Can We Talk 2

Gadgets

         Aren't all those clever gadgets for household use exciting? I have learned long ago that they seldom live up to your expectations from the TV or magazine ads.

          My grandmother and mother had Vegematics and other devices that stayed put with suction cup bottoms so you could use both hands to maneuver your fruits and vegetables. The suction part never worked. You could end up with a pile of food and plastic parts on the floor. And there was the storage of the different type blades. There were so many pieces to be washed. It was less cumbersome and time-consuming just to do it all by hand.

         I was tempted by all those ads for non-stick pans, "Gothic steel" or copper bottom. We did find a copper skillet in the discount store "as seen on TV". It did work great for a while and cleaned easily. I used it frequently; eggs flipped easily and left little residue for cleaning. However, with many washings, it doesn't work as great as it once did. The research articles indicate it begins to release copper particles into your food. I did some research this week and found that T-fal ceramic skillets give you the most bang for the buck. They're not cheap, and they're not perfect. Cephalon was the next best ceramic lined skillet, about double the price of T-fal. The very best was stainless steel, more than twice the price of Cephalon, and it wasn't perfect either. The test was on hundreds of skillets to come up with a final four, the 4th being stainless as well. I have a half dozen skillets, so I'm not going shopping, even though I'm not satisfied with anything I have.

         I've seen some recipes calling for a "spiralizer". I didn't know there was such a thing, so I checked it out. They run from $20 up to $100, some manual, some electric. However, I haven't seen any up close and personal, so I fear the old Vegematic routine, with long noodle like veggies all over the counter and the floor.

         I want to make my own ice cream. Too many store versions of ice cream just don't taste that good. I try to make sure it doesn't say "frozen dairy dessert". I'd like to experiment with my own. However, the makers vary in price and size. With my extended family, a two pint thing that costs $85 is hardly worth the effort. I've seen one that can be both manual and electric, but that just seems like a maintenance problem. A manual one would give the children a good lesson in hard work and patience paying off, and understanding how the churning and freezing work together. The electric one would be faster. I need at least a 6 pint size. I don't want to pay over $200 for something I'd only use five or six times a year.

         The real reason I don't invest in these items is storage or the lack thereof. I've already given away a hot dog cooker, a pizza cooker, and an electric peeler that my mother had. (They were gifts; she didn't purchase them.) I tried them first and just didn't like them. They were taking up space I needed for other things. I'd like to have a food processor, but where would I put it? I have a rice cooker and a vegetable steamer-Mom's- and they work great. But I can't keep them handy, so I don't use them. I'm toying with the idea of donating them, not because they aren't good. I just don't have enough space.

         I do cook a lot and like to experiment. My kitchen is tiny with little counter space. I keep sodas in the garage and Dad's chips and hard candy in the dining room. I have some antique dishes that I don't use, but can't part with. So I only "window shop" the gadgets. I have to remind myself, "No More".