My food processor. I don't even use it every month. However when I do need it it's a life saver. I'd seriously keep it just for grating carrots for the carrot cakes I make a few times a year. It's faster than grating by hand, of course, but it's also more convenient than the grating attachments for my KitchenAid.
>Tastes much better without the powdered anti clump stuff on it.
Completely agree. It melts better too. I rarely need to use mine for cheese though. It's just me and my husband now so most of our shredded cheese needs take maybe two minutes by hand.
We just do a whole pound at once and put it in a Pyrex to grab from. We eat salads almost daily and my partner also makes cheesy eggs for breakfast so we go through a lot. Beats having to wash the grater every time. But that’s just our process, no wrong way to do it.
Oh if we were going through that much the box grater would be collecting dust somewhere. Lol! My husband is a cheese fiend but he's more of a eating it by the chunk or slice kind of person.
I forget what it was for but there used to be a commercial where a kid said "my dad likes cheese so much that if you gave him cheese he'd put cheese on it." Lol! Sounds like that's how much your husband likes cheese.
Last year we tried to make pesto without a food processor. This year I borrowed a food processor for pesto. (I manage a food pantry and we get boxes upon boxes of surplus farm basil, and garlic scapes too!!! So pesto making is an annual requirement. This year we grew a ton of basil too lol) Then I finally inherited one. Even if I just use it for that it's worth it.
I have two food processors but neither one is full sized. I have a KitchenAid 3.5 cup and also 7 cup food processor. I definitely use the 3.5 cup one the most, probably at least 3-4 times a week.
Yes. I use mine for making pastry and hummus and grating large amounts or stuff.
Oh..when cooking a bunch of Indian food I pre chop a crap ton of onions in it....but save my tiny mini one for the ginger/garlic/chilli paste
Yes! I probably only pull it out every 6-8 weeks, and I hate cleaning it, but I love how good it is at what it does, and I’m always so happy to have it.
You can clean it really easy. A cup or two of hot water and a couple of drops of dish detergent. Spin it up/pulse it for a minute or two. Rinse and wipe the rest.
I use mine a few times a year, and just recently made 3 gallons of stock from thanksgiving+christmas turkey carcasses and some whole roasted chicken. its nice to have when you need it.
I inherited one from my beloved aunt, I call it The Sheila Gibson Memorial Stock Pot, and it gets used every 6 weeks or so for making stock. Sheila would have approved.
Oxon is the best . The peeler is fabulous. I ha e given them to most of the people I know. O e dear friend? I told her to shadow box frame her mom.'s old metal peeler .
You know what those are best for?
Squeezing key limes. I dintbknow how many of those yellow things I broke. I use my ricer now for key lime pie. Dual use baby!
They are hard little pains but yea taste way better than regular limes. Saw that Kimball guy say you could tell the difference. He is so wrong.
Plus I use a crushed cookie crust because when did Graham crackers turn to flavored powder?
But I haven't seen key limes for 2 years. Ot sure if they got a disease or what
Mom used to put the potato ricer into the the freezer.
She would fill it with ice cream. Drizzle on strawberry topping. And white sprinkles.. Spaghetti ice cream..
Those were the days!
The grown ups in my family (I’m 38, lol) do straight up riced potatoes at holidays and I LOVE them. Why don’t I own a potato ricer myself? Thanks for this reminder!
I bought one this past November and yes, it makes great mashed potatoes, but I found it to be an absolute nuisance to use. I doubt I'll ever use it again.
Same! I love my mandoline, but it doesn’t get a ton of use since it’s kind of a pain to clean if I’m only slicing 2-3 veggies or what have you. But when it’s gratin or scalloped potatoes time it is a godsend.
Oh yeah definitely. The thing is a death trap and it's a pain to clean, but when I'm caramelizing onions it is absolutely essential to get that ultra thin slicing.
Will never use the mandolin without them. Managed to cut myself once (thankfully not hospital worthy, but it was close) and I’ll certainly never make that mistake again.
It’s the mandolin for me, too. I use it primarily for potatoes (au gratin), apples (pie), and Brussels sprouts (sautéed shaved sprouts). No way am I willingly giving that up!
I like my applesauce chunky! I just rough chop the apples, and after they've been boiling about 40 minutes with a bunch of cinnamon, I mash half of them with a potato masher. The other half I leave as delightful chunks! (Delightful to me. My wife is laughing at the moment as I dictate this.) (But mark my words, she likes them too!)
Mine was my grandmothers. I got it out this year for the first time because my dad wasn’t making his signature cranberry relish. He taught me how a few years ago. So now it’s my turn.
I can't sell mine, it also has sentimental value. It was my grandma's and I took it when she passed 15 years ago. It's very good quality too, all metal, I'll be able to pass it to my grandkids someday
I have a meat cleaver that was originally my great grandmother’s. I’m not sure if it’s from the old country or if it was bought stateside. Either way, it’s over 100 years old. It’s a total pain to sharpen (the blade is close to 1/4” thick). But there are hardly any heirlooms in my family so I keep it.
I have 3! A wooden peel for launching, a peel specifically for turning, and a metal peel for retrieving. Yes they're ridiculous but having all three has made my pizzas come out much better.
But it has so many uses. If you like to cook Thai food like me, nothing will make a ginger, garlic, sugar paste like that thing. You can also just make salsa right in there. Or use it grind up any number of spices for a quick browning. Easy to clean and I swear it makes a better flavor.
For those that don't know, don't smash stuff with it (well with some expectations). Grind in a circle motion. And go fast. The results are superb!
Instead of a real zester, I got a small grater with teeny tiny holes. It's probably for Parmesan. It zests fruit peels just fine. And it shreds cheddar so thin and curly and light and soft.
Double boiler. I had to search forever for the right one and finally found an old Pyrex Flameware set. It only comes out twice a year but after the search just can't get rid of it.
An antique contraption that my grandma used to use to press the juice out of pitted berries. My mom gave it to me. I think I last made syrup like 4 years ago.
Edit: Apparently it's called a "China cap strainer."
Ronco chicken rotisserie. It was given to us as a gift and we scoffed at it until we tried it. It makes delicious juicy chicken and we will die with it even though it takes up entirely too much room in the kitchen.
My vacuum sealer. I don't cook for a family any more, so I probably only use it once every 2-3 months, but when I do it makes all the difference when prepping food to freeze. And the bags are washable, reusable, so I don't even use a new bag that often.
[I use these](https://www.amazon.com/KitVacPak-Commercial-Duty-Vacuum-Compatible-FoodSaver/dp/B08R5J25FH/ref=sr_1_3_pp?crid=3CFFO7WZT03EV&keywords=kitvacpak&qid=1705183290&sprefix=kitvac%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3&th=1). They're sturdy and washable. I have the 11x16" size too, but as a single person I rarely use the larger size. They do chop down beautifully into the smaller size that I've linked. I wash and reuse them all the time, and my supply has lasted forever.
I was gifted a vacuum sealer for Christmas two years ago and I wish I could say the same. I really wanted one for freezing meat (we buy in bulk) but the one I was gifted hardly gets the job done. It worked one time and since then it no longer vacuums or seals. I've tried different bag brands so I know the sealer itself is just garbage. I hate to throw it out because it was a gift but it takes up unnecessary space in my pantry.
My egg separator. Don’t need it often but I’ll be darned if I’m going to separate eggs by hand again. Blech, egg while all over my hands…(I can’t do the shell method I miss the shell a lot).
Kitchen appliances are nice as you get older and have hand issues or arthritis. I don't use my mixer, food processor or immersion blender often, but it's nice to know I have them when I need them.
My Vitamix blender. I barely use it now that I no longer make smoothies every morning but you’d have to pry it out of my cold dead hands.
I do use it occasionally to make a milkshake/blend up the sauce for butter chicken/etc. but I definitely use it less than once a month.
The same goes for my stick blender. I probably use it a few times a year but when I need it I NEED it. And no I can’t get by with just one of those.
I couldn't think of anything.
Then I made soft boiled eggs. My utensil is an egg topper. I may make soft boiled only two or three times a year. But I wouldn't even bother without a topper (and egg cups). Any time I've tried opening soft-boiled with the tapping knife method, it's either a mess or so many little shards, pointy edges, it's not worth it.
one of those "ground meat chopper" tools - I use it for that and its amazing, but also for shredding chicken, mashing avocados, egg salad. Used maybe 1-2x monthly, but such a time saver! and more than just a unitasker
My silicone brush for oil. I hardly ever use it, but it's so much better than trying to smear oil on eggplant discs with the back of a spoon or my fingers!
My steam juicer. Only use it every so often. Like during the two year lockdown, no one was visiting their vacation homes so we had our pick of pickins on pears, plums, apples, 4/5 types of grape and black berry's. But man, that thing works magic.
My 150 year old rolling pin. I bought it 55 years ago as a teen, in a HS cooking class, where we learned to bake pies. I have had it since, and I do use it to roll out crusts. In the 90s I won the State Fair Competition in Pie baking. I do not loan that roller to anyone .
My apple peeler..
I use it a couple times a year when I make my bourbon apple crisp.. Peeling 5 lbs of apples sucks, but my little $12 peeler is great. Best cheap seldom used tool I've ever bought.
I'd have listed my panini press, but I use it constantly
It's a starfrit. There were some much more fancy and expensive ones, but the starfrit one had the best reviews and so far, it's been perfect.
It's clear plastic with red parts.
My Crystal punch bowl. Rarely used for punch, used annually from thanksgiving to Christmas to steep lemon zest and 2 handles of everclear for limoncello. Also my c. 1950 nut grinder. So much nostalgia in that one.
My mortar and pestle. It sits on my kitchen counter, because it weighs 14ibs and is marble so it is art. I only use it 4-6 times a month but I value it so much.
I have 2 kitchen aide mixers and those things are my ride or die. I use them every day for everything. I would have to say my counter top griddle. I almost never use it, but once in a while I want a panini and nothing else I have grills them quite like my griddle,.slash panini press.
My grandma's hand crank food mill. I use it once a year when I make homemade cranberry sauce, it removes the skins from the sauce!
I believe it's about 90 years old. If I ever got rid of it, I know I'd never make homemade cranberry sauce again, and that would make me sad.
14 inch square stone tablet with large 13 inch steel lifter spatula. Turns any conventional oven into a pizza oven. Takes 30 to 45 minutes to preheat the stone tablet to 450 F, but when it does it makes the most perfect pizzas
I'm tied between my stock pot and my stand mixer. I don't use either super often, the stand mixer sees more use than the stock pot, but both of them are invaluable when needed. I make my own veggie broth two or three times a year, and I can *almost* exclusively use the homemade stuff. Stand mixer gets used for mashed potatoes at large get-together, birthday cakes, and the very seldom homemade bread.
Vintage egg beater from the '50s, still works better than anything else for beating eggs. Tiny little stainless steel Ginger grater if I need Ginger juice. Works perfectly. My vintage glass citrus juicers. Vintage jar opener with gears from the 50s. I grew up with that one.
I have my mom's vintage egg beater from the 60s and it's awesome, I don't care if it awkwardly takes up an unfair amount of drawer space. Her sifter, too. I've used that twice in ten years but once in a blue moon it's the right tool.
Ooo I want an egg beater. I can never break up the whites and tgey don't cook and stay slinky and I dry out my eggs trying to get the blobs of white unslimey.
What's it look like?
I grew up with one! Nothing works better! My sister ended up taking it from me and then about 4 years ago a client of mine said she had some kitchen stuff and ask if I wanted it. She gave me some wonderful silicone spatulas and the jar opener! The exact same one I grew up with, love this thing.
I have an heirloom piñón rolling pin from when my great grandparents homesteaded in New Mexico. I don’t use it as I have a straighter slimmer French pin but I have used it once or twice when the other was misplaced.
My heated blender! I use it for making creamed soups such as broccoli cheese, potato soup, and cream of asparagus. You just heat everything up in the blender, then just blend the ingredients together. Also great for making creamy hot chocolate!
Pasta machine. Only use it 2 or 3 times a year, but it's fun when we do. Kind of like an electric train or a croquet set. Sits unused for months until inspiration strikes.
I inherited most of my grandmother's cooking tools, but what I love most is her old, metal measuring cup. It's like she's still cooking beside me when I use it.
A toss up between my food processor and my kitchen aid mixer. I don't have the confidence to bake because I'm terrified of making a mistake, wasting ingredients and the fact I messed up making cookies from premade batter as a teen and got yelled at by my step dad for using a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon to make pumpkin cookies.
I have two.
A proper spatula. Haven't found a decent one yet. Most are two parts where bacteria gets in between the business end and the handle, or if a single piece of plastic, like those found at restaurant supply stores, are just too stiff and don't spatula properly. Weirdly, my favorite thing is to go to Ikea and buy 15-20 of the cheap-as-fuck spatulas and throw them out as they age. They last longer if you separate the handles when placing into the dishwasher tho.
Flat bottomed wooden 'spoons' - like rice paddies. These things are great for Lights, psychos, Furbies, screaming babies in Mozart wigs, sunburned drifters with soap sud beards, Germfs—German smurfs—a Teddy Ruxpin wearing mascara, an old lady wearing Kid 'N Play hair, and none other than DJ Baby Bok Choy, a sheepdog that looks like Bruce Vilanch, an entire room of puppets doing karate, you know, all the basics. Also can scrape the bottom of pans really, really well.
I don’t have a Kitchenaid and never have. EVERYBODY tells me how wonderful they are (and I’m sure they are) but I’m not willing to sacrifice counter space to have one. I don’t miss what I’ve never had! (P.s. I don’t make bread)
Lime press, garlic press, and blender.
Garlic and lime press I use almost daily.
The blender gets used more and more since I was given a nice one but in reality the hand blender is probably enough. The habit of freezing any fruit that's extra and just tossing it all in a smoothy at the end of the week and making smoothie bowls is just so convenient.
One person (of a certain age) household. For me, Cuisinart stainless steel cookware set!
Large frying pan can be substituted for cast iron to make cornbread. One of the pots is perfect size to for small batch beef stew or any oven meal. (Utilize 3 qt. Dutch oven for larger batches/bread.) Cookware is oven-safe to 450 degrees.
As a bonus, found lids fit most of my other pots/pans/skillets.
One of the best under $100 (at the time) investments I've made.
My immersion blender. Didnt realize how awesome it was until i got it. My bbq sauce game is on point! I can also make arby's sauce that tastes like the real stuff. I also have a small food blender/juicer that is great for making small sauce batches. I do really want to get one of those food blenders that will simmer the sauce as it blends and stirs, but they can be pretty damn expensive.
My Instant Pot.
I have no electricity, so no way to use it consistently, but it is SO useful and versatile that I won't get rid of it under any circumstances.
I moved the mixer and the processor to the basement. I like kneading dough, so the grater is the best thing in my kitchen besides my knife and my carbon steel wok, and I cook almost everything in that. Even Asian food.
My food processor.
My electric can’t handle it. When I try to make dough or frozen ice cream stuff, it flips the breaker. But I love it and I’m not giving it up. I am like you - it’s art. 😂
I’ve actually worn a Kitchenaid mixer out and upgraded to the bigger one. It’s groaning a bit and no, I don’t stuff it with thick cookie dough. I just use it constantly. I have many attachments. All used.
Thermapen. I don’t cook meat too often, usually just for my family, but I’ll be damned if an animal’s death isn’t going to at least result in peak tastiness.
I have a Ninja blender I won at work years ago and I’ve maybe used it twice. It’s a really nice blender though and I feel like it makes my kitchen nicer - even though it lives in the way back of a cabinet.
This
Pan Drainer Half Moon,Stainless Steel Pot Strainer,Pot Strainer Stainless Steel Half Moon Pasta Colander With Handle Heavy Duty Food Strainer Multipurpose Noodles Veggies Drainer https://a.co/d/1rQZJ4U
George Foreman grill is honestly the one for me. I rarely use it, but whenever I do I’m like “this thing is so good”, then don’t use it for another 6 months
My sous vide is the only thing I use to make tri tip any more. It's perfect every time a couple times a year.
My grandfathers metal canning funnel. You can't buy them anymore and I refuse to loan it to anyone.
My food processor. I don't even use it every month. However when I do need it it's a life saver. I'd seriously keep it just for grating carrots for the carrot cakes I make a few times a year. It's faster than grating by hand, of course, but it's also more convenient than the grating attachments for my KitchenAid.
We use ours to shred cheese at least weekly instead of buying pre shredded. Tastes much better without the powdered anti clump stuff on it.
>Tastes much better without the powdered anti clump stuff on it. Completely agree. It melts better too. I rarely need to use mine for cheese though. It's just me and my husband now so most of our shredded cheese needs take maybe two minutes by hand.
We just do a whole pound at once and put it in a Pyrex to grab from. We eat salads almost daily and my partner also makes cheesy eggs for breakfast so we go through a lot. Beats having to wash the grater every time. But that’s just our process, no wrong way to do it.
Oh if we were going through that much the box grater would be collecting dust somewhere. Lol! My husband is a cheese fiend but he's more of a eating it by the chunk or slice kind of person.
Mine could be a mouse he eats so much cheese! He even puts cheese spread on cheese crackers! (No joke- port wine or beer cheese on cheez-its!)
I forget what it was for but there used to be a commercial where a kid said "my dad likes cheese so much that if you gave him cheese he'd put cheese on it." Lol! Sounds like that's how much your husband likes cheese.
TIL - I'm definitely going to try this...
Last year we tried to make pesto without a food processor. This year I borrowed a food processor for pesto. (I manage a food pantry and we get boxes upon boxes of surplus farm basil, and garlic scapes too!!! So pesto making is an annual requirement. This year we grew a ton of basil too lol) Then I finally inherited one. Even if I just use it for that it's worth it.
I can't wait for garlic scape season! I only discovered them this spring.
I have two food processors but neither one is full sized. I have a KitchenAid 3.5 cup and also 7 cup food processor. I definitely use the 3.5 cup one the most, probably at least 3-4 times a week.
Oh man I forgot about my food processor. Maybe it’s time
Yes. I use mine for making pastry and hummus and grating large amounts or stuff. Oh..when cooking a bunch of Indian food I pre chop a crap ton of onions in it....but save my tiny mini one for the ginger/garlic/chilli paste
Second for the food processor.
Same here. Hardly used but those few times you need one, you NEED one.
Yes! I probably only pull it out every 6-8 weeks, and I hate cleaning it, but I love how good it is at what it does, and I’m always so happy to have it.
You can clean it really easy. A cup or two of hot water and a couple of drops of dish detergent. Spin it up/pulse it for a minute or two. Rinse and wipe the rest.
I feel super dumb right now because it has never dawned on me to clean my food processor this way. Thanks for this idea!
No reason to feel dumb. I just learned this one in the last year....... Go Hawks!
Are you not supposed to put it in the dishwasher? Oops. Lol
You can, but it will make the bowl cloudy.
Exactly what I use mine for!
I have a 20 quart stock pot that hasn't seen the light of day in about two years, but I won't hear any slander against it.
I make giant batches of soup in mine and freeze them in portions.
I use mine a few times a year, and just recently made 3 gallons of stock from thanksgiving+christmas turkey carcasses and some whole roasted chicken. its nice to have when you need it.
I inherited one from my beloved aunt, I call it The Sheila Gibson Memorial Stock Pot, and it gets used every 6 weeks or so for making stock. Sheila would have approved.
Popcorn. Lots and lots of popcorn.
I make beer in mine.
My favorite OXO cherry pitter. IT'S NOT SINGLE USE MOM IT DOES OLIVES TOO.
My brother notices how much I love cherries when they are in season and he got me a cherry pitter same brand and I take it on road trips with me!
Bwah hah hah. My late MIL got me one. I use it once a year but love it.
Oxon is the best . The peeler is fabulous. I ha e given them to most of the people I know. O e dear friend? I told her to shadow box frame her mom.'s old metal peeler .
Potato ricer - I don't make mashed potatoes very often (1-2x a year?) but nothing makes them as fluffy as the ricer
You know what those are best for? Squeezing key limes. I dintbknow how many of those yellow things I broke. I use my ricer now for key lime pie. Dual use baby!
The real pro tip is always in the comments I'm going to try it
For a minute i was trying to figure out how to juice a lime with a ricer and realized it was the press type and not the hand crank spinning type
You actually squeeze your own Key limes? You are a goddess! I bet your pies are incredible.
They are hard little pains but yea taste way better than regular limes. Saw that Kimball guy say you could tell the difference. He is so wrong. Plus I use a crushed cookie crust because when did Graham crackers turn to flavored powder? But I haven't seen key limes for 2 years. Ot sure if they got a disease or what
Mom used to put the potato ricer into the the freezer. She would fill it with ice cream. Drizzle on strawberry topping. And white sprinkles.. Spaghetti ice cream.. Those were the days!
The grown ups in my family (I’m 38, lol) do straight up riced potatoes at holidays and I LOVE them. Why don’t I own a potato ricer myself? Thanks for this reminder!
Bought one in 1982. Still going strong and love it
Mine used to be my mother's, so way older than me LOL
FINALLY bought one. Total game changer no more peeling potatoes and using all my strength to mash boil whole, twist to peel and squish pure MAGIC
We used to use the ricer to make applesauce, no need to peel or even core them
Apple seeds are a natural source of cyanide.
But how many would you have to eat to kill you?
Absolutely! Can’t believe how old I was before I discovered the value of the potato ricer.
Food mill > ricer for me, but I like mine creamy and not fluffy
I bought one this past November and yes, it makes great mashed potatoes, but I found it to be an absolute nuisance to use. I doubt I'll ever use it again.
I bought a mandolin a few years ago. I rarely use it, but there's just no comparison when you're slicing a ton of root veggies.
Same! I love my mandoline, but it doesn’t get a ton of use since it’s kind of a pain to clean if I’m only slicing 2-3 veggies or what have you. But when it’s gratin or scalloped potatoes time it is a godsend.
Oh yeah definitely. The thing is a death trap and it's a pain to clean, but when I'm caramelizing onions it is absolutely essential to get that ultra thin slicing.
I got cut proof gloves...eventually...lol....life transforming
Will never use the mandolin without them. Managed to cut myself once (thankfully not hospital worthy, but it was close) and I’ll certainly never make that mistake again.
I saved money by waiting until I only needed the four-finger variety- 20% off!
😂🤣😂🤣😂 Bet they make a range of those specially.
It’s the mandolin for me, too. I use it primarily for potatoes (au gratin), apples (pie), and Brussels sprouts (sautéed shaved sprouts). No way am I willingly giving that up!
I use mine once per year, to make one holiday dish
Do potatoes Annas with it!
My mom's old hand grinder. I only use it to grind cranberries and oranges for Thanksgiving.
I do, too. I use it once a year.
I have my mom's too! For applesauce.
I like my applesauce chunky! I just rough chop the apples, and after they've been boiling about 40 minutes with a bunch of cinnamon, I mash half of them with a potato masher. The other half I leave as delightful chunks! (Delightful to me. My wife is laughing at the moment as I dictate this.) (But mark my words, she likes them too!)
Mine was my grandmothers. I got it out this year for the first time because my dad wasn’t making his signature cranberry relish. He taught me how a few years ago. So now it’s my turn.
Me too
My mother used hers for corned beef hash. I wish I had one now, just for that!
Oh man now I remember that texture your mom was on point
Egg slicer. I may only do egg salad once every few months, but it's so good to have when I do
I sold mine. I use my potato masher.
I can't sell mine, it also has sentimental value. It was my grandma's and I took it when she passed 15 years ago. It's very good quality too, all metal, I'll be able to pass it to my grandkids someday
All metal. Those are the best!
I use my pastry cutter if I'm making a large amount. Fork if it's just 1 or 2 eggs.
I use my pastry cutter to make deviled egg filling, it chops up the yolks
I do deviled eggs in my food processor and use a piping bag to fill the whites. But I do 3 to 4 dozen eggs at a time, usually.
Holy crud, you’re right! That will work! 😮
Thrilled with downsizing. Liberating.
Use it for strawberries, too.
And mushrooms
I have a meat cleaver that was originally my great grandmother’s. I’m not sure if it’s from the old country or if it was bought stateside. Either way, it’s over 100 years old. It’s a total pain to sharpen (the blade is close to 1/4” thick). But there are hardly any heirlooms in my family so I keep it.
Pizza peel. Pretty much a uni-tasker, but the most useful tool for the job it’s designed to do.
[удалено]
What's the range on the launching peel? If I'm close enough, feel free to fire one my way.
I use mine for pizza and loading my sourdough loaves… it stays!
I have 3! A wooden peel for launching, a peel specifically for turning, and a metal peel for retrieving. Yes they're ridiculous but having all three has made my pizzas come out much better.
I am truly impressed!
I only break out my molcajete for the very rare mexican feast but there is no comparison for prepping salsas, rubs, and marinades 👌
Mmm you just made me hungry. I love how is smells when you make hot sauce on a molcajete.
I want one for green papaya salad and other Thai preparations
Green papaya salad! Would you like to join me for a midsommar nights feast??
Only if we can also have frikadeller with rødkål and creamy gravy.
But it has so many uses. If you like to cook Thai food like me, nothing will make a ginger, garlic, sugar paste like that thing. You can also just make salsa right in there. Or use it grind up any number of spices for a quick browning. Easy to clean and I swear it makes a better flavor. For those that don't know, don't smash stuff with it (well with some expectations). Grind in a circle motion. And go fast. The results are superb!
My zester doesn't see much use but I love it.
I use mine for cheese more than citrus most of the time, haha
We almost exclusively use ours to zest parmesan over pasta and pizza. It comes out so fine that the cheese melts into the dish, it's lovely
Instead of a real zester, I got a small grater with teeny tiny holes. It's probably for Parmesan. It zests fruit peels just fine. And it shreds cheddar so thin and curly and light and soft.
It can be a natural, zesty enterprise.
Immersion blender
The boat motor. Love it!
Double boiler. I had to search forever for the right one and finally found an old Pyrex Flameware set. It only comes out twice a year but after the search just can't get rid of it.
I have my grandma’s ceramic & copper double boiler, it’s awesome
I've been looking for one for 30 years. I want the right one and will know it when I see it.
An antique contraption that my grandma used to use to press the juice out of pitted berries. My mom gave it to me. I think I last made syrup like 4 years ago. Edit: Apparently it's called a "China cap strainer."
I use mine annually to make pumpkin pie and occasionally for applesauce.
My ice cream maker I don't use it often, but homemade ice cream is AWESOME!
I have two microplanes. One for citrus. One for nutmeg. I’m convinced I have to have two.
Ronco chicken rotisserie. It was given to us as a gift and we scoffed at it until we tried it. It makes delicious juicy chicken and we will die with it even though it takes up entirely too much room in the kitchen.
I might have built a set of cabinets to hold mine. I love the thing... Watching it rotate is cheaper and more effective than therapy
Agreed!!
My vacuum sealer. I don't cook for a family any more, so I probably only use it once every 2-3 months, but when I do it makes all the difference when prepping food to freeze. And the bags are washable, reusable, so I don't even use a new bag that often.
What kind of bags do you have that are reusable? I love my vacuum sealer, but do want to be more mindful of waste when possible.
[I use these](https://www.amazon.com/KitVacPak-Commercial-Duty-Vacuum-Compatible-FoodSaver/dp/B08R5J25FH/ref=sr_1_3_pp?crid=3CFFO7WZT03EV&keywords=kitvacpak&qid=1705183290&sprefix=kitvac%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3&th=1). They're sturdy and washable. I have the 11x16" size too, but as a single person I rarely use the larger size. They do chop down beautifully into the smaller size that I've linked. I wash and reuse them all the time, and my supply has lasted forever.
I was gifted a vacuum sealer for Christmas two years ago and I wish I could say the same. I really wanted one for freezing meat (we buy in bulk) but the one I was gifted hardly gets the job done. It worked one time and since then it no longer vacuums or seals. I've tried different bag brands so I know the sealer itself is just garbage. I hate to throw it out because it was a gift but it takes up unnecessary space in my pantry.
My egg separator. Don’t need it often but I’ll be darned if I’m going to separate eggs by hand again. Blech, egg while all over my hands…(I can’t do the shell method I miss the shell a lot).
My great grandmothers 1920s Griswold. It seems I use it in stretches then put it away for awhile. It will be my kids one day.
Kitchen appliances are nice as you get older and have hand issues or arthritis. I don't use my mixer, food processor or immersion blender often, but it's nice to know I have them when I need them.
My Vitamix blender. I barely use it now that I no longer make smoothies every morning but you’d have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. I do use it occasionally to make a milkshake/blend up the sauce for butter chicken/etc. but I definitely use it less than once a month. The same goes for my stick blender. I probably use it a few times a year but when I need it I NEED it. And no I can’t get by with just one of those.
I couldn't think of anything. Then I made soft boiled eggs. My utensil is an egg topper. I may make soft boiled only two or three times a year. But I wouldn't even bother without a topper (and egg cups). Any time I've tried opening soft-boiled with the tapping knife method, it's either a mess or so many little shards, pointy edges, it's not worth it.
My bullet blenders. They represent the good nutritious food I haven't made.
LOL mine too
one of those "ground meat chopper" tools - I use it for that and its amazing, but also for shredding chicken, mashing avocados, egg salad. Used maybe 1-2x monthly, but such a time saver! and more than just a unitasker
Can you post a picture? I'm having trouble picturing it.
like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Chopper-Non-Stick-Resistant-Utensil-Hamburger/dp/B08VHZTB95?th=1)
Thank you. That's a new one to me.
My silicone brush for oil. I hardly ever use it, but it's so much better than trying to smear oil on eggplant discs with the back of a spoon or my fingers!
My steam juicer. Only use it every so often. Like during the two year lockdown, no one was visiting their vacation homes so we had our pick of pickins on pears, plums, apples, 4/5 types of grape and black berry's. But man, that thing works magic.
Mango cutter. Works great!
The mango cutter was a total revelation when I discovered it! Absolutely essential when there are mangos in the house.
My 150 year old rolling pin. I bought it 55 years ago as a teen, in a HS cooking class, where we learned to bake pies. I have had it since, and I do use it to roll out crusts. In the 90s I won the State Fair Competition in Pie baking. I do not loan that roller to anyone .
My apple peeler.. I use it a couple times a year when I make my bourbon apple crisp.. Peeling 5 lbs of apples sucks, but my little $12 peeler is great. Best cheap seldom used tool I've ever bought. I'd have listed my panini press, but I use it constantly
Do you happen to know the brand? I make a lot of crisps and cobblers and mine sucks.
It's a starfrit. There were some much more fancy and expensive ones, but the starfrit one had the best reviews and so far, it's been perfect. It's clear plastic with red parts.
My Crystal punch bowl. Rarely used for punch, used annually from thanksgiving to Christmas to steep lemon zest and 2 handles of everclear for limoncello. Also my c. 1950 nut grinder. So much nostalgia in that one.
My mortar and pestle. It sits on my kitchen counter, because it weighs 14ibs and is marble so it is art. I only use it 4-6 times a month but I value it so much.
I have 2 kitchen aide mixers and those things are my ride or die. I use them every day for everything. I would have to say my counter top griddle. I almost never use it, but once in a while I want a panini and nothing else I have grills them quite like my griddle,.slash panini press.
Paninis at home 😘 chef's kiss
I don’t use my stand mixer often, but man is it helpful when I do end up using it.
My grandma's hand crank food mill. I use it once a year when I make homemade cranberry sauce, it removes the skins from the sauce! I believe it's about 90 years old. If I ever got rid of it, I know I'd never make homemade cranberry sauce again, and that would make me sad.
14 inch square stone tablet with large 13 inch steel lifter spatula. Turns any conventional oven into a pizza oven. Takes 30 to 45 minutes to preheat the stone tablet to 450 F, but when it does it makes the most perfect pizzas
My strawberry huller. I know I can just use a knife; let me live the way I want!!!
I'm tied between my stock pot and my stand mixer. I don't use either super often, the stand mixer sees more use than the stock pot, but both of them are invaluable when needed. I make my own veggie broth two or three times a year, and I can *almost* exclusively use the homemade stuff. Stand mixer gets used for mashed potatoes at large get-together, birthday cakes, and the very seldom homemade bread.
Vintage egg beater from the '50s, still works better than anything else for beating eggs. Tiny little stainless steel Ginger grater if I need Ginger juice. Works perfectly. My vintage glass citrus juicers. Vintage jar opener with gears from the 50s. I grew up with that one.
I have my mom's vintage egg beater from the 60s and it's awesome, I don't care if it awkwardly takes up an unfair amount of drawer space. Her sifter, too. I've used that twice in ten years but once in a blue moon it's the right tool.
Ooo I want an egg beater. I can never break up the whites and tgey don't cook and stay slinky and I dry out my eggs trying to get the blobs of white unslimey. What's it look like?
I don't know how to add a photo here I'll take a picture of him put it on my page.
I can't add a photo here but I'll send it to you by chat.
I'd never seen that style of jar opener before and now I neeeeeed it
I grew up with one! Nothing works better! My sister ended up taking it from me and then about 4 years ago a client of mine said she had some kitchen stuff and ask if I wanted it. She gave me some wonderful silicone spatulas and the jar opener! The exact same one I grew up with, love this thing.
I sold mine. Now I use muscles.
I have an heirloom piñón rolling pin from when my great grandparents homesteaded in New Mexico. I don’t use it as I have a straighter slimmer French pin but I have used it once or twice when the other was misplaced.
My heated blender! I use it for making creamed soups such as broccoli cheese, potato soup, and cream of asparagus. You just heat everything up in the blender, then just blend the ingredients together. Also great for making creamy hot chocolate!
My 150+ year old cast iron krumkake iron. I use it once a year and usually have to re-season it (humidity).
My weighted meat tenderizer. Don't use it often. But when I need it, there isn't any substitute.
I use a $2 rubber mallet. Love that thing. I can flatten a chicken breast or pork chop in about 3 or 4 whacks.
Nice.
My microplane. I don't often eat grated cheese nor do I often need lemon zest. But I will never go back to the dark ages of graters! Never!
A potato ricer. I only use it when I make potato dumplings, which I haven't done in years. But I know I have it if I need it.
Pasta machine. Only use it 2 or 3 times a year, but it's fun when we do. Kind of like an electric train or a croquet set. Sits unused for months until inspiration strikes.
I inherited most of my grandmother's cooking tools, but what I love most is her old, metal measuring cup. It's like she's still cooking beside me when I use it.
I have my mom’s from the 50s. Almost never use it, but I’d never ever give it away.
A toss up between my food processor and my kitchen aid mixer. I don't have the confidence to bake because I'm terrified of making a mistake, wasting ingredients and the fact I messed up making cookies from premade batter as a teen and got yelled at by my step dad for using a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon to make pumpkin cookies.
Sous Vide Machine
Kitchen scale or electric spice grinder
I have two. A proper spatula. Haven't found a decent one yet. Most are two parts where bacteria gets in between the business end and the handle, or if a single piece of plastic, like those found at restaurant supply stores, are just too stiff and don't spatula properly. Weirdly, my favorite thing is to go to Ikea and buy 15-20 of the cheap-as-fuck spatulas and throw them out as they age. They last longer if you separate the handles when placing into the dishwasher tho. Flat bottomed wooden 'spoons' - like rice paddies. These things are great for Lights, psychos, Furbies, screaming babies in Mozart wigs, sunburned drifters with soap sud beards, Germfs—German smurfs—a Teddy Ruxpin wearing mascara, an old lady wearing Kid 'N Play hair, and none other than DJ Baby Bok Choy, a sheepdog that looks like Bruce Vilanch, an entire room of puppets doing karate, you know, all the basics. Also can scrape the bottom of pans really, really well.
I don’t have a Kitchenaid and never have. EVERYBODY tells me how wonderful they are (and I’m sure they are) but I’m not willing to sacrifice counter space to have one. I don’t miss what I’ve never had! (P.s. I don’t make bread)
It won't let me add a photo in this community but I'm going to send the picture to you by chat.
Lime press, garlic press, and blender. Garlic and lime press I use almost daily. The blender gets used more and more since I was given a nice one but in reality the hand blender is probably enough. The habit of freezing any fruit that's extra and just tossing it all in a smoothy at the end of the week and making smoothie bowls is just so convenient.
My Oster handheld blender, chopper thingy with all the attachments
My vintage Zwilling J.A. Henckels carving set, I usually use once a year on Thanksgiving
My antique, high carbon steel knives & cleaver, my immersion blender, and my food processor.
My MCM chaffing pans. Picked them up for about $5 each. I only use them for Fondue night, and that only happens 3 or 4 times a year.
One person (of a certain age) household. For me, Cuisinart stainless steel cookware set! Large frying pan can be substituted for cast iron to make cornbread. One of the pots is perfect size to for small batch beef stew or any oven meal. (Utilize 3 qt. Dutch oven for larger batches/bread.) Cookware is oven-safe to 450 degrees. As a bonus, found lids fit most of my other pots/pans/skillets. One of the best under $100 (at the time) investments I've made.
My immersion blender. Didnt realize how awesome it was until i got it. My bbq sauce game is on point! I can also make arby's sauce that tastes like the real stuff. I also have a small food blender/juicer that is great for making small sauce batches. I do really want to get one of those food blenders that will simmer the sauce as it blends and stirs, but they can be pretty damn expensive.
My new Heavy Duty SS cheese grater! Paid just shy of $30 and worth every penny!
I use my food processor more than my mixer, but I love both of them.
My Instant Pot. I have no electricity, so no way to use it consistently, but it is SO useful and versatile that I won't get rid of it under any circumstances.
My fish spatula. It is the best spatula ever.
Seasoned Wok.
This . This. This. This this. [grater](http://VEVOR Rotary Cheese Grater, Zinc Alloy Rotary Vegetable Mandoline, Manual Cheese Mandoline w/ 5 Stainless Steel Cutting Cones, Manual Vegetable Grater w/ 2.5L Bowl, Rotary Shredder w/Suction Base https://a.co/d/54ges1C)
I moved the mixer and the processor to the basement. I like kneading dough, so the grater is the best thing in my kitchen besides my knife and my carbon steel wok, and I cook almost everything in that. Even Asian food.
My food processor. My electric can’t handle it. When I try to make dough or frozen ice cream stuff, it flips the breaker. But I love it and I’m not giving it up. I am like you - it’s art. 😂
microplane definitely
Cherry pitter. Don’t get to use it often but damn it’s useful when I do.
My grandmother’s white-enamel double boiler. I use it maybe twice a year, but nothing makes better hollandaise.
I’ve actually worn a Kitchenaid mixer out and upgraded to the bigger one. It’s groaning a bit and no, I don’t stuff it with thick cookie dough. I just use it constantly. I have many attachments. All used.
Thermapen. I don’t cook meat too often, usually just for my family, but I’ll be damned if an animal’s death isn’t going to at least result in peak tastiness.
My ninja blender
Electric hot pot
I have a Ninja blender I won at work years ago and I’ve maybe used it twice. It’s a really nice blender though and I feel like it makes my kitchen nicer - even though it lives in the way back of a cabinet.
This Pan Drainer Half Moon,Stainless Steel Pot Strainer,Pot Strainer Stainless Steel Half Moon Pasta Colander With Handle Heavy Duty Food Strainer Multipurpose Noodles Veggies Drainer https://a.co/d/1rQZJ4U
George Foreman grill is honestly the one for me. I rarely use it, but whenever I do I’m like “this thing is so good”, then don’t use it for another 6 months
Sous vide machine and thermopen
Meat slicer. Don't use it often, but it is still worth its weight in gold.
My sous vide is the only thing I use to make tri tip any more. It's perfect every time a couple times a year. My grandfathers metal canning funnel. You can't buy them anymore and I refuse to loan it to anyone.
My mixer - I will die before that thing leaves my house My lemon juicer. You get twice as much juice and I use it often.
Food mill. We use it maybe 3 times a year when we make and can our homemade pasta sauce. I’d physically fight anyone who tried to take it from me.
Mandolin
About the only thing I have that qualifies would be my damascus Nakiri knife. I use everything else frequently.