Informal poll (kettle content)

Electric kettle, underfilled because time is money and I'm short on both.

I'm in the just-what-I-need camp, as  long as it is above the minimum line...dont want to ruin the heating element!

OK fine. The no's have it and my wife wins. But if I am ever short boiling water you all will hear about it.

ProDarwin said:

It seems like a waste of time and energy to heat up extra water you wont use.

This is why I just use a HotShot instead of a kettle.  Fill mug with water, dump water in HotShot, press button, in a few seconds, release boiling water.

I also get to brag about owning a black Sunbeam.

I don't have a kettle, and I think everyone that does is guilty of having a single task item taking up precious kitchen space.

A pot on the stove or a cup in the microwave both work just fine. In any case, use the water you need plus a bit of a buffer for evaporation.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

I'm fancy people and my La Creuset kettle reflects that. 

We're part of the commonwealth and the Empire was founded on cups of tea.

Might as well take the time to do it correctly. Tea water needs to be boiling when it goes in and steep for 5 minutes. No more, no less.

This is a result of my upbringing in my grandmother's house.  Nana fancied herself British even though she was from Manitoba.

As a result, I make incredible Yorkshire puddings.

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

I don't have a kettle, and I think everyone that does is guilty of having a single task item taking up precious kitchen space.

I haaaaaattttteee single task items that take up counter space.  But a kettle is easy to put in a cabinet when not using it.  Its no worse than my waffle iron, which you can pry from my cold dead buttery syrup covered hands.

In reply to ProDarwin :

I'm with you except that we have this electric egg cooker which I thought was stupid but makes the best hard-boiled eggs ever. You can actually get the shell off without destroying the egg.

I've tried all those tricks people say to make th shell come off easy but this thing works every time.

I had a Hot shot at my last company. It is a fantastic little devise.   I am in the boil only what  I need camp

ProDarwin said:

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

I don't have a kettle, and I think everyone that does is guilty of having a single task item taking up precious kitchen space.

I haaaaaattttteee single task items that take up counter space.  But a kettle is easy to put in a cabinet when not using it.  Its no worse than my waffle iron, which you can pry from my cold dead buttery syrup covered hands.

There's nothing wrong with a single task item if it's something you use all the time.  What sucks is single use items that you use once a year.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

So you don't have a toaster?

Meanwhile, what do people actually use microwaves for? I had one for years but ditched it when I redid the kitchen in our last place because it took up a hideous amount of space to do not a lot other than occasionally defrost or reheat something.

For the question at hand. Enough water to make a cuppa with a bit to spare, but not filled to max.

ProDarwin said:

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

I don't have a kettle, and I think everyone that does is guilty of having a single task item taking up precious kitchen space.

I haaaaaattttteee single task items that take up counter space.  But a kettle is easy to put in a cabinet when not using it.  Its no worse than my waffle iron, which you can pry from my cold dead buttery syrup covered hands.

re-heat French Fries in your waffle iron.  Boom, multitasker... and also, better re-heated fries.

We had such hard water overseas, there was no way I was doing anything less than 4 cups... just to minimize the chance a bunch of mineral schmutz fell into my coffee/tea.

In reply to daeman :

Toaster Oven. Better than toaster, toasts, bakes without needing the big oven, mine has a rotisserie and a fan in it so there's that. 

ProDarwin said:

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) said:

I don't have a kettle, and I think everyone that does is guilty of having a single task item taking up precious kitchen space.

I haaaaaattttteee single task items that take up counter space.  But a kettle is easy to put in a cabinet when not using it.  Its no worse than my waffle iron, which you can pry from my cold dead buttery syrup covered hands.

Kettle should not take up counter or cabinet space. Mine sits on the small rear burner on the stove, space that rarely gets used for anything else.

In reply to daeman :

I have a toaster oven. Among other things, it's good for making toast, reheating things that shouldn't go in the microwave, and making single servings of butter/garlic/parmesan/basil bruschetta without having to use the big oven. 

It lives on top of the fridge until it's needed.

The microwave is for heating water. QED. 

Three questions need to be asked with the single taskers:

1. Do you use it often? If you make hard boiled eggs everyday, that egg boiler sounds great.
2. Is it something that is easily done with normal implements? I don't care if you make quesadillas every day, a quesadilla maker is no improvement on a griddle and a spatula. A waffle kind of requires a waffle iron though.
3. Does it greatly improve a process? I don't have time or patience to knead dough, so the bread maker makes a lot of sense for me (it also doesn't live in the kitchen)

^ all of this.  

I have a few single task appliances, but they stay put away until needed.

In reply to mtn :

I have a rice cooker that I keep at work.  I use it to (drumroll, please) ...make rice.

It also does a dandy job of steaming frozen veggies and even frozen chicken nuggets, which sounds more gross than it really is.  Combine the three food-ish items and zero-effort food is served without having to go takeout.

Some single purpose devices are useful BECAUSE they are single purpose.  I don't need a range or an oven and I don't have room for one, but I do have room for a little 3 foot high 10"x12" cabinet that can hold a container of rice in the base and a rice cooker on top, and there's a freezer nearby for the other bits.

I've head that you can hardboil eggs with a rice cooker, I'm keen to try that.

I do make eggs frequently, the thing makes 7 eggs at a go and I probably run it twice a week.

I go for a walk at lunchtime so I take a ploughman's lunch. Cheese, bread or crackers, pickles, fruit and a hardboiled egg. I have one or two eggs as a snack if I'm hungry at home.

I thought the thing was stupid when it was presented to me, I'm with Pete now, sometimes the single use stuff is great because it does one thing really well.

When I redid my kitchen I made a shelf fit my unitaskers. I love Alton Brown but this is one place we disagree.  I'm happy with my gadgets.