A Machine For Everything ¤Frankenstein¤

People are constantly complaining about how hectic their lives are and how there never seem to be enough hours in a day. That's nothing new. It has always been that way. People are no more burdened by the pressures and time constraints of a day than at any other time in the past. As a matter of fact, it's just the opposite. We have it far easier than our parents and grandparents did. They didn't have computers, fax machines and a telephone at their fingertips everywhere they went. They didn't have microwave ovens. They had stoves and those always worked just fine. Those are just a few examples. Many things have changed to make our lives easier.

I will say, though, that there are many more females in the workforce today than in previous years. I suppose that could account for some of the reason folks feel the way they do. On the other hand, while my mom never worked after I was born, she didn't drive, either. Sure, she cleaned the house, took care of me and did most of the cooking but dad was left to take me to school in the mornings and run all of the errands on his lunch break. Even at that, though, I don't remember ever hearing him complain once about how hectic his life was. Mom's health started to gradually deteriorate and, eventually, all of the responsility of everything fell upon dad when she got to the point where she could no longer function. He accepted that and never said anything about how rushed his life was. He just dealt with it to the best of his ability. I can remember many times when he would have to make a trip to the post office at midnight just so he could mail some bills but he never seemed to mind.

Although it hasn't been obvious up to this point, this post is actually about kitchen appliances and why I feel so many or so uncalled for. I decided to do this after seeing a commercial today for a folding omelette pan which was priced at $80. I can't believe that anyone would pay that much for something like that but I'm sure that they have and will continue to do so. My question is, "Why?" I have a good non-stick pan which is the right size and I can produce some beautiful, perfect omelettes. Does nobody really cook anymore? I guess the real question here is, "CAN nobody really cook anymore?"

After that, I got to thinking about some of the other items which are so common in kitchens everywhere. What's the deal with the bread machines? People have been baking bread for thousands of years in a little thing called an 'oven'. They didn't need anything or anybody to do it for them. I did a quick search and found those things priced at anywhere from $70 to $150 and I'm convinced that they don't turn out as good a product as what can be prepared without them. I have a countertop, a rolling pin, bowls, spoons and an oven. That's all I need.

What about electric knives? How lazy is that? I can't stand there and move by arm back and forth? I can't imagine that anyone would ever have an occasion to use one more than maybe a couple of times a year at the most. I'm thinking of turkeys and hams, mainly. I guess you could use one on a pot roast but if you get it tender enough, it shouldn't be necessary.

I've never owned a food processor. In fact, I'm never seen the need to have one. I have quality knives and a good cutting board and I can do whatever I might need to with them. That brings me to the Salad Shooter. People have been enjoying salads for many, many years and no machines of any kind were ever involved in any way. Sometimes, I think people have so much money lying around that they just need something to spend some of it on. That seems to be the case in this instance to me.

Please understand that when I say 'juicer', I'm not talking about those machines you can put anything in. I'm talking about a simple orange juicer. I priced them today at $30-35. I have a glass one and it works great. It was my mom's so it's probably an antique. I'm glad it doesn't have a cord coming out of it. Then, there are the dehydrators. Beef jerky has been around for longer than a lot of people imagine it has. I worked at a factory making it at one time and it is made in simple ovens and not in some special machine. To show you how long it's been produced, I learned from working there that it's a tradional thing in Japan. I can remember my grandmother drying apples in the oven and she never had any problems. One dehydrator I saw today was $80.

While searching, I found something that I had never seen before. I wasn't aware that there was such a thing as a cordless teapot other than the kind that sits on the top of the stove but there is. That would be handy if I ever decided to have friends over for tea in the utility building out back. The things only cost $70. I don't understand the point of rice cookers. As far as I know, that's all they do. I have a pot which is just the right size and the lid fits snugly enough. With that, I can make a perfect batch of rice in fifteen minutes anytime. As a matter of fact, I did so a bit earlier today.

I'd like to get some opinions on all that I've said. I'm sure that some of you have some of these things and you may even love them. If so, I'd like to hear why and what makes them so much better than doing things the old-fashioned way. The way it's going now, I won't be surprised when they come out with a machine that not only cooks the food but eats it, as well.

Show all stories by   Author:  47699 ( Click here )