Things I Hate about my Kitchen Appliances: warning...no need to read this

[MSRadell]

We bought 1 of these:  Kuhn-Rikon-5-in-1-Jar-and-Bottle-Opener a few years ago and it's the best tool we have in the kitchen! We've actually ended up buying them for my wife's sister and mother because we like them so much.

Edited June 15, 2019 by MSRadell (log)

[Darienne]

8 hours ago, MSRadell said:

We bought 1 of these:  Kuhn-Rikon-5-in-1-Jar-and-Bottle-Opener a few years ago and it's the best tool we have in the kitchen! We've actually ended up buying them for my wife's sister and mother because we like them so much.

 

Went to the website and alas, they are not available now.  Glad you got one when they were going.

 

In a similar fashion, I bought for myself and friends a two-tablespoon measuring cup.  Think of all the times one needs two tablespoons of this or that in a recipe...or maybe it's just in my life...I don't know.  And then I never saw them again. 

[lindag]

 

2 hours ago, Darienne said:

Went to the website and alas, they are not available now.  Glad you got one when they were going.

 

In a similar fashion, I bought for myself and friends a two-tablespoon measuring cup.  Think of all the times one needs two tablespoons of this or that in a recipe...or maybe it's just in my life...I don't know.  And then I never saw them again. 

 

My stainless measuring cup set has a two tablespoon (1/8 cup) measure.  It is very handy and I use it all the time.  I also have an old Tupperware measuring spoon set that includes a 1/2 Tablespoon (I-1/2 teaspoon)  measure which is very handy for bread baking.  Another nifty little spoon is KAFs 2-¼ Tablespoon yeast measure; it's another a great tool for bread making.

Edited June 15, 2019 by lindag (log)

[ElsieD]

I have a couple of these and use them all the time.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00FYL4MPY?pf_rd_p=46535598-d2e0-4bc4-8392-182d8c1e93fc&pf_rd_r=R9T27RGTDMC5KJEM08YH

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

I have a couple of these and use them all the time.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00FYL4MPY?pf_rd_p=46535598-d2e0-4bc4-8392-182d8c1e93fc&pf_rd_r=R9T27RGTDMC5KJEM08YH

I love these and also use them a lot.  Except for goopy things that have to be scraped out - those are too much trouble.

 

Not to make anyone feel bad (because God knows, we've replaced many, many appliances way too early over the years), but we have an almost 40 year old Montgomery Ward freezer that we got from Mr. Kim's grandparents when they went into assisted living.  We've gotten so much good use out of that little dynamo that we won't feel at all bad when it finally does go bad.  (Knock on wood)

Edited June 15, 2019 by Kim Shook (log)

[Darienne]

2 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

I love these and also use them a lot.  Except for goopy things that have to be scraped out - those are too much trouble.

 

Not to make anyone feel bad (because God knows, we've replaced many, many appliances way too early over the years), but we have an almost 40 year old Montgomery Ward freezer that we got from Mr. Kim's grandparents when they went into assisted living.  We've gotten so much good use out of that little dynamo that we won't feel at all bad when it finally does go bad.  (Knock on wood)

 

Your freezer could be related to our cellar freezer.

 

As for goopy things...mostly what I have done is weigh said ingredient one time carefully, and then when it is called for, I have simply to tare the container and then weigh the goopy stuff...but the container in which I weigh it can simply be a wide open ceramic bowl.  So no more difficult scraping.   I hope my tortured explanation is clear...

[divalasvegas]

On 6/15/2019 at 7:59 AM, Darienne said:

Went to the website and alas, they are not available now.  Glad you got one when they were going.

 

In a similar fashion, I bought for myself and friends a two-tablespoon measuring cup.  Think of all the times one needs two tablespoons of this or that in a recipe...or maybe it's just in my life...I don't know.  And then I never saw them again. 

 

When in doubt check the "Q" as in QVC (yes, I am one of those people).

 

Here's a link to a Kuhn Rikon two-fer set; a can opener and a jar/bottle opener:

 

https://www.qvc.com/Kuhn-Rikon-2-Piece-Jar-Opener-%26-Auto-Attach-Can-Opener-Set.product.K48582.html?sc=SRCH

 

I bought these about a year ago and use both all the time. If you look closely, the jar opener has a specially shaped hole that perfectly fits those pesky little tops on small bottles of Tabasco sauce. BTW, the can opener takes off the entire top of any sized can so no sharp edges. Hope this helps.

[Darienne]

Funny.  This morning I was making this huge gingerbread cake from a recipe sent to me by a friend last week.   Grit my teeth and brought out the honking big stand mixer which Ed bought for me years ago.  I hate it.  It's the biggest home use size and the bowl holds a huge amount.  Of course, the beater thingy doesn't touch the edges, thus forcing me to buy a new fancy silicone beater...which I have never used because I am really slow at using new things.  After this morning's problems...beating in molasses...I will use it.  But then I had to get Ed to fold in the dry mixture because the big mixer bowl is just too deep for me to use.  And he knows nothing about mixing in flour so that's a lesson taught under duress.   Then I have to wash the bl**dy bowl and my sink, as most sinks were designed going back a couple of decades, is not handy for huge things.  And then I look at my new microwave front...stainless of course...can't buy anything else now...and black of course...and it needs wiping constantly to stay looking at all shiny and decent.  

 

So I'm crabbing to myself, wondering if there's a thread on eGullet about hating your kitchen appliances, and lo! and behold!  there is and I am that cranky old lady who started it in June.  So I read through the entire thread again and here I am, back crabbing about my own appliances.  

 

I still use and love the attachments to my huge, heavy and ungainly food processor mentioned long ago...but now I have to lean on the lid to get whatever it is that is no longer engaging properly to indeed engage properly.  

[lindag]

On 6/14/2019 at 9:25 PM, MSRadell said:

We bought 1 of these:  Kuhn-Rikon-5-in-1-Jar-and-Bottle-Opener a few years ago and it's the best tool we have in the kitchen! We've actually ended up buying them for my wife's sister and mother because we like them so much.

 

 

I have one of these, although a different older style K-R, that I bought 9 years ago (this one).    I don't need it often but I did use it just last evening when I couldn't get a small bottle of tonic water open.  Works great.

[Okanagancook]

With arthritic hands I use my jar and bottle opener all the time!  Even works on stubborn screw top wine bottles 😁

[palo]

I use this:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Amco+711BK+Swing-A-Way+Comfort+Grip+Jar+Opener%2C+Black&i=kitchen&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

$12CDN

 

p

[AlaMoi]

I got one of this type in Sweden in the 1980's - you hold the jar and twist it open.  max leverage

 

Under-the-Counter Jar Opener (this one by Fox Run)

Edited February 3, 2020 by Smithy
Adjusted Amazon link to be eG-friendly (log)

[Porthos]

When it comes to coffee makers there's only one I'll own, the Hamilton Beach Brew Station with it's built-in dispensing carafe.

[Darienne]

It's now July 2023 and I am still that crabby old lady who started this thread and this is my second time restarting.  What do I hate now?

 

I hate the 'new to us' fridge in the kitchen.  It was such a good deal and so clean and shiny bright new with wonderful sliding glass shelves and cute side door plastic compartments.  We bought it for the garage, when that old garage fridge gave up the ghost and I was so impressed with it that I had Ed move it into the kitchen and put our old workhorse in the garage.  

So what's the problem you ask?  Well it doesn't hold half of what our old fridge holds.  Those cute door compartments are so limiting and the interior of the entire unit holds not all that much.  We are forced to use the old fridge to hold so much of our food and it's in the garage which means that  I don't like going out there in the winter to access the fridge.  And I am constantly repackaging foods into smaller containers in the fridge so that enough items will fit in.  

 

Yes, it has a HUGE freezer and I realized too late that the new fridges are for those folks who don't cook from scratch and eat so much frozen food.  We don't, although I cook and freeze regularly.  For that we have a 'new to us' upright freezer which I can access so easily.  And of course, we still have that old cellar chest freezer which goes back to the stone age and as of today, it is still working just fine.  And I'm still too short to use it with comfort.  

 

So that's it for this morning.  No doubt I'll be back.  I do seem to become crabbier with each passing year...

[btbyrd]

I recently encountered two microwaves that have an annoying "quick cook" feature. The interface on a microwave should be designed so that the number pad is, by default, for entering the time you'd like to use in minutes and seconds. Enter "130" for a minute and thirty seconds. Then you can adjust the power level.

 

The new "quick cook" microwaves assume that you only ever want to use the microwave in 1 minute increments. If you press 1, the microwave turns on high for one minute. If you press 2, it turns on high for two minutes. 3, three minutes and so forth. To turn it on for a minute and thirty seconds, you must first hit a "time cook" button, and then it functions like a normal microwave. 

 

It is f***ing infuriating. 

[heidih]

22 minutes ago, btbyrd said:

I recently encountered two microwaves that have an annoying "quick cook" feature. The interface on a microwave should be designed so that the number pad is, by default, for entering the time you'd like to use in minutes and seconds. Enter "130" for a minute and thirty seconds. Then you can adjust the power level.

 

The new "quick cook" microwaves assume that you only ever want to use the microwave in 1 minute increments. If you press 1, the microwave turns on high for one minute. If you press 2, it turns on high for two minutes. 3, three minutes and so forth. To turn it on for a minute and thirty seconds, you must first hit a "time cook" button, and then it functions like a normal microwave. 

 

It is f***ing infuriating. 

Cheapo one we bought from Home Depotwhen the expensive bult in Bosh one pooped out after 3 years has same default 1, 2, 3.I just put on 2 and wait till 1-1/2   but El Cheapo stil a-ok after 5 years.