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?

*sliced, not slided! Cat was standing between me and keyboard LOL!

A Jarkey www.lakeland.co.uk/7706/Jarkey-Screw-Top-Jar-Opener . Makes opening all jars sooo easy, totally negating the need for a man or a person of strength.

Lakeland Toastabags. Absolutely revolutionary, take up absolutely no room whatsoever and last for bloody ever. Cheese toasties are a regular with my lot, and these make the process quick, easy and mess free. I've got a new pack sitting waiting for the old ones to split....15 years service and they're still going strong. They've seen out at least two toasters.

I'm deffo getting the frozen chopped veg now I hate doing any kind of food prep infact I hate cooking full stop, kids are so fussy and everyone moans that they didn't really feel like that!

Liners for baking trays (poundshop do them but you can buy posh silicone ones as will).

I also second frozen chopped onions and toasterbags.

My silicone garlic peeler. Works so quickly and so well, every time, and I can mince, chop, or crush as needed.

I buy mash, can't be arsed with that.

poaching eggs though, takes the same amount of time in a gadget or in the pan so can't get on board with that.

I also dislike the garlic peeler, smash it with a big blade job done.

My DH uses one of those egg poachers. I keep telling him, it’s not poached eggs if it’s not cooked in water but he never listens

You could try putting hairdryer on and directing air over radiator, I know it blows the trapped fluff down onto floor, so maybe dislodge paper. For glass, perhaps pipe cleaners

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We use a mouli for mash. I have to make it from scratch due to being on a low fodmap diet. I used to love the ease of frozen mash and microwave rice

Yes to ricer, tweezers, rotary grater, Poundland non stick baking sheets, also stick blender,, great for soups, paper baking tin liners. No to egg poacher.

Egg poachers here too but I use the silicone ones that float in a pan of water. Mine were from Lakeland, some of the supermarkets sell them. Ready-chopped onions are the best thing, easily beating sliced bread. My eyes used to stream.

I don't get the avocado tools at all. I eat a lot of avocados but didn't know other people were doing that weird chopping thing to get the stone out until somebody mentioned it recently.

Oven liner :

www.lakeland.co.uk/71417/Magic-Non-Stick-Oven-Liner-Large-100-x-50cm-

It has kept my oven like new.

Another for the Lakeland Masha - it’s amazing and makes perfect mash, not the slime that a hand mixer makes.

And for elastic shoelaces. I love them!

@ you should be able to take your over door apart, my old one had to be screwed but my new cooker door just slots together, I just took it all apart before new year to clean in between the glass. Also try a thin metal coat hanger to bend and stick down the back of the radiator.

Apple slicer- also handy for potato wedges

Am I the only person who prefers skin-on mash? Saves all of the faff. Cut to chunks, boil up until soft, pour off the water, add salt/milk/butter/pepper, smash with an Ikea hand masher of the old style. It's about three minutes of work total.

Tongs/tweezers are a massive reduction in faff when frying/grilling things, love mine. I think they're Ikea as well, bought on a "that looks handy" whim and now in use most days.

Best tool is competent non-stick cookware, which took me too long to get around to after decades of putting up with seasoned cast iron and handmedown Le Creuset. Currently enjoying Circulon and Tefal (the middlingly expensive ones), barely need a wipe to clean up after caramelising things!

Frozen chopped garlic. No faffing with a peeler or crusher or knife.

Just tried pipe cleaners on the oven door glass, does not work. Also tried cloth stuck to a ruler (nope) and steam cleaner.
There must be a crazy inventor out there somewhere who can come up with a between glass cleaner!

Who peels potatoes? Haven't peeled one for years... and I love mash. Have it all the time.