Are you one of the many people who likes kitchen gadgets? Most people who cook are very fond of or even hooked on kitchen gadgets. Of course, some kitchen gadgets are more helpful than others and some are absolutely indispensable.Who could do without a cooker, a kettle or a coffee maker? Mixers and blenders are popular items too and electric tin openers and knife sharpeners are to be found in many kitchens. How much cooking would you be able to accomplish if the electricity was cut off?
People have always loved labour-saving devices, the only aspect that has altered is that most of the contemporary kitchen gadgets are electric these days. We had a water-driven potato peeler when I was a child. It was connected to the tap by a hose and the water drove a wheel which turned an abrasive wheel which took the skin off a pound or two of potatoes.
We also had a hand apple corer and a garlic press, but that was about it. On the other hand, our kitchen has quite a few electric gadgets, including a juicer, a rice cooker and a bread-making machine.
My wife's favourite kitchen device is the rice cooker, but then she is Thai and eats a lot of rice. In deed, the rice cooker is only turned off to clean and refill it. It leaves a lovely sweet smell in the air which is not dissimilar to fresh bead, if you cook Jasmin rice, which is Thailand's finest.
When I lived in Britain, my kitchen was jam-packed with gadgets, but some of the things I used to use just once a month over there, I now see being used every day. For instance, I had a wok and a bamboo steamer which I used once in a blue moon, now all my food is cooked either in a wok, in a bamboo steamer or on a barbecue.
Likewise, I had a pestle and mortar which looked impressive on the top of the cupboard. It gave the impression that I was a real cook, but I never actually found a use for it. Now my wife uses a massive granite pestle and mortar to prepare every meal. It weighs about ten pounds and is big enough to mix a cake in; the wide end of the pestle will fill half an orange (I use that as a juicer, that is how I know).
My favourite kitchen gadget is the bread maker, but then I am European and am very partial to bread. Where I live though, in northern rural Thailand, the bread is very sweet by Western standards and took me a few years to get accustomed to. Now I can make my own and I really like it, although getting strong flour is not so straightforward.
I like to put the ingredients in the bread machine before I go to bed and set the timer so that the bread is ready when I wake up. You do not need an alarm clock with the smell of fresh bread emanating from the kitchen! Now all I miss is cheese, but I have not found a cheese-maker yet.
People have always loved labour-saving devices, the only aspect that has altered is that most of the contemporary kitchen gadgets are electric these days. We had a water-driven potato peeler when I was a child. It was connected to the tap by a hose and the water drove a wheel which turned an abrasive wheel which took the skin off a pound or two of potatoes.
We also had a hand apple corer and a garlic press, but that was about it. On the other hand, our kitchen has quite a few electric gadgets, including a juicer, a rice cooker and a bread-making machine.
My wife's favourite kitchen device is the rice cooker, but then she is Thai and eats a lot of rice. In deed, the rice cooker is only turned off to clean and refill it. It leaves a lovely sweet smell in the air which is not dissimilar to fresh bead, if you cook Jasmin rice, which is Thailand's finest.
When I lived in Britain, my kitchen was jam-packed with gadgets, but some of the things I used to use just once a month over there, I now see being used every day. For instance, I had a wok and a bamboo steamer which I used once in a blue moon, now all my food is cooked either in a wok, in a bamboo steamer or on a barbecue.
Likewise, I had a pestle and mortar which looked impressive on the top of the cupboard. It gave the impression that I was a real cook, but I never actually found a use for it. Now my wife uses a massive granite pestle and mortar to prepare every meal. It weighs about ten pounds and is big enough to mix a cake in; the wide end of the pestle will fill half an orange (I use that as a juicer, that is how I know).
My favourite kitchen gadget is the bread maker, but then I am European and am very partial to bread. Where I live though, in northern rural Thailand, the bread is very sweet by Western standards and took me a few years to get accustomed to. Now I can make my own and I really like it, although getting strong flour is not so straightforward.
I like to put the ingredients in the bread machine before I go to bed and set the timer so that the bread is ready when I wake up. You do not need an alarm clock with the smell of fresh bread emanating from the kitchen! Now all I miss is cheese, but I have not found a cheese-maker yet.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on quite a few subjects, but is at present involved with solid fuel cookers. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Electric Freestanding Cooker.