Gadgets for the Christmas list (Re-run?)

[munchies]

I'm thinking this may have been a topic already, but maybe not.

I'm supposed to be working on the annual Christmas list. Every year this is a struggle....so, I'm asking (begging) for your advice. What sorts of gadgets to you have that you love? Things that you may not have spent the money on for yourself, or even things you bought and now can't live without. I have all of the basics, last year I received my KitchenAid mixer, and now I'm stuck.

I must also mention that I've looked at the silpats mentioned on one of these threads, but I'm silpat illiterate. Would these replace my parchment paper, or do they serve a different purpose?

Ok, lots of questions -- let me know what you think!

Heather

[KellyD]

Silpats are on my list - I dragged DH around Williams-Sonoma last weekend pointing out everything I wanted! Yes, they replace your parchment paper - prevent sticking, etc.

I'll tell you my latest favorite - and it's not really a gadget. I got a gift certificate to use at Sur La Table, and I used it to buy a salt cel for keeping Kosher salt out on my cook top!! Not just your usual run of the mill cel, we live in Houston where it is HUMID, so I believe any salt that sat out in the open would eventually be salt muck. So I bought a little bitty Emile Henry tureen with a lid and a little ceramic spoon that fits inside it. It is so cool!! And not something I would normally buy for myself.

[aggie94]

I borrowed a friend's silpat this weekend to make biscotti. She had never used one and wanted me to test it out (turns out they're too big for her cookie sheets). The biscotti stuck to EVERYTHING, but not the silpat. I was amazed at how easy it made clean-up. I'd highly recommend them.

A KitchenAid stand mixer was on my list this year, but after using my friend's, I'm not sure I want or need one. So I'm still undecided there. Other gadgets I'm interested in: Pampered Chef stoneware to replace all my bakeware, a microplane zester, hmmm. I'm stumped. I know there are a million things I want (I saw half of them at Bed Bath & Beyond last weekend), but none are coming to mind right now. A nice fondue pot? A foodsaver?

[Jewel]

SandyM and I were in 'Gadget Heaven' at The Kitchen Window in Minneapolis, and both of us spent a bundle, so we can probably put our collective heads together and give you a list! :D Here's what I picked up and some of the things that I wish I had, but forgot till I got home! :

Good quality Marinade Injector
Marble Mortar & Pestle
Digital Meat thermometer w/probe and cable
Tuna Press ( :p)
Microplane Grater
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups & Spoons
Flat Whisk
Heat-resistant Silicone Spatulas and Spoonulas
Handheld knife sharpener
Handheld meat tenderizer (with springy nails!)
Cloth covers for rolling pin & pastry board
Interesting cookie cutters
Different sized seives & strainers
Porcelain Ginger Grater
Rolling Herb Mincer

Other things you might list if you don't have them are an immersion blender, some cool attachments for your KitchenAid (meat grinder, pasta maker) or a FoodSaver! :D

[Little Bit]

I hear you can roll your pastry dough between two silpat mats, or just use one as a kneading surface, etc. Just thought I'd mention it, if you're wondering whether or not the purchase might be worth it, and wonder what else you can do with them.

As for me, I'm still undecided on purchasing silpats, having only recently started using parchment paper. :)

Other gadgets I do use and have learned to appreciate, though I wouldn't have bothered buying them for myself (I moved in with my dad a while back so I use lots of his stuff all the time):
Good quality Ice Cream Scoop or Spade(Filled with anti-freeze to make things easier)

Good quality Pizza Cutter (Good for pizza, brownies, dumpling dough strips ... )

a bread knife with a serrated edge. I use mine all the time to slice just about everything, not just bread. For some reason it slices delicate things like tomatoes very neatly.

a flat (sauce) whisk. If you make roux-based sauces, or cornstarch puddings, etc., this is invaluable.

Good quality wooden cutting board for slicing roasted meats (with slots to catch the drips my plastic cutting boards lets run all over the kitchen. :eek: )

Things I can and do ignore in the kitchen drawers:

Copper mixing bowls (Got 'em at a flea market for next to nothing, one day I'll put them on the wall or something.)

whisk with ball-tips. (I find it very noisy to use, and thus, don't usually bother. I don't trust it not to damage my glass bowls, it's too noisy in metal bowls, and I don't have any plastic for further experiments, LOL!)

Bread pans especially designed for french baguette shaped loaves. (I usually don't bother with the special pans)

Bundt pan with special design. (My plainer version gets more use, since it holds more batter.)

Hope this helps!