Kitchen Things You Can't Live Without

[gloriaaa]

Just about finished the kitchen extension and writing up an Xmas list of things that I may want for the kitchen. Not large things like appliances but those sort of gadgety things that you see in the Lakeland catalogue (spacesavers, apple slicers etc).

What do you have in your kitchen that you can't live without and/ or absolutely love?

a chef

Unfortunately it's quite possible to live without everything in the Lakeland catalogue!

How about some funky Alessi/Joseph Joseph things? A bit more fun to ask for than a sink tidy.

I vote for my good big chopping board though.

I was going to say chopping boards too, mine are fab... There are 4 of them in different colours, one for meat, one for veg, one for bread and another for ? No idea!

I also have one of those herb chopper knifes with it's own curved board (I can't remember what it's called, but Nigella uses hers all the time on the television) that I use loads.

And I like those WMF drizzle tops you can put on your olive oil. In fact I see to love everything WMF!

Someone gave me a little gadget that lets you hull a strawberry really easily. I don't use it a lot, but it is FABULOUS and makes me much happier when serving strawberries in summer [ponce emoticon]

this is a much posher version than the one I have!

What is WMF?

I love my massive suacepan which goes on the hob and in the oven - it's brilliant to be able to start things off on the hob then whack them in the oven to cook slowly whilst I do something else.

I have a rice cooker that goes in the microwave, which is brilliant. My mum bought it for me from Bettaware or somewhere equally bonkers but I use it at least once a week.

IKEA apple slicer - use it every day
WMF(fancy gift) - oil spray dispenser

Proper garlic crusher - one where pointy bits go through the holes.

second the suggestion for Joseph Joseph things, they're brilliantly designed and lovely to use.

this and this in particular.

Sets of things, so that they all fit in the cupboards properly (rather than loads of mismatched baking trays/cake tins etc.

How about some swanky recipe books, like Ottolenghi?

this is my favourite thing in our kitchen though

Dishwasher
Decent knives
Wooden and plastic chopping boards
Decent pots and pans
Hand held whizzy thing to make soups, smoothies, etc.
Decent roasting and baking trays
Decent corkscrew (Screwpull)
Decent peeler
Lots of wooden spoons

Being without any of the above set me off on a ffs rant.....

(tolerant kitchen user emoticon)

Oooh, yes yes to ottolenghi cookbook.

Also, moro cook book, and some/any by jamie, nigel, nigella.....

How about some nice sharp knives

WMF

can't believe nobody's mentioned Le Creuset or a slow cooker yet

I have loads of chopping boards and couldn't possibly need any more!

Where are the prices on the WMF website? Do they have a catalogue?

What do you keep your utensils in? In a pot or on a rack on the wall or in a drawer?

Probably in order...

Decent knives (the sort that slice tomatoes like butter)
Good wooden chopping board
Le Creuset
Decent, big heavy bottomed non stick frying pan
Slow cooker
Magimix food processor
Garlic keeper

TBH a lot of gadgets have come and gone in my kitchen and these are the keepers.

(gadgets have included rice cooker, steamer, Billy blender, egg poaching set, garlic cutter, onion cutter and I'm sure more that I cannot remember)

Utensils I like in a big draw or hanging on a rack thing with hooks...I'm not good with pots, I pull one thing out and the rest seem to follow.

this has to be one of the best mashers I've had, though I've only had two! Lots of satisfaction mashing and the potato squishing through the square holes. this colander is fab too. I would also have decent roasting pans/baking trays that don't warp.

Livingbytheriver, what is a garlic keeper? Pray tell?!

gloriaaa something to keep your garlic in

You need slowcookers of varing sizes.

You also needc to go to Ikea for lots of things you never knew you needed until you saw them.

I have a Le Creuset casserole dish which I use ALL the time. Great as you can fry onions/brown meat then add whatever and stick in the oven. It wasn't cheap but it was definitely worth the cost.

Decent knives are the main thing, but on the more frivolous side I had a Cath Kidston voucher last Christmas and bought myself some lovely cake tins.

Ramekins.

The garlic keeper is very good! Not a JL one though! (it's hand made, I know a potter!), my garlic definitely keeps better though.

Also forgot two essentials from my list. A TV if not (as in my case)one of these not the one I have, but the one I want!

I like my salt pig and my pestle and mortar more than any gadget, I think.

No, no, no to TV in kitchen - sorry, River but I just can't countenance that at all.