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not a great one for gadgets but some I have bought

(97 Posts)
poppysmum Sat 26-Sept-26 11:49:20

i rate higher than others.
Air fryer; recently taken the plunge and bought one. it is convenient, takes up a lot of room, in a lot of cases is not really any faster than the microwave 8/10
tabletop dishwasher. i do like crockery washed in a dishwasher its a clean feeling to the china you could never get by hand washing but the hoo ha of plumbing put me off. this little one is a game changer no plumbing just pour water in the top it tells you when its full enough, then water just goes out into the sink when draining. 10/10
Easi-yo yoghurt maker just add powder to water shake pop in boiling water in a tub overnight perfect yoghurt probably no cheaper but lot more convenient for me and some unusual flavours 9/10

Elegran Mon 28-Sept-26 16:34:12

JenniRen

Elegran

Rereading that I can see why one friend asks me every time she meets me ,"What gadget have you bought now?"

Every time my mother came to stay she'd ask " So what have you got thst's new?" She liked to keep up-to-date even in her eighties.

Now, should I buy a new bread maker? The last one didn't survive my attempt to add something to the mix whilst it was kneading.

A garlic chopper - on the list now. Those garlic presses are quite hard on the hands.

This is mine, JenniRen
www.amazon.co.uk/Chefn-1254516-Garliczoom-Chopper-Plastic/dp/B07DNPCZMZ?tag=gransnetforum-21
Tips for keeping your hands clean - Cut cloves in half for faster chopping. Use the handle end of a teaspoon to remove the chopped garlic from the gadget. Also, it needs to be rinsed under the tap as soon as you get the bits of chopped garlic out of it, or the remnants stick.

and this is the garlic peeler/skinner
www.amazon.co.uk/CVNRCLP-Garlic-Peeler-Odor-Free-Available/dp/B0DJP7HN7C/?tag=gransnetforum-21
Works miracles, as long as you trim the root end of the garlic clove a little before putting it into the tube.

Elegran Mon 28-Sept-26 16:40:01

I bought a friend (the one who thinks I am gadget obsessed) a garlic peeler and a a garlic chopper for Christmas. I don't think she has ever used them. She is one of those who believes all a cook needs are a sharp knife and a wooden spoon. Now that her hands are getting arthritic she may change her mind.

PaperMonster2 Mon 28-Sept-26 16:40:48

Our air fryer is well-used and invaluable when we lived in an all-electric house. I definitely don’t air fry the items that I microwave, totally different jobs. Slow cooker is well-used also. Probably should invest in a new one actually.

Barbadosbelle Mon 28-Sept-26 16:49:43

JaxJacky

£13:99 from Amazon.

I bought one a few years ago and absolutely love it. So much so that the following year I bought all my friends one on their birthdays and they were thrilled.

So safe and easy to use.
No more jagged edges, so no more cuts and blood.
The lids slot back on to refrigerate those half cans of beans.
And as the blade doesn't touch the food just a gentle wipe is all that's needed.

Wouldn't be without it - nor, so they tell me, would my friends.
.

kittylester Mon 28-Sept-26 17:01:10

I should have mentioned rhe boiling water tap too. But it is so integral that I don't really count it as a gadget. Apart from the obvious benefits, I like the work surface being clear of a kettle and the wire.

Barbadosbelle Mon 28-Sept-26 17:23:51

Shinamae

£200 is a small price to pay for not having to wash and dry dishes ever again!!

Most important household item. After me!
.

Mollygo Mon 28-Sept-26 20:40:12

Elegran
Clothes-folding thingy
I forgot that. We got one after watching Sheldon use one on the Big Bang Theory.

Elegran Mon 28-Sept-26 22:09:20

I got one after watching a video of a small boy using a cardboard copy that his father had made for him of the one he had bought. The boy caught on immediately how to use it, and was matching his father's speed at folding T-shirts. He found it great fun.

Allsorts Mon 28-Sept-26 22:24:29

I love my air fryer, that the microwave, my toaster and slow cooker are all brilliant. Do not need an oven, if I move house I will just have a hob.

Scooter58 Tue 29-Sept-26 07:04:21

Another gadget person here, I love my airfryer, oven almost redundant, rechargeable hoover, egg boiler, bread maker, slow cooker, electric mixer, a wee spaceman who sends stars and colours around my room when I want some relaxation time , have very arthritic hands so my electric potato peeler is an absolute godsend, also my latest acquisition a lotion applicator for my back!, truly fabulous for applying my heat rubs etc without getting my hands covered in the gel smile

madeleine45 Tue 29-Sept-26 07:54:53

my very best little gadget is nothing to do with a kitchen, and I wish I could remember where I got it. It is a very simple yellow plastic circle, with a little bit you push and a sharp little blade comes out. Brilliant for cutting that button off when it is coming loose, great at opening packets of anything that are so well sealed up that you havent a cat in hells chance of opening them with your fingers. Safe because you have to have your finger pressed to keep the blade out, soit immediately goes back inside once you let go. I carry it with me whereever I go and have been very grateful tohave it at times. It is little and light and would be a great little christmas present to put in a card but for the life of me I cant see any anywhere and cant remember how I got it, I take great care not to lose it, and hope to someday find another.

Basgetti Tue 29-Sept-26 09:22:35

Robot window cleaner and coverless duvets, brilliant.

henetha Tue 29-Sept-26 10:58:29

My robot vacuum cleaner is the best gadget I have ever had.
With a bad back, vacuuming was killing me, so buying the robot was a life saver.
And I love my air fryer. It's brilliant.

dalrymple23 Tue 29-Sept-26 14:13:41

I have nearly every gadget under the sun! Some used frequently, some used rarely. I bought one of those veg choppers and could not use it as not enough strength in my wrists. Bag of soffrito from Tesco will do! For similar reasons, I abandoned the garlic press and chopper and just use a grater - the same effect and one less gadget! I did unearth one useful little number the o ther day - a mini mouli for herbs! I think that it belonged to my mother!!!

Rosie51 Tue 29-Sept-26 14:27:37

madeleine45

my very best little gadget is nothing to do with a kitchen, and I wish I could remember where I got it. It is a very simple yellow plastic circle, with a little bit you push and a sharp little blade comes out. Brilliant for cutting that button off when it is coming loose, great at opening packets of anything that are so well sealed up that you havent a cat in hells chance of opening them with your fingers. Safe because you have to have your finger pressed to keep the blade out, soit immediately goes back inside once you let go. I carry it with me whereever I go and have been very grateful tohave it at times. It is little and light and would be a great little christmas present to put in a card but for the life of me I cant see any anywhere and cant remember how I got it, I take great care not to lose it, and hope to someday find another.

I think I've seen an American woman on Instagram or YouTube use something that fits your description but I've never seen one for sale.
This www.ukofficedirect.co.uk//product/slice-safety-cutter-green-00200/kex889? looks on a similar theme but uses a ceramic blade.
Worth a thought if you ever lost yours?

Patsytaylor Tue 29-Sept-26 14:27:58

Robot hoover (bobby)
Rechargeable shark hoover
Air fryer
Pie maker
Instant (well nearly) hot water cylinder
Food processor
Vacuum food sealer machine
Rotary cheese grater
Coffee pod machine
I've always been one for gadgets. No room left in cupboards for any more!
Instant pot combi slow cooker/pressure cooker

Menopauselbitch Tue 29-Sept-26 14:43:53

I thought I was the only one to use the microwave for just heating plates.

JustkeepswimmingDonna Tue 29-Sept-26 16:06:02

#Galaxy I'm with you on air fryers. I've got one but rarely use it - maybe once every 3 months. Luckily I only paid about £30 for it

MT62 Tue 29-Sept-26 16:24:01

Sorry Jaxs I did see your post, I scrolled back. You did put the make. I meant to reply last night 👍🏻

Cambia Tue 29-Sept-26 16:31:28

Love my robot vacuum/mopper, wanders round happily and the house always looks lovely. Much more reliable than me and empties its own dust bag! Thought it would be a novelty now I wish I had bought one years ago.
Much cheaper and just as useful was my bean stringer about £3, used loads after harvesting runner beans.

Elegran Tue 29-Sept-26 16:41:53

Rosie51

madeleine45

my very best little gadget is nothing to do with a kitchen, and I wish I could remember where I got it. It is a very simple yellow plastic circle, with a little bit you push and a sharp little blade comes out. Brilliant for cutting that button off when it is coming loose, great at opening packets of anything that are so well sealed up that you havent a cat in hells chance of opening them with your fingers. Safe because you have to have your finger pressed to keep the blade out, soit immediately goes back inside once you let go. I carry it with me whereever I go and have been very grateful tohave it at times. It is little and light and would be a great little christmas present to put in a card but for the life of me I cant see any anywhere and cant remember how I got it, I take great care not to lose it, and hope to someday find another.

I think I've seen an American woman on Instagram or YouTube use something that fits your description but I've never seen one for sale.
This www.ukofficedirect.co.uk//product/slice-safety-cutter-green-00200/kex889? looks on a similar theme but uses a ceramic blade.
Worth a thought if you ever lost yours?

Amazon has one very similar for £4.29. Not automatically retracting, but a finger slides the blade in and out.
www.amazon.co.uk/Westcott-Utility-Ceramic-Safety-Cutter/dp/B018JZU642/?tag=gransnetforum-21

JenniRen Tue 29-Sept-26 16:46:06

It is little and light and would be a great little christmas present to put in a card

Madeleine45, if you do buy any for other people, make sure the recipients pay you for them. 1p will be enough, otherwise it's bad luck.

Romola Tue 29-Sept-26 17:12:10

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Braun stick blender, including whisk and chopper attachments. Lives in bracket beside cooker. Light and easy to wash.
Used today to make hummus.

AuntieE Tue 29-Sept-26 17:17:17

I am not a gadget person, as I do not have any of all the things mentioned here.

I would have liked a robot grass mower, but, alas my garden is on three different levels, so I would need three of them! Compromise is a battery run mower, as I cannot be doing with flexes in the garden.

I have been wondering whether a robot vacuum cleaner would be a worthwhile investment, but I have been told they are best on fitted carpets, and I have none of those.

Tenko Tue 29-Sept-26 17:23:10

I often forget about my air fryer . It lives in a cupboard as it’s so big . It is useful at Christmas when the oven is full .
The gadget I use daily is my milk frother , it’s battery powered and makes lovely frothy milk for my coffee and it’s easy to clean .
The other much used gadget is my stick blender and my GTech cordless hoover .
Dh loves our robot hoover .