Revamp Your Kitchen with These Must-Have Products: A $40 Shopping Spree

[NooraK]

OK, so one of the winners of my drawing for my Thank You Celebration doesn't want her prize, and is insisting that I order something for myself. I gave her the option of picking something and donating it to her church or an organization like Ronald McDonald House that might get use out of it, but she insisted I should treat myself.

So now, I have to decide what to get with $40 of free product. Here's my list (and a few notes), what would you think would be most beneficial to my business?

Bamboo Petite Snack Bowls $24.00
Bamboo Cracker Tray $15.00 (I'm thinking of sip 'n dip parties)

Ice Bucket & Shaker Set $45.00 (Pamper-tini parties)

Chef's Tongs $21.00

Mix 'N Masher $10.00

Ginger-Wasabi Sauce $12.00

29 Minutes to Dinner Vol. 2 $14.75
Cooking for 2 or More $14.75
It's good for you $14.75

Easy & Impressive Appetizers $7.50

Latin Flavor $.9.50
More Latin Flavor $9.50

Creative Cutters Set $11.00

Clock/Timer $16.00

Garlic Peeler & Slicer $19.50

Smooth-Edge Can Opener $17.50

 

[doughmama]

LOVE the garlic peeler/slicer. use it and sell it at every show. mix n chop and chefs tongs are good too.

 

[DebbieJ]

cookbooks, timer, and chef's tongs are all great for shows.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

LOVE Garlic slicer. Not feelin the love for the peeler.

LOVE the 29 minutes to dinner. NOT loving cooking for 2 or more (came in the spree, never cooked a thing from it) and it's good for you, IMHO is way too heavy on high sodium stuff. I'd consider Volume 2, All the Best or the desert one.

Can opener is great ... and great to demo at shows. The number one reason people hate products like this is b/c they don't know how to use 'em.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Lot's of good choices. Hmmmm.... You can never go wrong with cookbooks. I'd go with 29 Minutes first, then It's Good For You, then Appetizers. Can Opener is a must have (Di's right on about that one - gotta show how). Chef''s Tongs are also something I use a lot at home and shows. Clock/Timer is another if you show it they will buy item. Bamboo and the Barware are also excelent choices for shows. I guess I'm no help. Decide what you want in your kitchen and what you'll use for shows and pick those. What have you thought "I wish I had"?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

The Can Opener.

I never could figure out the big deal about the can opener until I had my own. Then, I had to get two, because DH would get upset every time I took the "good" can opener with me to a show and left him with the "crappy" can opener.

Plus, if you have one you can show other people how to use it. I used to sell can openers, but since owning one, I sell 3x's as many!


Along with that - any cookbooks you think you'd like to use at home.

 

[pamperedharriet]

I try to get products that I can show to sell. Some items like the can opener (I bought mine as I loved the demo and being able to try it at a show), cookbooks (people like to see what is in there before they buy). I also prefer items that I too can use. Loving a product helps sell it. Our catalogs are great but certain products need people to touch, feel and try out--the extra touch that make our shows great!

 

[kam]

Yes, the can opener! And Cookbooks. (Though, I also have never used the Cooking for 2 or more).

I use the Mix N Masher all the time. And the Garlic Slicer is nice to have. I look for recipes that call for sliced garlic now.

The Clock Timer I use at home (have 3) and, of course, I bring to shows, but can't say I have ever sold it because I had it with me. I have the Clock/Timer because I use/love it.

 

[ShellBeach]

Get what you think you'll use! Since you listed the bamboo tray & bowls first, that makes me think you've had your eye on them for a while. They are really cute, and if you don't have other entertaining pieces, you'll use them.I'd steer clear of the mix n masher - it's kind of flimsy and I hardly ever use it. It's getting the boot in my next kitchen drawer purge, come to think of it. I found the ginger wasabi sauce to be horrible, and so did my family. But if you still want to try it, save it for a supply order and tack it on for $7.25 instead of paying the full price with your fun money.The creative cutters is a darling little set, but I must confess I've never used them! Keep forgetting I have them.
I use the chefs tongs a lot, so much I got a 2nd pair since the first was always in the dishwasher. The can opener also gets regular use. Love all the cookbooks , and agree with Beth about getting the 29 minutes before any of the others.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Get what you think you'll use!


Since you listed the bamboo tray & bowls first, that makes me think you've had your eye on them for a while. They are really cute, and if you don't have other entertaining pieces, you'll use them.


I'd steer clear of the mix n masher - it's kind of flimsy and I hardly ever use it. It's getting the boot in my next kitchen drawer purge, come to think of it. I found the ginger wasabi sauce to be horrible, and so did my family. But if you still want to try it, save it for a supply order and tack it on for $7.25 instead of paying the full price with your fun money.


The creative cutters is a darling little set, but I must confess I've never used them! Keep forgetting I have them.
I use the chefs tongs a lot, so much I got a 2nd pair since the first was always in the dishwasher. The can opener also gets regular use. Love all the cookbooks , and agree with Beth about getting the 29 minutes before any of the others.

This is exactly why we have so many choices - and why it's so hard to tell you what you should get.

The Ginger Wasabi Sauce is one of our favorites - and my DH's fav by far! I also like the Mix n Masher. (Not as much as the Mix n Chop mind you.) We use it to mix sauces, mash potatoes/sweet potatoes/avocado, etc. The creative cutters are used mostly around holidays but do get enough use to make it worth having.

I actually love everything on the list in post 1. The only things I haven't used a ton is the Latin cookbooks. I look at them but never seem to be inspired to cook those particular recipes. I do take them to shows and have had people buy them after checking them out so they were worth getting. And I don't use the garlic peeler & slicer much but I prefer the press so...

 

[leftymac]

I don't think the Mix n Masher is flimsy at all. I use it all the time -- potato/avocado masher, mixing things into cream cheese, pastry blender, flat whisk for nonstick cookware. I made homemade onion dip at a family function a few weeks ago and used it to mix the onion into the cream cheese, and sold 4 of them to various family members right there.I thought I would love having all the cookbooks, but I rarely ever use any of them.Those of you who know me know that I have a bowl obsession, so I'd definitely go with the bamboo petite snack bowls. I don't use them much but when I do, I'm glad I have them.

 

[ShellBeach]

haha, I noticed kam's post saying she liked the mix & masher right after I said I didn't.
Yep, just goes to show, since you like it too, that it can be useful. My husband keeps telling me to get rid of the egg separator, since we both know how to separate eggs without that tool, but nope...I like sitting it on the edge of the bowl while it separates the egg and I go do something else.My first line of advice (and I think everyone elses!) was to get what you'll use.

 

[NooraK]

I guess I'm no help. Decide what you want in your kitchen and what you'll use for shows and pick those. What have you thought "I wish I had"?

Hee hee... this is my "I wish I had" list right now I'm pretty happy with what I have, and I don't feel like I need anything specific.

Since you listed the bamboo tray & bowls first, that makes me think you've had your eye on them for a while. They are really cute, and if you don't have other entertaining pieces, you'll use them.

Actually, they're the first item I came across when flipping through the catalog I put together a bunch of dips for my Thank You Celebration, and they were a hit, so I though they would be good for sip 'n dip kind of shows.

The creative cutters is a darling little set, but I must confess I've never used them! Keep forgetting I have them.
I use the chefs tongs a lot, so much I got a 2nd pair since the first was always in the dishwasher. The can opener also gets regular use. Love all the cookbooks , and agree with Beth about getting the 29 minutes before any of the others.

The tongs and the can opener are at the top of my list, really. DH is skeptical of the can opener, but I think once he uses it, he'll love it. I already have the first 29 minutes, and I like having the cookbooks at my shows for people to flip through, that's why I listed almost all of them.

The Ginger Wasabi Sauce is one of our favorites - and my DH's fav by far! I also like the Mix n Masher. (Not as much as the Mix n Chop mind you.) We use it to mix sauces, mash potatoes/sweet potatoes/avocado, etc.

I'm thinking hubby would like the Ginger Wasabi Sauce, but I can get it on Supply Order, too. I don't currently have a potato masher (I know whose house it is at, just keep forgetting to ask for it back, it's going on years now), we're using the pastry blender when we have mashed potatoes.

Thank you all so much for your input.

Now, if I could just get two of my winners to get back to me so I can submit this thing...

 

[pamperedharriet]

Once you know how to use the can opener you really do appreciate it. I love how you can't cut yourself as it is smooth all the way around the can and lid! Have your DH to to youtube.com and see the demo on the can opener. It may convince him.

 

[gailz2]

The can opener is a "must have". I love 29 Minutes to Dinner. If I were getting the bamboo snack bowls, I'd get the new bigger ones (I actually have both sizes). I've made some of the "It's Good For You" recipes at shows where people are dieting.

 

[NooraK]

I ended up getting the tongs, the can opener and the Mix 'N Masher. My 2nd 50% off winner didn't want her prize, but took so long to tell me I decided to just use it myself instead of pulling another name and hoping they'd get back to me soon.

The Mix 'N Masher will come to good use at home, and I think all three will be beneficial to have at shows. I have one of the 29 minutes to dinner cookbooks, and a couple of others, so I have a variety. Plus, if we get a new cookbook for fall, I'm hoping it's in the $1500 SAT package.