# One Hit Wonders



## larry_stewart

So, I recently had the pleasure of having to clean out my basement so I could store more crap that I seem to keep accumulating.  While doing this I came across a bunch of kitchen appliances, gadgets... which seemed like a good idea at the time, but were used once, maybe twice, and ultimately found their way into the Kitchen appliance/gadget graveyard in my basement.

So, my question is, what kitchen appliance/ gadgets have you bought in the past, thats seemed like a great idea at the time, but have gotten minimal to no use, and ultimately shoved aside, never to be used again ??

Im not talking about a crappy gift someone got you, but more something that you thought you would really use and it just didnt live up to the thrill you thought you would get.  Possibly because it didnt work as well as you like, not worth the effort to set up/ clean up, can do it better with what you already had....

So, the few things I've found so far ( keep in mind Im not anywhere close to having the basement cleaned) would be:

*Quesadila Maker*
*Grilled Cheese Sandwich maker* 
*Flatbread* ( tortilla, indian puffed bread.....)
*Waffle Maker*

The above are all basically nonstick presses that make the affiliated item.  All worked pretty well, but none are kept in the kitchen cabinets or counters.  Therefore, I have to schlep downstairs, find it, clean it ( cause its been in the basement so long), Schlep it stairs.....

*Crockpot/ Slow cooker*

As discussed in other threads, Im more of an active cook.  I understand the benefits and can see how it makes peoples lives easier.  In my case, its impossible for me to leave something in a pot without constantly stirring, tasting, tweaking ...  Its like torture for me to walk by a pot and not touch it in one way or another.

*Bread Machine*

This we used frequently, years ago.  I guess the thrill is gone.  Also, me having to watch my carbs may have a little to do with it

*Air fryer* ( not sure exact name).

My wife bought it for me as a present. The first thing she made was breaded, 'fried' zucchini.  They tasted great, and cooked in about 10 minutes.  We were both surprised by how well it worked.  So I asked for more to snack on and she said, thats it.  It only can cook like 4- 6 pieces at a time.  Now keep in mind we have the bigger , more expensive one.  So, it worked well, but to make a substantial amount for dinner purposes was not practical.

*Meat slicer* . 

 Yep, you heard me right.  A vegetarian with a meat slicer.  Ill explain.  My wife makes the best eggplant parm.  The reason its so good is because the eggplant is cut thinly, evenly and consistent , allowing the breadcrumb to eggplant ratio to be perfect.  So, what better way to do this than get a meat slicer.   Worked great.  No complaints about the machine.  But,   for as often as we have it, a knife with a little patience works almost as good ( the machine is more consistent , but not enough to go digging for the machine, have to clean it, and then restore it again in the dungeon). 

*Vegetable/ fruit juicer*

Works fine, just more trouble than its worth ( plus, I always forget that I have it, until I go in the basement to get something else and notice it on the shelf).  I guess if I really wanted to use it, Id remember it .

There are probably others that are buried even deeper in the dungeon.  Ill add as I come across them.

There are a few things that dont get much use, but I do look forward to using them when I get the chance.  Some of them are seasonal items.  Others are just once in awhile items.  So these , although not used often, I look forward to using them every time, and wouldn't be on the above list.

Apple cider press
Ebelskiver pan
Ice cream maker
Pasta maker ( hand cranked)


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## CraigC

Is the grilled sandwich maker a panni press? Both the meat slicer and waffle maker are within easy reach in our kitchen and our hand crank pasta maker still gets good use. Don't see the need to get an attachment for the KA.


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## Rocklobster

That sounds about right..I have a few we rarely use, also..I use a juicer quite often as I experience gerd, due to a hiatus hernia. when I get a flare up I drink cabbage juice, of all things.  It really works..so it is used for medicinal  purposes.
I feel the same way about slow cookers..I think it destroys all flavor and texture of meats. Sure, food is edible, but there are other things to eat and ways to cook them...
Bread machines take away the fun of baking bread..I love the experience of the steps required to make bread..the interaction with the dough, etc. the anticipation.so rewarding.
Grilled cheese sandwich maker/panini press..my mothers technique of pressing things down with another cast iron pan or the kettle full of water still stands the test of time...
I like our waffle maker, although we rarely use it..I'm more of a savory type of breakfast eater..give me eggs and sausages if I have the time...
I could go on..but I have to use my espresso machine..now, that thing sees a lot of action..


Roch


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## Andy M.

We don't have many single purpose appliances around. The few exceptions are a Belgian waffle maker, an electric tea kettle and a pizzelle maker. SO came to the relationship with two crockpots. We gave one away and keep the other for food warming purposes at buffets (which we don't do much of any more.)

We also have an ice cream maker in the basement but that gets used.


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## Mad Cook

larry_stewart said:


> So, I recently had the pleasure of having to clean out my basement so I could store more crap that I seem to keep accumulating. While doing this I came across a bunch of kitchen appliances, gadgets... which seemed like a good idea at the time, but were used once, maybe twice, and ultimately found their way into the Kitchen appliance/gadget graveyard in my basement.
> 
> So, my question is, what kitchen appliance/ gadgets have you bought in the past, thats seemed like a great idea at the time, but have gotten minimal to no use, and ultimately shoved aside, never to be used again ??
> 
> Im not talking about a crappy gift someone got you, but more something that you thought you would really use and it just didnt live up to the thrill you thought you would get. Possibly because it didnt work as well as you like, not worth the effort to set up/ clean up, can do it better with what you already had....
> 
> So, the few things I've found so far ( keep in mind Im not anywhere close to having the basement cleaned) would be:
> 
> *Quesadila Maker*
> *Grilled Cheese Sandwich maker*
> *Flatbread* ( tortilla, indian puffed bread.....)
> *Waffle Maker*
> 
> The above are all basically nonstick presses that make the affiliated item. All worked pretty well, but none are kept in the kitchen cabinets or counters. Therefore, I have to schlep downstairs, find it, clean it ( cause its been in the basement so long), Schlep it stairs.....
> 
> *Crockpot/ Slow cooker*
> 
> As discussed in other threads, Im more of an active cook. I understand the benefits and can see how it makes peoples lives easier. In my case, its impossible for me to leave something in a pot without constantly stirring, tasting, tweaking ... Its like torture for me to walk by a pot and not touch it in one way or another.
> 
> *Bread Machine*
> 
> This we used frequently, years ago. I guess the thrill is gone. Also, me having to watch my carbs may have a little to do with it
> 
> *Air fryer* ( not sure exact name).
> 
> My wife bought it for me as a present. The first thing she made was breaded, 'fried' zucchini. They tasted great, and cooked in about 10 minutes. We were both surprised by how well it worked. So I asked for more to snack on and she said, thats it. It only can cook like 4- 6 pieces at a time. Now keep in mind we have the bigger , more expensive one. So, it worked well, but to make a substantial amount for dinner purposes was not practical.
> 
> *Meat slicer* .
> 
> Yep, you heard me right. A vegetarian with a meat slicer. Ill explain. My wife makes the best eggplant parm. The reason its so good is because the eggplant is cut thinly, evenly and consistent , allowing the breadcrumb to eggplant ratio to be perfect. So, what better way to do this than get a meat slicer. Worked great. No complaints about the machine. But, for as often as we have it, a knife with a little patience works almost as good ( the machine is more consistent , but not enough to go digging for the machine, have to clean it, and then restore it again in the dungeon).
> 
> *Vegetable/ fruit juicer*
> 
> Works fine, just more trouble than its worth ( plus, I always forget that I have it, until I go in the basement to get something else and notice it on the shelf). I guess if I really wanted to use it, Id remember it .
> 
> There are probably others that are buried even deeper in the dungeon. Ill add as I come across them.
> 
> There are a few things that dont get much use, but I do look forward to using them when I get the chance. Some of them are seasonal items. Others are just once in awhile items. So these , although not used often, I look forward to using them every time, and wouldn't be on the above list.
> 
> Apple cider press
> Ebelskiver pan
> Ice cream maker
> Pasta maker ( hand cranked)


I'm with you on the bread maker - invention of the devil.

I was a competent bread maker before I was persuaded by one of Father Christmas's elves, that a bread maker would make my life easier. Fat chance! The damn thing "did what it said on the tin" but made vile bread. All about speed not quality and flavour. Eventually I gave it away to some poor sap who thought it would be wonderful to have one ......I warned her, I really did!


Not so the ice cream maker. I have two and they are used regularly in summer and for dinner party desserts and sorbets in winter. Their "buckets" are kept permanently in the freezer.


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## caseydog

We don't have basements in North Texas -- or most of Texas (and Oklahoma), actually. Yeah, Tornado Alley, and no basements. Go figure. 

A lot of folks here fill their garages with crap they don't use, and park their cars outside. That dog wont hunt in my world. My cars NEVER spend the night outside, if I am home. 

So, not much room to store unused stuff. If I don't use it for one year, it goes to eBay or the thrift store. 

Now, I'd be willing to take that meat slicer off your hands, and pay the postage, if it is getting in your way.

CD


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## larry_stewart

CraigC said:


> Is the grilled sandwich maker a panni press? Both the meat slicer and waffle maker are within easy reach in our kitchen and our hand crank pasta maker still gets good use. Don't see the need to get an attachment for the KA.



The grilled cheesemaker literally is just that.  Its the size of about a piece of white bread.  Even has a built in diagonal slicer, so after the sandwich is done cooking and you open it up, it is slide in 1/2 ( diagonally) and ready to go.

I do have a panini maker which i do use quite frequently. But in this case, 2 separate items.

I actually want to upgrade my panini maker to one that is a little bigger and a little more professional.  The one I have now is good, but im ready to move to the next level, and since I use it frequently , I dont have a problem upgrading.


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## caseydog

Soooo, what about that meat slicer. 

CD


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## CakePoet

The stuff I have is the stuff I use, might not use them often but I use them enough to keep them.  
I have raclette machine we use a few times a year and that is it, but I wouldnt part with it, it easy to have at hand when guest appears out of nowhere and you need a nice dinner.


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## tenspeed

I have a lot of kitchen stuff, but I've mostly avoided single use appliances, so everything gets used.  My full sized Cuisinart food processor doesn't get used very often, as it's a PITA to clean.  The mini chopper is a  lot easier to clean, and I'll process two batches instead of pulling out the big one.  The mandoline isn't used as much as I thought when I bought it, but still gets occasional use.  I usually only cook for two, so a little extra time with the knife is often the easiest way to go.

  On the flip side, the rice cooker gets more use than I thought.  We eat a lot more brown rice now, as the rice cooker does such a good job without any effort.  There are a couple of other rice sides that are so much easier and convenient with the rice cooker.


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## jabbur

We recently moved into a smaller home planning for retirement. Packing up the kitchen I took these things to the thrift store

1. Stove top smoker - used once. Liked the pork chops that I made but I'm more of a quick fix dinner person with working all day with kids.  I don't want to come home and have to take hours to make dinner. 

2. Meat slicer- worked nice but the safety feature required you to hold 2 buttons down to run the thing and they were hard to hold down and still operate the slicer well. 

3. Apple corer,spiral slicer (you know that Pampered Chef thing)- used it fairly a lot when I first got it but the novelty wore off and it went into the upper cabinet above the fridge and forgotten.

4. mandolin- I think I wouldn't mind having one but the one I bought had interchangeable parts to do different things and I didn't like how they worked. It was hard to store the sharp blades. It wasn't expensive so maybe if I spent the money on a good one, I would use it more.

5. 3 different ice cream makers- 2 different sizes, one with a bad motor and one with a cracked bucket. We used to make ice cream every summer when the kids were little but now that it's just the 2 of us, we don't eat much ice cream and just buy it occasionally at the store. When we do buy it we splurge on the "GOOD" stuff too and not the store brands.

6. Blender- It was such a pain to get out and clean. My mini chopper came with a stick blender attachment which I use instead and it does the work I used the big blender for so out it went.

7.Mini pie maker-another purchase I thought would be great to use up leftovers in a new way but it was so time consuming to make 4 little pies at a time that I didn't use it often enough.  Gone to the thrift store.

8.Electric grill/rotisserie - It made wonderful chicken just like the stores but was difficult to set up and clean. Out it went.

I almost gave away my food saver vacuum sealer but decided at the last minute to keep it. I don't use it as much as I did when the kids were around but I still occasionally will pull it out to use.


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## Addie

So where do I start!

Spike has been the recipient of most of what I have gotten rid of. 

*Food Saver
Mini Pie Maker
Meat Slicer
Oxo Mandolin
Large and Small Food Processors
Two Slow Cookers
Bread Maker
Waffle Maker
Egg Poaching Pan*

And then my *Kitchen Aid Mixer with the blade that scrapes the sides and the meat grinder and pasta maker.*

That broke my heart. I bought that mixer with the two attachments for the grand sum of $60 at an auction about 20 years ago. My son Poo bought for me the large glass bowl for it. I used it for so many things. But I can't stand long enough to see the top of the bowl and how anything is mixing. It came with a metal bowl that had no handle. I hated it. So I bought one with a handle. Then I received the glass one. I can't even stand long enough to add ingredients. I still have the hand mixer that my daughter gave me. So if I have to sit, I can at least use it while sitting at the table. 

I am sure I am forgetting more. But then I have been cooking and buying useless stuff for many years. I just HAD to have them. What Spike didn't want goes to the church each year for their Fair. Although I did put the mini pie maker down in the community room with the booklet. Sure enough, someone snatched it up.


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## Katie H

Interesting thread. 



I was suspicious of bread makers until, 1998, when my best friend bought one for me on my approval at a Black Friday sale.  I was laid up after a serious surgery and wanted to explore the usefulness of this appliance.


Having said this, my bread machine has NEVER been used as the manufacturer suggested.  Instead, I used it (and still do) to do the kneading and first rise of my bread dough.  Arthritis in both my hands prevents me from kneading for more than a few minutes.  Why not let technology do it for me?


Thankfully, my trusty little machine allowed me the opportunity to make more than 100 baguettes for a friend's fundraiser for a college trip to England.


As a result, I can now produce 2 fantastic loaves of toasting bread, or otherwise lovely loaves of bread without tasking my hands.


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## buckytom

My two most expensive ones are a Vitamix Pro blender, and a Lem meat grinder, both around $500.

The Vitamix just doesn't get a lot of use with 2 or 3 other smaller blenders around the kitchen (Ninjas, and the like), and just after buying the Lem, my wife found out she had high cholesteroil so the doc said no red meat, so out went my grand ideas of making my own ground beef, lamb, buffalo, and vennison for burgers and sausages.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Juicer, food processor.  Nuff said.

Seeeeeeeya;chief Longwind of the North


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## larry_stewart

buckytom said:


> and just after buying the Lem, my wife found out she had high cholesteroil so the doc said no red meat, so out went my grand ideas of making my own ground beef, lamb, buffalo, and vennison for burgers and sausages.



I hear ya there.  Different situation, but same problem.
For the holidays I ran out and got my wife a few brand new, multiple sized quiche pans and one of those mini quiche/ pie makers ( someone else mentioned it earlier).  a few weeks later she became vegan, no eggs, no quiche, no use   Brand new, i dont even think she opened it once ( maybe once).  So that is another one I can add to my list.


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## taxlady

I seem to remember buying some of that stuff a long time ago and quit doing that. We have a hand crank pasta machine that doesn't get much use anymore. Neither one of us has a lot of spoons these days. We have a drip coffee maker that hasn't been used in a number of years. We switched to using the espresso machine all the time. I have my mother's old hand crank meat slicer. When I lived in Denmark, we used it all the time to slice the heavy, Danish rye bread. I don't remember ever slicing meat with it. I got it home to Canada and found that it was missing a piece. Eventually a friend who works with machining metal made a custom replacement. Now, I just need to find a doohickey to attach it to the table. It attaches the same way my pasta machine does, so maybe I can borrow that piece to use it. Gotta test that soon.


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## Paid In Grapes

I have often wondered about using a meat slicer to thinly ( 1/32"-1/16") slice cabbage.

 Has anyone tried using a slicer to do this this??? 

I do 1-2 heads of red cabbage a week using a carbon steel Chinese vegetable cleaver, but sometimes I just feel lazy.


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## Addie

Paid In Grapes said:


> I have often wondered about using a meat slicer to thinly ( 1/32"-1/16") slice cabbage.
> 
> Has anyone tried using a slicer to do this this???
> 
> I do 1-2 heads of red cabbage a week using a carbon steel Chinese vegetable cleaver, but sometimes I just feel lazy.



Those slicers are adjustable for width and they have a hand protector. Should you decide to purchase one, DO NOT buy the one that requires holding down two buttons. It is a built-in safety feature. But if you are smart, you use the pusher to slice the food. And don't be foolish and try to get that last half inch sliced with the machine. That is when you want to use your knife. Better safe than sorry.


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## tenspeed

Paid In Grapes said:


> I have often wondered about using a meat slicer to thinly ( 1/32"-1/16") slice cabbage.
> 
> Has anyone tried using a slicer to do this this???
> 
> I do 1-2 heads of red cabbage a week using a carbon steel Chinese vegetable cleaver, but sometimes I just feel lazy.


 Sounds like you could use a mandoline.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I15-htHJF_I


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## taxlady

tenspeed said:


> Sounds like you could use a mandoline.
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I15-htHJF_I


I agree. And I have that Bormer V-slicer that they liked best. I like it. I seldom use the pusher. I use cut resistant gloves instead.


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## GotGarlic

taxlady said:


> I agree. And I have that Bormer V-slicer that they liked best. I like it. I seldom use the pusher. I use cut resistant gloves instead.


Same.


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## blissful

Paid In Grapes said:


> I have often wondered about using a meat slicer to thinly ( 1/32"-1/16") slice cabbage.
> 
> Has anyone tried using a slicer to do this this???
> 
> I do 1-2 heads of red cabbage a week using a carbon steel Chinese vegetable cleaver, but sometimes I just feel lazy.




Cabbage is a problem to shred because it is so wide it won't fit in most mandolins. So you have to cut it up. And it won't fit in a food processor unless you cut it up. I know because I've done it by hand or food processor and by mandolin. 



If it is something you'll use every week, then get a cabbage shredder/cutter. It is like a mandolin but has one or up to 3 blades where the head of cabbage is pushed across it and the shreds fall into a barrel or large kettle. Here's the old school method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRKBKFFQwH8


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## GotGarlic

blissful said:


> Cabbage is a problem to shred because it is so wide it won't fit in most mandolins. So you have to cut it up. And it won't fit in a food processor unless you cut it up. I know because I've done it by hand or food processor and by mandolin.
> 
> 
> 
> If it is something you'll use every week, then get a cabbage shredder/cutter. It is like a mandolin but has one or up to 3 blades where the head of cabbage is pushed across it and the shreds fall into a barrel or large kettle. Here's the old school method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRKBKFFQwH8


It only has to be cut into three or four pieces to fit in the Börner v-slicer I have.


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## Mad Cook

taxlady said:


> I agree. And I have that Bormer V-slicer that they liked best. I like it. I seldom use the pusher. I use cut resistant gloves instead.


I've got one of those. it's a great advance on the old one I bought in France - very basic, wooden and with a blade that could slice your fingers off (no guard, unlike on the V-slicer).


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## tenspeed

GotGarlic said:


> It only has to be cut into three or four pieces to fit in the Börner v-slicer I have.


I cut it in more pieces than that, as I don't like really long pieces of cabbage in cole slaw.  I have a Borner as well, and start with the glove, and finish with the pusher.


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## GotGarlic

tenspeed said:


> I cut it in more pieces than that, as I don't like really long pieces of cabbage in cole slaw.  I have a Borner as well, and start with the glove, and finish with the pusher.


Ah, I do it the other way around  I use the slicer, then run the knife over it.

Actually, I've gotten lazy the last few years and bought already shredded coleslaw mix


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## Paid In Grapes

When someone says meat slicer to me , my first thought is a rotary deli slicer.  I guess I should have specified that was what I was asking about.

  A mandolin might work, but it still would be doing it manually so I don't see much of advantage for me.  I have never seen a cabbage slicer that will produce shreds as thin as I want, but I've never gone looking for one either. Will a cabbage slicer cut 1/16" or thinner? 

 I have used a food processor before, and cutting cabbage to fit in the feed tube is not a problem.  The negatives are: I didn't get a consistent cut, as the cabbage would sometimes shift.  I fill a 6 qt container to and keep it in the fridge the cabbage would start to brown after a few days, which doesn't happen using a sharp knife.  Finally, the time and effort I saved using the processor were more than made up for during clean up.  Tiny little bits that got into all sorts of difficult to clean places. 

I want to thank everyone who responded.


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## caseydog

tenspeed said:


> Sounds like you could use a mandoline.
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I15-htHJF_I



Well, it depends... How do you feel about having fingertips? 

CD


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## caseydog

taxlady said:


> I agree. And I have that Bormer V-slicer that they liked best. I like it. I seldom use the pusher. I use cut resistant gloves instead.



The second time I cut a fingertip off, I was wearing a cut-resistant glove. Never underestimate the power of a human being to hurt oneself. 

CD


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## caseydog

blissful said:


> Cabbage is a problem to shred because it is so wide it won't fit in most mandolins. So you have to cut it up. And it won't fit in a food processor unless you cut it up. I know because I've done it by hand or food processor and by mandolin.
> 
> If it is something you'll use every week, then get a cabbage shredder/cutter. It is like a mandolin but has one or up to 3 blades where the head of cabbage is pushed across it and the shreds fall into a barrel or large kettle. Here's the old school method:



My knife skills are mediocre, at best. But cabbage is easy, at least for me. I like a rough-cut, "country" shred for my slaw, which is generally more German/Mexican/Spicy style, than sweet, mayo style. 

I also like my slaw free of fingertips (yeah, I'm still kicking that horse). 

CD


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## Katie H

We have several appliances that might be called "one hit wonders," but in our house they aren't sole performers.


As for waffle irons/makers, we have several...one that produces farm waffles (pig, barn, etc.), another that gives us roses, another that tickles our Disney fancies by making "Mickey" waffles.  Plus, we have a traditional waffle and another that creates Belgian waffles.


We love novelty and, some days, Glenn may ask for Mickey, cows, or flowers. 



It's just fun.


As for crock-pots/slow cookers, we also have several in a variety of sizes.  It's not unusual for me to have the "big" one cooking a major entree, while another one is simmering a fruit or other side dish.


We are seasonal diners and, as the weather changes, our cooking style may include our quesadilla maker, which is a fun way to remember our warmer days.


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## tenspeed

caseydog said:


> Well, it depends... How do you feel about having fingertips?
> 
> CD


I have them all, thank you very much.  Between the guard on the mandoline, and the cut resistant gloves, you'll be safe.  If you choose not to use them, well, I guess you are part of the danger.


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## GotGarlic

My quesadilla maker is my cast iron pan


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## Andy M.

GotGarlic said:


> My quesadilla maker is my cast iron pan



me too


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## profnot

I learned that a bread machine in which you can place ingredients at night and set a timer for finished bread in the morning is the absolute fastest way to gain weight.

It only took 6 weeks for me to donate it to the thrift store.


My Cuisinart ice cream maker gets far more use the last few years than before.  Even "premium" ice cream at the store seems to be filled with gum-this and gum-that.  It doesn't even get hard in the freezer.  Yikes!  Plus I can make lovely fruit ice creams and sorbets with liqueurs at home.


The mandolin went to the thrift store, too.  It scared me.


I would have kept the George Foreman grill my mum gave me if the plates could have gone into the dishwasher.  What a hassle to clean those fixed plates by hand!


Can't live without my food processors - all three!  Small, large, and nut/spice grinder.  LOVE freshly ground cardamom and nutmeg.


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## larry_stewart

profnot said:


> The mandolin went to the thrift store, too.  It scared me.
> 
> Can't live without my food processors - all three!  Small, large, and nut/spice grinder.  LOVE freshly ground cardamom and nutmeg.



My mandolin scares me too, but It does such a good job, that I couldn't part with it.  Ive only cut myself once on it, so Im going by the ' hopefully you learn after your first mistake' rule.  But that thing is like a finger Guillotine.

I also have the 3 food processor/ blender thing going on.  Each serves a different purpose.  They are some of the few appliance/ gadgets I keep up in the kitchen, as they are used frequently.  they can be a pain to clean also, sometimes, but thats where my wife comes in.  Her standard of clean is much better than mine, so even though I dont mind washing and cleaning things, they often get rewashed by her cause it wouldn't meet her standards, so why do it twice


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## taxlady

larry_stewart said:


> My mandolin scares me too, but It does such a good job, that I couldn't part with it.  Ive only cut myself once on it, so Im going by the ' hopefully you learn after your first mistake' rule.  But that thing is like a finger Guillotine.
> 
> I also have the 3 food processor/ blender thing going on.  Each serves a different purpose.  They are some of the few appliance/ gadgets I keep up in the kitchen, as they are used frequently.  they can be a pain to clean also, sometimes, but thats where my wife comes in.  Her standard of clean is much better than mine, so even though I dont mind washing and cleaning things, *they often get rewashed by her cause it wouldn't meet her standards, so why do it twice*


Personally, I appreciate the "prewash". Some things are going to need to be washed twice no matter how picky the person doing the first wash is. Saves me one round of washing that item. Yeah, I'm the one who can see more dirt at our house.


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## Caslon

My trouble with successful one hit wonders is...I have trouble duplicating them.


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## RPCookin

taxlady said:


> I agree. And I have that Bormer V-slicer that they liked best. I like it. I seldom use the pusher. I use cut resistant gloves instead.



I have an Oxo mandoline (straight blade, but cuts easily), and I too never use the pusher.  I've never had an issue using cut resistant gloves - not only do they protect my fingers, but I can get a better grip on the usually wet or moist veggies.  I run the food down to less than a 1/2" stub, then on to the next one.  Works great for me.

One hit wonders...hmmm...

I guess my most notable one was the Showtime Rotisserie Grill.  Cooked great, I'll say that much for it, but lord what a pain to clean, and we kept finding little pieces of plastic on the shelf under it with no idea how they broke off.  Finally tossed it after only using it 4 or 5 times.


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## Andy M.

I'm surprised some of you have no use for the pusher on a mandolin/V-Slicer. I always use mine. My fingers remain whole. I've never cut myself using my V-slicer. Washing it is a different story. But the pusher is simple to use and there is virtually no waste. Also, I don't have to put a glove on.


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## Kayelle

Andy M. said:


> I'm surprised some of you have no use for the pusher on a mandolin/V-Slicer. I always use mine. My fingers remain whole. I've never cut myself using my V-slicer. Washing it is a different story. But the pusher is simple to use and there is virtually no waste. Also, I don't have to put a glove on.




I use the pusher for most stuff too, but sometimes it doesn't work so well for small things like radishes. That's when the glove comes out.


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## taxlady

The pusher is kinda useless when you are shredding a large wedge of cabbage. Once I get down to a little bit, I use my chef's knife.


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## caseydog

Andy M. said:


> I'm surprised some of you have no use for the pusher on a mandolin/V-Slicer. I always use mine. My fingers remain whole. I've never cut myself using my V-slicer. Washing it is a different story. But the pusher is simple to use and there is virtually no waste. Also, I don't have to put a glove on.



When I bought my last mandolin, I was sooooo careful, and followed all the instructions. Still cut a fingertip off. I had to have it cauterized, as it would not stop bleeding. 

CD


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## larry_stewart

The inly non vegetarian mea my wife has includes my fingertips after using the mandolin

Truth is, I am extra cautious when using this thing.

And yeah Andy, I hear ya about washing the thing.  Thats when my carelessness comes out. 

But when all said, Ive done much more damage with my knives than the mandolin cause I get a little too comfortable sometimes with the knives, engage in conversation, watching the news.... next thing I know, part of my finger is missing.  Doesnt happen often, but on occasion I do something dumb ( my wife would say I do dumb things more frequently than that).  What amazes me is how well the nail, finger tip and even finger prints grow back so well.


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## Addie

Even knives are not safe to use. Just ask my dumb daughter.

She wanted a hot dog on a toasted bun. The buns were in the freezer. I told her to wait a couple of minutes and it would thaw out while her hot dog was cooking. Impatient Nellie decided to take the biggest knife I owned and tried to pry the roll open. Ooops! She sliced the whole palm of her hand wide open. Off to the ER. I stood at her head and had it turned to the side. "I will tell you when he is ready to start stitching your hand up." I am such a good liar. She is carrying on as if she was having open heart surgery without anesthesia. 

"Right now he is cleaning out all the bread crumbs." The doctor is stitching away. "Okay sweetheart. He is going to start stitching now." She started yelling bloody murder. "Knock it off! It is all over." After ten days I removed the sutures myself. 

A week later she did the very same thing again. Too impatient to wait for the hot dog roll to thaw out.

She got the same doctor in the ER. "Didn't I just sew you up a while ago?"


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## Andy M.

Addie, tell her to wrap the HD bun in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave it for 20-25 seconds. Easy peasy. I've never cut my hand on a damp paper towel.


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## Linda0818

Addie said:


> Even knives are not safe to use. Just ask my dumb daughter.
> 
> She wanted a hot dog on a toasted bun. The buns were in the freezer. I told her to wait a couple of minutes and it would thaw out while her hot dog was cooking. Impatient Nellie decided to take the biggest knife I owned and tried to pry the roll open. Ooops! She sliced the whole palm of her hand wide open. Off to the ER. I stood at her head and had it turned to the side. "I will tell you when he is ready to start stitching your hand up." I am such a good liar. She is carrying on as if she was having open heart surgery without anesthesia.
> 
> "Right now he is cleaning out all the bread crumbs." The doctor is stitching away. "Okay sweetheart. He is going to start stitching now." She started yelling bloody murder. "Knock it off! It is all over." After ten days I removed the sutures myself.
> 
> A week later she did the very same thing again. Too impatient to wait for the hot dog roll to thaw out.
> 
> She got the same doctor in the ER. "Didn't I just sew you up a while ago?"



Well even if she'd manage to pop the bun open with the knife, it's still going to be frozen 

As for One Hit Wonders, I agree with those who mentioned bread machines. I think I've used mine twice, though. So more than once. But since then, it sits in the storage room gathering dust.


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## Cooking Goddess

*Linda*, that's how I was with my bread machine, until I took the "bread" part out of it. These days, I use it only as my hands, letting it do the mixing and kneading with the "dough" cycle. After it's done with the hard work, I take that lovely lump of gooey deliciousness out of the pan, plop it onto my pastry board and do a little kneading and patting, form it into shape, and either put it into a baking pan (I usually use my Bennington Pottery loaf pan, but metal bread/loaf pans work just fine, too), cover, and let rise in a warmish area. When it's done rising, then I bake it. I've also formed the dough into a round loaf, or a long loaf like Italian, and once even made two loaves of French-style bread. 

I almost brought my bread machine with us to OH for the holidays.  Our daughter was a bit disappointed to see it didn't get to make the trip. I can't wait to get back to my bread machine and start making bread again. - except for the part that we'll then be 600+ miles from the kids...


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## powerplantop

I have cut resistant gloves that I wear when using mine.


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## Linda0818

Cooking Goddess said:


> *Linda*, that's how I was with my bread machine, until I took the "bread" part out of it. These days, I use it only as my hands, letting it do the mixing and kneading with the "dough" cycle. After it's done with the hard work, I take that lovely lump of gooey deliciousness out of the pan, plop it onto my pastry board and do a little kneading and patting, form it into shape, and either put it into a baking pan (I usually use my Bennington Pottery loaf pan, but metal bread/loaf pans work just fine, too), cover, and let rise in a warmish area. When it's done rising, then I bake it. I've also formed the dough into a round loaf, or a long loaf like Italian, and once even made two loaves of French-style bread.
> 
> I almost brought my bread machine with us to OH for the holidays.  Our daughter was a bit disappointed to see it didn't get to make the trip. I can't wait to get back to my bread machine and start making bread again. - except for the part that we'll then be 600+ miles from the kids...



That's a good idea, letting the machine do the mixing and then taking the dough out and finishing it yourself. And I wouldn't have to worry about trying to dig the mixing paddle out of the loaf of bread once it's baked.


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## taxlady

I have a slow cooker that has only been used once or twice. The food was okay, but it didn't seem much of a saving of effort. When we bought it, we figured we would use it for buffets. However, we almost never have guests over now and I haven't had a dinner party in a few years. I always used to do at least a once a year solstice dinner party. I still want to try making Bolas' onion goop with the slow cooker, but if that doesn't happen soon, it's outta here.


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