What is the most idiot thing you bought that works for food?

I have a few.

There was a device called a "steam and mash" that I only saw at closeout places. I bought one and one gifted to me.
Essentially you quartered potatoes and other things like squash, it did everything else including mixing up the results.
Seriously - when I was taking care of my father I would take a 10 minute break, run to his house and drop in the potatoes, go back to work and have mashed potatoes ready for him when I got off of work an hour+ later.

The other was the pre-cursor to the George Foreman grill. The salton (the same people that produced the foreman grill) toastmaster grill. I really just use it to put grill marks on meat. I cook the meat using other methods and just put on the grill marks with these (yes, I have multiple - I get every single one I see at thrift stores).

The origional home vacuum tumbler. A manual unit made by a retired butcher in Minn. manual pump, etc. I bought one and loved the results, I actually took a vacation day to go to every Mills Fleet Farm within driving distance to get every one when they were closed out for $25. My xmas gifts for the year. I actually upgraded to a unit large enough to do a whole turkey - again, closed out at Drugstore.com for $50 and the turkey attachmernt (listed for $150, was $25 at Cabella's bargain cave. Some spice manufacturer in Wisconsin was trying to sell that system for $500.

Laugh if you want - the smaller ronco rotisserie. $25 for refurb units at Amazon - I bought a dozen to give as xmas gifts, and it was great for my father. Again, taking a quick break from work and putting in a chicken or duck and having it done when I got out of work and acceptable to his specificatons (My mother was a friend of Julia Child and I was held to her standards when I had time to cook).
Being able to do things Dad liked with little or no time was a blessing

Hamilton Beach flat bread grill. when I have the scouts over, this is a simple thing to just put outside with a rice maker.
They can take care of themselves without my worrying about a grill, etc. One of those things I don;t care if it gets dewtroyed as well. I *THINNK* It was $25

what I would never buy again - there was a bagel maker that included cooking in a wet wash. something sheap or I would not have bought it. Used it once and it is in the garage to be donated the next truck load I bring to Salvation Army/St. Vinnies.

I had a salton yogurt maker. Idiotic. I also bought the Xpress grill at close out and never could figure out what to make in it. You forget all of what you see on the infomercial when its facing you on the counter.

I also have a Ronco rotisserie. Do not laugh at that it makes the best chicken. That is a great contraption especially in the winter when there is less of a tendancy to grill. Okay its not like grilling but its still good. You can pick new or newish ones on ebay for cheap.

exvaxman
Can I get on your Christmas gift list?

Xpress grill - I actually have a couple of the four well units (from goodwill).
What they are great for are doing bulk omlets for cabin camping. Our cub scout group had viking stoves and ranges in their cabins at the sanctioned campground. It works out great to mix up everything but meat in a few large pitchers. I go through and pour, the kid puts on the meat, we pull out the "omelets" and put into a large foil container. Then wake up @4:AM at the cabin, put the containers into the oven at low and when the kids wake up there is no cooking/cleanup

My father was into yogurt. I actually found a unit that you put in the whole milk carton with some active culture. Very little to clean.
Very simple to use. http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Milk-Carton-Yogurt-Maker/dp/B000I61A1Y

My miracle yogurt maker:

- Heat a quart of milk in microwave,
- Pour into two-quart mason jar;
- Heat another quart of milk in microwave, then pour into mason jar.
- Once temperature is less than 130 degrees, add 1/4 cup plain yogurt and stir.

If in winter, put in oven at 100 degrees (dough proofing setting).
In summer, I leave on the kitchen counter.

I stopped making yogurt for a few months. I picked up again once it began warming outside.

***

Reading about Faberware electric hearths, I bought one at a rummage sale. I use it for making Korean BBQ. Kept popping circuits, though with an extension cord we moved it around to other circuits. Once too many circuits popped, I went downstairs to reset them. Worked out really well for cooking, though I need to understand why it pops my kitchen circuits.

Another rummage sale find: an ice cream maker with a built in freezer. I remember seeing them in catalogs for $500. When I found one for $10 at a rummage sale, it went home with me. It is the largest and heaviest of any tabletop kitchen appliance in the house. Not having paid $500, I feel guilt free when I don't use it for months at a time.

Regards,

Cathy -
if you need parts or spare fabarware units, I think I have a couple that are not being used - let me know before we get together the next time. I never had a problem with the calrod elements blowing a circuit.

I did the same on an ice cream maker - I saw one for $25 at a church sale, and while some people were trying to figure out what it was, I grabbed it. I did replace it with a new unit many years later because the compressor was going.