to wish I'd bought one of these years ago

[NutElla5x]

So I've just made myself poached eggs on toast for lunch using my new microwave egg poacher-which cost me the princely sum of 70p using a voucher-and it did the job perfectly,cleanly and soo quickly. If it hadn't been on special offer I probably wouldn't have bothered to try it out because I think mostly the old fashioned ways of cooking things is best,but I can see me and the kids getting a lot of use out of this thing. What cheap and cheerful gadget have you bought that's made your life that bit easier and made you wish you'd bought it years ago?

Mash with a mixer does something bad to the potatoes. It changes the molecular structure of them and makes them go like wallpaper paste. Something to do with the starch, I think? It goes all gross and gluey.

Yes I remember pureeing first weaning foods for my DC and the fact that potatoes were the only veg you couldn't puree as they turn gluey. The starch breaks down?

I was always taught (by my slightly eccentric mother) to poach an egg in a frying pan of shallow water, when the water starts boiling break the egg in, spoon over a few tbsp of boiling water to set the whites and then haul it out with a spatula. Perfect every time. No one ever does it like that though and I wonder if it's weird. 🤔

Also, you've all made me crave poached egg on toast for dinner... off I go,

I've been googling all your gadgets and now I'm getting adverts for kitchen gadgets on my Facebook feed!

@TitsalinaBumSquash I have tried every poaching method and declared that the best and most reliable

Mary Berry advocates it too

@TitsalinaBumSquash I have tried every poaching method and declared that the best and most reliable

Mary Berry advocates it too

Garlic Twist

www.amazon.co.uk/Garlic-Twist-4th-Generation/dp/B0044TLKMK

I've been fillinmy basket not just googling

@Smotheroffive this is the equivalent set to what I have. Mine are over 8 years old now and they don't do the knife block I have. Mine were half price in a sale at the time too. https://richmondcookshop.co.uk/productinfo.php?productss_id=946&gclid=Cj0KCQiAj4biBRC-ARIsAA4WaFg-LuWufYvSZMXDjHNv1FuXkRiwnyo2tOvGkUu6BYefz2Uv0kB0CxIaApKEALww_wcB

A silicone floating egg poacher that I got in Aldi. I get a lovely tender poached eggs in four minutes plus the time it takes to boil water. I have had more poached eggs in the last three months than in the previous ten years.

I tried silicone egg poachers years ago, and never got on very well with them, still have them, should pass them on. I remember being very impressed at the time, but found it hard getting the egg out of the silicone if I recall right. Just drop them straight in the water now, no faff.

Thanks bloody

I butter mine before putting the egg in and it pops out beautifully.

@SarahET we put sliding drawers into most of our under counter cupboards. Absolute game changer. We also have then for baking trays and things in a tall cupboard.

www.amazon.co.uk/KuKoo-Kitchen-Baskets-Cabinet-Storage/dp/B01N6GRPBY/ref=pd_aw_sim_196_3/259-6294773-8032604?psc=1&pf_rd_p=edbf09e8-4620-40f4-a0b3-ad5da0ba099f&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=PcxMT&pf_rd_r=KHY5ASTCRN2SQB9636MV&pd_rd_i=B01N6GRPBY&pd_rd_w=PoCZU&tag=mumsnetforum-21&refRID=KHY5ASTCRN2SQB9636MV&pd_rd_r=fb167287-1bba-11e9-9887-33637c246e5e

I haven’t bought anything from this thread yet but I have had to have a poached egg for breakfast.

DH and I went on a mad diet last year involving far too many poached eggs and we cooked them on a saucer in the microwave with a bit of water and vinegar. Seemed edible.

I love my wooden toaster tongs and Poundland boiled egg timer. Might try out some elastic shoelaces for DS.

My favourite gadget is my pyrolytic self-cleaning oven, but it’s not exactly in the cheap and cheerful spirit of this thread, especially since I had to pay an electrician a couple of hundred quid to upgrade the wiring first. Worth every penny to me: you just press the button, let it do its magic and then wipe away a thin layer of dry grey dust inside.

Pizza scissors.
And because they're much longer than average scissors, they're also bloody great at Christmas when cutting wrapping paper

Love a good recommendation

Mine are:

Instant pot - lots of threads on here about electric pressure cooker. Just straining Greek Yogurt made in mine at the mo

Latex pillows - the best!

Pure goose down duvet

Composite decking

Induction hob

Electric hot water bottle & electric throw over blanket

Amazon echo dot & smart plugs - voice controlled lamps. Also have hall lamps on a timer which has served me well for many years

Oh and kickboard drawers in the. Kitchen!

Kickboard drawers and Greek yoghurt @buckeejit? You can make Greek yoghurt in a pot? Have you a link for these drawers in kitchen kickboards please?

Here's a pic - there's an awesome kitchen thread 'lessons learnt' thread on here somewhere that put me into them. Our kitchen company hadn't done them before but I love them!

Greek Yogurt is just the normal yogurt but strained through a muslin-the instant pot has a yogurt button to make it easy

We had plinth drawers in a previous house from Howdens they weren't that great tbh! Useful in a tiny kitchen I guess.

I love them but best for stuff that you don't need to access every day-extra baking trays, cooling trays, weird utensils, place mats...

@BouleBaker oh they look brilliant! Thank you

I want to find something that pops all the popcorn, not leaving some tooth breaking corns mixed with the freshly popped corn. Is that even possible though?