Mine lately is probably my electric roaster oven. I inherited it from my Grandma and I use it all the time. I can set and forget like a crockpot but the food comes out more oven like than crockpot like. I also like that is has more controllable temp settings.
I ask becuase my sister and asked for "fun" kitchen stuff for Christmas. She has the basics. She did ask for an over the sink cutting board with drainer. I'm just looking for some other stuff to pair with it.
Post by emoflamingo on Nov 3, 2012 17:21:33 GMT -5
Oh I like the drying rack too.
Um.. Pizza stone? We use ours when we make pizza at home (currently in storage unit though so we end up with pre-cooked pizza vs. making one at home). I wish I had a better knife set and cookie sheets, though those aren't "fun".
I also vote pizza stone. Mine is in my oven all the time, and I make something out of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day at least once a week on it. That book would also make a great gift. I use my ramekins with lids for everything: melting butter in the microwave, pre-measuring ingredients for recipes, mixing spices, storing small batches in the fridge, holding oils for bread dipping. I have a silicone brush that I use all the time for brushing on melted butter and other sauces and it goes in the DW (unlike the "real" brushes). Does she need any serveware? Someone got me a spinning tray with little individual divided bowls on it, and while I thought it was useless when I got it, I actually use it all the time when people come over. I serve dips, cheeses, crackers, fruits, nuts, etc. in it. We also use it in the middle of the table on taco night to hold all the taco fillings so everyone can build their own tacos to taste.
Thanks girls! There a lot of great ideas here! Sister and I both decent cooks but have very different cooking styles. She loves to bake and can. I like to actually cook stuff/try new recipes/experiment more.
If she likes to can, get her some really cute labels for the cans. I go through those things like crazy. Does she have a magnet wand, jar lifter, jar funnel, juice bag thingy? I use those things all the time.
ETA: Oh, oh, oh, custom labels for her cans Her initials or some cute saying. I'd love that!
Post by SusanBAnthony on Nov 3, 2012 19:02:39 GMT -5
For canning, does she have a kitchen aid mixer? A KA plus the fruit/vegetable grinder attachment is the best canning tool ever. Makes applesauce, tomato ice, tomato soup, etc so so so easy!
I also use my cast iron skillet all the time. A silpat is nice for baking. And fun servingware - I have several cake stands, platters, bowls, etc from Crate & Barrel and I use it all the time. Mine's all white but a lot of different patterns. It comes in handy.
One of my favorite kitchen gadgets lately is called a scoopula. I got a pack of 3 from Williams Sonoma (I kept one, plan one giving my mom and sis one for Christmas) and it's like a rubber spatula, only its slightly curved, like a spoon. It's such a great little tool for baking. I almost contemplated keeping all 3 for myself!
Thanks again girls! I have a ton of super affordable ideas to group together! She'd for sure love a kitchen-aid..lol. Hopefully she gets married soon and I can gift it then. I don't love her that much at Christmas. And I'm laughing at the pizza stone thing. I have 3. One from Herbergers and 2 from Pampered Chef. I swear by them and use them all the time. Best homemade pizza ever. I however, have 3 because my sister gave them to me after she bought/tried/gifted them. She hates them with a burning passion for some reason.
My Cuisinart Mini Chopper. I never have to chop onions or vegetables for cooking, nuts for baking...and it purees like a dream. Couldn't live without it. Best $20 I ever spent.
I'm with your sister- I just can't find the love for pizza stones. And I make pizza from scratch about once a week.
I have a friend who bakes professionally and comes from a restaurant family- she gives me fun kitchen stuff. Some of my favorites from her and myself-
A copper mixing bowl Copper sauce pan Heat proof spatulas (Spoonulas are awesome) Thermometers- can and meat Scale for baking Air bake cookie sheets Ball Whisk Plane grater Ateco Frosting spatula Sandwich spreader Training chopsticks (for getting olives out of the bottom of jars)
Food supplies can be good gifts too. I like Penzeys www.penzeys.com/
Another pizza stone vote! I use mine all the time. That and those rubber spatulas. We never had them when I was a kid for some reason so being able to scrape everything out of a bowl is like magic to me!
I use my immersion blender the most! I absolutely love it.
I forgot about this. I <3 my immersion blender. My SIL sent it to me one year for Christmas and it sat in the box for 3 years. It's become indespensible.
Post by sierramist03 on Nov 4, 2012 11:24:23 GMT -5
I wish I had a collapsible stainer the regular ones take up so much room. I have some glass with stainless steel measuring cups that I always use they are my favorite. I also have a small teaspoon measuring cup that's foldable one side is 1/2 teaspoon and teaspoon and the other side is 1/2 tablespoon and tablespoon it's soo handy. I also really like my food chopper and Manueline cutter
Eta a mixing bowl set with rubber bottoms they are don't move on your cabinet mine are oxo brand.
Cuisinart Ice cream maker. I love it makes a quart in less then 30 mins. I have been seriously considering putting this on my list. See below ..
I had this and then gave it away! I wanted to love it but I just didn't. It was really hard to use and left everything in a weird sticky choppy mess. Wasn't a fan at all. I had better faster luck with a knife.
We just went to Williams Sonoma today and bought new measuring spoons and measuring cups. Really nice, weighty, stainless with nice handles....I am seriously tossing the old plastic and cheap metal ones asap.
I am a gadget freak, but some of my most used items are the basics...nice wooden spoons and spatulas, silicone spatulas of all sizes and shapes, stuff like that.
We are also big fans of a nice rolling pin (the marble one is great for pastry, but I use my long silicone one more often), and never underestimate some nice baking sheets (we get ours at the restaurant supply store) or really nice cooling racks.
I'm all about the silpats. So awesome. They're handy not just for baking - I use them for candy making, and also for anything that I want to do a home individual quick freeze on - like making a shitton of empanadas to freeze. Lay them out on the sheet pan over silpat and freeze, then bag 'em. They never ever ever stick that way.
And count me in on the immersion blender love. I've given a lot of those suckers as gifts. Mine is by FAR my most used kitchen gadget. (knives and such don't count as gadgets) I have this one: www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13485062
The minichopper attachment is also kickass. The whisk attachment is laughably bad.