I Like My Instant Pot, But …

Some people just can’t live without their favorite kitchen gadgets

By Marilyn L. Pinsky

 

There I was, 6:30 a.m., staring down a cup of cold coffee with mushroom powder floating on top.

My trusty frother? Dead as a doornail.

For a moment, I panicked. How did people drink coffee before frothers? Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me: a spoon! I stirred that powder right in. No fancy bubbles, but it worked.

Now, don’t think my frother is just a one-trick pony. It’s also my secret weapon for mixing collagen and protein powder into my evening chocolate drink — which, sadly, has replaced my glass of red wine.

That got me thinking about other kitchen gadgets I can’t live without.

Sure, my Instant Pot whips up chicken soup and hard-boiled eggs like a champ. But my real kitchen soulmate? The immersion blender. This little stick of magic makes mayonnaise, purees soup right in the pot, chops nuts and even whips up chopped liver — chunky or smooth, your call. One gadget, endless possibilities. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of the kitchen.

Then I started to run into other people who were just as passionate about their kitchen favorites as I am about mine. Kathy treasures her grandmother’s spatula. “I’m guessing it goes back to 1892 and was maybe a wedding present. It has an old-fashioned wooden handle and though it has never been sharpened, it is still razor sharp. However, I do have to dry it carefully as it rusts,” she explained. “It was my mother’s before I had it and now my son has claimed it after me. It is great for frying things in a pan and for cutting sheet cake.”

Tamara is team acrylic spatula. No family heirloom here, but perfect for her non-stick pans. Probably won’t make it to the next generation, but hey, it’s doing its job.

Eric, my grandson-in-law, is also a silicone spatula convert. “I didn’t’t even know what it was called,” he admitted. “But I use it for eggs. Breakfast is my specialty.” Sometimes simplicity is key.

Marissa can’t live without her cordless Dyson vacuum. “I just grab it and go — real fast and easy. It’s great if you have children and dogs. My second favorite is my air fryer. It’s very convenient and fast especially if you have to put together a quick meal. The funny thing about it is that I got it accidentally and when I called Amazon to tell them I hadn’t ordered it, they said to just keep it. Now I can’t imagine living without it.”

Debbie, my daughter, is a carnivore, which means her meals are pretty much all meat based. She has two favorites for cooking. In her air fryer she makes flanken cut short ribs, steaks and burgers both fresh and frozen, chicken wings and salmon. In her Instant Pot she cooks baby back ribs, hard boiled eggs, chuck roast, slab cut short ribs, beef stew, beef shanks and oxtail.

While we’re on protein, Gail loves her egg slicer. “I eat hard-boiled eggs every day — sliced, diced or in egg salad.” Simple pleasures.

Susan can’t live without her tongs. “They’re my second set of hands.” Enough said.

 

Coffee, tea and other liquid essentials

For Brandi it is her espresso machine. “But no pods for me—only freshly ground coffee.” She also can’t live without her air conditioner, washing machine and dishwasher.

Jonathan is a coffee and tea aficionado. He claims you can “decaf” a teabag by pouring off the first brew. Being English, the biggest argument among his friends is not Brexit; it is whether milk goes in before or after the tea.

My neighbor, Kate, loves her single-cup coffee pot. “Just the right size for one cup, for one person, every day.” Sometimes, less really is more.

 

Knife lovers, gadget geeks and fun finds

Lauren and Marc, who are vegetarians, swear by their knives. Marc loves his Santoku, a Japanese chef’s knife. He told me that the name literally “translates to three uses or three virtues and can be used for meat, fish and vegetables. My favorite all purpose knife.”

Bev can’t cook without her tiny oil brush. “It helps me add just the right amount of oil — no more drowning the pan.”

Nick is loyal to his giant, two-handled fry pan. “I won it in a raffle! Perfect for sautéing chicken, steaming broccoli and melting cheese. Dinner in one pan.”

For Nicole and Brad it is their rechargeable battery-operated salt and pepper dispensers received as a gift. “We thought they were gimmicky, but now we use them all the time.”

And let’s end with Kim, whom I sat next to in the jury pool. “I’m dependent on my salad spinner. When my husband’s doctor said he had to change his diet, we started to eat at home a lot. I put so many different vegetables into our salads, all needing careful washing and they become too wet to put dressing on, but the salad spinner dries them perfectly. Another new thing I’ve just gotten is the Ninja Creami to make healthy ice cream. I use my Ninja blender with fresh ingredients and flavors and when it’s frozen, put it into the Creami.”

 

The bottom line

Whether it’s a high-tech Ninja device or a humble acrylic spatula, we all have that one kitchen gadget we can’t live without. If it makes life tastier, easier or just a little more fun — it’s earned its spot on the counter.