Inspect Her Gadget.

Posted bycasey coombsPosted inToo lazy to label.

Pardon my absence but I’ve been making out with my kitchen gadgets.

I missed them.

And did you know that you forget about what clothes you left behind when you live out of a suitcase for two months? It’s like coming home to a whole new wardrobe of stuff you’d actually buy for yourself. (Well, because you did, but that’s not the point.)

And I haven’t had to put lotion on in four days. No more squiggling around on the carpet or against sharp corners trying to soothe the itch that is caused by the desert in winter, or summer. Or spring or fall for that matter. I hate being itchy.

Strike #82 against Utah.

I also forgot what it was like to grocery shop for yourself. For now it’s fun, haven’t done it in a while. But I’ll be back to swearing about it shortly.

Back to my kitchen gadgets.

I may have a dumpy kitchen but it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right? I am pleased to say that I would have no shame in letting Alton Brown cook in my kitchen. I am that well equipped.

For example I have five thermometers.

My thermometers.

And I love and use every single one of them.

I also use my digital scale all. the. time.

My Kitchenaid, my scale and my slide cup.

This little trio of love and stainless steel helped me make car cakes today.

Prepare to decorate.

And the moosh and her little blond friend handled decor.

Cake Cars

(In case you go thinking I’m some sort of wondermom who has CRAFTS! and SUPERDUPERTREATS! at my play-dates and that I’m only trying to make you feel inadequate, you’d be wrong. I just got a new cake pan and wanted to use it, that’s all.)

Because of my love for my kitchen and all things gadget my parents lovingly hand over gift cards during all gift giving seasons to aid in my addiction collection. The latest gift card came from Grandma Flower and Grandpa Fish to Williams-Sonoma.

Williams-Sonoma is akin to porn for me.

I came home with a Microplane grater to match my Microplane zester.

My microplanes...mmm

If you’ve never used a Microplane…well…then you’ve never grated something like God meant you to grate.

And the REALLY big deal?

Something finally joined my kitchen family that I have been WAITING for. Something I have wished for and coveted for years. (And here is where you get a glimpse into what a seething dork I am for all things culinary.)

Ladies and gentlemen, meet my 6 3/4 qt. Le Creuset Dutch Oven in Kiwi.

My NEW! LE! CREUSET! DUTCH! OVEN!

She makes me so happy. Oh, the roasts we’ll braise together.

If you don’t frequent kitchen stores then you’ve probably got a big glowing question mark above your head as to why I’m excited about a $295 pan. First of all, it is not a pan. It is a dutch oven, an enameled cast iron dutch oven. And I didn’t even come close to paying $295. I didn’t even pay half that.

I am a kitchen store bargain magnet.

Which adds to my excitement.

To add to the sad pathetic nature of my love for inanimate kitchen objects even more, this isn’t even half of my most beloved of kitchen items.

So here’s what I want to know, do any of you have a priceless piece of metal, plastic, steel, silicone or wood that you couldn’t bear to cook without?

Because I have about three dozen.

And I want to make sure I’m not missing any.

62 thoughts on “Inspect Her Gadget.”

  1. I don’t cook all that much, but I love my Pampered Chef Measure-All cup, because it has two different sides for liquids and solids, and you can put peanut butter in and just pop it out without having to scoop and dig and waste part of it. I’m not quite as fancy as you, Casey!

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  2. Oh Casey, I love that you love kitchen gadgets. Can we be best friends? You can come to my house and use my gadgets. 🙂 I have some good things too. I’m not so much a great cook as I am a great baker. But not NEARLY as great as you.

    It’s funny. I agree with your first commenter, my favorite gadget is my Pampered Chef Measure-All Cup. My kitchen looks like the Pampered Chef catalog threw up in it! It’s a good thing we don’t have a Williams & Sonoma here (or that I don’t have lots and lots of money).

    Mommy Daisy’s last blog post..Like we were kids

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  3. You talk about kitchen gadgets the way I talk about makeup! And if there is a new makeup “gadget” out there, you better believe I HAVE to have it. Although, I do have a Micrplane and love it as well. Favorite kitchn gadget? My kitchenaid. Use it every day….Okay, almost every day.

    Meggan’s last blog post..Merry Christmas

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  4. Oh I LOVE Williams Sonoma. All my friends get gift certificates for WS (and Sephora, my other obsession). I also love our Viking Store – super fab!

    I love my octopus cake pan, my grater, my peeler, my salad spinner, my mix master of course, the silicone spatulas and basters are fantastic, rubber bottomed stainless steel bowls are something I have a thing for too.

    Amy’s last blog post..Un-Disney

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  5. Okay I have a few (all my good ones are back at my moms house until I have a larger kitchen to put them in, so everytime i look in the storage of my moms its like opening presents again and i forget all of them) but anyways 1. My silicone spatula, i LOVE it, so easy to use on ANYTHING, so easy to clean. 2. My Williams & Sonoma bowls they are amazing, NOTHING sticks to these babies, NOTHING, and they come in nifty 1950 colors, honestly easiest to clean and use by far. 3. My hand mixer AMAZING to puree baby food or homemade soups…. but yeah

    Liam Craig’s last blog post..Christmas ’07

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  7. I LOVE my stone loaf pan. Granted I make four loaves when I make it and the other loaves are in glass or aluminium.

    I love my metal tons and small pampered chef spatula. And well I just got a stand mixer and that is amazing. Good measuring cups and spoons that are engraved with their labels so they don’t wipe off. Oh and an ikea grated that has a container it sits on and lid for when you’re done.

    But don’t you remember that Alton Brown is anti single use items? Like the cake pans. So as long as you can handle the ridicule for having things that can’t be used for more than one thing then you can be comfortable with Alton there. (j/k)!

    Angela’s last blog post..Yoga with Grandpa Stone

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  10. ok- I’m as big of a goober as you in this department.

    I have stoneware EVERYTHING. And I love it- I literally spend days thinking about what I can cook next to perfectly season it and make it beautiful.

    I have just about every Pampered Chef essential out there.

    AND- my goal for this year is to perfect traditional Norwegian desserts like krumkake, rosettes & Lefse- I just bought myself the mother of all krumkake irons, and found perfect vintage rosette irons on ebay! The lefse stuff is still on my wishlist- I can make it w/o the equiptment, and I’ve done it, but when you have the perfect grooved rolling pin with a sock, and a lefse griddle and a potato ricer- Ohhhh it makes it just perfect. And expensive. Those griddles are not cheap!

    Your car cakes are too cool! Wherever did you find the pan?

    lou’s last blog post..Rise Up

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  11. okay.

    love my kitchenAid. of course.

    but also couldn’t live without my pastry blender and my parmesan cheese grater.

    oh, and does the whirly pop count? because we would shrivel up and die in this house without it…

    erin’s last blog post..letting go

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  12. You are speaking my language. I’m the family chef, but I’m also single and live in a 1000 square foot house. Therefore, I have to travel with my knife (Wusthof Santoko), my microplane, and usually my 4 qt. All-Clad sauce pan.

    My gift this year was an immersion blender. Planning on christening it with some soup tomorrow.

    Mandee’s last blog post..Dance

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  13. Well I could not live without my Kitchen Aid mixer. Which you seem to have. I also love my cast iron skillet. I do not have a lovely dutch oven as you do, but I sure do long for one. I’m also terribly attached to my turquoise colander. It’s very pretty.

    I don’t own a single thermometer. I’m ashamed of myself.

    Carrisa’s last blog post..Country Cooking With Carrisa: Week Three

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  14. I love my 8 qt stainless steel mixing bowl! I have really been enjoing my magic bullet. I also love my 6 aluminum jelly roll pans that I use for cookies. My 4 pyrex liquid measuring cups.

    There are few things in your pictures that I have been thinking about getting. Thanks for the reminder.

    Something I REALLY NEED is a HOBART mixer or at least an 8 qt mixer. I got spoiled working in a bakery. Ahh Someday!

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  15. I am drooling over your apple green dutch oven. I tried grating nutmeg and cinnamon with a regular grater and got so frustrated because I couldn’t do it the way they did on TV .. then I tried a microplane. Ahhh! I was a grating queen! I saw your kitchen aid in the background – one of my most favoritest things EVER!!

    Mary Beth’s last blog post..DAY OF READING

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  17. My favorites are my bright red Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, my immersion blender, and my bright blue 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset. I bought it for $60 at Marshall’s!!!!!!!! Bargain of the century.

    This reminds me I want to get a microplane grater.

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  20. i have a few things to say here, so bare with me:
    1. i’m fairly certain i had an orgasm when i saw your new Le Creuset
    2. i hate you for having one when I DON’T
    3. i got my microplane zester a grater cousin just last week! how cool are we
    4. i’ve been sleeping with my arms around my kitchenaid mixer (did i mention it’s PINK!?)
    5. williams sonoma gives me heart palpatations
    6. where oh WHERE did you get that car pan!?
    7. i love my everything silicone. it is a godsend
    8. i only have 2 thermometers…
    9. you really use a scale!?
    10. my rachael ray tongs rock my world
    11. my knives. oh i love my knives
    12. i could go on for days as well
    13. we would have so much fun cooking together
    14. we would so go into debt shopping in kitchen stores together
    15. i love you
    16. i’m mailing all your goodies thursday because i don’t get paid till wednesday!

    Biddy’s last blog post..President Bush’s Resignation Speech

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  23. I want me one of them cute green thingies. Gorgeous! I personally am a simple girl. I love my kitchenaid, and I really love baking/parchment paper. You can cook yummy packet dinners in it (I learned that from Martha Stewart in my nannying days) and it helps me make better cookies! (Because I hate how chocolate chips burn to the pan otherwise.) But of course, you know all of this and so much more. Now share more of the info!!!

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  25. Like Jenni I love wooden spoons, spatulas, etc.

    They are so durable and last longer and they get this worn/used quality about them that makes them even better than when you first buy them.

    I’ve been coveting a kitchen-aid mixer forever. I think this may be my lucky year.

    As for the dutch oven that’s the third time I’ve seen it make the rounds this week. I didn’t even know such a thing existed or that kiwi was that popular of a color. lol

    I love your stainless steel by the way and the cars are too cute!

    Sasha’s last blog post..She’s #1…

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  26. Is it wrong to think a Kitchen-Aid would make me a more eager and better baker/cook? Cause in my head it totally would and absolutely justifiable.

    Until my husband agrees, though, I guess I’ll stick with my Sunbeam.

    Love Pampered Chef too! The scrapers and spreaders are my faves.

    the mrs.’s last blog post..Let’s Talk Fashion – Version 3.0

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  27. My favorite is the silicon pastry brush from Crate and Barrel. It puts all other pastry brushes to shame.
    Dishwasher safe – check
    no bristles to fall out in my food – check
    Under $5 – check

    BTW, I recognized your fabulous blog on my recent post, come check it out.

    Amy’s last blog post..Updating my Fridge

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  28. I have just begun to amass any form of Kitchen collection *sigh* Of course, I just started really getting into it. Up until now it’s been a “we’ll use whatever we have” because I never had time! *lol*

    I’m VERY jealous of your gadgetry…you’ll have to let me come over and drool over ADMIRE it sometime *G* I REALLY want those thermometers, though! Oh, how I wish I could spend my whole tax refund on kitchenry…*sigh* But alas, we have a bathroom to fix. I’ll just dream…

    My first goal – a kitchenaid stand mixer (I dream of those)…

    Kitchen gadgets have become tied with crafting gadgets in my book…and that’s high praise indeed-i-o

    Sadie’s last blog post..Retail Therapy…

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  29. You sound like me talking about my shoe collection.

    Seriously though, I have an 11 cup Cuisinart food processor in red that I LOVE. I’d marry it if I could. (I’ve noticed from your pictures that you have the same one.) I lust after that mixer you have there. I also love my stainless steel mixing bowls, my Calphalon grill pan and dutch oven, my coffee grinder, and my double convection ovens. Ahhhhh…..

    Lawyer Mama’s last blog post..The Wisdom of Prose or the Passion of Poetry?

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  30. Easy question, my microwave. *Don’t throw that microplane at me*

    I have just recently tried to start cooking more. So far I haven’t made anything that would need the fancy gadgets listed above. Looks like I have a lot to learn.

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  31. OMG.
    You got a Le Creuset!!

    I have been LUSTING FOR YEARS for one.

    GAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    (That was me screeching in jealousy)

    P.S.
    I MUST BUY THAT GRATER.
    I make out with my microplane zester all the time. (Which is pretty painful, actually)

    Loralee’s last blog post..Still not there!

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  32. My crepe pan. I think I spent $25 on it. That is one little crepe pan. For me that was big business. But then again, I hardly ever make crepes. I miss you, terribly, so much so I am getting tears writing how much I miss you. 😦

    Kimmie’s last blog post..Ready, Set? GO!

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  34. I too have an addiction to kitchen gadgets including cookbooks. One of the best things about living in England?? The exchange rate!! Whenever I go to the US I LOAD UP on kitchen items. William Sanoma is the best store EVAH!! I also luuuuvre BB&B. My favorite at the moment will have to be my creme brulee kit I picked up at WS last summer. Why do I love it so? Hubs loves to use it and HE makes creme brulee for us. Nothing sexier than a man w/ a blow torch making deserts!! I use a scale all.the.time.

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  41. Well, I love me my Cuisinart coffee maker….

    LOL.

    I have a KitchenAid Mix thingy and the Le Crueset dutch oven…but I’ve never used them. Not once.

    They look really pretty though. And the hubs had high hopes when he bought them for me….

    Redneck Mommy’s last blog post..Smart Spelling

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  44. Careful not to, say… steam broccoli in that le creuset but forget to put any water in the pan and then burn the CRAP out of the enamel. Yeah. Careful not to do that. I’ve done it like four times. I love paying for those pans. Love it.

    Oh, The Joys’s last blog post..Meditations On Burbling

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  46. Oh and one more thing- I want a Le Creuset set and have been trying to figure out how I can get a set in my suitcases without going over the weight limit!!! Any suggestions??

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  49. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who loves kitchen gadgets. My family thinks it’s a sickness.

    There’s a Le Creuset outlet store not far from me and it’s difficult not to go in there and lovingly stroke all of the pieces I can’t afford.

    Angie’s last blog post..Bye for now

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  50. Sorry, I don’t share your sick obsession with expensive (or inexpensive) kitchen gadgets. Those car cakes do look good though…..

    The most that I usually do in my kitchen is make toast, that is why I have a fabulous toaster oven.

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