Kitchen devices that work better than in the past, and those that don&

[Fat Guy]

There are some kitchen devices that used to be better, such as toasters and waffle irons.

Then there are the ones that are better now. I'd say blenders today are superior to the blenders of the past. Dishwashers have, I think, improved.

Shall we expand upon these lists?

[Shalmanese]

Graters before microplane were garbage.

Cast iron was better in the good old days.

[haresfur]

Fuzzy logic rice cookers are much better than the old style. Induction is IMO far superior to radiant electric in spite of the restriction in pots that work.

[Chris Hennes]

Knives: modern materials science is incredible. Even without going to the exotics, a simple low-end knife today is far superior to those of the past.

[ScoopKW]

Just about anything with an electric motor is better now than before.

Just about anything with nickel chromium wire is worse than what our grandparents had.

[ChrisZ]

Refrigerators and freezers are undoubtably better today, especially fridge/freezers. They are much more efficient, more effective, more stylish (!), more environmentally friendly, and relatively cheaper. In older fridge/freezers altering the setting for the main fridge would have unpredictable results on the freezer and vice versa.

[andiesenji]

I have some very old mixers that are still going strong.

I don't expect to see any of today's mixers still operating 70 years from now.

I have a thirty-year-old VitaMix that works almost as well as my newer one.

I agree about the toasters, waffle bakers and so on.

Electric motors of today may be smaller, lighter and more efficient but they are not built to last.

I agree about refrigerators and freezers and ice makers.

Rice makers, check! Induction burners, check! Knives, check!

Stove tops (gas) for home use, tremendously improved.

40 years ago I got a Garland range because no consumer gas stove could satisfy my requirements for BTU output. Easy to find powerful burners now.

[AmbrosiaFood]

I have some very old mixers that are still going strong.

I don't expect to see any of today's mixers still operating 70 years from now.

I have a thirty-year-old VitaMix that works almost as well as my newer one.

I agree about the toasters, waffle bakers and so on.

Electric motors of today may be smaller, lighter and more efficient but they are not built to last.

I agree about refrigerators and freezers and ice makers.

Rice makers, check! Induction burners, check! Knives, check!

Stove tops (gas) for home use, tremendously improved.

40 years ago I got a Garland range because no consumer gas stove could satisfy my requirements for BTU output. Easy to find powerful burners now.

You took the words right out of my mouth, but my old mixers are far superior to the new ones in both power & durability.

Edited February 19, 2011 by AmbrosiaFood (log)

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm still not persuaded by the idea of a fuzzy logic rice cooker. Is there any commercial rice cooker with settings other than on/off/warm? Somehow all these Asian restaurants are turning out adequate rice with such primitive devices.

[Kat Tanaka Okopnik]

I'm still not persuaded by the idea of a fuzzy logic rice cooker. Is there any commercial rice cooker with settings other than on/off/warm? Somehow all these Asian restaurants are turning out adequate rice with such primitive devices.

I understand your skepticism - I started out with the same position.

At this point, having lived with a fuzzylogic rice cooker for most of a year - those Asian restaurants are turning out the same rice every day. Which is what I used to do, pre-fuzzy logic. (I was cooking other sorts of rice on the burner.)

I cook a lot more brown rice now, and other sorts of "other-than-bog-standard Jasmine or japonica". And I know I haven't scratched the surface of what it can do - haven't done porridge yet.

[Dianabanana]

Well, the number one item on this list has to be the PRESSURE COOKER. Google "pressure cooker explosion" and believe!

Induction cooktops--I will go a step further and say better than electric or gas.

Fuzzy logic rice cookers, agreed!

Ice cream makers.

Pretty much any OXO gadget.

[Kat Tanaka Okopnik]

Well, the number one item on this list has to be the PRESSURE COOKER. Google "pressure cooker explosion" and believe!

Induction cooktops--I will go a step further and say better than electric or gas.

Fuzzy logic rice cookers, agreed!

Ice cream makers.

Pretty much any OXO gadget.

...but I hate OXO gadgets.

Benriner...has anyone mentioned that? I love cheap Benriner knockoffs, too. At least when their cutting blades work.