6.6.13

The most useful gadget you've never used

Is your kitchen an old style Amish one? No electricity, a mangle and a washboard? Or are you a teensy bit more high tech?



I have a few gadgets, I say a few, once I start to list my 'labour saving appliances' it seems I really do have quite a few. I don't have a dish washer or a tumble drier, but I do have a washing machine, a bread maker, a smoothie maker, an electric whisk, an electric carving knife, a food processor...

The smoothie maker is a recent acquisition, a gift at Christmas and I love it. DD and I have smoothies at least once a week and often more, I'm sure as it gets warmer we'll experiment further, maybe making ice lollies, or alcoholic smoothie cocktails (for me not her). We love the smoothie maker, it's simple to use, quick, easy to clean. Those are things that for me are really important! 

I rarely use the carving knife. I inherited it, I assume it's for enormous roast beef joints and getting smoothly cut slices for everyone, but as we don't really have roasts, and there are only 3 of us, and we don't care if our meat looks 'tidily sliced' we never use it. It's silly, it takes ages to plug all the bits in, has two blades, has to be used near an electric point and takes as long to clean as it does to set up. I don't know why I keep it...

The bread maker is really DH's domain. He makes bread every other day, his own recipe (yes ladies he not only has a beard but he bakes too - I win!) he bakes wholemeal or raisin bread with no salt. It's good. So the bread makers we buy tend to wear out, not rust away. I think this is our third in 10 years. He loves his bread maker, he only uses it to do the initial mix and knead, but it saves time, presenting him with a risen dough ready to shape and bake.

We use the washing machine of course. Too often I expect, when did we get so clean? :-) I'm sure in the 50s a weekly bath and a weekly clothes wash kept everyone alive (if slightly fragrant).

And obviously I have a cooker which (quite frankly) I am in love with, it's one of those big country range affairs (though it's dual fuel not coke fired) and it cooks things so much better than my old cooker (which had heat up to 9 but needed at least up to 11)

 And we have a fridge, I'm sure this is standard by now in most houses (though when living in my bedsit I used the shady window ledge to keep milk cool) 



So what about you? Is you kitchen full of useful gadgets? Or gadgets that seemed like they would be useful but actually sit there doing nothing? (I disposed of a slow cooker after about 3 years of not using it at all!)

I want to know about your kitchen gadgets! And if you tell me you'll be entered into a competition to win £100 in Amazon vouchers! Seriously! What an awesome prize, you can spend it on more gadgets! Ones you might actually use! Or just buy a few books to read while your gadgets do all the work.

So a huge thank you to Appliances Online who have offered this super prize. (You might like their Home Style Blog too - it's pretty good!)

And you can follow the blog on twitter AOatHome
  
The Competition Rules
  • You must enter using the RaffleCopter thingy below and/OR by leaving a blog comment and ensuring I know how to contact you.
  • Don't forget you MUST leave a blog comment to be eligible to win!
  • RaffleCopter offers extra entries.
  • The winner will be selected at random from UK entries only.
  • My relatives (sorry mum) are not eligible to enter. Full terms and conditions are on the RaffleCopter Widget


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296 comments:

  1. Anonymous6/6/13

    I'm not eligible for the prize, which is fine, I just had to comment. No dryer? That would not work in the winter for us. I do love your stove, I love how the doors open. In Canada, they open downwards, which I really don't like, but that is all they sell.

    I have numerous gadgets, and must say I use them all. I particularly love my KitchenAid Stand Mixer, it makes kneading bread so much easier for me (I don't have a breadmaker). Which reminds me, I should make some bread tonight.

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  2. I think nowdays, so many of the gadgits in our kitchen, we don't regard as such; standard things, and which I have,
    ancient electric oven, and gas hob.
    Fridge/freezer.
    Microwave.
    Kettle and toaster, of course.
    George forman grill thing, and a sandwich maker.
    Other gadgits that I use, and couldn't live without includes my electric coffee grinder (used every other day to grind coffee).
    The microwave, used mainly to defrost things, or walm up milk.
    Gadgits that are very useful but infrequnetly used, includes the slow cooker (I find them very useful in the witner). The food processer (for making soups nice and smooht, and also for making spice pastes for indian cooking (onion, garlic, ginger etc).

    There is a gadgit belonging to my lodger, which may be a smoothy maker, bthat hasn't to my knowledge, been used ever...
    I also have a pasta machine (manual one, for rolling out the dough thin/cutting it into neat bits), which I really must start using again, as home made pasta is just great... (and I've a feeling I can use it to make Polish pierogi with too).

    I do make all my own bread, but I'm very retro with just big ceramic bowls and wooden spoons/spatulars for making, mixing, neading etc...

    Not sure if they really* are gadgits, but I do love my rolling pin (making pitta bread), and my pestal and morter, (grinding spices for mainly Indian cooking)...

    Oh. and there is a washing machine, and tumble dryer, but they're in the utility room, not the kitchen...
    I'm in the UK, so I guess this could be my entry? *crosses fingers*

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  3. Well it's all a bit piece-mail at ours I'm afraid. The cooker come free with our rented flat, that's okay. The Microwave was given to us by a mate who moved to Canada and didn't want to ship it with him. The kettle is on it's way out and doesn't switch off so we have to stand by it and switch it off manually and the toaster is a battered poor thing that works way too hard.
    The washing machine is periodically breaking and @mamacrow fixes that herself as much as she can before we have to call a dude in. The Drier is a must as we don't have a garden and there are nine of us.
    The fridge is my mums old one, the door is a bit elderly and the freezer is slightly excitable when it comes to the ice production and finally we have the blender. It's cheap and nasty but it is new! It recently replaced the old one that was with us for twelve years or so.
    We are officially an appliance disaster zone. Still it's a laugh ain't it.

    Good post and love the blog look. The orange is cool.

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  4. Best appliances? Washing Machine and Bread Maker! Make life easy and the house smell nice generally too...mmm fresh bread...yum

    Worst? Hm.. Actually all of ours get used, the one that gets used least is my coffee machine but that's because I'm the ony coffee drinker in the house... :)

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  5. I would love a bread maker but dont have one. My best appliances would be my washing machine. We have lots of things like an ice cream maker, juicer etc that we use for a bit then it doesnt come out again for ages!

    @ashlallan

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  6. We recently bought our first dishwasher, and I love it. No more standing at the sink after Sunday dinner! I am inordinately proud of this machine and lovingly clean the filters and wipe down the door after each cycle.
    The only thing I would change about it is that I would give it a glass fronted door so I can see the washing arms spin around. That would be ace!
    Other than that, we have one of those cheese grater things that has a little cheese grating barrel, somewhere to pop the cheese in and a little handle you turn round to spin the barrel and grate the cheese. That's brilliant also, but a pain to wash - until we got the dishwasher that is! So the dishwasher wins.
    Get one TM! you will have more time to drink cider of a weekend.

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    1. but then I'd have to redesign my whole kitchen! we have no space, maybe if I moved the washing machine into the garage.....hmmmm :-)

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    2. oh and I love those little cheese thingies maybe i should buy one, I'm sure we had one when i was younger

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    3. I built a washroom in our yard and put the washing machine in there. Do it. My sister bought me the cheese thing about 15 years ago. It's used daily as the kid loves pasta with cheese.

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    4. My HE teacher told me it was called a mouli-grater...

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  7. The best appliances is the washing machine! I use it everyday & probably the microwave!! The George Foreman grill gets used everyday too...We love that...Anything that can get cooked in it does!!
    We have a cupboard of things we don't use! Blenders, sandwich makers, juicer, coffee machine, smoothie maker, pasta maker, electric knives,

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  8. Kettle. Love my kettle. Life without a washing machine would be unpleasant. Keep considering getting shot of the microwave - it takes up masses of room and is basically used for warming up beans and defrosting bolognese. Not really necessary.

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    1. I can't believe I forgot my kettle and toaster! I use them every day!

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  9. Best is the kettle. There's always a brew on the go somewhere in this house. Worst? I don't think there's an appliance that I don't use. The washing machine is constantly on the blink mind you. Should probably do something about that. - Ruth x

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    1. yes either that or down the river beating your bras on a rock :-)

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  10. We are toasty enthusiasts in this house, and for years Mrs L's trusty Hinari did the job just fine. Then, one fine day, it was replaced by a Cuisinart panini press/contact grill thingy.

    It's an awesome bit of kit, we use it for everything from chicken breasts and sausages through to vegetables and toasties. Brilliant.

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  11. Hmmm, best gadget? Probably my electric hand held whisk - I use it loads...

    Worst - I dunno, I tend to get rid of anything I don't really use.

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  12. Anonymous6/6/13

    I love my food processor! Its fab for making breadcrumbs, among other things! I reeeeally want a spiral peeler, its next on my list of luxuries

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  13. Best gadget has to be the washing machine. So handy when you've got three children puking up everywhere!

    Worst....well, that has to be the George Foreman grill my SiL bought us when we got married. Used it just twice in 7 years.

    I would love to own a dishwasher but there's no space in our kitchen :(

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  14. My kitchen was updated about 5 years ago and the 1 thing I definitely wanted was a range cooker.........and I got it!! LOL My absolute fav thing! :)

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  15. I tend to buy lots of 'gadgets', use them once and then they sit there gathering dust! I would LOVE a dishwasher. I spend at least an hour a day chained to the sink. Woe is me!

    Hele

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  16. I have a washing machine that is possessed by an evil entity, it works when it wants to and never at any other time! Apart from the cooker,kettle and toaster that's pretty much the only gadget I have. I live in the stone age :D

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  17. I'd give my leg for a dish washer some days. However my kitchen is barely big enough to accommodate me as it is.

    I love my knives though. Lovely, sharp knives.

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  18. I have a plastic tube thing for peeling garlic cloves. It works -- but it's just as easy to do it by hand.

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  19. PS The most useful "gadget" is an Aga cooker. There is *nothing* to beat them.

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  20. Anonymous6/6/13

    These days we have many redundant gadgets - we've turned paleo and so the things that were once hugely useful are no longer, the breadmaker used to be in use daily, along with the rice cooker several days a week and the pasta maker, all of these are now gathering dust!
    On the other hand, the slow-cooker is great and the ancient food processor we inherited has been amazing and has to be our best, most used gadget. We use it for so much, Nige uses it to whiz up raisins and things to make the girls waffley, paleo pancakes most mornings, I use it for onions, for mushrooms, we use it to grate carrots, celeriac and apples for all the different 'slaws' we make and at christmas it just about managed the cashews for the vegan/paleo cheesecake I made! I think that maybe, it needs replaing, a higher wattage or whatever it is would probably be a good idea but it has been an absolute trooper, battled through every task and come out the other side smiling (although maybe grimacing is closer to the truth in the case of the cheesecake!).
    We've also got the usual cooker of course, gas hob - works well, ancient electric fan oven (built in) dying a death but it gets the job done! An on the hob kettle does the water boiling in our house and the cheese grater is now just a garlic & ginger grater, but it's still there doing 'grate'. There is a dishwasher, it came with the house but it doesn't actually erm, wash dishes.... so we have a big waste of space where a perfectly good cupboard could live, and as soon as we get round to it we'll retire it (or pass it on to someone who is a dishwasher whisperer) and put a cupboard in its place!

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  21. We got rid of our dishwasher because we wanted more space in the kitchen and we found that washing up wasn't too much of a pain (especially for me as that's DH's job!). But we have had so many different kitchen gadgets in the past that we have either been given or have bought cheaply from car boot sales. The most bizarre (but fondly remembered) was our 'Pie Magic'! Gadgets used frequently are the rice cooker, slow cooker and stick blender. Gadgets used infrequently are the George Foreman grill, waffle maker and pasta maker. And gadgets that should really be gone are the electric fondue (yes, really!) and a vintage Kenwood Chef that's 'out the back' which I never use because it's, well, 'out the back'. Writing this, I realise just how gadgeted-up we really are. But I won't feel replete till I've found an ice cream maker or one of those fancy-coffee-at-home machines.

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  22. I really really really want a kitchen aid. My most used gadget is my Tassimo, but the one gathering dust is my slow cooker!

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  23. Anonymous7/6/13

    I think my most used gadget is the microwave, I use it daily and more than any other.

    I do want the Tefal express max and the actifry. Both of those would make my life complete haha

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  24. Just like you I don't have a tumble-drier or washing machine: I don't need them!
    I have a swathe of unused gadgets; I got a Raclette grill for Christmas '10 and it's still in the box. The Waffle-maker from Christmas '09 fares slightly better with an annual outing on my Boy's birthday. (Thanks, Mum, for those items and many more!) The juice machine is costly to use & cleaning is a major pain in the backside; it was a gift from an adoring OH when I was pregnant. He made the baby juice once & decided if I wanted any more I could clean the thing myself. It hasn't been used in 6 years. The microwave is tiny and used only for making hot chocolate in the winter or heating beans on a Sunday morning.
    The washing machine & gas cooker are used daily; so are the toaster & kettle. The fridge & freezer are a life-saver. Especially the freezer since I'm a thrifty student.
    A bread maker would make me the happiest girl ever, I'd place it on my countertop beside my perennially loved slow-cooker (the best thing to happen to winter in a million years).

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  25. OH! And the best-loved item HAS TO BE THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS TOASTIE MACHINE! I *actually* prints SpongeBob's face onto your croque monsieur.

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  26. We've had a fondue set that was a wedding present some 30 years ago and it's never been out of its box. My stick blender, on the other hand, lives on the worktop and is in constant use. I was so tempted by the £150 model at the food show the other week, but there again, you can buy a lot of lovely things to blitz with that amount of money :)

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  27. I love all kitchen gadgets, I use them all. @anna8301

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  28. My favourite kitchen gadget has to be my George Foreman Grill, it is used almost daily. Worst has to be my deep fat fryer, used once and has been resigned to a cupboard for the past 8 years!

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  29. Forgot to include what I would like to own, an American Fridge Freezer after mine broke I bought separate appliances, freezer is too big and fridge is way to small, so would love to replace as the American Fridge Freezer had a small freezer but huge fridge and as we eat mostly fresh items was perfect for us.

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  30. I have a 30 year old electric cooker, a fridge, a freezer, a microwave and an ancient toploader washing machine, I would love to replace them all and add a few more!

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  31. best gadget my slow cooker
    worst gadget my tassimo (love it but don't use it)

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  32. Anonymous9/6/13

    Would love a Tassimo! Easily my worst investment? A pro-mixer, turns out I'm not the baker that I thought I was and so I've decided to sell it on to a better home and buy that Tassimo instead, let someone else make the cake, I'll make an awesome cuppa coffee instead!

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  33. Anonymous9/6/13

    I would love a tassimo, my worst buy was a pro mixer we never use! I will sell it on and buy the tassimo, let someone else make the cake and I'll make awesome coffees!

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  34. I bought an electric cheese grater, got it home and had no idea how to work it, I donated it to the charity shop! @mandsmanc

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  35. I got into baking and bought a Kenwood all singing all dancing mixer. Half of it is still in the packaging. I mainly use an electric hand whisk for cakes. Our Tassimo coffee machine gets a fair amount of use.

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  36. My favourite gadget has got to be my Dolce Gusto coffee machine! I don't use it as much now I am pregnant and cut down on caffeine but before it was my lifeline! Ha ha.

    Worst has got to be an electric tin opener. It never works!

    I would also love a juicer! Always wanted one but never indulged!

    @jennakatekelly

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  37. It sounds really sad but my best is my veggie peeler we brought in Australia, it's amazing & does everything, it's just broken & I've had to by 2 new 1's to do the same job.
    The worse was a milkshake maker, it was all froth & nothing else!
    I would love just a bigger kitchen to house all my gadgets!

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  38. I love my pampered chef food chopper and I don't think I have a kitchen gadget I don't use.

    @snafflesmummy
    Email snafflesmummy1@googlemail.com

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  39. I'm not heavily intro gadgets. I gave the tootsie maker and the bread maker away and can't remember when I last used a food processor. But I'd love one of those huge fridges with a built in ice maker. Sadly I'd also need a kitchen extension! My favorite gadget however is a broke teenager. They will do almost anything although you have to learn to live with the irritating whining nose and they are rather expensive :)

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  40. I love my tassimo coffee machine, I have an orange juicer I never use, and I would love a dishwasher!

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  41. best gadget is my washing machine, its fab! the worst is my tin openers, none of them every work!! i keep meaning to get an electric one lol

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  42. best gadget is my lavazza coffee machine. i dont really have a worst one, although i do have a juicer which we hardly ever use!

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  43. Worst gadget - a teasmaid - why - because I never drink tea!!! Best gadget - my tassimo coffee machine as I adore my coffees and drink at least 8 MUGS a day! I would love to buy a new microwave if I win, as my present one is starting to fail as it doesn't seem to heat as well as it used to and the defrost has stopped working!

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  44. My best kitchen gadget is my washing machine, though it is old now. Closley followed by my Microwave. My worst kitchen gadget is my bread maker but that is because it takes a long time to use

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  45. I love my lemon zester - so simple, but makes life so much easier. I never use my hand whisk as it always seems quicker to do it by hand. I'd love a bread making machine!

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  46. I love my cooker, nothing really special but easy to use, reliable and tends to keep fairly clean which is always a bonus. Bought a veg steamer but it's not very reliable and a faff to wash and set up.

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  47. My most precious gadget is my new washing machine!

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  48. My most precious gadget is my washing machine!

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  49. I'm probably on the Amish end of the scale with gadgets. My fav one is a rotary whisk, it's great fun and everyone wants to do the whisking. My least liked gadget is an immersion blender I got.

    I'd like a fancy food processor if I had the funds :)

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  50. Best gadget is my George Formby - perfect for a quick meal. Worst is my steamer - takes longer to clean than use!

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  51. Best gadget is my George Formby - perfect for a quick meal. Worst is my steamer - takes longer to clean than use!

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  52. Best gadget - my kettle. Worst gadget - oven

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  53. Best gadget - kettle, worst gadget - oven (never used it)

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  54. Best has to be my electric whisk - I dont know how I whipped cream without it! It does get messy though! Worst has to be this chopper thing for onions - absolutely rubbish - quicker and easier to do it yourself!

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  55. would love to own a food mixer if i had the money! i have to say my hand mixer has been fab though & i use it all the time! i had a coffee machine which i only ever used once before giving to friend :)

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  56. I couldn't live without the fridge, its always packed with various chopped salad creations all potted up and ready to take anywhere! I could live without my cheap rubbish coffee machine which makes nasty coffee and so is just collecting dust! I keep hoping to win a fab one! ;-)
    @WrightyH

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  57. love my food mixer- it is great for baking! hate my tin opener- also stops halfway through the can :(

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  58. my washing machine must be my most used the least id say the blender just dont need it so much

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  59. my blender i dont use anymore was a novelty washing machine cant live without

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  60. Love my rice cooker...

    Never use my hand blender...

    Would love to own an American style fridge/freezer that dispenses different types of ice & really cold filtered water...

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  61. Love my rice cooker, never use my hand blender and would love a US style fridge freezer that dispenses ice/weater...

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  62. Couldn't do without the microwave. Havent used the toaster in so long. Would love a blender

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  63. Best gadget the microwave, just couldn't live without it so handly. The worst probably the kitchen mixer which doesn't work properly lol

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  64. I couldn't live without the microwave. I hate our toaster as it always under or over browns the bread.

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  65. The best and most used item is the kettle.

    I have a juicer that I never use

    And I really really want an American Fridge/Freezer.

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  66. My toaster, as it saves so much hassle having to warm up the grill in my oven before I can toast my bread!

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  67. Want a Bread Maker and think gadgets that slice and dice fancy shapes are naff!

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  68. Best gadget is my potato peeler couldn't do without it!! (frances hopkins)

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  69. my best gadget has to be the electric tin opener it has everything on it jar opener bottle opener its great useless item has to be bread maker thats never been used yet

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  70. Best gadget is the steamer! So useful!

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  71. My favourite gadget is my handblender which I use all the time for soups, my worst is the breadmaker that is now gatherind dust after just one use :)

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  72. My favourite kitchen gadget has to be our legendary deep dish sandwich toaster, when we moved - we had no cooker for weeks as we had to wait for ours to be delivered. We lived on these, cooking apple pies, chocolate cakes and everything inside it! Yummy Yummy

    The worst gadget I have ever had was an ice cream maker, where you had to freeze the bowl in the freezer before making the sorbet / ice cream. It was awful, created ghastly ice cream where it all got stuck to the sides with horrible lumpy ice crystals in it, and the paddle didn't properly rotate so the partially frozen contents would all ooze out of the top. Terrible.

    Id love to buy a muffin maker for the little ones, and love my popcorn machine, we eat tons of it, and as it contains no oils or sugar - we snack of mugs of fresh popcorn quite a lot guilt free.

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  73. My favourite kitchen gadget has to be our legendary deep dish sandwich toaster, when we moved - we had no cooker for weeks as we had to wait for ours to be delivered. We lived on these, cooking apple pies, chocolate cakes and everything inside it! Yummy Yummy

    The worst gadget I have ever had was an ice cream maker, where you had to freeze the bowl in the freezer before making the sorbet / ice cream. It was awful, created ghastly ice cream where it all got stuck to the sides with horrible lumpy ice crystals in it, and the paddle didn't properly rotate so the partially frozen contents would all ooze out of the top. Terrible.

    Id love to buy a muffin maker for the little ones, and love my popcorn machine, we eat tons of it, and as it contains no oils or sugar - we snack of mugs of fresh popcorn quite a lot guilt free.

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  74. Argh I left a long comment but I don't think it worked :( Boo!!
    So this wont be as in depth. :(

    My favourite gadget is our deep dish sandwich toaster, when we moved home we were without a cooker for weeks and lived on this machine. We have cooked apple pies, chocolate cakes in it - the works. Yummy Yummy

    The worst gadget was an ice cream machine where the base of it required freezing in the freezer. It was absolutely awful - the paddle didn't rotate properly leaving the mix oozing out of the top, it also made produced large ice crystals making the texture of the products awful.

    id love to buy the children a muffin maker, I am told they are super - and we love our popcorn maker, As it contains no oil or sugar we snack every other day on mugs of fresh guilt free popcorn.

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    1. OMG this appeared 3 times! Gah. Sorry lol.

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  75. My favourite gadget - my popcake maker; it's so fast you can have hot fresh cakes in minutes. Worst is a vegetable shape maker thingy - you're meant to turn it and make shapes out of veggies ... er why??

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  76. Best gadget is my stove top coffee pot, I love it. Useless item is a lemon and orange juice wooden squeezer thing. Would love to have a Kitchen aid mixer

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  77. My scales are used A LOT! I never use the pasta maker that was a gift, and I'd LOVE a KitchenAid mixer

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  78. My best gadget has to be my blender without that i'd find it a lot harder to prepare my babies meals. My worst gadget that I thought i'd use every day but rarely so is my tassimo coffee machine it just sits there looking pretty

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  79. love the kettle, the most used thing in our home, constantly on the boil, have had many useless, space-wasting gadgets, the most short lived one was the sandwich toaster, was a nightmare to clean.

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  80. Microwave is best gadget for me, never use my bread maker

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  81. I would love to own a stand mixer, a decent one. Had a bread maker once, didn't like the taste of the bread, only used it a few times. I use my George Foreman a lot though.x

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  82. I love my coffee machine and I think my spaghetti portion measurer is probably the most useless.

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  83. Best gadget....apple corer and cutter in one, my youngest son is addicted to apples. I also love my panini toaster, it toasts everything
    Worst gadget...I don't think I have one, I use everything I buy

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  84. love my kitchen aid mixer

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  85. I love my washing machine sadly. It's a massive 9kg one which is desperately needed. I do not like my toaster which has crazily unpredictable thermostat. There are so many things I'd love to own but probably top of my list is a dryer so I can dry the 9kg loads of washing my washer does!

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  86. Our worst has to be the can opener, it's blooming useless! My favourite is the steamer, food tastes so much better steamed.

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  87. Our worst is the can opener, it's blooming useless! My favourite is our steamer. Food tastes so much nicer now.

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  88. Best one:couldn't possibly do without my washer!
    Worst: That ice cream maker that's just too much trouble to get out of the cupboard.
    What would I like? I'd really like one of the new fangled coffee pod machines but I ought to get a new Slow Cooker as mine is ancient!

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  89. Best = bean to cup coffee machine
    Worst = electric tin opener!

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  90. My best gadget is my kettle, my worst is a popcorn maker - I can never be bothered to get it out, and I would love a really good blender.

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  91. MY BEST IS THE KETTLE/WASHING MACHINE. I AM LOST WITHOUT THEM.
    THE ONE I NEVER USE IS THE ELECTRIC GRILL.
    I WOULD LOVE TO OWN A GARLIC PRESS. AT THE MOMENT I USE A TINY, TINY GRATER MEANT FOR GRATING CHOCOLATE ON TO HOT CHOCOLATE.

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  92. Most loved is my hand mixer/chopper. Its so versatile and means I don't have to cry chopping onions anymore!

    My most useless is a apple corer. I usually end up nearly causing myself injury using it!! Much easier to slice the apple in half with a knife and remove the core myself.

    Most wanted is a new kettle to match my retro toaster. Keep meaning to buy one but never get round to it.

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  93. My best gadget has to be my Tefal Actifry - healthy food every time. The worst is the kids sandwich toaster - cheese rolls out everywhere! And the gadget I'd love to own is another crepe/pancake machine! My last one broke!

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  94. My best gadget in the kitchen is my Fridge Freezer I could never imagine life without one and would hate to go food shopping every day of the week.

    The least used Gadget in my Kitchen has to be my Toaster it is never used I am always using the one included in my oven.

    And the Gadget I would love the most has to be an Electric can opener the effort I use with a normal one is unbelievable and an electric one would make life so much easier :)

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  95. life without one and would hate to go food shopping every day of the week.

    The least used Gadget in my Kitchen has to be my Toaster it is never used I am always using the one included in my oven.

    And the Gadget I would love the most has to be an Electric can opener the effort I use with a normal one is unbelievable and an electric one would make life so much easier :)

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  96. The best gadget I own is my tefal Actifry - healthy food every time.
    The worst has to be the kids sandwich toaster - leaves cheese all over the place.
    The gadget I'd love to own is another crepe maker - my last one broke.

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  97. I would love a rice cooker.

    I hate a dishwasher but my husband uses a tea towel to dry up from the dishwasher he's barmy!

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  98. I was convinced that I would use a waffle maker if I got one. I used it once, and it's been sat in a cupboard ever since.

    My favourite would have to be the kettle, I need tea to get through the day!

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  99. I love our slow cooker but we have a rice steamer that rarely gets used... Would love a pancake maker there was one at a hotel in Lapland we went to and it was fab!

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  100. I bought a doughnut maker, used it once and now it just sits under my kitchen sink!
    My favourite Kitchen Gadget is my Tefal Actifry I have a family size one and love making fat free chips!

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  101. Least favourite is a doughnut maker which I used one and now sits under my kitchen sink!
    My favourite is my George Foreman Grill, I make homemade burgers and grill them in there.

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  102. My favourite gadget is my Kenwood Titanium - I use it almost daily to chop veg, mix cakes, peel and mash potatoes, make smoothies. I love love love it!

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  103. My favourite gadget is my Kenwood Titanium - I use it almost daily to chop veg, mix cakes, peel and mash potatoes, make smoothies. I love love love it!

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  104. I love my Magimix food processor but hate my cheese grater or rather hate cleaning the cheese grater.

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  105. Anonymous15/6/13

    my favourite gadget is a stick blender which is great when I make my own pasta sauce.
    the one I used least was a juicer as it barely produced any juice from fruit
    and I would LOVE to own a kitchen aid their so pretty!!

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  106. I love my Magimix food processor, but hate the juicer we bought on a whim as it takes forever to clean adn it is cheaper to buy fruit jiuce.

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  107. I love my hand whisk and I hate my juicer because it's huge and I hardly ever use it. I would really love a kitchen aid.

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  108. I would love to own a hot water tap which is pure laziness on my part but it I would love one and my least wanted gadget would have to be a mandolin slicer because even though most come with safety guards I just know I would end up loosing more than one finger !

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  109. I love my pineapple corer, garlic press is pretty useless.

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  110. Best has to be my American-style fridge. Something I've always wanted but never had room for until recently. Worst has to be the doughnut maker - the end results are nothing like doughnuts so it's only being used once.

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  111. My best kitchen gadget would be my coffee maker and worst one would be my old kettle.

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  112. My best kitchen gadget would by the kettle and the worst my carving knife.

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  113. My best lotchen gadget would by the kettle and the worst is my carving knife.

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  114. My favourite gadget is the mini chopper I bought on Delia Smith's recommendation in her How To Cheat At Cooking book. It has saved me so much time preparing onions and vegetables. The worst is the chocolate fountain my Daughter insisted I buy a few years ago. None of us enjoyed the oily texture of the chocolate, it was a pain to clean and has been at the back of the cupboard ever since.

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  115. Best has to be my Range cooker - I don't know what I ever did with a normal sized one! Worst is my food processor - it came with a million and one extra bits for doing all sorts of exotic things. All the bits are in the back of the cupboard and I just use it for blending!

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  116. I only have a tiny kitchenette so have to be very picky about my gadgets, but I wouldn't be without my steamer - food tastes so much nicer cooked this way.

    I would love to own a breadmaker, if I had the storage space for it.

    Worst is a popcorn maker I was given as a gift which is taking up room in my cupboards. Must take it to the charity shop soon as I never use it!

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  117. I only have a tiny kitchenette so have to be very picky about my gadgets, but I wouldn't be without my steamer - food tastes so much nicer cooked this way.

    I would love to own a breadmaker, if I had the storage space for it.

    Worst is a popcorn maker I was given as a gift which is taking up room in my cupboards. Must take it to the charity shop soon as I never use it!

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  118. I only have a small kitchenette so have to be ruthless about gadgets as I don't have much storage space, but I wouldn't be without my steamer. Food tastes so much better cooked this way.

    I would love to won a breadmaker - if only I had the space!

    Worst is a popcorn maker I was given for Christmas. Never use it.

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  119. Our peeler and can opener is the most we use the one we never use is our lemon juicer, most item we would like would be a garlic press as we never can seem to find one.

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  120. Best gadget - my little vegetable knife because I do so many things with it.

    Worst gadget - sandwich maker because we don't use it very often.

    Gadget I'd most like - Tefal Actifry because it produces such healthy, tasty food.

    Hazel Rea - @beachrambler

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  121. Best Gadget - little vegetable knife because I do so much with it.

    Worst Gadget - sandwich maker because we don't use it very often.

    Most Wanted Gadget - Tefal Actifry because it produces such healthy, tasty food.

    Hazel Rea - @beachrambler

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  122. The corkscrew is by far my best and favourite gadget (ahem!). I have a brand spanking new food mixer which I haven't used yet. It's not that it's my worst gadget, it's just that I'm a bit scared of it!

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  123. Worst is my pasta maker.... it seemed such a good idea at the time but 6 years on and I've still not got the confidence to try it out. My best is my bottle opener ;)

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  124. Anonymous16/6/13

    I couldn't live without my electric can opener as I have rheumatoid arthritis & can't use a normal one. The gadget I have which I don't use is my garlic press as it's so messy

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  125. Anonymous16/6/13

    MY favourite gadget is my electric can opener which I can't live without because of my rheumatoid arthritis. The item I have but don't use is my garlic press as it's just so messy

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  126. my favourite gadget is my slow cooker , which comes in very useful everyday

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  127. I would love a breadmaker but don't know if I'd find the time to use. I have a coffee machine but never use it. I can't be bothered to clean it out and would rather use the kettle.

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  128. The gadget i hate is our coffee machine ( i haven't a clue how to work it, luckily my husband who loves coffee, does know how to work it!)
    The gadget i love and couldn't live without is my dishwasher :-)
    The gadget i don't own but would love is a KitchenAid Mixer (one can only but dream ;-) )

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  129. Best gadget has to be our electric pepper mill, the worst is probably the popcorn maker which just covers everything in popcorn! I would love to have a breville sandwich maker!

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  130. I love my mini chopper and use it all the time for chopping veg.I wish I'd never bought a chocolate fountain, as we never use it. And I'd love to own a bread maker.

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  131. We had a juice squeezer, which was a lovely idea, but oranges are so expensive that we realised it just wasn't practical in this country! Would love a bread maker as they put so many additives in shop bought bread. And I love my electric peeler!

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  132. Mine is this little plastic tube which you place a clove of garlic and and roll - skin comes right off!

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  133. best gadget has to be the kettle :p worst is the ice cream maker as it never works and iwould love a bread maker

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  134. Hmm, difficult as im a kitchen gadget freak :O
    Best would be my prestige multi cooker...purchased for just £5 its the best thing for cooking almost anything, Hang on could be my meat slicer which we use for everythin and couldnt live without it !!
    Worst would have to be what I use the least and thats my cheap hand blender

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  135. My best is my jug blender with lid - my worst is a hand held one without - what a mess!

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  136. @polly58

    Best gadget is washing machine, worst is dishwasher and I'd love a mini chopper for onions etc

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  137. best is washing machine, worst is smoothie maker -never used. I'd like a mini chopper for onions etc

    @polly58

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  138. I used to have a George Foreman grill but hardly ever used it, so I gave it to a friend. I would really like a new one now, go figure! I love my kettle and hate using my metal potato masher.

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  139. I love my electric hand whisk and use it all the time. My least used is my veggie steamer. Just not too keen on steamed veggies. I don't have a coffee machine yet and its definitely on my wish list as I love coffee.

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  140. My dishwasher it saves so much time .

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  141. The best gadget is the toastie maker mmmm couldn't live without my cheese toasties! I never tend to use the microwave as i usually cook things in the oven or prepare them fresh, i'd love a blender though :)

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  142. Best: Egg Cooker
    Worst: Apple Slicer!

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  143. My most-used gadget is definitely the washing machine, though that's pretty boring so behind that I would say my little hand blender - it's soooo much easier to make soup if you don't have to clean a whole blender jar! My least used is the steamer - an IL present that sat unused for 2 years until I finally hauled it down to experiment for when DS2 started solids.

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  144. The most useful one - washmachine - used every day. The one I never use - my breadmaker - too lazy to use it.

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  145. Anonymous16/6/13

    Smoothie Maker I could not live without - I use it daily! The microwwave I never use now, it hasn't been used for about 2 years, I could easily do without it, it just takes up room now!

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  146. The kettle is always on so that must be the most useful. The worst must be the old coffee grinder, mincer and fruit pulper attachments on my 1970's Kenwood as they look so dire I'm afraid to put good food through them. :-)

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  147. best appliance: a microwave, worst anything from kleeneze

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  148. I love my slow cooker, on days I know I am going to be too busy to cook a proper meal out comes the slow cooker, in goes minced beef, diced onion, passatta and a few herbs and by the evening there is a fabulous bolgnase sauce. My least used appliance is my microwave.

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  149. I use my blender all the time, for soups, smoothies etc. The one I use the least is the dishwasher - I live on my own so I never use enough stuff to make it worthwhile using it! I'd love a kitchenaid mixer but don't think I'll ever be able to afford one

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  150. best and worst kitchen gadgets!
    Which one do you love - kettle, sad i know but i cant do without my cuppas! which one do you never use - coffee machine, takes too much time!
    what would you love to own! - a kenwood machine that does everything :)

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  151. I think the best has to be the slow cooker, others have said they don't use theirs but ours is in constant use, it is so easy to throw everything in it in the morning and then come home to a meal.
    The worst(or least used) is the juicer, it does get used more in summer when there is plenty of cheap fruit about though. We did have a breadmaker that was a novelty at first but then stopped getting used so we gave it away.
    I would love a new iron, mine takes ages to heat up and occasionally trips the electric - one of those steam generator ones would be great.

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  152. The slow cooker is the most used
    Juicer is the least used
    I would love to own a steam generator iron

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  153. Most used is slow cooker
    Least used is juicer
    Most wanted is a steam generator iron

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  154. Best is my blender - use it all the time! Worst is my colander. Can never be bothered to use it and just try and take a shortcut and inevitably end up with potatoes in the sink!

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  155. most used is my bread maker , least used is blender , most wanted is decent iron

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  156. My most used gadgets have to be my Senseo and Tassimo coffee machines.
    I couldn't decide on which machine i liked best so i just kept them both!!!
    The worst gadget i have has to be the juicer which i wittered constantly for,used 4 times and then packed away in the cupboard for it never to see the daylight again.
    I would really love to own one of those really posh mixers( i cant remember the name of them)but i still really really want one !!!

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  157. Thanks and good luck to all those entering, I'm loving reading all the comments, and laughing at how one person's "must have" is another's "useless item".

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  158. loving my zester. made a huge difference buying a new one which worked! Had a breadmaker, which was unused - now I love making bread by hand. and I have a set of scales as in your picture which I use all the time- maybe not as accurate as a modern new one and only works in ounces but I love it.

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  159. Worst gadget-pineapple slicer (we never eat pineapple unless it's out of a tin!) best is a garlic press. I'd love a new set of scales, ours are a bit wonky!

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  160. Roll pin never use, would love a coffee machine and use most is the kettle cant live with out my cuppa lol

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  161. I love love love my Nespresso machine, the one that I don't use anymore is my Tefal Actifry as the paddle has broke

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  162. I'm buying my first house at the moment so looking at lots of gadgets. the only thing I have at the moment really is my slow cooker for stews which I do love. my partner and I went shopping today and he was trying to convince me we need a giant pepper mill.... (costing twenty quid!) he doesn't even like pepper!

    after the basics :washing machine, fridge freezer, drier, dishwasher, cooker (gas), toaster and kettle. I want a sandwich toaster and soda stream to remind me of my 80's childhood. but i guess we need the basics first. :) x

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  163. Luv kitchen gadgets always looking for new ones

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  164. I love my KichenAid Mixer. It does everything & it makes baking so much easier. I used to have a bread maker but it took up so much room, made rubbish funny shaped loaves and I never used it much so I gave it away. I'd love to have a Gaggia gelato machine or a De'Longhi Bean to Cup coffee machine. But at around £1,000, I'll never have one! A girl can dream eh?

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  165. Anonymous16/6/13

    Love the dishwasher - chuck everything in and it all comes out clean..
    I have a food processor that I probably only use a few times a year. I don't like gadgets sitting on the worktops so it sits in a cupboard and it's just too much effort to get it out.
    I'd quite like a good coffee maker but doubt I would use it as Millicano is still cheaper than ground coffee!
    (I'm Su Tyler on Rafflecopter)

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  166. I find that a lot the Kitchen Gadgets i have don't really get used, i have a toasted sandwich maker which probably gets used once a year, a George Foreman Grill which i've never used (I don't really eat meat).

    The gadgets i'd like and would probably use are a soup maker and a mandolin food slicer

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  167. best gadget, easily my tin opener! hoe else wud i get those baked beans opened

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  168. My worst was the rocket chef. fell to bits within 5 minutes!
    My favourite is My Tassimo and my DREAM gadget is a Kitchen Aid

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  169. love my microwave to handy
    never use my george foreman
    Love to have sodastream

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  170. Anonymous17/6/13

    Least used item in the kitchen would be an electric whisk. I think it has been out of the box once.

    Most loved item would be the Smoothie maker/Blender. Loved throwing all kinds of fruits into it with juices or milk but even more so since getting the right recipe for Pineapple Punch recently. Which everyone needs to try by the way...

    Carton Pineapple Juice
    Can of Vanille Nurishment
    1/4 Tin of Condensed Carnation Milk
    Ground Nutmeg

    Had to share that with use. Try it, beautiful!

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  171. Best: Dishwasher
    Worst: Electric deep fat fryer. Since the children have grown up and left home never use it at all as do not fry anything
    Would love a hand held blender

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  172. worst has to be my kitchen scales. they are soooo tiny. i never used them anymore. to be honest i dont know where ive put them anyway lol
    best has to be my electric handmixer. lovebaking even though im not the best baker haha

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  173. Worst - toasted sandwich maker - it's so awkward to clean
    Best - Washing machine - never let's me down
    Love to have a combi microwave

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  174. Love my microwave.
    Never used my slow cooker
    Would look a food processor

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  175. I love my microwave.
    Never use my slow cooker
    Would love a food processor

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  176. I never use my popcorn maker, but use my Mypresso coffee machine daily, could not live without.

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  177. most used........microwave
    least/not used.........rice staemer
    love to have......top of the range coffee maker

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  178. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  179. I have a bread maker that I love to use in winter - I set it so the bread is ready when the kids get in from school - and they run in to cut a piece and have butter running down their chins! I also have an ice cream maker - that to be honest looks like to much trouble and is in a cupboard never opened!

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  180. My favourite kitchen gadget is a toss up between my toastie machine and my dishwasher - both of these are must haves in my eyes. I would LOVE to own a Kitchen Aid - oooh what a dream that would be. I once bought a Caffetier but never used it - much prefer my £13 coffee machine - bargain :) There's nothing quite like making a massive pot if coffee :)

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  181. Best - definitely my potato peeler, I have a whole new appreciation for it when it went AWOL on Christmas day & I had to peel the roast spuds using a knife! Arghhh!

    The worst is probably my juicer, I bought it with good intentions but its a bugger to wash up so just collects dust in a cupboard nowadays!

    I've had fun reading through others suggestions :)
    Jen xx
    http://kitsch-n-sync.blogspot.com
    @Kitsch_Sync

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  182. I love my potato peeler, it went AWOL over Christmas and I had to peel my roast spuds with a knife, so I have a new found respect for it!

    I'd have to say my juicer is my biggest white elephant, I bought it with good intentions but its just too much of a pain to wash up - so is currently collecting dust ontop of the cupboard!

    Jen xx
    http://kitsch-n-sync.blogspot.com

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  183. My favourite gadget is my juicer - we make lots of yummy milkshake, smoothies, slushies (like slush puppies) in the summer and that helps!

    My essential gadget is my washing machine (obviously)! 4 kids + no washing machine = my worst nightmare!!

    I hardly use my bread maker anymore, which is a shame as I love the smell of fresh bread! They don't sell the right size packets of mix for mine and I haven't got the time at the moment to make it myself. Will be changing when the kids are off school for the summer hols though! Yummy!

    I would love a coffee machine - not so much for the coffee though, just so I could steam the milk to make lovely hot chocolates in the winter with cream & marshmallows on top!

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  184. LOVE my sandwich toaster :) Never use my bread machine anymore :( and would love, love, love a KitchenAid food mixer <3

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  185. Anonymous17/6/13

    My best gadget is my cheese slicer - great for perfectly uniform (OCD-pleasing) slices! My worst is my juicer..seemed like a good idea at the time but just collects dust. Would love to own a decent stand mixer - preferably a Kitchenaid Artisan :D

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  186. Definitely sandwich toaster! Definitely a massive fan of cheese toasties :P Especially as a student

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  187. best gadget- juicer
    worst gadgets- sandwhich toaster
    what would you love to own? a proper coffee maker

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  188. We have a tassimo machine that's made our kettle obsolete but it still sits in it's usual spot until we need instant noodles made

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  189. Best would be my hand mixer as I use that all the time. Worst would definitely be the pineapple corer! I don't know why someone decided to buy it for me as I have no need for it. It's easier just to cut the pineapple yourself! What I would love is a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

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  190. my best kitchen gadget would be my electric mixer as i am always baking so this always comes in handy in my house. The worst gadget i own would have to be my juice squeezer as i hardly ever use it it just sits there collecting dust. what i would really love to win a tassimo machine as i know that would be loved by everyone in my household. The gadget i could not live without is my washing machine as it is used every day

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  191. I love my slow cooker - is so easy to use. I have a candy floss maker that was a gift but I have never ever used it?? Not sure when I will.

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  192. My toaster is used the most, my sandwich maker is never used

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