# The Kitchen Gadget Thread



## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Do we need a gadget thread for Big Jim. I don't know but here is the first one.
Microplane zester/grater. I wanted one for years, finally bought one.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

This could become an expensive thread to visit for some of us.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

wooleybooger said:


> Do we need a gadget thread for Big Jim. I don't know but here is the first one.
> Microplane zester/grater. I wanted one for years, finally bought one.


I just bought one of those also, really nice for zest. My first trip in the Dollar Tree last week, I found all kinds of cooking utensils. Strainers and all kinds of goodies. They may not be very well made but they look like they are. I didn't buy my zester there though.

I have several goodies on my radar screen, that I would like to have. I would really like to have some really good quality knives.

I will make a list of some of our kitchen gadgets soon. I have thrown away several things that just didn't work as stated. One was the spring loaded hand chopper, it came apart to clean which was nice. It never did work right, no matter what I tried to chop, it would stick and I would have to take it apart. It is gone now, we use our Ninja choppers, they work well.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

BigJim said:


> I have several goodies on my radar screen, that I would like to have. I would really like to have some really good quality knives.
> 
> I will make a list of some of our kitchen gadgets soon. I have thrown away several things that just didn't work as stated. One was the spring loaded hand chopper, it came apart to clean which was nice. It never did work right, no matter what I tried to chop, it would stick and I would have to take it apart. It is gone now, we use our Ninja choppers, they work well.


Good deal on the throwing away stuff. Hand Choppers? Ok if a good one but noisy. On the knives I won't go there, it's a controversial subject I think. I bought my knives before the Wustoffs, Heinkels and the Japanese knives became the in thing. I have Chicago Cutlery. Maybe not up to the others but good enough for me for 45/50 years. I steel them every time I use one. Probably on a stone 3 times over the years. Using a steel is very important IMO.


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## Joeywhat (Apr 18, 2020)

The microplane brand zester/grater is one of my favorite tools. My mandolin is also very nice, Mueller brand.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

The electric food slicer, grater I bought is doing ok now that I sharpened the cutters, it was not a good tool when I first got it though.

Some tools, like the kitchen knives, live on their name and aren't any better than some others. For me I like a good high carbon knife, the brand doesn't matter as much as the materials it is made of.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Along with my mini ninga food processor, Here is a few of my favorite things...


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Is that a zester I see just below the citrus squeezer? I have a zester that looks like that. Works well but is the reason I got a microplane.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Yes, it’s a zester, but doesn’t work so well... 
As well as the microplain I use the two other graders a lot. 
Do you know what the first item is? I use it a lot.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

I believe that's a truffle slicer.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Yes, but it’s a great garlic slicer...you can adjust the blade with the screw and slice it to translucent thin so sautéed garlic will melt into the oil, or you can adjust it to thicker slices.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Yes I thought of that and it would be my use also so of course one jumped into my Amazon cart.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

What's the brown enameled thing with the wood handles and spring on the right?


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

To save you some money...your micro planer grates the garlic very fine as well.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

huesmann said:


> What's the brown enameled thing with the wood handles and spring on the right?


That my nut cracker...and don’t say it!


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

I'm letting my im


Two Knots said:


> To save you some money...your micro planer grates the garlic very fine as well.


Yes but I want a truffle slicer. Microplane also for grating parm on pasta.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

My nut cracker. Texas Native Inertia Nutcracker.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

What! That’s what I thought a microplan was for - grating parm on pasta
and egg plant parmigiana...what else do you use it for? 

...and Yes, the shaver is good for shaving truffles, and you will love slicing your garlic.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

wooleybooger said:


> My nut cracker. Texas Native Inertia Nutcracker.


How does it work?


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Takes two hands. Place nut against the anvil, slide the other anvil against nut and cover over nut, hold. Other hand pull "hammer" back and let go. Takes some practice to break shell and not the nut. I put 5 or 6 #64 rubber bands on it and crack open Brazil nuts, shells just fall off. Noisy and makes a mess. Broken shell pieces fall out.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

We rarely use a micro plane for grating cheese. It is perfect for garlic, ginger and for zesting.
The weird thing about it is its backwards. Most all graters cut on the push, not the pull. Not to mention if you use it for hard cheese, it cuts deep grooves into the cheese and when I spend over $20 a pound for Parmesan, I don't want that.
A standard box grater serves all grating chores and is always at the ready.

I am not into gadgets at all.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I am really into gadgets, lol 

Joann, could you name some of those things you have, some I have never seen. Also, do any of you have a really good way to store and organize all these goodies. Our gadget drawer is a mess, no way to organize the things in just a drawer, it looks like a bomb went off in there. lol


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

BigJim said:


> I am really into gadgets, lol
> 
> Joann, could you name some of those things you have, some I have never seen. Also, do any of you have a really good way to store and organize all these goodies. Our gadget drawer is a mess, no way to organize the things in just a drawer, it *looks like a bomb went off in there*. lol


Are you sure you're not talking about our gadget drawer?


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Oy yi yi!


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

BigJim said:


> I am really into gadgets, lol
> 
> Joann, could you name some of those things you have, some I have never seen. Also, do any of you have a really good way to store and organize all these goodies. Our gadget drawer is a mess, no way to organize the things in just a drawer, it looks like a bomb went off in there. lol


Jim, top is a cheese sliced, lemon/lime juice, garlic press. Under that from left to right,
truffle/garlic sliced, olive/ cherry pitted, antique rolling pie trimmer, hypodermic needle to infuse butter into Turkey/chicken, sliding 
measuring spoon, lemon zester, nut cracker, lemon skin peeler for
drinks and espresso coffee...
Jim, when we built our kitchen cabinets we made 12 pidgeon hole drawers for all my stuff...


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

ok, thought blue gadget was a cherry seeder. My cousin, who's gone, used a paper clip. I would have bought this for her. What’s the thing outlined in red?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Two Knots said:


> Jim, top is a cheese sliced, lemon/lime juice, garlic press. Under that from left to right,
> truffle/garlic sliced, olive/ cherry pitted, antique rolling pie trimmer, hypodermic needle to infuse butter into Turkey/chicken, sliding
> measuring spoon, lemon zester, nut cracker, lemon skin peeler for
> drinks and espresso coffee...
> Jim, when we built our kitchen cabinets we made 12 pidgeon hole drawers for all my stuff...


I appreciate that Joann, thank you.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Startingover, it’s an antique pie cutter. You can get some unique kitchen stuff at the antique
markets.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

If you are using an old fashion can opener like this








Think about these.






















Zyliss safe edge can openers. I have both styles and use either, the black handled opener isn't so easy on #10 cans but works on all cans as does the other. I have no countertop space to devote to an electric opener so I use these. They do as advertised, leave a safe edge, no sharp edges. If you're not a tall person you might find the black handled one a bit uncomfortable to use at standard cabinet height and a total pain on #10 cans. I don't use enough of those to devote space to an opener especially for large cans.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

wooleybooger said:


> If you are using an old fashion can opener like this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I hate my can opener. Doesn’t cut thru in spots.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Startingover said:


> I hate my can opener. Doesn’t cut thru in spots.


I haven't found any manual opener that will without a very tight grip. These are much easier to grip tightly. I also have some military P-51 and P-35 can openers, even those are easier than the old EKCO. And they fit in your pocket.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

When it comes to can openers we’ve have had many through the years, electric and manual...this one I got in Lancaster Pa, for 10 dollars about 8 years ago and it’s awesome.
I purchased one for everyone in my family.
The handle is long and I’m easily able to turn it. It works great ( and I have a lot of difficulty
with my hands - I struggle to open a can or bottle of soda.
It’s called Swing-A-Way...Notice the tip of the opener folds down to fit in the drawer.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Ooh, that crank looks awesome; much easier to turn than the thumbscrew type!


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Yes, it’s a breeze, I can no longer operate a crank one, it would cripple my hand for hours.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Keeping that in mind.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Newest additions to my kitchen arsenal.
Kitchen torch and fermentation crock.


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

I've had a fermentation crock a couple of times. Both times unintentional. 💀

Keep safety in the forefront with a torch. Don't do anything unwise.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

GrayHair said:


> I've had a fermentation crock a couple of times. Both times unintentional. 💀
> 
> Keep safety in the forefront with a torch. Don't do anything unwise.


Absolutely on the torch. I used cutting torches and rosebuds at work occasionally.


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

GrayHair said:


> Keep safety in the forefront with a torch. Don't do anything unwise.


Years ago, I had a neighbor across the street who was a house painter. He'd sit out on his front steps every Friday evening drinking wine (and the whole block used to show up to say hello, and then they'd run home and come back with a bottle, and then it would turn into a potluck... man, I miss that neighborhood!). Anyway, as the mosquitos came out, my painter neighbor would break out his blowtorch and zap them.

In hindsight, maybe this wasn't such a _wise_ mix... blowtorch, wine, Oakland hills...


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

snic said:


> ... In hindsight, maybe this wasn't such a _wise_ mix... blowtorch, wine, ...


What sparked my cautionary remark was the guy that pulled the trigger on his auto-ignite torch. When it produced no flame, he thought it might be out of butane and put it near his ear to listen for escaping gas. Yep, he pulled the trigger again.

I was told the results weren't too serious, the worst being the hair in that ear grew back in great proliferation. While alcohol wasn't mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if it was involved.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Two Knots said:


> When it comes to can openers we’ve have had many through the years, electric and manual...this one I got in Lancaster Pa, for 10 dollars about 8 years ago and it’s awesome.
> I purchased one for everyone in my family.
> The handle is long and I’m easily able to turn it. It works great ( and I have a lot of difficulty
> with my hands - I struggle to open a can or bottle of soda.
> ...


I’ll give you $11 for it.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

wooleybooger said:


> Newest additions to my kitchen arsenal.
> Kitchen torch and fermentation crock.


Bit larger than daughters new kitchen torch. What are your plans for it.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

@Startingover, I make Creme Brulee and I do burleed tomatoes and bananas. I intend to try brulee lemons. Actually a standard propane torch is faster for browning the sugar.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

wooleybooger said:


> @Startingover, I make Creme Brulee and I do burleed tomatoes and bananas. I intend to try brulee lemons. Actually a standard propane torch is faster for browning the sugar.


I LOVE daughters creme brulee.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

wooleybooger said:


> @Startingover, I make Creme Brulee and I do burleed tomatoes and bananas. I intend to try brulee lemons. Actually a standard propane torch is faster for browning the sugar.


I have been tempted to buy a standard propane torch myself. I could also use it in the shop. But I was hesitant regarding the tip. I wanted a "rose bud" style tip but was not sure looking online. I guess I need to go look at them in person.


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

wooleybooger said:


> @Startingover, I make Creme Brulee and I do burleed tomatoes and bananas. I intend to try brulee lemons. Actually a standard propane torch is faster for browning the sugar.


Interesting. Sounds delicious. So you sprinkle sugar on the tomatoes and bananas and you end up with the same sort of brulee crust that you get on creme brulee? Do you cook or bake the fruit in some way first?


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Yes, sprinkle sugar and hit it with a torch. No cooking first.
Edit to add, cut the tomato or banana in half first then sprinkle sugar and burn it. Here's some ideas.









Tomatoes and 22 Other Foods to Brûlée


Tomatoes and 22 Other Foods You Didn't Know Could Be Bruleed!




theviewfromgreatisland.com


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