Sunday, May 2, 2021

Around The Kitchen Table: Splurging on Kitchen Gadgets + #Giveaway



MIA P. MANANSALA: My kitchen is ridiculously cluttered--I currently have my Ninja blender, toaster, Foreman Grill, KitchenAid mixer, air fryer, Instant Pot (which replaced my rice cooker), and microwave all battling it out for counter space. And no, I can't put them away because they're either so bulky or I use them so frequently, it'd be inconvenient for me to stick them in a cupboard. Despite the lack of space, I've been dropping major hints to my husband about the wonders of ice cream makers and bread machines. I've even joked that I'd finally be ready for a wedding reception (we got married in a courthouse) just so I can add all the wonderful kitchen gadgets I want to my registry. What are your must-have kitchen gadgets? Are there any you want, but haven't taken the plunge yet? (eyeing everything Le Creuset...)

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MADDIE: Gadget-wise, my countertop has a cobalt blue Kitchen Aid mixer, a small Cuisinart coffee maker and bean grinder, and a toaster oven. The large and small food processors are on a handy pull-out shelf in a lower cabinet, as is the blender - except I never use the blender. I don't have any other free-standing electrical kitchen gadgets (I think ... well, except for the dehydrator, but that lives in the basement until I want to dry an excess of tomatoes). I love my manual rotary grater as well as a microplane grater. The mandoline slicer sits abandoned somewhere. 


My stainless steel compost pot next to the sink is a highly valued thing, but it's not a gadget. I do have a complete collection of cobalt blue Le Creuset (sorry, Mia!) cookware that I got for a hundred dollars (new) about thirty years ago. Did you know they have a lifetime replacement guarantee, which you can cash in even without a receipt? The Dutch oven is one of my most-used pots and I've replaced it several times. I recently refused my sourdough-baking son's offer to get me a kitchen scale (most of the good recipes are in grams). I really don't need one more single-purpose kitchen item. 

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LESLIE BUDEWITZ: So what's a gadget and what's a tool? I am absolutely helpless before a kitchen shop display of spatulas. They're all different---center handles, side handles, slightly curved, spoonlike, round on one side and straight on the other for getting both the peanut butter in the bottom of the jar and the delicious goo stuck beneath the neck. Short, long. These days, I favor silicon---easy to use, easy to wash, and great colors! But when we cleaned out my mother's kitchen, I had to bring home the short metal spatula with the offset wooden handle---it's perfect for cutting bar cookies, like these Butter Pecan Blondies, then slipping it into the pan and popping out the bars. 

My little town boasts a fabulous kitchen shop---I borrowed it and christened it Kitchenalia in my Food Lovers' Village mysteries---and because we have no bookstore, it's been the perfect place to sell signed copies of my books. I'm sure that's where I found these beauties, along with Mr. Right's beloved Roundy, perfect for home-made egg sandwiches. In fact, I'm heading in this afternoon to restock their supply. Wonder what I'll come home with?     

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VICKI DELANY Beyond the shadow of a doubt, my favourite kitchen gadget is my Kitchenaid Mixer. My daughters gave it to me as a Christmas gift a few years ago.  I regularly make cookies on Zoom with my 2 1/2 year old grandson and he loves the "big mixer". I gave him a toy baking set, complete with mixer, for Christmas and he 'bakes' along with me. Such a wonderful way to keep in touch with those far away. 

Here's a picture of my hardworking mixer making the Coconut Lime Cake I posted recently. 


I'm also very fond of my slow cooker, as anyone who reads my recipes knows. The slow cooker, to my mind, is perfect for someone cooking for one as I can make a giant batch and put it in the freezer in individual containers. 

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MAYA CORRIGAN: The most prominent gadgets in my kitchen make it easier for me, not to cook, but to drink. 


The electric kettle boils water 3 times faster than my stove so my tea is ready sooner. The Ember mug keeps the tea at the temperature I specify without cooling down no matter how long it takes me to finish the cup. The mug doesn't need to sit on the base except when the battery inside it needs to be recharged. I can carry the mug of tea around with me and drink it anywhere inside or outside the house. The Sodastream uses a small CO2 cartridge to turn tap water into bubbly water. Rather than cart home plastic bottles of flavored soda water or soft drinks as I used to do, I mix fruit juice with homemade soda water. The last gadget  uncorks wine bottles with the press of a button. 

A kitchen gadget (or small appliance) popular in the 1970s is on the cover of my third Five-Ingredient Mystery, Final Fondue, a book in today's giveaway. When that book came out, I was a guest on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen and shared a recipe for chocolate fondue. Fondue pots were all the rage in the 1970s. The recipe I shared doesn't require a fondue pot, thanks to another device that was once an expensive gadget and is now a reasonably-priced item in nearly every kitchen--a microwave. Some gadgets are tied to food fads like fondue, while others turn into necessities.  

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LESLIE KARST: Like Maya, my favorite kitchen gadgets tend toward the beverage department: a Soda Stream for fizz, a citrus juicer to handle all the fruit from our orange and grapefruit trees, and a juicer for veggies such as cucumbers and beets (all terrific when it comes time for cocktail hour!). 


I also boast a coffee grinder and coffee machine, for morning time. Oh, and a blender--good for both mornings and cocktail hour! (Do you sense a theme here?) 

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TINA KASHIAN: My favorite kitchen gadget is my Cuisinart food processor. I regularly use it to make my favorite Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. Hummus is a favorite in my house, and I use my food processor to make it weekly. I shared my hummus recipe in the past. I also use it to chop onions and parsley which are ingredients in many of my dishes. I recall when the bowl of the food processor cracked, and I couldn’t use it without getting a replacement part. I ended up ordering the part online, and I anxiously awaited the delivery each day! 

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MARY JANE MAFFINI  I love this topic and getting a peek into my friend's kitchens! Thanks, Mia. Kitchen gadgets fall into three categories for me: the ones I can’t live without, the ones I regret buying, and the ones I’m currently coveting.

Leading the 'can’t live without' pack is my twenty-one year old KitchenAid stand mixer, known as The Hulk. I bought an extra bowl and an extra beater, so I didn’t have to stop mixing and wash things in two bowl recipes. The Hulk stays on the counter because it weighs a ton and I don’t want it to be the last thing I ever lift. I use my Kitchen Aid food processor nearly every day and often its much smaller cousin. The pasta maker is in the heavy category. It gets hauled to make my mother-in-law's recipe for ravioli every Christmas.

There are actually two of them and the teams keeps them both going to make enough for the extended family, a job we've taken over from the Italian ladies who no longer are able to manage this massive effort.  In that spirit and because there are recipes from the fictional Signora Panetone from the Book Collector mysteries, (written as Victoria Abbott) I'll be offering a copy of The Christie Curse. 

Next and at the opposite end of the scale: the microplane (mine was from Lee Valley about ten years ago), lemon squeezer and, silicone tongs. 


 My husband is head over heels about our hand blender. 


We’re on our third and it gets a workout nearly every day, whipping cauliflower or pureeing soup.

Then there’s the stuff I regret: the InstaPot that has a huge footprint and is hardly ever used and the bread-maker that no longer fits our low-carb current lifestyle, but will hide out in a top cupboard in case that changes.

I am currently day-dreaming about an air-fryer. However, it also has a big ‘footprint’ so I have to be sure. I am looking forward to the posts from my MLK pals and comments from our readers to see if the air fryer gets a thumbs up or … All advice gratefully received!



CLEO COYLE: Mia, your topic of a dream splurge device made me laugh because just last week, I sent my sister an email to entertain her with this Make Your Own Chocolate Machine that’s going on the market. (See the product video below.) I can imagine this being a great toy and the aroma of chocolate making the entire house smell like Willie Wonka dropped by for an extended stay.

   

Of course, the price is crazy-high for this CocoTerra machine, at least for us non-billionaires. I laughed at the email the company sent me with their fabulous discount of $799 (right). It retails at over $1,000.00. Given that Marc and I currently need a new oven and (maybe) a new fridge, I’d say this device will have to wait its turn. Unless of course JK calls us to ghostwrite that next Harry Potter installment (hey, it could happen :)) ~ Cleo 



 GIVEAWAY!


To be entered in this week's drawing,
leave a comment (with your email address) 
to join our discussion:

Splurging on Kitchen Gadgets:
What are your must-have kitchen gadgets?
Are there any you want, but
haven't taken the plunge yet? 

Comments Open through
Wednesday, May 5.


>  ARSENIC AND ADOBO by Mia P. Manansala

>  NO GRATER CRIME by Maddie Day
(Advanced Reading Copy)

>  HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE by Tina Kashian

> FINAL FONDUE by Maya Corrigan

>  THE CHRISTIE CURSE by Victoria Abbott



Comments Open through
Wednesday, May 5

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58 comments:

  1. I love my mini whisk. I really want a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.

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  2. Oh goodness it seems like we have every device there is for a kitchen the one that we use most is the kitchen aid mixer. What would do without it and the way it goes about chopping everything makes life just a little easer peggy clayton ptclayton2@aol.com

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  3. My must have kitchen gadget is my Kitchenaid mixer with ALL the attachments (including the ice cream maker). And yes I use them all - regularly. The gadget I'd love to have is the Instant Pot, I've heard so many wonderful things about it.

    I'm so fond of gadgets, but also the need for space to roll our dough, make cookies or for just plain old work space. When we built our dream home, we downsized in a lot of areas, but one of the areas we didn't skimp in was the kitchen. To accommodate the gadgets and a working area, we had the Amish cabinet maker make all the cabinets 6 inches deeper which gave us space for both gadgets and working without having to move all the gadgets. It also gave us an extra 6 inches of storage space in the drawers and cabinets below the granite tops. Kind of a win-win all the way round.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Brilliant idea to customize the sizing of the counters and cabinets!

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  4. I'd love to have a Kitchen Aid mixer. Someday!
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  5. Lots of gadgets to chose from. I use my handheld blender the most. Works great when making yogurt-based ice cream for the dog. I would love to have a June countertop oven.
    Campanyc1@gmail.com

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    1. We love our immersion blender -- called "the whizzy uppy thing" in our house.

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  6. I would love an instant pot. I always use my blender which is so practical and useful. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. My mix master which I use weekly is so helpful. I have had this gem for 51 years ever since I was married. Now I could use a new item. I would love a new coffee maker. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  8. My dream appliance is a Kitchen Aid Mixer - maybe one of these days! My current favorite kitchen item is a large Curtis Stone pan that is just awesome (and it's a beautiful turquoise color). My favorite gadget, other than a good pair of tongs, is a milk frother.

    This is such a fun post, thanks everyone for sharing! bobandcelia@sbcglobsl.net

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    1. Oops - bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net, not globsl ~

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  9. My must have kitchen appliances are my Kitchen Aid mixer that sits on my counter, Cuisinart coffee maker!!! I also have a ninja blender that I use daily for smoothies and the occasional iced coffee. My Breadman bread machine I absolutely love!!! Can't forget my crock pots!

    The one appliance I would love to have is the Vitamix blender!

    Thanks for the fun giveaway!!

    jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  10. Cleo, that chocolate maker is a hoot! But ouch on the oven, and we're all sending "hang in there!" messages to your fridge. Ours decided to take a break from cooling one day last summer, then miraculously healed itself, so it can happen!

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    1. Leslie - LOL! Thanks for the good vibes sent our major appliances' way. Last summer was hard enough in ground-zero Covid NYC, but at least our fridge worked! :) That chocolate maker really is a dream appliance. Maybe someday (sigh).

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    2. I agree, fingers crossed, Cleo. We had our oven and our fridge go within a year and it wasn't a happy year. Good luck! MJ (who hates learning how a new oven behaves)

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  11. I can’t live without my KitchenAid mixer and attachments. We have been talking about an Instapot. We just can’t decide.

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  12. The favorite item in my kitchen is not a gadget - it is an 8 Cup Pyrex Measuring Cup. It is so handy for measuring and I also use it for cooking things in the microwave. It is so large that things don't boil over. Now on to gadgets! I love my Vitamix blender that I have had forever. I love my slow cooker and use it often. I really need to put my Kitchen Aid and Instapot into use before I buy anything else. I did have my eye on a Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill ...

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. I have one of these as well and I love it for the same reason you do! I most recently used it to adapt Leslie Karst's microwave lemon curd recipe to use calamansi, a popular citrus fruit in the Philippines. Sooo good!

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  13. My most used gadgets are my 70;s food processor and my hand held mixer. I would love to get a stand mixer at some point but we will have to see if that happens. I currently have a large gadget graveyard in my pantry. Bread machine, blender, huge jar opener , juicer, 3 crock pots, ice cream maker, small instapot , toaster oven and a few others all live there. Thanks for this chance to win. 1cow0993(at)gmail(dot)com

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  14. My most beloved gadgets are not very large but extremely useful for me. They are my salad spinner and me immersion blender. They are well loved and frequently out and about in the course of my cooking.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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    1. We can't live without either of those! Well, maybe we could live but it would be more like existing ...

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    2. I love my salad spinner too! I either grow my own lettuce or buy it at local farms, so it needs a good soak and then a good spin.

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    3. Another vote for the salad spinner and the immersion blender! I've used a spinner for decades, but the blender is a more recent gadget, really handy.

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  15. My must haves are my coffee pot, crock pot, and toaster. I rarely use any of my “novelty” ones I have, like the waffle maker and panini maker which just gather dust in a cabinet. JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  16. I love my kitchen aid. I would like an ice tea maker. mleaster@fscj.edu

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  17. Great story about kitchen gadgets! I have a drawer filled with hand-held gadgets, seldom used, except for the microplaner. My counter holds my favorite Candy Apple Red Kitchen Aid stand mixer, Keurig coffee maker,and microwave. The blender lives in the cupboard. I was excited to see Maddie's toaster oven! I use mine daily for various things. They seem passe but it's convenient to reheat single servings that don't taste as good from the microwave, and also not heating up a big oven. charlenemwilson89@gmail.com

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    1. Yes, the toaster oven is fabulous for, say, warming up pizza. You can even bake two potatoes in it or a square pan of something. And let's not even talk about nachos!

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  18. Great stuff!
    I'm constantly tempted by kitchen machines and gadgets, but I try to contain myself. There is, after all, only so much space, especially since a large part of my kitchen real estate has been taken over by my granddaughter.
    Mary Jane, "The Hulk stays on the counter because it weighs a ton and I don’t want it to be the last thing I ever lift." Said like a true mystery writer. Hmm, murder by booby trapped mixer?
    Cleo, I think I'll pass on the chocolate machine. I'll settle for a visit to NYC and Lilac Chocolates!
    My daughter saw a great sale on Instant Pots and got me one for Christmas. Her young (certainly younger than me) friends think it is essential. After so many years of cooking I find it requires a LOT of mental energy to rethink how to cook. Still trying to decide how to use it without smoke coming out of my ears. I even bought a cookbook.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. Oooh, Libby, I would join you at Li-Lac Chocolates...and Jacques Torres and Mast Brothers (NYC chocolatiers pub crawl, yes?) with a frozen hot chocolate to finish at Serendipity. Good trade-off and a lot less money than the chocolate-making-machine, though having the house smell like a Willy Wonka factory would be a nice for the olfactory. ;)

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    2. I like that story idea, Libby, and I'm with you about the InstaPot. I'd really like an InstaFridgeCleaner when they invent them. Hugs. MJ

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    3. Cleo -- I went to college in central Pennsylvania and they used cocoa husks for mulch. I was maddening to go around constantly thinking about chocolate!
      Mary Jane -- Let me know when you find that InstaFridgeCleaner! Like a roomba for the fridge. Great idea.

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  19. Oooo! Here's an idea.
    Collect the unwanted gadgets and trade them with readers who want them!
    Mystery Lover Kitchen clearing house

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  20. When our first of 5 sons got married, he reminded me that when they were young I told them they were going to received KitchenAid mixers as wedding gifts so they too could make chocolate chip cookies with their children! We received ours from my MIL as a wedding gift. 2 sons married, 2 mixers presented! 3 mixers on counters!

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  21. This is a fabulous post. Everything kitchen gadgety, I love it! Peeking into everyone’s kitchen is fun. I would love to know if any of you have a color scheme? I get as much red and white as possible.
    My must use gadgets? Everything, because I am always cooking. Kitchen aid mixer. cuisine art food processor (big and small). Vitamix blender. Immersion blender. Bread maker. Atlas manual pasta machine. Crock pot. Ice cream maker. Whisks for every occasion. Smoking gun and blow torch. Mandolin. Microplaners for citrus, cheese, and chocolate. Oven rack pullers. I can’t think of a tool I don’t have. Except the chocolate maker Cleo is dreaming of. I want one.
    My only regret? An oil fryer I got, but hubbs doesn’t want me using it, because he is afraid of it!
    Dream appliance? I do have an induction hot plate. That was great when we didn’t have an oven for, what was it! 5 weeks? But I want a gas one, so if our electricity goes out, I can still cook.
    Tbarker8264@gmail.com

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    1. My kitchen is black and white, so I add pops of color like the cobalt blue kitchen aid mixer and a red teakettle and yellow and orange crocks for holding things like wooden spoon and spatulas

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  22. Honestly? My favorite kitchen gadget is my egg slicer/dicer. I'm very low tech.

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  23. I have a KitchenAid mixer on one corner of my counter with an electric kettle parked nearby. Another corner holds Mr Coffee, my friend. There is a Keurig tucked behind him, just in case. The toaster comes and goes. The far end of the counter holds my husband's toaster oven. I use the microwave much more often but it is built in so it isn't joining the crowd on the counters. I have lots of hand tools tucked in nooks and crannies. No new kitchen appliances are tempting me to buy.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  24. Can opener is what i use the most. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  25. Fun post! My favorite gadget is my red KitchenAid stand mixer. My husband bought it for me the first year that we dated. I also would love a mandoline slicer, but my husband has forbidden me to have one as they are scary! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. You can have my mandoline! It's gathering dust in a lower cabinet.

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    2. Same with the mandoline I got from my son. It worked for him, but I haven't figured out how to use it, always worried about adding a slice of skin to what I was cutting.

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  26. this was fun to read some of your must haves and wants.
    Some of my must haves are: crock pot, electric can opener, hot water tea pot, Cuisinart mixer, iced tea maker
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  27. So much fun to see which kitchen gadgets are most loved and good to see I'm not the only one who enjoys them so much - thankful for my KitchenAid stand mixer, so happy to have an immersion blender, love my bread machine (I don't bake the bread in it but use it to mix and knead the dough), love my crockpots (won't say how many lol) and also love my Instant Pot. Making some pinto beans in the Instant Pot as I write this - to go with our Mexican food we're having today. Love this site and all the wonderful recipes shared - and it's a lot of fun to see what all the authors are up to and interested in. Jeannie jbeck2929@roadrunner.com

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  28. When I redid my kitchen, I had a "Power Tools Garage" built under one counter. It's an open shelf that I can slide my "power tools" - my Cuisinart, my KitchenAid stand mixer, and my Vitamix underneath. They are out of the way until I need one. I just slide out the appliance I need and put it on the counter to use. Underneath the "Garage" is a cabinet where I store all the accessories that go with the appliances.

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  29. It may sound weird but I have a tiny measuring cup (only holds 4 tablespoons) that I love. I use it all the time for oil. And of course my Kitchenaid mixer. My son gave it to me as a Christmas gift a few years ago and it is the best gift I have ever received. I keep thinking about buying an electric kettle for tea but haven't yet.

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  30. I have so many kitchen gadgets and some I don't even remember having. Most of the larger appliances are in the cabinets, but I do use my Kitchen-Aid mixer, air fryer and toaster the most. I try to stay away from Kitchen stores, I have no more room for another gadget.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  31. I can't live without my crock pot. I cook everything in it! I also can't live without my microwave, and my Keurig. There are some gadgets I would like to have, but we don't have any more room. Thank you for this chance! areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  32. I use my microwave and toaster oven the most. The crock pot and Kitchen Aid mixer are next, and I have a blender, hand mixer, and ice crusher that I don't use much. I have a wok down the cellar but I don't know how to use it. I inherited all my mother's kitchen stuff. Stay safe and well.

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  33. I love my Keurig. I got a new one for Christmas. I want a breadmaker but have no idea which one is the best yet most reasonably priced one to get. Any suggestions?
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  34. What I want is an iced tea maker! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  35. I love my strong potato peeler. Growing up ours was week and caused me much frustration!

    dianemestrella at gmail dot com

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  36. I love My air fryer! Thanks for the chance!
    Jess
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  37. Looks to me as though the Kitchenaid mixers have it! So many people love theirs.

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  38. I use my microwave, toaster oven and hot water pot the most. I've been eyeing an air fryer, but don't have the counter space.
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  39. I love using my crockpot and toaster oven the most. I had a bread machine, but gave it away. I would like a new food processor. My grandmother gave me hers back in the mid-80's which I have used extensively and appreciate. I like to use it for making pie crust for the holidays and would continue using it for that purpose only. I would like one with all of the bells and whistles so I could grate, slice, and chop to my heart's content. Definitely a first world problem.
    dianewrichardson(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I would like to keep them separate so that the pastry would not smell like onions even though I wash it intensely

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  40. I love my Blendjet mini blender

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