(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best whisks

I know what you are dealing with, and I'm so sorry that you're going through it.

What I've found helpful is to try making different levels of effortlessness for various daily tasks. Basically, it's just having contingency plans that I can implement as needed. Making them pleasant is also important.

For example, here are my breakfast contingencies:

• DEFCON 5: Use whiskware to make protein pancakes. (1 cup of water+1 cup of pancake mix+1 optional egg, shake it up, squeeze onto skillet, and eat; add chocolate chips, blueberries, or whatever you want if you're in the mood.) Or make scrambled eggs and toast.
  
• DEFCON 4: Oatmeal of choice (tip: no need to measure water precisely, just pour some boiling water directly from a kettle to make it as thick or thin as you like) or some healthyish cereal with oat milk (because oat milk keeps longer than dairy milk, which means fewer surprises, and tastes the most like dairy milk out of all the options)
  
• DEFCON 3: Instant oatmeal cup, Kodiak to-go cups, etc. These cups are great to have on hand, and lots of brands make lots of kinds of them. Go wild.
  
• DEFCON 2: Tsogo in a blender bottle, or whatever meal replacement powder you prefer (BlendRunner can help you compare options)
  
• DEFCON 1: Soylent meal-in-a-bottle, Ensure Complete, Met-Rx meal replacement bars, or any equivalent zero preparation product that's specifically meant to be a complete meal replacement, because you need the nutrients and calories when things are this tough. (Beware the really small, cheap meal bars. They're too small to be satisfying, so you end up eating a bunch and it doesn't save money.)
  
  Another thing that really helped me a lot was learning to drink more water. For almost everybody, this sounds as simple as just grabbing a water bottle and making an effort to change habits. It probably doesn't even occur to them that this might need to be streamlined for people like us.
  
  For me, here's what worked:
  
  
• The right water bottle is big enough that you won't need to get up to refill it often, insulated well-enough that the small pleasure of ice can be added before you go to sleep and still be there in the morning, and – perhaps most importantly, I found – has a lid that doesn't even require you to open it when you want a sip (because people like us really do need to save every spoon possible)
  
• The right ice tray doesn't require you to ever wrestle with it. You don't need to get rid of your other ice trays, but silicone ones will never cling too hard to the ice. This makes you more likely to get the ice, and the ice (if you're like me) will make the water more pleasant, and making it more pleasant makes it require less mental effort to get yourself to reach over to take a sip.
  
• The right reminder won't require you to press a button to deactivate an alarm, won't ever make you scramble to turn it off so you don't wake up your roommate, and can be ignored relatively easily (just turn it to face away) so that you're still in control.
  
  These are all things that require spending some money upfront, but are cheap to maintain.
  
  Basically, the strategy is to accept that you're already doing what you can to help yourself, so making the tasks easier will let you do more and live better with your limited energy. Having contingencies that accept how bad some days can be will help to keep one very bad day from turning into a very bad week because you won't need to stretch yourself to get something done when you can least "afford" to do so.
  
  Don't be embarrassed or ashamed by the lengths you need to go to in order to live decently. Others won't get it, but we both know that you're already used to people not really understanding.
  
  If you want to talk more and exchange ideas about more ways to "save spoons," then just let me know. Good luck!

We bought this one on Amazon a while back and it's perfect. It has a great weight to it, like it doesn't feel cheap or heavy. It has the perfect amount of thud and sting to it. I'd give it 5 stars and buy the same one if something happened to it.

Heart 2 Heart Whip Leather Strap, Black, 20" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026P3KDG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4nnQDbCKJFX4F

besides what I listed?

Tongs(several pair), pancake turners nylon and or silicone, a whisk or two, preferably silicone coated so you can use them in your pans. A mini prep (mini chopper) and maybe a stick blender or counter blender, good skillets (I like to keep a small ceramic skillet (not the expensive ones,a bout $25. and a larger nonstick) the small skillet I like for making my eggs in the morning, cooking a piece of sausage or two etc. the large is for everything else and by large I mean about a 10 3/4" pan. a couple of saucepans, Dutch oven, and a crockpot. this will give you several different ways to cook things, such as braising, slow cooking stir frying an sautéing. also I would invest in a good microwave steamer. that can be used to steam veggies, and cook rice.

mini prep: (I have this one) https://www.amazon.com/Conair-Cuisinart-DLC-2ABC-Processor-Brushed/dp/B0000645YM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469469352&sr=8-1&keywords=mini+prep

Whisks like these, and you can usually find them in packs of two or three: https://www.amazon.com/Freshware-KT-130RD-Stainless-Silicone-Covering/dp/B00405W824/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1469469422&sr=8-13&keywords=silicone+coated+mini+pancake+turner

these are GREAT! I have 3 and they get used a lot! ***https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Silicone-Cookie-Spatula/dp/B001QTVT4K/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1469469554&sr=8-15&keywords=mini+silicone+spatula

shoot almost forgot you will need a casserole such as a 9X13 (highly called for size) and an 8X8 somewhere around that size too. and baking sheets. If you have a same club or costco near you that you can get to they are Cheap there these are Heavy duty and will last you for years!

they have a pack of two of these at Costco/Sam's for about 18 or 20 bucks.

https://www.amazon.com/Vollrath-17-3-12-7-Half-Size-Sheet/dp/B001BQKRJG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469469725&sr=8-5&keywords=vollrath+sheet+pan


I also like this size for smaller jobs I have two of these also. Bought at separate times because I could't find a deal on these and they cost me a bit.

https://www.amazon.com/Vollrath-9-1-Quarter-Size-Sheet/dp/B0001MS400/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1469469725&sr=8-4&keywords=vollrath+sheet+pan
Hope this helps you.

I used to buy the Rival hand mixers for like $6 in college. After burning through 3 of them in a like 1.5-2 years, my mom got me a KitchenAid one. It's great. Lots of different speeds depending on what you're doing. Hasn't even come close to dying. Even now that I have a stand mixer, I still get out my hand mixer from time to time because it's easier for a small thing or I'm making icing for whatever I just mixed in the stand or whatever reason. It's just great.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who spent all her days in the kitchen. She once noticed a tiny little spider hanging out in the corner of the room. She called the spider Deputydawg and made it her pet. Every day for years, she found tiny little flies and fed the spider so it began to trust her.

One day, she was cooking and she looked up to see Deputydawg spinning a web. She smiled as he weaved up and down...but then...

He fell.

He fell into her cooking pot.

She gasped and panicked. Then suddenly she remembered that she had bought a tool perfect for such rescue operations and she managed to put little Deputydawg on the side to dry.

As he dried and thought of his ordeal, he noticed that the pot was boiling over and the sauce that the little girl was making had gone lumpy. He spun his little web onto a tool he knew would help her this time. and she picked it up and was able to stir the sauce back.

They had both had a lucky escape. Deputydawg was grateful that he hadn't fallen down that morning when pancakes and bacon were being fried.

 

The End.

This is my favorite whisk. It's very durable feeling and wonderfully easy to clean. It's also good at getting into corners.

As a guy that like cooking and gadgets here are my suggestions:

• A mandolin (1 and 2 - extremely useful kitchen gadget. I recommend a V shaped blade over the straight blade, it just cuts better.)
  
  
• A knife sharpener (I use an electric one, but any multistage sharpener is a great gift.)
  
  
• Flat whisk (This is very useful for making any sauces, glazes and especially gravies.)
  
  
• Microplane grater (I got one of these and I have never gone back to my old box grater. They come in 2 shapes: long and narrow vs wide and short, I prefer the long and narrow. They come in 3 or 4 'coarseness' levels from zester up to extra-coarse. I would recommend zest for a first one.)
  
  
• Mini Ramekins (A set of these in the size range of 3 to 4 inches or 4 to 6 ounces has a variety of uses: creme brulee, warm cookie or brownie desserts, individual souffles. But what I use them most for is holding my measured spices together for when I cook. When I need to dump all my spices onto a heap of cooked meat, I can just dump them on instead of measuring them out one at a time directly onto the meat.)

If i was stuck on a deserted island, i would use these whisks as some sort of motor on a raft. it would probably be monkey powered, so it might take a while to earn the monkey's trust and train them to whisk me away. but hey, its a deserted island and all i've got is time. turtles are awesome and perhaps i can hook one up to the front to steer/pull the raft.

thanks for hosting a contest!

I will not ignore a Tom Waits poster!

I see you have some good quality pots and pans... that is invaluable! I have thrown away more crappy pots and pans than I care to admit.

But... you will need a baking tray for odd foods here and there.

And perhaps a rotary whisk/egg beater. I prefer the hand tools because I like to have more control over the mixing. (And I can take them camping and use them in a power outage!! In case I need to bake a cake in the dark!)

Wooden spoons!! I love wooden spoons for just about everything.

Also check out Kiwi knives... excellent quality. Last a lifetime.

Everyone needs a good cast iron griddle or skillet.

Lets see... what else...

How about serving dishes? A mustard pot (that's a British thing right?)

You will need some dishes and some silverware.

Whew!! Well I stuck with just the kitchen stuff, but there ya go!

• yes

• yes

• a new whisk for my beautiful new pans

• done

• a loris call can resemble a really loud crows cawing

Depends, usually Medium. And just cooked well and juicy. LOVE a good steakhouse, but since we can't afford that, on the grill at home.

/u/IDFKwhereGilliganIs and I should win the lottery and go out for fancy steak.

Kitchen thing.

No soup for you!

I've seen that style of whisk called a potato whisk, a kettle whip or a ball whip. Finding it in plastic is unlikely but the important feature is that the whisk wires are thick and fused together at both ends (the tip and the handle.)

Edit: a paint mixer drill attachment will do the trick if you can find one that's food safe.

I was assuming something like this.

But they're also indicated as decorating spatulas.

I'm assuming it's actually a baking spatula.

In some areas, I can see how it could be done by a finger because of the haphazard nature, but in others, it looks far too much like the beginning of a flat blade's stroke. I'm curious as to what OP's answer will (hopefully) eventually be.

We use this...works great.

We did quite a few tests and this worked much better than a spoon.

American Metalcraft SBW10 Stainless Steel Bar Whisk, Square, 10 1/2" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GZZSKXW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qBtUBbER9CMKM

I'm with the others saying that is not as big of a leap as you may think to go to all grain. You can totally do a nice all grain saison and save $20 vs buying all that DME.

I would recommend getting the ridiculous sized whisk ChinoBrews always brings up. It really does help prevent those annoying dough-balls.

https://www.amazon.com/Winco-Stainless-Steel-French-24-Inch/dp/B001VZ8S1Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525778917&sr=8-2&keywords=giant+whisk

I have a thing for whisks. A spiral whisk is something I can't live without. Makes for a perfect roux. I use it for most sauces. It's a great tool.

Also, if you normally use a balloon whisk I would get a french whisk too. I prefer a french whisk to a balloon. Easier on the wrist.

mathematical!!!

Linky. XD

I have this one from Best Manufacturers.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Manufacturers-Balloon-12-inch-Copper/dp/B0000DE6B9

I have the 12" copper and it's very solid. They are the last company in the US making whisks.

Here's a slightly cheaper one if you want to save a little cash!

A good whisk will help up your sauce game. One like this is your buddy when making gravy & sauces. And it's cheap! I have my mother's food processor. I used it one time. That was before she passed away, in 2003. If you do spring for one, I suggest trying to find one of the old warhorses. Heavy duty! And now, the whisk:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXY20B2?psc=1&smid=A1VF7I70U66DU5

EDIT: I no longer shred my own cheese; it used to be cheaper to buy the block but not anymore. My knife skills are fine. Hummus-made it once, used the blender I got for $3 at a garage sale. I guess it's your call. Nothing but an expensive (for mom) paperweight here.

Looks like the bottom half of a coil whisk

Get a big whisk, and $14 of something else.

I've been meaning to get a big ol' whisk for a while now, and you just made me check.

The 24" is less than $10CAD up here in Canadistan so that's a no-brainer.

Allow me to make a suggestion.

Spring whisk

https://www.amazon.com/RETON-Stainless-Steel-Spring-Whisk/dp/B00IXY20B2

It's a spring coil whisk

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Spring-Coil-Whisk/dp/B00IXY20B2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001VZ8S1Q/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what i use, comically large

Blichmann burner. They're expensive but worth it.

Jaded Hydro. Same. Maybe moreso. Most badass wort chiller I've ever seen.

A comically oversized whisk. Doughballs in your mash will fear you

THIS!

I love cooking, and I had never seen one of these before! LOVED IT!

Hmm...One food I could eat forever, Potatoes. Hashborwns are Ah-mazing

Phobia, probably would have to be insanity. The thought of not being aware of myself/my surroundings scares the hell out of me.

Pet peeve, putting cups on the floor. Can't stand it. Especially when there's a coffee table/side table RIGHT NEXT TO THE COUCH!