Cooking Gadgets That Save Money

[jeffrey]

Here is a question for all of you cooks out there -- what cooking gadgets do you use that save money?

[snafu]

In winter particularly [also very hot summer day] I use the crock pot extensively for home made soup, stews and chilli. It allows me to use up bits of stuff in fridge or freezer that is getting close to expiry. The house smells delicious, individuals who say they hate various vegetables eat them without realizing, no unpronounceable chemicals or preservatives, no ugly, smelly things getting moldy in the fridge.

2nd fav. appliance is a small version of meat slicer often seen in deli. I found it in a thrift store cheap and googled instruction on-line. It allows me to slice salami, roast beef, chicken breast...any boneless item as thin or thick as I wish. Thinly sliced roast beef, no matter the cut tastes better when it is presented 'restaurant' style. I think people eat with their eyes more than they realize. I used to find cleaning it a pain but as I use it more and more I'm faster at UN-assembling to clean.

A 'used-to-be' favorite was the bread machine. I still like it very much but we were eating a loaf a day and it was showing up around the waist. Clothes were getting tight and we couldn't stop easting...the house smells divine when you awake to fresh baked bread!

If you're not sure about an appliance, why not buy a try-out from the local thrift/charity shop. If you like it buy a new one with all the bells and whistles.

[marvholly]

I disagree about the crockpot bedause:
I live in metro Chicago where electric rates are VERY high
I plan and make multiple items in the GAS (cheaper than electric) oven at the same time

Probably my fav kitchen appliance right now is the immersion blender. I often use mine to make puree of......(broccoli, cauliflower, carrot) soups. Most are made from the pats (stems) I would not otherwise eat or from stuff getting "old."

[bjl584]

I use my grill to cook as much as I can. A tank of propane is relatively inexpensive, and it lasts for a good while. I get to be outside and it keeps the gas and electric bills down.

[disneysteve]

Ultimately, I think any kitchen device that allows you to cook something yourself instead of buying it ready-made or eating out saves you money in the long run.

Things that come to mind:

Popcorn popper: Air popped popcorn is quick and easy and much healthier and cheaper than the microwave crap.

Quality cookware: For about the first 15 years of our marriage, we wore out a series of inexpensive sets of pots and pans. We finally splurged for a high quality but costly set and regret not doing it sooner. They cook better. They heat more evenly. They clean up quicker and after 5 years, they still look brand new.

Blender: My daughter and I love fruit smoothies. Making our own saves money, provides quick and healthy snacks and reduces waste by giving us something to do with overripe fruit.

[ktmarvels]

I'm not sure that either of these save money per say, but I love our rice cooker/steamer, salad shooter and toaster oven.

We can buy big bags of inexpensive rice rather than the flavored stuff and cook them in our maker. To be fair all we would really need is a pot to boil water in, but honestly I've never been successful with making rice that way and our rice cooker makes it perfect every time.

For our salad shooter it means we can purchase blocks of cheese and shred them at our convenience (which really isn't much of a cost savings now that pre-shred is usually the same price). However we could shred other items too if we needed.

Lastly, I've baked whole meals in our toaster oven, the electricity to heat up a much smaller area was less. Also I can toast more bread in our toaster oven than our toaster.

[smith121]

I love use our rice cooker and steamer frequently it's increases my cooking speed and it definitely saves my money too.

[LuckyRobin]

I love my mandolin. It is great for making the same sized slices of veggies, as well as dicing, crinkle cutting, julienne slicing, etc. I can make my own potato chips or fries. It's a bit more than the basic set, it has five attachments, but was worth getting the more expensive one in the long run because I save so much making my own stuff.

The George Foreman grill cuts the cooking time of boneless meat in half and cleanup is much faster. Plus the grease runs off, so healthier, too. You can also cook veggie slices really fast on it. And it's good for doing skewers as well in half the time. Because it makes things faster it saves me money I might otherwise spend on takeout.

Crockpot, of course. Bread machine for at least mixing doughs for homemade pizza comparable to the expensive ones at a fraction of the cost.

My knives. Really good knives make all the difference in even wanting to prepare food at home. Cruddy knives equals takeout.

[MonkeyMama]

Food Processor
Gives you so much versatility and you come out ahead on the not having to buy "pre-shredded" food items, etc. Plus, for simple chopping it saves a ton of time. (It's good for shredding, chopping, etc.)

We actually have a smoothie maker (paid $30-ish for it about a decade ago?). I am sure some blenders could mimic the same result, but our blender wasn't up for all that ice blending. Not buying pre-made smoothies saves a fortune. That may be one of the best kitchen purchases I ever made.

So agreed on the rice cooker.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by MonkeyMama

We actually have a smoothie maker (paid $30-ish for it about a decade ago?). I am sure some blenders could mimic the same result, but our blender wasn't up for all that ice blending.

Can the smoothie maker do other things that a regular blender does also? If so, that's fine. If not, I'd prefer the blender that is more versatile. We use our blender for smoothies (just had one last night with dinner) but I also use it to puree soups, grind potatoes for potato pancakes, can even use it to grate hard cheeses and other stuff. The smoothie maker is likely cheaper than a decent blender but I'm not a big fan of single use items.

[Mjenn]

Since we got our bread maker 2 years ago, we bake 85% of our bread ourselves. We have actually moved beyond the bread baker, and do some loaves by hand as well, but that has been inspired by our bread maker. We also use it when we make homemade pizza and other baked goodies. I would say it has saved us a ton of money. The crock pot, on the other hand, is sitting in the back of a cupboard. I still have yet to find recipes I really like for it. I've been interested in a popcorn maker, but am holding back due to lack of space....

[flipyourdebt]

I use a oven and a stove intstead of a log fire.

[GREENBACK]

I love cooking in a wok. Heats up and cooks very quickly. A stir fry with meat, vegs or whatever else you like is ready in minutes. A little rice and you have a complete meal.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by GREENBACK

I love cooking in a wok.

Wish we could use one but on an electric stove, it just isn't the same. A good quality saute pan works fine, though.

[bjl584]

Originally Posted by flipyourdebt

I use a oven and a stove intstead of a log fire.

What?

I don't know of really anyone that cooks on a fire except when they go camping.

[GREENBACK]

Originally Posted by bjl584

What?

I don't know of really anyone that cooks on a fire except when they go camping.

I guess if you have an authentic old world pizza oven you might. A little rare beyond that.

[GREENBACK]

I think the internet has been a great time/money saver to my home cooking. I have gathered tons of useful recipes for so many things with a simple search. This is a great departure from the "good ol' days" of leafing through a cookbook to find a recipe.

[Bades]

Egg Rings!

Amazon.com: egg rings

Make your own McDonald's Egg McMuffins at home

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Those egg rings? An alternative is to cut out both ends of a tuna can. It works. I've done it.

[FrugalTexan75]

Originally Posted by Joan.of.the.Arch

Those egg rings? An alternative is to cut out both ends of a tuna can. It works. I've done it.

When I was in CA this past Christmas I bought a set of 3 egg rings for $.75 from a cooking outlet store that was going out of business. They are made out of the not rubber/not plastic material (can't recall right now what the material is called.) Ashamed to say I haven't used them yet though ...