Friday Fun: Kitchen gadgets

I have been buying kitchen gadgets for as long as I have had my own place.  So, a long time.  Sadly, I had to leave them all behind when I moved to Germany, there was no room in my luggage and it was too expensive to ship.  I love to be in the kitchen cooking and love it even more when I have the proper equipment for the recipes I am making.

So, here I am,starting over and rebuilding a kitchen here in Germany, piece by piece.  It’s a tiny kitchen, but it is a functional kitchen none the less.  Here are a few of the things I have added to my new kitchen so far. (I have a long way to go, but you have to start somewhere!)

My first purchase was a can opener.  Not just any can opener, but a Kuhn Rikon.  I consider it the Cadillac of can openers.  It is easy to use, and leaves no sharp edges when you remove the lid.  It also has a handy-dandy bottle opener and a sharp end to rip plastic off packages.(My first Kuhn Rikon can opener was a gift from my dear friend, Adrienne.  Now it resides in my cousin, Lisa’s kitchen.  Where I hope she is loving it as much as I did!)

I also bought a set of Kuhn Rikon colored knives.  So far, they have held up well and seem to be staying sharp.  They would look amazing hung up on the magnetized strip that I bought for said purpose.   I asked my husband to hang up the magnet strip back in November, it is now March.  I think that he may be waiting for next November to hang it up.

This past Christmas, I received a fancy garlic press. You put the garlic cloves in and then press down and twist.  We tend to eat enough garlic to repeal an army of vampires, so it was definitely one of my favourite gifts.  But, I do find it to be a hard item to clean properly.  So, I am now on the look out for a hand held garlic press.  Any brand suggestions that I should keep a lookout for?

My other favorite kitchen necessity is my French Press from Bodum.  My husband and I always have 2 cups of coffee together each morning, and this French Press makes just enough for our morning ritual.  I have thought about getting a coffee maker just for the ease of making the coffee, but due to limited counter space, I do not think we will get one.  Plus, I really do prefer the taste of coffee from the French Press.

My Dream Kitchen Gadget is a pink Kitchen Aid with a pasta press attachment.  Since I am currently not working, this item will have to remain a dream for a while yet.  But, a girl can still dream!

What kitchen gadgets would you find it hard to live without?  What gadgets do you have, but never use?  Looking forward to hearing from you!