favouritekitchenthings

[citoyen]

Hey Mrs citoyen and I can talk and see what we can do with our new toys.

Please no - I don’t want to encourage her!

Actually, I’m slowly coming round to the idea of the Instant Pot. It’s mainly the clogging up space the kitchen with yet more gadgets that bothers me.

[mrcharly-YHT]

My wife came home with an Instant Pot yesterday. She seemed disappointed that I didn’t share her excitement.

But I had two questions:
1. What do we need it for?
2. Do we have space in our kitchen for yet another gadget?

And a further question:
3. Did you not wonder why the friend who gave it to you absolutely free was so keen to get rid of it?

Seems like an echo of a discussion in our house (bar the free bit).

We have an induction hob with temp settings. So slow cooking can be done using that (although MrsC insists that the temp settings will still burn food, contrary to the evidence).

Despite lots of worktop, there is little space. Nearly all of it completely covered with appliances, jars (so many jars) and ginger beer/wine brewing.

[Kim]

On a related note, this seems like a reasonable place to grumble about the landlord's elec-chickens coming and relocating the cooker isolator switch so that you didn't have to reach over the cooker^[1] to frob it.  As a side-effect we are now down to one double socket on the useful side of the kitchen, and half of that is dedicated to kettle duty.



_{[1] AIUI this is a relatively new regulation, on the dubious^[2] basis that people are in the habit of reaching over hot pans to frob the cooker isolator.  Personally, I'd put it by the doorway you're going to be heading for if something catches fire.
[2] Well, probably those people who turn the cooker off at the isolator every time they use it?}

[Cudzoziemiec]

If we turned the cooker off, the clock would go off and then the boy would complain that he didn't know what time it was and would be late for school. At least when there is school.

[nuttycyclist]

On a related note, this seems like a reasonable place to grumble about the landlord's elec-chickens coming and relocating the cooker isolator switch so that you didn't have to reach over the cooker^[1] to frob it.  As a side-effect we are now down to one double socket on the useful side of the kitchen, and half of that is dedicated to kettle duty.



_{[1] AIUI this is a relatively new regulation, on the dubious^[2] basis that people are in the habit of reaching over hot pans to frob the cooker isolator.  Personally, I'd put it by the doorway you're going to be heading for if something catches fire.
[2] Well, probably those people who turn the cooker off at the isolator every time they use it?}

When we had a new kitchen some years ago I wanted the isolator for the cooker/fridge/freezer/extractor all put out of sight above one of the top cupboards (as was in old house).  Electrician said "not allowed, if you move and an elderly person moves in they won't be able to stand on a chair to reach".   I said "but it's f'ugly".  He said "I know, that's why mine is in a cupboard".

All my switches are therefore easily accessible at knee height in a cupboard, leaving wall space for just the basic five double sockets.  The only time I've had to isolate the cooker was when I had to take it apart (scary lifting the huge glass induction hob and trying not to break it) as one of the control knobs needed replacing.

[andrewc]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OXO-Grips-Locking-Tongs-Silicone/dp/B003L0OYJ4


I've had these for about a year & I think they definitely belong in this thread.  Ideal for grabbing, flipping or stirring stuff on a hot grill or pan.  Also good for mixing up a bowl of salad ingredients. 

[Kim]

Speaking of hot grill pans, barakta has a spack-handle piece of assistive technology for picking up hot plates.  It's like a plastic version of a grill pan handle, with silicone knobbles to grip against the ceramic.  Anyway, she was molishing cheese-on-toast, and had stuck the plate under the grill for a minute to finish it off.  Which is how we discovered that the silicone knobbles weren't made of silicone...

[Jurek]

I have a pair of re-purposed water pump pliers for handling Very Hot Things.

[citoyen]

Speaking of hot grill pans, barakta has a spack-handle piece of assistive technology for picking up hot plates.  It's like a plastic version of a grill pan handle, with silicone knobbles to grip against the ceramic.  Anyway, she was molishing cheese-on-toast, and had stuck the plate under the grill for a minute to finish it off.  Which is how we discovered that the silicone knobbles weren't made of silicone...

Ouch!

You can get genuine silicone oven mitts, which are brilliant. Might not be suitable for barakta's needs though, I guess, otherwise I assume you'd have already thought of that.

Generally, though, silicone is an excellent choice for all kitchen utensils. My favourite 'wooden' spoon is made of silicone.

[Kim]

Speaking of hot grill pans, barakta has a spack-handle piece of assistive technology for picking up hot plates.  It's like a plastic version of a grill pan handle, with silicone knobbles to grip against the ceramic.  Anyway, she was molishing cheese-on-toast, and had stuck the plate under the grill for a minute to finish it off.  Which is how we discovered that the silicone knobbles weren't made of silicone...

Ouch!

You can get genuine silicone oven mitts, which are brilliant. Might not be suitable for barakta's needs though, I guess, otherwise I assume you'd have already thought of that.

Yep, we've got some of those.  They're her weapon of choice for oven trays (which tend to be less heavy).  I may have added googly eyes.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Speaking of hot grill pans, barakta has a spack-handle piece of assistive technology for picking up hot plates.  It's like a plastic version of a grill pan handle, with silicone knobbles to grip against the ceramic.  Anyway, she was molishing cheese-on-toast, and had stuck the plate under the grill for a minute to finish it off.  Which is how we discovered that the silicone knobbles weren't made of silicone...

So glad to read this, having one minute previously posted:

I also understand some of the youngper sons and daughters are using "I'm down for that" to express agreement to a proposed activity, whereas I'd use "I'm up for that". Except of course, being an oldper son, I'm probably not upfrit (does this mean frightened? Ed.) unless it's a cup of tea and maybe a cheese and onion toasty.

[Canardly]

Must say how impressed I am with the perfect egg timer thingy bought as a result of a post herein.

[T42]

You can get genuine silicone oven mitts, which are brilliant.

We used to have a pair, but if they got water or oil on them they got very slippery. Then they cracked. Finding out was very unpleasant. Nowadays we use tea-towels, but I've just been looking at a pair of professional baker's padded leather gloves that go right to the elbow.  I might spring for those.

[Jurek]

I have a Philippe Starck lemon juice squeezer.
It works remarkably well, in addition to having good looks.

[Mrs Pingu]

Speaking of hot grill pans, barakta has a spack-handle piece of assistive technology for picking up hot plates.  It's like a plastic version of a grill pan handle, with silicone knobbles to grip against the ceramic.  Anyway, she was molishing cheese-on-toast, and had stuck the plate under the grill for a minute to finish it off.  Which is how we discovered that the silicone knobbles weren't made of silicone...

Ouch!

You can get genuine silicone oven mitts, which are brilliant. Might not be suitable for barakta's needs though, I guess, otherwise I assume you'd have already thought of that.

Yep, we've got some of those.  They're her weapon of choice for oven trays (which tend to be less heavy).  I may have added googly eyes.

This needs a photo...

[Mr Larrington]

Still on the lookout for one of these:

[Pingu]

Wow, I've always dreamt of banana adhesion at the flick of a switch.

[ian]

Sad to say that Ron 'Ronco' Popeil died a few days ago, though it seems the company is still going under a different owner. I'm pleased to see the Pocket Fisherman is still a thing for, you know, when you are standing by some water and have a few moments and think blimey, I fancy catching a fish. Going anywhere with a fully extended rod is just so awkward.

I'm pretty sure we had a Buttoneer (basically a device for those disinclined to sew a button on*) and a smokeless ashtray (which cruelly neglected all the smoke my parents emitted when they were not resting their cigarette on the ashtray).

He also invented the concept of compilation albums, a brilliant hair restorative (basically spray paint for your bald patch), the egg scrambler that would scramble an egg inside the shell, not to mention the first consumer karaoke machine, and pretty much wrote the script for late-night TV infomercials, thus providing a valuable service anyone who'd started the evening by washing down a handful of vicodin or oxy with vodka. Wow, I spent on $99 on, well, I'm not sure what it is or what it does.

*I have no idea why we had this, my mother sewed stuff for a living, probably she was sick of sewing.

[Mr Larrington]

Sad to say that Ron 'Ronco' Popeil died a few days ago, though it seems the company is still going under a different owner.

I'll take your word for it, as they want me to register.

[Jurek]

We had a Chop-o-Matic in my humble West Norwood childhood home.

[T42]

I have a Philippe Starck lemon juice squeezer.
It works remarkably well, in addition to having good looks.

Juicy price.

[Jurek]

I have a Philippe Starck lemon juice squeezer.
It works remarkably well, in addition to having good looks.

Juicy price.

Not when its a gift.

[pcolbeck]

After grumbling about how rubbish our pepper grinder was I finally cracked and bought a Peugeut Paris set  in stainless steel.
Bloody brilliant. No wonder they have been making essentially the same mechanism for over a 100 years.

[Jurek]

They've been making mills longer than they've been making cars.

[T42]

Doesn't matter how good the mill is, sooner or later someone will set it down on a wet surface, usually just before a meal.