Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Kitchen Gadgets - "stocking stuffers"

fifi

By fifi
in Kitchen Consumer

 Share

Recommended Posts

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

Regarding a nutcracker for splitting walnuts in half to save the shell. A little earlier I went to a "Christmas botique" at the church down the street.

One of the booths had a bunch of little ornaments made from walnut shells, acorns, pine cones and other woodsy stuff.

I asked the old man who made them how he split the walnut shells so perfectly and he said he uses a thing made for oyster shucking. He said it is just a board with a groove in it and a "square" blade that is hinged at one end.

Surely there is a picture of one somewhere on the web.

It's probably too late for this year but maybe for future reference..........

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Eden

Eden

Posted
Posted
Regarding a nutcracker for splitting walnuts in half to save the shell.  A little earlier I went to a "Christmas botique" at the church down the street. 

One of the booths had a bunch of little ornaments made from walnut shells, acorns, pine cones and other woodsy stuff. 

I asked the old man who made them how he split the walnut shells so perfectly and he said he uses a thing made for oyster shucking.  He said it is just a board with a groove in it and a "square" blade that is hinged at one end. 

Surely there is a picture of one somewhere on the web. 

It's probably too late for this year but maybe for future reference..........

actually I want this for an event in April, so this is incredibly helpful - thanks!

Do you suffer from Acute Culinary Syndrome? Maybe it's time to get help...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
fifi

fifi

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Bumping this up because I just got the niftiest gadget from my sister. Too bad she doesn't remember where she bought it or when. It works great! And doesn't take up too much room in the gadget drawer.

gallery_7796_409_22353.jpg

Anybody guess what it is? :raz:

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

Safety oyster knife.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fifi

fifi

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Nope!

I am doing a happy dance. I have stumped the Gadget Queen!

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
scubadoo97

scubadoo97

Posted
Posted
Dough scrapers (either stainless or plastic) also come in handy.  I use them to pick diced vegetables off the cutting board when I have large quantities.

I have the stainless one but also picked up a pack of 3 plastic ones in 3 sizes from Home Depot. They are scrapers for working with fiberglass. I like them better than my SS one since food doesn't get caught in the round handle.

I love my OVE glove and use it a lot when roasting coffee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jgm

jgm

Posted
Posted

Anybody guess what it is? :raz:

I'm guessing it holds a bagel while you turn it and it slices it in half. :unsure: If that's the case, the idea behind it, is that it would be difficult to slice your hand in half using this thing. I've noticed lots of gadgets, over the years, have been designed to allow bagels to be sliced, without slicing the hands that hold them. So I figure I've got pretty good odds, working in this category. :biggrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jgm

jgm

Posted
Posted
I have ordered the "perfect apple slicer" and will report on its effectiveness. 

Regarding the thermometer, there is a discussion in this thread that discusses and has links to sites with these thermometers.

I have used several and they work but there is a distance limit.

Andie, have you received your apple slicer yet, and if so, is it indeed perfect?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fifi

fifi

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Anybody guess what it is? :raz:

I'm guessing it holds a bagel while you turn it and it slices it in half. :unsure: If that's the case, the idea behind it, is that it would be difficult to slice your hand in half using this thing. I've noticed lots of gadgets, over the years, have been designed to allow bagels to be sliced, without slicing the hands that hold them. So I figure I've got pretty good odds, working in this category. :biggrin:

And we have a winner! It is indeed a bagel slicer. And it works better than you would think. There are lots of bagel slicing things out there for a good reason. There is an alarming number of visits to the ER for really nasty injuries from slicing bagels.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted
I have ordered the "perfect apple slicer" and will report on its effectiveness. 

Regarding the thermometer, there is a discussion in this thread that discusses and has links to sites with these thermometers.

I have used several and they work but there is a distance limit.

Andie, have you received your apple slicer yet, and if so, is it indeed perfect?

I haven't got it yet. It is back ordered, supposed to be shipped 1/26. I will post when it arrives.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
annarborfoodie

annarborfoodie

Posted
Posted

And we have a winner! It is indeed a bagel slicer. And it works better than you would think. There are lots of bagel slicing things out there for a good reason. There is an alarming number of visits to the ER for really nasty injuries from slicing bagels.

When I was at the ER having my fingertip stitched back on after a bagel-slicing incident several years ago, the doctor gave me his "standard bagel-slicing lesson". Apparently he has occasion to give it often... I've used his method ever since, and not had another problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

I have always been nervous about other people slicing bagels and getting hurt in my kitchen, which is why I purchased the bagel biter which in my opinion is the safest of any thing I could find up to that time.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
k43

k43

Posted
Posted (edited)

Beware the Apple Corer/Slicer.

Like everyone, I've cut off more or less substantial parts of finger tips over the years. However, I got the worst cut ever, and the only one from which I permanently lost sensation, from an apple-corer/slicer -- a small sharp circle on the inside (which went around the core), with a "starfish" of sharp blades sticking out in a circle and attached to a round metal outer edge.

The idea was to put it on top of the apple and push it down, removing the core and slicing the body in a single motion.

Unfortunately, the apple was a little bit larger than the outer rim. I gripped the outer edge in my left hand and pounded with heel of my right hand on the other side. You know what happened -- the thing went all the way through, slicing my left middle finger to the bone.

This is definitely one gadget NOT to have.

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

However, I cut bagels with a bread knife and have never hurt myself. I start in the "dangerous" position, holding the bagel across the palm of my left hand, thumb on one side and fingers on the other, and cut downward with a bread knife. I cut gently until I get halfway through, then reverse the knife and bagel and cut up to finish.

Edited by k43 (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not exactly a "gadget" but this version of the Crock Pot has a couple of new twists.

Note it can be used on the stovetop, in the oven, microwave and freezer.

A more versatile item for those with small kitchens, a truly multi-use appliance/utensil.

It looks pretty cool too! New type Crock Pot

My housekeeper says it reminds her of a witch's kettle!

Edited by andiesenji (log)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Toliver

Toliver

Posted
Posted
Not exactly a "gadget" but this version of the Crock Pot has a couple of new twists.

Note it can be used on the stovetop, in the oven, microwave and freezer. 

A more versatile item for those with small kitchens, a truly multi-use appliance/utensil.

It looks pretty cool too!  New type Crock Pot

My housekeeper says it reminds her of a witch's kettle!

I've had the West Bend 5-Quart Slow Cooker for years and their pot can do the same thing. It can be used on the stove or be put in the fridge or freezer. The base is basically a non-stick griddle and can be used as such (though I've never used it as a griddle). Being oblong, it's great for long or odd-shaped pieces of meat.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

Here is another interesting "new" gadget. It reminds me of the old fashioned corn poppers, but without the lid, or the similar "patent" coffee roasters of the early 20th century.

The Glazed Nut Roaster looks to be an interesting addition to the gadget-inspired collector.

And doesn't everyone need a

Double steamer?

And for those who were drooling over the Voodoo Knife Block, you can order it from the UK in red or black.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fifi

fifi

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

As always, andie comes up with the darndest things. That Voodoo Knife Block is a must have. I laughed out loud at that one. I actually went and counted the knives that I keep out in a block and see that they will probably all fit.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

The new gadgets are coming thick and fast. The new Baker's Catalog from King Arthur Flour arrived in yesterday's mail and early this morning when I awakened (by some idiot driving around with a boom-box thumping away - which woke up all the dogs in the neighborhood and the donkey across the street - a plague on the house of the inventor of that soulless instrument!) and I couldn't get back to sleep so looked through the catalog.

They have added a bunch of interesting things to this issue - including some great recipes.

How about this baloon whisk with a built-in thermometer. I am ordering this today.

This multi-use bottle opener, can tab puller, etc.

This inexpensive

dough strip cutter.

This small silicone pastry roller which looks very handy. I have been using a brayer (a printing tool) for years but the roller is wearing out and cracking. I do believe I will replace it with one of these.

And they have a bunch of new ceramic items, including baking dishes for pandoro, brioche,

look at these

and really cute ceramic salt pigs for much less than I have found them elsewhere.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Khadija

Khadija

Posted
Posted

This may be a stupid question, but I don't really understand the talk I hear about cheap microplanes. Maybe it's because I live in Canada, or maybe it's just because I don't know to look in the right places, but I have never seen microplane in a store for less than $30. I wanted one for a long time, but didn't get one because of the expense (I am a student). This Christmas, my partner bought me this one: http://store.microplaneintl.com/Merchant2/...uct_Code=37010E. He bought it at the kitchen supply store in our neighbourhood, which means that he must have paid about $50 for it. I know that he probably went the most expensive source possible, but I'd like to know what other options are available. (I've noticed people here mentioning hardware stores, but as far as I know, Canadian Tire (the most ubiquitous Canadian hardware store) does not sell microplanes. Is buying online the key?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fifi

fifi

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I went a-browsing in the Baker's Catalog website yesterday to specifically order the garlic gadget you see in the link. I got the tip from the Garlic Press topic. I need nicely diced garlic for my ojo de ajo and doing it by hand is a pain. I am told that the Garlic Genius works better but with the price, I am going to try the twist thingy first.

Some of you may be happy to know that I am working on a "Cult of the Stainless Steel Mushroom" starting here. Scroll up a bit and you will see that snowangel made me do it. :raz:

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CaliPoutine

CaliPoutine

Posted
Posted
This may be a stupid question, but I don't really understand the talk I hear about cheap microplanes.  Maybe it's because I live in Canada, or maybe it's just because I don't know to look in the right places, but I have never seen microplane in a store for less than $30.  I wanted one for a long time, but didn't get one because of the expense (I am a student).  This Christmas, my partner bought me this one: http://store.microplaneintl.com/Merchant2/...uct_Code=37010E.  He bought it at the kitchen supply store in our neighbourhood, which means that he must have paid about $50 for it.  I know that he probably went the most expensive source possible, but I'd like to know what other options are available.  (I've noticed people here mentioning hardware stores, but as far as I know, Canadian Tire (the most ubiquitous Canadian hardware store) does not sell microplanes.  Is buying online the key?

Everything is more expensive in Canada which is why I rent a PO box in MI and have items shipped there. Most of the boxes rented at that location are from Canadians ( or Americans living in Canada, which is the situation in my case). Microplanes were actually invented by a Canadian couple when the wife used her husbands wood rasp in the kitchen. They just took the rasp, added a handle and called it a microplane. Check Canadian Tire for a wood rasp.

Or PM me, I have an extra brand new microplane that I could sell you if you're interested.

Randi

2girlsinthekitchen.blogspot.com

The Senior Dining Thread

eG Food Blogs

#1#2

#3

#4

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CaliPoutine

CaliPoutine

Posted
Posted
I went a-browsing in the Baker's Catalog website yesterday to specifically order the garlic gadget you see in the link. I got the tip from the Garlic Press topic. I need nicely diced garlic for my ojo de ajo and doing it by hand is a pain. I am told that the Garlic Genius works better but with the price, I am going to try the twist thingy first.

Some of you may be happy to know that I am working on a "Cult of the Stainless Steel Mushroom" starting here. Scroll up a bit and you will see that snowangel made me do it.  :raz:

I have the garlic twist( not the garlic genius). I got it at WS and I used it once. I hate it, I have arthritis and I thought it would be helpful, but it takes a lot of pressure to actually chop up the garlic.

Randi

2girlsinthekitchen.blogspot.com

The Senior Dining Thread

eG Food Blogs

#1#2

#3

#4

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HeatherM

HeatherM

Posted
Posted
This may be a stupid question, but I don't really understand the talk I hear about cheap microplanes.  Maybe it's because I live in Canada, or maybe it's just because I don't know to look in the right places, but I have never seen microplane in a store for less than $30.  I wanted one for a long time, but didn't get one because of the expense (I am a student).  This Christmas, my partner bought me this one: http://store.microplaneintl.com/Merchant2/...uct_Code=37010E.  He bought it at the kitchen supply store in our neighbourhood, which means that he must have paid about $50 for it.  I know that he probably went the most expensive source possible, but I'd like to know what other options are available.  (I've noticed people here mentioning hardware stores, but as far as I know, Canadian Tire (the most ubiquitous Canadian hardware store) does not sell microplanes.  Is buying online the key?

Khadija (and other Canadians),

Lee Valley Tools sells microplanes. Here's a link to one of the ones they carry. Microplane at Lee Valley It does not have a handle, but is only $13 CDN. You can find others using the search function.

Lee Valley also carries a number of other items for kitchens and gardens. Their main web page is HERE

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Khadija

Khadija

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the info Calipoutine and Heather! For now, I have a very nice microplane to use for myself, but since I will probably want to give cheaper ones out as gifts at some point, the information you've both given me is very useful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...