Last year, I bought a Yonanas machine for $50. It turns overripe bananas into a frozen treat that tastes a lot like ice cream. I didn't buy one container of ice cream last summer, but I sure bought all the brown bananas I could find lol. I am glad I invested in a Yonanas machine, it paid for itself last summer and I am about to put it to work this summer. What about you? What gadget or device have you spent money on that you think was worth every dime? Do you have something that cost more than you wanted, but it turned out to be one of your favorite machines in your kitchen?
Toaster Oven - I have a rather large one, not those tiny ones you can only fit a couple of slices of toast in - I can fit a full sized pizza in this easily. It heats up a lot faster than a regular oven, and it cooks food a lot faster as well because of this. Along the same lines, if you do need to open the door once in a while during the cooking process, the oven gets back up to temperature a lot faster too. Electric Pressure Cooker - Mainly because you can make really cheap cuts of meat very tender with it, as well as re-use the bones and skin for homemade stocks in a fraction of the time they would take to make on the stove. Electric Food Steamer - Another energy saver, that starts steaming the food almost instantly, instead of waiting like 15 minutes for the water to come to a boil in a pot. Plus it encourages you to eat steamed food more often, rather than frying it, so you are saving on oils as well.
