Unsure or regrets on Kitchen/Home products

I bought a mandolin a couple years ago and used it once, cut my finger and my family took it away from me. I am a little klutzy and they didn't want me losing a finger but it was cheap so not a big deal.

The two purchases that turned out to be a total waste of money were the George Foreman Grill and a Popcorn Popper. The George Foreman was a gift from my parents one Christmas because I really wanted it. It was just plain messy and I always had grease everywhere. It is in a cabinet I can't get to right now but will be going in the dumpster soon when I renovate my kitchen. The Popcorn Popper was a gift for my husband because he LOVES popcorn. He used it once and said he would rather have microwave popcorn.

With the kitchen getting redone who knows what the next waste of money will be. It won't be a crockpot, I already have 2 and believe it or not I use both.
 
We needed a new nonstick skillet and DW wanted to try a ceramic one. I couldn't find one with really good reviews on Amazon, SIL had one and didn't recommend it--we got it anyway. In spite of really babying it, it stopped being nonstick after about 6 months. "Only wasted $20" is the best thing i can say about it.

Woks. I've bought several and never really could keep them seasoned well enough to work well. (Having a glass cooktop probably didn't help, either.) Plus we just didn't use them often enough to justify the space they take up in our kitchen cabinets. If I stir-fry now I just use a skillet, and if it doesn't turn out like it would in a wok, we just live with that.

It took me a while to figure out that when you season a wok, they mean to use a tiny, tiny, TINY amount of oil. Like a drop or too, spread it on, then use a paper towel and wipe off as much as you can. Doing that multiple times and heating it got me a good season. When I tried to do it with a thicker coating of oil, it would season, but the seasoning flaked off. But I do think you need gas for a wok, and frankly, you need higher BTU than a typical home kitchen. I love my wok and use it almost every day, but I can't get it as hot as I'd like to. We are going to improve my setup someday, either by putting in a commercial stove with a wok burner or setting up an outside propane wok burner.
 
I love my instant pot, I use it often. I don't really use it for meats, I use it for soups, rices, quinoa, potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and steam veggies in it.
I love my air fryer too. I use it for wings, drumsticks, potato wedges and I love salmon done in it.
At some point I'm going to upgrade to the toaster oven combo kind.

When we were quarantined I tried to make my own bread, it didn't turn out so great and I felt like it was a lot of work for nothing. I bought a bread maker and thought I'd use it all the time. Turns out when not having to quarantine I don't care about making my own bread and I haven't even opened it. I'm going to return it.
Another regret I have is the crock pot casserole dish. I thought I'd use it in my camper but I just end up bringing my regular crockpot and using that instead. I just "bought" one for the camper, it was free with Kohls cash so totally worth it :laughing:
One thing I regret regretting and getting rid of is the soda stream. When I got it, it was a novelty for the kids to make their own sodas. The novelty wore off and I got rid of it. Now I wish I had it so I could make my own seltzers.

I just broke down and purchased an Always Pan. I need new non-stick frying pans and wanted to stay away from Teflon. I've read reviews on cheap ceramic and it seems that the coatings don't last very long. The Always Pan is pricey for one pan but I figure if I use it almost daily (which I will) it's worth it. It's back-ordered so I haven't gotten it yet, I do hope it doesn't turn out to be a regret.
 

I cook, a LOT. It's interesting reading thru this. I think I've pretty much purged everything I don't really use, with the exception of a bamboo steamer set for asian dumplings and the gobs of cake decorating equipment and pans left over from when the kids were really little. All of this is stored in the back of our kitchen island, though, so not in the way and I don't need the space for anything else.

Thinking about it, I do have a LOT of serving dishes, etc, that just don't get used. I've been slowly getting rid of fancy platters, etc.

And I had a Pampered Chef giant dome thing that went over their 9x13 dish to make a dutch oven type of thing. It weighed a ton, and took up space, so I got rid of that. Kept the 9x13 pan. That's a work horse.

Instapot - I bought it specifically for Indian food. Several cookbooks would say "simmer on stove for 90 minutes or pressure cook for 20" No brainer there. I also use it for fast cooking dry beans in a pinch, and spaghetti sauce with frozen meatballs. Like many have said, I think it takes too much time to do most dishes and I can do more, control more, on the stove top. I did go thru a yogurt phase when oldest dd was still in the house and eating it like an addict.

Crockpot(s) - I think I have 4, maybe 5, now - different sizes. As our lives have changed, I use them less. I'm down from 4 kids with afterschool activities to one who will be driving soon, so less need for dinner on the table in 15 minutes after work before we all leave again. Now I mostly use them for big family gatherings. I'd love to find a small, 2-3 person, crockpot, but every one I try just burns the food.

Kitchen-Aid mixer - love it. Use it several times a week. Mine is 25 years old and going strong. Come to think of it, I have a lot of attachments I don't use, but boy they were expensive and are sitting with the bamboo steamer in the ignored storage space.

Cuisinart food processor - love it. Use it several times a week, got it 28 years ago for my wedding.

Rice cooker - use it several times a week. Not sure how anyone cooks rice without one.
 
Mandolin - I used it once, cut my finger badly and boxed it up and donated it to the Goodwill.

Instant Pot - I tried it a few times and didn't like the results of the foods I cooked in it (a beef roast and potatoes) and haven't used it since. It's been collecting dust in my basement for 3-4 years now. I just saw a recipe online for chicken and rice and I may try it again.

Air fryer - I have an Instant Pot brand with shelves (as opposed to the basket style). The plastic chemical smell is so strong and I've tried everything to get rid of it - ran several cycles without food, cleaned it thoroughly - that I just don't enjoy using it. I subsequently found out this is a common complaint with this model and I wished I had done more research on it before buying. It also takes a lot of counter space.

The things I love and use regularly: 4 crockpots of different sizes; KitchenAid stand mixer; food thermometer and Keurig.
 
May I ask the kind of things you are cooking in your instapot? Some things i have
fixed have been just as easy with stove/oven or tasted better. I may be using it
wrong.
We were not too sure about the Instapot either but with COVID, we found the only rice we could buy was large bulk bags. Instapot is amazing for cooking rice - put it in, push the button, walk away. If you are cooking a boxed, pre-seasoned rice that calls for a long stovetop cook time, you generally want to reduce the added water by about 1/3 then just cook like any other rice in the instapot.

The other thing I've found invaluable is shredded chicken. But it in with some chicken broth (I use chicken bullion) , press "meat", and come back when it is done - easily shreds with a couple of forks. A lot of the other recipes CAN be done in the instapot alone, but may be easier if you use a frying pan for the "saute" part of the recipie.

So yeah, we almost got rid of it, but have now gotten rid of the rice cooker and steamer we used to use - the instapot does that way better. Th important thing is you push the button and JUST LEAVE IT ALONE! It beeps every time it goes to a new mode, so the beep could just mean that it is done pre-heating. We messed up a lot of meals before we figured that out.
 
Mandolin-like many pp's, ended up injuring myself. My husband was trying to cut some potatoes and sliced open his thumb. I decided I could do it better than him and ended up slicing my thumb too. I believe we were using the safety guide so not sure what happened. It immediately went into the trash.

Breville juicer-was trying to eat healthy and thought I would mix up all these wonderful juices. First time I used it I got violently ill and haven't taken it out since then. It probably had nothing to do with me getting sick but I just associate it with that. I don't have the heart to throw it out because it was $$$ but I'm never going to use it again.

Mr.Coffee Cafe Frappe- I loved the idea of this one, making my own frappacinos at home and saving money. First time I used it, I didn't have the lid on securely and stuff went everywhere, lol. My son still teases me about it.

I love my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, it gets used a lot. Also love my Waring Pro Belgian waffle maker.
 
Keurig. Husband tried it for coffee. I thought that in addition to being not environmentally friendly the coffee was just way too expensive compared to regular coffee - even buying the expensive organic beans was less expensive. Hubby hated that the dang thing kept clogging so that once a week we would have to clean it. Then it got to be twice a week. Final straw was black chunks coming out when cleaning. Husband literally chucked it out the window in frustration. This whole process took about two months.
If your Keurig is getting clogged every week and certainly twice something is wrong there.

The hardness of your water can be a factor in mineral build up (we don't have hard hard water but enough that build up can occur). De-scaling should be done and the needled carefully (as it's sharp) cleaned out every so often so the grounds can be cleaned out. I can only assume the black chunks you were talking about was ground coffee.

Obviously y'all got rid of the Keurig I just hope there was some looking into to see what the issue actually was. I've had mine since 2011 with minor issues here and there but nothing like yours.

As far as expenses you can buy a reusable filter and purchase ground coffee and use that.
 
It took me a while to figure out that when you season a wok, they mean to use a tiny, tiny, TINY amount of oil. Like a drop or too, spread it on, then use a paper towel and wipe off as much as you can. Doing that multiple times and heating it got me a good season. When I tried to do it with a thicker coating of oil, it would season, but the seasoning flaked off. But I do think you need gas for a wok, and frankly, you need higher BTU than a typical home kitchen. I love my wok and use it almost every day, but I can't get it as hot as I'd like to. We are going to improve my setup someday, either by putting in a commercial stove with a wok burner or setting up an outside propane wok burner.

My daughter's in-laws have woks, and use them on the turkey fryer burners. She says it works better that way, than on their stoves, even the gas ones.
 
Things I never use:
Instapot- takes too long to pressurize and depressurize.
air fryer - like it but it is too small for our family with sons who eat a lot. It is perfect for 1 person and my son has it in the basement.
toaster oven - just use the toaster.
Keurig - like my cheap coffee pot better and just sent it off to college with my son.
George Forman grill - never got the hang of it and stuff is dry.
Segregated warming tray - someone gave me as a gift and I have never opened it.
The things I use a lot: stove and oven, microwave, rice cooker and George Foreman Rotisserie (It is old and was a "bonus" gift when we bought the grill). In the warm months, the outdoor grill.
Sometime use: Crock pot, griddle, waffle maker and panini press.
 
Waste of money:
Very expensive wok. Turns out, it's easier to buy chinese food.

Panini press. Forgot I had it and I don't like paninis. I can crush my own bread just fine.

George Foreman grill. Easier to go to the BBQ or get out a frying pan.

Breadmaker. Mine was a vertical and it was so tall, I couldn't put it on the countertop, so I needed a table for it which got in the way. And we didn't like how the bread was like a stone on the one end (bottom) and not very dense on the top, so I started just using it to mix and proof my breads, then made buns in the oven. Might as well do it by hand.

Rice cooker. Too easy to make on the stove or run to the chinese takeout place for a large order.

Tupperware microwaveable rice cooker. See above. Also, I lost the instructions before I ever made anything.


On the fence about:
Kitchenaid. Okay, I know I'd love it if I could get to it. It's in the back corner of the kitchen with stuff piled on it because it was too heavy to move out of the way. Now, I just can't be bothered to clean things up to get to it and use a hand mixer for the few times I need it. I just don't bake all that much.

Vitamix. I used it at first for smoothies, but fruit is expensive to just mash it up and drink it. And we don't always have ice, so that's a problem. I do use the dry container to make break crumbs, though. I wonder if a cheaper mixer would do both jobs just as well?

Pressure cooker. I've used it for stew on occasion and for beef bone soup, to speed up getting the goodness out of the bones. But I still have to boil for another hour on regular heat after depressurizing, so not too much of a time saver.

Slow cooker. I use it for chicken soup. The only good thing is I can get a cooked chicken from Costco, get it home, debone it and toss the bones in the slow cooker all day (with a few veggies) and have soup and sandwiches from the chicken meat for dinner. But most other things I've made are too much morning work (like PP said) to bother.


Things I love :
Breville Citrus Juicer. That was one of my best purchases. Fresh and easy juice with an easy clean up. And I can do a lot of oranges/lemons at once without the motor overheating (like my cheap one did).
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Kenwood immersion blender and potato masher. I would never go back to hand mashing potatoes again. I bought one for my 80 year old mom and she says she finally can mash potatoes again. Her arthritis would hurt when she tried to do it manually.
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Foodsaver
This has kept so many foods from going bad in my freezer or fridge. I use it to repack all my meats that I'm not going to use up right away.
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One thing I cannot live without is my Salsa Master food chopper. Very cheap - about $16.00. They last forever and there is no danger of cutting your fingers. Of course you have to be careful of the blade when cleaning it but cleanup is a cinch.
I thought of another thing I never use - my George Foreman grill. I like the results but it takes forever to scrub off all the residue from cooking.
For those who have a VitaMix - we use it to make milk shakes. Yummy.
 
I am shocked at the number of people with mandolin slicers. It's something that would have never have occurred to me to buy. I just slice with knives.

Wondering if you guys watch Food Network or cooking shows? I don't, so maybe that's why it's never been on my radar? I even had to Google what it was, and I'm a grandmother of 5. Not new to kitchen work. Lol
 
I am shocked at the number of people with mandolin slicers. It's something that would have never have occurred to me to buy. I just slice with knives.

Wondering if you guys watch Food Network or cooking shows? I don't, so maybe that's why it's never been on my radar? I even had to Google what it was, and I'm a grandmother of 5. Not new to kitchen work. Lol
I cook a lot, I’ve always wanted one, but too many horror stories.

Things I use all the time are my large toaster/convection oven, electric tea kettle, keurig, roomba, slow cooker, immersion blender and rice cooker.
 
If your Keurig is getting clogged every week and certainly twice something is wrong there.

The hardness of your water can be a factor in mineral build up (we don't have hard hard water but enough that build up can occur). De-scaling should be done and the needled carefully (as it's sharp) cleaned out every so often so the grounds can be cleaned out. I can only assume the black chunks you were talking about was ground coffee.

Obviously y'all got rid of the Keurig I just hope there was some looking into to see what the issue actually was. I've had mine since 2011 with minor issues here and there but nothing like yours.

As far as expenses you can buy a reusable filter and purchase ground coffee and use that.

it was in all likelihood a problem with the water but we have a whole house filter and a second filter on the water coming out of the fridge. It could also be we had a defective Keurig. We were following the manufacturer instructions for cleaning even spent money to purchase special cleaner.
 
it was in all likelihood a problem with the water but we have a whole house filter and a second filter on the water coming out of the fridge. It could also be we had a defective Keurig. We were following the manufacturer instructions for cleaning even spent money to purchase special cleaner.
They have a great return policy, I’m on my second in many years, did have an issue that couldn‘t be resolved once so they just sent us a new one.
 













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