Unexpectedly brilliant purchases

[Parata]

Last year there was a thread where people were recommending purchases they made or gifts they got that were unexpectedly brilliant. I got sleep headphones based off that thread for my birthday, and they have honestly been amazing - have helped me sleep better as I no longer turn to my phone and doom scroll when I wake up, but just put on a podcast or a meditation session and drift off to sleep. (Also got an acupressure mat that has been much less useful).

As my birthday and that of my kids, and as well Christmas approaches, I was hoping it is time to make a new similar thread maybe we could all find the next thing that changes our lives.

Please would you post a link? Thank you!

I'm loving this thread and thought of another one - Dreamfarm pizza scissors. So much quicker and more satisfying to use than a pizza wheel, and it doesn't wreck whatever surface is underneath the pizza.

@peanutbcolada I love the look of the kenwood mini processor. Does grated eg carrot come out like it's been julienned or like normal grated things? I've been looking forever for a satisfactory & easy way to make fine julienned veg.

@GrouchyBoots are they quite bright? I’m looking for a light for my under stairs cupboard , and the few (battery) I’ve tried so far don’t really light it up enough.

@ReadingTime I have a Kenwood mini processor, though not the same model. It grates things very finely ( too finely for carrots, I think, for coleslaw). I wish it had another grating plate for coarser results. Other than that, it's a brilliant machine - very useful.

It comes out grated. There are slicing and chopping attachments too but no julienn-ing.

Thank you @LillyPJ and @peanutbcolada

I think my hunt for the perfect julienner continues. I've tried various manual ones over the years but they're all a bit of a struggle.

please let us know if you find one - it is the one thing that stops me making coleslaw

I now cut the carrots into sticks and the cabbage into lengths then feed them into the processor's slicing plate lengthwise, along with bits of celery, apple and onion. Some bits end up a bit chunky but it's so much quicker than cutting them by hand.

@sofaRunner @ReadingTime i use this - a japanese peeler for my coleslaw after having delicious cabbage salads at Japanese restaurants! It's extremely sharp so i keep it in its packaging but its excellent

Noronoji CBP-04G Cabbage Peeler

Noronoji CBP-04G Cabbage Peeler, MAX Green : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

An OXO good grips one comes up as a suggestion on the same page which does julienne strips, has anybody used this?

@angela1952 yes I had the oxo one for a while but using it always felt like a wrestling match where the carrot kept trying to escape and I was in danger of losing a chunk of finger. Then one of the teeth got bent, and I got fed up of being stabbed by it in the drawer, so I got rid of it. On the other hand the normal oxo peeler in the same design is perfect.

I use a scary mandolin at the moment for coleslaw, it does a perfect job of the cabbage and onion but the carrot strips are a bit too big and tough. While graters just make them mushy.

I used to use a round French style one with a handle in the top to turn, which was excellent at first, but gradually got blunt and rusty and I’ve never found a good replacement.

@ConfusedSchooling that looks good, does it make carrot julienne or just cabbage?

@Londondreamer many, many thanks for the recommendation for the manual food chopper. It’s just finely chopped a large bunch of parsley in seconds.
I am very grateful to you!

Thanks for the information, I'll give the OXO one a miss! I used to use the fine grater on my large Magimix food processor which worked very well, but it's such a business cleaning it all afterwards for the sake of a few strands of carrot.

I'm not good with mandolins, it's too easy to nibble away at the end of your fingers. There must be a modern version of your French one but made from stainless steel, I think that the answer is to look in French cookware shops perhaps.

Not julienne but my Bosch multi talent 3 food processor has a very coarse grating disc that is good for coleslaw. No risk of mushiness, I don't actually like it for much else as it's too coarse to really count as grated, but it is good for coleslaw and spring roll mix and ok for cheese.

We had one from Lakeland but binned it as nobody cba to use it - we either cut it into slices and hold the skin or we buy it ready cut - yup, bone idle.

Bought Clutch glue to use instead of the double sided sticky tape for body/clothes. It's been brilliant for keeping slightly too big sling back heels on. Stays in place all day, very conformable and easy to get off afterwards. Really good for keeping trainer socks from slipping under my heels & preventing all sorts of summer clothing mishaps.
Clutch

I use a mandolin and bought gloves from Amazon after slicing my finger . Brilliant when chopping

https://www.amazon.co.uk/flintronic-Resistant-Gloves-Kids-Adults/dp/B09XB73F93/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3HCRGPDA50YEJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HzpU5kywDkxEfJNKT9JiaZgwZNJJdObcz5Of2fMTJd8eqQfjdPTVyVCbTpIf_un-Qv8SOrbpdWkqD8lxtDTSUuvtYmHtFr9gyEQGAJAeAmqW-adc9KGmz9OQSz6NnqdN4A23Vz1q8WqrYDaAAM0TF5-f9c6G5wgJ5EuXpA8DOobuDbyv3ntaD4bztciUdWJMksb-Yb4fgTXjGxDi5y4XYuyJDuxcNUzECttfHQnBN3Prb6SCIzg2rvkz_9xTnuvC0nDa515Y3bUgTvHMlD6GMf-w2KJ_GX48d3Hfu8GCGeo.dI6azzvFhVb8nZ6VrUtMtOKAzehBQMAfoaBktba01I8&dib_tag=se&keywords=cut+proof+gloves+work&qid=1753468107&sprefix=cutproof+gloves%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-7

Any chance you could link to this again please? Struggling to find the original post.
DD (3) has just decided she doesn’t like onion and won’t eat anything with onion in so I’m thinking I need to start chopping it very very small

@Cuwins

Thank you

Thanks but you have to buy a mat too

Is there any device (s) you can use to cook more than 1item in air fryer eg 2 medium pizzas stacked but with something in between so they don't stick together?

My (considerably older) son hates the texture of onion and I’ve started grating onion instead. Just with a standard cheese grater.

I have thought about this but onions make me cry so badly I would probably manage to grate my own finger because I couldn’t see properly!
Also it just seems a lot of effort. I have order the manual chopper now so will see if that helps