What are your desert island kitchen tools / gadgets?

[TheSteveMilliband]

I'm as guilty as anyone of getting useless kitchen gadgets, but was thinking about what I've used more Than I ever thought I would.
I was given a cast iron frying pan years ago which I was underwhelmed with to begin (heavy, food seemed to stick) but now is my most used kitchen thing ever. Non stick from several years of use can take any amount of abuse (steel wool, burning etc) and end up as good, if not better than before.
Other than that, my kenwood chef (used much more than my magimix).
Only gadget I really use is my thermapen thermometer, really handy for chocolate / caramel / jam and for meat joints (no more overcooked Sunday roasts). It was expensive but worth it.
What kitchen tools are indispensable to you?

[snowlie]

Love my thermapen too...have bought loads of thermometers in the past and this one really is great, no more over cooked meat! Love my hand blender, it's used daily and my cook's knife which I value above everything else.

[TheSteveMilliband]

Second a good cooks knife, snowlie. It's the biggest disincentive to cook on holiday when holiday house invariably has a rubbish blunt knife which (usually accompanied by a glass chopping board) makes chopping a banana a challenge

[pregnantpause]

My food processor is used more than I ever thought it would be (not that I told my husband that when I bought it)

And my crockpot slow cooker if that counts as a gadget, as it is now an essential and I think it's wonderful. Really great piece of kitchen kit.

[pregnantpause]

Oooh on that note I have a sharpening tool for knives as I'm scared of a steel, it's great, I would never be without it.

[pregnantpause]

And I have a plastic egg that tells me how my eggs are cooked when boiling, I don't bother boiling eggs if I can't find it.

[pregnantpause]

On the opposite end of the scale- poaching silicone things for eggs are useless, unless you too have Polly pockets who enjoy sailing in the bath.

Along with the poach things I nominate potato ricers into the waste of money pile because they are too hard to clean and ime impossible to aim.

Lid things which come in numerous sizes to put on a plate when microwaving to 'steam' food in the microwave- pointless waste of time IMO.

[snowlie]

Pregnant I had a slow cooker! it broke and I decided not to replace because all the food that came out of it tasted the same....it ruined curries, destroyed bolognaise, even Beef Bouguignon was too meh....was very disappointed, everything tastes better oven and stove cooked ime.

Steve my foldable hunting knife goes on holiday with me for that very reason - I lose the will to cook with a blunt knife - it makes me weep. I often end up buying people proper knives as presents....but the buggers can't grey excited about them, pah!

[mrspremise]

My mandoline slicer. My balloon whisk. About 80, 000 silicon spatula/scraper things. My fine microplane grater. My Japanese Sandoku (sp?) knife. A huge bowl. Of course I have loads of other gadgety bits of crap, but those are the ones I'd really miss.

[TheSteveMilliband]

Bugger! Just bought one of those silicon steamer things from aldi pregnantpause, have yet to use it.

[TheSteveMilliband]

Have also always swithered about a potato ricer but put off as theyre quite bulky. Makes me happy to think they might be overrated!

[TheSteveMilliband]

The ingrates snowlie! Yes, I too pack a knife and chopping board (though an excuse to subsist on m&s if I forget).
Mrspremise what mandolin do you have? Have had a couple which I never got to grips with - I seem to recall lots of skinned fingers too. Was only cheap but don't want to she'll out on an expensive one with the same problems

[snowlie]

Microplane is fab but it must be all stainless steel - so many of then have fallen to pieces on me - can you sense the resentment? Would like a mandolin...they look almost to good to true, too much bother with cleaning....think I've realised I'd rather chop than clean.
I like those tiny mini whisks - the size of a fork best free gift from a magazine ever. Oh and silicone non slide chopping boards from homebase, much cheaper than pamper chef and just as good.

[Taffeta]

Micro plane
Kenwood mini food chopper
Potato ricer
Mandoline I have a Kuhn Rikon one wasn't expensive
Egg prick
Mini whisk
Electric beaters