COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT



Welcome to my tiny little kitchen, where space is at a premium!  Yes, all of the magic happens in a very tiny space, which is about what you would expect in a tiny terraced house in the NorthWest of the UK.  Because I have such little space the tools I use are very important to me and I only keep the best of the best.  If it's in my kitchen it has to be worth being in my kitchen, which means that not only does it look and store well, but it also works well.

This is my list of tools I can't live without and why I can't live without them.  If you think you have something better to offer me, I am always open to trying new things and appliances, and then sharing my findings with my readers.  Make me an offer I can't refuse.  I just might change my mind. 

If you have made THIS list, you are the creme de la creme in my English Kitchen.

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The Microplane grater.  I only have one, with small holes, but I use it EVERY day.  I use it for zesting citrus fruit, grating nutmegs, garlic, gingerroot and yes, even onions from time to time (when I want the onion to become almost indescernable texture wise in the recipe, but still want the flavour to shine through).   THIS is my absolute top kitchen tool.   I wish I had more, but for now I live with just the one.  This works wonderfully and is very easy to clean.  It goes in the dishwasher and is also very easily rinsed off under a running tap.

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I love my Joseph Joseph Kitchen Utensils, and I use them every day, numerous times a day.  I Love that they store neatly in one space.  I love that the dirty end stands up off the countertop keeping it clean.   They don't scratch my pots.  I love the bright colours.

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When I need to do whisking and beating, more often than not I reach for my Kenwood KMix hand mixer.  It's easy to use, powerful and easy to store.  I've had mine for about six years now and I love, LOVE it.   I know I will need to buy a new one soon because when Mitzie was a puppy the end of the chord somehow was dangling outside the cupboard and she almost chewed through it.  Todd covered it with electrical tape and so far so good.  It still works.  It's powerful and sturdy and does a fab job of beating things up.


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Another tool which  I use every day.  My Joseph Joseph rotary peeler.    Easy to use, easy to clean and it has three different peeling blades.  One for regular peeling.  One for julienning. One for peeling soft skinned fruits and veg, such as tomatoes or peaches.

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I love my Joseph Joseph Nest bowl set.  With two sizes of mixing bowls, a large colander, a seive and set of measuring cups, plus a TBS, this also (or at least a portion of it) gets used pretty much every day.  The bowls have non slide rubber on the bottom and are a good size for most things.   What I love most (aside from the bright colours) is that they all fit inside each other for easy storage.  They area also dish washer safe, which is a bonus.

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I love my Tefal OptiGrill.   It is rather bulky and  large in size,  but it's more than worth this in the brilliance of it's performance.  All the thought of timings etc. has been removed because you simply program it for the type of meat you are cooking and the doneness desired.  It can even cook from frozen.  The nonstick plates also fit in the dishwasher and clean like a dream.   I probably use mine a couple of times a week.  IF only it also did sandwiches.

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My Andrew James Electric Egg Boiler.  It is simple to use and does eggs perfectly no matter the type of egg you want to boil and no matter how many you want to boil.   Again, it removes all the guess work from boiling eggs and they have always been easy to peel.  One of my top tools!

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My Panasonic Bread Maker.  Model SD2501 with it's handy raisin and nut dispenser.  I have tried other ones, but always come back to this one.  I love it so much I wore one out and am now on my second one.

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I love my Zanussi slim line dish washer.  I won it in a contest and I would never be without it now.  The dishes get squeaky clean.   I never thought my kitchen was big enough for a dishwasher, and was so excited to learn that you can get them in the slim line versions.  This is plenty big for us as there are only two of us and even when we have people to dinner, with a bit of planning and organized loading, I am able to get everything in.  Wouldn't be without one now.

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Although I only use it occasionally I would not be without my Tefal Actifry.  It is rather bulky and lives in our bedroom closet due to lack of space in my kitchen, but when it comes to frying things (a once in a while treat) this handy little machine cannot be beaten.  I love this and highly recommend if you are wanting to enjoy some of the flavour of fried foods (including chicken wings) without a lot of the calories.

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I have two of these little wire whisks and I use them ALL the time.   For whisking salad dressings, sauces, etc.  I have even used them to whisk small amounts of egg white and whipping cream.  They work excellently and are dishwasher safe and also can be easily rinsed clean under the tap.

 

My Breville 3 in one hand blender.   I also use this every day.  The stick blender attachement itself is a master at pureeing and smoothing out soups and sauces and dressings, and I use the mini food processor all the time for all sorts . . .  making bread crumbs, chopping nuts, chopping onions and celery, etc.  In fact I probably use the mini food processor attachment more than I use my large food processor, and why is that?  Because it is small and easy to use and easy to clean.  I admit freely I never use the whisk attachment, but hey . . .  the blender stick and the food processor attachement are more than worth the price alone.

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The Morphy Richards One Cup Boiling Water Dispenser gets used multiple times a day.  If you are only needing a cup of boiling water, this is the perfect tool/gadget to have.  I use it when I am aking anything which needs a bit of boiling water, and of course for hot chocolates, etc.  Wouldn't be without it now.

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This also gets used multiple times a day and often simultaneously.  The Oregon Scientific 118 digital electronic timer is great.  It is magnetic and so it lives on the side of our microwave and is easily programable, in hours and minutes and has a nice and loud alarm that I can hear all over the house!  It also flashes green when it is timing and red when it is done, so if you were deaf, you would still know your time is up!

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This Salter 1036 Slim Design Electronic Platform Kitchen Scaleis my kitchen scale of choice.  Not only does it perform well, with great accuracy,  but it also takes up very little room in the kitchen.  I LOVE this digital scale.  I love it so much I have two of them.  Just in case.  As you do.   Other plusses include:

-They are very easy to use, with a tare button to reset quantities to zero as you weight out ingredients
-The scales wipe clean well, with many things being spilt on them
-Can display either grams or ounces very easily (as well as fluid ml and oz)
-The display is easy to read
-Battery life is excellent; we use these literally every day and typical life is 12 months
-The maximum capacity is 5kg, but I've never needed anything more than this


6 comments

  1. Great beginning..lots of interestings:)
    I too Microplane..Bread Machine..
    I love that Kenwood thingie..must check them out:)

    Thanks for sharing your fave things.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're welcome Monique! This is by no means everything, but I'll get there in the end! I am sure you have many favourite tools you like to use also. I would love to read about them one day! xoxo

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  3. Well for someone with a small kitchen you sure have a lot of stuff in it! But it all looks pretty useful and fun if not essential...an egg boiler...just get a timer! Nice blogg and artwork

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    Replies
    1. I do have an egg timer Zachary, but I love my egg boiler. Out of all the gadgets I've been sent it is one of my favs! Thanks for your kind comments re the blog and the artwork! xo

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  4. Hello, Can you tell me where I can get the baking pan used in your bakewell tart recipe, the one with the slide out bottom. Many thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you mean the rectangular pan with the slide out bottom?

      Delete

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