Favorite kitchen appliance?
What kitchen appliances do you love best?
Me, I love my Kitchenaid mixer. It kneads, it mixes, it grinds meat and stuffs sausages, and it makes ice cream. Among other things.
On the other hand, I've gone about 3 weeks now without a stove. The old one attempted to burn the house down (oven wouldn't shut off) so its been banished to the scrap heap. And so I went shopping. Decided that if I was going to get a new stove, I might as well replace the old vent hood with a microwave/convection oven/vent hood.
Considering that I usually bake bread a couple times a week, living without an oven has been difficult. And I'm getting a little tired of crockpots and other electrical devices for cooking. But the end is near.
After much electrical work, the microwave/convection oven/vent hood is now in place, and I just pulled a batch of cinnamon buns out. Mmmmmmm.... finally....home-baked goodies.
In a few days, the plumber will be along to run a gas pipe for the gas cooktop, and I may be back in full operation by the end of the week. The new stove may replace the Kitchenaid as a favorite, for a while. I look forward to being able to boil water for pasta, and to sear meat on a cast iron pan.
But then the Kitchenaid will probably win back my little electrical heart. Because once the weather heats up, most of the actual cooking moves to the outdoor grill.
So what appliances to you love? Which ones couldn't you live without?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
20 Comments:
I lived without an oven for a couple months, oh the horror! I feel for you. I guess if I have to choose one appliance it would have to be my fridge, it's nothing special but it keeps my food from not spoiling.
evilchefmom at 3:29PM on 02/24/08
I have a strict policy of only having truly useful appliances that will be put to work at least several times per year, if not several times per month or week. That said, I consider all of my appliances "essential" with the exception, perhaps, of my microwave. I use it, fairly frequently, but it's strictly a convenience device and I'm guessing I'm just as likely to use the stove, sink, oven, etc., to accomplish any task I do in my microwave. Obviously, I could also live without my dishwasher, but the thought makes me want to give up cooking.
Hard to pick a favorite. Stand mixer? Check. Slow cooker? Check. Blender? Check. Stove, fridge, oven...? Check, check, check.
LoCo at 3:40PM on 02/24/08
dish washer! I'm going with the given that I have a stove & fridge.
NanaJoie at 4:14PM on 02/24/08
I don't love my fridge or microwave the way I love the Kitchenaid. The fridge and microwave -- and dishwasher, too -- are sort of utilitarian. They do what they do, but without a lot of pizzaz.
The Kitchenaid helps me do things that I might not do otherwise, so I end up making things that I probably wouldn't make if I had to do it all the hard way.
dbcurrie at 4:22PM on 02/24/08
dbcurrie--I can't wait till I get to go through what you did. We are planning a major overhaul of our kitchen next year.
Last night as I hefted my Kitchen Aid stand mixer out of the cabinet that I can't wait to demolish (the cabinet, not the mixer), I decided that the mixer definitely wanted an appliance drawer that swings out and up to counter height.
I fell in love with it all over again as it kneaded AB's recipe for pizza dough for 15 minutes. You should see the dough, beautiful, smooth as a baby's bottom, still rising in the fridge (18 to 24 hours). Can't wait for pizza. Also, did Wolfgang Puck's pizza dough in the mixer. Want to do a side by side comparison.
Oh, sorry, I totally went off track. I love my mixer.
wookie at 5:35PM on 02/24/08
I feel for your with your stove problems -- we suffered for years as renters with electric stoves. That's practically the same as having no stove, for how it limited cooking potentials.
The stove is a practical #1 that I'd miss. But I absolutely love my KitchenAid mixer.
For ease of use and taste of food, I'd be severely depressed if I lost my carbon-steel wok.
Could do without a microwave. Could not do without a freaking fridge! :)
TikiPundit at 6:45PM on 02/24/08
There's not a week goes by that I don't silently mutter a "Thank you" to my husband for owning a house with a dishwasher - when we married 14 years ago, he had the house and I had the cat. I loved the house, still do, and he and the cat have struck up a strangely amusing relationship.
lemons at 7:56PM on 02/24/08
My George Foreman grill. It's perfect for grilling up burgers quickly, and I love to use it to make healthy grilled ham and cheese sandwiches (no butter needed!)
luswim06 at 7:57PM on 02/24/08
Not sure if it qualifies as an appliance since it doesn't plug in, but our Soda Club carbonator is the single most used device in our kitchen out pacing even the coffee pot.
ccbweb at 8:11PM on 02/24/08
My KA HD Mixer, hands down!
srhcb at 9:07PM on 02/24/08
I love my KA, Cuisinart food processor, Zojirushi bread machine and the love of my life, Jura Capresso espresso machine. I had a Meile cooktop in my old house and really thought it was the bomb. For years I fought going gas even though we had the capability. What was I thinking? Now I have a dual fuel range and I don't know how I lived before. Cooking is so much fun now cause my new stove rocks.
frederika at 9:49PM on 02/24/08
My favorite? The 12" non-stick skillet that's always sitting on top of my stove waiting for the next dish to be made.
RE: Microwave/vent hoods - We did a complete renovation of our kitchen last spring. We used to have a full Braun vent hood but then opted for the micro/hood combination.Big mistake. We love to grill and bought a grilling skillet so we could do steaks, etc. Basically the micro/hood just can't do the job - the kitchen and the rest of the first floor our house fills with smoke and odor. Smoke alarms screech until we rip them out of their sockets. I'm seriously thinking of taking out the micro/hood and installing a regular range hood. Much more efficient in my opinion.
JeffsInTheKitchen at 12:38AM on 02/25/08
The old range hood we had was probably from the original build of the house, and it wasn't very good, but I guess I don't create a whole lot of smoke. If I'm doing that kind of cooking it's usually outside. The new vent seems better than the old hood, but we'll see. This one has vents on both sides, where the old one just pulled air in the center.
The reason I went for the micro/hood was that I wanted to free up some counter space by getting rid of the old microwave, and I also wanted the extra oven potential, since the microwave is also a convection oven. I had double built-on ovens in our old house, and it was wonderful to be able to have things baking at different temps. Or to bake multiple pans of cookies for the holidays.
The old range here only had two racks, and without convection, even cooking on two racks was dicey. And it wasn't level. I was sooooo tired of having everything bake on a slope.
The new range is dual-fuel, with a double oven. The second oven is small, but I'm thinking that it's going to be ideal for things like pizza or when I'm making pita bread. It also has a "toast" function which seems a bit odd, but that might be useful for something. And it will be great for keeping food warm for serving. That's always a challenge here. I think it has to do with high altitude and thin air, but food cools off here really fast, so it can be interesting trying to get everying to the table at the same time and have it all hot. And if people dawdle before they sit down, for sure something is cold.
AND the oven has 2 super-low heat settings for dough rising.
The microwave/convection/hood was installed as of last night, and I immediately pulled out some frozen World Peace cookie dough that I had stashed before the oven died. Then I whipped up a batch of dough and let it rise overnight so I could make cinnamon rolls this morning. Then I decided to make breadsticks, so there was more dough. I adore breadsticks. I was really pleased with the results. I was able to bake 2 sheets of breadsticks, and with the convection on, they browned nicely without me having to shift the pans around. That's a first.
Ooooh boy, I can't wait for the range to go in. We've got an appointment for the plumber to come over on Tuesday morning to deal with the gas, so it's possible I'll be cooking on the new stove this week.
Sorry to go on like this, but I'm just giddy with joy at the idea of a new stove, and most people I know think I've gone nuts. They'd love to have their appliances die so they'd have an excuse to order takeout every night.
dbcurrie at 1:15AM on 02/25/08
I recently got a Kitchenaid stand mixer and the pasta-roller attachments. Without this device I never would have considered making my own pasta, but now I love to do it! So right now the mixer is a favorite!
I also got a meat-grinder attachment, but I haven't tried it out yet. Maybe today!
minstrel at 3:53PM on 02/25/08
I love my nearly 25 year old Cuisinart Food Processor. Unfortunately, it's getting more and more difficult to find replacement work bowls with the proper lids. I use the food processor at least weekly. I could live without it, but why would I want to?
Library Lady at 9:43AM on 02/26/08
I love my Cuisinart toaster oven and before that, my DeLonghi toaster oven. I love my 30-year old KA, too, but I don't use it nearly as much as the toaster oven.
Lippy at 10:06AM on 02/26/08
Many of the kitchen appliances can be repaired using new ">appliance parts . it's not a big investment , and some of the old ones are much better than the new stuff.
TomCutler at 2:01AM on 06/05/08
Many of the kitchen appliances can be repaired using new appliance parts
. it's not a big investment , and some of the old ones are much better than the new stuff.
TomCutler at 2:06AM on 06/05/08
@Library Lady - Which Cuisinart lids do you need? I have a DLC-7 Super Pro and use the plain lid with the hole in it, vs. the one with the feed tube. If you have difficulty finding replacement parts, you might want to contact Cuisinart directly. This interests me because your machine is about as old as mine. I had to send it away to Connecticut only once for repair - that was in around 1987.
My two favorite appliances, my KA and my Cuisinart, would have to fight a duel for #1. Lately, the KA is getting more use because I seem to have developed a full time job baking cakes for this one particular family. (First a wedding cake, then a "sendoff" to the army cake.)
As for large appliances, we just got a full sized freezer and refrigerator from Frigidaire. They are incredible. The freezer is a real deep freeze and it's nice to have all that room in the fridge.
I long for a really great stove, preferably dual fuel gas on top with electric convection oven. If it could be a double oven, all the better. I still have my South Bend 10 top double oven commercial stove from my little restaurant sitting in the garage like someone's old Thunderbird that needs a lot of work. (Sigh.)
Does anyone here have one of those induction cooktops that boils water in 90 seconds? Whenever the stores demo that feature, they put about 3/4" of water in the pan - yet it's still impressive to see that water take off into a full rolling boil after only 90 seconds.
chiff0nade at 7:29AM on 06/05/08
Definitely put me in the KA stand mixer family! Also my 15-year-old Cuisinart food processor. And at this time of year, I heart my ice cream maker :)
CookiePie at 10:02AM on 06/05/08