The FastDay Forum

I do have a nice share of good things in the kitchen I do gladly use frequently and then there are other stuff. Like The DHs fancy Italian (Rancilio) espresso maker that I don't have the slighted clue on how to use. Let me put it bluntly, it is an intimidating machine.

I have no firm answer why I bought the Moulinex electrical grater. You know the small one with colorful attachments? Tried it once and then down into the basement it went.

Got a pasta machine (hand cranked) as a gift more years than I care to remember ago and how many times have I used it? Maybe five....hey, there is perfectly good pasta to purchase in the supermarket

I have a large Bosch kitchen machine that mostly sits in it's drawer. Good for making dough, but I don't bake much these days. But I used to, hence the machine.

Anyone else who have stuff like that?

[wildmissus]

I started reading your thread and I thought I use everything until I read pasta maker. I have one which I have never ever used, I had it in our first house so it is at least 20 years old - maybe I'll use it one day!

I have a juicer and a yogurt maker I used once or twice and stopped using. Why ? because they took too much space on the counter and they are the kind of appliance one would let plugged in

These appliances are secondhand as they were my mum's. The yogurt maker has 30 something years old and they work fine

I have a colourful plastic slicer/ mandolin thing that is now slightly bent so the different slicer blades don't cut evenly now. It was bought 15/20 years ago at an Ideal Home Exhibition & was the new handy revolutionary thing to have as well as those yellow plastic stick in things that look like baby corn on the cobs to stick in the ends of corn. As we very infrequently eat corn on the cob they are sculling around in a drawer with other mismatched items. I find slicing things with a sharp knife equally efficient to getting slicey things out of the back of my cupboard & because we will be downsizing this year I expect to find many forgotten handy thingy things

I too have a yoghurt maker (not currently used but has been well-used in the past), pasta machine (bought for my husband who suddenly became less enthusiastic about making fresh pasta once he had his own machine), Kenwood mixer (sort of smokes when used so I haven't had it out for ages and think I only keep it for sentimental reasons as it was my mum's). Most other things are well-used though - I was a Pampered Chef consultant for a few years so gathered quite a few items through doing that - most of which I use a lot - food chopper etc - I didn't get on with the mandoline though so ebayed that. We have a Nespresso coffee machine which I like because it is so easy to use and doesn't take too much space up so gets used a lot. My stick blender thingy also gets used a lot with the blender blade and the whisk attachment. There - that's a virtual tour of my kitchen!

[carorees]

A "Delia" omelette pan that she recommended on one of her programmes as being non stick and just right for omelettes. It sticks terribly and takes up space in my cupboard and is never used. I too have a pasta maker which I used fairly often until I adopted a lower carb diet so that's also unused. I used to use my magimix food processor a lot until I inherited mum's Kenwood chef and a hand blender, now it's only used for making pate and breadcrumbs, so probably won't be replaced. Otherwise most everything else is used regularly.

I get rid of anything I don't use regularly. Pasta maker, rice cooker, slow cooker have all been given away.

I bought a food dehdrator a few months ago, but haven't used it nearly as much as I thought I would, so considering sending that on its way. Ditto an ice cream maker.

A brilliant idea I've heard, that I really should organise locally, is a group who pool their appliances. Could work either with people putting in appliances, or money to buy group appliances.

Hubby has just bought me a new blender, so I'm hoping that will be well used, plus the box its in fits just nicely on the top of the cupboard.
I don't use my mandolin as often as I should, being an ex-chef and having a chef son at home usually means stuff is sliced thin enough and fast enough with his knives.

I have a drawer full of small gadgets, like the spiral maker, you stick it in the end of a cucumber and turn it around with your finger and it forms a spiral slice all the way down which is a really fun decorative item, but not really usable for anything else.
My garlic press is no longer used since I got a garlic zoom.
And, most of my silicone bakeware doesn't get used much.
My bread maker gets used still, even though I try not to have a high carb diet. Generally it comes out when I run out of store bought bread, and the Goeorge Forman grill gets used frequently.

I did move house 3 years ago and had a good clear out then, so that may account for the lack of un-used gadgets.

I would love an icecream maker and a decent yogurt maker (on that makes big pots rather than lots of little pots of yogurt).


But I don't really have many gadgets.

Bought a big slow cooker a couple of years ago, never used it because I am afraid to leave the thing on for a night. Still is in the box.

Pasta maker
Used to have a waffle maker too which I used only once before I gave it away
Toaster!

Mmmm carbs theme here

[Debs]

Not too bad for kitchen items really. I have a juicer that I used once for a 7 day juice detox and haven't used since, but that's about it. I think OH is taking it to a car boot sale at the weekend. I used to have an Aldi icecream maker but it rattled on the bench so much I gave up on it. Never had an urge to make pasta and I stare in astonishment at the gadgets you can get for making popcorn, hot dog warmers, doughnut makers, omelette maker etc etc.
I have recently rediscovered my lovely mixer having gone off the 12 week torture diets and have rediscovered the joy of bread and cake making! mmm carbs!!

Silicone bakeware doesn't get used very often in this house. I am surprised I still have them but as they are in good condition and I do use them once in a blue moon I keep them.

Cherry pip remover. I only use this when I remove the stone from cherries and I am making a pie/strudel. So it gets used maybe once a year but I hate doing the de-piping without it and it was a souvenir from when I travelled through the US.

Off topic, I like to small buy kitchen gadgets when travelling as souvenirs as they at some stage get used and they still remind me of where I was when I picked it up. e.g. pink ice cream scoop from San Francisco. This means I have a lot of kitchen gadgets that don't get used very often but they have sentimental value and so won't get tossed.

In our family we buy very good quality appliances, they should be as they still works years after. Let's see, I have the yogurt maker, the waffle maker that are from the beginning of the 70s, as my scale and my salad spinner and, except for the yogurt maker, they are some of the appliances I use the most.

After a look in the cupboard, there is a part of appliance I never ever use, it's the big bowl (and thingy to attach it) of the electric mixer. There also the pressure cooker I have for 20 years, which is 40 something years and I never ever used.

I have a mandoline that I've used about twice, I'm too scared of cutting my fingers with it, and two raclette machines which don't see much use, they were both gifts so I don't want to toss them, but I don't know who I could give them to...I really should get rid of one of them at least.
My brother bought me a mini cupcake cooker, when I got it I thought I would never use it but actually I quite like it as it makes tiny cakes quickly, but it's something I would never have cosidered buying myself.

Bought a big slow cooker a couple of years ago, never used it because I am afraid to leave the thing on for a night. Still is in the box.

Oooh, you must try the slow cooker benshurki, even if you try it whilst you are in the house. It makes awesome chilli con carnes, stews and curries, as he flavours slowly infuse. I love mine and mine is one of the original terracotta pot ones(from the 70's??) and it is just fine left on all day.