I've noticed that more and more people are getting the George Forman Grill. Do people who own the grills actually use them? I know of two women who absolutely swear by them.

Since I use my gas grill all year long I doubt I would get a George Forman, but a kitchen gadget I didn't think I would use much but have ended up using a lot is my KitchenAid mixer. That thing rocks! We even got a grinding attachment so we grind some of our own meats too.

What gadget do you have in your kitchen that you couldn't live (or cook) without?

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2000

Answers

I use my George Foreman Grill just about every other day. It just cooks things really fast (like burgers or chicken breasts in 5 minutes). Plus, there's no actual *fire* involved, which is a big plus for me and my injury-prone self. The other thing I can't live without is my food processor. I'm all about food BLENDING, not so much the cooking part. I make pico de gallo and hummus about 2-3 times a week, so the processor gets a lot of use.

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2000

I do 99% of the cooking in my house. When my wife cooks, it's always something gourmet and delicious. She makes the most unbelieveable pizzas from scratch, including the dough and sauce and everything. She uses some sort of oven stone, a big flat round disc, for the pizzas, along with one of those giant wooden spatulas the restaurants all use. So I'd say those are her indispensible gadgets.

As for me, this is going to sound lame, but I have this great cutting board that I can't live without. It may not sound special to you, but I found it so convenient that it actually made cooking interesting for me again. I use it all the time, for everything. It's basically just white plastic, but the cutting action is super, just the right amount of give. The size is about 12" square, which is just the right size, and all the edges are gently turned up so that liquids won't spill off. Not so turned as to make walls that get in my way, but just enough so that I'm not always cleaning up the counter as I prep. And cleaning the board is way easy, too, and it's dishwasher safe. Okay, this all sounds so dumb, right? But I swear, the only thing better in my kitchen than one of these boards is two of these boards. Oh, that and sharp knives, which I have, but I like the board better. And, um... lots of measuring cups and spoons. And Fit produce wash. And....

:-)

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2000

The tried and true Cuisinart food processor... I love that thing. For all you cilantro lovers, use it to make cilantro pesto - literally takes seconds to throw in a few bunches of cilantro, some fresh garlic, lime juice, jalapenos, and some scallions - whirrr away. Use this like pesto or add a glob to your guacamole. Mmmmmmmm. I used to think it was too big and cumbersome (I have a "thing" about not having stuff on my counters - even my microwave is in a cupboard) but the Cuisinart is worth the effort to pull it out. I also have this neat wine bottle cap and pump thing that keeps wine sealed and really fresh (for those times I do NOT drink the entire bottl

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2000

Paul, I totally agree with you - the right cutting board makes the difference!

I got a bunch of adjustable measuring cups and spoons from Pampered Chef. They have made my life so much easier!

I just got a catalog called Chef's. It has the greatest cooking toys. I want the pots and pans that Emeril designed. I also want this toaster that you turn on it's side to turn it into a toaster oven. Now, if I could only have a kitchen big enough for all the gadgets and toys I wanted...

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2000

The newspaper, just 2 days ago, asked famous chefs that very question. I, duh, don't remember their answers. I have a Cuisinart, but use a little Black & Decker chopper much more frequently. I do remember someone saying they hate electric can openners, and I hate mine. I got a Rival 3 years ago and it is an art form to use it. I don't have any fancy stuff except for the Cuisinart and a blender, which I depend on for almost daily smoothies. My big concern is for food and a dishwasher. I was inspired by a "how to organize" column in the paper and actually organized the hundreds of recipes I cut out, copied, or had written down (well OK, I'm *almost* done) my whole life. I'll go to the recipe thread and add my favorites when it's not 2:00AM.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Oops, sorry, I think I .com'd my last post when it should now be a .net. I was also going to say that I keep buying Tupperware gadgets and not using most of them. I got a set of measuring spoons that were curved strangely and hard to use. I'm sure someone else loves them. They do have great spatulas and big plastic spoons however.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I have a set of cast iron cookware that I've been using for years. Whenever I use a non-cast iron pot these days I end up burning something.

I have a lot of gadgets (mostly gifts from my m-i-l) but rarely use them. I like my casserole-carrier that has the pocket for the microwavable heating pad. Oh, and springform pans. You can bake all kinds of stuff in springform pans, and voila, no tapping the sides to get it out.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I love my KitchenAid stand mixer. I've been baking all my life, but never had a mixer like this until a few years ago, when I got it for Christmas. Now I don't know how I lived without it. Nicole, I want the grinding attachment, too!

I have a little chopper thingie made by a company called Mouli. Cuisinart makes one, too, but the Mouli is just as good, and cheaper. When you just need to chop a few nuts or herbs, the Mouli is a godsend. I can even make peanut butter if I want to.

Don't laugh, but I use my egg separater a *lot*.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I own a GF Grill, but don't use it very often. It's a pain in the ass to clean. Gardanna, any hepful hints you could supply for cleaning the grill?

I can't live without my Pampered Chef cheese grater/Cheese shaker combo. Now that I have tasted fresh parmesan cheese, I can't switch back to the powdery stuff.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I don't use my GF grill as often as I thought I would (for bacon and grilled cheese sandwiches, a frying pan works better). But I will definitely be trying it for quesadillas now.

Most of the kitchen gadgets I can't live without are actually bar gadgets- my bottle opener, which is a 5 inch tall bald Frenchy-waiter man (who I have named Jean-Claude and been known to talk to when opening my 3rd or 4th beer), my martini shaker, my pitcher and stirrer, and my glass cocktail picks with glass olives on the ends.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Just had to contribute an agreement or two: I think electric can openers are the Devil's own idea. Is it *really* necessary to use a machine to open a can? Those little twisty hand held things work just fine.

The only piece of Tupperware I really covet is one of those cheesekeepers - do they even make them anymore? A friend of mine has one and it works like a charm - the cheese stays just like it's supposed to, with none of those icky hard edges that you get if you use clingwrap or tinfoil.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Allright. I'm not holding back on this question. Every manual can opener I use seems like it freezes up in a month. What the hell is the life expectancy of these devices? Are my standards to high? Is there a better brand? *****sobbing, with my head on the desk, pets surrounding me crying for canned food******

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I got a catalog the other day that was called 'Hard to find tools'. Ha!! Someone actually called their catlog that. Imagine if we called everything by what it really was. Spam would be 'Unidentifiable pink stuff in a can with gelatanous coating'. Socks would be 'Tube shaped material to cover feet'. Froasted Flakes would be.. oh yeah. Anyway, they should have a 'Hard to find Kitchen Gadgets' catalog. That would rule!!! Nicole, please don't say we grind our own meat. It makes me giggle like in 8th grade Health class.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I own nearly EVERY kitchen gadget know to modern man except the GF grill. After playing with so many things, I have to say that I can't live without my heavy duty baking stone from King Arthur Flour's Baker's catalog. It works absolute miracles in a less than perfect oven. It helps to even out the heat, and keeps things from burning on the bottom. I never take it out of my oven. In contrast to the thinner baking stones from Pampered Chef, you can actually place pans on top of this stone without it cracking. It's worth every dime I spent on it. Other fave item: my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I use it for everything. It's such a workhorse that my grandkids will probably use it. And that's saying alot as my kids are only 7 and 4.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Michelle, how much more is your baking stone than a Pampered Chef stone? Because I have a PC jellyroll baking stone that I bake everything *but* jellyrolls on and I think it is great, but if there is something better out there I want to know!

And I like my PC can opener. My last can opener got rusty and made the cans nasty after I opened them.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Oh, and kdrock, I'll grind my meat whenever I feel the need!

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

My all-time favourite kitchen gadget(s) were my Kitchen Cutters - a tool that looks like (and can be used as) pruning sheers. I used them for meat, pastry, wire ... everything. Sadly, they began rusting out after about 8 years.

Currently, my favourite item is a 20 pound, 50 year old cast iron frying pan.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I'd answer this thread, but I don't know what this word "kitchen" is.

I get all my meals from people who come to my front door, premade at the gourmet food place or I just drive up to a building with a surly teenager inside and get a bag handed to me out a window.

.

.

.

.

(Okay, I confess...I buy Koziol brand gadgets. I hear that they are for use in this place you call a kitchen, but I have yet to put this theory to the test.)

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I love my Black & Decker steamer. It has a timer, so I don't have to keep checking back, it makes great poached salmon, and I can cook 3 things at once in there.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

I have the same Black & Decker steamer. I mostly use it to steam rice, which it does perfectly every time!

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Hey, um, well, this probably isn't the Manufacturer Suggested way to clean the George Foreman Grill, but I do the triple wipe:

1. wipe off gunk with dry paper towel. (after it cools, by the way)

2. spray that puppy down with Windex and wipe.

3. Use a wet dishcloth to wipe off the Windex.

I really don't have to clean mine very much (another great thing about quesedillas, they don't leave any mess).

P.S. I'm not being sarcastic about #1, I have a blister on the end of my finger because I forgot I left it plugged in the other day.. ouch.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Wow. Y'all are really hardcore into this stuff, huh? I have a few Pampered Chef things that I keep forgetting to use (but they work really well.) I always want gadgets because I think they'll get me enthused about cooking again. But so far they haven't.

Right now I want one of those cake-decorating sets, with the plastic pump tube and different tips. I tried to order one from Tupperware, but they discontinued it. Bastards. Ziplock bags with holes in the corners just don't cut it, but I'm too cheap to buy a million separate bags and tips at Wal-Mart. I want it all!

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2000

Nicole = Meat Grinder!!! Ha!!

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2000

Gwen, call a bakery supply place. Pastry bags are cheap and you can get all kinds of tips for them. Email me if you need any help with them, I have some experience.

Plus, if you're ever laying tile in a porch or something, they work great to put down grout, with little mess.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2000

I have one of those Black and Decker steamers and it is fabulous. The only other things I can't live without are a microwave and a dishwasher.

-- Anonymous, September 29, 2000

I love the Pampered Chef stones. I use them all the time.

I feel the same way about the diswasher too. Only I wish someone would come up with a way for it to load and unload by itself.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 2000

Man, I wish I had a dishwasher.

My most commonly used kitchen gadget is aluminum foil. Runner up is Ziploc bags - best for marinating meat.

My brother & sil gave me a really great Black & Decker steamer, it has a little "flavor scenter" infuser to put herbs in. You can steam veggies in it, although the microwave is easier and quicker. But if I want to infuse some fresh dill or basil the steamer is great. It makes perfect rice.

I wouldn't be able to cook if I didn't have a nice big 3 cup glass measuring cup. I measure & mix & pour and it's the easiest thing to clean up. Perfect for sauces & gravies & stuff.

I would love to have some new pots & pans, everything I have is hand me down and dented and scratched. And I have a crappy ass electric range (ah to have a gas range...) so it's hell on pots.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2000

I've never had good/new pots and pans, either. The ones I use most are some Corningware ones I got from the Goodwill about 10 years ago.

I could probably afford a good set now, but I feel weird buying them. Like that's not the kind of thing a person like me would buy, or something. I'd rather buy the cake-decorating set and new pans from MacFrugal's every couple of years.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2000

Ya'll obviously don't know squat about the fine art of cooking. Every great chef knows that the *crock pot* is theee thang to have. Chop up five or six different types of veggies, cut up the toughest, cheapest meat, add garlic, pepper, a a dash of worchestershire, some soy sauce cover with water, set that hummer on slow cook for 8 hours and voila! (which is french for Viola). You can go fishing, get drunk, laid, arrested, whatever. Get one of them pug-in timers and hell, you don't even have to be in the same COUNTRY while you're cooking dinner. Neater than a skeeter's peter. The crock pot rules.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Back when I cooked for a livin' (previous life) I used a little meat tenderizer that looked like a little metal block with tiny knives sticking out of it. You'd just puch it down on the meat. I have looked for 20 years for that gadget with no luck. It was amazing.

Plus, good pastry brushes are nice, when the bristles don't fall out. Also, I prepared buffets for a polo club one year, and we used to baste large meat cuts in new trash cans with new kitchen mops! How's that for a kitchen gadget! ha....yep, those were the days...

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Electric can openers are vital for folks with arthritis or RSI (like so many computer workers).

We went through a couple of can openers in our office kitchen (one expensive and "design-y", one not), before I convinced my coworker to just buy a Swing-away. They work, and last.

I love my rice cooker (it's my default wedding present).

Only get crockpots with the removable crock, puh-lease! My sweetie likes to do a bunch of chili in crockpots for a chili party, but insists on using these crockpots from yard sales with the non- removable crocks. What a pain to clean up! He does it, but I have to look at them on the counter for few days first. ah, well, it's his kitchen.

A good wok is important. I like using the shovel-spatula that usually comes with one.

Anita of Anita's BOD and Anita's LOL

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2000

The gadget in my kitchen that I can't do without is my Pampered Chef Tool-turnabout filled with ALL my PC tools. I don't know how I cooked without this stuff. And getting alot of it free didn't hurt either.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000

I just got the Xtra Large George Forman Grill for Christmas, I absolutely love it! Another item I really love is the Tupperware Chopper (sure makes my life a whole lot easier!!! By the way, this message is for Gwen gwenz@ev1.net, I just happen to be a Tupperware Consultant, I saw your comment regarding the Tupperware Gourmet Decorator Ball. GOOD NEWS, it will be available 1 day only, Thursday, January 4th, This is National Tupperware Party Day. When you are a guest at a Tupperware party you can purchase the Gourmet Decorator Ball for only $12.50 ($15.00 value) Also, another special for that day only is a set of 4 square rounds for only $4.00. I don't know if you're interested but I'd be more than happy to order these for you. Just let me know!!!

LeeAnn

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2000

Hey, thanks for the offer! Oh, wait a minute, you only wanted Gwen to know about that sale.

You realize you could have just emailed Gwen if you wanted to sell her your Tupperware.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2000

Thanks, LeeAnn. I got your e-mail but I deleted it because at first I didn't know what the Gourmet Decorator Ball was. It took me a while to catch on.

If I had the money to spend on Tupperware, I'd definitely hook up with you. But now I can only spend money on rent and bills.

:(

And soap.

:)

-- Anonymous, December 29, 2000

All of you guys are so funny. Thanks for the intertainment. I am not the greatest cook. As long as I use one of my 50 cookbooks people love my food. I have cookbooks from all over the world. It's so educational and fun. I must say the easiest thing to use and clean is my beloved crockpot by Rival. My favorite second best is my birthday present to myself, the Showtime Rotisserie. The food cooks so good and fast.

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2001

i really would like some recipe's for my george forman grill! i am a 17 year old high school student and my friends all have one. But we dont know what to cook...so any ideas would help, thanks.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2001

I own th GF grill and I love it. I don't like to wask dishes, but the grill isn't hard to clean at all. The only problem that I'm having is.....I need more recipes. If anyone can help me. I would love to have someone email me any.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Mindy, they wont email you around here, they are too paranoid.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Mindy, ignore the fake poster. I don't have any recipes to send, but I did a search on Yahoo! for George Foreman Grill Recipes and I found a couple of sites...

Eat the Apple Family Time

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

What? They won't e-mail you her? Then who's been getting my e-mail and who's sending me e-mail? Now I'm paranoid! - - - - NOT!!

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

oma, in a word, eat shit.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Only if you e-mail some recipes. I lost all mine in the last move.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Hey Paul, what's your wife's secret to making pizza dough? I've tried making it from scratch and it never comes out good.

Thanks.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

I think she would kill me if I told it, so that's why she hasn't told me. :-) Seriously, she makes it from scratch, I know fresh yeast and fresh flour are important, and she spends a long time kneading it. Other than that, I don't have a clue. But her pizzas are to die for, and the crust is always damn near the most delicious part. Oh, and she uses one of the baking stones - some big stone disc that always stays in the oven. I think she cooks the pizza directly on it. And she's got one of those huge wooden pizza spatulas (they have a name, they just look like spatulas to me) for removing the pizza.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

oh fresh yeast.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Mmmm. Pizza. I love pizza! I wish I had the time and patience to make homemade 'za, that would be great.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Damn! Sounds like too much work for me!

I have several stones from Pampered Chef. A lot of times if we have pizza delivered, I will pop a few slices on one to make it more crispy.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

So it really makes a difference, huh? I'd seen pizza stones and thought about buying one, but have stuck with a cookie sheet instead. Hmm. Perhaps when we set up kitchen in the new house, I'll have to get one.

I still like pizza. Mmmm, cheesy goodness.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

I think so. I use the stone for everything, even baking cookies. And they are very easy to clean also.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

You can bake cookies on them, too? Okay, *makes note*, I must have one, esp. if our new oven is as stupid as the current one. We've tried all sorts of tricks to get it to do right. I'm so tired of having to line cookie sheets with tinfoil and adjusting racks and cooking times then STILL having to be on the lookout for, as an example, burning cookie bottoms and raw cookie tops. Clearly, I need one.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Because, you know, I like pizza.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Milla, for cookies I use one of those cookie sheets that's actually hollow in the middle. I think the brand name is "Chef's Secret"? Anyway, it's kind of a "double-hull" construction that keeps the bottoms from burning. Works perfectly every time.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

If you can postpone your homemade pizza lust a little longer, Target usually has pizza stones on sale right after Christmas. Because they make good "Look! I got you a present!" (tm Dave Barry) kind of presents. They do make good crust, gotta admit.

Air Bake is another of the hollow-core cookie sheets. They work well but you have to lower your oven temp a hair or the bottoms will still burn. In my oven, anyway. I always have to adjust for non-stick surfaces.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I appreciate it.

My cookies and pizza will appreciate it. (My waistline will not appreciate it as much, but who asked it?)

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

I ended up buying my cookie sheet because it was nice and wide and flat and only has a rim on one of its four sides, so things slide on and off easily. But the main reason why I bought it was because it's just smooth uncoated steel and not a Teflon or otherwise non-stick surface. I hate those non-stick surfaces. First, stuff sticks to them all the time after you use them a few times, but then when something does stick you have to treat it gently or else risk damaging the non-stick "protective" coating. I like the plain smooth steel finish so I can bust out the steel wool in case something has the nerve to stick and muck things up.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

About baking cookies on the stone: I've never had them burn (only time was when I completely forgot about them in the oven). The only thing you have to remember when baking cookies on them is that the first batch may take about 2 minutes longer than it's supposed to because the stone hasn't fully heated.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Shelly, I just got two stones recently, and you have inspired me to bake some cookies for the weekend. Maybe even some brownies in my bar pan.

About pizza dough... you can buy it! If you live near a Bertucci's, they sell their dough. Also, my mom used to buy the dough from a local bakery for $1 a "loaf".

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Dude, I use the bar one for everything. They are great for french fries too! Don't forget to use your chopper!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

I love my bar pan stone. I use it for everything. I need to get another one, just because you never know when you'll need a second pan.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Nuts! I HAVE forgotten about the chopper AGAIN! Even after I was told how great it is! I'm going to put it on the counter tonight, so the next time I have to chop onions, I won't forget about my chopper!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

Noone forgets about their chopper!! Almost like, nobody puts baby in the corner!!!

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001