Kitchen tools - what do you use?

[Jandra]

electric kettle
coffee maker (for DH)
Breadmaker
Stick blender
and a mini-food processor extention for the stick blender which is just big enough to make pastry for a 2 person quiche (in two batches) or a bowl of humus, or for chopping some nuts.
Kenwood Chef
toaster
vacuum/sealer
Food processor
dehydrator

I have a few good knives, a brand new set of pans (acquired for cooking on induction), a trusty ceramic frying pan, an new frying pan which has short riveted handles and can be put in the oven (love it, can make omelets succesfully now!), pressure cooker also used for canning non-acidic food, Bread tins, lots of stuff... and of course it is true that one can do without. But I have trouble with my hands and arms and having good kitchen stuff means the difference between enjoying cooking and preserving and it being a painful necessity. I got the cheapest set of pans, because they were the lightest. The lady in the cookshop was very helpful, but rather disappointed at that
Only my frying pans are heavy.

Jandra

[george]

I use all the standard things which will fit in cupboards - stainless steel pans with copper bottoms, a good frying pan, lots of bakeware and good knives.

Regarding things that take up workspace - I have
a coffeemaker - takes up lots of workspace but is used every single day

a kenwood chef - this is the only food processor thing I have. It used to be my mother in laws and has been running for nearly 40 years. I love it and would hate to be without it now. I used to make all sorts of things with a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon or whisk but the quality is so much better (not to mention easier) with the kenwood. This includes a liquidiser which is great for making soups and stuff.

I don't have a breadmaker but am considering getting one.

[Millymollymandy]

They have a 25 year guarantee

Oh bum, I thought mine did well to last about 10 years! I expect it's the motor though that has that guarantee.

Thing is we had to replace the bowl once and that cost about £50 and then a bit of plastic broke on the lid stopping it working, so we had to bypass the automatic cut out safety thing which is dangerous I know so it would work! (The motor won't run unless the lid is on correctly). Can't remember what happened in the end but decided as new parts were so expensive it was easier to ditch it and buy a whole new one but a cheaper Moulinex. Which of course as you can't try before you buy was a mistake.

The Moulinex is strange as it has a very blunt blade whereas the Magimix one was very sharp and I hated washing it!

[oldfella]

The OH mostly, and some times the frying pan.

[MrsD'ville mkII]

I don't use my food processor that much as it's a major faf to assemble and wash, so a job has to be *really* worth it. It's useful for big batches of coleslaw, and making beanut putter. Normally I use the stick blender, which I love because it makes blitzing soups and sauces n absolute doddle and DH uses it for whipping cream, the glutton.

Apart from that I need a good sharp knife, a peeler, chopping board, bowls and of course spatulas, I couldn't be without spatulas, pref about five, but I scrape by (geddit??) on three. Also one vast stock pan and one smaller but still big stock pan. I cook for six on a daily basis and often batch cook so large vessels a must. Quite a few kitchen items were wedding present, including my nice Nigella tear-shaped mixing bowls, the ones DH hasn't smashed, that is.

[Jessiebean]

How does your DH whip cream with a stick blender? I had a balloon whisk attachement for mine but couldn't get it to do anything useful so went pffft and used a hand whisk (and my DH to take turns with the whipping).

[ElizabethBinary]

I have a KitchenAid, a Magic Bullet type blender for sauces and dips, a food processor (for when I make larger things like baba ganouj last night) and a Kitchen Aid. But I'm super super into cooking. I used to be a pastry chef before I became a nutritionist. yes, I'm aware of the irony.

I have a mortar and pestle that my mother in law gave me as an engagement present, too. Large thick stone one. Amazingly beautiful.

[MrsD'ville mkII]

I don't know how DH whips cream with it either as I just get it on the ceiling, whereas he ends up with beautifully whipped cream Sometimes he uses the balloon whisk attachment but I think he uses the ornery chopping stick too. Witchcraft, that's what it is.