Top Ten Thursday

Tweet

Welcome to Top Ten Thursday! I created this meme to add a little bit of variety to Frump Day ( no longer Hump Day, not yet Friday...) If you would like to participate, just create your own Top Ten post about anything your heart desires and add the link below. Everyone is welcome to join in. This should get really interesting...

I am a total small appliance and gadget hound. But I never pay full price for anything. I either buy things second-hand or catch a really great sale.

Top Ten Favorite Kitchen Items

1. Electric Pressure Cooker

I love this thing. I was always afraid to try a traditional pressure cooker but this electric one is idiot proof. I can throw frozen food inside and hit COOK and it will prepare it perfectly. There is a sensor in the bottom that can tell somehow. Plus, it is non-stick. Even Hubs can work this thing by himself. He has actually cooked a few pots of beans on his own.

2.Rice Cooker

I always wondered what kind of ding bat would use a rice cooker. I mean how much easier can food prep get? Add twice as much water as rice, throw in some salt, cover and cook, right? Well as it turns out, I was that dingbat. I got my cooker on clearance from Overstock and love it! Even Selly, who is 12, can make rice perfectly in this thing. Plus, it doubles as a steamer and cooker. I can put a couple of frozen salmon fillets in the bottom and veggies in a basket on top and have lunch ready in a few minutes. Also non-stick.

3. Bread Machine

Also purchased on clearance. This thing is great. Just add all the ingredients, in a certain order, hit a button and forget about it. It even works great for my banana bread recipe. I use the dough setting a lot, for rolls and pizza dough. Unless I am having a bad day and need to take out my frustration, kneading dough lol. Also non-stick.  

4.Electric Griddle

This was a Christmas gift, 8 years ago. I won't say that I use this every day, or even every week, but it is wonderful for pancakes and tortillas. Non-stick.

5. Waffle Iron

A Mother's Day gift from Renni. There is something about making waffles that totally entrances small children. Tallen loves to stand on a chair next to me and watch me make waffles. Toss in a few pecan pieces before adding the batter, or sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter,  and you are a super hero LOL Plus, you can freeze the left-overs.  I have also made waffles from chocolate cake batter before and topped with a scoop of ice cream. A very yummy desert!

6. Kitchen-Aid Mixer

 Mother's Day gift from Hubs and kids, a few years ago. This thing is a true work horse! I don't have any of the optional attachments and I am still super-impressed with it. It makes creating homemade cake batters, icings, and beating egg whites, a breeze. Plus, when we had to hand raise a calf, this machine lived through mixing up milk, several times a day...

7. Cast iron Griddle

 Purchased dirt cheap during an Amazon sale, with a gift certificate. This thing is awesome! It came pre-seasoned!  It is flat on one side and ridged on the other. It puts beautiful grill marks on steaks and pork chops. The flat side is great for pan cakes, tortillas,  over-medium eggs, sausage, and bacon. The awesome thing about it is the even heat distribution. It also works great for grilled cheese and patty melts...

8. Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid

  This baby comes with a lifetime guarantee! Very roomy with great heat distribution. I use it almost everyday. It is my favorite for sauces, stir-fry, fried rice, etc...  Normally 168.00,  I managed to get mine for 19.00, at Amazon, a couple of winters ago. Never pay full price at Amazon, you can always get awesome deals around Christmas. Just keep a running wish list all year and wait till the right time to pounce. Even toys that sell for over 100.00 will go on sale below 5.00 for a day or so.

9. Calphalon Simply Calphalon Traditional Hard-Anodized Nonstick 13-Inch Round Grill

This one normally sells for around 80.00. I got mine for 14.00, at an Amazon sale. This is the absolute best pan for cooking hamburgers. It also does great on chops and steaks and grilling vegetables. Also non-stick.

10. SCI Scandicrafts Corn Bread Skillet 8-Section, Cast Iron

 This thing comes pre-seasoned, but it still needs plenty of greasing, so it doesn't stick. If you like crusty cornbread, this is the pan you need. Plus, the little pieces are just so cute. I have even used it for white bread batter. I'm also sure it could be used for cheese scones and muffins. This one normally retails for 20.00. I got mine for 6.00 at an Amazon sale.

11. Giant Crock Pot/Slow Cooker ( Yeah, I went over by one LOL Forgive me, I am on a roll...)

 A Mother's day gift from Hubs and the kids, a few years ago. I am not going to dig this out to read the brand  right now. It is massive and the crock is removable. It even comes with a stretchy, protective lid cover, for carrying places. This one is great for homemade chicken soup. I also use it for slow cooking canned hams, with brown sugar and pineapple.

Share

Pin It