The FastDay Forum

Hi all

I had some amazing waffles when on holiday last week and it's made me really want to get a waffle maker (now I'm not 'on a diet' all the time I can enjoy these things at weekends plus my husband loves them too) - does anyone have a recommendation? Makes available in the UK please!

Also got me wondering what your fave kitchen gadgets are? Obviously things like decent knives and chopping boards, but apart from the basics what would you now really miss if you had to do without? I've just invested in an olive & cherry stoner - hardly essential but great fun to use and very addictive! I also love those lever corkscrews - as addictive as the olive stoner but a bit more expensive to make a habit of using! I don't tend to go for many electrical things but I do love my slow cooker (took a bit of getting used to but I love it in winter now).

But my gadget to beat all gadgets (to the point I almost want to take it on holiday with me) is my blender/food processor. Not the priciest but I make ice creams (from frozen fruit), almond butter, pesto, hummous, smoothies, soup, salads etc etc etc. It even has a juicing attachment. I would truly be lost without it now! I would one day love a vitamix but for now my Bosch is really earning its keep.

I love my Gefu spiraliser. Great for making courgette spaghetti. I am a bit of a gadget freak according to my husband. I also recently bought a couple of Joseph Joseph folding trivets which are fab but probably not really a gadget. I'm always using my microplane grater..

My favourite kitchen gadget?

Hmmm...

My husband!!

Hi greenmonster!
Sorry i dont know much about waffle makers but am sure someone will!
My fav gadget has to be my Dolce Gusto coffee machine lol, i love coffee, especially espressos!
On my fast days i have black coffee, the pods make really nice coffee and they taste great without any milk!
Now, i quite like the idea of a waffle maker though

My favourite gadget would either be a Kitchen-Aid Mixer or the Cuisinart food processor.

Would those be considered gadgets or simply appliances?

My scales. I'm useless without them.

Hmm I don't know about the difference between a gadget and an appliance? Perhaps an appliance is electric and a gadget is man-powered!

I think the best gadgets are just simple things that work - preferably mechanical so they last and last.

I've heard good things about those coffee makers but I worry about them becoming obsolete if they stop making the pods - and the waste! I'm happy with a cafetiere at present but do love to treat myself to a good coffee when out.

Ha ha Jemima - my husband's not the best kitchen gadget! He likes to cook every now and then but uses EVERY pan, EVERY surface and takes hours to make one dish (and is terrible at timing the different parts of one meal) - but then I do have a tendency to 'take over' in the kitchen so he probably needs more practise. He has other skills though...

Kitchen Aid, halogen oven & a favourite colander...

[Tracieknits]

I'd probably say my Nespresso, but that's a tough call because I have so many gadgets. The other thing I adore is my big Le Creuset pot with sloping sides. Doesn't hurt that it's purple. Or my little Eiffel Tower cheese grater.

BruceE would probably say it's his NutriBullet. He makes a disgusting looking smoothie nearly every day. It's usually got greens like baby kale or baby spinach, some frozen berries, maybe a banana or some pineapple, a handful of nuts and a spoon of flax seeds. I have trouble even looking at a purpley-green thick drink!

My Mini Chopper which cost me 15 Euro in Lidl!! It's brilliant, especially for making soups and blitzing garlic and onions! Lash the stuff in, hold down the top for about 3 seconds, hey presto!! I'd actually get another one if I spot them again!

Definitely my stick blender - no more decanting soups into the blender to puree them, plus it makes the garlic/ginger/turmeric paste I use to saute potatoes in (with fennel seeds in the pan as well) without a lot of fuss.

Second favourite is my new mandoline. Lots of lovely even slices of things.

He makes a disgusting looking smoothie nearly every day...I have trouble even looking at a purpley-green thick drink!

Ha yeah the addition of greens to a smoothie really makes it look horrible but I can't usually taste the milder greens when I make them. Kale is another matter though - I think I need a vitamix to tackle that one so I don't have to chew my smoothie!

Oh gosh yes my stick blender! It's been so long since I've made soup that I'd forgotten I just use that in the pan to whizz it all up! That sauté paste sounds yummy - bet your blender is permamently yellowy-orange from the turmeric!

[Tracieknits]

we can get baby kale here, and it's really really mild. I use it interchangeably with baby spinach (including in salad) and it's a lot milder than it's adult version. YOu don't even need to blanche it before sauteeing!

ETA: This is the wafflemaker we use. I don't know if it's available in the UK but I have seen teh brand in europe before

http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-265 ... ffle+maker

Instead of drinking my greens, I prefer to cook and eat them.

This is good for kale too. I omit the butter. It is soooo delicious.

Why am I looking at recipes on a fast day?

http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/saladssidedishes/r/Collardgreens.htm