quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:
Mind you, I don't think it's the worst offender, it is after all a pressure cooker and there's merit in that, but after all ...

electric steamer
bread machine
rice cooker
instant pot
slow cooker
toaster
toaster oven
microwave
perfect egg maker
pizza maker
breakfast sandwich maker
and who knows what all

For the cost of all that pollution you could take a few darned good cooking classes.

(You know I"m half joking, right? -- But only half.)

Everyone draws their own lines. You could live with one pot, one fork, one knife, one plate, one bowl, and one spoon. I doubt you do. Even a skillet might be a luxury.

You didn't mention a coffee maker or a coffee pot or a tea kettle. Does anyone really need any of those? You can boil water in a regular pot. You can make coffee or tea using a regular pot.

Everyone decides for themselves what they need, what they can afford, and what they have space for.

The instant pot is worth every freaking square inch of real estate in my kitchen. It (they, I have the 3 quart and the 6) do not sit on the counter, but in cabinets. They are so much simpler and so much faster and so much less messy to use than the old way (crock pot and multiple pans), I got rid of both of my crock pots. You sauté, you brown, you deglaze, you throw everything else all in, you close it up and you forget about it til it’s ready. And it is very easy to add a little extra seasoning at the end if you need to (I often under salt, and then add a spoonful of that better than boullion stuff later. I also add the thickening flour and water after, if I’m making a stew.) the instant pot is one of the best things that’s every happened to my kitchen.

The other day I wanted chicken soup with leftover chicken, and I was in a hurry so I tossed some chopped veggies (carrots celery onion) , barley, spices and stock in it (no sautéing), closed it up, I think it was 6 or 7 minutes under pressure, then tossed the chicken in after just to heat it up. So fast and so good!

Long ago I realized that I had a pile of small specialty appliances that I purchased on impulse and then ended up rarely using. I was determined not to be suckered into buying another one.

That strategy had worked for years and I even got rid of a bunch of them. I mean, we never have a ton of guests and I only drink one cup of Aeropress coffee in the morning. I decided to skip the Keurig and even got rid of our Krups electric coffee pot. The Chemex drip pots are still around here, but they're going soon, too.

Initially I resisted buying an Instant Pot but eventually caved. I've never regretted it; it's one of the most used items in my kitchen. I use it all the time to prepare Indian cuisine, something that I never made at home because previous attempts didn't taste nearly as good as restaurant versions of the same dishes.

I think it comes down to picking a few gizmos that best match your food preferences and current lifestyle. Even my venerable 1980s Kitchen Aid mixer is up for consideration to go. I don't bake like I used to and I find I rarely use it. It's pretty much a boat anchor in a cabinet.

I get where Bernard is coming from, but they'll have to pry my Instant Pot from my cold dead hands.

I can appreciate everyone's argument on all sides. I'm noncommittal on the IP myself.

The marvelous kitchen tool I'm waiting for is the one that does a perfect dice with little effort on my part. Put a whole potato in, and it comes out diced. Onion, zucchini, whatever. It would save oodles of time, and mess.

Nothing does that now. Inventors, get to work!

quote:

Originally posted by QuirtEvans:

quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:
Mind you, I don't think it's the worst offender, it is after all a pressure cooker and there's merit in that, but after all ...

electric steamer
bread machine
rice cooker
instant pot
slow cooker
toaster
toaster oven
microwave
perfect egg maker
pizza maker
breakfast sandwich maker
and who knows what all

For the cost of all that pollution you could take a few darned good cooking classes.

(You know I"m half joking, right? -- But only half.)

Everyone draws their own lines. You could live with one pot, one fork, one knife, one plate, one bowl, and one spoon. I doubt you do. Even a skillet might be a luxury.

You didn't mention a coffee maker or a coffee pot or a tea kettle. Does anyone really need any of those? You can boil water in a regular pot. You can make coffee or tea using a regular pot.

Everyone decides for themselves what they need, what they can afford, and what they have space for.

That goes without saying, doesn't it. But we're living in an age of planetary crisis. We create bad emmissions making all these unnecessary 'conveniences'. We have no where to dump our rubbish, we produce way too much indestructible plastic. We've all seen the pictures of mountains of discarded electronics. It's not hard to imagine the same mountains of discarded small appliances, that let's admit, we don't need. Keurig containers stacked could probably reach the moon by now.

I'm just pointing out that for all the talk about saving the planet, we go on producing more and more rubbish in a manner that seems obvlious to all our fretting about the environment.

Stepping down from my soap box now.

I'm not without my foibles. I have a toaster AND a toaster oven. At least the toaster oven is all metal.

There was a joke floating around a couple decades ago about the US being the only country where you can sell someone a microwave to cook a meal in three minutes AND a crock pot to cook the exact same meal in three hours.


I don't have much counter space and only one section that has an outlet. I could put something on the lunch counter and run a heavy duty extension cord to it. How many watts does an IP draw?

quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:

I'm just pointing out that for all the talk about saving the planet, we go on producing more and more rubbish in a manner that seems obvlious to all our fretting about the environment.

Amen. 5% of the world's population consumes 35% of the world's resources and produces 55% of the world's trash*. Welcome to the US.

*Approximately.

quote:

Originally posted by pianojuggler:
There was a joke floating around a couple decades ago about the US being the only country where you can sell someone a microwave to cook a meal in three minutes AND a crock pot to cook the exact same meal in three hours.


I don't have much counter space and only one section that has an outlet. I could put something on the lunch counter and run a heavy duty extension cord to it. How many watts does an IP draw?

I think it depends on the size of the IP. Looks like the 3 quart draws 700W, the 6 quart 1000W and the 8 quart 1200W.

IOW, it's in microwave territory.

quote:

Originally posted by pianojuggler:

quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:

I'm just pointing out that for all the talk about saving the planet, we go on producing more and more rubbish in a manner that seems obvlious to all our fretting about the environment.

Amen. 5% of the world's population consumes 35% of the world's resources and produces 55% of the world's trash*. Welcome to the US.

*Approximately.

I try to be mindful of my consumption habits, but periodic reminders are a good thing!

I lean towards the 'less is more' side of kitchen appliances, but I'm not a savage. In other words, the things I do have that I couldn't live without are a food processor, toaster, Nespresso, mixer. My nice to haves are a crockpot, a blender, and a hot air popcorn popper.

Over the decades, I've been gifted a yogurt maker, an ice cream maker, a pasta maker, and some sort of cookie press thingy. The only one I've kept is the pasta maker, which gets occasional use.

If I had to pare it down to just 3 things, it would be my food processor, Nespresso and mixer. I'm not sure I could cook without those (and yes, I'm including the coffee maker in that ).

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:

If I had to pare it down to just 3 things, it would be my food processor, Nespresso and mixer. I'm not sure I could cook without those (and yes, I'm including the coffee maker in that ).

I can't cook without my corkscrew.

I stopped drinking coffee about a year ago. The coffee maker is now in the back of a bottom cupboard in case I have guests.

The toaster is also in a cupboard, along with two crock pots.

The only thing that lives on the counter is the blender because I have a smoothie every day.

I love my hot air corn popper. It's in the cupboard.

We have an electric skillet, but I never saw the purpose of it.

My ex had a counter-top ice maker since the fridge doesn't have one.

My kitchen aid mixer is on the counter even though I rarely use it. But it’s so freakin heavy and awkward to get out when I do need it that it’s just easier to keep it out. Microwave is in the wall above the stove, the only other appliances out are the toaster, coffee maker and coffee grinder. The fact that all the lower cabinets have roll out shelves make accessing everything else really easy.

Still putting in a plug for popping corn in a brown paper bag in the microwave. I don’t have an air popper.

I love my Instant Pot. I got rid of my slow cooker, since the IP can do that, too. Although the only thing I ever made in my slow cooker was PJ’s curry, and I do that in the IP now. A lot more quickly.

I’ve never had a bread machine; I like making bread by hand, if it comes to wanting home baked bread.

I have pretty limited counter and cupboard space, so those appliances have to earn it!

We have a bread machine tucked away. It makes fantastic bread. It makes fantastic bread that is ready the minute I get out of bed and fills the house with the most amazing aroma.

I had to hide it away. Had I not we would each weigh 600 pounds.