OK, so despite my fairly low opinion of gift registries, I've pretty much been ordered to set one up by various wedding guests. Naturally, I was draw to William Sonoma.
Does anyone know of a web site that has reviews on how well the various kitchen gadgets work? I'm talking about things like Onion Dicers, Tomato Mills, and Garlic Mincers. Or, even better, has anyone used any of these gadgets that can report on how well they work?
I'm normally very skeptical of these gadgets, but William Sonoma has a pretty good reputation for carrying useful things.
Thanks,
Dagonee
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I'm pretty sure I could dice 2-3 onions with a chef's knife in less time than it would take to clean the onion dicer.
No opinion on the others.
Posted by saxon75 (Member # 4589) on :
Kitchen-Aids are very nice.
Expensive, but nice.
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
I've used most of those gadgets... I'll be happy to review them for you. Which ones do you want to know about?
Now, I will put a disclaimer on this- I teach cooking for a living so I really don't believe in having things in my kitchen that are for only one use. So I'd rather buy an excellent knife set than several types of choppers.
Onion Chopper - don't waste your money on this one. It is good quality, but the cleaning doesn't make it worth the effort to get everything out unless you are cutting several onions, and even then a food processor (small version) is more versitile. Tomato Press I thought I would love this but it's just a glorified food mill. It's does separate but it only comes with one size of strainer making it frustrating if you need it for more than separating tomatoes. The acrylic tends to crack after a few years making it less durable. This food mill is more expensive, but I have it at home and love it. It comes with three strainer disks that are interchangeable and it doesn't take up counter space or uncessary kitchen space. It's also stainless steel- unbreakable.
Garlic Mincer (I have the garlic genius) it's nice and it works well. You still have to peel the garlic clove so it's not completely perfect.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Kitchen Aid is on the list. Probably not gonna happen, but it goes on the list just in case someone's feeling generous.
Onion Chopper's out then. DO food processor's make those nice little cubes?
I'll put the food mill on. I'm specifically interested in making good tomato sauces, but I'm sure I'll branch out.
Garlic Genius is the one I was thinking of - it's going on, too.
Someone's already promised us a good knife set - we were ordered not to put it on the list.
Thanks for the input. I love cooking, but I'm not the best chopper in the world.
Dagonee
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
You could try to sweet-talk Bob for his Kitchen-Aid, since it's one model below mine, but I think we're gonna keep it for back-up.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Do you have any of the attachments for yours? Which ones are worth getting?
Dagonee
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
Not that one, food processors do not make nice little cubes with the swivel blade, but if you upgrade to a larger one like this:
they will since you get an assortment of blades(but they are much more costly)- so it's a tradeoff in cost- I LOVE my food procesoor- use it for many wonderful things. I've used it instead of a mixer for many things
Have fun registering- I can't wait to ask for all my dream kitchen utensils
This is the I want... they donate part of the cost to the Susan G. Komen foundation (ok, I'm really not that altruistic, I just love pink)
Food processors can make cubes?? How is that possible for a rotating blade??
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
not perfect cubes, but with an onion it does a nice small dice- you couldn't do it for celery or carrots but the rotating "slice" blade that sits on top lets you feed in the onion and it slices off a thickness giving you a nice diced effect.
edit 1: (I think... it is possible that I'm very wrong and in that case I take no responsibility for selling you a $150 food processor )
edit 2: Maybe it's the shredding disk.. no that wouldn't work.
No, they don't make perfect cubes. If you want perfect cubes buy the onion chopper.
[ May 19, 2004, 09:29 PM: Message edited by: Coccinelle ]
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
You should register for that cool Pampered Chef stuff, like the ergonomic pepper mill, the cordless oven thermometer, and the super slippery cookie sheet liners.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
This is probably the kind of thing that made some people think I was a woman, isn't it.
I'll have to check out Pampered Chef.
Dagonee
Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :
Other things i like from Williams Sonoma swivel peeler Best vegetable peeler I've ever owned. It's lasted for a good period of time too.
Non Stick Pan Liners buy them, try them and you'll never have to grease, parchemt paper or scrape clean another cookie sheet. You can let your cookies cool on them or remove immediately, they are wonderful!
meatloaf pan with insert My mom has this- and you can use it for more than just meatloaf (also nice for quick breads)- whatever you cook you can pop it out and it's all pretty instead of serving from the pan.
garlic peeler I haven't tried this one, but I want to now.
Poultry Shears If you ever debone raw chicken these are great.
Dag wrote: "This is probably the kind of thing that made some people think I was a woman, isn't it.I'll have to check out Pampered Chef."
Um, Dag, I think you should read this. ha ha.(I am getting a very large kick out of the timing of this week's "Onion.")
quote: "Catholic Church Condemns Metrosexuality VATICAN CITY—Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Monday that metrosexuality, the trend of heterosexual men co-opting the aesthetics of homosexual men, is strictly prohibited under Catholic doctrine. "The truly faithful will avoid the temptation to adopt this hip urban lifestyle," Navarro-Valls said. "The devout Catholic must remain on the path toward salvation, no matter how good he'd look in an Armani pullover, and no matter how much he might covet his neighbor's set of Williams-Sonoma lobster forks." Karl Weis, director of the New York-based activist group Freedom From Religion, responded to the ban by stating that "metrosexuality is so 2003." "
Ooh! More good ideas, Coccinelle.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
ha ha. I am still laughing!
Posted by kinglear (Member # 6211) on :
Only slightly off topic,, but if you are really looking for good kitchen items for real use rather than random odd devices that may or may not work i would suggets checking out the Essential page from AltonBrown.com, he's the guy who hosts Food Networks 'Good Eats'. link: Alton Brown Essentials (popups need to be allowed to gain full effect, the popups are not ads)
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
I love my Kitchen Aid! It is so much better a mixer. Cake batter comes out with 1/3 more volume, fluffy and perfect.
I also like Krups appliances a lot. Their can opener is too cool! It cuts sideways into the band around the top of the can, rather than down from above, making a top with no sharp edges.
(Warning for the seriously technologically challenged, my mother found it hard to operate, though I watched her and the problem seemed to be she thought it wasn't working and so would stop and try to restart it when it was working just fine, just she couldn't see the cut being made because it wasn't cutting the top as she was used to seeing.)
My Krups blender is also very good. I love that they seem to realize that you need a lot of torque in appliances like this. Torque matters more than anything else. Estimate what you need, and then double that, is the rule I would use for sizing the motors in power tools and appliances. Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
Torquey blenders are the best. Although shattering the previous blender at 6am was one of the stupider things I've done, it was also great in the long run, because the new 550W model is so awesome. Just stick stuff in randomly and hit the button, it eats it like a starved pig.
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Probably not gonna happen, but it goes on the list just in case someone's feeling generous.![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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