What kitchen gadgets do you consider essential?

Well, I do tuck some of my stuff in the nooks around Janet's stuff, Mike. These ladies think alike.

[Jenise]

Dwight--you found us! Glad to see you.

Welcome, Dwight. It's great to see your name again.

Regards, Bob

Thanks all. Another gadget not essential but I would dearly hate to do without is my zester. Guess I've been fixing a lot of things this summer with lemons in it and I've bent the device, but it works fine enough for now (until I break it or deform it beyond repair).

Wait a minute, Maria...
You use steak knives for your prep work? Are they serated? This works for you?

My mother-in-law uses a paring knife for everything. I don't think she even owns a larger knife. It drives me crazy to watch her prepare a meal using that itty bitty knife.

Chef's knife, paring knife, pepper mill (we have three), Foreman Grill (perfect for a quick burger when we work late and don't feel like real cooking), corkscrew, coffee maker, Waring blender (for frozen drinks), 2-cup food processor, slow-cooker, wheel pizza cutter.

Wait a minute, Maria...
You use steak knives for your prep work? Are they serated? This works for you?

Yes Carrie. I use steak knives for almost everything. Once in a blue moon I will reach for one of my chef's knives to debone a chicken or cut up a melon, but in all honesty I use my steak knife for almost everything.

It is serated and I find that it makes slicing through anything...tomatoes, bread, beef, veggies, very easy. Plus, they never really need to be sharpened or honed.

I used to use all kinds of great knives, but once I had children I found that I just didn't have time to use different knives...LOL! Not to mention, washing all those different knives. And at this point, I can peel an apple with a steak knife faster than with a paring knife.

My mother-in-law uses a paring knife for everything. I don't think she even owns a larger knife. It drives me crazy to watch her prepare a meal using that itty bitty knife.

My mom used to do this, and her sister still does.
They cut everything using one small knife, and no cutting board, either. The technique consists of holding the item to be cut up in one hand, and cutting the item in question directly into the pot or dish. I guess that developed to minimize cleanup.
It used to drive my mother nuts when she'd watch me cook - because of all the various utensils I'd employ to accomplish a simple task. But then again, I usually have someone cleaning up after me!

John, that is exactly the same technique my MIL uses. When I cook at her house, it's always an ordeal because I make her dig around for her one (also itty bitty) cutting board, but I don't think I could cook without one. Or let's just say, I wouldn't want to.

Maria, I'm impressed. About all I can do with a steak knife is eat a steak or pork chop.

[Jenise]

Bob, when it comes right down to it, all of us could get by with merely the means to slice, stir, turn, pierce, scoop, mix, pound and grind, but as I looked around my kitchen this weekend relative to your question, I have to admit I wondered why I would want to? I mean, even you had to bundle your spoons together as a 'set' in order artificially stay within your self-imposed quota.

Most of the things we own that go beyond the basics I mentioned above are the things that make our foods easier to prepare, more elegant and more complex.

I thought of it when I got out a box grater to shave some cheddar for some lunch tacos. I thought of it when I got out a microplane to shave a little parmesan onto a salad, and I thought about it when I had to move the little German asparagus peeler and my silicon basting brushes (yes, I have two) out of my way to get at the microplane. And I thought about it on Saturday when I bought a 1/8" holed, large capacity china cap at the neighborhood garage sale. The one I already have is a fine mesh, so this will be useful, and besides Bev Hubbard was selling it--it had been her husband Bob's, who was reknowned as a great cook, and who died shortly after we moved in. I never met him, but I know of him through his wife's great love and it will be an honor to have one of his tools in my armory. And I thought about it again just now as I rinsed some rice in a large diameter but relatively shallow strainer that has a long handle I can hold in my right hand as my left hand stirs the grains. Barley, beans, rice--they all get rinsed in this wonderful strainer prior to cooking. Before I got it, a lot of grain went down the drain.

And my point is that yes I could do without these very useful tools, but what each of these tools does improves the way I do each of those steps--none can be achieved as efficiently or as finely by any other means. They are not electrical. They do not have to live on a counter. They are easily stored.

To do without them would make my life less pretty.

So why do without? Why make cloudier stocks because I don't have a fine mesh china cap through which to strain them? Why dirty up the bigger, harder to wash blender or the food mill or pass on the pureeing step altogether because an immersion blender doesn't make my Top 20? Why get less juice in twice the time from a lemon because I don't have a reamer anymore? Why have leaves in my tea because the little strainer wasn't as important as the (manual) can opener? Sure, I can crack black pepper in my mortar and pestle, I don't have to have not just one peppermill but two--one for stove and one for table--but then I wouldn't be able to season or reseason on a moment's notice, and I covet my moments.

Speaking of mortar and pestle, it would be on my Must Have list. I didn't see it on anyone else's. But then, like John T, I would argue the difference between gadget and essential tool. A knife is not a gadget.

But a George Foreman Grill is a gadget, and do I want one? Uh, no, that's what pans and stoves are for. I do not own an electric coffee maker, rice cooker, popcorn popper, tea kettle or a conventional toaster. Oh, I do have a toaster oven which I like, but even that could go--after all, I have racks and a broiler. That leaves the Kitchen Aid mixer, the Cuisinart Food Processor, and an immersion blender. You say I have to get rid of one more?

Okay, take the Kitchen Aid.

I covet my moments.

I nominate this for phrase of the year in the FLDG.

Speaking of mortar and pestle, it would be on my Must Have list.

I have a wonderful one that a friend made me... it's terra cotta with an oak pestle. Lovely to hold and use. I didn't even think of listing it because it's something I use constantly..... so constantly I don't think about it. Just like my pepper mills, which I also didn't list.

Robin reminded me of something that has been essential for us. She bought a Vita-Mix juicer last year and it has been a "must have" in fixing food for the kids. It's the same type of juicer you see in Jamba Juice and similar places and is much easier to use than a blender (and more powerful than most).

The oldest hardly eats but will drink a smoothy made with fruits and juice. And it has made preparing baby food for the youngest extremely easy. Something that would have been a splurge a few years ago has been the perfect thing for us now.

KitchenAid mixer, microwave, cleaver.

Chinese cleaver. It's just about the only knife I use.

-Paul W.

[Robin Garr]

It's alive! It's alive!

Chinese cleaver. It's just about the only knife I use.

-Paul W.

You and I are the same in that respect. I have quite a number of knives, but always go back to my #4 cleaver, which I must use about 90-95% of the time.

[Robin Garr]

Chinese cleaver. It's just about the only knife I use.

-Paul W.

You and I are the same in that respect. I have quite a number of knives, but always go back to my #4 cleaver, which I must use about 90-95% of the time.

I save my real Chinatown-bought cleaver for Chinese. It seems right. But it's my old, lovingly cared-for 9-inch chef knife that gets 90-95% of my use.

I use either a 6" or 8" chef's knife most of the time. I'll pick up a cleaver if I have something tough to bang through.