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?

Spatulas. They're just so good at scraping

Wallpaper scraper for cleaning the oven.

Toast tongs

Spray mop
www.amazon.co.uk/Lakeland-Floor-Manual-Spray-Cleaner/dp/B00LGRXVES/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=grocery&keywords=lakeland+spray+mop&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1547427827&sr=1-4

Straightening brush, not an electric one, this one
www.amazon.co.uk/Denman-D79-ThermoCeramic-Straightening-Brush/dp/B000CSLJ78/ref=sr_1_11_s_it?s=beauty&keywords=straightening+brush&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1547427701&sr=1-11

The lakeland oven liner is amazing - doesn't blow around and really easy to clean & lasts for years (sad how happy that makes me - but I abhor oven cleaning, so it really does make me happy!):

www.lakeland.co.uk/3318/Magic-Non-Stick-Oven-Liner-Standard-50-x-50cm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImu-E5Y3s3wIV7wrTCh3N_wn8EAQYASABEgJVdPD_BwE&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!246750928949!!!g!298306709977!&ef_id=XDuTJQAABZf@FxEb:20190114012125:s

Gawd

This is like the mn equivalent of colour supplements in the Sunday papers!

And the worst part is I love it! I'm only 46!!!

The jar opener I am definitely interested in (see what I mean?) I used to be strong but my nerves are wonky and now if I try to grip too hard my body goes "ha ha ha ha ha" and let's go! Dd will open a jar if she's home, I used to manage with a rubber glove but even that's not cutting it any more.

I'm also a fan of frozen chopped onion - I react WAY more than most to the tear making thing, can have swollen watery eyes still hours later. 'Twas a revelation.

Poached eggs I cannot do, don't have a microwave yet but we're planning to get one (dd working shifts now it would make life easier)

LOVE my big tongs for cooking and little ones for squeezing teabags, I don't have tea often but when I do I like it strong.

Apple slicer/corer lost mine in last house move must get another it does motivate dd to eat more fruit.

I once had a microwave omelette maker thingy too - when I was the one working shifts came in very handy.

I also need toastabags lost them too - this post is turning into a shopping list! You buggers gonna cost me a fortune 😂

Tell me more about robot hoovers? My room is too small and awkward to get the upright round properly without dislocating a shoulder! I had thought they were £££ but on Amazon from £11!! And they still feel very "tomorrow's world" to me. Any recommendations in the under £50 region? (And where does all the dirt go?)

Garlic - I use pickled garlic (if I don't eat it all first!) lasts ages even once jar open.

Lifehacks4life I'm a former nanny/childminder/babysitter and one of "my" kids his mum had discovered the only way to get him to sleep was the Hoover on! Just outside the bedroom door. This was pre t'interweb days so no YouTube etc and she kept burning through fanbelts and frankly hoovers! When she told me I was like... Then I said erm...why don't you just make a loop tape of the Hoover noise? Then she was like

I had a double tape deck, brought it next time I babysat, recorded Hoover, took tape home made loop tape. Showed her "make me one!" 😂

iframedrogerrabbit yes! I'm not from the UK and was spectacularly baffled how hard they are to find.

I have a multi egg cooker which I love, I want to replace the omlette maker as well, I steam 1 portion of veg in it as well.

We have an air fryer that's ace as well as you can use it as a mini oven so saves warming up the big oven.

I bought it on a whim for my kid, but the mini muffin maker, again makes a couple of little cakes v v v quickly, minimal cleanup and no need to warm up the oven.

The cherry pitters are hard to find in the UK obviously.

Frozen hopped onion is awful mush.
Buy the onion glasses - they’re brill

My game changer is my oxo garlic press that you don’t need to take the skin off. It does that for you. So no picking at garlic gloves.

Frozen chopped onion is awful mush.

Mine isn't.

Don't pay £6.99 for the avocado thing. 96p delivered....

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00VMYBM0K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

What brand?

@Bloomcounty would you like a packet of “used once and never touched again” toaster bags? I have a packet kept safely which your post reminded me of. They are CKS brand so not sure if that’s the kind you use. If you want them PM me your adddress and I’ll pop them in the post.

Possibly doesn't fall into the Gadget category as its a bit pricey.

But I could not be without my Nespresso machine now, its my most favourite thing!!

@RhiWrites that's very kind of you but I'm well stocked - have three unopened packets sitting there waiting for the wails of distress when one splits. Thank you! I expect you have someone near you who'd appreciate them though. I buy all my friends a packet when their kids start the "pre-teen eating machine routine"!

Slow cooker bags. Not washed the inner pot other than a quick wipe for ages. Used to hate the clean up after.

£170 for a posh kettle. Holy moly.

Mine is my little hand held Hoover. It lasts long enough to do the stairs (and I have a lot of stairs!!) and is fab for in the car. It's black and decker from Amazon.

I tried those silicone egg poachers and even with a strong boil the eggs just refused to cook.

I am not in Uk so not sure if you get the Shogun potato peeler. Had mine for year and it peels butternet and sweet potato etc like a dream. IF i offer to peel at anyone elses house and they dont have one, I just use a knife as I cant get on with a normal peeler anymore.

I have one of those egg micro poachers, what am I doing wrong as they either come out raw or like bullets?

Just replaced the apple core thing this weekend, as I broke the last one making potato wedges. Had had a good few years use though.

My ricer is my most favorite gadget. Made the most perfect egg mayo using it yesterday.

I also like the Wonder Box a lot, I think you call it a Haybox when you get the pot to a boil then pop it in the box for the rest of the day and you come home to a perfectly cooked stew.

I am eyeing out a Nepresso machine. I have the Dolce Gusto one, and got first hand use of the Nepresso at my dp house. Mine pales in comparison to his, So I am either saving up for one or will flutter my eyelids in a few months for my birthday.

I have cupboards of gadgets. A lot of them used once. ie bamboo steamer. Coffee grinder. Juicer (well I did go through a phase of using it but that dwindled off). Slow cooker. Meh, much prefer my stove top pressure cooker, which should be on the top list tbh. Along with the air fryer, that gets used a lot.
Vacuum sealer, also used once. Sandwich press get used in stages. We arent in a toasted sandwich phase right now.

@Graphista if you want easy "poached" eggs just line a teacup, mug or ramekin with some cling film, crack the egg into it then seal the cling film at the top by twisting it together so the egg is in a clingfilm pouch. You can do all this ahead of time you're making a few. Boil the pouches in a saucepan of water for around 5 mins. Foolproof!

@seven201 oh I see! Clever !

Will look more like this on me .

isthismylifenow Nespresso themselves do a really good offer on their website where you get a machine for a £1 if you sign up to 12 months coffee subscription. You then own the machine. Its worked out great for us and I have definitely been using coffee shops less!!

I hope you recycle the pods...

Microwave popcorn maker. Saves me burning a pan and makes it in the bowl you serve it in. I use it all the time for the kids after school and its super quick and do popcorn with or without oil. Took a couple tries to figure how long to do it in my microwave but otherwise fuss free! Oh and one super easy bowl to wash up.
This one isn't the same make as mine but same idea. Looks identical.

Just thought, my orange peelers, really cheap and less hassle than a knife.

My Hoover steam mop. It is the dogs bollocks. Instead of dragging a stupid bucket round the house and sloshing increasingly ing dirty water over the endless tiles of the floor, I just whizz about pushing gently whilst steam does it all for me. I don’t even need t use detergent, just water. And it leaves the tiled floor sparkling and not at all sticky.

And I can use it on the shower floor too.

I love it soooooooo much.

I'm sure cherry pitters or olive stoners are pretty easy to get in the UK. I've got one and don't remember having to hunt for it