I Need Your Help: Kitchen Gadgets Edition
Posted: March 22, 2013 Filed under: favorites, meal prep, product review, survey, thoughts | Tags: favorites, meal prep, product review, survey, thoughts 2 Comments »I’ve been in the market for some new kitchen gadgets for a quite a while now. I’ve really needed (wanted) a food processor for a long time, but I’ve also recently decided that I want a juicer. The thought of buying two separate singular-use appliances makes my budget-conscious mind a little nervous, so I thought about trying to find a 2-in-1 deal, but usually those just don’t work as well. In my constant cost-vs-benefit world, I’m always trying to get the best deal, but I also don’t want to waste money on junk, so I think I’ve decided that purchasing them separately is the way to go.
In general, I pretty much have a fear of spending money, so despite the fact that I’ve made the decision to buy them separately, I have still had a hard time pulling the trigger. I’m one of those people who does all kinds of research and will go to the store three times before I actually buy something, so it always takes me forever to make purchasing decisions. (I’ve frequently left stores empty handed after browsing for a while, so now I generally shop online where I can back out a million times in the comfort of my own home.)
After mulling it over quite a bit (yes, I know I overthink everything), and decided that if when I pass my CPT exam, I’m going to treat myself to them as a reward for working so hard. That’s a totally acceptable explanation, right?!
Here are the ones I’m thinking of getting:
Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain 700-Watt Juice Extractor
This brand was recommended to me by a friend who has one, and the reviews on Amazon are pretty stellar. I like that it seems powerful, durable, and effective… and yet, at $100, it’s a lot cheaper than some of the other Breville juicers.
Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7-Cup Food Processor
It seems like Cuisinart is one of the top brands (in my price range) for food processors, with a solid reputation. The reviews on this one were great, the size and price are about right, and it seems to have most of the bells and whistles I think I’d need.
Now, those were the only two appliances I had in mind to buy… until I read Janae’s post about the Yonana maker. From the reviews online, it seems like it really works well and makes some seriously delicious sorbet, which (with dark chocolate chips added) is right up my alley.
Buuuuuuut.. do I really need that one right now? Probably not. So I guess it’ll have to wait.
Now here’s where you come in, friends:
Do you own any of these items? What do you think of them? Which brands do you prefer? Do you use one more than the other? Where did you buy them? What do you use them for?
Clearly, I need all the support I can get during this period of ever-so-critical life decision making.
I’m also now taking applications for a life coach/personal shopper so I don’t have to think about these things anymore…
Hey Megan!
I have a hand-me-down cuisinart food processor that I love. It’s very old and they don’t make that style anymore, but I think it’s 25+ years of use speaks about the durability of the product! The only negative thing I can see about the one you’re looking at is that it only has on, off, and pulse settings. I’d be concerned about the speed. If you ever want to make dough, I’ve found it works best when the food processor is on low.
Also, whenever I want to make a new (expensive) kitchen purchase, I see if a friend has what I’m looking for and ask if I can borrow it for a week or however long they can live without it. See how much you use it, if you like using it, and how much of a pain it is to clean! Sometimes if the clean up is terrible, I find myself less likely to use an appliance. I know that’s a lame excuse, but I hate dishes. There’s nothing worse than spending a couple hundred dollars on kitchen appliances that just take up space and collect dust.
Just some food for thought!
Good luck!
Hey Michelle! It’s good to hear that you really like your Cuisinart. I’ve heard similar things about them lasting forever, and that’s definitely a quality I’m looking for. I didn’t even think about the different speeds being a factor, so thanks for pointing that out. I’ll have to check out some other models and see which ones come with that option. Thanks so much for your input!!