There are times, especially when inflation is high, that you truly have to seek deals wherever you can find them. Here are a few we've found since the world decided to get greedy with our wallets lol The great thing, when you are under unusual circumstances, you have to sometimes look outside of the box to find what you need, in places you wouldn't usually look creating an unexpected resource. Just think of the first person who asked if they could buy the cheese grater from Olive Garden, just to find out, not only would they sell one to her, but they would also give her a block of cheese. These days, the old sayings are definitely true, you don't know, until you ask & you might be surprised what's around the corner.
Meat Grinder
My wife found an unexpected gem in a place that is known for more of a home improvement supply place. The name, Harbor Freight. The find, a meat grinder. What better way to save your scraps, then to grind them down and transform is into burger patties or shepherd's pie with your brisket scraps or momos with your chicken scraps. This grinder only costs $40. All the pieces were well made and there were essentially all of the inserts you need from sausage fillers to multiple dies that allow whatever grind size you need. Check them out and see what other random kitchen power and hand tools you might find at this space! NOTE: PIECES ARE NOT DISHWASHER SAFE FOR THIS SPECIFIC MODEL I'M SHOWING.
Rating 9/10
Pros: Grinds meat well and thoroughly, Price, Die Variety, Simple Controls
Cons: Parts not dishwasher safe, Aluminum instead of Stainless Steel
Personal Sized Rotisserie
I don't know about you, but I've been burned by crowdfunding efforts in the past. So when I stumbled upon this one during covid, I knew it was a risk, but I gave it a shot. Not only was it funded, but it actually arrived ON TIME! Now, I'm not saying that's what happens with EVERY CROWDFUNDING campaign, but when it happens, it's pretty cool! Thankfully this one happened. This is the Roto-Q. This hand wound oven rotisserie came with EVERYTHING you need to do essentially ANYTHING ROTISSERIE. If it needs to cook on a circular fashion, this guy has you covered. The great thing, is with no parts that are electric, you don't have to worry about them malfunctioning in the heat. You also don't have to worry about the weight. It's also extra compact for this same reason. So you can travel with this one! At only a few pounds, anybody can work with it as long as they have the dexterity and strength of a grade schooler. You can still purchase this particular one through this link. However, when you do a crowd sourced campaign, keep in kind, you're investing in the idea and praying the product actually comes to your doorstep. So this one is a bit riskier than your Amazon or traditional brick and mortar buy. However, if it aligns, you can find some pretty cool kitchen items that are a bit unique and solve unexpected problems. Though it costs more, at the time I got it for only $113 through their Indiegogo campaign.
Rating: 9/10
Pros: Solid, Easy to Clean, variety of cooking options, Price, Doesn't need batteries, Durable, Sturdy pieces
Cons: Capacity (1 Chicken at a time), Analog Design (If you aren't careful, you might end up not winding it enough, then have to rewind mid cooking)
Drain Stop & Cover
One thing you do in a commercial kitchen as a dish hack, stop the sink up, add soap and then run your water. Have another compartment for rinse water and let air dry. This saves water and time. However, how many of us have had the issue where the stopper breaks or the rubber seal doesn't work anymore, etc. So Stace, was in her usual TikTok binge when she sent me a question. What's the size if our drain? Now I'm usually the buyer if home improvement things in our house, so I of course asked why, after answering of course. She then, of course, followed that by asking if that was between a range if numbers, to which I answered no. This went on for a while until she finally told me what it was for. In her TikTok travels, she stumbled upon a sink drain cover. Now, I was already like, Nah, that's Temu jr. I'm good. Well, she bought it anyway from the TikTok shop. At $26, I must say that I was extra skeptical, however, I think this is the best drain stop I've encountered. It fits into the existing drain with gaskets that make it almost air tight. Then the second piece goes over the middle of the cover. It's a push cover that allows the food to drain without the filter keeping the water from draining past it. Makes cleaning the drain a TON easier. So when you fill it up with water, you're able to much easier drop and fill it without the usual headache and time consuming route. Loving this find so far. Only complaint, because it does rely on a tension spring for the basket, if you load dishes to soak. You have to be very careful that you don't put them directly on the middle piece and the water may start draining unexpectedly. For active washing though, haven't found anything better!
Rating 9/10
Pros: Does an amazing job, Pieces are sturdy, Easy to clean
Cons: Middle insert handle too large causing accidental water loss if not paying attention when placing things in the water, Pricey, MUST to have a TikTok account to purchase
These are just a few of the finds we've discovered that actually work from places we didn't expect to give us something legit. Definitely aren't places we would normally look for reliable items in our kitchen. I encourage you to leave no stone unturned during this time. Just like inflation is hitting us hard, it's also hitting businesses hard. They are starting to offer things outside of their usual offerings to attempt at capturing more sales to cover the gap. So ask away and understand, just because you went to staples for a pen, doesn't mean they might not be able to walk out with a pretty decent $50 air fryer as well.
-Until Next Time-
Chef