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I have a nice big kitchen but even with lots of space i need to think about everything I have or want to have. I have resisted a salad spinner all these years mainly because it seems it would take up so much room. After all how much trouble is it to wash lettuce, set it in the strainer and blot it with paper towels.
The other thing is a waffle iron. Never had one. I do make pancakes all the time and wonder if I would use a waffle iron. Isn't it the same batter--just thicker and bigger?
I do think my food saver and george forman grill are worth the space they take on the counter. Everything else is put away on shelves or drawers- food processor, blender, crock pot, stand mixer, small choper, griddle.
Last year we got my neice a food processor for Christmas. Turns out she never even pulls it out. She uses her blender from time to time, but she told us that she's not sure what a food processor does better than a blender. Our house on the other hand uses our food processor pretty often; we make sauces, pesto, grate large amounts of cheese, etc. I love the thing and use it often but it doesnt live on the counter.
My husband is a Kitchen Designer so I have the kitchen that was designed the way I wanted it, & my personal taste. For the exception of a small toaster oven and Kureig coffee maker. I don't have anything on my counters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by no kudzu
I have a nice big kitchen but even with lots of space i need to think about everything I have or want to have. I have resisted a salad spinner all these years mainly because it seems it would take up so much room. After all how much trouble is it to wash lettuce, set it in the strainer and blot it with paper towels.
Funny you say this I broke down 2 yrs. ago and bought one after Dr. Oz said you can't get the lettuce washed thoroughly enough without the spinning. I have to admit, even though it is in the Lazy Susan most times I still wash the lettuce and blot with the towels.
The other thing is a waffle iron. Never had one. I do make pancakes all the time and wonder if I would use a waffle iron. Isn't it the same batter--just thicker and bigger?
This depends on if your family likes waffles. I don't own one, but that is strictly because I don't like the mess of batter that goes with making pancakes and waffles. To me it is a lot like baking and I do not bake that often.
I do think my food saver and george forman grill are worth the space they take on the counter. Everything else is put away on shelves or drawers- food processor, blender, crock pot, stand mixer, small choper, griddle.
All of these including the FS are put away. GF gave away to my dd.
As it is just 2 of us now, I have been discarding a lot of corning ware, tupperware, etc. so I don't have all these things cluttering the cabinets. As I said it really is personal taste. kelsie
Unless you have huge counter spaces most ( counter top) things aren't worth having in the kitchen. We are constantly demoting appliances to a pile in the pantry.
I am pro-salad spinner. No waste of paper towels and greens are much drier regardless. But I keep mine in a cabinet over the oven along with my mismatched collection of Tupperware containers and lids.
I have a Geo Foreman grill also in a cabinet as it hasn't been used in 7 years. Also plenty of space to store my blender, mini food processor, toaster, rice cooker and crock pot. Luckily, I have lots of cabinet space :-)
Only appliances on the counter are the coffeemaker and grinder. And those are definitely worth the space.
I like my counter tops uncluttered, so the only appliances that stay out are the coffee maker and a toaster oven. Everything else is put away. I agree on the salad spinner....wasted space. I do like my rice cooker/steamer. I can cook some rice, remove the rice bowl instert, add some vegetables to the slotted inner bowl, and have them steamed in a jiffy. I also have to have my deep fryer for those times when I crave fried fish or fried shrimp (so bad, I know). What I like about my fryer is that it has a locking lid and a filter, so it's not messy or too terribly smelly.
Mandoline (which is great but not needed often), waffle iron, espresso machine, toaster, extra coffee maker, etc. very seldom ever see the light of day, but they are worth the extra space.
Location: somewhere between Lk. Michigan & Lk. Huron
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Being I like my counter top un cluttered, I keep the slow cooker, blender/mixer, bread maker machine, Mr Coffee/Tea, & Wok stored away else where. The only electrical appliance I have sitting on my counter top are the microwave, toaster oven, & bread toaster.
no kudzu -- Many years ago I use to have a waffle iron, I used it for a lot of years. The veg. oil gummed up at the back of the lid, little to late, but in the very end of it's life I started using a soaked paper towel with liquid vegetable oil to wipe the iron with rather than just pouring the liquid oil on the iron, this way it prevented the heavy build up oil gumming up in the back of lid. Waffles turned out nice & thick. The longer you keep the lid down it allows the waffle to become crusty, almost fried like.
Being I like my counter top un cluttered, I keep the slow cooker, blender/mixer, bread maker machine, Mr Coffee/Tea, & Wok stored away else where. The only electrical appliance I have sitting on my counter top are the microwave, toaster oven, & bread toaster.
no kudzu -- Many years ago I use to have a waffle iron, I used it for a lot of years. The veg. oil gummed up at the back of the lid, little to late, but in the very end of it's life I started using a soaked paper towel with liquid vegetable oil to wipe the iron with rather than just pouring the liquid oil on the iron, this way it prevented the heavy build up oil gumming up in the back of lid. Waffles turned out nice & thick. The longer you keep the lid down it allows the waffle to become crusty, almost fried like.
I, too, like to keep things neat. So let me ask you: why do you have a toaster oven AND a 'bread toaster' on the counter? The toaster oven toasts bread as well, or at least ours does. We just keep that on the counter and never use the regular toaster anymore. Just curious.
Location: somewhere between Lk. Michigan & Lk. Huron
5,585 posts, read 985,194 times
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^^^ oh, I have a broiler oven rather than toaster oven. Since it is just the 2 of us I like to bake or broil small things in my broiler oven when I don't need to use my stove oven.
Only appliances on my countertop are coffemaker, toaster oven and Kitchenaid mixer (since it's just too darned heavy).
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I broke down 2 yrs. ago and bought one after Dr. Oz said you can't get the lettuce washed thoroughly enough without the spinning. I have to admit, even though it is in the Lazy Susan most times I still wash the lettuce and blot with the towels.
