Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara logo

Kitchen Gadgets

Cooking has always been something I’ve enjoyed.  When I think of the money we save by eating three meals a day at home pretty much every day, I know we’re saving money so I don’t mind being extravagant every now and then with the kitchen gadgets I buy.  I rarely buy clothes, never have manicures/pedicures, my car is 11 years old so buying kitchen gadgets is about my only vice . . unless you count yarn and fabric and sewing items!  But for the purposes of this blog post, we’re not counting yarn and fabric and sewing items.  Everyone in agreement with that?

And, when I buy something, I’ve usually thought it out and know I’ll seriously use it.  I really don’t like buying things I think I can’t live without and then not using them.  Vince is saying that about my loom now but I just haven’t had the time to set it up and use it.  I want to . . and I will, but just can’t right now.

You saw the new canner that I’m so ready to use.  Another thing I bought this week was a juicer.  My buddy, Judy, was talking about juicing and I said . . hey . . I want a juicer so it’s all her fault.  You know . . someone else is always to blame for my actions!  But really, who wouldn’t want something this shiny and cool!

Years and years ago we had one and used it quite a bit.  Not sure what happened to it . . could be in a box somewhere but I do believe it’s been at least 10 or 12 years since I saw it.  This new one is fantastic.  Last night we had juice made from carrots, celery, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, cucumber, apples and pears.  It’s about the same thing tonight but I don’t have any cucumbers and I’m adding a small piece of ginger.

Here are some discussion questions (and yes, someone will win a gift certificate later tonight).

Number Has Been Drawn – A Winner Has Been Chosen!

  1. What is one kitchen gadget, large or small, that you don’t have and would love to have.  (Sorry but the gift certificate isn’t going to be large enough for you to buy it on me!)
  2. Why don’t you buy it?  If it costs too much, are you sure you can’t make up the cost by the savings in using it.  Tomorrow or Sunday, I’m going to post an interesting story about my meat grinder.
  3. Where do you get ideas for kitchen gadgets you might want?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I actually would love to have a juicer. I think about buying one and then wonder if I’d actually use it so I haven’t bought it yet. What brand did you get? If you post lots of ideas for juice drinks maybe I’ll get inspired! I get my ideas for kitchen gadgets from Williams Sonoma.
    Good discussion questions but I don’t need to be included in the gift certificate drawing.
    ps I’m so glad you love Texas. When I lived in Texas, I absolutely adored it too.

  2. I would love another Kitchen Aid Mixer. I had one and used it a lot when I was decorating cakes. It sprung an oil leak after a number of years and couldn’t be repaired. I haven’t bought another one though because (a) they’re so expensive and (b) I don’t do much cake decorating anymore. Not enough to justify the cost anyway!

    As for kitchen ideas, I get them from reading your blog and the Pioneer Woman’s blog. Mostly I just have the basics. I like to cook, but don’t experiment much. Perhaps if I ever start a garden, I’ll consider a canner. It’d be great to can our own food!

  3. I’d like to have a juicer but haven’t made a decision on which brand to buy.
    I am changing my diet and want to add appliances that will simplify things for me.

  4. I’ve always wanted a food processor. Had one years and years ago and we burned up the motor in a matter of minutes by trying to grind peanuts for peanut sauce. It seems like I often find a recipe that I’d like to try but the instructions include pulsing for so many seconds or grinding with a food processor.

  5. I don’t suppose a “cook” would count. You like cooking almost as much as I don’t so I can’t think of a gadget I would like. I do love kitchen supply stores but haven’t been in one for over a year so have no ideas. Takes all kinds, doesn’t it?

  6. I would love to have a kitchen aid mixer. I don’t buy it because currently, I can’t justify the cost of the thing with how much I would use it. I currently only have basic stuff in my kitchen. With the amount of moving we do, and the possibility that more expensive things would get lost, stolen, or broken in the move, I would rather wait until we are retired from the military (oh and have a kitchen that shouldn’t change every three years) to buy other gadgets.

  7. I would love to have a new pressure cooker.
    Mine got a huge crack in it.
    I have read on the new includes your blog.
    I havent’ found one like my old one and probable never will.
    pat
    I like your old style of your blog too.
    pat

  8. Did you mix all those favors at once???
    I don’t know what I would get, probably more cast iron. I’m addicted to it. I had always wanted a Kichenaid and I finally got that a year ago!
    Happy juicing!!

  9. Kitchen gadgets I would like…where do I start? I love to cook but rarely have time to do everything I would like to do since I have a full time job. I would love to do more canning and making things from scratch like bread. If I have to pick one gadget I would dearly love to have it is a juicer. I think making juices like the one you describe is an excellent way to get more nutrients. My second choice would be a good canner so I could do more canning. The main reason I don’t get these items is the cost.
    I find inspiration all over the net but I especially love your blog and the Pioneer Woman.
    Your blog is always a source of inspiration and I hope you continue to find delight in your new home.

  10. Don’t mean to copy others but I too would love a new pressure canner. I have a couple of old ones but when we do make a venision hash….with potatoes and venision….we make lots. That is when it takes hours to process.

  11. I’m lucky enough to have most everything I feel like I want in my kitchen. I can’t think of a gadget I would like to add right now. I do wish for more countertop space every meal, every day. Three sections of about four feet each is just not much working room. We do eat most meals at home so I’m in the kitchen a lot and enjoy it. I don’t do some of the things you do, but love feeding my family well.

  12. Kinda like you, if I want it I buy it.The one item I always need more of is Food Saver bags.

  13. A spice grinder. I just haven’t gotten around to buying one. I get my ideas from magazines, blogs, tv shows and friends/family.

  14. I would just love to have a new crock pot! I don’t go out and buy myself one because the one I have works and I don’t want to spend the $. I’ve seen a new one that is programmable and hot holds your food so it doesn’t overcook but stays safe to eat for hours…that would be too cool :o) I get my ideas just browsing around inside the kitchen departments in stores. Bed, Bath, & Beyond is a store that is good for hours of enjoyment!

  15. I would like a new food processer. My old one died awhile ago and I just have not replaced it yet. Will need to read up on them and decide which one is best for our use. I don’t have alot of counter space, so I am limited somewhat. Love the blog, glad you got it working again. You will have to update on your WW travels, I know you and Vince will do well.

  16. I would love to get an All American Pressure canner – much like what you have. Problem is – I’m scared silly of pressure canning, Instead I dehydrate, regular can, sugar, salt, brine or pickle most of my fruits and veggies, (I don’t like freezer veggies or fruits – every time I tried – I would have a freezer thaw! :o( ), although the cost of getting the canner is somewhat prohibitive for me!!!!

    Still…..

    Most of the ideas for what kind of kitchen gadgetry I’m interested in are either some of those my grandmother used to use (such as the butter churns I drool over), ones I’ve definitely needed back when I was homesteading (cream separator – not needed now though), or ones I very badly wanted when I was homesteading – and after (a spinning wheel and a loom – oh yeah!)

  17. I’d like a big Kitchen Aid mixer with the whisk attachment. I have a smaller Kitchen Aid that I got as a wedding present (32 years ago), but don’t actually pull it out all that often. The newer ones all look much more powerful to me. I don’t bake all that often – when I do, we generally don’t eat all the baked goods before they go bad. Which is really the reason I haven’t gotten a new mixer. (that, and I can’t justify to myself the cost) Mostly, I’d like more time and energy to cook. Maybe after I retire….

    I did buy a food processor this past fall – I had thought about that for years. So far, the only things I’ve done with it are chop onions (LOVE it for that) and make some pie crust.

  18. I would like to have a nice heavy duty meat grinder. We have tried the one for our Kitchen Aid mixer and another stand alone grinder, but neither can do the job. We like to make our own hamburger because it is leaner and cheaper. We like to buy meat in bulk at Cash and Carry. We already cut our own pork and beef cuts, but want to add grinding.

  19. I am either very bad or very good about getting the kitchen toys I want when I want them…. depends on who is telling the story.
    The “new” one I am thinking about is the electric fryer that only uses a tablespoon or so of fat to fry 1 lb of french fries in.
    I have not gotten it cause when I started reading the reviews on it they where falling apart, melting and over heating so I think I will wait a bit for them to get the bugs out….
    I use to love the kitchen catalougs for toy shopping now I get into all sorts of trouble reading peoples blogs….lol

  20. I am very much a kitchen gadget person. Like most here, I’ve always wanted a Kitchen Aid mixer. I finally got myself one this year for my birthday! I love it. I guess what I don’t have is a large canner, and as I am recently “retired” and planning on doing lots of canning – that would be my wish! Cost would be the determining factor. Many of my kitchen gadget ideas come from cruising and reading things on the internet.

  21. 1) a juicer (looking forward to hearing more about yours)
    2) not sure I would use it enough, not sure which brand to purchase
    3) ideas for gadgets come from recipes I want to make or things I want to do

    I do everything from scratch so if there is something I want to do or make and it requires a special pot or gadget, I purchase it.
    However, I don’t want to purchase something that I will only use a couple of times, so I usually think about it for awhile.

  22. This is hard… due to lack of space, I haven’t been WANTING kitchen gadgets. Oh, I know what I could use, a Berkey Water Filter system. About $400.

    I haven’t bought it due to money. But on the flip side, we’re spending about $100/month on bottled water. So I’m hoping when the baby comes later this month, some family member will feel like dropping a $500 check in the mail or something. 😉

    Why do I want it? Because we have a 1958 house (rental) with the original lead pipes. There was no way in the world I was going to be drinking from the tap. After hearing a lot of positive reviews of the Berkey, and the lead/arsenic/mercury/fluoride filtration… I think it would be a good fit here.

  23. I would love to have a full-size Food Saver. I bought one of the small ones that I use for sealing jars, bags and containers. I bought it after you blogged about your salad fixin’s and how long they stayed fresh when vacuum sealing them. I LOVE IT!!

    I’d like to have one that seals the bags so that my frozen foods don’t get freezer burn. My daughter has one and I use it when I buy meat in bulk.

  24. I am thinking of a pressure cooker.. Wait.. A juicer! Nah.. A kitchen Aid Blender! Well maybe a new Mixer..hand one for small things.. Oh I could go on! How about a Bosch mixer for dough! I need to win the lottery!!! Lol!

  25. I can’t think of anything I really want that I don’t have. I don’t cook as much as I used to, being an empty (single) nester. It is so much work to cook and clean up for one person. I sometime make soups or stews and freeze single portions, but I usually end up giving away a lot. My kids love getting homemade soup!

  26. I would love a new food processor. I had one but it died many years ago. I loved it for slicing veggies, shredding cabbage for making cole slaw, and shredding cheese, and doing everything else it did (it was a Cuisinart) and it was great. I don’t cook as much as I used to, but I keep saying I am going to start. Eating out gets old!

  27. I have all the gadgets I have space for. What I would like to have is a gas stove and double ovens! Food network and all the kitchen renovation shows gets my want list going.

  28. A good can opener. Why don’t I buy one. Well I do keep buying them.They work for awhile then out they go. I try hand operated ones, and electric ones. Help

  29. Oh, I love kitchen stores! One thing I’d like would be that pretty red KitchenAid mixer, or a bread machine. I really don’t have the space for such big appliances, though, or the money to spend on them at the moment. I don’t know that I would use them enough to justify the cost, either. I get ideas for these gadgets mostly from reading your blog!
    Your life may be simple to you, but it seems so interesting to me!
    I like the new “old” look of your blog. Glad its back to normal!

  30. I would love to have a bread machine that actually bakes the bread in the shape of a loaf, rather than the shape of a tall mushroom. I don’t buy one because I already have a bread machine, which actually does a good job of baking bread, so I can’t justify buying a new one, just to get a different shape of loaf. Right now, I use the cycle that gets the dough to the stage where I can let it rise in the pan, to get the loaf shape.

  31. I have wanted one of those food saver/sealer things. We buy a lot of fresh fruit and veggies and they always go bad before I think they should. Since it is just the two of us I find it difficult to buy and save without losing somethings.
    I haven’t bought one because of the 1) expense and 2) where to store …my kitchen is not that big. Not to mention my DH negative reaction.
    This gadget I saw at Sams Club, but I’ve noticed similar infomercials for one similar. Most of my recent gadgets have come from HSN’s cooking segments…I never know howmuch I need something until I see it there!

  32. I would love to have an old-fashioned grinder – the kind that clamps onto the edge of the counter and you crank it by hand. My Grandmother had one and used it to make meat spreads from leftover roast. I’ve looked at a few places – guess I need to find a source and order it!

  33. I would like to have a smoothy maker. I love smoothies. I haven’t bought one because I would probably drink too many, and put on more weight. 😉 I get most of my ideas for appliances and gadgets from friends and, of course, you, Judy.

  34. I would like a new food processor,mine died last summer and haven’t replaced it yet. I also want a keurig coffee maker but not sure it would be worth the money. I am waiting for the price to come down.

  35. My choice would be a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I have a cheaper brand name product that just doesn’t have the same power as the KA. However, it is what I could afford at the time and always hoped to upgrade…someday. I’m still waiting.

  36. I would love a food dehydrator. I love to make Jerky on it. I don’t have one yet, we are fixing to add a large cabinet in our kitchen, I will buy it then. I had one, lent it out, and never got it back.

  37. I can think of at least three different things I’d be happy with but will leaave it at one: a new toaster/convection/rotisserie oven – I just know ours is going to arc and flame out any day with the element that’s bent and touching the bottom – haven’t found a new one I like and they no longer make the old one :(, Ideas for gadgets – numerous places, here (your food vacuum system), other blogs and/or websites, browsing in a store, sometimes even a commercial on tv but that’s rare.

  38. I would love to have a Kitchen Aid Mixer. I just can’t justify the cost as compared to my little hand held but a girl can dream can’t she. My sister is the Gadget Queen, she can spot them a mile away and doesn’t mind buying them. I love it because I usually end up with the misfits.

  39. I’ve been wanting a Turbo Convection Countertop Oven for a while now. I haven’t bought one because it’s just me here and not sure I can justify the expense. And it’s either fabric or oven…
    I find out about new stuff on the internet, cooking.com is a great place to drool!

  40. I would like to have a bread maker but I’m not sure how much I would use it. Believe it or not my husband prefers store bought to homemade. I love to bake but always take what I mkae to the workers at my Mom’s nursing home. I get a lot of my kitchen gadget info from your blog! (lol) as well as magazine’s and friends.

    Guess I’ll just keep buying fabric instead of a Breadmaker!

  41. I would like to have a Vita Mixer, but my kitchen is just too small for it. I did order one, but had to send it back because it would not fit on my counter.

    I have to confess I find a lot of my kitchen gadgets on QVC. I enjoy their cooking shows, and being a “gadget girl”, it is easy for me to justify something that would make cooking easier.

  42. I would like a dehydrater but I have not bought it yet because I just have not got around to it. And I just see things on cooking shows that I would like or things my friends have. Stuff like that. : 0

  43. I, too am in the new food processor camp. Mine is really old and the plastic base has yellowed, but the thing keeps on working and that is the only reason I haven’t replaced it. It’s only a matter of time however before trying to grate just one more block of cheese does it in. I’m hoping by the time that happens you will need/want one and will do all the research on which one to buy for me!! ;). Clearly, I trust your judgment on these things! 🙂

  44. I would LOVE a wafflemaker in the shape of Texas. I would buy one tomorrow but I’m the only one that LOVES waffles so if I had one , they would just have to roll me out of the kitchen. ;-p

  45. My Kitchen Aid mixer is not well and probably will completely go out soon, so that would be a MUST have item.
    But really what I am looking for is my egg separator!! It went missing from the drawer about 2 months ago and I REALLY, REALLY need a new one. (please don’t tell me how to do it without this little tool—I know how—-just don’t want to!) Yes I have seached and searched but I am still without my great little egg separator that fit perfectly on the red mug!

  46. I would like a noodle maker that is electric. I have a hand crank one but my shoulders get tired quickly when I use it. I have a Kitchen Aid mixer and I know I can get an attachment for it to make noodles…can’t think of one reason why I have not ordered one as my family really likes homemade noodles and both of my daughters and their families love gifts of noodles but I usually only give each one a one recipe each. Actually, you give me ideas of things I might want to consider buying – got my Reliable iron (I know it is not a kitchen item) after reading your experiences and I just love it. I get ideas from friends, family or other internet sites too.

  47. I would like a pressure canner. I have used a regular canner for years, and I think a pressure canner would be a great additon to my kitchen. I have been looking and will probably purchase later this year. I have a good size vegetable garden and a pressure canner would allow me to can more of my garden bounty. I get ideas for gadgets I might “need” from cookbooks, blogs, cooking shows on TV and Amazon.com searches.

  48. Hmmm, all of the gadgets you show seem really interesting. But
    I don’t think any of them would be workable for us. Having said that
    I guess, if I need to come up for an answer, I would have to say the canning equipment. We don’t have a large kitchen and there is certainly not enough counter space to actually do any real canning. I get my ideas and info from you — I don’t know any one else that does the amount of home skills you do.

  49. I would love a new larger crock pot. I haven’t gotten one because mine is actually big enough so can’t justify a new one. I do really like the looks of the new ones available now.
    I don’t cook much more then I have to so mainly make the same old things.

  50. For a long time I wanted a KitchenAid mixer, then Elder-Beerman had a nice sale and there was a rebate so I bought a red one! Now I want attachments, including a pasta maker. Price is always important, but I will get them soon. I am always combing the internet for things like this. Debbie in WV

  51. I would like a Kitchen Aide Mixer, too, but I don’t want to have to store it. My mom used to have a nifty cupboard for hers where the mixer swung up out of the lower cupboard on a special shelf so you could use it. Very cool.

  52. The one kitchen gadget I don’t have that I would love to have is a toaster oven. It’s not that they are expensive. It’s just that our kitchen is not large and we are very picky about what we will allow to live on our countertops. We recently remodeled our kitchen and I love it so now I am even more picky about what I want to leave out. And I think a toaster oven is just one of those things that needs to be out all the time. If I had one, I would use it for lots of things, but I would need a larger kitchen first. cheers, Claudia Wade

  53. I want the gadget that completely eliminates the need to cook. I hate everything about food preparation from shopping to clean up (though I’d much rather clean up from a meal than cook it). When that device is invented, I’ll be the first in line to buy it. As the sign in my kitchen says, “Welcome to my kitchen/I’m very glad you came/Just don’t expect home cooking?Stitching is my game.

  54. Right now my kitchen needs a regular 2-slice toaster! I have an ancient toaster oven which does a very poor job of toasting bread and baking is a disaster! I think the thermostat is shot because the elements shut off before the oven is anywhere near the temperature I set.

    I’ve started looking at reviews of toasters. All toasters I’ve looked at so far have almost equal amounts of “Excellent” and “Horrible” reviews, so I haven’t decided which is the best to buy.

  55. Mine is an large appliance, a french door refrigerator with bottom freezer. I think the frig part would be so nice with the wide shelves. Right now I have a perfectly good side by side. that is only a few years old. But one day I will get it…

    We have a factory outlet mall not too far away and I love browsing in the several kitchen stores. Love organizing items… pretty bowls and casserole dishes….

  56. I would like a Kitchen Aid Mixer and food processor. Haven’t bought either because of cost. So I mix my bread dough by hand and chop ,grate etc. by hand. Hopefully someday.

  57. I would like to have a pressure cooker and I would like to know how to use one too! (I’m sure I could learn and I wish I had learned to make my Mom’s Swiss Steak, but she didn’t have a recipe and she didn’t teach me how to use a pressure cooker because hers was so old), On my list is also a meat grinder and a good meat/fish smoker. I should do some research and just buy one. I get many ideas from you, Judy, and kitchen catalogs.

  58. We’d like a pressure canner. We had one before we moved to Hawaii but sold it because we didn’t think we would have a place large enough (excpected to live in small condo). We sold all of our canning stuff and miss it terribly. We haven’t bought one because they are expresive and it costs nearly as much as the canner to ship it to Hawaii. We get ideas and inspiration from your blog, and cooking catelogs and magazines we receive.

  59. If I want something, I usually get it. I’ve been thinking about a Food Saver, but I haven’t bought it because I don’t think I can get organized enough to use it effectively. I only cook because I have to.

  60. I’d like a food saver. I haven’t bought one yet since I’m afraid it will end up in my appliance junkyard (a neatly organized junkyard hogging my cabinet space). For whatever reason, I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and have yet to use it. I won’t tell you how long, it is a shame. My goal is to start using it this year. I have many plans for it.

  61. I don’t know if I can pick just one! However, I do want a kitchen aid mixer. My sister has one and I love using it! I lost my pressure cooker in the garage fire in MO almost 10 years ago and have never replaced it. I’m a gadget gal so there are lots of kitchen gadgets I’d like to have. I see or hear about friends using kitchen gadgets and I’ve got to “keep up with the Jones”! lol

  62. Glad your blog is back to normal.
    If I could have anything I wanted, and haven’t bought yet, would be a pressure cooker. My sis has a new one and is always remarking how fast it is.

  63. I would like a industrail bread machine so our church could made 100 loafs quicker for our fundraisers. Being in Texas we like to offer homemade bread when we serve meals at the church. We also sell about 100 loafs in our country store during our annual sausage dinner in March. The cost keeps me from purchasing one and donating it to the church. I love reading about the gadgets you purchase or use in your kitchen.

  64. I think the kitchen gadget I’d like is a new stove. I don’t have one because the stove I have works perfectly well, but I’d like something new and shiny! I also don’t like to shop, so would have to force myself to go looking for what I might want, and I don’t even know what I really want. So I guess I’m paralyzed by indecision. Cooking, for me, is a have-to, not a want-to, but I’m getting better about it since reading blogs like yours! I’m still adjusting to cooking for two since the kids are gone. I tend to make too much food.

  65. Ooohhh, it’s so shiny and pretty!!! Wait until you get chickens and start giving them the scraps. They will be so happy!

    1-I want a Hamilton Beach single cup coffee maker that I can use my own coffee in.
    2-Since Christmas, the cost of them has skyrocketed and I am too cheap to spend that kind of money on a coffee maker when I already have a perfectly good one.
    3-I am easily influenced by my friends. 🙂 🙂 🙂

  66. I have been vascillating between a juicer and a super blender. I don’t buy because I cannot decide between the two! I like the huge boost of nutrients you get from drinking a freshly made glass of juice. But then I think of the fiber that is lost. Maybe I need a super blender. But I don’t like smoothies or drinking anything cold. Then maybe a juicer is better. But it takes so much more fresh produce, and since I go organic, could I afford to make juices? Back to thinking about that blender….

    What kind of juicer did you buy–maybe you could give a review (likes and dislikes of this model) and some combos you have been juicing?

  67. A KitchenAid mixer … I love to bake and I think it would be great for the more heavy-duty mixing chores. On the other hand, I spend way more time in my sewing room, than the kitchen, so I probably can’t justify the cost.

  68. I would like to have a dehydrator. I grow hot peppers for my son and two of our friends and herbs for myself. I think my son and I would get a lot of use out of it. I plan to buy one before I start harvesting peppers this year, but I said that last year and talked myself out of it.

  69. hmmm….that’s a toughie. Because of you I want a smoker and a pressure cooker. I finally got my KitchenAid stand mixer last year and I LOVE it! What I need is an oven that actually keeps a constant temperature. Sure would make baking a whole lot easier.

  70. I’d like an apple press. I’m interested in making apple wine. Tried to start small and see if I would like it, and wasn’t very successful. Still searching for some fruit wine-making classes in my area.

  71. I’d love a pro version of a Food Saver. I have the cheap one but it’s not any better than ziplocks.. I just can’t seem to let go of $500.

  72. I would love to have a food processor to help with chopping up veggies for canning. I would also love to have an Excalibur dehydrator and an All American canner. I have been drooling over the AA, but since mom’s hand-me-down presto is working just fine….

    Why don’t I have them yet? First of all I will probably get a food processor this year. The price has come down quite a bit and it would save me a lot of time. I won’t get the AA for the reason stated above and my glass stove top limits the size. I am working on saving up the dollars for the dehydrator.

    Where do I get my ideas of what I need from? Use and the food we eat for one. We do a lot of hunting and also garden. Another main way I learn about things is the Canning2 group and a gardening group I am on….and other blogs like yours!

    I already have an industrial meat grinder as we process our own deer and turkey. I have a Berkey water filter and LOVE it, and also have a steam juicer that is a great help at canning time.

  73. I would really love a Kitchen Aid mixer. The one I want is the larger (stronger) type. I am saving for one, but have just started. I just don’t have much room in my kitchen, and have re-arranged things so I would be able to get one. I had one years ago, but sold it when we needed some money. I love reading about different items, and try to figure out how I would be able to purchase if necessary. Love reading and dreaming.

  74. I have been wanting a FoodSaver for YEARS!! I like to buy in bulk, things like chicken breast and fish, at Costco. It would be SO nice to be able to come home and suck ALL of the air out of my freezer packaging!

    I think I haven’t bought it because it’s a larger item, and we don’t have much space to store it at this point. Or, not space I’m willing to steal from other stuff. The $$ only has a bit to do with it. I’ll probably buy it when I get a f/t RN job!!!

    I like going to Sur La Table for gadget ideas, but I also surf the net, magazines, and get ideas from friends who are also big cooks. 🙂

  75. This is a hard question for me. I would like a new stove (gas) not electric, but mine is not broke. We could use a new refrigerator, ice make IS broken, but all else works. But realisticaly I’ve been debating on which Food Saver would be the best fit for us. I got the small portable ones for the salads in a jar, and love it. Not sure if I would use a full size one enough to off-set the $. I love to bake and am always looking at baking items – does anyone use those cute little ceramic balls to line the bottom of pie shells?? I get my recipes and instpirations from you, surfing food blogs and friends. One of my goals is to try a new recipe each month in 2012.

  76. I love to cook and have a big vegetable and fruit garden, bake most of our bread.

    Right now, I think I have everything a spoiled girl could ask for–KitchenAid mixer, food processor, blender, wonderful pots and pans). I “might” be able to use a pressure canner, but manage to dry or freeze much of our produce.

    I read Fine Cooking and Food & Wine for new cooking gear.

  77. This is a tough one, but I think I’d go for a wheat grinder….. I love making bread and baking, and wheat is great to have for emergency preparedness ONLY if you have a way of grinding it!

    I love the Taste of Home recipies, magazines, friends , and lots of inspiration here!

  78. What I want is the pasta attachment for my KA…..I’m just so cheap that I want to make sure I would use it enough to justify having it. For cooking I get inspriation everywhere, what my favorite thing to do, is eat out at a nice resturant and then come home and do a copycat of what we had. I drive my husband nuts doing that but he is used to my now.

  79. I am not a gadget person. Just give me a knife, a bowl and a stirring spoon and I am good. Having said that, my husband really would like to have a Kitchen Aid or Cuisinart mixer as our old Sunbeam mixer quit last Christmas. We haven’t got one because we don’t have any place to store it when it is not being used. I get gadget ideas from browsing in department or speciality stores or in home magazines.

  80. I would love a food processor. Storage space in my kitchen is at a premium, so I make do without. I did break down and spend the money on a Kitchenaid stand mixer four years ago, and I absolutely love it. I get ideas from all over: magazines, ads, internet, this blog…. 🙂

  81. I would love to have a good food processor. I’ve had one that wasn’t so good and finally quit using it. My DH just chops and chops for me. I haven’t bought one yet because I don’t have a lot of space and I’m not sure which one is best. I do get ideas from you Judy and from Food Network.

  82. After skimming through all the comments, the only gadget I think I could really use is a new waffle maker. Ours is twenty years old and doesn’t beep anymore when it is done cooking. I haven’t replaced it yet because it has sentimental value. I get most of my ideas from catalogs like Chefs and Williams and Sonoma, I always peruse the gadget section at Kohl’s too.

  83. A small item that I want right now is a potatoe ricer. No reason not to get it other than I get distracted when I am online and forget to buy one! A big item is new pots that I am trying to save for! I get a lot of inspiration from your blog! I love to see what gadgets are your favorites!!

  84. I would love to have a canner. When I put up stuff, I just water bath and would love to be able to pressure can it. My dad used to do that and I enjoyed helping him out. I just haven’t had the extra money to get one yet, maybe after my son graduates from college. Right now that’s where my money is going! lol! I get my ideas for my wish lists from you, other blogs and tv.

  85. Three things that I would like to have is a new set of cooking utensils – spatula, mixing spoons, etc. I’ve had my Tupperware set for over 15 years and they have more than served their purpose. Haven’t replaced them yet as I haven’t been seriously looking for a new set. My second choice would have to be a new canner. I would be happy with a small pressure cooker.. I currently use the water bath method, but would like to know that I am processing tomatoes properly. But more important, a new electric oven to replace my 30+ yr old one. Know we are on borrowed time.

  86. I would love to have a new food processor. The one I have is probably 30 to 35 years old (an antique?) and the bowl has a crack but it is still usable. I haven’t bought a new one as I now liive alone and when I have company, I make do with what I have. I love looking at catelogues, going through the housewares and speciality stores.for kitchen cook ware and gadgets.

  87. I would love an imersion blender–the kind that will allow you to cream soups in the pot. I just haven’t talked myself into spending the money on it, perhaps afraid it won’t live up to expectations. Do you have an opinion on them?

  88. I would like to have nonstick cookware, but since we have a bird we can’t risk burning something in it. At higher heats, teflon gives off a gas that is toxic to birds. I like to read about gadgets on blogs and see them demo’d too. I am glued to all of those demo’s at fairs–gosh I haven’t been to one for sometime! I also like to walk through cooking stores.

  89. I would love to have a pasta maker but doubt that I will every get one as my husband doesn’t like pasta. When I was a kid, my mom used to make her own noodles; I remember her rolling it out and putting it on the card table to let it dry before she cut the noodles. I think a pasta maker would be just a bit easier and we are all in to easier these days, right? 🙂

  90. I love to cook and I think I have everything my heart would desire as far as kitchen appliances go….but it is the counterspace I would love more of. I have a great pantry to store things but when you get in a cooking mode, the counters seem so much smaller!
    Thank you Judy for the free patterns and I am with you. People seem to be demanding and ungrateful at times. I do hope you know there are us out here that appreciate the time and effort that goes into what you do!
    Love the type BTW!

  91. Maybe a new pressure cooker, but mostly I make an effort at being content with what I have. It seems as I get older, I want less, not more. This is a relatively inexpensive item, but I think I’d like a salad spinner. Reason for not buying one…I’ve lived without one for this long…I can manage a bit longer…or indefinitely!! Love you blog and your cooking experiences!!

  92. I would love to have a Keurig. We were just given one at work and I love it. I just can’t justify the cost right now. My husband wanted to get me one for Christmas and I said so…kicking my self in the trunk now….I would also love to have a Better Homes and Garden Mixer…they are not as expensive as a Kitchen Aid but still work as well….I would love to can but my stove is not made for it….oh well…can’t have everything …where would I put it all.

    I get all of my inspiration from this website…I am not a great baker or cook and I have a very picky family so I just drool over everything on here

  93. Just got home tonight… Finally after being gone 6 1/2 weeks!

    Hmmm a kitchen gadget I want… I would say a vent hood to replace the microwave with… I Hate it over the stove.

    I have a small kitchen so right now there isn’t any place else to put a microwave… Maybe when my husband finishes the new cabinet he’s building to put where the table is there will be room over there.

    I love Weavers Store – I have found the best useful stuff there…

    Oh and now that I’m thinking about Weavers… I remember I want to get a steam juicer for this canning season…

  94. I would love to have a smoker. Guessing we will get one after we butcher again. Most of my wanting something else for the kitchen has come from reading your blog! Guess, I can blame you. ha

  95. I have all the gadgets but I would love new kitchen cabnets. Mine are pressed wood and so old. Maybe I need to make a trip to IKEA.

  96. I would really like to have a Kitchen Aid Mixer but the cost is what keeps me from buying one. My husband could care less if I bought one. It’s ME who doesn’t want to spend the money. I get my kitchen ideas from lots of different places…..blogs, catalogs, kitchen stores, friends. Enjoy your juicer. It sure is a snazzy little gadget :o)

  97. Does a new refrigerator count? We have a wonderful side-by-side – and I love the way the doors open and the room/space on the shelves – BUT this one is just so NOISY!! It makes ice and everything – but – dang – it sure wants you to KNOW it’s working! A quieter model is on my wish list. ;))

  98. I would like to have a pressure canner. I don’t know if I need one as big as your new one or maybe the older size would be better. My daughter and I like to can pickles and jelly. I am hoping we get to can some other things this year.:)

  99. I think I want a food processor. Why don’t I buy it? Because I’m not sure I’d use it enough to justify the expense. Where do I get ideas – watching cooking shows and reading quilting blogs with cooking content. In fact, after several months of hemming and hawing I finally bought a handheld sealer after reading about it here at Patchwork Times.

  100. I want a hand held blender. I had one several years ago and used it until it died a natural death. It’s one of those things I’ll do tomorrow. I’m busy sewing today!

  101. I would love to have a good (professional) meat slicer. My sons gave me a KitchenAid Mixer for Christmas last year and I love it. I have a great time in the kitchen stores and am a gadget person.

  102. I’m a non-cooker so I let dh do it. He always just gets what he wants, but his latest want is a new oven……. not what I consider a gadget! Myself, I need a new espresso machine. Mine is starting to scare me when I’m making steam. I haven’t done any research so it’s still on my want list. Any gadget ideas I find from blogs, catalogs, or my daughter I just pass on to dh.

  103. So many good ideas! I didn’t think I needed anything now that I finally have a pressure cooker, but someone reminded me about my wish for an egg separator. Sometimes the shell method doesn’t work quite right and I get yolk in the egg white. And the spice grinder is something I would like but last time I needed to grind spices the blender worked pretty well…

  104. A slow cooker/crock pot, mainly because so many talk about how much they like theirs but…

    I won’t buy one because I KNOW, deep in my heart, that I would never use it…

  105. Don’t know if this is considered a ‘gadget’…but I’d Love my pantry organized with Tupperware storage containers! 🙂

  106. I would love to have a Food Saver. I really don’t know why I haven’t purchased one..could have really used one tonight! I buy meat on sale and could use a Food Saver to keep it fresher longer.

  107. Hey Judy, just piddling the night away. Today was my birthday and I spent it running around buying groceries. Ehhh, not a fun day for me. Hmmm. .. I would love to have another vacuum sealer. Ours bit the dust a couple of months ago. We need to get another one, but other priorities first. I would also love to have a meat grinder. We have a large meat saw and grinder, but that thing is a pain to clean up after getting it dirty. We only use it when we butcher. Have a good evening.

  108. Maybe a small hand mixer,that does everything a large mixer does, as I have a mixer on stand that was my mother’s. I have to get it out of the cabinet everytime I need to use it, but it still works great, so I can’t justify the cost. Or like some commented, love a new gas stove, with 6 burners on it!!! I get alot of my ideas right here on your site.

  109. I would like a Kitchen Aid mixer, but my old Sunbeam still works and I really don’t use it much, especially since I live by myself and am trying to lose weight.

  110. 1) I was completely satisfied with using my grandma’s old waffle iron until reading the post about Judy’s new one…now I really think I need it! 🙂 I don’t know how old this one is, but grandma was born in 1879!

    2) Guess I’d rather spend the money elsewhere after all…just keep looking at it…

    3) Magazines, blogs and friends who love to cook, too.

  111. Judy, I have most of the gadgets that I would use. We live in the So Cal desert. I think the thing we would use the most would be a smoker.. I have the food processor.. Keurig coffe machine. Cuisanart Espesso make (it is DH’s). It has not been used in over a year..but he had to have it. I am ready to pack it away and learn to use this extra counter space.
    No !… I need more counter space.

    I love to cook and love all the accessories!

  112. Ok, sooo I have a lot of kitchen toys already but only because my husband is kind of a gadget freak like me. I would like to get a food process, the only thing I dont have… We get bountiful baskets every two weeks and I have to cook, process and freeze the produce we get. The only thing I don’t have in my kitchen is an electric can opener. I even have an electric food processor. But hey I like to cook so it works out great for me. I haven’t bought the processor because If I do then my hubby won’t know what to get me for Christmas 🙂 until then I can use my mandolin to slice with.

  113. I would love an immersion blender. Both my girls have them and love them. They are a little pricey for the one I want but I will probably buy it in the next couple of weeks. I love to make soup and have been doing the blender thing but that takes forever and is very messy. By the way, I love reading your blog.

  115. Not to much I really need for the kitchen but then I said need not want! I love the vita mix blender that I bought a few years ago. It is powerful. Bought the smaller top piece for it so it can sit on the counter. For 2 of us that is all I need most of the time. The bigger one is easy to get to though! Have looked at the indoor /less oil turkey fryers but am waiting to see more info on them. What I would really love is to get a new stove top for the center island, but since DH is not going to have the kitchen floor torn up and a gas line run into the kitchen, that is out of the question! Been fun reading to see what everyone would like!

  116. (Note: I am posting this *after* the giveaway). My husband and I a kitchen gadget fanatics! And you are right, the best ones are the ones you actually use. Our favorite source for products is “In the Kitchen With David (Venable)” the Sunday afternoon show on QVC. But blogs (because of you we bought a smoker and love it) and “As Seen on TV” ads also get props. But the great thing about QVC is you can read others reviews on a product before you buy to see if it is really worth spending money on.

    The one thing I haven’t bought (another influence of yours) is a canner. We don’t/can’t have a garden and our local farmers market is small in the summer. I’m still trying to justify the storage space for it, the jars and the food but I’d love to try one. One day!

  117. Since my husband and I are not able to have bought ice cream due to dietary restrictions, I would like to have an ice cream mixer that works in the freezer. That way we can have what we enjoy so much.

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