I have a toaster oven I use a lot. Been thinking about replacing it with a counter top convection oven. They seem to be bigger and cost much more that the cheap Black and Decker toaster oven I have. How big is yours and about how much does it cost? What brand? Do you have to have a lot of clearance around it? I was going to install a shelf under my upper cabinets so not to loose too much counter space.

My bread maker was a pleasant surprise. I used to love making bread by hand as it gave me nostalgic memories of my childhood, and I have distinct memories of my mother teaching me to make bread by hand. I loved kneading it and having the feel for knowing when it was ready to roll out and prepare to rise. Then I was in an MVA and was no longer able to do it any more. When I did try, I would "pay for it", so I just got away from it. For about three years, DH asked me if I wanted a bread maker and I kept telling him "no".

One Christmas I looked under the tree and saw a box from the kids that I was sure was a bread maker, and I was thinking about how to deal with it. I just decided to be polite, and to use it a few times to be respectful, but it turned out that I LOVED it! I never bake in it, but I use it to mix the dough, and I love setting the timer so that the dough is ready to be formed when I get home from work. I make loaves of bread, dinner rolls and small french loaves, where I freeze two loaves and bake one little loaf that is a good size for two or three of us.

Once I got over my bias, or grudge (lol), I really found it to be a nice, useful appliance.

Susan I could easily have written the exact thing you did. I use my breadmaker now all the time and the same way you do. It was sitting unused on the counter for so long ..

The one little appliance that I love is my little small food chopper. I have a big Cuisinart that I use when needed but the handiest thing in my kitchen is the little chopper. It makes tuna salad in a flash and many other things with out the clean up associated with the big one. I have had this one for so long that it is on it's last legs and I will march right away and replace it when it goes.

My bread maker & dehydrator. I have 2 of each!!! I also love my crockpot. I have a Krups sensotoast, toaster. If you put a frozen bagel in it, it will adjust the toast time based on the temperture of the item.

{{!gwi}}

Long story I'll try to make short. DH and first wife received an ice cream maker as a wedding gift. When they split, she left the ice cream maker behind. It sat in our apartment, then 2 homes, for about 29 years. Two years ago I decided to try it out. The hardest part was finding ctushed ice. But the durn thing worked! I made tutti fruitti ice cream and it was delicious. And all wholesome natural ingredients-eggs,cream,sugar, fresh peaches, cherries, pineapple and bananas.

Panini Grill, use it for grilling as well as making sandwiches.

" with the gutter minds here!" MOI?? ahahahaha

ah, like I said in the other thread
I have a
toaster
blender
coffee maker
and crock pot... so, no, no real suprprise there! LOL

The GT Express machine. I used it several times a week until the nonstick wore out and it became a pain to clean. Hubs and i like different kinds of omelets, and I could make both of our breakfasts at the same time. There is a new GT express out, (not sure the new one is called that) I would like to get. My bread machine was nice to use, but I sold it when I down-sized to move. I didn't bake much in it, but mixed up the dough to make rolls.

P.S, glad to see you have your priorities straight, Cynic...Cat on the lap first, type second.

I deep sixed by toaster oven when I got a convection oven toaster combo.

Love, Love, love my Food Saver! And I also LOVE the Food Saver marinater!

I use my convection/toaster every day. Next would be the little red KitchenAide food chopper and the bread maker. I use all three of them very often....very seldom buy bread.

I have a Kitchen Aid hand mixer that I got as a wedding gift almost 10 years ago. I had always used cheap electric hand mixers - Black and Decker and brands of that caliber. I never realized how poorly those operated until I got the powerful Kitchen Aid one. I used to yearn for a KA stand mixer but I like my KA hand mixer so much that a stand mixer doesn't seem like something I needed anymore (although I wouldn't turn one away if someone gave one to me LOL).

I love our convection/microwave combo, and use it most every day. It is a great timesaver, and does not heat up the kitchen the way a regular oven does!
Thanks for asking,
J

I have a Cuisinart stick blender I got at a yard sale, I love it!

I love my Turbo Oven. Its great for just me.

My Keurig coffee maker! I love it soooo much!

Blessings,
Haley

Nothing I've bought in recent times - they are usually more of a disappointment due to the fact they malfunction or fall apart far too soon no matter how much I pay for them. I generally don't like extraneous appliances so pretty much stick with the basics like a coffee maker, toaster, blender, mixer, etc. The one thing DH insisted on buying after he lived in Japan for a period of time was a rice cooker. So we bought a Zojirushi for a small fortune and it was a fantastic surprise. We use it frequently and it's performed flawlessly for many, many years.

The one little appliance that I love is my little small food chopper. I agree Ruthie! I love mine too.

Flamingo started a thread once about the little top popper. I've bought several of them since and given some away.

I use this small appliance at least once a week. While small its 3 cup capacity (with its own lid) is large enough for most chopping/mincing jobs.
Prices seems to vary quite a bit. K-Mart's website says it is priced at $20.

Black & Decker EHC650 2 Speed 3 Cup Ergo Chopper

Here is a link that might be useful: Black & Decker 3 Cup Ergo Chopper

I research pretty well and don't buy things often on impulse so I I don't have many things I could whose performance I would surprise me.

But I do have an exception. I was in a store once and started conversing with a guy and he brought up the fact that he had a presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven. It's that turntable one that goes around under and over the heating element. He raved av bout the thing.

I thought it was a pretty ridiculous appliance since it was good for just one thing and pizza isn't high on my list. Plus they were around 40 to 50 dollars.

Well saw one on clearance for 19 bucks one day. DH is always doing frozen pizza so i figured I'd spend it on him and maybe he could do his own without mess.

That thing is fantastic! It makes frozen pizza taste almost as good as chain take-out. Just slap the frozen pizza on the tray and 16 minutes late you have hot pizza cooked the way you like it. You can adjust the lower and upper cooking times separately if you like crispy crust or well done topping. DH can do it and clean up after himself. No hot oven in the summer. Well spent $19.00.

My $1.00 yard sale found Gizmo can opener! Never thought that little dickens would last all these years and still have enough sharp umph to cut. It has outlasted my $20 hand crank can opener by 3 years. I got to use it camping and through the power outages of the hurricanes of 2004. WOO HOO for the Gizmo can opener. Still have a hand cranking can opener but very rarely use it.

LIL

"Guess I left myself wide open on that one with the gutter minds here!" Ken, you can always make me smile. LOL And I swear 'that' never even crossed my mind. ;)

I've been hesitating to give you a reply because I didn't want to press my luck, if you know what I mean.

I'm knocking on wood here, just in case, but my favorite appliance is a Samsung microwave I bought in the 80's. Still works like a charm! It's oblong and has come in handy over all these years.

I think I'd enjoy using and learning about a convection oven.

Give your kitty a hug from me. :)

I'm not sure if this counts, but I love my Sonicare toothbrush. It cleans better than any other toothbrush I've ever owned. Even my 10 yo loves it because his teeth are whiter now that he uses it.