I gave up on some kitchen gadgets, mostly small appliances, years ago. I donated a bread maker, a thing-a-ma-jig, a George Foreman grill, and a waffle iron to name a few with the exception of the thing-a-ma-jig, I can't remember what it's called. It will come to me. I did give up a crockpot then decided to get another one. The deciding factor they weren't used often to justify the space they occupied. Just give me a stock pot, roaster, cast iron skillets and baking pans and I'm good.
I use the air fryer in the Breville and put a small cookie sheet on a rack underneath of it to catch the drips.
I bought a bread machine, but threw away the remains of a loaf with the paddle stuck inside it. Now I have to mix the bread by hand and bake it in the machine.
There are two trays in my toaster oven one is actually a tray the other is like an oven rack and I wrap it with foil to catch what may fall. Definitely saves on cleaning.
I have read so many stories of people throwing their paddle away. One woman made loaves as gifts and gave her paddle away in a loaf! The more popular model machines have replacement parts available, Celia. I can buy paddles, bread pans, etc. on Amazon. It is handy to bake in the machine, though... it doesn't heat up the kitchen like a big oven.
Our toaster oven is also an air fryer and can be a rotisserie as well, but I mostly just use it for baking, and it saves having to heat up a large oven. Sometimes, Bobby does use the air fryer for something, and I like it turned on when i am baking squash, it really gives it a better flavor and browning on the top. We do roast a whole chicken in there sometimes, too; but do not use the rotisserie because it is more work to set that all up and then take it down again. Mostly we just use it for baking the fiber cakes.
I used to have a Showtime Rotisserie, and really loved it. Of course, I would make chicken, but I would also do shush-kabobs. One of my favorite uses was to make meatballs and put them in the basket and cook them rotisserie style. They get a nice crust, and all the fat runs off. But it's just another space-consuming, limited-use appliance. I recently visited a friend I've not seen in a while, and he downsized into a home he had built that's about the size of mine. He has an attached garage right off the kitchen. I can see where that would be handy storage for more gadgets. One decent sized shelving unit could hold a whole lotta stuff.
That's my setup. I bought a prefab tall kitchen "pantry" cabinet with doors from Home Depot and placed it in the garage for kitchen overflow. It's really handy for big stuff that takes up a lot of storage space.
I couldn't think of it 14 days ago and I wasn't thinking about it so before I forget - I donated a food processor.
I have 3 food processors, plus a backup for parts. I have a large one, a medium one that has a chute that shreds stuff into an external bowl so you never have to stop and empty it, and a couple of tiny ones that are good for mincing garlic, ginger root and other small things that get flung to the side in a large bowl. I got the 2 small ones at yard sales for $1 each.
I had plans with my husband in January of 2022, where we made our last to-do list ever, together as he died end of April the same year. On it, my bits were to eliminate kitchen gadgets we weren't using anymore and replacing old ones. Our plans were to do this list from July 2022. Daughter and I worked on it and after 12 months we've accomplished it. We got an AirFryer in special, it's small but very useful. Replaced the two broken whidks and got a double set (one in SS and one in silicone). Replaced the miss-match measuring cups and spoons, replaced rusted scissors with new ones and our set of very dull knives. Last items recently purchased were a new flour sifter (rust free lol), a new tin opener and a brand new baker's dozen of accessories, pasta spoon, soup ladle and flipping ones. Got magical sticky hooks and they're all up on the wall like wee soldiers in a row..,
That makes me feel a lot better, because I have (at least) three food processors, too. I have this crazy thing about food processors and blenders…… no matter how many I have, when I see a different one, I want it. I had a big heavy one and I gave it away because it weighed so much, and got a nice little one from Walmart. Then, I found a blender that also had a processor attachment, and said I can have one device and it will do both functions, so now I have that, but I kept the walmart one “just in case”. Then, I have my little Ninja processor, which I use almost every day for small jobs like chopping up a carrot for something, and it has several different bases that can be used with the top (but I mainly just use the small 2-cup base). And , hiding in the back of the pantry is my processor that is also a spiralizer, which I seldom use, but would never consider parting with, even though I use the quick little handheld spiralizer most of the time. Who knows when I might need to spiralize a half dozen zucchini’s and want that big one ? We are not even going to talk about my blenders….
So I guess the topic of Crock Pots is taboo??? I still have the Rival I bought in the 70s. All of my appliances made more sense pre-COVID when I was doing lots of church activities. I got 3 of these... ...for when I made bread for a crowd of 50: