Your least and most used kitchen appliance/utensil?

[blades]

I think I do. I'm not sure what I would use a stand mixer for really. The only mixer I use is a stick blender.

The stand mixer makes kneading bread dough effortless. What I never use is a hand mixer. My most used kitchen tool is the gyuto or chef knife. My least used is the pressure cooker which I view as fussy to use and I can't watch and test the food as it cooks.

 

[TastyReuben]

When I’m making dough, I use my stand mixer about half the time. The other half is by hand. Some days, I just want to get my hands in there and take my time with it. It’s good therapy.

 

[LissaC]

I always use the stand mixer to knead dough. I absolutely hate kneading dough by hand. I know you're supposed to knead by hand at least a couple times so you become familiar with changes in texture and different kinds of dough but I just hate kneading dough. I already get an arm day at the gym, don't need an extra one at home.

 

[TastyReuben]

I know you're supposed to knead by hand at least a couple times so you become familiar with changes in texture and different kinds of dough but I just hate kneading dough.

I don’t even care about that. I just like it because it forces me to slow down and concentrate on one thing - the thing right at the ends of my hands. When I’m kneading dough, for those 10 minutes or so, everything else ceases to exist.

I dare say, it’s quite sensuous as well!

 

[LissaC]

I don’t even care about that. I just like it because it forces me to slow down and concentrate on one thing - the thing right at the ends of my hands. When I’m kneading dough, for those 10 minutes or so, everything else ceases to exist.

I dare say, it’s quite sensuous as well!

Now I have an imagine in my mind of Nigella Lawson kneading dough. Don't know how that image got there though.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I don’t even care about that. I just like it because it forces me to slow down and concentrate on one thing - the thing right at the ends of my hands. When I’m kneading dough, for those 10 minutes or so, everything else ceases to exist.

I dare say, it’s quite sensuous as well!

A friends of mines a teacher. One day they were making bread. One of the children who came into school rocking the scruffy urchin look on a daily basis said ”Miss Miss look, this dough clean your hands really well!”

I haven’t been able to watch dough being kneaded on TV since without thinking about that

 

[karadekoolaid]

I usually make dough by hand, but it's never really enough to oblige me to haul the KitchenAid out (which weighs about 3,000 kgs) for a few bits of bread.
Could have done with it today, however, because we had to make 5 kilos of dough for chapattis, all by hand.
I now have arms like Mike Tyson.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I guess anything that gets used daily is up on the most used list, so kettle, chopping board, knives, garlic/ginger crusher, airfryer and toaster (at the moment).

The least used is definitely the kitchenaid stick blender and the mini magimix food processor. Next would be the pasta maker. I actually use that more often than the stick blender.

 

[blades]

I guess anything that gets used daily is up on the most used list, so kettle, chopping board, knives, garlic/ginger crusher, airfryer and toaster (at the moment).

The least used is definitely the kitchenaid stick blender and the mini magimix food processor. Next would be the pasta maker. I actually use that more often than the stick blender.

i chop garlic with a chef knife. It takes less time than cleaning the garlic press. Airfryer? I don't have one. It would certainly chage my cooking methods if I did. I do congratulate you for making pasta from scratch. I used to make "tagliatelli" from scratch some years ago but any more I use store bought frozen or dried pasta.

 

[LissaC]

I have a lot of kitchen gadgets. I love cooking and I cook a lot, but even I can admit I have too much stuff.

The only thing I sincerely regret buying is the slow cooker. The nutribullet also doesn't get as much use as I imagined but it's a good product overall.

I'm a big fan of kitchen equipment that reduces energy consumption, like airfryers, slow cookers and pressure cookers. The airfryer is a really good alternative to the oven in my opinion, and a good way to enjoy "crunchy" food without frying anything.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

i chop garlic with a chef knife. It takes less time than cleaning the garlic press. Airfryer? I don't have one. It would certainly chage my cooking methods if I did. I do congratulate you for making pasta from scratch. I used to make "tagliatelli" from scratch some years ago but any more I use store bought frozen or dried pasta.

I appreciate that most garlic crushers are a pita, and hard to get clean, but this one is different. My garlic and ginger press is fantastic and exceptionally easy to clean. Even cleaning it is quicker than chopping garlic by hand. Plus it's designed to crush ginger as well which it does get used for as well. It wasn't cheap, but they're is no way I'd chop garlic my hand when my garlic press is to hand.

The airfryer, well I took a long time to be convinced about them and buy one, but now I have one we use it so often because it doubles as a mini oven and takes just 90 seconds to heat up to temperature. In fact we use it that often that when we stayed with my sister in the UK, after the first week we were missing one so much (and her oven was very temperamental) that we purchased one for her. She uses it daily. Her oven on the other hand blew up leaving a hole in the side of it and scorched & dented her fridge!

The pasta maker came to us free. I do use it from time to time. I'm hoping to learn how to make my own pulse pasta from it. The supermarket pulse pasta leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[LissaC]

SatNavSaysStraightOn which brand is your garlic press? And does it press the entire garlic? One thing I hate about my garlic press and the reason why I rarely use it is that it leaves almost half the garlic on the press, it's such a waste of garlic.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

SatNavSaysStraightOn which brand is your garlic press? And does it press the entire garlic? One thing I hate about my garlic press and the reason why I rarely use it is that it leaves almost half the garlic on the press, it's such a waste of garlic.

Yes, it does. Very little doesn't go through and in theory you don't even need to peel the garlic either, but I still do because I rarely use just 1 clove of garlic.

I've had this garlic press since July 2012 according to Amazon and it is still the best one I've come across.

My review of it in CB is here.
Review - WMF Profi Plus Garlic Press Review

The link to Amazon.co.uk still works. I've checked. Yes it is expensive, but I'd pay that quite happily if I ever needed another and I wouldn't think twice about it. But we eat a lot of garlic (and ginger). As for how it has lasted, it still looks pretty new.

Cleaning takes maybe 5-10 seconds nowadays.

I'm apologise for the really weird angle, but I needed 3 hands to show this in a photo and only had 2!

So to clean, you flip it fully open, like so

And then just run a knife along the flat perforated edge. Then I just wash it immediately by whisking it in dishwater or running it under the tap, and you're done. If you clean it immediately, the garlic doesn't go sticky, otherwise it needs a bit longer to soak.

 

[TastyReuben]

I’ve seen a few people on the tee-vee using those garlic rocker presses - if I had to go buy a press, I’d try one of those.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I’ve seen a few people on the tee-vee using those garlic rocker presses - if I had to go buy a press, I’d try one of those.

It is really well designed this one. Plus it's heavy enough to bash things with if needed!

I would however only buy that one if it was available. I know it's pricey, but it will last the rest of my life, that I am sure about and it was the 4th one I'd bought.