree with your comments when my wife thinks that all germs should be killed!  Of course, I never get sick and she's sick all the time.

[Smithy]

I've also seen homes built with a central-vacuum that have a floor level kick plate in the kitchen. Do your sweeping, kick the kick plate which opens the vacuum slot and sweep your sweepings into it. It shuts automatically and is very quiet (since the central-vacuum itself is in the garage usually).

Some of the old-timer homes around here have the precursor to that: a floorboard that lifts up to reveal a crumb trap.  Sweep everything into that, and then whisk or vacuum it out.  None of my houses ever had it, but I envied it almost as much as the laundry chute from the kitchen to the basement.  What a way to drop off the dirty table linens in a hurry. 

[Anna N]

Some of the old-timer homes around here have the precursor to that: a floorboard that lifts up to reveal a crumb trap. Sweep everything into that, and then whisk or vacuum it out. None of my houses ever had it, but I envied it almost as much as the laundry chute from the kitchen to the basement. What a way to drop off the dirty table linens in a hurry.

The only thing that improves upon the chute from kitchen to the laundry room is the laundry room in the kitchen! Love it. Love it. Love it. That's the situation in the townhouse on Manitoulin Island where Kerry Beal and I spend part of the summer. You can watch your bread rise in the oven or watch your laundry sploosh around in the washing machine. Of course the living is all on one level.

And I can't get hung up over germs, sorry. My grandma always told me "You'll eat a peck o' dirt before you die".

Edited to fix two typos.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Anna N (log)

[ElainaA]

Sadly our in-wall vac system was installed before the ports in the kitchen toe-kick were available (at least in the brand we have). They work great. When we replace our cabinets I'm hoping to get one installed. 

That hole at the bottom is not anywhere large enough for me. I have half a Siberian to be sucked up daily for most of the year.

Deryn - I think the central vac could handle your Siberian - I feel I could make at least 2 Labs and several cats from what I vacuum up in a week. And we only have one of each.

 

Re: germs: Quite a few years back there was ongoing (often barely civil) discussion at the community college where I taught between the biology faculty and the nursing faculty over this issue. The nurses handed out anti-bacterial washes, wipes and sprays widely and pushed their use in all-college emails. The biologists were staunchly opposed. As I recall only the biologists cited research to support their views, not that I could locate their citations at this point. We're all retired now.

 

My mother used the same quote as Anna's grandmother.

 

Elaina

Edited May 19, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

ElainaA and Anna N,

 

My mom used the same exact quote as your mother and grandmother, respectively, and my mom was a Registered Nurse, but also a Virginia farm girl.

 

Still, anything that helps keep a clean kitchen work area including a very handy vacuum, is A-OK in my book.

 

I accidentally spilled some cornmeal on the thick area rug in front of my sink and main food prep area the other day, and had to drag out the heavy vacuum while trying to bread fish to go into hot oil. Anything that could have expedited that task would have been welcome. I was contending with keeping the oil hot enough to fry without causing a flash fire during this cleanup detail.

[dcarch]

--------------------

I accidentally spilled some cornmeal on the thick area rug in front of my sink and main food prep area the other day, and had to drag out the heavy vacuum while trying to bread fish to go into hot oil. Anything that could have expedited that task would have been welcome. -----------------------

 

Finally, it is very practical to have small cordless hand vacuums in every room. The ones which have ni-cad rechargeable batteries are useless. The new ones with li-ion batteries are powerful and long lasting. 

 

"---- Long battery life - holds a charge when unplugged for up to 18 months

• Cordless, portable and ultra-compact----"

 

dcarch

Edited May 20, 2015 by dcarch (log)

[lindag]

I knocked one of my favorite stemless wineglasses off the counter and onto my tile floor.

Had to go get the broom and dustpan.

[liuzhou]

The only thing that got lost in my recent house move was my beloved "waiter's friend" bottle opener, so I bought a new one. I think it looks like a parrot, so I'm teaching it to talk.

 

 

At the same time I decided a new (to me) kitchen needs a new clock.

[IowaDee]

Polly wants a magnum

[nickrey]

The only thing that got lost in my recent house move was my beloved "waiter's friend" bottle opener, so I bought a new one. I think it looks like a parrot, so I'm teaching it to talk.

 

 

I also have a parrot corkscrew, mine was from Alessi. Having been heard to opine that many things from Alessi are far more decorative than practical, this corkscrew has had me changing my tune: It works very well.

[FauxPas]

Am I the only one who adores this cat-face egg mold (Kickstarter campaign)? I want to see a kitty face when I fry my eggs! 

 

 

From:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/991279259/sunny-side-up-eggs-cat-egg-molds

 

 

[ElsieD]

I want one.

[Smithy]

Those are fun!

[FauxPas]

Maybe some green onion whiskers.... 

[ElsieD]

And to top it off, you could pipe something pink or failing to find anything pink, red to fill out his nose. Sriracha, perhaps?

Edited September 20, 2015 by ElsieD (log)

[Alex]

Might it feel a little weird when you poke its eyes out?

[minas6907]

That's rad

[suzilightning]

I want one......................Johnnybird??????

[pastrygirl]

Cute, but how many people really need the quail egg version?