My friend Kate asked bloggers to share some of their favorite kitchen gadgets today, so I'm joining in the fun. These might not all be "gadgets," but I do enjoy having them around!
First up are these three guys- my Sunbeam breadmaker, a Mr. Coffee espresso machine, and a 1970s era GE food processor:
I use the breadmaker several times a week to make our sandwich bread. I crank it onto "dough setting" (which it is in for this photo), and I just bake the bread in the oven when the dough is ready. One of these days I'll try out some new recipes!
The espresso is handy for making my world-famous cafe mochas. Okay, so they aren't exactly world-famous, but people who try them sure seem to like 'em. I can save a bundle making them at home, and it's so fun to be able to offer a specialty coffee drink to your guests.
The GE food processor came from my grandparents' house, and it gets a good work out in the summertime. I use it to shred zucchini from our garden--which is used to make zucchini bread, of course! You'd never know she is an old appliance...sometimes I think that older appliances work better than new ones.
Next up are my two Kitchen Aid mixers and my Sony iPod dock:
I can't say enough good things about my little 3-speed Kitchen Aid hand mixer. We (okay, I) received it as a wedding gift 10 1/2 years ago, and it does just as good of a job now as it did before.
I'll be completely honest and tell you that the Kitchen Aid stand mixer scared the begeezes out of me and I didn't use it for a good 5 or 6 years after we received it as a wedding gift. I grew up watching my mom and dad use one, and they raved about how great it was, but I was fairly certain I would lose an arm or finger in it or something horrible like that and it would end up on YouTube and I'd be famous for it.
So when I did work up the courage to use my stand mixer, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did I not lose an appendage, but it made heavy mixing jobs so much easier! It makes baking a breeze, especially during the holidays.
Last, but not least, is my little Sony iPod dock that T gave me this past Christmas. It's small, but the speakers are fantastic. I love to plug my iPhone in and blast a little Pandora while I clean or get dinner started. I can't wait to play some Christmas tunes through my iPod next holiday season.
I'm sure there are all sorts of other goodies in my kitchen I could share with you, but these are a few that popped into my mind first. We live in a smallish, older home, so storage space is limited. If I'm going to keep a gadget, it has to be good!
What kitchen gadget do you own that you can't live without?
Linking to Centsational Girl
I have the exact same food processor! I love it! I got it from my grandmother too! I don't have a hand mixer since mine died several years ago, but now I'm reminded that I need to get one! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteMy Keurig for sure!!!
ReplyDeleteI have an expresso machine just like that one. I love it too
Hugs
SueAnn
Ryan always jokes that i love my kitchen gadgets. I just recently got my first food processor and dont know how I did without it for so long.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite gadget is the Pampered Chef version of the Slap Chop. It is great for cutting up onions. I use it several times a week. I think your bread maker is really cool. I would love to try and make my own bread someday.
ReplyDeleteI love your food processor! I think my grandparents had the same one:) I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer way more than I should...basically because I bake way too many sweets! I've never tried making homemade bread, but making sandwich bread sounds kind of fun!
ReplyDeleteMy Kitchen-Aid stand-up mixer is definitely my must-have tool. I told my husband that if it every broke, I'd be going out the same day to replace it. I use it almost daily and sometimes multiple times each day. It can do just about anything I want it to. About six months ago I discovered it could shred chicken and I've been even more in love with it since then. You can have everything else, but don't take my Kitchen-Aid!!!!
ReplyDeleteObviously, my stand mixer is my favorite. It warms my heart every time I look at it! But when I was living with my mom, she had a rice cooker and I miss it! I used it to cook not only rice but every type of grain including steel cut oats. Just set it and forget it without the risk of it sticking and burning!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog!
Glad you didn't lose a finger, or a toe, or any other appendage. :)
ReplyDeleteLaura
I've always wanted a bread maker! Me = jealous ;-)
ReplyDeletehey amanda!
ReplyDeletethank you so much for stopping by my blog earlier today! i had a chance to come by your place and love it - i'm off to snoop around some more. :-)
thanks again!!
samantha
Thanks for sharing all these goodies! I really want a bread maker and to try some differnt breads out...althought that makes me nervous haha! My fav appliance is my kitchen aid right now!!! I looove it. Making fresh whipped cream for strawberries :D
ReplyDeletexo Jess
{www.CraftyNonsenseNoted.com}
I don't have a KitchenAid but I've been dying to have one! The bread machine would be awesome too!
ReplyDeleteI love this party. I love seeing what other people like. I am so excited to see that so far nobody listed what I did. It just goes to show how many freaking products there are out there!
ReplyDeleteLauren, you can use your crock pot as a rice cooker. Depending on which size you have, you'll have to experiment with the timing but it works the same way as a rice cooker.
ReplyDeleteTotally digging the old school food processor. And I love that it's still ticking for you 40 years later. Gotta love that.
ReplyDeleteThe KitchenAid mixer scared me too! It took me a good six months after getting it to actually move it from my store room out onto my counter! But now I've love it! :)
ReplyDeleteWe got an old food processor from my sister in law. It had been her grandma's and she already had one. Works great. Built to last!
ReplyDeleteI inherited a food processor very similar to yours from my grandmother. I'm quite positive that older appliances were built to last. I use the toaster oven that my mom used in the 70's.
ReplyDeleteI love gadgets in the kitchen but one thing I'd hate to not have is my small tv. I love to watch it while I cook or clean up.
You can use your stand mixer for mixing and kneading the dough for bread. It's so easy! I don't even use my bread machine anymore. Use the dough hook for the stand mixer to mix the ingredients and do the kneading. I love it!
ReplyDelete