When I was at Bed Bath and Beyond buying my cake pop maker and donut pan, I saw lots of other fun goodies.
Like a popcorn maker
A Cotton Candy Maker
Pretzel Maker
Pigs In a Blanket Makers. I really don’t think these are flying off the shelves but I could be wrong.
The seasonal baking goodies were out in full force.
Cupcake decorating supplies
Cupcake-making toys
And more toys and gadgets including multiple types of cookie, cake, and cupcake decorating tools
Moving onto food processors
I don’t own one. I use my Vita for everything but I think a food processor would be really helpful. I’d still like to hear what kind you have and like if you have food processor opinions.
And ta-da, Stand Mixers. Another thing I don’t own but want to. It was either a lens or a stand mixer. I chose a lens and the stand mixer is on my Christmas list, for sure.
And that was just one little section of the store.
We didn’t even get to dishes, bedding, bathroom stuff, organizing products, trash cans, cloth napkins, beauty items, candles, seasonal foods and goodies, lamps, shower caddies, towels, curtains, or toilet rugs. It’s.just.endless.
I could have a field day!
My favorite purchase from the day so far has been the $3.99 cookie scoop
Cannot say enough great things about it. Small, but a life-changer.
Or a cookie-changer
Questions:
1. What “makers” do you want from this post? Or what appliances, tools, or kitchen items do you want, in general?
I think it’s fair to say most of us would love a stand mixer or a Vita-Mix.
After that, no one would complain about a set of gorgeous knives, a stainless juicer, a great food processor, or for the coffee lovers, a fancy schmancy espresso maker.
But for things well below the $500 price point, I have to say, a popcorn maker or a cotton candy maker would make me smile. I love cotton candy! And chocolate-covered popcorn, too.
But my kitchen is the size of a shoebox. No storage for most of this stuff. Which is probably a good thing.
2. Do you like shopping for housewares? Do you like Bed Bath & Beyond or similar stores? Any favorite stores?
Since Linens ‘n Things has closed, BB & B really has the corner on the market in my area.
Ikea, Target, Marshalls, Homegoods, TJ Maxx, specialty cooking stores, Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, none of them really have the one-stop-shopping for housewares of all kinds that bankrupts me excites me quite like BB & B.
Where else can you buy a down comforter, a cookie scoop, a Vita-Mix, a shower caddy, stock up on toothpaste and exotic coffees from their market section, get a couple of Yankee candles to burn, while browsing lamps for your desk and throw in some bamboo towels and champagne flutes and an iron for good measure.
I don’t know how their employees actually leave with a paycheck. I wouldn’t!
One tip about the Bed Bath & Beyond coupons is that they never expire, even though they have a printed expiration date on them, it doesn’t matter. The stores will always take them so I hoard them and save them in an envelope for a rainy day. With a 20% off savings, most things at BB & B are cheaper or almost as cheap as any online “deals” you can find. Plus you get to walk out of the store with your purchase that day rather than waiting for online orders to ship. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but 20% off coupons are great. Save them!
P.S. Thanks for the Sunglasses Giveaway entries. Looks like lots of you want some shades.
And if you have one spare second, could you please Vote for Me in the Delta/Biscoff Bake-Off. Thank you! I really appreciate it.
Happy Halloween Weekend!
I have a Cuisinart 11 cup food processor and I absolutely adore it. I don’t have a Vita though, so maybe that’s why! ;)
I could spend hours in that section of BB&B. My KitchenAid was the best present I’ve gotten! My boyfriend’s set for life. I have a spectacular Cuisinart 11-cup food processor, but I’d LOVE a Vita. Or a dehydrator.
I’m always such a kid in a candy store when I’m in the kitchen wares aisle at Target! I love my Cuisinart food processor… it was a steal and works very well. Don’t have a stand mixer though- have always stuck with hand held egg beater style and with a little bit of arm strength it gets the job done!
Shopping for kitchen gadgets is undoubtedly my favorite kind of shopping!
I so want (NEED!) a Vita Mix, and would love a dehydrator. For some reason I have 3 popcorn makers sitting in my cupboard (2 of the same kind, a yellow dinosaur called the “Pop-O-Saurus”) I make popcorn about 3 times a year. They are good though, quick and a healthier way of cooking popcorn. I just forget to use mine. Maybe I’ll make some today, thanks for reminding me about it :) Love popcorn with nooch sprinkled all over it.
I LOVE shopping for kitchen stuff, I get so excited (is that sad!?!)
I haven’t seen half of those “makers”! I want the “pigs in a blanket” maker!
Candy corn maker?!?! For only $30?!? I so would have snatched that up. Because I am all about the ridiculous purchases. I was in Barnes and Noble today right next to BBB, but ran out of time. I was with my niece who wanted to go to Old Navy and then B&N, and then, if time, BBB. Nope, no time. Probably for the best though.
I totally want that pretzel maker! I don’t know why? I don’t know where to store it, but I just want it! It looks like fun! Yes, I could make pretzels the old fashion way, but an appliance that makes them, now thats just plain cool!!
For stores,I like Williams and Sonoma,TJ Maxx, Macy’s on occasion, and Sur La Table. Oh and Crate and Barrel too! I wish I had the space and the money to get the stat of the art appliances. At this time I just need to save for a refrigerator, that’s the big one I need next!!
not super practical but fun, indeed.
just saw your halloween treats on your blog…wanna share? they look great!
I tend to swear by Cooks Illustrated when it comes to their product and small appliance recommendations. Way back when I was on my kitchen gadget buying spree, they rated a Cuisinart pretty nicely, so that’s what I went with. I love my Vitamix but definitely can’t live without my Cusinart, too.
On another note, how many pigs in a blanket does one have to make, and on a regular basis, before they consider getting dedicated machine for the task???
I love Cooks Illstrated, too. Their cookie recipe with some tweaking proved great recently, too.
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/10/peanut-butter-oatmeal-white-chocolate-cookies.html
Good to know you have both a V and a C.
I LOVE Bed Bath and Beyond, but being in there overwhelms the crap out of me. I honestly get dizzy being in that store, especially when it’s busy….wish I could just go in and have the whole place to myself for an afternoon! Oh, and we have both food processors and Vitamixes at NGI, and I’d say the processor is worth the investment. It blends things in a completely different way than a Vita, and is a lot of bang for your buck. I have a Cuisinart that was about $40 and I use it all the time!
that’s good to know about NGI having both. When I watch Top Chef Just Desserts they have both too :)
i would not have believed you could buy a pigs in a blanket maker unless i had seen your photo as proof! that is hilarious!!
ok, i am likely in the minority here…but i do not want or need any kitchen appliances. not my thing! i feel very bad because my parents got me a lovely food processor (or is it a blender??) for last xmas and i have not even opened the box. i am hoping i can regift it to someone getting married! (just telling the truth here!).
glad you had fun and added items to your wish list!!
i would prefer to shop at target!
Wanna re-gift it to me? lol :)
I am a kitchen appliance freak! I got a stand mixer from my MIL as a wedding gift and then the ninja blender as an anniversary gift. Love. <3 I also bought several things I wanted like a waffle maker, crock pot, toaster oven, ice cream machine and deep fryer during black Friday last year. Next on my wish list is a mini ninja, dehydrator, rice maker, and pressure cooker.
I usually buy stuff from Home Goods, Costco or Target/Walmart. I'll have to check out B,B&B!
you’re like the 5th person to mention a Ninja in this post…I need to check those things out now!
ooooh, a cotton candy maker?! I so want that! haha
I highly recommend the kitchen aid food processors. I’ve had mine for a couple of years and it’s really durable and strong. I also love, love, love my kitchen aid stand mixer (it’s the professional 600 series). It was a Valentine’s gift from my husband, and it’s insanely powerful. We make a lot of breads, and it’s amazing when it comes to kneading dough. Love it!
so you have a KA food proc, and others have Cuisinarts. There’s this ‘debate’ about which brand is better. Good to know you love your Kitchen Aid, both for food proc and for the stand mixer.
I have a big cuisinart food processor. I love it. I use it all the time. I make your recipes that call for a vita mix with it. I also have a blendtec blender, but i use the processor more because the blendtec is so loud. Is the vitamix really loud? I wish i had went with the vitamix but at the time i got a better deal on the blendtec.
I have alot of appliances and a shoebox galley kitchen. I’d say the one i use the least is the dehydrator because it is so big- 9 trays and it takes really long. (my husband was eating a raw food diet for a while- we spent a boat load on appliances…)
Katie
I have both a vita and a blendtec and love love love the vita about 100x more than the BT. I just cannot get into the BT groove. It’s not for me. There are a hundred reasons why I like the Vita more but since you already have a BT, I won’t belabor those :)
Yes, the Vita is loud but I have just…gotten used to it.
I don’t have a vita but my many-many-years-old-and-broken Black & Decker (cheapie!) food processor gets every job done I ever need it to. I also have a kitchen aid mini processor but I just love the big one! I use it for raw preparations, dressings, sauces, shredding veggies, all kinds of stuff.
I need one of those cookie scoopers! Or five. I’m on a major cookie endeavor. Thanks for the idea!
I am saving for a food processor- I like my mandoline, but the processor would make it so much quicker and easier (added bonus: it would make making pie crust easy-peasy). I’m also saving for a Vitamix because let’s face it, in my family, I’m the only one my parents would consider “crazy” enough to spend that kind of money on one, and I’d love to get some green smoothies going in the mornings (and the ability to grind grains and nuts and such). But if I’m saving, I should probably not go in BB&B- it’s impossible to walk out without buying something (ahem, two donut pans on my last trip…).
My stand mixer is my absolute favorite kitchen appliance- my mom got it for me last Christmas and I use it several times a week. I’d like to point out that, for those people who don’t mind them, there are places that sell the reconditioned ones at a fraction of the price. My mom scored mine (a professional series 5-quart, bowl lift type) for $175 before tax. I’m pretty sure the same, non-reconditioned model retails for around $350. It works beautifully, and I’ve actually asked for some of the accessories (like the beater with a rubber edge that scrapes the bowl while it mixes and a glass bowl) for Christmas :)
thanks for the tip about the refurb’ed kitchen aids. same thing applies for Vita’s, check their site for deals!
OMG, I almost bought a babycakes cupcake maker last night at BJ’s! But it was $29.99 — WAY more than BB&B. I resisted because my birthday is coming in 6 weeks and I have to save something for someone to buy for me, lol. Besides, it would just sit there for awhile. I definitely want the cupcake and donut maker, don’t think I want the cake pops because I think it takes the moistness out of the pop; like mushing it together with cream cheese and such. :)
I love BB&B and always have the coupons; $5 off plus 20% off rocks my socks. I love kitchen stuff!! And I bought that same donut pan from BB&B. They only had one left when I bought mine. Clearly your store is way better than ours. Wouldn’t be surprised if ours didn’t even have half of what you showed. ha
The BB&B one was 19.99 and then i had a $5 coupon for it, so it was 14.99. Cheap thrills baby :)
I try to double dip with my coupons, i.e. $5 off’s and then the 20% off’s on the rest of the items.
The Babycakes makers are great. I got the cakeball maker and the donut maker. I think the muffins are just bigger versions of cakeballs, really. Surprisingly the cakepop maker makes pretty moist little balls. Light but not too light and airy. But I do love an authentic cake pop, all smooshed up with a jar of frosting and crumbled cake!
And yes, our BB&B is MASSIVE. It’s ridic. It should be illegal. I love it!
I had a friend growing up who actually had a cotton candy machine. I really have always wanted a kitchenaid mixer. I actually like looking at both large and small appliances. May not be able to buy them, but I can dream ;-)
How freaking fun is that cotton candy maker?? Love these little appliances. I may need to go shopping now!
No, the thing I really want is a high-powered, easy to clean, compact JUICER! :) Or a panini press.
I used to love Linens ‘N Things! I have a Cuisinart mini food processor, I don’t use it all that much, just for banana soft serve and basic stuff. I also have a blender; it’s certainly no Vita and it’s loud so it’s hard to make smoothies in the mornings. Last Christmas my parents got me a great toaster oven :) It is getting plenty of use!
oh my gosh…there are soooo many more appliances I want, but my kitchen is overcrowded with them as it is, haha. Mostly, though, I still want that donut maker! I’d even settle for a donut pan. I want those cookie scoops, too. Ooohhh & a panini press!! Oh no…I have to stop thinking about this now :)
for 15 bucks you can get a donut pan and a cookie scoop…cheap thrills baby, go shopping :)
I don’t like shopping generally, find it overwhelming, but something like BB&B with gadgets is kind of fun for me. Probably a good thing I don’t get to go very often (haven’t been for years but next time I’m in Anchorage I’m looking for that cookie scoop!)
I think it’s good to have a food processor as well as a Vita. In my kitchen (which is smaller than a shoebox) I do have both, and a handheld immersion blender. This is partly because I had the two latter before I got the Vita, but I still use all three. FP is a hassle to clean up but not much of one if you have hot water. It’s slower (and quieter!) than a Vita, so it’s easier to control the texture of the final product. I haven’t quite figured out how to do the cookie dough-type things with nuts and dates, etc, in a Vita just because I’m used to doing it in an FP and am scared of the Vita noise even with earplugs!
The other “you name it-makers” look fun but kind of redundant to me. They’re definitely fun ‘toys,’ but who has space in their kitchen for a separate cupcake/donut/pig in blanket/toad in hole/bun in oven…?!
if you have a food proc, vita, and an immersion, I need to, too :)
the vita with raw balls…first grind the nuts, 10 secs or so. Then the dates, agave, syrups, etc. another 10-20 secs. It goes FAST. Really fast. You can’t do it on low, either. Medium, or like a level 7-8, for about 20 secs is all you need. Since I dont have a FP, I have perfected the raw ball making in the Vita, or at least practiced it quite a bit :)
Thanks, Averie–yes, I knew you were a pro at Vita-balling (haha!)–and you make it sound simple, straightforward, and not even too noisy! I think the fp might allow for more variations of texture: I don’t know how much you can control the pulverization factor in a vita.
Cuisinart is really good for an fp–and they have several sizes–I had an old small one for ages that worked just fine, but I’m sure you’d be good with a 7- or 11-cup one. They have a ‘blade’ which allows it to work as a mixer as well: probably won’t be exactly the same as a stand mixer, but it’s something to know.
love
Ela
I wish I had more money whenever I go to BBB. There are sooo many things I’d love to get. I have a food processor, but I would love a stand mixer and a VitaMix! Thanks for the tip about how the coupons don’t actually expire. I never knew that! It seems silly that they even print one on there. Although, it’s probably to convince you to come in sooner rather than later, so I guess it makes sense!
every time i almost dont mention it, Im glad i do b/c someone always learns that secret…glad it was you this time around!
I love looking at kitchen goodies and love, love, love my hot air popcorn popper! My weekends just wouldn’t be the same without it. :-P Some of those other kitchen gadgets just look like uni-taskers that will be featured on an episode of Hoarders in the future! Really, an appliance just for pigs in a blanket?!?!
I do love my food processor and have been using it tons lately. It can make more of a traditional ice cream texture out of frozen bananas vs. softserve since it doesn’t need liquid out of it. And I use it for so many raw recipes and veggie shredding. I have a huge, 14-cup Cuisinart that has many blade options and a base so-heavy it’s not easy to move. Pricey, but worth it because it can handle tougher, raw ingredients better – like frozen fruit, raw dates, squash, etc.
1. I’m torn on a mixer, I’ve been tempted ever since I saw a raw dessert demo using one, but have not been able to justify one yet. Maybe down the road.
2. Yes and I’m lucky hubby enjoys it as much as I do. :-) Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Ikea, Sur La Table, Target – just to name a few.
I know you have the big 14c Cuisinart and that’s what I need I think :)
I would love to see what you make in a big mixer, knowing that most of what you make is raw/nobake, that would be interesting and I’d love to see you get one just to see the recipes you churn out, for my own selfish reasons :)
I would love a set of quality kitchen knives. I pretty much have to saw away at veggies now, but that’s a pretty large investment. I think I might start with one and collect as I go!
1 knife that i used 17 times a day is the henckles 7″ Santoku. It’s $100ish but with a BB&B coupon it’s like $80 or less. It’s the only knife I really use. Those big sets are nice, have them, don’t use the knives from them hardly ever anymore. Just that henckles santoku. I have chef’s knives in various sizes, paring knives, etc…but I always grab for just that one.
I own a Ninja. It’s like a cross between a blender and a food processor. You get three different size bowls/pitchers with different sizes of blades, plus one motor you pop on the top that never gets dirty. It’s so easy to clean everything and really powerful. I got it at CostCo and I love it!
Wow, so many makers. The pigs in a blanket one made me giggle. Really? Can you not just… make them yourself? that’s half the fun! The only “makers” we have are… waffle umm… and I think that’s it. I try to avoid all those home stores. I end up spending way too much money and go home with loads of kitchen things. If it were up to me, my kitchen would be 2 times the size. ah!
i have a stand mixer but would LOVE a vita mix. we have the cuisinart 9 cup food processor and i LOVE it.
i personally LOVE shopping for housewares. homegoods, tjmaxx, marshall’s, bb+b, container store, world market… some of my favorites!!
per your other comment and the lenses in the last post, yes, read up on the 24-70mm. It’s seriously such a fabulous lens. You will love it if you get it.
I love kitchen appliances, but I always consider two big downsides with most of them:
1. They take up another chunk of space.
2. They have a million and one parts to clean. (No dishwasher.)
I try not to buy “specialty” appliances that only do one thing. The exception is my air popper, which I love to death and have actually worn out two of them over the years; now on number three.
I can’t get over those pigs in a blanket makers! Haha Will would be in heaven with those!
I think Scott would be too but I won’t be buying one, lol
I have a microwave popcorn maker (got it at target for like $6) but I’d love a cotton candy machine and the cake pop maker (which is going on my wish list)
My “man friend” always heads to Bed bath & beyond or Sur la table for holidays and buys me something ridiculous for my kitchen: I have a giant cupcake mold, a giant oreo cookie mold, and an elephant waffle maker so far… who knows what Christmas will bring. Hopefully a Vita or Stand mixer (hints are being dropped)!!!
That pigs in a blanket maker is hilarious! I have a popcorn air popper, and it is one of my favorite gadgets ever!! I’d love to get my hands on a Jumbo cupcake maker:) or any of the cupcake products, actually…
I pop all my popcorn in a brown paper bag for 90 secs in the micro. super easy and basic but it works and I can re-use a brown paper bag like 15+ times. How’s that for el cheapo :)
i once got an old-school style popcorn machine for my birthday… it was the wierdest present i’ve ever gotten. i mean- sure it looked cool. but ..really- i don;t eat popcorn that much, if at all -unless i’m at the movies or something (which in itself doesn;t happen all that much). so odd. anyways these pics are FUN i can mill about the kitchen supplies store all day long. LOVE the cup cake decorating kit!! and how biazzare is that pig in a blanket thingymabobby?!
I have a ninja that I got off of woot and it’s been quite a useful little tool. I use it for all my mixing needs and it works well. The only downside is that it’s one that you have to hold to mix, so no walking away and mixing.
1. Yep, the vitamix, and really just more pots, pans, baking dishes, and kitchen tools in general. I’m just now starting to get all of that stuff together, and what I have is very basic (some cookie sheets, one cake pan, and a muffin tin.)
2. I do love walking through BB&B, but I don’t love some of the pricing. Being a college student makes things tight; I am more of a sale-sifter!
just edited the post to add that BB & B coupons never expire, ever, so save them. 20% off at their store is usually cheaper than any online “deals” if you’re buying new and not at a place like Marshall’s, Ebay used, etc.
i love kitchen appliances! i have a food processor and LOVE it (i use it WAY more often than i use my stand mixer…). i have a cuisinart (i think it’s the big one in the lower right of the picture you took) and i have no complaints about it at all.
we also have an ice cream maker, juicer, and waffle maker – i’m happy to say that they all receive use very often! i was terrified they’re go to a kitchen gadgets graveyard after a couple uses and never see the light of day again, but i’m happy that we’ve continued using them!
that’s awesome that you USE them all and they’re not in the appliance dust bunny collection graveyard :)
I have a KitchenAid food processor, and I think this is common to food processors, but the annoying thing is that you fit the blade unit into the processor bowl on this little thingy (sorry that sounds so unimpressively girly and non-kitchen expert)…the “Thingy” is open so if anything in the processor bowl is kinda wet…it sneaks up under the blade unit and leaks out the bottom of the processor bowl. Also mine is white, and it looks so dull now—I’d def go with a color for my next one. I use the shredding disc a lot for veggies/salads, and also use the regular blade and mini bowl/blade when I make cookie doughs out of nuts/nut butter…my fave right now is 1:1 ratio of peanut butter and protein powder + vanilla stevia….makes peanut butter cookie dough :)
I tend to just buy every kitchen thing I want (and slack in the shoes department, etc.)…not because I’m creative in there, just because I want convenience. I could use way better knives and utensils right now–a couple years ago I went to a fancy kitchen store on black friday at midnight and stocked up for super cheap on kitchen gear…everyone else was christmas shopping and I was buying stuff for myself!
Happy weekend :)
“1:1 ratio of peanut butter and protein powder + vanilla stevia….makes peanut butter cookie dough: <-- do you then bake that? Or you just eat it as is? It's what I call protein cookie dough which was popular in bloggieland a couple years ago. I have some nobake balls that are basically that principle, nut butter + protein powder, sweetener, etc... http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2010/04/no-bake-vegan-peanut-butter-chocolate.html
great tips on the food proc, thank you!