I got to thinking during Body Pump this morning (sometime between a set of painful calf raisins raises and burning 5 minutes of shoulders) about the different appliances and technology in our household. People ask me all the time how I like my Garmin, Vita-mix, juicer, phone. Some of these I bought, some were gifts. The real question is:
“If your XX broke beyond repair, would you buy another?”
Here are those I would and wouldn’t:
Same Week Replacement
My Samsung Infuse Phone – LOVE it. I’d buy another the hour it broke.
My HP Pavilion Elite desktop computer – absolutely. Best computer I’ve ever touched.
Canon 35 mm f/2.0 lens – it never leaves my camera. So versatile! So crisp.
Canon Rebel DSLR XSI – Since this is job dependent, I’d definitely need another. Although I’d consider upgrading to the next level next time!
Sonicare Flexcare – Just got this for Christmas and love it so far!! Much better than my old electronic toothbrush and much easier to handle.
Cuisinart Food Processor – Much less expensive than a vita-mix so this makes the top list. There are things that only a food processor can do well and I couldn’t live without some of them.
Bare Minerals Make-up – Not technically something that can break, but I’d panic if I was out! I’ve been hooked since 2008. Best make-up ever!
Shaklee Cleaners – Also not something to break, but I am still using and loving them daily! This season with peppermint essential oil!
I’d buy another, but I’d Wait For A Sale
Vita-Mix blender – Yup – I’d put down $400 for this blender. It’s by FAR the best out there. It really works magic. The only reason it’s not in the same week list is because of the cost. I’d hope for some kind of flash sale first : )
Garmin Forerunner – It changed the way I ran. My speed went up. If you run, you should have one.
Ipod – I have an Ipod Shuffle, which is great for it’s price, but it’s so simple I get sick of my running music too soon. Next time I’d save up more and buy a real ipod so I could hold more songs and make playlists.
It Was Nice To Know You
HP Netbook – I loved it when I first got it, but now it can’t keep up with my blogging technology. It couldn’t handle Adobe Lightroom so I only travel with it on really quick trips that I know the photography won’t be outstanding anyways. Next time I’d spend a little more on a tiny super power laptop.
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer – When I’m ready to make a cake, it’s glorious to have one. But that only happens about once a year! Whenever I do bake, I find myself mixing by hand rather than lugging out the Kitchenaid. Matt might feel different, although, if it tells you anything our mixer is at the bakery right now and hasn’t come home.
Toaster – For years a toaster cluttered my counters. Now we just use our toaster oven or the oven’s broiler. Much more multipurpose.
Stick blender – Ours broke and we didn’t replace it. As handy as these are, the Vita-mix works better and Matt always complained about the performance of our stickblender.
Breville Juicer – When I’m craving green juice, I do love being able to make it at home. But produce is expensive and sometimes homemade juice costs more than at a juice bar. As infrequent as I juice, I’d probably just stop by a juice bar when I was in the mood.
Polar Heart Rate Monitor – After getting a Garmin and stopping counting calories, I really didn’t have much use for this.
Canon S95 Point n Shoot Camera – It’s nice to have a point and shoot available, but this camera was a little disappointing and don’t think worth the price. It still has that blown-out point and shoot image and despite having manual settings, doesn’t even compare to my Canon Rebel. Next time I’d probably get one of the $100 models and only use it when my Rebel wasn’t available.
What have I missed?
I’m now considering buying a rice cooker!! I hate making grains on the stove-top and Emily has me convinced that I’d love one!
***
Lunch today was a fabulous, simple creation.
Leftover mac n cheese mixed with greek yogurt and half a can of salmon. Topped with goat cheese and microwaved until warm. Like an instant casserole!
A NOT perfect pear on the side. This guy was sadly watered down and flavorless : (
BLOOPER!
Laurie says
my daughter lives by our rice cooker! It is used several times a week and its great because you can walk away and forget about it. The other thing I now need is my crock pot. Again, great to walk away from. What is gathering dust…my deep fryer, my dehydrator, my juice…..
Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous says
Mac and cheese with salmon sounds so gourmet! I now buy my salmon in pouches to limit BPA exposure from cans.
Kinley @ Better Off Barefoot says
I always think it’s funny how I was so sure I needed certain things and now they sit in my cupboard/closet just waiting for me to remember them… I liked your list!!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
HA. Love the blooper!! I love just creating meals, so fun!!
Thanks for sharing your list. It was good to know.
Hillary says
My Garmin has changed the way I run, too, especially during race training. It was a birthday gift, but I would totally shell out the money for another one! My iPod was another gift that’s essential—I use it almost every single day!
Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables says
I have a vitamix on my wedding registry, definitely hoping to get it!! I agree about the toaster too-takes up too much counter space!
Andrea says
I LOVE my rice cooker, but if I were going to buy another, I would buy one that I could program to make oatmeal. I can make oatmeal on the porridge setting and I can program the rice setting, but I can’t program the oatmeal/ porridge setting. I do use it to cook wheatberries and other grains on the rice setting, so maybe I should try making oatmeal on the rice setting…. Anyway, I would absolutely buy another rice cooker! I’ve heard you can steam fish and rice at the same time, but I’ve never tried it. I did get a (completely unused) recipe book with my current rice cooker though.
Jenn@slim-shoppin says
I use my kitchen-aid almost every day – so I would replace that in a second (although mine was a gift – so not that easy to replace!)
I’m with you on the rice cooker though. My sister has one – she paid like 10 bucks for it and has had it for 5 years and uses it every week. You can do rice, quinoa, etc..
Christine @ Oatmeal in my Bowl says
I love my rice cooker. Get one with a steamer. It’s an awesome essential item to have. 😉
I do have a cuisinart immersion blender that I bought to make Indian food, but rarely use it. Unfortunate. Next up on my list – I definitely want a Vitamix. However, my old Oster blender works really well.
Holly @ thefrozenpineapple says
Get a rice cooker! I got my Zojirushi for Christmas a couple years ago and LOVE it! I got it because it had a setting for brown rice (which is pretty much all I make) and I also have a Zojirushi mini-breadmaker, which I’m also pleased with. There are lots of models and sizes (it’s just the hubby and me so I chose the small one) from which to pick. In retrospect, though, I would investigate to see if any of their fancier/bigger models had a “quick cook” setting for brown rice (mine doesn’t). Take a look!
Pat says
we are currently in a rental apt in Hawaii, and it has a very simple Panasonic rice cooker – like you put in the water and rice and push the start button – no programing, no delays, no settings. It makes brown rice perfectly. THe only drawback is that you can only make a batch of 3 cups water, 1.5 cups rice, and like to make big batches and have it on hand or freeze it. I am totally buying one when I get home. Just probably one that makes bigger batches.
Gwen says
Second the Zojirushi! I use mine for rice, quinoa, oatmeal, any grains. Pricey, but they never break!
natasha says
I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer ALL the time but then I have three children and so my needs differ. I also love my mini food processor and my Sonicare toothbrush and my Blackberry. My Blackberry broke last week after a good 3.5 years and I bought another one right away. Oh and my iPad. I use it daily so would have to replace that if it went out as well. I go through phases with my juicer. I love to juice but not the prep/cleanup plus like you said it’s less expensive to just buy it sometimes. I buy a week’s worth of carrot juice at the grocery store for $6.08 unless I have carrots to pull from our garden. I could do without my toaster too.
Sneakers2Sandals says
That was great. I would HAVE to buy a new Vac N Steam…is it weird I love my vacuum?
~Christy says
I love my rice cooker…though it doesn’t do brown rice very well — seems to burn the bottom which is no good. So super easy!
Kathy says
Love your list! I have been considering a rice cooker as well because you can just dump and forget about it until it’s ready.
Maria @ Sinfully Nutritious says
Vitamix…yes, yes, yes, a million times. Mandolin (with glove), yes. Food Processor, yes. Great knife, yes.
Juicer, no. Waste too much fruit and veg, I would rather have a vitamix. Food Dehydrator that I had to have the 2 weeks I went raw? No way. It just stares at me from atop the fridge asking me why I never use it, as I open a package of TJ’s dried fruit. Kitchen Aide mixer, it awesome when I bake, however, I have to admit, I had to have it because the aqua color matched my beachy kitchen. Oh yeah, my ipad and iphone, I could not live without. All the exercise equipment who talk to my dehydrator while watching me do exercise dvds as they gather dust, no!
Roxanne says
I liked the list on cameras, I have a plain Panasonic Lumix and I would love to take real closeup pictures of things, although one of the features is food… but not good enough for small detailing.
One thing I would buy again if it broke: my microwave. I reheat stuff all the time! And I don’t want to dirty a pot and wait for the ever slow stove to heat it up!
Maria @ Sinfully Nutritious says
I have the fz100, and I agree, even in food mode, small details just are not clear. I love its zoom. Maybe next year I will get a dslr. I am so afraid of learning how to operate one.
Cait @ Beyond Bananas says
I would definitely buy my iPhone and macbook pro if they broke. Phone immediately.. but I’d wait a bit for the computer and just use my fiances! I tend to get major anxiety with big purchases.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
Haha I’m pretty sure Vitamixes don’t go on sale, but if you ever see one, TELL ME! I’m desperate for one!
KathEats says
They were 50% off in OpenSky a while back!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
SERIOUSLY!?!?! Ahhhh! I hope they do it again!!!!
Lauren says
They sometime have 20% off on QVC too!
Mary Frances says
I got that OpenSky deal! Initially, I was skeptical because it was so much less than anywhere else, but I use it nearly every day. It is W O N D E R F U L ! The VitaMix was just under $200 because I had some credits as well. Love OpenSky!!! Recently there was a VitaMix demo at Wegmans, and when I told the man I was thinking about getting another one because I would be lost without mine, he reminded me of the six year warrantee. If OpenSky does that again, I definately would get it.
Bree says
What!?! Please let us know when!
Karen says
I’ve been considering purchasing a rice cooker for a while also, though I took it off my wish list thinking it’s just going occupy much-needed cabinet space. Yet, everyone I know who has one, loves it. So, you’ve rekindled my interest, but the jury is out. (Keep us posted!)
Thanks for recommendation on the PC – I’m going to be replacing my (oldish, but excellent) Sony Vaio desktop soon, so I’ll def. check out that HP model.
My bosc pears’ appearance and taste are a bit off too…bummer since those are typically my favorites.
Karen says
Re: stick blenders – I have always loved mine b/c I make a lot of blended soups, and it’s so much easier than transferring the soup to a blender. BUT, I recently accidently scratched a non-stick pot with the blender blade, thus rendering it completely useless as the chemicals in a non-stick surface can be released into food when scratched. So, I’m not planning on stick blending again anytime in the near future!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
I don’t know what I’d do without my Cuisinart blender/food processor, iPhone, or my MacBook! My stick blender on the other hand… I’m on the same page as you with that one!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I don’t love my rice cooker, but it’s a really cheap one that I got for Christmas last year. Emily’s is way better than mine and I wish I had one more like that. I love my kitchen aid and use it all the time. I bake a lot though and most of your baking takes place at the bakery though, right? It’s always nice to know what people love and what they can’t live without. I’m thinking about starting to run, so I think I need to look into a Garmin!
Christine says
Thanks Kath. I put the Vitamix and Cuisinart Food Processor on our wedding registry. I have wanted the KitchenAid for such a long time now, but many of my friends do not use it just like you. Can’t run without my Garmin as well – except when I go for a stress relief/nature run!
Lili says
I think the secret to the stand mixer is that it has to live on your counter. Otherwise it’s too heavy to set up each time you want to use it. I use mine 4-5 times per week.
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
I would never buy another DROID phone – I hate mine and can’t wait for the contract to expire! It’s a sad day when your pear is disappointing. 🙁
kathleen @ the daily crumb says
omg i could not agree more. i hate, hate, HATE my droid.
KathEats says
whatttttt!?!?! I went Droid and never looked back..
Kimberly says
I love my Droid too!!
Leah says
I love my Droid as well! The iphone is all overpriced hype.
Stacy says
I had an HTC Droid and HATED it! I’ve ever heard good things about Samsung, so I think it might be an HTC problem. However, I’ve got an iPhone now and would never go back.
Christena says
I had a Droid for years and wasn’t crazy about it. Got the iPhone for Christmas and I will never, ever buy another (type of) phone. I seriously LOVE IT and I’m generally not interested at all in technology or gadgets. It’s just a completely different experience – way more user friendly for me, holds all my music (!!!), the camera is so much better, and the phone is just overall faster! I love the email setup and iCloud!
kathleen @ the daily crumb says
such an interesting list! the only one i “disagree” with is the hand mixer… i use mine all.the.time. so much easier than lugging out the food processor or blender!
anne says
How your Shark steam mop??
KathEats says
GOOD!! That would go on the replace immediately list.
KathEats says
(although if it broke I would consider another brand, but I’m not unhappy with it at all)
anne says
Thanks! I am considering one for my hardwood floors and I remember you really liking yours.
Lawanda Johnson says
I absolutely love my Cuisinart Smart Power Duet (blender/food processor). I use the blender often to make fruit and veggie smoothies. I use the food process even more to make soups and raw nut pate’s. And to answer the question, I would definitely purchase another if it were broke beyond repair. In fact, a couple of weeks ago my partner smashed the part that turns the blade when he was blending garbanzo beans for the hummus he was making (I have no idea how it happened)….It was a couple days before he purchased the part and fixed it….I nearly died without it. Totally recommend this product. It makes it easy for me to stay healthy
Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles says
I could do with a Forerunner…my husband is convincing me to run a 1/2 marathon in May…yikes! I love my Black and Decker Bread Machine, I agree on the toaster…next time it busts or I get so tired of it not toasting properly, I am going in search of a toaster oven…what would you recommend? I like my hand immerser for sauces…that way there is no transferring hot liquid issues. My ulitimate favourite luxury item…my very large le Creuset pot! Love, love, love it!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
I LOVE a crock pot and rice cooker–SO awesome.
I want a VitaMix!!
Sara R. says
I’ll tell you something I learned last year that changed my life…you can cook rice just like pasta. Fill the pot with water, drop in the rice, simmer until done, then drain. I was told this by a local chef around here, apparently it’s the French method for cooking rice. I had a MISERABLE time trying to get liquid/rice proportions exactly right so that the liquid boiled out at the exact time the rice was done, even with my rice cooker, and we were forever eating slightly crunchy or overly-mushy rice. Now that I just boil it the texture is much better, and I’d even venture to say it stands up to a night in the fridge and tastes better as leftovers too! Just give this method a shot before you invest in a rice cooker 🙂
Bizzle says
I’m so gonna try this!
Mom says
Me too. Wow. Cliff complains that I dry out the rice. Thanks!
Courtney says
Love this post as I think the exact same way. I am SUPER picky about which appliances & gadgets I purchase/keep around due to the fact I live in a small-ish Chicago condo. I have to tell you, I held out on buying a rice cooker for the longest time as I didn’t think it was 100% necessary and while it obviously is not, I LOVE IT! I bought a small, simple one and fine myself making rice and grains so much more often now. Plus, it is so much easier to clean than a pot! Definitely worth it – 100%. I always wonder how the cooker knows when the grains are done though – it’s magic!
Kelly @ Vegolosophy says
Hands down agree about the Vita-mix. I wanted one for SOOOO long, but put if off because of the price. I finally budged when they were on sale at Costco and man, best decision ever. That blender seriously makes food so much better 🙂
Blessing @ Working Mom Journal says
I want a Garmin so bad….where do you recommend I get one?
KathEats says
Amazon usually has the best prices
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
I’ve always wanted a rice cooker! 🙂
Kerry @ Totes My Oats says
That lunch looks so comforting. There’s nothing like hot pasta, mmmmm!
Hannah @ eat, drink, and save money says
I actually use my rice cooker more to steam veggies. But I do love it! It is great when you already have too much stuff on the stove.
Sarah (I Dream of Beets) says
I just got a Garmin for my marathon training, and it’s awesome, though I admit that it’s easy to become obsessive about times and distance. I’m hoping it leads me to a 3:12 marathon.
Cait's Plate says
Loved this post. I agree with pretty much everything you said. The only thing I would add to the first list is my kitchen aid stand mixer. Call my lazy but I couldn’t live without it!
Pat says
I love my KitchenAid mixer, but I make my own bread most of the time, so it gets used. (I do buy GH when I get to it, but it’s 50+ miles away). I hardly ever use my blender in the winter – just can’t get into smoothies when it’s below zero. I use my food processor enough that I’d replace it. I wouldn’t replace the stick blender. I love my iPod Touch and my iPad, couldn’t live without them. I don’t have a smart phone, but the phone I have needs to be looked at – shuts itself off all the time, even with a full battery.
Thanks for the lists!
occula says
LOL!! LOVE the blooper shot!!
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
I think my desire for a point and shoot kind of ended when I upgraded to an iPhone. The photo quality is great, so I’d rather save the money that I would spend on a point & shoot and put it towards my SLR/lenses. Although, I do think those waterproof point & shoots (or the waterproof cases for regular point & shoots) are reallllly cool! That might be worth the $$.
Kelly says
GREAT informative post!!! Love it. I bought a Nike+ GPS watch and love it. I went back and forth between it and the Garmin but settled on the Nike+ and am very pleased!
Lara says
Kath, you should definitely get a rice cooker! Being half Filipino I can’t live without rice, so I really use my cooker quite a lot. I’ve had better experiences with my Asian rice cookers than my new Scandinavian one although my current one is good too and has a steamer, which I like. I agree with the poster above that brown rice sometimes sticks to the bottom – I’ve found that experimenting with amounts of water and types of brown rice helps with this. I also agree with the poster that said that next time she would get a cooker that made oatmeal and other grains too. Would love that! Besides my rice cooker, I use the handheld blender quite a lot for comfy soups and my food processor for nut butters. 🙂
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama says
I couldn’t live without my Cuisinart Food Processor, Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, and Garmin. My FP broke recently and I did replace it that very day!
I thought I didn’t ever need a stick blender until I had twins. It was great to mix up large batches of formula! Now that they are off formula, I never use it.
erica says
i love this post! 🙂
i just wrote about how i don’t think i’m going to be a regular juice-er, and was so thankful that bed bath & beyond was sold out of the breville juicer when we went to buy it–forcing us to just borrow my parent’s juicer to try out. made us realize it’s too bulky and it just gets pretty pricey!!!
Sydney@ Nutrition with Sydney says
I live in a small apartment, so I have to put a lot of consideration into appliances! for Christmas this year I got a Cuisinart Griddler-it’s great! You can use it open flat or as a press-and there are three different types of plates-flat, griddler/panini, and waffle. Great multi-use appliance for small spaces!
Jen @ Whittle My Middle says
I love the blooper shot! I’ve always wanted a Vitamix but they sure are pricey.
I couldn’t live without my slowcooker. That thing is my personal chef.
faith says
Nearly every time I use my food processor (i.e. EVERYDAY!) I think to myself “If this breaks right now I will be sad for a second and then I won’t bate an eyelash at immediately dropping $150 for another one”. LOVE that thing.
Jamie @ Don't Forget the Cinnamon says
Will you kill me if I tell you about the glorious harry and david pear I had with my lunch today? Juicy and sweet and perfect!
KathEats says
No I will be happy for you and will imagine its taste 🙂
Kathy says
Hi Kath,
This is a completely unrelated topic to your blog post, I hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t help but think of your blog when I saw this. I have been a blog reader for about a year now and read it everyday faithfully. I always appreciate that you love Sardines, cause my little hometown in Canada is the last sardine plant in NA. They just did a little documentary on it, so I thought I would send you the link, so you could see where your little canned treasures come from. I feel like we all get to see a little piece of your life, so I thought I would show you a little piece of one of your blog readers… Hope you enjoy!!
www.cbc.ca/landandsea/2012/01/sardines.html
KathEats says
Thanks Kathy! I’ll go watch 🙂
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
Rice cookers are bulky and take up too much room for me and I have a crock pot I never use. I know, they’re different, but ya know. I’ve considered one many times; it’s not the money, it’s the storage. I just posted about going prop shopping this weekend but told myself NO on many items b/c I don’t have the storage!
Breville Juicer – and everything you said, 100% agreed. The cost, the time to wash all the produce, then actually juice it, then clean up that darn juicer…I.hate.that.task. And it takes forever! So $5 later and 20 mins later, you’ve got that one great glass of juice 🙂
The camera, lens, etc…totally agree! Great post, Kath.
Erin Motz says
I too would just collapse if my food processor broke. …maybe not, but it’d be pretty tragic. Let me know when the vita mix goes on sale! I’ll prob collapse then, too, but this time from excitement! lol
Sara says
YES on the rice cooker/steamer! I can’t tell you how many pots of rice I undercooked or burned to the bottom of the pan before my bf at the time took pity and bought me a rice cooker. (It’s outlasted our relationship, which makes me laugh just a bit.) 🙂 Thanks for the idea–I plan to do a similar kind of sorting with my own stuff, as I’ve got few moves on the horizon.
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
Haha, I don’t know why but that blooper picture really made me laugh!
I know you love your Droid, but after playing with my mom’s and the rest of us in the family having iphones, I really can’t understand it. I hate that thing!
Catherine says
Hey Kath! Wanted to tell you I was in your neighborhood today at Circa, and they have some awesome half gallon blue ball jars for sale! I bought 2! Thought you might want to check them out since it is so close to the bakery.
KathEats says
Oh fun!! They are on my “buy immediately” list 🙂
Paige @ Running Around Normal says
Fun post!
on my buy the same week list:
iPhone, crock pot, food processor
Vitamix almost makes the list, but I think like you, I’d wait until a sale – or at least until a milestone where I could ask Shane for it as a present 🙂
Susan V says
SAY YES to the rice cooker!!! I bought exactly what Emily recommended, and I have steel cut oats fully cooked and ready when I get up (I use half almond milk and half water) and ready for toppings. The fabulous rice and grains are simply a bonus!!
Allison says
The mac and cheese casserole concoction sounds awesome! Would love something that warms me from the inside out right about now 🙂
P.S. My momma bought a rice cooker yearsss ago and I love going over to her house to use it- with a simple the push of a button, about 20 minutes with the lid on, and a little fluffing at the end, you’re guaranteed perfectly cooked rice! I’ve never tried it for any other grain like quinoa or oats, I wonder if it would work?!
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
It works perfectly for them–I have a Zojirushi 5.5 cup and I make steel cut oats all the time, but tons of different grains too!
sally mae says
I totally agree on the rice cooker! I realized I can steam a piece of salmon in 15 min. in the steamer basket and I am totally hooked!
Cosmos says
Is it possible to make juice in the Vitamix? How close are the Breville Juicer and the Vitamix in function? I’ve been wanting a Vitamix and I was hoping it would do a lot.
KathEats says
You can’t make juice in a vita-mix. The fiber is still all in there and it’s not the same. You CAN make vegetable smoothies though, although they aren’t as refreshing!
Ty says
I totally suck at making rice on the stove top (it gets mushy) and considered buying a rice cooker. But I asked a lot of people and they said the rice still comes out pretty mushy…
So I started making rice in the oven. It takes an hour for brown rice but it is the most amazingly/perfectly cooked brown rice ever. And it’s ridiculously easy.
This is the recipe I use.
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/03/by-request-cooks-illustrateds.html
Sarah says
I use our rice cooker for Coach’s Oats – works like a charm 🙂
Kristen @ Change of Pace says
That pear is so cute! Bummer it was a dud. I hate that. We just bought a rice cooker and it has been a serious life saver. I dreaded making brown rice on the stove so I avoided it. Now I make it all the time. Rice + veggie broth in the cooker and DONE. Love the simplicity.
Lindsay says
You’d love a rice cooker! We had an OLD one which was fine, but we upgraded after we got married to a much larger and programmable one. Now I can set brown rice up in the morning to cook and be ready right when I get home and whip up a quick dinner. I also tested out steel cut oats with it and they were delicious.
sally wimberley says
what! no pressure cooker? lol– I have fallen in live with mine this past 6 months!
CheezyK says
Teehee, viewing this on the phone on my way to work the heading ‘I’d buy another but I’d wait for a sale’ looked like it was a caption under the photo of Matt 🙂
I totally agree with you about the Samsung, I love mine.
I fought the rice cooker thing for a very long time but now that we have one I wouldn’t look back – it’s now firmly in the ‘I’d replace it asap’ category.
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs says
Hahahaha, I LOVE the blooper! 🙂
I enjoyed your lists & explanations!
Tiffany says
I used to use bare minerals in past and loved it but it would get all over my dresser and clothes when i was applying the foundation. Does that happen to you too?
But i did ask a dermatologist what brand he would recommend to individuals which sensitive/acne prone skin and he said bare minerals.
You should do a post about your favorite makeup products…that would be fun! 🙂
KathEats says
It happens to my mom, but she is not very careful!
I am super careful when I tap some into my lids that I don’t overdo it. Think gentle like eggshells!
Mom says
I am trying to be careful, but I still have trouble. Sometimes bad trouble like it gets on my clothes. And I find the blush sometimes will not come off bathroom counters, so esp. awkward if you’re at someone else’s home. I sure think it’s natural looking make up though.
Jen on the Edge says
Interesting question. Most of my appliances are keepers because I’ve figured out what works for me and what doesn’t. I thought my coffee maker would be a keeper but when it recently broke, I ended up replacing it with an old school coffee percolator.
jessica says
Hi Kath!
I highly recommend buying a rice cooker. I actually have 2 kinds: the traditional rice cooker and a microwavable rice cooker. Of course I prefer my traditional rice cooker; however, I couldn’t exactly bring one with me during my first year in college. So, I bought a small microwavable rice cooker that allowed me to cook 2-3 cups of rice at a time. I was extremely satisfied with my purchase because the rice only takes around 10 min to cook in the microwave, it cooks just as well and it is very durable. I still use it to this day and would say it is around 7.5 years old. It’s also nice if you want to eat rice without having to make a big batch. Otherwise, you can just cook a large amount and then make fried rice with the leftovers =)
Jessica
Jen says
I’ve heard it can be used for making soups and stews as well? An alternative to a crock-pot? I don’t cook enough rice to warrant a cooker but if it served other roles it might be worth it.
Amy the Hygienist says
Yay! Very excited about the Sonicare making the list. They are awesome! I just upgraded to their new Diamond Clean. It’s great and you’re right, they are a same week replacement. Once you use a Sonicare you can’t use anything else. I’m sure I’ll be able to tell at your next cleaning! hahaha 🙂
KathEats says
Hahaha! Hi Amy! My sister has been bugging me to get one for years so I finally did. I’ve been flossing!
Erin says
Yay for flossing! I read an article this week that said flossing each day can help extend your life. 🙂
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
I totally agree with a lot of your assessments! I definitely think a food processor is a must, because you really can’t make certain things without it (pesto, etc) or grind parmesan. Although I have had a mini and it’s been sufficient so far!
I bought a rice cooker, the cheaper 5.5 cup version, BECAUSE of Emily’s love for her’s as well, and I am in love with it. It makes me oatmeal in the morning, is fabulous at cooking rice (particularly wild rice), and is just super convenient. I love being able to program it to be ready whenever I want, it’s like my very own sous chef 🙂
Emily @LivingLongfellow says
OOOOOHHHH yessss!! You MUST buy a rice cooker. We used ours daily for 2 years in Korea, and now back home we have one. We’ve had a simple one and an amazing one, and they both are so worth it. The cheap ones run about $25, and the fancier ones closer to $100+. Mine can do everything from mow the lawn to run laps to organize my closet. 🙂
Kimberly says
Good post! Love when you switch up the posts and add a little something extra in! You obviously have a lot of gadgets, so you are definitely a good go to person for people who are interested in purchasing some of these things.
Jane says
Rice cooker is absolutely worth it… I’d replace mine immediately if it broke!
deva at deva by definition says
I would replace my iPhone the same week. I want a stand mixer – we do a lot of baking (pizza crust, rolls, cookies, etc), so it would get a lot of use. I’m registered for a half marathon in May and want a Garmin like you wouldn’t believe. I am biding my time carefully for one!
Rebecca says
I recently bought a Sanyo rice cooker and–not to sound dramatic–it has changed my life. It is OUTSTANDING! It does all types of grains, functions as a slow cooker, is easy to clean, is compact and it’s energy-smart, to boot. I’ve always been terrible at cooking grains on the stove and I’ve burned many a pot, so to be able to set it an walk away is perfect!
jenna k says
your lunch sounds so good!
i’ve been considering getting a garmin/HR monitor for awhile now, so i’m wondering the difference between your garmin and your polar monitor. i’m still counting calories, but by the time i save enough money to buy one, i probably won’t be anymore (or at least MUCH less strict!).
Kelly Kurcina says
Kath, maybe one of these would satisfy your craving! :=)
Kelly Kurcina says
http://www.annies.com/products/Deluxe-Mac-Cheese oops! here it is..
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning says
This post is AWESOME! I love hearing reviews of products from real people- and people whose opinions I trust! I have several of the items on your list(s) and agree with pretty much everything. However, I am a Mac girl and wouldn’t ever stray… (even though I can’t use Windows Live Writer on Mac OS!)
I have a Breville and never use it because it’s SUCH a pain to clean- but – it does a GREAT job at juicing. I want to get rid of our toaster, because we don’t need that and a toaster oven, but my hubby has some weird attachment to it.
And of course- Vitamix is the best purchase ever. My husband went all out and bought the pricey one- so it better last FOREVER.
Katy says
It’s great to see someone else’s list of things they really can’t be without. With you on the Bare Mineral make-up too! I have all my music on my iPhone, gosh, I have my life on that thing! I’m also a newly converted MAC girl…love my MacBook Pro! Need a better camera…I like the idea of the one you use…need to save up!
Carrie says
I absolutely detest my point and shoot. I don’t want a big fancy camera (I’d never be able to motivate myself to take it anywhere) but the one I have is ghetto. It doesn’t even have a memory card, it has a memory “stick”. I MEAN ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
PS. DIED WHEN I SAW THAT BLOOPER.
Ellie@Fit for the Soul says
Niiiice I really liked this post b/c I always wondered about some of those things! And I’ll def. take a look at the 35mm. Also, a vitamix sounds wonderful~but my hamilton blender has been doing the job (kind of) for the last 10 years. haha! That’s so long.
Kristin says
Those products are definitely great essentials. I have a Cuisinart Food Processor and I look it!! My favorite things to make with it are fresh hummus and basil. Your lunch with the pear also looks delicious!
Lindsay @ Salt, Sun & Sanity says
I’ve really been debating buying a Garmin… I usually use my MapMyRun app on my iPhone- is it really worth it? It would be helpful to have my pace right on my wrist…
Matt says
I would buy a Kitchenaid Pro instead of the Artisan… to make good bread you need a real dough hook, plus the extra capacity is nice. But I’d wait for a deal.
KathEats says
Hey are you commenting from bed up there!?
Michele says
You would love a rice cooker! We have had ours since our couples shower 18 years ago, and we use it every week. Put the rice and water in and forget about it. Never scorch your rice again!
Thanks for your amazing daily inspiration!
Michelle (Better with Berries) says
Hahaha, I love the blooper photo! I loved reading all of your comments about which gadgets you’d get/not get. Especially the kitchenaid mixer one! I’m at the age where I have a friend getting married almost every few months, and a kitchenaid mixer is always on the registry. I always wonder if I’ll put one on mine, but I honestly just think I’d rather mix by hand, like you said.
Luv What You Do says
I could never live without my immersion blender. I even used to to make enchiladas tonight. The other things I would have to replace in my kitchen would be by food processor, mini food prcessor, and of course my crockpot!
Heather says
I use the Vita-clay rice and slow cooker and I LOVE it !! You can use it for different kinds of rice, soups/stews, oats, etc. And it cooks in a clay pot 🙂
Stacy @ Say It With Sprinkles says
I need need NEED a Vitamix blender! Unfortunately, that means I’m gonna NEED to win the lottery before I can buy one, haha!
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
I LOVE having a food processor! And I don’t have a blender but I have a different brand of a “Magic Bullet” and since I’m only ever making smoothies for 1, it works perfect!
Becky O'Brien says
Great list! Great idea! I do like my iPhone and my son just got me an iPad, which I imagine I will appreciate, as well. Amazing how easy technology can make our lives, isn’t it! So glad I have my Shaklee cleaners, too, to make life not only easier, but safer!
Sarah C says
I would love to read your review if you got a rice cooker! Recently being diagnosed with Celiac disease, I’ve been cooking plenty of rice on the stove top and I find it time consuming to constantly be watching the pot and cleaning out the dried out rice that sticks the the edges!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I agree – I wouldn’t be able to go a week without my food processor! I just wish I had one with a bigger capacity – mine only holds 3 cups! 😛
Lethal Astronaut says
We LIVE with our rice cooker. It’s on it’s last legs now, and we’ll replace it the second it dies.
Ours has a steam tray in the top (it’s a BREVILLE), so you can steam fish or veggies or whatever and have all your meal done at once. I like to steam green veggies and drizzle with with 1 tsp sesame oil and a tablespoon of soy – the sauce drips down to the rice and flavours it.
And yes, you can cook quinoa and other grains in a rice cooker too 🙂
J @ ... semplicemente ... j says
I must say I loved your list but mine differs … I love my Kitchen Aid Professional Stand Mixer … I am not a baker … although my love for baking is now increasing … but every time I use it I fall in love with it … I have the pewter color its so beautiful I just leave it out in my counter.
I love the taste of making rice … white, brown, etc … and the rice cooker will never do it the way you can do it on a stove. I have my Breville Panini/Griller (in an Italian household an essential). I recently bought a toaster after like 16 years of not having one and like you using the broiler/toaster oven … I love it … different texture than a panini maker and I so worth it in my book. I love my immersion blender!
I would love to have a juicer (never tried it) but everyone tells me once you have it you never use it – so I can’t bring myself to spend the money.
I am a gadget kind of girl though … in terms of my camera I wish I could upgrade every two years!
Angel7 says
I never thought to use our oven’s broiler as a toaster–will have to try that sometime, though. I always pull out our toaster.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
von says
Thanks for the lists! It’s valuable to know what others use and like the most.
For what it worth………we cook our quinoa in our rice cooker, too. It so easy!
Anna@ActiveFingers says
I got a rice cooker after my parents had an exchange student from Korea. I also had several Korean roommates in college and they taught me how they made rice in the cooker and now I always have wonderful sticky rice. I love it!
Kavi @ Lab to Fab! says
Stuff I can’t live without… my iphone and macbook! I have a KitchenAid mixer, and I love it, but don’t use it as often as I’d like. You must get a rice cooker — it’s the key to perfect rice 🙂 Fun post!
Marie says
I love my rice cooker! I use mine to make one serving of hot oats for me in the morning. The oats cook themselves while I shower! Lately I have been throwing in dried apples, raisins, chias, cinnamon and salt, all topped with biscoff when cooked!
Khushboo says
Great post/list..my iTouch is the one thing I’d probably buy on the same day if it broke!
Sarah says
You can make playlists on the iPod Mini, but they haven’t made that model in years. Do you mean you have the Shuffle?
KathEats says
Oh yes, sorry, I do mean the Shuffle!
Meagan says
I was drooling over the 599$ vitamix in Williams-Sonoma yesterday. It WILL be mine someday.
Ally @ A Girl in her Kitchen says
Interesting list! I recently got a Breville Juicer and I love it! I would love to get a toaster oven or a vegetable steamer…
Andrea @FrSeed2Stomach says
You don’t have a rice cooker!? You need to get one ASAP! I use mine just as much as my Vita-mix some weeks! They’re easy to use, clean, and everything from rice to quinoa comes out perfect every time. 🙂
Lauri (RedHeadRecipes.com) says
e have a rice cooker and NEVER use it. I’ve fallen in love with trader Joe’s frozen whole grain microwaveable rice and other grains we just cook on the stove.
I just got a new samsung droid Stratosphere and love it, but I really like having an actual keyboard AND a touchscreen, which is why I didn’t go with the Iphone.
Still hoping for a vita-mix…someday! And a DSLR!
Mindy says
Same here! I loved my little $20 rice cooker. I’ve had it since my jr year of college which was about 7 years ago. However, since switching to brown rice about a year ago it just takes up cupboard space. I understand they have ones that will cook brown and wild rice now, but I just get Trader Joe’s organic brown rice in the freezer section. Pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes and it’s hot, fluffy and ready to eat! Will have to give that whole grains one a try.
Amanda says
Love this post! Where do you buy your Bare Minerals – online or in store?
KathEats says
It depends on if I’m near a store. If so, I do, but I’ve also restocked online too
Tracy says
Great post!
I love my rice cooker! It’s definitely on my replace immediately list, as is my Blendtec blender (like a VitaMix).
I agree with you on the juicer. Sadly, I bought mine last spring, used it 10 or 12 times and haven’t touched it since!! I want to sell it.
ANYONE OUT THERE WANT TO BUY A BARELY USED BREVILLE JUICE FOUNTAIN PLUS?!?!
April says
Kath, instead of a rice cooker buy a pressure cooker!! I received a Kuhn Rikon as a gift a few years ago, and it was the best present ever! You can make anything you’d typically make in a slow cooker all day in under an hour, it saves energy and the food tastes like it’s been simmering all day! Beef stew, soups, ribs, roasts … you name it. I recently started making dried beans and rice in mine in record time. Perfect brown rice in 20 minutes! I highly, highly recommend it.
Elis says
Hahah, the blooper made laugh really hard inside 😀