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Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets

andiesenji

By andiesenji
in Kitchen Consumer

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chemprof

chemprof

Posted
Posted
These were introduced back in the '30s as a "gravy spoon" as the flat edge at the end allowed the bottom and the sides of a skillet to be efficiently scraped when flour was added to fat for browning. 

In the '60s Ekco brought out the black nylon style for use with non-stick skillets - the nylon had a much higher melting point than plastic. 

I also have a "sauce ladle" which served the same purpose, scraping the bottom of a deep pot.  These are fairly scarce. 

gallery_17399_60_138672.jpg

Many times old ideas make a lot of sense.

I saw this because it was pulled up recently by someone asking about something else, but it was very interesting to me because I have one of the slanted slotted spoons in the picture above! It's my go-to tool for taking a poached egg out of the pan, and I've always liked it. I received a bunch of stuff from a great aunt who was a TOTAL pack rat. I'm so glad I have much of it, despite the fact that my grandmama proclaimed it "garbage" (and she could cook!). I also have several awesome black iron frypans from her...even though I never saw her cook (she was in CA, I was in NC) I bet she turned out some good chicken!

KarenDW

KarenDW

Posted
Posted
Has anyone seen this Ice Cube Bag?  I've never seen one - is it a Euro gadget?  Interesting use of it at the link - making frozen pillows of ganache.

My Sweetie has those in his fridge! Apparently the ice stays "fresher" due to the plastic wrap. I guess he needs to make more martinis for me :)

Karen Dar Woon

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Has anyone seen this Ice Cube Bag?  I've never seen one - is it a Euro gadget?  Interesting use of it at the link - making frozen pillows of ganache.

Yes indeed! I order them from Camping World.

I use them for freezing citrus juice and citrus zest syrup (grated zest cooked in simple syrup) and other stuff that may stain or add a flavor to my jumbo ice cube trays. (Sometimes I want cubes much larger than the ones turned out by the icemaker.)

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

 

  • 3 months later...
Jmahl

Jmahl

Posted
Posted

It’s a rectangular ceramic with two inclined plains. It was found among Phil's cooking gear. What is it?

gallery_38003_2183_180654.jpg

Your help to solve this mystery is appreciated.

Jmahl

The Philip Mahl Community teaching kitchen is now open. Check it out. "Philip Mahl Memorial Kitchen" on Facebook. Website coming soon.

hummingbirdkiss

hummingbirdkiss

Posted
Posted

I think it is something for spice sorting or measure?

it is cool whatever it is

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

djyee100

djyee100

Posted
Posted

How fascinating!

Something is supposed to happen when you put a food at the top of the ramp. Something is supposed to dribble down the ramp (I surmise).

Put some fresh-churned and kneaded butter at the top of the ramp, see if it's still extruding liquid down the ramp? If so, it requires more kneading to remove liquid.

Put some jelly you're cooking on the ramp, watch it dribble down the ramp, check if it's viscous enough to set properly?

Or (my favorite) there is some food which extrudes precious liquid. Put the food at the top of the ramp, save the liquid, discard the original foodstuff.

I hope somebody cruises by and tells us what this is.

Jmahl

Jmahl

Posted
Posted

If it is of any help, the thing is marked "Habitat" on the bottom. A web search turned up that Habitat may be a division of IKEA.

Jmahl

The Philip Mahl Community teaching kitchen is now open. Check it out. "Philip Mahl Memorial Kitchen" on Facebook. Website coming soon.

maggiethecat

maggiethecat

Posted
Posted
Habitat is also a housewares manufacturer in the UK. If I recall correctly, they do some ceramic stuff.

Absolutely spot on. Terence Conran ran Habitat way before he got his knighthood. Habitat has a website, and I did the checking -- nothing they offer on line right now looks like your cool dish. Also checked out eBay. Zilch.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
It’s a rectangular ceramic with two inclined plains. It was found among Phil's cooking gear.  What is it?

gallery_38003_2183_180654.jpg

Your help to solve this mystery is appreciated. 

Jmahl

I have one of these in yellow. I bought it as a soap dish. It is supposed to hold a bar of soap above the liquid that drips off it.

A caveat! Once the bar of soap is reduced to less than half its original size, it slips down one or other of the "ramps" into the depression. It is usually in one of the guest bathrooms - the one with pale yellow and lavender tile.

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

 

Jmahl

Jmahl

Posted
Posted
It’s a rectangular ceramic with two inclined plains. It was found among Phil's cooking gear.  What is it?

gallery_38003_2183_180654.jpg

Your help to solve this mystery is appreciated. 

Jmahl

I have one of these in yellow. I bought it as a soap dish. It is supposed to hold a bar of soap above the liquid that drips off it.

A caveat! Once the bar of soap is reduced to less than half its original size, it slips down one or other of the "ramps" into the depression. It is usually in one of the guest bathrooms - the one with pale yellow and lavender tile.

Brilliant, mystery solved.

Thank you,

Jmahl

The Philip Mahl Community teaching kitchen is now open. Check it out. "Philip Mahl Memorial Kitchen" on Facebook. Website coming soon.

  • 1 month later...
hummingbirdkiss

hummingbirdkiss

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok I have had this scale and used it for years and years...People always ask me about it and I have nothing to say! because I have no clue except I just love it...it works for my needs... it is cast aluminium..it measures grams and oz ..you just slide the thing in the middle of the spoon part to the amt you want and then scoop until you balence it like shown (make sense?) ... I got it forever ago at a thrift store for a dollar ..the only marking besides the measurments says "made in France"

I have never seen another like it ..does it have a name? can anyone tell me more than it is a scale?

thanks in advance

gallery_51681_4569_23066.jpg

Edited by hummingbirdkiss (log)
why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

I am pretty sure it is a "portable" spice scale, although the only ones I have seen have been antiques and made from copper or brass and had additional weights that could be hung on the end of the handle.

The fact that it is cast aluminum brings it well into the 20th century but I would guess it is based on the earlier ones which had been in use for hundreds of years.

It is difficult to know the size from the photo. Can you note the length and height?

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

 

hummingbirdkiss

hummingbirdkiss

Posted
Posted (edited)

thanks for the response and questions I was not sure how much someone would need ...if this was a common thing I just have just never seen ....or what?

here you go

the scoop part holds almost exactly a dry measure cup

it is 13 inches long and 3 inches high

it measures from 0-200 grams or 0-7 oz

the scoop part sits on the base and just comes apart when you are done or I leave it like you see it

and it says "made in France" in English it does have a stamp that says b.i.s.g.d.c. (I think but it is really hard to read)

Edited by hummingbirdkiss (log)
why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

  • 1 month later...
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

It's been a while since I posted pics of newly (somewhat) acquired gadgets, and I received a couple in a package yesterday so thought it was time to show and tell.

Firstly, something new on the market: A plum splitter/pitter - who knew! I have yet to try it but it looks like it can do the job okay. Since I split and pit a lot of plums for drying, it might be handy.

gallery_17399_60_111385.jpg

gallery_17399_60_96796.jpg

The other item is a very handy ladle/strainer I came across a couple of months ago and have used extensively. A good idea and I wonder why it wasn't thought of long ago.

And now for some misc. gadgets.

gallery_17399_60_387954.jpg

The cone-shaped thing on a stem is a "honey dripper" which works quite well, better than the other type and the hollow cone holds more than clings to the ones with the ridges.

The dough scraper is similar to many others but has ruled markings which make it quite handy.

The red poaching cups (I have a bunch of poaching thingys) hang on the side of a pan so are easier to use than the floating ones but unlike the others I have, eggs stick to the material. Strange.

The yellow silicone ring is for eggs on a griddle or ? or muffins or ? one wants to have shaped like a disc.

The thing with a blue handle is for coring/seeding pears - I have an old one I purchased in an art supply store for shaping clay or wax... This one is new and shiny! The old one is hereby retired to the junk box.

The thingy with the black handle has several parallel blades (very sharp - I learned quickly) for producing parallel slices of strawberries, cornichons, or other small things. (I know, I know!)

The seed and stem remover is one of the things I received yesterday (from KitchenKrafts.com) not because I need it but because it is "cute" and I wanted it.

And then there are the new grinders I have accumulated during the past few months.

gallery_17399_60_300739.jpgThe Peugeot is the salt grinder (battery powered) of a set given to me by a friend. The others are ceramic grinders for various spices - the smaller ones are available in fine, medium and coarse - and the red top one with white peppercorns is one of the newer "vase-type" ceramic grinders. I also have another grinder that I got just for long pepper - however it is hiding somewhere so did not make it into this picture. It is similar to a nutmeg grinder because long pepper does not play well with regular grinders. (unless one chops it into smaller pieces with a nipper - with bits and pieces flying all over the place). Nigella, Grains of Paradise, pink peppercorns in the the middle ones.

The other thing in the pic is a "Peanut butter stirrer" and they come in several sizes. I bought one just because it looked cool. I make my own nut butters so rarely have it stored long enough to separate.

Also in yesterdays shipment is a Soyabella appliance - to make various types of nut milks. I am not a big soy fan but wanted something that would produce almond milk easier than the method I have been using. It also makes rice paste.

I have not yet taken it out of the box but will post photos when I use it and if I get a positive result. Or not! And if that is the case, a consumer warning will be forthcoming.

That's it for now.

Here are the poaching cups in action.

gallery_17399_60_262573.jpg

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

 

dougal

dougal

Posted
Posted
...

The red poaching cups (I have a bunch of poaching thingys) hang on the side of a pan so are easier to use than the floating ones but unlike the others I have, eggs stick to the material.  Strange.

...

Here are the poaching cups in action.

gallery_17399_60_262573.jpg

They exist in black too.

They seem to be made of a very food-sticky, heat insulating material.

Despite being naturally very retentive, I think this was something I actually DID chuck out...

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch ... you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I had to try them once, just as I have all the others.

Actually the ones I like best are the paired yellow and white ones that look a bit like half an egg shell.

The material is thinner and when holding an egg, sits well down in the water. These are held above the water and one uses a lid, so the eggs cook rapidly. In fact, the ones pictured were too done for my taste.

"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

 

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

Are those red poaching cups made of silicone?

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted

The "poaching cups" seem more like "steaming cups" to me. Does the egg actually make contact with any water? Maybe if some water got in there, it wouldn't be so sticky.

--

andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

Yes, they are silicone and yes, water does get into them as one has to cover the pan because the level of water is below the cups. Hot water from the lid drips into the cups.

The only advantage is that they are easier to handle than the other "floating" silicone poachers.

However, my old-fashioned tinned-steel poachers, with the perforated cups, work better, in my opinion.

As I mentioned earlier, I collect egg-cooking things, including some "vintage" electric egg cookers that are sort of cool. This is just more junk to find a place to store, or display, if the spirit moves me.

Here's one from the '50s.

gallery_17399_60_10253.jpg

gallery_17399_60_13571.jpg

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

 

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