I don’t own seven kitchen gadgets – do you?

OK then. Food processor, hand mixer, two liquidisers (different sizes), two coffee machines (filter and pressure), coffee grinder, digital scales and a slow cooker. Plus the microwave and kettle if we must include such things.

Among the things I have but don’t use are an electric carving knife and can opener. I did not buy either of them.

I’m a bit curious about the average of seven gadgets. Since everybody I have ever met has at least three [kettle, toaster, and some sort of food preparation thingy], and most people seem to have cupboards full of things like carving knives and sharpeners, mixers/blenders/juicers in various combinations or separately, bread bakers, waffle makers, can openers, ice cream makers, coffee machines, candle-stick makers, deep fryers, cheese graters, and other choppers and grinders, to get to an average of only seven there must be an awful lot of people with nothing at all or just a kettle. I agree with Wavechange and ignore michaelwaves and all the hand operated kit like mincers, slicers, peelers, corers, whisks, and scales [sounds like jailhouse slang doesn’t it?]. Something I like using in the runner bean season is our 1948-vintage Spong rotary bean slicer which has to be clamped to the edge of the work-top and turns out perfect lengthy slices of bean with a gentle turn of the handle; can also do finger nails.

Gadgets I couldn’t live without are: Kettle, coffee makers (I have three but only use one so the other two are surplus to requirements, toaster, cheese grater, microwave oven which doubles as a convector and combi so I never have to use my large cooker oven except for boiling stuff on the gas hob rings on occasion. The rest I can live quite happily without, which include food processor, electric hand mixer, nicer dicer chopper that has so many bits and pieces I have never been able to fathom which bit chops what because the instructions are all written in German, electric meat carver, stubborn lid remover that makes such a din that it has been relegated to a bottom drawer forever silenced and replaced by a pair of rubber gloves and the offending lid placed under the hot tap which usually works. A total of twelve altogether but reckon I only need five. Time for a good clean out I guess!

8. Kettle, microwave, electric scales, bread maker, toaster, grilling machine, sandwich maker, juicer

” How many kitchen gadgets do you own? Apparently the average British kitchen now houses seven gadgets – microwaves, juicers, coffee makers and so on. Do we really need all of them? ”

The short answer is obviously no.

Whether having them makes life more pleasurable as in effort involved to a good result is an interesting one.

I have always held that you should always buy the best quality if you are using something frequently and in the kitchen if you cook a lot then it makes sense not to stint. There is a divide between what you use a lot and “gadgets” where it is a more suck it and see investment.

Quooker – 5 years old – daily use
Dualit Classic 4 toaster – 22 years – daily use . Built 03/1993
Magimix Gelato Chef 2000 [930729] – 20 years – only four days a year but many litres per day
Kenwood Mixer KM210 – 20 years – used for bread and cake making say four times a week
Philips Facillio HR 7725 blender and mixer combo – occasional use
Dualit Hand Mixer HMR/1GB – used weekly
Baumix Stick mixer M200 built 2003 – used weekly
Siemens Electric slicer MS65507/GB Type A5635T since 2003 – used when dealing with quantities
Electric Crepe maker from Aldi 3/10 around a tenner 3 yr warranty very rare usage

Bread maker Sunbeam – works fine but the paddle hole in the bottom of the loaf is irritating – means oven baked bread 4 times a week. Its for the chop though it is good for jam-making.

Reviewing the list makes me appreciate that not all these items had full usage when we both worked. And that when you are cooking in bulk whether for the freezer or a group activity having the right tool for the job makes a big difference in what is achievable.

Combi microwave – well used
Kettle – well used
Toaster x 2 (just bought a Sage and keeping the old one in case the new one goes back due to not being worth the extra cost, so far so good)
Sage ice cream maker – brilliant
Sage slow cooker – freebie not used yet
Freezer style ice cream maker – too much hassle (must give away)
Food processor – used sometimes
Blender – used regularly
Mini chopper/grinder – bought in USA half the price it cost when it made it to UK shores a few years later – used often
Zojirushi Bread machine horizontal USA version before horizontal bread makers were available in UK – well used
Electric Whisk – well used
Digital Scales – well used
Krups espresso machine – fad soon wore off
2 other coffee machines – not used might have gone to jumble sale
Juicer – fad soon wore off
Electric knife – never used