Kitchen Monkey

09 May 2008

Unused Gadget kept in the dark for 15 years seeks compensation!!!

Gadgets and gismos we all have them. Some we use, some we don’t and some just come out once in their lifetime before being manoeuvred to the back of some cupboard to be unearthed years later for a car boot.

We were discussing the wonders of modern living and the gadgets we have in our kitchen’s today. We were not referring to the large appliances like the America fridge freezers which everyone seems to have and all for the ice and cold water dispenser on the outside, (I know, you brought one too just for that reason alone. Great for entertaining but hell when they go wrong, I had one which froze all our food including the fridge side, rock hard lettuce, umm lovely! Have you ever had that happen when you come back from 2 weeks holiday, to find your freezer has broken down. Everything’s swimming and even though you left some non perishables in the fridge, to save you shopping first thing when you get back, as the power went off all this too had gone off. Oh nightmare, been there done that.)

Anyway, what we were discussing is how we go to various shows and come back with various gadgets. You know the ones: the ice cream maker, bags to do toasted sandwiches in a normal toaster, milk frother, the yogurt maker, bread maker, donut maker, sandwich toaster, super quick kettle, self ironing iron (if only I hear you say). Our discussion turned into research.

It seems you lovely fella’s out there are quite obsessed with your gadgets and love purchasing them no matter which room of the house they are for. For the kitchen the guys loved the gadgets like the electric bottle openers, lumi-pad fridge magnets (apparently forget ‘post it notes’ these pads light up a message when you walk past), popcorn makers (of all crazy designs and novelties), latest coffee/expresso makers and donut makers. As for the ladies we rate the steamers, rice makers, hand blenders, mortar & pestle and digital scales. The one appliance we both rate is the George foreman grill!

I have to say I use most of the so called kitchen gadgets/appliances that I have. My favourites would be both a food processor with a juicer, hand blender, bread maker (which I use daily, it’s a great way to get everyone out of bed in the morning with that great smell of bread filling the house), I too have a George foreman grill which is used, a steamer. Other than that I’m afraid I cook with an agar which is brilliant, being multi fuelled you can always use it during power cuts and living in the country believe me it helps. I do have a microwave and it’s used daily too. My kettle is a old fashioned stove type which whistles when it boils, toaster I have, but I have to say you cannot beat toast done on a fork on a open fire, which I have to say I have too and make full use of. As for the rest I cook as I was taught to cook, from fresh by hand from the best local produce available to me as my Gran did, bless her!

Let’s start a campaign to find Britain’s best loved kitchen gadgets, email me on jacqui@kitchenmonkey.co.uk with your favourite and I’ll post my findings later on.