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

    • Oz em on 24/04/2023 - 14:44
      +1

      Love mine too

  • Hansi on 23/04/2023 - 19:57
    +1

    Just an old regular Cafe Press. Using it for sandwiches, wraps, making eggs due to the nonstick surface. Easy to clean, fast, effective. Bought for $40 couple years ago. Probably use it 5 x a week.

    Also a blender for smoothies, ice etc.

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 21:46

      Have you tried using lavash bread for the sandwiches. It is a bit like a thinner Turkish bread.

      • Hansi on 26/04/2023 - 05:30

        I haven’t but thanks for the tip!

  • ngengerous on 23/04/2023 - 20:56
    +1

    I love my Anova Precision Oven and Chamber Vacuum Sealer. They've both been used extensively in my kitchen - oven is a little hard to clean, but I can't remember the last time I even used my regular gas oven since buying the Anova. The Chamber Vac has also been amazing for meal-prepping, along with infusing/pickling. Buy some cucumbers, slice, whip up some brine, and 3 mins in the machine gives me as many pickles as I want!

  • Starlight8 on 23/04/2023 - 22:06
    +2

    Must Have:
    - Instant Pot
    - Tiger rice cooker
    - Nespresso Coffee Machine
    - Kitchen Aid Mixer
    - Magimix
    - Kenwood - stick blender & other accessories
    - Phillips Airfyer

    Waste:
    - Smeg Coffee Machine
    - Breville Fast Slow Cook - upgraded to IP (the best)
    - Breville Waffle Maker
    - Cuisart Icecream Machine
    - Anova Vacuum Sealer

    • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 22:17

      I had the Breville Fast/Slow Pro. I like the controls but the lid didn’t seem to seal properly and the always connected lid annoyed me. The IP Pro has similar controls to the fast/slow Pro.

      • Starlight8 on 23/04/2023 - 23:21

        i didnt own the breville pro but my one had sealing problems too. There was a recall issued for them but my model wasnt on the list :(

        • try2bhelpful on 23/04/2023 - 23:59

          Neither was mine. I passed it onto my brother when I bought the IP.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 24/04/2023 - 05:25
    +1

    I find my steamer indispensable (for cooking vegies without losing all the nutrients), and my dehydrator essential for making jerky. I've done the maths though, and these days it's only really worth making your own jerky with a dehydrator if you have free electricity (solar power).

  • 82norm on 24/04/2023 - 08:02
    +1

    Steak knifes from Coles.

  • lilbudgie on 24/04/2023 - 08:45
    +3

    Old lady that has spent a lifetime in the kitchen here:

    BEST: my old basic slowcooker. Cheap to buy and very dependable. You can cook just about anything in a crockpot but Roasts and curries are phenomenal, last nights lamb shanks were a sure winner. Best thing for fooling yourself you have a night off cooking as you throw everything into the pot in the morning and dinner is served at night. Used multiple times a week.

    WORST: Piemaker or breadmaker can't decide closely followed by the airfryer. Easier to use the fan forced oven I already have

    • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 12:09
      +2

      Thanks.

      What I do love using the air fryer for is small things like a few pieces of fish, chicken, etc. you don’t need to heat up a large oven space. It also means I don’t need to cook a lot of something to think it is worth heating up the oven:).

    • stjep on 25/04/2023 - 12:13
      +1

      airfryer. Easier to use the fan forced oven I already have

      I think it makes sense for small amounts, so you don't have to do heat the entire oven to do two pieces of something.

      At least that is what I am telling myself, mine arrives end of May. If it doesn't earn its bench space its off to the folks'.

      • Hangryuman on 25/04/2023 - 19:18

        fave recent tip for air fryer is for a frozen meat pie, e.g. 1 or 2 only

        a few minutes in the microwave to defrost and heat inside

        then a few minutes in the air fryer to crisp up the pastry

        sounds much quicker than 45 minutes in the big fan-forced oven

  • bamzero on 24/04/2023 - 10:12

    Recently got a Ninja Foodi Air Grill. Loving that thing. Been using all the time, plus it was dirt cheap when Kmart clearing for $129.

  • Wasabi Ninja on 24/04/2023 - 10:21
    -1

    Thermomix. It’s my go to wedding gift 🎁

  • cannedhams on 24/04/2023 - 13:17
    +2

    Fish spatula. I bought one after the New York Times told me it was the only spatula I would ever need. I opted to buy a $5 cheapie instead of their pricey one though.

    So much easier flipping pancakes with a fish spatula compared to a standard one with that weird angle between the handle and the flippy part. I got so used to using it I get really upset when I can't find it and have to use a regular spatula.

    • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 22:39

      Will need to look for one.

    • stjep on 25/04/2023 - 12:14

      I have a griddle scraper which has taken spot #1 away from my fish spatula.

  • zathras on 24/04/2023 - 13:26
    +3

    Am I the only one who still uses a microwave?
    Maybe I'm just too old now….

    • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 12:25

      We have a convection/microwave combo. The microwave defrosts meat and is good for heat packs.

    • Hangryuman on 25/04/2023 - 19:20

      I just used our microwave multiple times - at 10 seconds a pop - to heat multiple beef steak pieces (like large cubes/offcuts from local butcher) that milady had fried in the pan and looked nice outside but were still not hot in the middle as she'd cooked them from cold

      10 seconds in a microwave plastic bowl per piece and each came out hot and juicy - slice and eat - next !

  • mrdean on 24/04/2023 - 13:35

    One thing I've found useful is using a circular deep frying basket when just boiling vegetables or eggs or other quick to cook foods. I can just lift out when ready.

    I do try to keep gadgets to a minimum. If I want toast I'll just improvise by heating it on a carbon steel skillet.

    Ever since I saw a method of chopping an onion just by holding it in your hand, I have forgone the use of a chopping board for most vegetables & fruit.

    Having a range of stainless steel or enamel steel mixing bowls, from smallish to huge, for various purposes, I have found indispensable. Depending on the quality of the enamel bowls I also sometimes use them on direct heat for reheating food.

  • Embaloo on 24/04/2023 - 14:00
    +2

    Best:

    • Spatulas. Best ozbargain utensil, get every last bit out/off. Decent silicone ones have been great.

    • Breville kitchen wizz pro. Was gifted it thankfully, it gets used for every second meal, includes chipper blade, slicing, dough blade, grater, and a powerful mtor. Withstands high heat so i can pour soups in to blend and atraight out again, dishwasher safe so super low effort to clean.

    • victorinox serrated knives

    • $29 mistral 3.5L air fryer, going strong, uses the solar instead of the dodgy slow gas oven.

    Regrets that I need to declutter asap

    • cheap peelers
    • cheap tin openers
    • corn cob prongs :S
    • cheap knives

    Mixed feelings:

    • aldi compressor icecream machine, amazing for the price and have made enough icecream, sorbet and froyo at cheap cost to make back the cost, but regretting the health impacts
    • SBOB on 24/04/2023 - 15:55
      +1

      and froyo at cheap cost to make back the cost, but regretting the health impacts

      And the Froyo is also cursed….so theres that impact also

    • Domingo on 24/04/2023 - 22:02
      +1

      corn cob prongs

      Blasphemy, if my house was on fire and I could take one thing it'd be these

      • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 22:30

        I like my corn cob prongs as well. Stops me needing asbestos fingers. It doesn’t seem to stop me getting covered in butter though.

      • Embaloo on 24/04/2023 - 22:54

        😄

  • FranGC on 24/04/2023 - 14:45

    Best coffee pod machine with milk warmer?

  • bamzero on 24/04/2023 - 14:54

    Actually, just thought of one of our most used things in kitchen… This $7 Kmart chopper (well $7.50 now it seems)

    • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2023 - 09:13

      I bought the $2 smaller version of this. It's pretty good value.

      EDIT: They increased the price to $6.50
      https://www.kmart.com.au/product/pull-chopper-42338468/

      • bamzero on 25/04/2023 - 17:51

        Yeh we started on that one but was a bit small. Don't remember it being $2 though, $4 or $5 seems to stick in my mind..

    • Chandler on 26/04/2023 - 09:40

      We had a similar one of these - stopped using it after we did some cooking classes and learnt to chop onion efficiently.

      • rowanb1 on 26/04/2023 - 17:57

        I'm curious as to what the efficient technique is?

        • Chandler on 27/04/2023 - 08:21
          +1

          TL;DR: Dicing An Onion | Gordon Ramsay1

          1. Skin the onion
          2. Chop in half
          3. With each half:
            (Note: slices to be the thickness of your dice, and not through the root end of the onion)
            a. Lay on the flat side
            b. Slice horizontally (parallel(ish) to bench, towards root end of onion) into X slices
            c. Slice vertically (normal to bench, blade tip towards root end of onion) into X slices
            d. (starting at the end opposite the bulb) slice vertically (normal to bench, parallel to root end of onion) into X slices (onion is now diced and some/most will fall away)

          1. Order in the video differs, but concept is the same. Personally I think my order is "better", as doing the horizontal slices with it already sliced vertically can be more difficult (IMO) ↩

  • Danger on 24/04/2023 - 18:09
    +2

    Must have - Wife
    Waste of money - Girlfriend

    • payless69 on 24/04/2023 - 19:21
      +1

      A wife that knows how to cook AND likes the same food!

    • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 09:19
      +2

      Jerry Hall once said.
      “My mother said it was simple to keep a man: You must be a maid in the living room, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom. I said I'd hire the other two and take care of the bedroom bit.”

    • Hangryuman on 25/04/2023 - 19:23

      “I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted.” - WC Fields

      • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 20:22

        “It was a woman who drove me to drink, I never thanked her for it” - WC Fields.

  • Powlie85 on 24/04/2023 - 21:04
    +1

    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

    • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 22:06
      +1

      Great list. Thanks.

      We have a Miele dish washer with the cutlery draw as well. Our first Miele just had the cutlery basket. With our current one we kept getting an error message on the display. It turned out we were getting grit from the inflow pipe. Once we cleaned it out it was fine.

      Finding a good device to do curry pastes can be difficult.

    • bamzero on 26/04/2023 - 13:42
      +1

      Yeh with you on the fridge. Not like I really need an ice and water dispenser, but I wouldn't want a fridge without it anymore :)

      I'm on a quest to find a new one. Current one still kicking but 18 years old now so don't know how much longer it'll go for.
      The checklist - French door fridge, full width freezer drawers, plumbed ice and water dispenser and inverter compressor.

      So far only found this Hisense that ticks all the boxes, thought bit concerned that there seems to be a lot of factory seconds around of this model (which I'm thinking means refurbs)

  • try2bhelpful on 24/04/2023 - 22:42

    I also recommend OXO Good Grips Angled Measuring Jugs. I have a two cup and a four cup. You can see the graduations on the inside when you are pouring the ingredients in.

    https://www.house.com.au/oxo-good-grips-angled-measuring-jug…

  • iand on 24/04/2023 - 23:35

    Airfryer

  • dlakers3peat on 24/04/2023 - 23:51

    Airfryer is a must in our household. But invest in a good quality one that has a large volume. Something like phillips xxl.

  • joykev on 25/04/2023 - 10:24

    Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill & Air Fryer, Black/Stainless Steel (AG551) https://amzn.asia/d/1zQDHoM

    Philips Avance Collection Pasta and Noodle Maker, with 4 Shaping Discs, Cashmere Grey, HR2375/13 https://amzn.asia/d/91d5Sy7

  • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2023 - 12:55

    Bodum Chambord French Press - used to prepare freshly brewed coffee & loose leaf tea

    • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 13:02

      If you are into the freshly brewed tea you might want to look at one of these. They are, usually, 9n special during T2 sales.

      https://www.t2tea.com/en/au/teawares/brewing/teamakers/t2-te…

      Look at the video for how they work.

      • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2023 - 13:06

        I would love to however our kitchen doesn't have great storage hence the Bodum having dual functionality

        • try2bhelpful on 25/04/2023 - 13:12

          We just put ours up with the cups. These things work quite well because you pour water in the tops and the tea comes out through the bottom. It looks a tad weird, particularly given normal tea colour :). I tend to drink tisanes so I just top up the water until I think it is too weak.

  • JackFrost on 25/04/2023 - 23:12
    -1

    Pizza scissors! 🍕 ✂️ Best way to cut pizza without the frustration/loss of cheese/toppings. There is an Australian-designed pair, but a regular pair of large scissors also works well :)

    • Chandler on 26/04/2023 - 09:43

      A good sharp knife (and the skills to use it) and you don't need this and some of the other gadgets listed on this post.

      We just drop our pizzas on our large cutting board and use the chef's knife to cut them up. If it's sharp, toppings don't move/etc.

  • Save Medicare on 25/04/2023 - 23:32

    Breville control freak induction hob. Great for induction cooking, but also for sous vide or Confit with an inbuilt temperature probe

    • try2bhelpful on 26/04/2023 - 00:40

      It looks good but the cost is a tad daunting.

  • PVA on 27/04/2023 - 08:30
    +1

    Is a coffee machine a gadget?

    We’ve had a Delonghi Eletta auto coffee machine for a while. It’s made over 20,000 cups so far and still going strong. Impressed with the coffee it makes and the reliability.

  • stuffandthat on 27/04/2023 - 12:04
    +1

    I bought a $25 automatic dumpling folder off Aliexpress. Arrived quick, but wouldn't fold the dumpling wrappers without jamming. Turns out folding dumplings is faster by hand!

    • try2bhelpful on 27/04/2023 - 13:05

      These gadgets are, often, more a hinderance than a help.

  • Karlos101 on 08/01/2024 - 12:15

    Anyone else here have a magimix? I like that its all glass and stainless steel that touches the food and feels sturdy as hell for a blender and grinder.
    Have a set of Silit pots for not quite 10 years and going strong.
    I own 2 Tojiro Chefs knives and 1 Tojiro pairing knife in the damascus series and have had them for 15 years and still sharpen up nicely.
    Ive also got a Buffalo rice cooker which has a stainless steel rice pot instead of a non-stick one (as had a previous bad experience where a friend scraped a big piece of coating off while spooning out rice and it ended up in someone's dish).
    The other piece of cookware that gets a daily thrashing and takes it on the chin is our Solidteknics crepe pan, but we use it for all egg, crepe, meat and veg frying. Im just sad they're prices have inflated so much over the last couple of years before i could buy a couple more pieces.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join