What is your country’s cultural kitchen appliance?

23 comments

1. i wouldn’t have thought we had one until i moved to a part of the country where everyone has an electric bread slicer (theoretically an “everything slicer”, but i assume most people use it for bread only).

2. [Food dryer](https://www.mediaexpert.pl/agd-male/do-kuchni/suszarki-do-grzybow/suszarka-do-grzybow-milla-home-fd501) that people use mostly to dry mushrooms. Picking mushrooms is a very popular activity in Poland, and many traditional Polish foods contain dried mushrooms.

3. I would say the [kaasschaaf](https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaasschaaf) because there’s no Dutch kitchen without one, but it’s a Norwegian invention.

   The [flessenlikker](https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flessenlikker) is a Dutch invention though. I’m not sure it’s used as much anymore. We used to have one when I was little, but I don’t have one for myself now I’m an adult.

4. We have this device that looks like a small metal spatula on a handle. Close to where the spatula connects to the handle there is a hole with a sharpened edge that lets you slice cheese. We call it a cheese slicer, or *Osthyvel*.

5. [Чушкопек](https://bg.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A7%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BA) it’s mostly used for roasting bell peppers. Peppers stuffed with rice and minced meat is a popular home dish. Can be chopped in a salad with tomatoes or with dill and garlic and vinegar. Roasted peppers in tomato sauce 🤤

   Fewer people use it in their homes nowadays tbh but almost everyone’s parents/grandparents have one.

6. I’m going to say the [electric creme brûlée burner](https://www.worten.pt/produtos/queimador-de-leite-creme-junex-5508-4862721). It only seldom comes out of the cupboard, since making *leite creme* is kind of seasonal (a Christmas/New Year staple dessert), but it is pretty darn handy. And the little blow torches can’t make that nice, thick, crunchy caramel crust like the traditional burners do.

   Or a [mini grill](https://www.continente.pt/produto/fogareiro-carvao-redondo-25cm-delba-3935796.html), where you can put your chestnut roasting pan, your sardine grill, or roast your bell peppers on.

7. [Coffee maker](https://www.moccamaster.eu/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/6cb2e44e2d6aad1aa4bd8ed0220fea75/i/d/id1-kbgselectbrushedbrass1000px_22.jpg)

   According to the International Coffee Association, each Finn consumes 12 kilograms of coffee per year.

8. The [waffle iron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_iron) is definitely the one for Norway. Specifically, the [one with hearts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Weichwaffeleisen.jpg/800px-Weichwaffeleisen.jpg).

9. I think this applies to most of the Balkans, Turkey and some other countries but we absolutely must have a good [džezva](https://emo-shop.com/1866-large_default/dzezva-rdeca-s-pikami-07l.jpg) for preparing coffee, ideally in more sizes. There are different variations of it also depending on the region, like copper ones in Bosnia and Turkey, or stainless steel ones.

10. [Rolling pin] (https://media.istockphoto.com/id/173069722/photo/close-up-of-woman-rolling-dough-with-rolling-pin-on-kitchen-counter.jpg?s=612×612&w=0&k=20&c=tYL1bqessyt9gln3LH0AjcKqXqBBciCxKnMO1luQOUE=) as we love pies.

    [Souvla](https://thefoukouproject.gr/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/foukou-zeus-8.jpg) to grill meat.

    [Briki] (https://www.gustoproducts.gr/app/uploads/2021/12/xalkino-2.jpg) aka the Greek coffee maker.

11. [Deep fryer](https://www.google.com/search?q=friteuse+-airfryer&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj39tGc0NyBAxVfi_0HHSC8DLMQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=friteuse+-airfryer&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoHCAAQigUQQzoFCAAQgAQ6BAgAEB5QuglYuqQBYNylAWgAcAB4AIABSYgBiASSAQIxMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=yXkdZbfuJN-W9u8PoPiymAs&bih=1291&biw=2560&rlz=1C1GCEA_enDE1078). No home could ever be complete without one. I use mine weekly at least; Friday is fries-day at my house.

12. [The boiler set](https://indirektno.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/97329EFF-84ED-4403-9093-B857FACB5E1B-1068×580.jpeg) to make rakija.

    [Peka set](https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/5b/89/d1/5b89d1925970f91efc82c3d8651cb423.jpg) in the south.

    [Kotlovina set](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Kotlovina-CRO.JPG) in the north.

13. The [*Sparschäler “Rex”*](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=sparsch%C3%A4ler+rex&t=samsung&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fi.otto.de%2Fi%2Fotto%2Fd74e843a-2b3c-53fe-8ea6-a4c7231ea447%2Fvictorinox-sparschaeler-sparschaeler-rex-1-tlg-sparschaeler.jpg%3F%24formatz%24) is an icon.

    Other than that, a Raclette stove and a caquelon for fondue are a must-have.

14. I’d say that everyone has an electric kettle, but there are two more things you can find in basically every Russian kitchen.

    [Чапельник / chapelnik](https://imgur.com/a/BQP1CHC) – a removable pan handle. It’s an old tool that was used to handle pots and pans in a traditional Russian stove.

    [Консервный нож / tin opener](https://imgur.com/a/NXmuSO5) – a tool to open tin cans, jars with tin lids, and bottles.

15. Canada – I’d say most people would have a coffee maker – probably more go for the single cup type now over pots. I use the kettle more myself as I’m a tea drinker. We replace these more than anything else.

16. In Romania I’d say it’s the “[ceaun](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Gulyas080.jpg)” (cauldron). It’s a must for “mămăligă” (polenta), “sarmale” (stuffed cabbage or vine leaves) and the various “tocănițe” (stews). These cauldrons are made of cast iron, and the very best ones are made by hand by the so called “ceaunari”, Roma people specialized in this craft.

17. Scrolled to see if someone from my country could tell me about this, but no luck.
    I honestly can’t think of one. The only one I thought was the pressure cooker, but I think that was just a phase my mom went thru 😂, not a national thing.

18. Do any Czechs or Slovaks use a Remoska? One of the UK’s kitchenware companies regularly tries to flog in its catalogue. https://www.lakeland.co.uk/31945/standard-remoska-electric-cooker-with-glass-lid-2l

19. The [raclette](https://m.boulanger.com/ref/8004626) machine. And the [crêpe](https://www.amazon.fr/Tefal-PY559312-Cr%C3%AApi%C3%A8re-Colormania-cr%C3%AApes/dp/B00ESZEI2E/ref=asc_df_B00ESZEI2E/?tag=googshopfr-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194945304874&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13545748567705598741&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9055230&hvtargid=pla-77954733926&psc=) one. It can be the same appliance for both like [this one](https://www.amazon.fr/H-Koenig-RP412-Appareil-Raclette-Rouge/dp/B016JWSZCW/ref=asc_df_B016JWSZCW/?tag=googshopfr-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194914633857&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4465776880418865197&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9055230&hvtargid=pla-195052630635&psc=1). For crêpes you also have the very flat frying pan.

20. I don’t know if you can call it a “kitchen” appliance, but the [φουκού](https://img.ankorstore.com/products/images/3957563-47df610635518e.jpg?auto=compress&fm=pjpg&w=1600&dpr=2&fit=min). It is used to make [Souvla](https://youtu.be/2cynKoHnB-M?si=iYtRJwK9XI6VCfCN), a.k.a. “family sized souvlaki”. You’re not a true cypriot if you don’t have one (I brought one to Germany as a student). You can hook them up to a car battery to grill anywhere.

21. I do not know for certain… But whenever I tell my foreign friends about the [common potato peeler](https://cdn.abicart.com/shop/ws45/88845/art45/h3443/172223443-origpic-fb8f91.jpg?max-width=500&max-height=500&quality=85&fmt=avif), they have never seen one. They have seen potato peelers, but never that particular design.

22. I guess it would be a toss up between a [raclette machine](https://www.boulanger.com/ref/1184754) (usually you’d put a bowl of already cooked potatoes on top, I don’t know why it’s shown with vegetables smh) or a [fondue pot](https://www.boulanger.com/ref/8008425). We use each one at least once every winter.

    Or maybe it’s one of those [cheese knives](https://www.lagrandecoutellerie.fr/fr/couteaux-de-cuisine-berlingot/32-couteau-a-fromage-berlingot-manche-nacrine-3700512030072.html)? Or some [escargot forks](https://www.amazon.fr/DOJA-Barcelona-Fourchette-R%C3%A9utilisable-utilisations/dp/B08HZGXXZX/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=fourchette%2Bescargot&qid=1696441012&sr=8-9&th=1)? I don’t know, we have a lot going on the kitchen.

23. Kind of a retro thing, but [this](https://www.haztartasikisgepek.hu/STAHLMAN-ST-800-MELEGSZENDVICS-SUTO?utm_source=olcsobbat&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=olcsobbat_shopping_haztartasi_kisgepek&utm_source=olcsobbat&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=olcsobbat_shopping_haztartasi_kisgepek&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmvSoBhDOARIsAK6aV7hVbFadOYgQtONJ5q_4NQl4lXzSYrmdy-WgmyHcpU8zQFeLIOrk0AkaAhpHEALw_wcB) is a legend. When I was a kid, I couldn’t understand why people use pop-up toasters which can only toast slices of bread and not sandwiches.