juicer

Here is the first of my monthly "Top 5" lists, and today's list comes from the Muck Kitchen.  Since becoming a mum I spend so much more time in the kitchen and these gadgets and appliances are as hard-working as I pretend to be, and therefore worthy of a little praise, blog style.

So in no particular order:

Alessi Juicer by Phillippe Starck

Form and function.  My brother gave me this for my birthday about 10 years ago and it's been one of my favourites since.  I always thought it was a decorator item for the benchtop, but then one day I used it to juice a lemon and I've never looked back - it works so well.  And when it's not being used it's a great piece of kitchen eye-candy and a design classic that will never go out of style.

Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer

And speaking of hardworking, brilliant things that look gorgeous even when they're not being used, here is my kitchenaid which I'll admit I've been banging on about to anyone who'll listen.  My husband won serious brownie points (which, interestingly enough in this case, can be converted into actualbrownies) when he got me this, from the kids, for Mother's Day.   It's just so powerful and such a pleasure to use.  You can see my previous posts about the Kitchenaid, including some recipes here.

 Le Creuset Frypan

Now I have this I can't believe there ever existed a time when it was not on my stovetop.  It's super heavy but this is a good thing as it heats and cooks quickly and evenly.  Finally,  I've been able to make the perfect french toast...

Miss S's birthday breakfast

This is my "forever frypan" as I have been frustrated with other frypans in the past that are less expensive but don't cook as well and the teflon coating comes off after a year or so.   Buying one of these every 10 -15 years has got to save you money in the long run if you consider you might buy 3 or 4 cheaper ones in that time.  I've also never really used a lid on a frypan before but it's great to have one for when you want to sweat onions or retain the moisture in a simmering sauce.  All in all a great buy and worth the money.