New uses for your Gadgets Designed for one Purpose

[Kake Lover]

I've only just discovered how wonderful it is to use a potato masher to mash up hard boiled eggs to mix with mayonnaise for a sandwich filling. I was pleasantly surprised how quick it was!

Maybe everyone else has always used one because it was obvious.
I used to use a large fork which is fine if you are only doing one egg but these days I prepare enough for several sandwiches in a big bowl.


Do you use your potato masher for anything else?

What gadgets designed for one purposed do you use for other tasks in the kitchen?

 

[CraigC]

I use the potato masher for refried beans and to crush new potatoes for a pan fry we make after boiling them in heavily salted water. Tongs make pretty good lemon and lime squeezers. Self releasing, ice cream scoops do a great job at getting evenly measured cookie dough and meatballs. Nut crackers are handy for cracking crab claws.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I just bought a waffle iron, and I have no intention of making sweet waffles with it. Well...maybe I will eventually, but I bought it because I've heard of people using it for things like a panini press (though I already have one).

 

[Morning Glory]

I'm thinking...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I only use the pasta drainer (or is it the salad thingy) that comes with a set of kitchen utensils for bailing eggs in and out of boiling water.

This thing on the far right

I just use a seive for pasta.

 

[CraigC]

I just bought a waffle iron, and I have no intention of making sweet waffles with it. Well...maybe I will eventually, but I bought it because I've heard of people using it for things like a panini press (though I already have one).

Our panini press got broken so we went back to our old method of using the cast iron Dutch oven lid or frying pan as a press for Cuban sandwiches in the oven. That potato masher also gets used after the first fry to flatten tostones. The vegetable peeler is also used to shave parmigiano, most often over the arugula and beef for carpoccio.

 

[Morning Glory]

tostones

?

 

[Morning Glory]

The vegetable peeler is also used to shave parmigiano, most often over the arugula and beef for carpoccio.

Yes - I use a Y shaped peeler to shave parmesan and make vegetable ribbons too, for salads.

 

[CraigC]

?

Tostones are twice fried, thick sliced (crosswise), green plantains. The first fry is to soften them. Then they get mashed and fried again until they are golden. Maduros are completely ripened plantains that are crosswise cut, on a bias and fried once. Green plantains are often thinly sliced, both crosswise and lengthwise, to make chips. They are often served with a lime juice based mojo. Salt is added on top of both Tostones and Maduros.

 

[Morning Glory]

Tostones are twice fried, thick sliced (crosswise), green plantains. The first fry is to soften them. Then they get mashed and fried again until they are golden. Maduros are completely ripened plantains that are crosswise cut, on a bias and fried once. Green plantains are often thinly sliced, both crosswise and lengthwise, to make chips. They are often served with a lime juice based mojo. Salt is added on top of both Tostones and Maduros.

Thank you! Plantains! Its an age since I ate one - we used to get them in the West Indian market in East London but that was back in the day!

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I almost forgot: I often use my ricer to get the moisture out of things, like cucumber that I've shredded in preparation for tzatziki sauce. The holes of the smallest ricer plate are large enough for the moisture to squeeze out, but there's no risk of losing any of the shredded cucumber. This beats letting the cucumber sit in the strainer for several hours, or the dynamic tension exercises I get from trying to wring the moisture out with a kitchen towel.

And here's one I've only used once: two metal bowls of equal size, placed lip-to-lip to form a ball. Place large amounts of garlic cloves inside, rattle them around, and before you know it most of the garlic cloves have been peeled. The reason I only did it once is because, as the cloves were clanging around the inside of the metal bowls, my wife yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE????" It's loud. I laughed, apologized, and promised never to do it that way again.

 

[Elawin]

Yes - I use a Y shaped peeler to ..... make vegetable ribbons too, for salads.

Me too. Much easier than using a spiraliser, even if the end result can be a little coarser.

Grill racks get used as trivets too, and one sturdier one fits over my large roasting dish very nicely and is just right for roasting duck.

Not exactly food related but still kitchen related, whenever I use my dishwasher I always put washing up sponges and J-cloths in the cutlery tray. A very easy way of getting them clean, especially if you've been mopping up curry or tomato sauce.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

dishwasher I always put washing up sponges and J-cloths in the cutlery tray.

With my husband being the dishwasher, I tend to put mine through the washing machine. Once a week on a Monday morning (weather permitting because I have no clothes dryer) once I have seen my husband off to work, I come back into the house via the kitchen, round up anything that could feasibly be washed in a washing machine (floor rugs and door mat included) and go into the laundry room and put the first load of washing on. The rugs take the longest to dry so are always done first. Then on the way back through the house I pick up the clean stuff from the wardrobe in the bedroom and he's none the wiser!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

My nut milk bags are often used to make both conventional cheese and cashew nut cheese as well as straining lots of things including but milks. My coffee grinder had never seen a coffee bean, it's a spice grinder in this household. But I have to confess most other gadgets (not previously mentioned) are used for their purpose except for my dehydrator which is often used as an incubator or steady low/warm temperature zone when one is needed for proving things such as sourdough or yeast.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Just got this yesterday. I will be using it soon!

 

[Elawin]

I tend to put mine through the washing machine.

I don't because they tend to be a magnet for animal fur. Tea towels and muslin squares are OK in the washing machine because I can stick them out on the washing line when we have a dry moment and the fur drops off, but that doesn't work with the sponges, and J-cloths tend to felt up in the washing machine. I find folded up in the cutlery tray much better. The water in the dishwasher is hotter too.