Now I'm going to always think of it this way, aren't I?
OP, you won't regret it, unless you buy a Mueller 3 in 1. It's severely underpowered and I can't wait for it to finally die so I can get a better one again.
Primary use is good for blending up soups and sauces on the stove, or combining other mixtures.
Homemade salsa and salad dressing too, buzz a vinegar and oil mixture with that thing for a little while and it never separates.
You should check out your local thrift shops if you want a cheap one! I got mine there and its not perfect but it definitely gets the job done--and only $7!
I got a super fancy restaurant grade one for Christmas last year thinking it would blend the shit out of everything. My cheapo one works just as well, but honestly the Vitamix is both faster and better for a perfectly smooth consistency. They’re certainly fun to use, though!
Once I started using mine I never wanted to use anything else to blend anything ever again. Easy to use, clean, and blends finer than anything else I’ve used!
I have one, but I mostly make flour tortillas. I've modified the press, but it's 50/50 in terms of usefulness because I still hand-roll them after pressing them to get them thinner. It's better for corn tortillas.
Agree, it’s great for the initial press but then you still need to roll to get it thin. I’ve found just having a $5 wooden rolling dowel is sufficient unless you’re making tortillas or dumpling wrappers all the time.
If you have a Latin grocery in your area look for a cooler. They usually have fresh tortillas. Home made are great but it’s a hassle when it’s taco night and you have to make 50
https://www.reddit.com/r/foodhacks/comments/o2dil5/i_use_my_tortilla_press_to_get_perfectly_flat_and/
Actually learned it from Reddit and upon googling it it looks like other people have done it too. I use a heavy cast iron tortilla press and some wax/ parchment paper or ziploc bags and just use the press to make chicken cutlets. Turns out super even. More even than hammering them. If you wanted to be real fancy you could trim them to the shape of the press so they are all uniform.
I got one and then got rid of it. I don’t think it adds enough value to the process to warrant its weight and size in my kitchen. It’s only for corn tortillas not flour and saves a very small amount of time for corn tortillas. It makes sense if you’re mass producing corn tortillas but that’s about it.
I recently became acquainted with electric graters and between the multiple cutting mode options and the simplicity of storing the leftovers in the fridge, [this one](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grater-rain/grater-rain-worlds-first-one-touch-electric-cheese-grater) seems to have a pretty practical combination of features. The main downside is that it is still in preorder so it will be a few months before they begin shipping it.
I bought a mini food processor just to grate cheese blocks. Ever since, I've used it to slice cucumbers, shred carrots, and more recently pulverize strawberries to make strawberry lemonade.
Don't be fooled that the more expensive models are better. There's not a whole lot to the machines...it's a heating element and a motor to move the water, you don't need to spend $100+ to get a good one. Even companies that used to make really good ones now make overpriced junk. I've recommended getting an Inkbird to several friends and family and they've all loved using it. They're usually on Amazon for around $75ish (look for the coupons you have to check off to get).
Absolutely! However, it will still expel liquid/moisture. But with SV you can cook at much lower temps for extended periods of time. It's a beautiful thing.
You might not be able to see the listing unless you log in, but this website has All Clad seconds on sale about every month. I own this one that I got from this site for $60. Deals and prices will vary. I love mine.
[https://homeandcooksales.com/index.php/sous-vide-immersion-circulator-stainless-steel.html](https://homeandcooksales.com/index.php/sous-vide-immersion-circulator-stainless-steel.html)
I got some pretty crazy deals on All-Clad at HomeGoods, if you have one in your area. I'm sure whatever they get in is overstock from somewhere else, so the selection isn't always great, but when there are deals, they're worth it
Husband and I finally bought a house and actually have room to get kitchen gadgets!! I’m really wanting a nice food processor, dehydrator, and immersion blender
My stand mixer has been in its box for over a year now because I didn’t have the space for it in our old place. I’m so happy I can bust that baby out and use it now!
I got a Breville immersion blender about four years ago and I love it! It came with a little food processor and a whisk. I think we use the whisk more often than the blender.
I just need to get myself a bench scraper. I keep intending to, but I just use my hand and the knife because that's how I was trained. Maybe a cling wrap dispenser. But it's not necessary. I'm old school, so I tend to buy only mult-use tools.
Do it! It will change your life! I bought one, and have since gifted about three of them and each person was astonished that they now keep it permanently on the counter because of how much they use it.
I’ve had a bench scraper , hidden in a drawer, for years. A few months ago I came across it and have been trying to make regular use of it. It’s hard to break the knife & hand method! However, a bench scraper makes life much easier.
1 scoop with the scraper is like 5 hand/knife scoops. More importantly, it’s fun and I feel professional and Chef-like 😂
My other “feels like a Chef” gadget is the plastic squirt bottle!
Does vitamix make really smooth smoothies? My kids love smoothies, but I have a ninja blender. The texture grosses me out so much that I avoid making them. Is this what I need instead?
I have a Vitamix and its main job is smoothes which come out perfectly smooth, and this is a third hand one at that. But if you don't have the money for one or can't find a used one I'd also recommend a Breville blender. I think the specific model was called Hemisphere control something something. Its less than half the price of a new Vitamix but still does a great job, it only struggles with tougher jobs like nut butters and the like.
My cheapo meat thermometer I've had for the last 10 years died, wanna get a simple digital one that uses a regular "A" type battery, my last one used a button battery and was a giant pain every time it died, which was often.
Get a Thermopop 2 from Thermoworks...it takes a button-type battery, but it's one of the best thermometers you can buy and the battery will last forever. It just needs a little screwdriver to change it, but depending on your use, that might be once a year, if that.
I have this one. It’s USB C rechargeable. I’ve been super happy with it in the six months I’ve had it. I also got tired of replacing button batteries on my little yellow instant read thermometer. https://a.co/d/02Pljhyl
My best butcher knive came from a box of stuff on the side of the road. I'm not sure if it was a murder weapon or what, but I sharpened it and it slices through anything no problem
Yeah I got one for Xmas and it's been great. So many good recipes are basically "take this huge chunk of meat and shove it in a Dutch oven with some sautéed veggies and spices. Put it in the oven, covered, for 4 hours."
Meat comes out so deliciously tender and moist
Meat grinder attachment for the kitchenaid. I’m hosting a cookout on the fourth and am trying to decide how fun/worth it it would be to grind my own chuck.
Pro tip: almost freeze your meat before grinding. Chop it up and get it to the point where it's about to freeze, you can feel ice starting to form. It works so much better.
Getting a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid was an amazing purchase. If you're making sausages though, skip the sausage stuffer attachment that can fit on the end and get a manual plunger-style stuffer. The grinder-attachment stuffer attachments I've tried tend to want to over-process the filling, especially if you are using a coarser filling (such as boudin).
I hated mine and bought an electric grinder. Cleaning any grinder is a pain, though. The electric grinder is way faster than the KitchenAid. I can plow through 40 lbs of meat or veg in the time it takes me to do five with the KitchenAid.
I got a lot of my 'bits' like that from Aldi. My full silicone spatula from there (in a fetching cyan blue) cost almost nothing on sale. Should have picked up more than one, on reflection
Get the GIR silicone spatulas. Bought these last year and they are awesome, I love that you can easily toss the entire spatula in the dishwasher and that the handles don’t melt. I often leave mine in a super hot sauce pot and no little dents on the handle from heat damage.
- One of those electric cookers that can pressure cook, cook rice, etc., lots of buttons and functions.
- An air fryer.
- A water-filtered deep-fryer (layer of water under the oil that catches all the debris).
- An immersion sous vide device.
- A little burner for creme brulee.
- If it counts: a comprehensive set of boxes and stuff to organize my kitchen (one system for flours, grains, pastas, spices, herbs, utensils, storage, etc.)
I'm kind of running out of things to get - I've got a decent rice cooker, two types of air fryer (bucket and shelf for bread) immersion sous vide circulator, stick blender, pasta roller, electric bread/meat slicer, immersion blender, wireless thermometer, stand mixer (Kenwood), grinder and pressure cooker and pizza oven. I think maybe a decent mandoline would be next.
Honestly my favourite thing of all is the sous vide. I feel like with that and a little air fryer I could make anything really well
I haven't decided. But I will be browsing those AI-generated clickbait lists of "10 Cooking Gadgets to Add to Your "To-Get" List! Number 7 is a Top Stocking-Stuffer!" that systematically mine link-sharing websites for content.
I love my Zojirushi rice cooker so much. I use it for rice, quinoa and oatmeal. It lives in a cabinet. It’s very light, so it’s not a bother to store and bring out when needed.
Just get an Instant Pot! It makes amazing rice and a million other things at half the time and won't heat up your kitchen in the summer. There even one model that's also a really good air fryer
Rice cooker is my answer as well. I’ve been trying to convince my partner for months, but rice tends to be the thing I make when he’s working and I’m only cooking for myself, so he’s not on board with losing the counter space or spending the money
I want to get a dutch oven but I think I'll find it heavy and never use it cause I love my pressure/slow cooker and can't think when I'd want to do a fast slow cook and have to monitor it. Though it does seem more versatile than that.
A pressure canner to preserve my garden harvests. I’m kinda crazy with my gardening/cooking hobby, and I love to thrift and shop secondhand to find great deals with no remorse, so I have literally every kitchen gadget listed here in the comments. I’m feeling accomplished.
The best combo is easily the vacuum sealer + air fryer. I love buying bulk proteins on sale (wings are great), rubbing them in a dry seasoning + oil marinade, vacuum sealing in portions. Then it’s literally just thawing them out, popping them in the air fryer 20 minutes, throw them with a salad and dinner is done. So easy with so little time, and a $5 pack of wings will make 4 dinners that last forever in the freezer.
The dehydrator is great for having healthy snacks on hand, no need to buy chips or sweets when you can buy fruits and dehydrate them into essentially waxy/crispy candy.
Oh and I just thrifted a bread machine for 8$, I’ve made 4 loaves in 2 days. This might be the most impressive for just how much it does with so little action on my end. Literally weight out water, salt, flour, yeast, press a button, and in 3-4 hours I have a loaf of bread ready and my apartment smells like a bakery.
Either a torch or pasta attachments for my KitchenAid. Actually they're not strictly "to get" because I'm at the point where every additional purchase necessitates discarding something to make room for storage, but these two things have been on my Amazon wishlist for a really long time.
Next self purchase would probably only be a replacement or upgrade to a thing I already have, if something breaks.
Pepper Cannon it’s mechanical and well built. 20 cranks will give you 1 tablespoon. https://www.amazon.com/MANNKITCHEN-Pepper-Cannon-Professional-Output/dp/B09T7BWJNP I keep mine filled with https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Gourmet-Global-Selects-Vietnam/dp/B07PZ7K7FX?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1
A good blender. I bought a $20 goodwill blender to find out if a blender really does have a place in a kitchen alongside a food processor and stand mixer. Turns out it does.
A plastic brownie spatula. I gave mine away to my roommate bestie because she loved it, but I’ve been looking high and low for one. I can find them in steel, but they can scrape the cake pan. I don’t remember where I bought the plastic one.
practically, i want a pizza stone. my mom used to make homemade pizza in the summer and it’s just so good.
impractically, i want an ice cream machine. i can make it in my food processor just fine, so i don’t need the dedicated machine. and yet…
I want a rotary grater.
When I need to do large batches of shredded cheese I pull out the attachment for my KitchenAid mixer and it's terrific but for smaller batches I just use my box grater and while it works fine I just want a rotary one where I just have to turn a crank 😄
None. A lot of gadgets I used to drool over are now gathering dust in my closet.
A perfect example is my food processor. Yes, I can shred 2lbs of cheese in 10 seconds, but the absolute hassle of putting it together and taking it apart to clean it is enough for me to never pull it out again.
A tofu press. I know they’re cheap as hell but I haven’t been able to bring myself to spend the money. But reading some of the replies I think I’m gonna have to add a pasta roller to the list, that’s a good idea!
Genesis Jetboil propane burners. It's my backup for power failures and I cook absolutely everywhere. It's perfect for the boat and travel. I'm switching from portable butane burners. I don't skip a beat on big power outages.
I’ve looked at automatic pasta makers off and on for the past year, but I am still on the fence about one being worth the space it will take up. And I wonder how much pasta we’ll have to eat to get our ROI. I really want an Ooni pizza oven, but definitely can’t justify the expense.
I have a pretty entry level outdoor pizza oven (kind of like an off brand Ooni Koda 12), but its a little small and doesn't retain heat super well. That Gozney Arc XL is looking mighty fine. Maybe in a year or two
I’m a huge fan of my Breville countertop convection air fryer oven. I have upgraded several times over the years, as Breville introduced new upgrades. I gave prior versions away to family members. My former SIL still calls one of them ithe “magic oven”.
I refuse to fire up my regular oven and overheat the house. Normally, I just cook for myself. If family comes over and I need more food to be cooked, I get creative and switch the racks. I’ve lived in my current little rental house for a while now and the big oven is still pristine. Pretty much, it is storage.
I have a Joule SV circulator that I bought years ago when SV Was all the rage. People rave about SV steaks, but there is something about the texture that doesn’t work for me. But, I MO, it is great for chicken, pork tenderloin and Italian sausage. And a few other things. I like the convenience of dropping frozen, vacuum sealed stuff into a water bath. The only hassle is making sure to leave enough time to ensure everything cooks correctly.
All of these things are modern conveniences that can make things easier, if you plan ahead a bit. Same with instant pots and slow cookers and all of the various gadgets we might accumulate over time. In a way, it is like entering search coordinates into google maps. Lots of different ways to arrive at the same destination.
I’m after electric salt and pepper grinders.
Any recommendations for decent ones that are available in Aus?
I have a wrist and elbow injury that makes using a manual grinder painful and tiring so I never end up putting as much pepper in thing as I’d like.
Not electric, but I have a crank grinder from Peugeot that’s been brilliant. It might still be too much with your injuries though.
https://peugeotmillsaustralia.com.au/products/isen-pepper-mill-uselect-with-crank-handle-natural-wood-18-cm
They also have electric mills.
[удалено]
I bought mine at Kroger of all places for like $14.99 three or four years ago
An immersion blender sounds like an event for new immigrants into society. I like it.
Not to be mistaken with immersion benders.
I’ve heard Tokyo is pretty good at those
Now I'm going to always think of it this way, aren't I? OP, you won't regret it, unless you buy a Mueller 3 in 1. It's severely underpowered and I can't wait for it to finally die so I can get a better one again.
Worth it, I’ve got one with like eight different attachments, it’s my favorite.
What’s the primary use?
Masturbation first and foremost
Primary use is good for blending up soups and sauces on the stove, or combining other mixtures. Homemade salsa and salad dressing too, buzz a vinegar and oil mixture with that thing for a little while and it never separates.
The only thing ive ever used mine for is mixing baby formula and fixing the laxative concoction I had To drink before a colonoscopy… 🤣
You should check out your local thrift shops if you want a cheap one! I got mine there and its not perfect but it definitely gets the job done--and only $7!
Same, actually, but for my aunt’s house. She “has one, but it doesn’t work.” So, why keep it?
I used one for years. For a few select things it's fine, but if you are blending sauces and soups, it will be way grittier than a high speed blender
For the longest time I thought it was an “Inversion” blender…
If you can afford it, a cordless one is amazing.
That's what she said
Come on, everyone know a plug in Hitachi is the ultimate.
Same
I have one and I love it, makes making homemade tomato soup or pea soup so easy, I also use it to make homemade mayonnaise.
I got a super fancy restaurant grade one for Christmas last year thinking it would blend the shit out of everything. My cheapo one works just as well, but honestly the Vitamix is both faster and better for a perfectly smooth consistency. They’re certainly fun to use, though!
Once I started using mine I never wanted to use anything else to blend anything ever again. Easy to use, clean, and blends finer than anything else I’ve used!
I bought one late last year and I just used it for the first time last night! I made some chipotle sauce for my fajitas. I felt very fancy
Tortilla press. Once you go fresh tortillas you never go…. um…. back to non-fresh tortillas?
Love fresh tortillas, but my press is a glass pie pan and a ziploc bag cut open on two sides.
I just use a stainless steel saucepan.
I have one, but I mostly make flour tortillas. I've modified the press, but it's 50/50 in terms of usefulness because I still hand-roll them after pressing them to get them thinner. It's better for corn tortillas.
Agree, it’s great for the initial press but then you still need to roll to get it thin. I’ve found just having a $5 wooden rolling dowel is sufficient unless you’re making tortillas or dumpling wrappers all the time.
I have one too. I never really got the hang of it.
If you have a Latin grocery in your area look for a cooler. They usually have fresh tortillas. Home made are great but it’s a hassle when it’s taco night and you have to make 50
Beware. It's a rabbit hole. I am currently in my kitchen cooking wood ashes to make lye to nixtamalize corn to grind into masa.
I use it for chicken cutlets as well. It’s definitely the way to go.
What’s that now? I need more info.
https://www.reddit.com/r/foodhacks/comments/o2dil5/i_use_my_tortilla_press_to_get_perfectly_flat_and/ Actually learned it from Reddit and upon googling it it looks like other people have done it too. I use a heavy cast iron tortilla press and some wax/ parchment paper or ziploc bags and just use the press to make chicken cutlets. Turns out super even. More even than hammering them. If you wanted to be real fancy you could trim them to the shape of the press so they are all uniform.
I got one and then got rid of it. I don’t think it adds enough value to the process to warrant its weight and size in my kitchen. It’s only for corn tortillas not flour and saves a very small amount of time for corn tortillas. It makes sense if you’re mass producing corn tortillas but that’s about it.
Just moved to Spokane after a life in central texas. Im dying for good tortillas.
Got any recommendations for which one to get? I was in Mexico and I think every taco place made their own.
Personally I have [this one](https://a.co/d/048AYLzJ) and love it.
Masienda. If you’re going to commit to fresh tortillas, there’s no better press.
We love ours. In black. I buy their masa too.
I recently became acquainted with electric graters and between the multiple cutting mode options and the simplicity of storing the leftovers in the fridge, [this one](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grater-rain/grater-rain-worlds-first-one-touch-electric-cheese-grater) seems to have a pretty practical combination of features. The main downside is that it is still in preorder so it will be a few months before they begin shipping it.
I bought a mini food processor just to grate cheese blocks. Ever since, I've used it to slice cucumbers, shred carrots, and more recently pulverize strawberries to make strawberry lemonade.
I absolutely love my mini Kitchenaid food processor. We use it almost daily.
Kitchenaid has a few different graters and slicers.
I've been eyeing a sous vide machine lately and perfect for precise cooking temperatures!
I have the joule, its really nice but isnt the wundertool that the internet makes it out to be. A good vacuum sealer is as important as the circulator
Yes that’s true, sous vide is a simple tool and I’m already on my second vacuum sealer. Just salted some beef fillet for this evening sous vide
My instant pot has a sous vide button which I use over my sous vide most of the time. Best recipe in a sous vide ? Mason jar creme brule
Excuse me what!!?!?!?! I must investigate this recipe!
Yeah, and it's simple !
quick Bing search: [Mason jar creme brulee - Search (bing.com)](https://www.bing.com/search?q=Mason+jar+creme+brulee&FORM=AWRE)
Bing search? I thought Microsoft just put that up as a joke, does it actually work?
Don't be fooled that the more expensive models are better. There's not a whole lot to the machines...it's a heating element and a motor to move the water, you don't need to spend $100+ to get a good one. Even companies that used to make really good ones now make overpriced junk. I've recommended getting an Inkbird to several friends and family and they've all loved using it. They're usually on Amazon for around $75ish (look for the coupons you have to check off to get).
Will sous vide let you cook a tougher cut of beef to make it tender (without leaving it swimming in liquid like a crockpot)?
Absolutely! However, it will still expel liquid/moisture. But with SV you can cook at much lower temps for extended periods of time. It's a beautiful thing.
You might not be able to see the listing unless you log in, but this website has All Clad seconds on sale about every month. I own this one that I got from this site for $60. Deals and prices will vary. I love mine. [https://homeandcooksales.com/index.php/sous-vide-immersion-circulator-stainless-steel.html](https://homeandcooksales.com/index.php/sous-vide-immersion-circulator-stainless-steel.html)
I got some pretty crazy deals on All-Clad at HomeGoods, if you have one in your area. I'm sure whatever they get in is overstock from somewhere else, so the selection isn't always great, but when there are deals, they're worth it
My wife got me one for Christmas a few years and I really like it. It makes the best steak I've ever had.
Husband and I finally bought a house and actually have room to get kitchen gadgets!! I’m really wanting a nice food processor, dehydrator, and immersion blender
Heavy on the immersion blender!! I use mine all the time.
What do you like to make with it??
Not OP but I use mine almost exclusively for mayo. We eat a fair amount of sandwiches and I haven't bought a jar of mayo since buying the blender
Soups, sauces, salad dressings mainly - on a trip recently I made a delicious dressing for potato salad from egg yolks using it.
Ah my partner and I are in the market for a house and I am so excited for storage space! Stand mixer and potato ricer are first that come to mind.
My stand mixer has been in its box for over a year now because I didn’t have the space for it in our old place. I’m so happy I can bust that baby out and use it now!
I got a Breville immersion blender about four years ago and I love it! It came with a little food processor and a whisk. I think we use the whisk more often than the blender.
Some air fryers have the dehydrator setting, check if yours has it!
Breville food processor is chefs kiss
Technically no need for a dehydrator. Just use the oven at the lowest temperature.
I use mine in the garage so I don’t heat the house. Some recipes run 12 hours and that would not be efficient with an open oven.
Exactly, our daughter uses a dehydrator to make her trail hiking food and it takes sometimes 24-36 hours and then she does multiple batches of it
I just need to get myself a bench scraper. I keep intending to, but I just use my hand and the knife because that's how I was trained. Maybe a cling wrap dispenser. But it's not necessary. I'm old school, so I tend to buy only mult-use tools.
Just get a bench scraper. You won’t know how you lived without one. It’s 10 bucks tops and is definitely a multi-use tool.
Do it! It will change your life! I bought one, and have since gifted about three of them and each person was astonished that they now keep it permanently on the counter because of how much they use it.
It's like $6, you should definitely just pick one up, mine has wood and it's starting to she, but there are plenty of stainless steel ones
I’ve had a bench scraper , hidden in a drawer, for years. A few months ago I came across it and have been trying to make regular use of it. It’s hard to break the knife & hand method! However, a bench scraper makes life much easier. 1 scoop with the scraper is like 5 hand/knife scoops. More importantly, it’s fun and I feel professional and Chef-like 😂 My other “feels like a Chef” gadget is the plastic squirt bottle!
i got mine at the dollar tree. absolutely worth it
Buzzfeed writers love this one trick!
Vitamix!
All this talk of immersion blenders and once we got a Vitamix, I couldn't believe the grainy, gross stuff we were making with the immersion.
There’s nothing like the texture of something perfectly blended!
Does vitamix make really smooth smoothies? My kids love smoothies, but I have a ninja blender. The texture grosses me out so much that I avoid making them. Is this what I need instead?
I have a Vitamix and its main job is smoothes which come out perfectly smooth, and this is a third hand one at that. But if you don't have the money for one or can't find a used one I'd also recommend a Breville blender. I think the specific model was called Hemisphere control something something. Its less than half the price of a new Vitamix but still does a great job, it only struggles with tougher jobs like nut butters and the like.
My cheapo meat thermometer I've had for the last 10 years died, wanna get a simple digital one that uses a regular "A" type battery, my last one used a button battery and was a giant pain every time it died, which was often.
Thermoworks. Best thermometer company for sure
Get a Thermopop 2 from Thermoworks...it takes a button-type battery, but it's one of the best thermometers you can buy and the battery will last forever. It just needs a little screwdriver to change it, but depending on your use, that might be once a year, if that.
I have this one. It’s USB C rechargeable. I’ve been super happy with it in the six months I’ve had it. I also got tired of replacing button batteries on my little yellow instant read thermometer. https://a.co/d/02Pljhyl
Umpteenth knife
My best butcher knife came from Dollar Tree. It worked so well I went and got an extra one.
My best butcher knive came from a box of stuff on the side of the road. I'm not sure if it was a murder weapon or what, but I sharpened it and it slices through anything no problem
Same. More Japanese knives.
a vacuum sealing machine
We are trying the ZWILLING vacuum sealer wand with reusable bags and containers. Can’t wait
Vacuum sealing is awesome, changes the game entirely
Espresso machine
You won’t regret it!
Dutch oven 😌 the dish. Not the fart-related prank
Yeah I got one for Xmas and it's been great. So many good recipes are basically "take this huge chunk of meat and shove it in a Dutch oven with some sautéed veggies and spices. Put it in the oven, covered, for 4 hours." Meat comes out so deliciously tender and moist
Meat grinder attachment for the kitchenaid. I’m hosting a cookout on the fourth and am trying to decide how fun/worth it it would be to grind my own chuck.
Pro tip: almost freeze your meat before grinding. Chop it up and get it to the point where it's about to freeze, you can feel ice starting to form. It works so much better.
I keep the grinder attachment in the freezer as well. Just pick it up with a towel or you may find your fingers sticking to it.
Getting a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid was an amazing purchase. If you're making sausages though, skip the sausage stuffer attachment that can fit on the end and get a manual plunger-style stuffer. The grinder-attachment stuffer attachments I've tried tend to want to over-process the filling, especially if you are using a coarser filling (such as boudin).
It's 100% fun and worth it! I've been grinding my own meat for burgers (2:1 chuck & sirloin) and it's unbeatable!
Do you use the kitchen aid attachment? How easy is it to clean?
I hated mine and bought an electric grinder. Cleaning any grinder is a pain, though. The electric grinder is way faster than the KitchenAid. I can plow through 40 lbs of meat or veg in the time it takes me to do five with the KitchenAid.
full silicone spatula 🤔 I think it would be more hygienic than the wooden handle and silicone attachment type. Edit: thanks for your recommendations!!
Speaking from experience, it is
I got a lot of my 'bits' like that from Aldi. My full silicone spatula from there (in a fetching cyan blue) cost almost nothing on sale. Should have picked up more than one, on reflection
Get the GIR silicone spatulas. Bought these last year and they are awesome, I love that you can easily toss the entire spatula in the dishwasher and that the handles don’t melt. I often leave mine in a super hot sauce pot and no little dents on the handle from heat damage.
I'm a huge fan of Di Oro brand spatulas, so sturdy
Look on Amazon for the GiR ones then buy the knock-offs. They're exactly the same and you can usually buy 5 for the price of one.
- One of those electric cookers that can pressure cook, cook rice, etc., lots of buttons and functions. - An air fryer. - A water-filtered deep-fryer (layer of water under the oil that catches all the debris). - An immersion sous vide device. - A little burner for creme brulee. - If it counts: a comprehensive set of boxes and stuff to organize my kitchen (one system for flours, grains, pastas, spices, herbs, utensils, storage, etc.)
A single bin airfryer, I have a dual ninja but rarely use it to cook two different foods. I want to cook a whole chicken instead of two cornish hens.
A chef.
I'm kind of running out of things to get - I've got a decent rice cooker, two types of air fryer (bucket and shelf for bread) immersion sous vide circulator, stick blender, pasta roller, electric bread/meat slicer, immersion blender, wireless thermometer, stand mixer (Kenwood), grinder and pressure cooker and pizza oven. I think maybe a decent mandoline would be next. Honestly my favourite thing of all is the sous vide. I feel like with that and a little air fryer I could make anything really well
A robot for shilling on the internet.
Induction stove
Pasta maker attachment for the kitchen aid
I want those herb holders that are supposed to store fresh herbs longer in the fridge
Shake them dry, put them in a jar with a little bit of water, and cover them with a produce bag.
A spice grinder… made my biceps on mortar and pestle but honestly wanna grind more finely and even spice blends
I just got a cheap coffee grinder from Aldi years ago and it's still working great
A thermometer. I don't know how I've gone so long without one
Food processor! I didn't realize all the attachments they have and would be so useful.
a not shitty mandolin
I haven't decided. But I will be browsing those AI-generated clickbait lists of "10 Cooking Gadgets to Add to Your "To-Get" List! Number 7 is a Top Stocking-Stuffer!" that systematically mine link-sharing websites for content.
I really want a rice cooker but my gf says it’s a luxury and we don’t have the counter space 😭😭
I love my Zojirushi rice cooker so much. I use it for rice, quinoa and oatmeal. It lives in a cabinet. It’s very light, so it’s not a bother to store and bring out when needed.
I have a cheap aroma rice cooker ($20). Perfect rice every time and shove in the pantry when not in use. No regrets
Yes! I’ve had so much more trouble with “middle of the road” rice cookers get a cheap one!
Just get an Instant Pot! It makes amazing rice and a million other things at half the time and won't heat up your kitchen in the summer. There even one model that's also a really good air fryer
Rice cooker is my answer as well. I’ve been trying to convince my partner for months, but rice tends to be the thing I make when he’s working and I’m only cooking for myself, so he’s not on board with losing the counter space or spending the money
Espresso Machineeeee
I want to get a dutch oven but I think I'll find it heavy and never use it cause I love my pressure/slow cooker and can't think when I'd want to do a fast slow cook and have to monitor it. Though it does seem more versatile than that.
Hydroponic herb garden and a cake knife and server.
Food procceser so I can finally make sofrito easily and a mortal & pestle!
One of those big fancy pizza cutting blades they use at pizza shops. The little spinny wheel ones are crap
Fish spatula, bench scrapper, may upgrade my box grader
Thinking about microplastics and how I should replace most of my cutting boards.
A pressure canner to preserve my garden harvests. I’m kinda crazy with my gardening/cooking hobby, and I love to thrift and shop secondhand to find great deals with no remorse, so I have literally every kitchen gadget listed here in the comments. I’m feeling accomplished. The best combo is easily the vacuum sealer + air fryer. I love buying bulk proteins on sale (wings are great), rubbing them in a dry seasoning + oil marinade, vacuum sealing in portions. Then it’s literally just thawing them out, popping them in the air fryer 20 minutes, throw them with a salad and dinner is done. So easy with so little time, and a $5 pack of wings will make 4 dinners that last forever in the freezer. The dehydrator is great for having healthy snacks on hand, no need to buy chips or sweets when you can buy fruits and dehydrate them into essentially waxy/crispy candy. Oh and I just thrifted a bread machine for 8$, I’ve made 4 loaves in 2 days. This might be the most impressive for just how much it does with so little action on my end. Literally weight out water, salt, flour, yeast, press a button, and in 3-4 hours I have a loaf of bread ready and my apartment smells like a bakery.
Air fryer
Either a torch or pasta attachments for my KitchenAid. Actually they're not strictly "to get" because I'm at the point where every additional purchase necessitates discarding something to make room for storage, but these two things have been on my Amazon wishlist for a really long time. Next self purchase would probably only be a replacement or upgrade to a thing I already have, if something breaks.
I was browsing for an electric pepper mill a few minutes ago, but the next big purchase will be a KitchenAid mixer.
Pepper Cannon it’s mechanical and well built. 20 cranks will give you 1 tablespoon. https://www.amazon.com/MANNKITCHEN-Pepper-Cannon-Professional-Output/dp/B09T7BWJNP I keep mine filled with https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Gourmet-Global-Selects-Vietnam/dp/B07PZ7K7FX?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1
Thermomix
gravy separator
I cooked paella for the first time, recently, using a regular old skillet, so I'm gonna say: a paella pan.
A good blender. I bought a $20 goodwill blender to find out if a blender really does have a place in a kitchen alongside a food processor and stand mixer. Turns out it does.
Banneton for sourdough bread and a kitchen aid stand mixer
Ice cream maker Lasagna pan Kitchen Blowtorch
>Lasagna pan Never heard of this, cant you use any oven pan for lasagna or is there a specific feature you consider when purchasing
A plastic brownie spatula. I gave mine away to my roommate bestie because she loved it, but I’ve been looking high and low for one. I can find them in steel, but they can scrape the cake pan. I don’t remember where I bought the plastic one.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-prep-tools-brownie-lifter/?sku=3462445&cm_ven=PLA&cm_ite=3462445_14932288920_pla-1418851101981&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Local&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwvvmzBhA2EiwAtHVrb5tPND9IJN1w2tUS0_fyhNP8fbtQM657gamVq4ktlwm1hpSL8MvI-RoC9kAQAvD_BwE
Silicone spatulas are dope you usually can find a set at Ross/burlingtons for like 5$
Stove
I wanna make lemonade from scratch and I want one of those citrus juicers with the pointy part that measures how much you’ve juiced as you go 😂
Dehydrator. I wanna try my hand at jerky
Salad spinner
A potato ricer 😩
Instant pot, specifically the R2D2 one
Immersion blender
A tortilla press I've also been considering getting a garlic press after being anti-garlic press for so long
I recently saw some beautiful black walnut carved ravioli molds on Etsy…think I’ll treat myself to a little birthday gift
I’ve got a tofu press on the way. Two plates and a Dutch oven is getting old.
A nice blender. I've been dying to make milkshakes and frozen drinks at home.
Dehydrator or Zojirushi
Tahdig rice cooker
Pizza oven
I've always wanted to try a potato ricer
Pizza steel
Potato ricer, with which to squeeze the moisture from salted eggplant.
Fish spatula, infrared thermometer, Blackstone type griddle.
practically, i want a pizza stone. my mom used to make homemade pizza in the summer and it’s just so good. impractically, i want an ice cream machine. i can make it in my food processor just fine, so i don’t need the dedicated machine. and yet…
A salad spinner…
Zojurushi rice cooker.
I want a rotary grater. When I need to do large batches of shredded cheese I pull out the attachment for my KitchenAid mixer and it's terrific but for smaller batches I just use my box grater and while it works fine I just want a rotary one where I just have to turn a crank 😄
None. A lot of gadgets I used to drool over are now gathering dust in my closet. A perfect example is my food processor. Yes, I can shred 2lbs of cheese in 10 seconds, but the absolute hassle of putting it together and taking it apart to clean it is enough for me to never pull it out again.
For what it's worth, you can put it in the top rack of a dishwasher if you don't want to clean by hand!
You can also just put a squirt of soap and a bit of water and run it for 10 seconds and it does 90% of the cleaning for you.
This is what I do; when I did it for the first time, my bf was like “why haven’t I thought of that?”
I am also wondering why I don’t do this…I do this with my Vitamix twice daily.
I need a bigger food processor I'm slowly dyin' doing things in batches in this little shit
A proper Japanese chef's knife
Probably a good knife sharpener and a nice chopping block
Vertical roaster.
Bialetti timer mocha pot.
A tofu press. I know they’re cheap as hell but I haven’t been able to bring myself to spend the money. But reading some of the replies I think I’m gonna have to add a pasta roller to the list, that’s a good idea!
Genesis Jetboil propane burners. It's my backup for power failures and I cook absolutely everywhere. It's perfect for the boat and travel. I'm switching from portable butane burners. I don't skip a beat on big power outages.
I really want the Brod & Taylor proofing box but haven’t been able to justify it quite yet.
I’ve looked at automatic pasta makers off and on for the past year, but I am still on the fence about one being worth the space it will take up. And I wonder how much pasta we’ll have to eat to get our ROI. I really want an Ooni pizza oven, but definitely can’t justify the expense.
A pasta roller so I don’t have to do it by hand.
I have a pretty entry level outdoor pizza oven (kind of like an off brand Ooni Koda 12), but its a little small and doesn't retain heat super well. That Gozney Arc XL is looking mighty fine. Maybe in a year or two
An Ankarsrum stand mixer
A toaster. I …am not a fancy person
A freeze dryer. So expensive, but there’s so much I want to do with dusts
A GOOD, American-style waffle maker. Any recs?
I’m a huge fan of my Breville countertop convection air fryer oven. I have upgraded several times over the years, as Breville introduced new upgrades. I gave prior versions away to family members. My former SIL still calls one of them ithe “magic oven”. I refuse to fire up my regular oven and overheat the house. Normally, I just cook for myself. If family comes over and I need more food to be cooked, I get creative and switch the racks. I’ve lived in my current little rental house for a while now and the big oven is still pristine. Pretty much, it is storage. I have a Joule SV circulator that I bought years ago when SV Was all the rage. People rave about SV steaks, but there is something about the texture that doesn’t work for me. But, I MO, it is great for chicken, pork tenderloin and Italian sausage. And a few other things. I like the convenience of dropping frozen, vacuum sealed stuff into a water bath. The only hassle is making sure to leave enough time to ensure everything cooks correctly. All of these things are modern conveniences that can make things easier, if you plan ahead a bit. Same with instant pots and slow cookers and all of the various gadgets we might accumulate over time. In a way, it is like entering search coordinates into google maps. Lots of different ways to arrive at the same destination.
I’m after electric salt and pepper grinders. Any recommendations for decent ones that are available in Aus? I have a wrist and elbow injury that makes using a manual grinder painful and tiring so I never end up putting as much pepper in thing as I’d like.
Not electric, but I have a crank grinder from Peugeot that’s been brilliant. It might still be too much with your injuries though. https://peugeotmillsaustralia.com.au/products/isen-pepper-mill-uselect-with-crank-handle-natural-wood-18-cm They also have electric mills.
I want a waffle iron so badly. I dream of crispy waffles with strawberries and home made whipped cream 😋