For me it is mostly about what there is room for. I am very short on counter space and no walk in pantry for storage. I hoped to save counter space when I got my single cup coffee maker only to discover when I sit it on the drawer for the coffee cups--it is too tall!! I agree on the special rice cooker..and the wok!! I don't even have a toaster on my counter tops--I use it so rarely. I refused the bread maker and have limped by without a food processor. I do like my mini chopper/salad shooter and electric can opener--but that is due to arthritic hands and either I use helpers or not cook.

I have some gadgets including a rice cooker, mixer, bread maker, toaster, chopper, pizza maker, slow cooker, canner, ice cream maker, and love them. Most are not stored on the counter. Even though I have a tiny kitchen and actually have some steel shelving in the kitchen to hold some stuff, the gadgets I have are to me worth having, not 'excess'..

I have a pressure cooker, crock pot, iron skillet, rice cooker, coffee maker, espresso maker, toaster & microwave.

I store everything in the closet except for toaster, microwave & coffee maker.

I think I'm pretty much set with kitchen everything. If I don't have it by now, it's probably because I don't and will never need it.

MIL called me recently to inquire about a deal she found, wondering if she should pull the trigger on a discounted Le Creuset tagine she found. I told her to skip it!

I I don't have one in my collection given all the cooking I do, she need not spend the money on one, and then have it collect dust.

I am not into the gadgets either. I don't need anything that only makes one thing. I also make rice in a pot and popcorn in a pot. I have given away a deep fryer, waffle maker, popcorn maker and GF grill. However I have been tempted to get an ice cream maker because I think it might be fun :)

I like gadgets and I use them. Things I don't use after 1 Yr of purchase I discard. Ex: pineapple peeler/corer but I do use my watermelon slicer, it is like a gigantic apple slicer.

i discarded the form to fry perfectly round eggs (like for macmuffin) but I do use the gadget to stamp ILU message prior to toasting bread.

discarded the icing bag w/fancy tips for cake decorating. Too darned messy!

It makes sense to me to have a waffle maker if you make waffles Same goes for an ice cream maker. A rice cooker is not necessary like a toaster or coffee maker.

It's true that at a certain point, you have all the things you need. I use a blender or food processor rarely. But, I do use them so they are stored in my "pantry" down in the basement.

When we remodeled my kitchen we did away with extra cabinets. That meant that I had to only bring upstairs but I actually needed. I still have a plastic bin filled with extra stuff. Eventually I'll get rid of it.

I do envy people who have large kitchens, for all the storage! I have to move my spices to get to my zip lock bags.

I have a lot of cabinets and a big pantry but I find if you have the space, you will fill it up. I try not to buy the 'latest gadget' like the rice cookers. I do have a few appliances I use fairly regularly like the slow cooker and some I only use a couple of times a year like the canner & large roaster pan, but I still keep them. I would love to have empty counter tops, but we do use our coffee maker, coffee grinder and toaster oven every day. I like the convection toaster oven rather than a toaster (even tho it's larger) because I can do small items in it rather than use the big oven.

Kitchen gadgets are the biggedt pains in my life. Cant do without a few like coffee system, toaster, waffle maker, mixer, elect. Knife, blender, immersion blender, can opener, food chopper, crock pots, electric roasters, sno cone maker & can't think what else is hidden. I should have enough cubbord space to hide most of these, but I don't unless I get rid of junk I don't need or use. Lol. Some things I store in my shed, like the big electric roasters. I keep the coffee maker and toaster on the counter. I think I have about 8 foot of counter space and I used to think there's perfectly good counter space, use it, but it looks junked up so in the cubbords everything gets crammed. I also have a 5 foot breakfast bar/counter..last week hubs said why can't we put some stuff there...is he nuts..I'm not going to sit in the family room and look at kitchen gadgets. Another thing I consider just as irritating as these gadgets..bread. whereto store the bread. Lol

Everyone has their preferences of what appliances are worth the space, what aren't. For me personally, I have 2 rice cookers -- one small, one large. I know how to cook rice in a covered saucepan, but after my MIL showed me the "one button and done" method, I never looked back!

My daughter would not hesitate to tell me "thanks but no thanks," too, to surprise gifts.

Two Christmas's ago, one of my sisters got us one of those super duper "it cooks everything" pots. Used it once, not into pressure cooking and so it sits on the shelf in the pantry. My other sister sent us a very expensive top of the line bread maker, we rarely eat bread and don't need a new "home made bread addiction". I've used it once and now it sits. Their hearts were in the right place and they spent a lot of money to get them for us, but I really wish they hadn't because it's a waste. I have a Kitchen Aid mixer that I love and use often. The mixer, crock pot and toaster are the only gadgets we tend to use. Everything else we do by hand.

ETA: oops, I take that back, we do have a cheap rice cooker we used sometimes and my husband could not go without his beloved coffee maker...but that's it!

I have enough storage, but tend to use the same few things all the time. I do use my rice cooker frequently. I was in the camp of "I can make it on the stove" until I got a small one left behind in an apartment. I used it a few times and decided I needed a larger one.

I have an immersion blender that doesn't get used. I was considering one in the future for life on the boat. I would want one hearty enough to chop ice (margaritas, anyone?) I happened to ask my MIL if she had one, just general inquiry. What shows up under the Christmas tree but a small, lightweight immersion blender? I appreciate the thought, but I really have no use for it.

The only thing I have on my counter is a coffee maker. The microwave is above the stove. I do have a food processor and 2 crock pots but I keep those put away because they are not used often. I don't have a toaster because I can't bring myself to buy one because I don't want to lose counter space.

A sno con maker is a new one to me I do have a food processor and roasting pans and such that I need but don't use often Those are stored on a shelf in the linen closet. How sad is that? Extra linen is in a lidded footstool.

Aok sign me up for the margaritas. I forgot about the immersion blender. I use it a lot.

Margaritas all around! Until I get a good immersion blender, you'll have to bring crushed ice. :P

I do have a rice cooker that I use frequently. I like that if you are doing many other things, like cooking for a large party, you just fill the cooker, press one button, and then not worry. It will be done, it will be perfect, and it will keep it near perfect for hours.

ElizabethA mentioned "extra slow cookers" and I immediately pictured a device where you fill it with ingredients, turn it on and a week later its finally done cooking.

Our new kitchen looks bigger, but there is much less storage, and what there is, is poorly organized and hard to fully utilize. As we finish moving in (if that ever happens) we may need to decide that some seldom used gadgets have to go.

It will be done, it will be perfect, and it will keep it near perfect for hours.

******

That's why I love my Zoji. I can set it and forget it, and it takes a load off my mind to be able to focus on pulling the rest of the meal together.

The smell of Jasmin rice wafting through the house is lovely, too!

We don't have any counter-top appliances that cook (other than a toaster and a microwave oven that I'd like to toss). Especially not the single purpose ones. I've never seen a need for any of them and I'd rather not have the clutter.

Rice cookers seem popular but we don't have one - we almost never eat rice.

Coralee, yep I have an electric sno cone maker. It has proved to be worth every cent I paid for it, 20$ . Expecially when the grands are sick and I need to get fluids in them. Throw ice cubes in the back hit the on switch and shaved ice in a few seconds. My immersion blender gets used more than I thought it would as it makes milk shakes fast with easy clean up.

Elizabeth sadly I have no bread drawer, all of my kitchen drawers are the smaller standard size atthough this summer hubs is supposed to give me a bread drawer. I also have a wicker basket lined in a kitchen linen towel for bread, but I'm always finding lolypops, and other snack foods in it which is ok I suppose I just am anal about anything looking out of place.

We were required to provide a rice cooker for our Maui vacation rental condo. I hadn't known they existed, but it looks neat. We should eat more rice!

There are two appliances on my kitchen counter. I use the coffee maker in the morning. I use the toaster-oven two or three times a day, and I don't even use its broiler function. That's possibly "most used" for "least cost" appliance. The one at the condo was $12 at K-Mart five years ago.

Our M/W is part of the built-in oven/broiler. Don't ever buy that combination. The M/W fails long before the oven/broiler. Then you can pay tons to repair it... or replace the whole thing. I'm pretty much *done* with built-in anything.

I thought I needed a stand mixer, but I seldom use it. I bought it off Kijiji and it works flawlessly, a Cuisinart. I thought I'd use it more often, I honestly don't know what all to use it for. Although it made wonderful meringue for my angel food cake a few weeks ago.

I haven't felt the need for a rice cooker. We do use the slow cooker frequently, and the blender for smoothies. I also have a food processor.

What perfect timing, I was just thinking... I am a sucker for all kinds of kitchen devices!! We don't own a toaster, but have a toaster oven. And, as a rice eater (buy it in 20 pound bags), the rice cooker is essential. Had a bit of a panic attack but gave away the 2nd rice cooker and survived....got an Instant Pot for Xmas (yay!)...have an electric cooker (its a grill pan surface that has a second top that is more like a shallow pot)...three waffle irons (one is going to yard sale)...stand mixer, hand mixer....ancient blender (think 70s yellow)...stick blender...slow cooker, smaller crock pot....ice cream maker (electric)...a chopper (small, electric)...cuisinart (replaced the blade, haha!)...maybe that is it. Oh, induction cooktop.

On the counter I have a coffee maker, toaster, can opener, toaster oven, and microwave.

Stored away in the cabinets under the island that I use often are the waffle maker, KitchenAid and small hand mixer, immersion blender (fresh strawberry daiquiris -yum), slow cooker and electric jar opener.

Things I rarely use or haven't used in years are blender, food chopper, vacuum seal and store, 2 bread machines (1 & 2 lb.), Cuisinart, glass turbo cooker, freezer ice cream maker and air popcorn popper. I keep them because I keep thinking I might use them again someday. DH would get rid of everything but the counter stuff.

Don't have an electric roaster or rice cooker. I rarely make plain rice, only make rice pilaf. And use the oven for roasting. I use to be a gadget nut but have really cut back in the last 10 years.

Oh I have a portable induction burner that sits on the stove burners all the time. It cooks so quickly we hardly ever use the stove top. But it doesn't work the greatest with my cast iron, it seems to over-heat, no matter the temperature, it will start beeping and show an Error message, it's hot.

I was looking at those induction burners and think I would like one over the stove.

I got rid of a bunch of gadgets I never used when I redid the kitchen, and I moved ones that were rarely used, but I wanted to keep), to the big cabinet above the refrigerator. I used to use my Cuisinart nearly daily. Now, maybe 3-4 times a year - it's now up above. Same with blender and rice cooker.

What I kept on my counter was my KA mixer. I don't use it that often, but when I want it, I want it and it's far too heavy for me to be hauling it around. It lives in a corner and is not in the way. I also have my electric kettle. I use it very often and love it. Then there is a very small microwave which I use multiple times a week, and my beloved new Breville Mini Smart oven, a toaster oven that is perfection. That's it for appliances on my counter. I use the toaster oven daily.

My late MIL used to do that. She would never show up for a visit empty handed even though we told her over and over we didn't need or want anything. It was futile, so we eventually learned to accept the gifts and then either give them to someone else or donate them to Goodwill.

I don't like clutter on my kitchen counters or in my cabinets. All I want are things that we regularly use. Right now there is a toaster, a knife rack and a microwave on the counter. My tea kettle sits on one of the stove burners. The other small appliances we use often are the mixer, blender, slow cooker, food processor and food saver and they are all in one of the cabinets. Other than that, we cook almost everything in cast iron skillets.

We used to have a juicer that someone gave to hubby and he used it about twice a year. It was a bear to clean and he finally agreed to send it off to Goodwill as well.

If you like oatmeal and have a rice cooker, you can make the oatmeal in the rice cooker by using the "porridge" setting.

I love gadgets of all kinds and I use the ones I have. Ones that I don't find efficient are donated. Some, like my stand mixer, might only be used 4 - 5 times per year, but when I need it, nothing else works as well. I'm lucky to have a walk-in pantry, so the gadgets can live there or on the lift shelf in one cabinet.

I admit that the rice cooker and the crock pot have been put away for a while. We don't eat many grains these days and I only used the crock pot for pot lucks. We don't use a coffee maker or toaster, but we love our countertop (toaster) oven. It's the perfect size to cook things for the two of us without heating up the big oven. We use it much more than the microwave.

For those of you with limited counter space but a hankering fer gadgets ...

... how about hanging some from the ceiling with rubber bands?

You could put a loop on the bottom, and hang a hook on a string under the edge of the counter, to pull out to hold the machine down on the counter while it was in use?

ole joyful ... who doesn't have a lotta gadgets

joyful -- You need to patent that idea. Talk to George Foreman. LOL

I'm not big on gadgets but I have unreal amounts of kitchen utensils, baking dishes, and pots and pans and enough cast iron to open a store....and quite a bit Le Creuset. I don't have a rice cooker or even a toaster. My mixer is avocado green...so that will give you an idea of it's age. Works perfectly though. I have enough space to keep it all my stuff. I don't keep anything on the kitchen counter though. All my kitchen stuff was bought used. I never buy anything like that new. I don't like new. i still look for and buy vintage utensils.

Mama I use mine every day. It makes a great door stop.

I hate myself for being such a gadget person. At one time I had five slow cookers that held different quantities, three electric skillets, two coffee makers, two electric griddles, two salad spinners and two salad shooters! Not to mention a stand mixer, hand mixer, tortilla maker, bread machine, electric fondue, electric pressure cooker, two blenders, hot air popper, whirly pop, ice tea maker, electric knife, yogurt maker, dehydrator, seal-a-meal, toaster, coffee grinder, food chopper, food processor, two electric juicers, and I'm sure I'm missing something. And we had very small kitchen. We actually removed all the furniture in one of the bedrooms and put in two Gorilla shelf units and three freestanding pantries to house everything. Then last year we remodeled our kitchen/dining/living room. We ended up with much more space in the kitchen, but we decided NOT to jam the drawers and cupboards full of stuff we rarely used. DH set up a few tables in the living room and we pulled SO much out of the bedroom we called "the pantry" and laid stuff out on the tables. Then we invited some of our neighbors over to see if they wanted any of it. By the time the last of them left, there was very little left on the tables and we had a few very happy neighbors. It was a very hard thing for me to do and I agonized over it for a few days, but there were so many things I rarely used. I just felt I needed to have all those things. Oh, I kept a few things, but only what I knew I would really miss if they were gone. The bread maker went across the street and NOW I have decided I want to make lots of different breads, but I knead it by hand, which I find to be oddly satisfying, or sometimes in the food processor.

But darn it, I still love gadgets and its very hard for me to resist some of them.

Donna did you entertain a lot? I recall when yogurt makers were popular. Don't see them anymore.

I have family over for all the holidays, but other than that, no real entertaining. No dinner parties. I just love kitchen stuff. And I've been looking art yogurt makers online for a couple of days now, LOL, then telling myself I don't really need a yogurt maker to make yogurt. Coralee, they're still around.

I'm a pretty basic cook with basic equipment. One thing I can't do without is my Waring blender which we bought in 1961! It is very heavy (solid) and has a separate ice crushing attachment. Makes yummy milk shakes :-)

The newer blenders are not as good as the older ones.

Name a small appliance, I probably have one. I have been trying to sell my electric wok for quite some time. Apparently nobody else wants it either. I gave away my electric knife and my meat slicer (to family). I sold some add ons for my kitchen aid mixer. My cupboards are still full. I don't know why I have my bread maker, we don't eat bread. Just can't seem to part with it. My grandson eats bread so I suppose I'm keeping it so we can make some for him. I have an old house built in 1959. Not a lot of cupboards. It got to the point my linen closet held quite a few appliances. Getting rid of a few has made a difference, only my deep fryer is in there now because it's too big for my kitchen cupboards.

Debby I use my electric wok almost daily. I try to eat healthy while cooking for one and the wok is convenient.

The deep fryer is another one I have and rarely use. Only use it a few times a year. Hubs loves fresh cut fries actually he loves all things cooked in oil. We have an agreement he gets his fries about 3 times a year IF he uses the fryer outside. I can not stand the smell of hot oils and I hate the splatter In my kitchen. This summer I'm going thru my sheds, all 4. I bet I have plenty of gadgets to donate. I know I have a used bread machine someone gave me and after I downloaded the users manual I never used it. One gadget I really would like to have is a food dehydrator. The boys and I really enjoy dried fruits.

As for the old blenders....nothing on todays market can compare.

Mamapinky0, my DH had to have a deep fryer, so I bought him one for Christmas. We made wings and fries a few times. What a pain in the rear, and my house smelled so bad. I hated that thing. I put it in the basement and we never used it again. I sold it a few years ago. I am waiting for him to ask me to get it out and make wings :)

He also got me attachments for my mixer this past Christmas that I am sure I will never use. I get rid of stuff; he buys stuff...

I have a lot of small appliances and I use them all. I do not call them gadgets. I have more than one of some things and at times use them both at once. When making noodles, I use two stand Kitchen Aid mixers each with an attachment on them, one to roll and one to cut. With bad shoulders any more I can not do them by hand, works great for me. I cook a lot for family and more than one appliance gets put to work. I love the jar opener when needed, the blenders, the crock pots, the bread machines. I use one bread machine for heating and mixing up my homemade laundry detergent. It stays near the washing machine. I like bread machines for just mixing up the dough, and the raising part, not the baking part. I use my food processor more than once a week, handy appliance for me. I have plenty of room to store them, but any more at least one of each is always out for my use.

Sue

Something useful that you use regularly doesn't qualify to me as a gadget. It's a tool. Something that is useful to one is a spacewaster to others. I don't cook as much and as "involved" as I used to and the functional tools have evolved due to necessity. I use a microwave often. And I use it for cooking, not just heating water. I use the little convection oven quite regularly. Don't need the big oven much anymore and I thought I'd regret the double oven stove I had which featured a small oven that I used most often. And I do miss that stove but I wasn't comfortable with its safety and wanted to get rid of the corning top.

One "gadget" that is still a tool, though sadly a one trick pony is the Jar Pop® and I keep a couple strap wrenches handy also for opening jars. I usually abhor one-trick ponies but I equally dislike multi-tools that do nothing well. So I walk the like there.

I almost bought a KitchenAid mixer a number of years ago but decided, being it was so big and heavy I likely would not use it often and I'm glad I didn't waste the money on it and for me, it would have been a waste. I'm glad I trashed the slow cookers in favor of Nescos. Rice cooker? Not for me. My sister likes hers but admits she doesn't use it often. Used to use an electric frypan all the time but haven't used one in years now. Might try it out again.