This Friday, my domestic wishlist turns mechanical as I think about - appliances...
As I'm doing my third load of laundry tonight, and getting to the bottom of my formerly endless supply of quarters (see, when you spend no money, you get no change), I keep thinking that wouldn't it be beautiful to do laundry in the comfort of your own home without having to save your quarters. To have the option of a gentle cycle, or the opportunity to throw something in the dryer for only 10 minutes more. It would be so beautiful. Some day...
I also dream of a frost-free freezer. See, I have one of those ancient refrigerators with a laughable freezer compartment that turns to a block of ice in a heartbeat. Even when it's empty of icebergs, it has room for in ice cube tray, two packages of frozen vegetables, and maybe one other thing. That's it. I periodically excavate and feel victorious when I rescue the ice cube trays, (the other stuff is often too scary to salvage), but I admit that I have let the arctic breezes have their way for a while. But some day, some day soon, I will have a freezer that keeps things frozen, without expanding its walls. Just think, even I could put a whole half gallon of chocolate ice cream in my freezer.
I have a gas stove now. It's fine. But some day, I'm going to have one where you can put a cookie sheet in the oven sideways! You know, with the long side facing in. It will be wide. Like a grown-up stove.
I actually have a fair number of countertop appliances for someone with no counters. I have a drip coffee maker (Aunt Evelyn's), a blender (Mom's), for making mousse and fool, a food processor (Mom's), for making latkes, two hand mixer's (one Grandma's, one new one from somewhere, you know, just in case. I also have two irons, but that's another story), and two waffle irons (yay, Freecycle!!!). Some day I am going to have counterspace, or at least ample, convenient shelf space at counter-ish level so that these things can be out and ready to be used, or at least easily fetched, without having to take apart the whole kitchen.
I'm sure there are many more things I need, though I can't think of any. I would like an immersion blender so I could more easily make recipes like that parsnip soup (Yup, I think that's now one of the ice pops in my freezer). Oh, and a bread knife, though I guess that's not really an appliance. I don't really want a bread-maker, kitchen-aid or ice-cream maker. I have a microwave. (I realized tonight that one of my faviorte wooden mixing spoons is cracked. I may need one of those soon, but I'll get one from Mom.
What am I missing? What other kitchen appliances are indespensible to you?
4 comments:
Gotta say, Moose, that I am DYING for my stand mixer!! They are awesome! And a mini-prep is pretty cool: it's a food processor, but tiny. Good for making all those canapes. :-)
Crockpot. I think you would love it. It took me a little while to warm up to mine, but I think you would dig it.
More thoughts: Water filters. After reading up on this, I think the best way to go is a food-grade one under your kitchen sink and a shower-nozzle one for your shower head. You need the bathroom one to get out the lead and chlorine, and the kitchen one to get out... uh, more. For safety as well as taste (think tea).
While on the subject of showers: does this house have the kind of shower/bathtub arrangement where you need a shower curtain? Because it took me something like a decade and a half of grinding my teeth over the chemical fumes from the plastic shower curtains R would buy, pitch and replace. Then I found the $50 (!!!) hemp ones that I couldn't bring myself to buy (especially since we need two in each shower because of the bathroom windows).
Then I found the $12 ones at BB&B or L&T or one of those - made of mold-resistant nylon, machine wachable (in your machine that doesn't require quarters!). Those are the ones we have.
Are you getting the washer/dryer from the previous owners? Buying new isn't a bad idea because of the savings in water and electricity. Of course not buying additional major appliances has its perks, too.
I'd still want some drying arrangement (outside line, basement line, those little racks, whatever you prefer) since not everything should go in the dryer, and the more you air-dry, the better. Plus, sunshine actually does bleach out stains and make whites whiter. I always thought that was hokum, but it's true.
I probably will end up doing an sink filter, but in the near term, I have a Britta pitcher that I use for drinking water, tea, coffee, etc. I never thought of doing one in the shower. Specific benefits?
I've actually had two shower curtains on a shelf in my closet for years, from back when BB & B had some designs I loved. I'll start out with those and hope the fumes won't kill me.
I think the sellers have to provide a stove or credit for same. I want gas, of course, but I've just had an offer for a free electric, which I'll take to save some money.
There are only hook-ups for the washer and dryer, not actual machines. I'll probably go for new for those and the fridge, just because the quality and the efficiency have changed so much recently. if you have favorite brands/feature, send them along!
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