Season 10 Episode 8
How Does Something Make The Cut As An Official ‘Kitchen Gadget’?
Ahhh kitchen gadgets – we’ve got to admit we have a big soft spot for them. In this episode, we reminisce on some of the gadgets we’ve reviewed in the past, from the good, the bad, to the downright novelty. But some gadgets might have a positive effect on your confidence in the kitchen and help you learn new culinary skills, we ask each other do they really aid learning or take the need to learn away?
Best soundbite: “Look good and the rest will follow, i’ve heard you say that more than 27 times” – Jamie Spafford
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Something to make you think...
When is the use of “smart” in kitchen gadgets just a buzzword? Does a gadget have to be techy to be impressive and useful? Does a coffee machine really need an app?!
What We Read Ahead of This
Our Gadget Reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWLHJzWYH_EdW7RI7GPqpRCOv4koj82eT
What would you like to feast your ears on?
12 Comments
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I’m late to the party on this one – but I have two gadgets in my kitchen that I find very useful.
The Jar Key – I think I saw Barry Lewis review the “jar key” and when I saw one in a store I picked it up. This one is a life saver for me since I have carpal tunnel in my both hands. It releases the vacuum on commercially sealed jars like olives, pickles, salsa, marinara, etc. Once that vacuum is released the jar opens without hardly any effort.
Adjustable Measuring Cup – My mom bought me one of these years ago and I love it! It is especially handy when measuring sticky or thick substances like honey, sour cream, mayo, or yogurt. Instead of filling a small measuring cup then trying to use a scraper or spoon to get every last bit out, you adjust this to your desired measurement, fill it and then push the ingredients out. This one works best if you are using cups for measurement instead of going by weight.
When I was a kid we had an electric can opener and that’s how I learnt to open cans – it wasn’t until my teens when the machine broke and I had to learn to use a manual one. I hate manual can openers, they are silly and difficult. One day I will be rich enough to have a kitchen large enough to have enough storage to have an electric can opener once again.
My old housemate had a self-cleaning oven and she used it for the first time and somehow the door of the oven smashed during the process.
I used to demonstrate a couple of really handy ‘gadge’ , the pizza oven (similar type as you tried out) and a mulitcooker. To me these weren’t really ‘gadge’ as they actually served a purpose, whereas ‘gadge’ to me are the items handed down to you from people who received them as gifts and didn’t want them= so tried to pass them onto you.
The kind of usually smallish unwanted rubbish that serves mainly one purpose , invented with good intentions but totally unnecessary. Like a boiled egg cutter or a lemon juice extracter squirter thing (God I love that vid) or the Bogeyman snot separator.. hahaha
I’ve noticed that these silly gadgets end up in drawers getting dirty and the white plastic getting sticky and yellow until they end up either in the op shop or in the bin (after your friend kept refusing your offer to take them home )
They’re a waste of plastic and are usually NOT time or effort saving, seeing as you have to clean the doovilackies after.
Seeing as I was watching that ol’ Sorted video on gadge, I paused on the ‘Wiki’ entry on Jamie and it said that he appeared on a kids’ show. I decided for a lark to type the name into youtube’s search window. Guess what showed up!
https://youtu.be/GWsko7q8ltk
Tell me that’s not Jamie appearing from 4 mins 51 sec LOL That is indeedy.
I’m only 32 but I have arthiritis in my fingers, a gadget that could help me open bottles etc easier would be good. Also I am quite short and fiance very tall, he likes to put things up high, so gadget to help me reach without getting the step out would be great. Great podcast, found this really interesting 🙂
The first kitchen I worked in…. the guys bought me my very own step stool so I stopped asking them for help.
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I have an injury right now that makes some things in the kitchen hard to do without being in pain. While a lot of the ‘gadget’ you’ve reviewed are crap…. to me a gadget should be something that helps someone perform a task they might not otherwise be able to easily. Some gadgets right now have been a lifesaver that’s allowed me to still cook without as much pain.
Due to a fall my shoulder joints are buggered – thank heavens for my kichenAid stand mixer – it does all that dough kneading for me. So can relate 🙂
Right! being able to knead with my kitchenaid and use my processor to do a lot of slicing and ‘dicing’ for me has saved me a lot of tears.
You’re right, a good gadget will help you do a task more easily, a bad one will make it more complicated! Wooohooo for the KitchenAid.
I was thinking, There are some gadgets that are not too useful, but there are some that really are. How to know the difference if not try them out and see for ourselves if they are useful or not?
That’s one of the many things we have you guys in our lives. Thanks for helping us out!
Also, i was thinking, when does a gadget upgrades to tool? I’m old enough as to remember the first time I saw a potato peeler. Game changer, that one!
Good question…. we suppose when it’s adopted by the nation and becomes a core kitchen item?
What we do now without a potato peeler? Definitely a game changer!!