What's the greatest kitchen gadget to be invented?

[David94928]

You got your wish.....Nonstick rolling pin

Whoah. My mind is blown. Has anybody tried this?! What's it made of?

I recently bought one to replace a very old wood rolling pin. The OXO rolling pin is significantly heavier than what I had been using. As far as being "non-stick" it doesn't seem to hold onto pie dough nearly as much as the wood one, but I'd hardly call it completely non-stick. It also cost $22.00.

Bottom line a good kitchen tool but a bit pricey.

David

[balmagowry]

self-cleaning blender- would make me much more inclined to whip up some smoothies and such

Fill 1/2 to 2/3 of the way with warm water. Add one or two drops of dishwashing liquid. Blend. Rinse. Voila, clean blender. Smoothie on.

I already do that. But somehow even after I've done it, the blender is still sitting on the counter. I say it ain't a real self-cleaner unless it also puts itself neatly away in the cupboard!

Oh, if someone would only invent a Counter-Space Extender....

I'm waiting for a non-caloric (or low caloric), non-carcinogenic, tasteless, colorless food grade heat transfer fluid that's good up to 500 deg F.

Automatic Nobel Prize.

That's the Peace Prize, right?

As for existing gadgets, I'd like to put in a word for the recently-ecstatically-rediscovered Unicorn pepper grinder, which I've already praised on the Pocket Pepper Mills thread - best one-hander ever. Take that, Pepper Rabbit!

Oh, and my beloved Colony Cup, which I know I posted about on some other gadget thread, but it's still one of the best things I've ever had - a far more intelligent design than any fat-separator on the market today. Kind of like BetaMax vs. VHS - the best man didn't win on that one.

[balmagowry]

I wish someone would RE-INVENT the home use large batch potato peeler.

We had one when I was a child, one of my aunts has it and will not part with it, says she will will it to me but the way she is going, she may outlive me.

It just looks like a large pot, rounded top and bottom has a fitted lid with a couple of thick rubber paddles. The inside walls of the pot have an abrasive surface. One filled the pot with potatoes, then with water and cranked the thing, checking through a sliding door in the top to see how the potatoes were comign along.

I mean, you could do 10 pounds of potatoes in a very short period of time, they always had a few stray bits of skin here and there, where the eyes were, but it was quick.

I think they disappeared becaue of smaller families.

I have been haunting ebay, hoping to see one come up, but apparently everyone who has one is hanging onto them for dear life.

Y'mean, like this one or this one?

[andiesenji]

I always wanted an automatic home fry maker: raw cut potatoes go in one end, fat and seasoning dispensed, and crispy browned home fries come out the other end.

There was one on the market a few years ago, briefly, however it did not work very well, didn't get the oil hot enough and it died a quick death. Put a small potato in one end, and it sliced and delivered them into hot oil and then through a chute into a basket. I think it was made by Presto and was on the market less than 6 months! Not a winner....

I know because I bought one as a Christmas gift for a friend who loves home made potato chips (the thicker ones). We tried it several times and it simply was poorly designed. We took it back and I bought her a deep fryer instead. At least it works fairly well but you do have to slice the potatoes.

[dumplin]

That magic machine where you drop in a whole head of garlic and perfect 1/16th inch diced garlic comes out the other end.

I'll buy that! I have a microplane zester for nutmeg that is on a little metal dish. I use it for cinnamon and also for grating ginger and garlic. I can't stand having to finely mince a ton of garlic. I don't mind garlic pulp...the more garlic the better.

Cusinart Food Processor. My dinky food processor is awful. Everytime I try to use it for something, I have a plastic burning smell in the kitchen for hours.

I would love to have concrete floors with a drain and a spray hose in my kitchen.

[fifi]

Cusinart Food Processor. My dinky food processor is awful. Everytime I try to use it for something, I have a plastic burning smell in the kitchen for hours.

I would love to have concrete floors with a drain and a spray hose in my kitchen.

Forget the Cuisinart. Get a KithchenAid and avoid that nasty feed tube design. I just got one on sale from Kohl's after "throwing the Cuisinart in the yard".

I have always wanted the hose down design in the kitchen and the bathrooms as well.

[dumplin]

I checked out different Cuisinarts and some had that nasty feed tube design (my friends does and I HATE it) and some didn't. I'll check out Kitchenaid, too. I want a stainless 11 or 14 cup model. My dinky GE food processor doesn't have the motor for pie crust...which is what I do the most in a processor. I was doing pie crust in it anyway and was happily filling the kitchen with that acrid plastic smell. DH started getting really concerned. I told him I wasn't interesting in the processor lasting 20 years...and what good was it if it didn't do what I wanted it to do? I shredded a block of mozzerella last night and the same thing happened. DH just sighed. (I think he doesn't want to explain to his parents how I ruined their Christmas gift in only a year. )

I'm studying Interior Design...that floor drain model will be researched and added to my plans! I know quite a few people that would love it. For the bathroom, you can wash down everything in HOT water.

[petite tête de chou]

How about a laser knife? Of course it would include a feature that would turn the laser off before one 'cut' a finger. -nerd alert- Dinner prep would then resemble a Star Wars movie...the kitchen Jedi!

[razzar]

How about a self-sizing fridge - adjusting automatically to the quantities of leftovers/new groceries? I, for one, am tired of seeing stacks o' food.

[andiesenji]

avoid that nasty feed tube design. I just got one on sale from Kohl's after "throwing the Cuisinart in the yard".

Have you ever considered just getting one of the flat covers for the Cuisinart?

like this

It is perfect for making doughs or for when you need to add a liquid or oil to something that is processing.

(I made pesto yesterday using a cover like this on the 14 cup model) the center opening has a little cap over it that just lifts off.

You can order covers with a large feed tube for some machines. The 20 cup machine I have will accomodate a large potato or large onion.

There is also a way to make it work with the pusher sleeve out of the feed tube but you have to figure that out for yourself. I don't want to be responsibe for any lost fingers(or whatever).

I will tell you that it involves an extra large paper clip.

[FunJohnny]

[

I would love to have concrete floors with a drain and a spray hose in my kitchen. 

Actually the typical kitchens in the small towns and villages of Malaysia (and I suppose a lot of other places in the tropics) have this feature. Also no exterior wall so you can sluce right out into the gutter/drainage ditch outside. Of course, you could expect to entertain the occasional monitor lizard, python or other snake, but they would help discourage the large hairy spiders from visiting.

Edited July 26, 2004 by FunJohnny (log)

[Big Bunny]

How about a self-sizing fridge - adjusting automatically to the quantities of leftovers/new groceries?  I, for one, am tired of seeing stacks o' food.

How about a refrigerator that powers itself by eating leftovers over a week old?

BB

[balmagowry]

How about a self-sizing fridge - adjusting automatically to the quantities of leftovers/new groceries?  I, for one, am tired of seeing stacks o' food.

How about a refrigerator that powers itself by eating leftovers over a week old?

BB

Waaaah! I want it! I just did that job yesterday, and I'm not even telling how old some of the stuff was, let alone how revolting - let's just say the trunks had too many rings to count. At the same time... how guilty did I feel on realizing that I had enough wasted food to fill two large lawn-&-leaf bags (this from an ordinary mortal size refrigerator)? Oy... very. It ain't all my improvident fault, either - The Boy brings home stuff and stashes it, and often I don't even realize it's there let alone that it's becoming a new and dread kind of Science Project - but still. Oy.

[dumplin]

I want a refrigerator that is a foot deep and about 12 feet long. Then everything can be lined up in rows and nothing can wander to the back and get hidden.

I was just telling DH tonight that I want a walk-in freezer. A box of waffles he insisted on buying fell out on me 4 times. I hate teeny tiny apartment freezers.

[CopperTop]

Self cleaning kitchen

I've had one for years. Tough part was training the girls to clean up behind me without complaining.

[get in my belly]

how bout a seat that is easyly folded up and quick to hide away that is adjustable at a slight slant so your kinda just tilted forward so you can prep without killing your feet and back i call it the chillnchop TM. im still working on it would look kinda like a step ladder .

[bbq chef]

Cusinart Food Processor. My dinky food processor is awful. Everytime I try to use it for something, I have a plastic burning smell in the kitchen for hours. 

I would love to have concrete floors with a drain and a spray hose in my kitchen. 

Forget the Cuisinart. Get a KithchenAid and avoid that nasty feed tube design. I just got one on sale from Kohl's after "throwing the Cuisinart in the yard".

I have always wanted the hose down design in the kitchen and the bathrooms as well.

Forget both of them and get a RobotCoupe!

[adoxograph]

Grease-free and odor-free deep fat fryer.

Of course, it's probably better they are the way they are for the sake of my arteries.

[chow guy]

I would love to have various sizes of food storage containers that all have the SAME size covers!

[zenpup]

I would love to have various sizes of food storage containers that all have the SAME size covers!

AND...besides the lids fitting...the different size and shape plastic containers being easy to stack. Open one of my kitchen cabinet doors and it's an avalanche....

[andiesenji]

I would love to have various sizes of food storage containers that all have the SAME size covers!

Cambro makes many sizes of containers and some have the same size covers, (6 qt and 8 qt use the same size lid) (12,18 & 22 quart have one size lid) but are of different depths. I use these because they nest well and I keep the up to 8 qt. lids in the Jumbo sized Hefty slide-lock bags hanging next to where I store the containers (upside down, of course). I keep the larger lids in one of the drawstring type kitchen bags, also hanging up.

Most of mine are the round containers from 1 quart to 22 quarts. I have several of the largest ones in which I store flour, etc.

They also make a line of CLEAR round and square containers - Alton Brown has used these on his show - I have a few but prefer the round Natural White ones except for a few things (such as pickles).

They all are dishwasher safe and resist coloring from the foods that often discolor ordinary plastics.

Out here I buy Cambro containers at Smart & Final but they are carried at other stores that cater to the food service industry. The "Natural White" ones are very reasonably priced.

Cambro at Smart & Final

The following is a post I made to the Bread-Bakers list in Feb '03.

--------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v103.n009.15 ---------------

From: Andie Paysinger <asenji@earthlink.net>

Subject: Dough bucket/food grade storage containers

Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2003 18:38:03 -0800

There was a request for a dough bucket.

I have used the Cambro containers which are superior food grade containers

for many years. They are available from Smart & Final at very good

prices. Check them out at the web site.

http://sdc2.sdccorp.com/smartstore/browse.asp?id=1

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Food Containers. The round

Cambro containers which are the most suitable for al your needs are on

pages 2 and 3 (containers and lids sold separately).

The sizes range from 1 quart # 106060 to 22 quarts # 106240.

The price of the 1 qt. is $1.87. The price of the 22 quart is $9.78

The lid (fits the 12 qt., the 18 qt. and 22 qt.) is $0.72

The

I have many of these in every size. I use them for storing flour, grains,

nuts, dried fruit, kitchen utensils when I travel, bottles of liquids (If

something breaks, it is confined to the bucket.

In my freezer instead of many small packages of veggies, fruits, etc. I

have the large containers, one with veggies, one with fruits, one with

poultry, one with fish, one with pork, beef, etc., etc. They seal so well

that there is very little frost formation in the packages and therefore

less waste. I do vacuum seal meats and fish and home grown fruit and veg

before putting them into the containers.

When getting ready for a party I dump ice from my ice maker into one of the

buckets and keep adding to it every time the icemaker fills.

The lids really seal tightly. Last week I put a batch of dough in one,

snapped on the lid and it rose more than I expected, the lid had bulged up

considerably but had remained tightly sealed.

The containers also can be put in the microwave directly from the freezer

to defrost stored foods. Try that with some other containers and you will

have a disaster.

[andiesenji]

this is an addendum to my prior post re: Cambro.

The taller containers hold bottles nicely and are great for traveling because if a bottle should break the liquid is confined to the container and does not ruin the carpeting in your van (something which happened to me with a bottle of roated-garlic olive oil).