Kitchen gadgets - what do you find useful?

I took the plunge and bought a meat slicer in Argos today ... now my only problem is which other gadget to get rid of to make room for it in the cupboard!!!
 
hehehehe - my father in law bought one too - but not because he knew about my one!! He loves it!!
 
I got one from Argos in the North (£50 Vs. €75 here) but the kids are less keen on the boiled ham than I am. Any idea when one might get the proper cooked ham to slice?
 
... Any idea when one might get the proper cooked ham to slice?
Most of the sliced "ham" in packets or the blocks you see in butchers / delis isn't ham, it's water, connective tissue, mechanically recovered meat (MRM), fillers, preservatives, colourants and flavour enhancers all squished together to make a nice convenient cubic shape. Take the kids to a bacon factory sometime; they'll probably come out vegans.
 


Sweet Divine I think I'll put the kids back on chocolate spread sandwiches. They'd be better off!

I love my breadmaker. I bake a loaf on the timer every night It's done when I get up in the morning. Makes a lovely loaf. It doesn't even need to be washed as the loaf comes out of the tin dry.

http://www.electricshopping.com/sho...d255-breadmaker-with-nut-dispenser/index.html

Also the kenwood chef is on sale in currys for €179 these days. Fantastic item to have for the baking.
 

That's what I have been afraid of. That's the end of me and the (rubber) ham as I call it now as well. I think I am fast becoming vegetarian.
 

Ah but sure it tastes OK anyway. Best not to think about it. Shhhh.
 
Most useful kitchen accessory (or one I enjoy using most anyway) is the steel I bought to keep my knives sharp, best €20 I ever spent.
 
The steel is alternately a bringer of joy or frustration. I haven't yet perfected the art. Some days I get it right, and I'm really chuffed. On bad days I get it horribly wrong leaving me with a worse edge than when I started.
 
I have 2 very useful gadgets in my kitchen.....

The microwave and a drawer - the drawer is where I keep my take-away menus

(and that's not far from the truth!!)
 
Thanks for the Ham ideas - has anyone else tried it, and how did they find it?