Your favorite fantasy gadgets

[Shalmanese]

I would love a machine that could perfectly julienne or bruinoise anything you put into it.

I would love a microwave that could heat completely evenly with no hot spots.

I would love a microwave that only acts on ice but not water so you can perfectly defrost something without it being heated up.

I would love a microwave "gun" so that you could focus microwaves on specific areas of food like a blowtorch.

I would love a set of pots and pans that have one or several temperature probes built into the base and sides of the pot so I can figure out exactly what's going on.

I would love a "smart" gas stove that could communicate wirelessly with the aformententioned pots to automatically adjust the flame and keep the pots at a programmed temperature.

I would love a magic machine that you could put a plate of food in and it would go into suspended animation and not deterioate.

I would love a reducing machine that can remove only water from a sauce without removing any of the volatile flavourings as well.

I would love an "anti-salt" powder that would magically reduce the salt flavour in food without affecting anything else.

I would love a pressure cooker that you could add stuff to while pressurized, possible via some sort of airlock system.

I would love a pressure cooker you could see into while it was cooking.

I would love a perfectly insulated, always on oven so you don't need to bother pre-heating it.

What else would go into your fantasy kitchens?

[chefworks91]

I would love to have a server pick up his/her plates when they are ready, not when it suits them!!!!

Edited April 1, 2005 by chefworks91 (log)

[melkor]

I want a huge spatula on the front of my car to fling slower traffic out of the way. Since that doesn't seem like something the highway patrol would be too fond of, I'll go for a gadget that can identify the unlabeled chunks of stuff we find in the freezer.

[snowangel]

I've said it before. I want a self cleaning kitchen floor. A maid would be handy, too.

[mizducky]

I would love a reducing machine that can remove only water from a sauce without removing any of the volatile flavourings as well.

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I would love a "reducing" machine that automagically caused my weight to reduce by whatever amount the food I was cooking would cause my weight to rise.

(Somewhat) more seriously, I could really get into an Automatic Risotto Stirrer ... especially if it also had a setting for Automatic Roux Stirring.

[winesonoma]

I'll settle for a personal Chef.

[Tepee]

I'm dreaming of a smart-reader gadget which can magically make a meal happen just by scanning a recipe. There'll be a range of difficulty function buttons.

Button 1 - Make ingredients appear, thus eliminating shopping hassle. The rest is up to you.

Button 2 - Choose the ingredients which you want the machine to process for you. Leave cooking to you, just for a sense of accomplishment.

Button 3 - Food is cooked for you to plate coz you want to put into practice what you learned from Tony's class.

Button 4 - Ready to serve food.

Cleaning-up must be taken care of for all the above.

[jodicalhoun]

I'd like something like a microwave only it would chill a containerl of food instantly from the inside-out.

My husband just said, "How about one of those micro-chips from a 12 volt cooler/heater chest? The guts are a piezio-quartz thingie, so spread several out for a flat surface—a 'cold-plate' or even one big quartz thingie and this would take about 15000 volts to start, so you'd need to gang a bunch of small capicitors like for a tv, but the up side is you could power this thing with 9 volt battery trickle charging the capacitors for a smooth discharge—Wait! that's the guts of the Interdimension Distress Shrieker and if you turned it on, you'd be delivered directly to the King of the Potato People! Never mind."

[andiesenji]

I want a counter-top home food irradiation appliance.

I want an electric pressure cooker large enough for canning a dozen quart jars.

I want a dedicated sink with sprayers built into the sides for washing fruits and vegetables with a deep basket made to fit the sink which can be lifted and rested on brackets for draining.

[s'kat]

(Somewhat) more seriously, I could really get into an Automatic Risotto Stirrer ... especially if it also had a setting for Automatic Roux Stirring.

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I think that the StirChef Saucepan Stirrer can happily accomodate you.

[fifi]

I want a machine where you throw in a head of garlic at one end and perfect 1/16th inch diced garlic comes out the other. I know such a thing exists. How else do they make those jars of diced garlic? I want to know how it works.

[bleudauvergne]

I want a candy pot. You cook the ingredients and the pot turns certain colors when it reaches soft ball and hard ball stage.

[sparrowgrass]

Wait! that's the guts of the Interdimension Distress Shrieker and if you turned it on, you'd be delivered directly to the King of the Potato People!  Never mind."

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[Jason Perlow]

I'd like a 3 million pageview per month food web site that doesn't cost any money to run.

[touaregsand]

I married my favorite fantasy food gadget, a French chef. He cleans up after me too.

[Eden]

(Somewhat) more seriously, I could really get into an Automatic Risotto Stirrer ... especially if it also had a setting for Automatic Roux Stirring.

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I think that the StirChef Saucepan Stirrer can happily accomodate you.

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I tried one of these & it's too small & too short for most of the pots in my kitchen - who makes risotto in a 1 qt pot? Not to mention it didn't seem like it was a very strong motor, so if you were using it on something thick I don't know how well it would do.

I need the industrial version of this, but then of course I'd also need a wireless monitor to remind me that there was still a pot on the stove or I'd walk away start reading eGullet and burn something (like say my breakfast this morning )

[jgm]

I'd just settle for room to store the gadgets I already have, plus those I'd love to buy.

But I would like a device to shoot a bite of something to the dog, and after firing, it would say, "Now get out of here." That would free me up to do a lot of cooking, since that's what I spend a lot of time doing.

Then I'd also want a device that would automatically dump the cat off the counter.

Something that would issue a really loud, obnoxious noise when my husband leaves the pliers and the screwdriver on the counter, would be nice too. It might also say, "Now get out of here." "Sweetie."

And I'd like a refrigerator that automatically disposes of food that's getting old, moldy, and out of date; it should also automatically either dispose of the container, or wash out the reusable container and stack it in a special bin for me.

[SKinCA]

I want storage that from the outside takes up only the space of a normal closet, but when you walk in you have a space like the inside of an airplane hanger.

And I want it with magic shelves so that whatever I look for, it's in the very first place I look for it.

I'd like the ability to split myself into 2 different people on the days I have a party and then back again.

I'd like a gadget that could peel pearl onions, shell peas, take the skin off of hazelnuts, almonds, etc.

[Jason Perlow]

I want storage that from the outside takes up only the space of a normal closet, but when you walk in you have a space like the inside of an airplane hanger.

Okay, so now that we are on a Doctor Who tangent,

How about the "Jerkyficator" or the "Baconizer" or "Prosciutto-matic"

Instead of waiting days, weeks, or months to make Jerky, Bacon or cured hams/salumis, You put your peice of meat into the machine, and it uses a combination of a patented curing and quantum-mechanical time acceleration food drying process, that turns it into yummy, nitrate infused goodness in a matter of minutes.

[snowangel]

I could also use a fridge and cupboards that automatically ejects those boxes, jars, etc. that only have a couple of drops or crumbs. The ones my family can't seem to see fit to let me know are basically empty...

[SKinCA]

I want storage that from the outside takes up only the space of a normal closet, but when you walk in you have a space like the inside of an airplane hanger.

Okay, so now that we are on a Doctor Who tangent,

How about the "Jerkyficator" or the "Baconizer" or "Prosciutto-matic"

Instead of waiting days, weeks, or months to make Jerky, Bacon or cured hams/salumis, You put your peice of meat into the machine, and it uses a combination of a patented curing and quantum-mechanical time acceleration food drying process, that turns it into yummy, nitrate infused goodness in a matter of minutes.

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Let's get all Neal Stephenson on this...

I'd like the "Haute Cuisine VR Device". Jack in and enjoy a meal at any restaurant in the world with the full sensory experience - taste, smell, texture, sight and hearing - all in the comfort of your favorite easy chair. No reservations required.

Set the waitstaff to the level of service you desire - "Jocular Familiarity", "Easygoing & Informed", or for those who enjoy a little abuse "Haughty Disdain". Buy by the meal (On Demand Eating), by the month (The Meal Ticket) or get a lifetime subscription (The Serious Fresser).

Pick your dining companion or dine solo -it's up to you!

Guaranteed 100% fat free, low carb, 0 calorie experience.

Haute Cuisine VR is not responsible for anyone who forgets to actually eat. May cause headaches and nausea. If your dining experience lasts for more than four hours - that's normal! Not available in Rhode Island.

[BCinBC]

I just want something (or someone? perhaps the maid snowangel spoke of) to do the dishes, pots, pans, counters, etc. - everything except for my knives please!

I know my wife would like a constant-temperature oven, ie one that doesn't do the "sine wave" around a target temperature. She's the baker though; to me the oven seems to work fine.

But if this is Christmas in April, I might as well ask for one of SK's magic pantries, and the Haute Cuisine VR Device. Add melkor's car flinging spatula, that sounds good too. Oh what the hell, just give me two of everthing.

[snowangel]

My husband is a wonderful man. Really.

But, I did catch him attempting to put my prized knives into the dishwasher, in the silverware basket, stuffed in, POINT DOWN! I also caught him about to use one of my best knives, recently sharpened, on the granite counter.

I want knives that zap those that don't worship them like I do.

[ejebud]

I would love a microwave that only acts on ice but not water so you can perfectly defrost something without it being heated up.

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I have a microwave that uses "inverter tecnology" It has succesfully and fully defrosted a pork roast in 15 minutes with no cooked spots in fact it still had a chill on it. I love my microwave, you heard me right folks, I LOVE MY MICROWAVE!!!!

It's a Panasonic 1300 Watt.

[Toliver]

I know my wife would like a constant-temperature oven, ie one that doesn't do the "sine wave" around a target temperature. She's the baker though; to me the oven seems to work fine.

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Have you tried placing stone sheets/tiles in the bottom of the oven? It might act to stabilize the oven temperature. Some of the pizza/bread makers on eGullet use this trick.

I want knives that zap those that don't worship them like I do.

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Like those futuristic guns in SciFi movies that recognize the hands that hold them. If you're not the right person, the gun won't fire.

With knives, if you're not the proper owner, then they would go limp and the miscreants wouldn't be able to cut with them.

I'd like a microwave pot/pan you can put on the stove that will cut the cooking time in half.