I was thinking about how I missed having an indoor thermometer that measures humidity. It’s such a small specific thing, one I’d never think of getting unless pushed to it (which I was by one particularly dry winter). But I like having one now.

What are your small, “random” or “junk drawer” type of gadgets that you actually use or like having around?

  • @HipsterTenZero
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    126 months ago

    I bought a small rice cooker a while back. I have pancakes way more often now, which has really helped cut down my breakfast budget. I can snag a month of breakfast for like 5 dollars. Yeah sure, they’re extra thicc and not as nutritious as a full complex meal, but its a lot less of a hassle than actually heating up the skillet and cooking a meal while I’m half-asleep.

      • @HipsterTenZero
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        6 months ago

        yep. Just drop a bit of butter in and let it melt while you put some coffee on and mix together the milk and pancake mix, drop it in for 2 cycles, and enjoy. It’s almost as easy as microwaving.

            • @Nolvamia@lemmy.world
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              66 months ago

              I am choosing to interpret the instructions as dumping a full bottle of pancake mix into the rice cooker, cook twice, then tip out the resulting pancake-cake and slice it up thinly like a pressed ham. I guess slice extra thinly for crepes?

                • @HipsterTenZero
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                  6 months ago

                  Ok ok ok, I’ll explain in further detail.

                  HipsterTenZero’s shitty mega pancake

                  Serves 1

                  Place 1 tablespoon of salted butter in the rice cooker and flip the switch.

                  Mix together ~3/4 cup of store-bought pancake mix (I like the cheap kind!) and ~1/3 cup of milk.

                  Dump the batter in on top of the liquefied butter.

                  Wait for the first cycle to be done by taking the dog out (important step: pet dog)

                  hit the switch for a second cycle.

                  Make coffee or something. Put on some pants if you haven’t already (optional).

                  Once the second cycle is done, poke the top of the 'cake with a fork to ensure it’s fully cooked through.

                  If done, rotate the rice cooker 180 degrees vertically to dispense the delicious mega-pancake. Otherwise hit it with a cheeky 3rd cycle.

                  it looks like this!

                  Top with whatever garbage is around.

                  Someone mentioned slicing it up, but I just say scarf it down as-is. Who is gonna judge, eh?

            • @beastlykings@sh.itjust.works
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              26 months ago

              It works! In the pot On the plate

              Not bad! Though I used Bisquick, for better flavor, and for the work involved dirtying bowls and measuring cups I’d rather just use a pan.

              In fact I made extra and made three pan sized pancakes in the time it took to make one big fluffy potcake.

              Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great Idea and it totally works. If I were gonna do it again seriously, I’d get a dedicated pancake mix that uses just water, to maximize the simplicity, which is the goal I think.

              It was fluffy and delicious, though I will say a lot of pancake flavor comes from the crispy edges and the thinness of the cake and you lose some of that with the thick potcake.

              Glad I tried it, thanks to op for the idea!

      • @HipsterTenZero
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        86 months ago

        the trick is that i’m American. We’ve evolved to seek out large meals and sugar rewards in our environment kind of like ants

    • ɘlddoW .ᴙM
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      26 months ago

      I bought an air fryer a while back. I have taken up equestrianism now, which has completely fucked my finances.