It Was The Best of Kitchen Devices It Was The Worst of Kitchen Appliances

try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 11:25

I am a Kitchen Gadgetaholic and am always interested in what other people have as well as giving people some ideas on the stuff I've bought. I've done a couple of these in the past and some of the answers have been really helpful and some of the duds people have bought have been really hilarious. I've attached my previous ones for people to read as well.

The staples are good knives, pots and pans, chopping boards, a good food processor, kettle, toaster, wok, and utensils like mixing spoons, egg slides etc.

My latest must haves
- My Instantpots. I have a 5.7L Duo Nova and an 8L Pro Crisp.
We bought the 5.7L first, and used it a lot, I saw the 8L Pro Crisp at a good price so I couldn't resist. If you have the room I recommend the 8L Instantpot. I found the 5.7L a bit small for things like batch soups. Instantpots are cult items. There are recipes on the Internet to cook almost anything. The air fryer "crisper" compartment is a tad small but perfect for our needs which is cooking the add snack. However, you can also use it to roast a chicken or bake a cake. If you are a Costco member and don't know if this is your "thing" they often have a version that goes in special pretty regularly. If you don't like it take it back.

  • Breville Bambino Plus
    This is brilliant for a couple who want decent coffee without having to take up vast areas of benchtop. It heats hot water quickly so you can make coffee, and hot chocolate, quickly without having to preheat the unit. The rapid heating also means you can make coffee for guests relatively easily you just don't serve everyone at once.

  • Breville Smart Pro Grinder
    This certainly helps you to improve consistency of your coffee. Didn't think we needed it, turned out we did.

  • Bamix Speciality Grill & Chill BBQ Immersion Blender. We don't use this an awful lot but it is good for grinding dry spices and blending up small batches of curry pastes. It is also good for blending soups whilst they are still in the saucepan; saves transferring to a blender. Also, whipping cream, doing Pesto sauce, etc.

Probably a waste of money
- My Anova Sous Vide. I used it a bit to start with but I can't be bothered setting it up anymore. The Instantpot cooks meat to very tender in a fraction of the time. Especially as the Instant Pot Pro has a Sous Vide function.

Would be interested to see other people's experiences.

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/434467
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/346735
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/298108

Home & Garden

Comments

  • deme on 23/04/2023 - 11:34
    +32

    TL;DR

    Category Item Description
    Staples Knives, pots, pans, chopping boards, food processor, kettle, toaster, wok, utensils Essential items for every kitchen
    Must Haves Instantpots (5.7L Duo Nova, 8L Pro Crisp) Highly versatile and useful for cooking various dishes; recommended for batch soups and cooking larger meals
    Breville Bambino Plus Compact espresso machine with rapid heating for quick coffee and hot chocolate preparation
    Breville Smart Pro Grinder Helps improve consistency of coffee
    Bamix Specialty Grill & Chill BBQ Immersion Blender Useful for grinding dry spices, blending small batches of curry pastes, blending soups, whipping cream, and making pesto sauce
    Waste of Money Anova Sous Vide Less useful after acquiring Instantpot Pro with Sous Vide function; not used as often due to setup inconvenience
    Seeking Recommendations N/A Interested in others' experiences with kitchen gadgets

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 13:27
      +1

      Thanks. I don’t know how to do the layout :)

      • deme on 23/04/2023 - 13:27
        +14

        ChatGPT

    • Powlie85 on 24/04/2023 - 21:05
      +4

      Great post! I'm the same. Love a good 'gadget' or even just a good quality item.

      Shun Fileting Knife - had me practice deboning whole chickens and absolutely love that knife

      Delonghi Dedica + Neouza Bottomless Portabasket + handle (will get the breville smart gri der for Christmas)

      Butterfly Mixi - it's basically a blender with different blender containers (spices, pastes, drinks) it's an Indian make and basic kitchen equipment over there

      A good and large stockpot (or an 8 liter slow cooker)

      Ikea smakllig induction hob and pyrolitic oven - always insisted on gas before but never looked back

      Temperature probes like meater or inkbird - but I actually use the one built I to my Ikea oven or a wired one from Aldi

      Ikea pokal glasses - it's a classic

      My plumbed in Samsung French Door fridge freezer (2021 model) with in line filter (6 months and $60 each - Brita no more), ice maker and water dispenser is probably an item I felt a little guilty about buying, but so happy to have one.

      A used/refurved Miele dishwasher with the third cutlery shelf and concealed controls/LEDs - washes so well and offers so much space

    • timthetoolman on 23/04/2023 - 12:03
      +67

      You're $6000 in, you have to say that

        • timthetoolman on 23/04/2023 - 20:41
          +14

          Oh my gosh is it more?!? Where'd you get this money from Leanne?

          • BewareOfThe Dog on 23/04/2023 - 20:46

            @timthetoolman: Drugs. :)

            • SBOB on 24/04/2023 - 08:29
              +22

              @Leanne59: Those that pay for it and think it's great it talk it up
              Those that pay for it and realise it's not the greatest kitchen gadgets in the world still talk it up in an attempt try to justify dropping >$2k on a heated blender :)

              • CocaKoala on 24/04/2023 - 12:05
                +7

                @SBOB: Thermomix is the next crypto bruh.

              • bamzero on 24/04/2023 - 14:41
                +4

                @SBOB: Yep. I mean, missus got one, said the same thing to her but who am I to argue right.

                It's a pretty well made machine, it's just priced artificially high as they've got the distribution all wrapped up. But what else can you expect from a company that made customers illegally sign NDAs for warranty claims and what not.

                Just glad she's not into high end fashion bags and shoes etc like her friends that have happily thrown down 4k+ on a handbag.
                At least I get dinner out of the Thermomix.

              • Leanne59 on 24/04/2023 - 21:11
                -4

                @SBOB: Obviously you have no idea what a thermomix actually does, so maybe don't comment on it.

                • SBOB on 24/04/2023 - 22:43
                  +1

                  @Leanne59: I do. A couple of friends have them. I've eaten meals from them, I've had mojitos made in them.

                  Perhaps being a little less hurt over comments on the kitchen gadget you dropped >$2k on would be a better suggestion :)

                • Sirocco on 25/04/2023 - 22:17

                  @Leanne59: Yep, an entree of soup, a main of soup or some steamed meat, followed by some other rubbish meal.

                  It's a waste of money….

              • A-Z on 26/04/2023 - 09:33

                @SBOB: @SBOB agreed.

                We've got a Thermomix. I don't think it's the greatest in the world, and don't think we'll be getting another one after this one carks it.

                Sometimes the Thermomix shreds the chicken - even with the blades set on reverse. Sometimes the meals are barely big enough for a family of 4 - the cooking bowl isn't big enough.

                Sometimes the recipe steps seem wasteful of time, when another kitchen tool (or utensil) would be sufficient, and help save time. For example, Step 1 in the Risotto recipe asks that you put in a block of parmesan, and use the Thermomix to shred it. The next steps are that you empty the shredded parmesan into a bowl (to put aside for later), then wash/clean the Thermomix before proceeding with future steps. You could literally jump straight to the cooking steps, and save yourself time by using a cheese grater. Why wouldn't the Thermomix makers simply suggest these sort of things? Because they take way too much pride in trying to prove that their machine is the only required cooking tool.

                It is fantastic for sauces, biscuit/cake batter, and making pizza dough in it is super easy. In general it does make cooking super easy - follow instructions on a screen and click next - and the thing largely does the job for you. The Thermomix community is large, and there are many recipes found online for it. If you suck at cooking, or want to streamline the process, or make your job easier, then yes a Thermomix does have a place in the kitchen. If this sounds like you, then I'd suggest you buy one. If you can cook without issue, or have a larger family, then I'd suggest you save your money, or buy something else instead.

        • Zondor on 24/04/2023 - 10:29
          -4

          Personally, I inspect every restaurant kitchen to make sure they are using one before I eat there.

          If they aren't using one, then they just aren't professionals. It's such a MUST have cooking appliance.

          • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 12:14
            +6

            @Zondor: I am not going to dis other people’s options. When I find an appliance that works for me I talk it up as well. Please keep the discussions civil.

      • Chandler on 24/04/2023 - 07:53
        +2

        Thermomix - the product who's owners wish it was a MLM.

  • Shoocat on 23/04/2023 - 11:49
    +2

    The Bambino Plus needs an extraction counter. So annoying when you extract a coffee, only for it to go into compulsory cleaning mode (at 200 extractions). Really annoying in the morning when you need to get out the door, and especially where you are making a milk coffee and want to froth milk. By the time you finish the cleaning cycle, the shot is cold and ruined.

    I've taken to running the cleaning mode manually every 2-3 weeks to get around this.

    Also, do yourself a favour and buy the unpressurised basket from Breville. Makes all the difference with good quality coffee.

    • deme on 23/04/2023 - 11:56

      compulsory cleaning mode

      Is this not like the others where it just flashes a light?

      unpressurised basket from Breville

      I can't find it on https://www.breville.com/ can you link?

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 13:28
      +2

      Absolutely on that one. You need a button that says “delay”.

      • konstantinos on 23/04/2023 - 19:39
        +4

        What if I told you there was?

        This was my biggest gripe about the bambino plus until I discovered it last time (when I was mid coffee making for 18 people during Christmas Day entertaining)…

        And no - this isn’t for descale - it’s for the 200 shot clean:

        Press the steam button.

        That’s it. I felt like an absolute tool when it worked, but suffice to say, I managed to continue serving coffees and clean the machine on Boxing Day instead.

        Video too: https://youtu.be/5V7XH96nOzw

        • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 22:46

          Thanks, will try it next time.

        • Shoocat on 24/04/2023 - 10:24

          Cheers, will also give it a go!

        • rowanb1 on 24/04/2023 - 12:25
          +1

          Wow I couldn't have survived if I didn't know the cleaning bypass

          • Shoocat on 24/04/2023 - 13:00

            @rowanb1: I'm pretty sure I tried all combinations of buttons and consulted the manual but no success.

            • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 22:09
              +1

              @Shoocat: I think some versions work and some don’t. It doesn't make sense to not to have an override. People have already ground the coffee.

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 18:00
      +1

      https://www.breville.com/au/en/parts-accessories/parts/sp000…

      Forgive my ignorance but is this what you mean?

      I got this and some cleaning tablets so I didn’t have to pay for postage.

      These are all the accessories fir this.

      https://www.breville.com/au/en/products/espresso/parts-acces…

      • elcap on 24/04/2023 - 10:40
        +1

        Yep, the single wall filter = unpressurised basket.
        I bought one for my bambino.

    • Arsenal on 24/04/2023 - 13:25

      It only comes with a pressurised basket? Wow.

    • dasher86 on 24/04/2023 - 14:17

      Do yourself a favour and skip the Breville one and get a precision one instead.

  • payless69 on 23/04/2023 - 11:58
    +3

    3.5kW induction! Stops you from falling asleep whilst cooking.

    • CommuterPolluter on 24/04/2023 - 14:22
      -6

      There’s a reason nobody says “now we’re cooking with induction” 🤣

      • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 14:37
        +8

        The “cooking with gas” was an advertising slogan. We have a gas stove and a single induction hob and the induction cooker seems to be much faster.

        • CommuterPolluter on 24/04/2023 - 17:18

          Yes if we are being honest the main disadvantages of induction stovetops, in my eye, is the high level of variability across cookware and the less precise control of temperature. I believe that variable switches mess up the grid hence stovetops are stuck with switching between preset values.

          • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 17:48
            +1

            @CommuterPolluter: Don’t disagree. When we go induction I will need a bit of new cookware and I need to ensure whatever cooktop I get can provide enough variation to provide my cooking needs. It will take some getting used to after gas.

          • Save Medicare on 25/04/2023 - 22:57

            @CommuterPolluter: Some induction hobs are very good at fine tuning temperature. I use a breville control freak and that checks the temp multiple times a second via the inbuilt sensor on the hotplate or temperature probe for sous vide

      • payless69 on 24/04/2023 - 19:15
        +1

        Having grown up on solid electric plates I was eager to enjoy the gas advantages and learn to make French flambees.
        Missus never cooked on electric and in the big city we had cheap gas. Then we moved to the country with idiotic expensive bottle gas.
        I was very reluctant to go induction. First few hobs with buttons were a disaster.
        Then we walked by a commercial kitchen supply in Hong Kong and bought a commercial unit usually only found in restaurant kitchens. Replacing all pots was taking a bit of time but hey nowadays 95% of cheap pots are suitable. We got the model with turn knob control and it is so powerful yet can be set to be gently even to ever think of gas would never be an option.

        • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 22:13
          +1

          We watch the “House hunter international” shows. We notice that a number of the Asian places don’t seem to have built in ovens or cooktops. I, assume, they use a lot of standalone appliances or just eat out :)

          • Hangryuman on 25/04/2023 - 19:14

            @try2bhelpful: in many East Asian places food is so cheap that people rarely cook unless it is for a religious type ceremony, so they buy takeaway for most meals

            last century I liked the Singapore style of high-rise housing block of many small units without kitchens, and the ground floor was open and filled with hawker food stalls, each specialising in a few dishes they did well

            and everyone living above mostly ate there or visited friends at other similar sites, and the discussion was business ideas and how to get rich ! Discussions that probably wouldn't have if they were sitting at home eating food they cooked in their own kitchen.

  • Misslego on 23/04/2023 - 12:01
    +7

    On the contrary, I absolutely love my Anova. Great for steaks, ribs, liquid infusions and fat-washing alcohols.

    • activ8newbs on 23/04/2023 - 12:21

      Yeah it's great for that but it sounds like a pressure cooker will be better yet (just based off Op's description)

      Because it can do all the same stuff, but just quicker (under pressure)

      • SBOB on 23/04/2023 - 12:44
        +1

        can do all the same stuff

        Not even the same kind of cooking technique or end result.
        Sure, you can use a vessel like the instapot to do sous vide (to a limit, based on the size of the pot), but pressure cooking and sous vide aren't comparable

      • Misslego on 23/04/2023 - 13:18

        No, pressure cooker won’t be able to fat-wash alcohol. Also the texture of meat is just not as good compared to Sous vide.

        Also, u can cook a much smaller volume of meat/cream infusion in Sous vide than pressure cooker.

        Lastly, Sous vide is also exceptional for tempting chocolate. Something u definitely can’t do in a pressure cooker.

        • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 17:46

          Tempering chocolate? Chocolates tempt me.

          I don’t temper chocolate but I do melt chocolate for my chocolate mousse. I use a melamine bowl and stand it in a sink with two kettles full of boiling water. This melts the chocolate gently over a few minutes whilst I do the rest of the ingredients.

          With the InstantPot you also have the option of a Sous Vide, a slow Cooker, steamer etc. I’m pretty sure with all those options you could find something to temper chocolate. If nothing else you could sit a bowl on top and have it act as a double boiler. The Instant Pot isn’t just a pressure cooker.

          • Misslego on 23/04/2023 - 18:01

            @try2bhelpful: Yea tempering chocolate via the three temperature points for dark/milk/white chocolate.

            Boiler method to temper chocolate is not as convenient and precise as Sous vide, also prone to water leaking into the bowl.

            Another reason I don’t like instant pot is precisely the multi-function part. If it breaks, all these functions are on hold. And u hv to wait for one run of instant pot to finish before setting up for the next one.

            • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 18:06

              @Misslego: See we got around that by having two InstantPots.

              My Pro version does Sous Vide as well. I don’t see how water would leak into the bowl if it sits into the top of it. However, I admit I haven’t tried.

              • Droz on 25/04/2023 - 16:49
                +1

                @try2bhelpful: Sous vide mode in the instant pot isn't good because it doesn't circulate the water, like your circulator does. That means the temperatures aren't very even inside the actual bowl.

                Large amount of temperature variance too, so you can't expect that 55c is actually 55c.

                Just put your circulator in your Instant Pot!

                Otherwise, the Instant Pot is my most used kitchen item by far - replaces rice cooker, make large amounts of hard-boiled eggs, soups, ribs, brisket, stews, whole chicken, risotto, steel cut oats… It's just so damn good!

      • GrueHunter on 23/04/2023 - 14:06
        +2

        Good luck doing a decent a steak in.a pressure cooker

        Casserole, curry, soup, pot roast, stew - total win in a pressure cooker

        Whole cut you want to stay intact for finishing - nope

        • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 17:57

          The Instant pot isn’t just a pressure cooker. Mine even has a Sous Vide function.

          • GrueHunter on 23/04/2023 - 19:33

            @try2bhelpful: And most pressure cookers don't, which is why people like me have both.

            • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 23:48

              @GrueHunter: I’m, certainly, happy for people to have their separate Sous Vide. I just don’t use mine since I got the Instant Pot. I will need to try and do a steak in the IP in Sous Vide mode and see how it comes out. However, we have a pub around the corner that does Steak and a glass of Shiraz for $25 so we don’t tend to cook our own steaks :)

              The IPs are a lot more than just a pressure cooker, particularly if you get the Crisp versions. My man made Macaroni Cheese, today, and everything could be done in the one IP. From cooking the Macaroni, sautéing the onions, cooking the cheese sauce, combining it all, putting the breadcrumbs on top and then browning them.

              My only point would be I think someone who is looking to buy an appliance should, probably, start with the IP and then buy a separate Sous Vide if they want to explore larger pieces of meat with slow cooking.

      • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 17:55

        It doesn’t do all the same stuff but lamb shanks, corned beef, etc work just as well in the InstantPot for me. The trouble with Sous Vide is there is a lot of pfaffing about, and cooking in plastic, that put me off. I also got sick of waiting for hours for things like ribs to be ready. Sous Vides are good for steaks and things you want to slowly infuse with a flavour. I haven’t used mine since I got the InstantPot.

      • stjep on 25/04/2023 - 12:06

        but it sounds like a pressure cooker will be better yet

        If you want to sear a steak and want it perfectly medium a pressure cooker won't help. Or make brisket. Or confit anything.

        They will both definitely help you render fat and collagen out of meat, but that's the only little sliver of overlap for these two circles in the Venn diagram.

        I definitely don't think sous vide is for everyone, but neither is pressure cooking.

    • AustriaBargain on 23/04/2023 - 12:44

      I didn't think I liked pork until I tried it cooked in the sous vide. Great on sarnies.

  • jv on 23/04/2023 - 12:37
    +7

    It Was The Best of Kitchen Devices It Was The Worst of Kitchen Appliances

    What the Dickens !!!

  • Cheaplikethebird on 23/04/2023 - 12:37
    +3

    The faves from my long list of gadgets are

    Weber + Rotisserie Attachment - used weekly for rotisserie chickens, porchetta on special occasions, and you can't beat a reverse sear steak
    Mandoline - Great to be able to get consistently sliced veggies for salads, pickling, etc. Julienned carrots stomp on depressing grated carrot.
    28cm Staub Dutch Oven - I thought the size was a little overkill when I bought it but since owning it I wouldn't want to go smaller, if anything I could go bigger.
    Tri-ply saucier - the only small pot I have in my kitchen, very versatile. Curved bottom makes it so much better for cooking so many things.
    Anova + Cambro - Probably only use it once a month but it opens up so many possibilities (barely use it for meat) and the cambro (Actually Vogue brand from Nisbets) is very handy to have.
    Cast Iron Pan - Absolute tank and can go from the stove to the oven to the grill to the BBQ. Has also saved me from dropping $$$ on a pizza oven because cast iron deep dish is pretty damn good.
    Inkbird Instant Read Thermometer - It's an essential.
    Sheet Pan w/ Wire Rack - Great for cooking with but I also use it a lot when air drying meat in the fridge for that perfect crispy skin.
    Vacuum sealer - for sous vide obvs but also great to be able to freeze meat without the freezer burn and it's the best way to store and reheat BBQ

    Sucks…
    Cast Iron Grill Pan - Honestly what's the point the grill marks are purely aesthetic and they're an absolute MF to clean.
    Pizza Stone for Oven/BBQ - Unless you're cooking in a proper pizza oven, cast iron deep dish is better than anything you're gonna cook on one of these.
    Crinkle cut knife - bought for making pickles before I got the OXO mandoline, good luck getting decent slices with one of these.

    Wants…
    Breville Kitchen Wizz Pro Food Processor
    Heaps more but can't think of anything else right now.

    • deme on 23/04/2023 - 13:28
      +4
      Item Category Description
      Weber + Rotisserie Attachment Love Used weekly for rotisserie chickens, porchetta on special occasions, and you can't beat a reverse sear steak.
      Mandoline Love Great for consistently sliced veggies for salads, pickling, etc. Julienned carrots stomp on depressing grated carrot.
      28cm Staub Dutch Oven Love Initially thought the size was overkill, but now wouldn't want to go smaller. Could potentially go bigger.
      Tri-ply saucier Love The only small pot in the kitchen, very versatile. Curved bottom makes it much better for cooking many things.
      Anova + Cambro Love Used once a month, opens up many possibilities (barely used for meat). The cambro (Vogue brand from Nisbets) is very handy.
      Cast Iron Pan Love Absolute tank, versatile for various cooking surfaces. Saved money on a pizza oven because cast iron deep dish is pretty good.
      Inkbird Instant Read Thermometer Love Considered an essential.
      Sheet Pan w/ Wire Rack Love Great for cooking and air drying meat in the fridge for perfect crispy skin.
      Vacuum sealer Love Used for sous vide and freezing meat without freezer burn. Best way to store and reheat BBQ.
      Cast Iron Grill Pan Sucks Grill marks are purely aesthetic and it's difficult to clean.
      Pizza Stone for Oven/BBQ Sucks Unless using a proper pizza oven, cast iron deep dish is better than anything cooked on this.
      Crinkle cut knife Sucks Bought for making pickles before getting the OXO mandoline, difficult to get decent slices.
      Breville Kitchen Wizz Pro Food Processor Wants Looking to acquire this food processor.
    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 13:32
      +2

      I have the Magimix food processor and they are the bomb. They have a 3 year general warranty and a 30 year motor warranty.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 23/04/2023 - 13:45
        +1

        Yeah it’s a toss up between the two. I don’t do a lot of blending so I’ve been getting by with the Kmart stick blender. If I finally give in a buy a pizza oven though I’ll want it for making dough and Kenji Alt Lopez swears by his for dough.

    • bamzero on 24/04/2023 - 14:50
      +1

      Gave away our pizza stone, but then were given an electric pizza maker and although I hate having another single use appliance that thing does pizzas better than we ever got out of the oven.

      Vacuum sealer gets used a lot too, but really just to vac seal (or just seal) products in their original packaging.

      • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 09:27

        Does any of them have decent reusable bags? I hate the waste of plastic with Sous Vide. I use the Ziplocs and air displacement method but would prefer to use a a vacuum sealer if possible.

        • stjep on 25/04/2023 - 12:09

          Does any of them have decent reusable bags?

          I have a vacuum seal and will wash and dry and reuse bags. They just get shorter where you cut them open. Gets quite a few uses out of it before it goes in the bin.

          I use the Ziplocs and air displacement method

          Worth waiting for a sale but ANOVA have silicon resealable sous vide bags that are designed to be reused as well.

          • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 21:41

            @stjep: I’ve got the Silicon bags but they are a bit thick to get rid of all the air.

        • bamzero on 25/04/2023 - 18:39

          I've never actually bought any vac seal bags for mine so not sure, but I think the thing to do is cut the bags off the roll bigger than you need so you still have room to reseal them multiple times after cutting open. At least that way it's only an inch or so of plastic that goes in the bin each time instead of the whole thing.

      • Cheaplikethebird on 25/04/2023 - 10:59
        +1

        Do you mean to close up open bags? Because I just use the sealer to close the original bags on things like bags of chips, panko crumbs, etc works a treat.

        • bamzero on 25/04/2023 - 18:41
          +1

          Yeh, and things like blocks of cheese I manage to vacuum seal in their original pack. Whether it helps in any way I don't know :D

    • garage sale on 25/04/2023 - 21:18

      the grill pan is a bit more forgiving in timing than a flat pan …. has saved me many steaks from going from medium to well done ….. yes lines are for looks as pan doesn’t get hot enough to vaporise fat unlike charcoal.

  • johninmelb on 23/04/2023 - 12:51
    +3

    I would be very happy to read if anyone has a toaster that bloody works and toasts bread consistently.

    I am on my umpteenth toaster now and just about to take the axe to it.

    The only decent toaster I have ever had was a Moulinex one donkeys years ago. Had radiator type bars in it and was brilliant. Most now just have wires and they don't work. Suspect Moulenix has gone to God now, you don't see any of their stuff around any more.

    Probably should just buy el cheapos from Kmart and toss them every few months.

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 13:40

      Bizarrely enough the toaster that I’ve seen come closest to that was something we had when I was a kid. It was upright with flip down doors on the outside and an element in the middle. You put the bread on the door, flipped it up, cooked one side, pulled it down, flipped over the bread and did the other side. You could do two slices at the same time. It worked well for sandwiches too. It wouldn’t pass the “health and safety” test now but then a lot of stuff from my childhood wouldn’t.

    • Cheaplikethebird on 23/04/2023 - 13:47

      I want a windowed one. Have a kitchenaid one currently but it’s so overpowered it will burn your toast on anything but the lowest settings.

      • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 13:51
        +1

        I have a windowed one. It sort of helps but it is a tad gimmicky. It is a PITA but maybe look at the grill in the oven or a little grill oven instead.

        • Cheaplikethebird on 23/04/2023 - 14:01

          Good to know. I eat toast once in a blue moon so oven grill works better for most things I make anyway, like toasting sandwich rolls etc.

    • TooSerious2 on 23/04/2023 - 14:07

      Used an Aladdin toaster oven in three Airbnb places in Japan. Perfect toast, every time, but I'm not a $350 toaster kind of guy.

    • MaOptAus on 23/04/2023 - 15:42

      I got this from Kmart, it works for me. Apparently it is a clone from an expensive brand, Balmuda.
      https://www.kmart.com.au/product/steam-oven-43173167/

    • dtc on 23/04/2023 - 16:23

      What do you mean by ‘consistently’? Bread toasts at a different rate depending on the bread, so unless you are toasting the exact same bread every time from a large scale factory bread maker, you will get a different level of toasting between breads. Even the same bread from somewhere like Bakers Delight will be slightly different every batch.

      I have a breville smart toaster, it seems pretty consistent to me (albeit the mechanical lifting mechanism is pretty excessive).

      • Lastchancetosee on 24/04/2023 - 09:52
        +2

        Breville Lift and Look Pro 4 slice is the best I've found. Can do wide and long slices, and seems to cook evenly.

    • miwahni on 23/04/2023 - 21:28

      I had a Moulinex kettle that I retired after 20 years' use, only because the plastic had discoloured badly and it looked bad. Still worked like a dream though. Replaced with with a Bugatti kettle - likewise my toaster. It's pretty consistent, also has wide slots and settings for bagels and other different products.

    • CarRamrod on 24/04/2023 - 18:11

      In 2006 I bought a Sunbeam Cafe Series toaster for $150. It still cooks perfectly even toast. Looks like Sunbeam might have stopped making them but would buy again with no hesitation. Wish I got the 4 slice.

    • Minimum chips on 25/04/2023 - 20:28

      Ok weird angle but I got rid of the toaster and just toast bread in the air fryer. It works perfectly fine and I get some kitchen bench space back.

      It never burns anything, but I might just be good at guessing right for the timer.

    • djk on 27/04/2023 - 11:47

      We got rid of ours as the air fryer does a much better job and needed the bench space.

    • bamzero on 29/04/2023 - 22:27

      We got one of those Breville Smart Ovens (the older non air fryer model) that's replaced our toaster. Since it's on the bench anyway, didn't make sense to keep the toaster too. Plus can do up to 6 slices at once (and has the radiator type bars like you mentioned)

      Gets used a fair bit for dinners too, thought less now that roasting and grilling is done in the Ninja Foodi.

  • GrueHunter on 23/04/2023 - 14:22
    +3

    Old Breville cyclowiz food processor thing - $2 at a garage sale - turns cheap bags of roasted peanuts into peanut butter at a fraction of the price, also good at curry pastes, chopping onions, shredding cheese

    Mandolin - the perfect potato bake in a few minutes of prep

    A decent potato ricer - great mash, but also super easy spaetzle

    Cheap black steel pans from restaurant supply store - have lasted years, still non-stick, go in the oven, smashes a wicked crust on a sous vide steak, small one great for eggs and roti, can't kill them

    Nthing Weber kettle (and WSM), sous vide, pressure cooker

    Microplane grater - grabbed one in the US just over 20 years ago, still using it for citrus zest, garlic, nutmeg, chocolate

    One of those cheap stone mortar and pestle jobs from the Asian grocer - lives on the bench for Sunday morning chai spices but also does a very quick / rustic guacamole

    Stuff that's been a bit cr*p:

    Jumbuck spit roast thing from Bunnings - everything I've ever made on it I wished I'd just used the Weber(s) instead. Glad it was free.

    This handheld Breville set up the missus had to have - gutless, pieces get lost, I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns

    Kitchenaid magnetic drive blender. Does everything a normal blender does but with three times the bench space. Luckily it was a gift, not so luckily we gave away our good blender when we got it so stuck with it for now.

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 14:32
      +1

      Wonderful summary. If you are going the stick blender it is hard to go past a Bamix. Our old one was still working after 20 odd years. It was so old the Instruction booklet was incredibly sexist and all the white plastic accessories had turned a sepia colour. I really only got a new one because I wanted some accessories and it was a close call on the bundle and buying them individually.

  • AustriaBargain on 23/04/2023 - 15:56
    +4

    CuisinArt vertical waffle maker is my favourite appliance. I could never get the hang of making perfect pancakes and I thought I'd never master the art of not overflowing or underfilling a normal waffle maker.

    I'm hoping the Breville stand mixer will become my new favourite appliance, whenever it arrives. I can see myself using it daily to whip eggs for omelette.

      • AustriaBargain on 23/04/2023 - 18:34

        Yup. Can recommend the buttermilk waffle recipe in the instruction book.

        You get the little doughy handle at the top of the waffle where overflow goes which you cut off or some people like to ea according to reviewst. Or you can learn how much to pour in to not get the handle but that's not very fun.

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