what's your favorite kitchen gadget?

This afternoon - yes, in the 90-degree heat - I decided to quickly bake my brother-in-law a belated birthday treat. He is a huge chocolate fan, so truth be told, I could probably show up with chocolate ice cream and make him happy, but hey, it was an excuse to bake. I was using three of my favorite kitchen tools - Kitchen Aid mixer, digital scale, and Surfas heat-resistant silicone spatula - and it got me thinking about what things I love most and what things I can live without in my kitchen. It amuses me that those three items range from about $2.99 to $299 in price (possibly hyperbole, but you catch my drift).

We don't have a dishwasher, so I can clearly live without that. But having had kitchens without garbage disposals in the past, I can say that I am grateful for mine.

So, what cooking tools do you love most? Anything goes... great saucepan, juicer, ice cream maker, perfect measuring cups...

(N.B.: I just went to test my cake by touching it with my index finnger. And as my finger poked through into the molten and undercooked center, I decided perhaps I should become more fond of my cake tester!)

Comments

Nanette said…
Definitely my KitchenAid mixer! :)
Hilary said…
My KitchenAid mixer and anything silicone!
The Nix Family said…
My stackable cooling racks, hard boiled egg timer and silicone muffin tins and spatulas were the first things I thought of!
Anonymous said…
the rubber garlic roller thingie that lets me easily peel the garlic w/o having to touch it or get my hands all stinky!
Suzanne said…
I agree with the silicone muffin pans, the garlic thingy and the silicone spatulas. Plus, I would add my electric tea pot and the little ceramic-edged coupon cutter. But, I must say, the most important (maybe not really my favorite) is my oven thermometer. Nothing could be worse than thinking your oven is fully heated and you're at a full 350 degrees, but it's really only pushing about 225. It certainly makes the baking process a lot longer... and frustrating!
Michael said…
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