# Kitchen Toys



## vilasman1 (Oct 7, 2004)

While I know there are always new and interesting kichen gadgets to get, have any of you ever gotten to the point where you looked around your kitchen and you had your knives and your kitchen aids and such and were like, I;ve got all my toys , now i've got to go grocercy shopping and actually cook something


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 7, 2004)

Yep!   

On the other hand - how many kitchen toys have you bought that you've never used? One I just ran across last night was my Joyce Chen dumpling maker ... it looked like a winner when I bought it but I've discovered it's far easier to make them by hand than cut the dough and try to get it to fit into the dizmo to make the dumplings. Garlic press was another waste of money ...


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## jkath (Oct 7, 2004)

I have yet to use my pierogi cutter...
but my feemster slicer is it, for me. (Mom's had one since I was a wee one, so I assume they've been around forever.)


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## southerncook (Oct 7, 2004)

My Favorite toys are the kitchenaid mixer, an emulsion mixer, my madoline, and my cuisinart 1/2 blender 1/2 chopper combo...I've given the large cuisinart away. This is a lot easier...now if I had the kitchen of my dreams, I'd have room for everything, but I cannot stand the stuff out on the counter, so it has to have a place to live., for me, smaller, better.
And I cook a lot, and do large parties...Just do it twice.


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## choclatechef (Oct 7, 2004)

I think I love kitchen toys more than I love cooking!  They just fascinate me!    

I have got to stop somewhere!  They are taking over!   :roll:


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 7, 2004)

Hold the Don Perion - choclatechef is dizzy enough from playing with her toys!


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## Audeo (Oct 7, 2004)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> Hold the Don Perion - choclatechef is dizzy enough from playing with her toys!



Now, haven't we already established that this would be HIS toys..???


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## AllenOK (Oct 8, 2004)

I'm actually on the other side of the question.  I'm looking at "What do I get rid of next?"  I've purchased A LOT of gadgets over the years.  Some I used, some I didn't use, most I haven't used in years.  When I moved from OK to MI, I actually threw away about half of my gadgets, as I hadn't used them in years and they were taking up space.

I have an idea.  Tell me what kind of gadget you have or want to get, and I'll tell you how to get around not having it.  It's kind of amazing what you can do with some basic tools.


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## GB (Oct 8, 2004)

I have gotten better at realizing which gadgets I will use and which will sit in the drawer collecting dust BEFORE I buy them now. I love gadgets though and it is hard to resist some of them.


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## buckytom (Oct 8, 2004)

i lost the little beater arm for my breadmaker, so now i have one more gadget that just collects dust. i'll have to get around to getting the model # so i can buy a replacement, so at least it will be a functioning bredamaker collecting dust.


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## Juliev (Oct 8, 2004)

I like my boat motor.. and I use my George Foreman alot.. comes in handy with an apartment.


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## mish (Oct 8, 2004)

Must admit I'm a softie when it comes to buying cooking gadgets & gizmos.  I'm contemplating purchasing these handy-dandy food injectors. Has anyone tried them? Any interesting ideas?

Although, this is not a new idea, I watched many interesting ways to add more flavor to foods in a presentation on qvc. The product is for liquid & solid food injectors. You can inject liquids like lemon or orange juice into chicken, etc. The solid injector will hold garlic, cranberrys, sun dried tomatoes, basil, etc. for roasts, turkey, ham etc. 

On the demo, a roast was made on a rotisserie (I think w a rub on the outside), & after slicing you could see the bits of garlic, sundried tomatoes & basil/pesto. Thought this would perk up holiday dishes, the big bird, ham, etc. Any thoughts? (Please, talk me out of it?)


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## JohnL (Oct 8, 2004)

I only have two gadgets that I no longer use,
One is a shaved ice maker (the type that you put a frozen block of fruit juice/ koolaid/ect.. in) and an electric grilled sandwich maker, (sort of a press with compartments, where you place two slices of bread in and insert your favorite fillings). I used both when my children were small and lived at home but I haven't used them since.
Wanted to get rid of them, but I figured I might break them out one day for grandchildren, (if I'm lucky)


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## norgeskog (Oct 8, 2004)

I have been to so many yard sales and flea markets I have lost count.  I love to rummage through all that old stuff.  I have a collection of kitchen gadgets/toys/tools on display on a book shelf in my kitchen and some arranged artfully on the wall.  I do not use these, just for show.  Quite a number of them I have no idea what they possibly be used for.  One a friend figured out as a cheese grater, it is 4x6 inches and about  1/2 inch thick with a frame with two legs on the bottom and a handle on top.  There are about six pieces of bamboo with teeth on them on both sides.  Guess the grater is a good use for it.  These gadgets get lot of attention from my friends.


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## choclatechef (Oct 8, 2004)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> Hold the Don Perion - choclatechef is dizzy enough from playing with her toys!



Michael, you are so right!  

It is truly pathetic when seeing an old carbon steel forged knife -- especially Sabatier, or a rare Hobart/Kitchenaid mixer or attachment makes your heart palpatate!  

Lord knows I salivate over thick heavy copper pots, and go into a fever over a wanting that vintage Copco enameled cast iron oval casserole!

I truly love my kitchen toys!  I need to win the lottery!


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## masteraznchefjr (Oct 8, 2004)

THe mushroom cutter!!  i don't know y im so amused by it lol


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## Juliev (Oct 9, 2004)

norgeskog said:
			
		

> I have been to so many yard sales and flea markets I have lost count.  I love to rummage through all that old stuff.  I have a collection of kitchen gadgets/toys/tools on display on a book shelf in my kitchen and some arranged artfully on the wall.  I do not use these, just for show.  Quite a number of them I have no idea what they possibly be used for.  One a friend figured out as a cheese grater, it is 4x6 inches and about  1/2 inch thick with a frame with two legs on the bottom and a handle on top.  There are about six pieces of bamboo with teeth on them on both sides.  Guess the grater is a good use for it.  These gadgets get lot of attention from my friends.



That is a neat idea.. to display vintage kitchen gadgets.  I love going to garage sales/flea markets.  You never know what you'll find!


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 9, 2004)

Mish, if you've got a friend who is a nurse/paramedic/physician then they "might" be able to help you procure a large 10-50cc syringe and a large bore needle 3"-4" in length. That's really all the liquid injector is. I know I've seen these liquid injectors at the grocery store for fairly cheap prices (under $5).

As for the "solids" injector, which really is for injecting a thick puree - a couple of workarounds here. If you have one of those cookie press/cake decorating sets you can use that - just use a plain round tip to inset into the hole you've made. Or, the method I use, is a plain round pastry tip and a pastry bag - that way I have a choice of tip sizes and can thus make a thicker or thinner puree as I wish.

For packing in more solid material ... diced sun dried tomatoes, garlic, etc. - make a trip to the hardware store and get some wooden dowel rods in various diameters (the sizes you will be needing depending on how large of holes you're going to make) and use them to stuff with.


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## runninduo (Oct 9, 2004)

I bought a ice cream sandwich maker/storage unit.  

basically, it's a round cooking cutter so the cookies come out evenly.  then it has a cylinder to store the cookies.  i was sure I'd use it this summer, but didn't.  I'm glad I returned the $16 one I saw at Williams-Sonoma and got a $5 one from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

I try to get things as I need them.

Oh......I bought a tart pan that needs to be initiated.  Anyone have any good tart recipes (that don't include custard).

Thanks.


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## cafeandy (Oct 9, 2004)

jkath said:
			
		

> I have yet to use my pierogi cutter...
> but my feemster slicer is it, for me. (Mom's had one since I was a wee one, so I assume they've been around forever.)



what's a feemster slicer...or have i been sucked into a joke?  i use my pierogi cutter to make little bitty fried pies.


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## kyles (Oct 9, 2004)

I had lots of things in Australia that I sold or gave away, as I had a limit on what I could bring over. I have never replaced the breadmaker, as I discovered I really love doing it by hand. 

I can't live without my hand held electric egg beater, and my hand held electric processor thingie. And not a gadget as such, but i don't know where I woudl be without my Le Crueset casserole dish. i adore it, and it loves me back!! 

Instead of buying gadgets I tend to hoard baking dishes and mixing bowls, I love the old english sturdy mixing bowls, and whenever I see one at a charity shop, it comes home with me.


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## Juliev (Oct 9, 2004)

buckytom said:
			
		

> i lost the little beater arm for my breadmaker, so now i have one more gadget that just collects dust. i'll have to get around to getting the model # so i can buy a replacement, so at least it will be a functioning bredamaker collecting dust.



I was going to say, I thought you'd be able to buy a replacement.. then I finished reading the end of your post.

mish... I think I saw the thing on tv you were referring to... was it by some company called Ronco?  A guy named Ron Popeil (sp?) sells a lot of that stuff and he was also selling knives on this infomercial.  It looks like it would work (food injector), but they make that stuff look so convincing on tv.. I'm always leary of that stuff.


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## mish (Oct 10, 2004)

Thanks for the tips, Michael. Sounds alot easier than my idea -- a hammer, a big nail & turkey baster.

Hiya, Julie. Yes, the presentation was by Ron Popeil.  I watched it on qvc, not the infomercial. I think it was a special price of about $20 for three injectors (2 solid & 1 liquid) special to qvc. At the time, I think he was selling his rotisserie on QVC too. I prefer buying from qvc or hsn rather than infomercials, because theyare live cooking demos; and they stand behind their merchandise. (But, I do go check the prices out on ebay.) I've also thinking about the Magic Bullet, since my farberware food processor finally bit the dust after 20 years, & the blender went long ago.

I especially like watching the cookware demos when Wolfie is on hsn, cause he cooks up all these yummmy goodies. This weekend he made all kinds of dishes on his panini maker, pizzas in his convection oven, I could go on & on. Guess I already did.


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## aruzinsky (Oct 10, 2004)

My father could never pass up a bargain, so once he bought 10 potato peelers because they were on sale cheap.  I inherited a lot of crap that I don't use.


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