What appliances can you not live without?
October 07, 2009 By: almostgotit Category: Uncategorized
We have been hanging all of our laundry out to dry ever since June, when we had the unfortunate wet- sneakers- in- the- dryer incident. And since the yard is lovely and I like the whole idea of hanging laundry anyway, I’ve been buying new glasses, weed wrenches and um, raspberry bushes instead of a new clothes dryer.
Then the microwave went to heaven to be with the clothes dryer. Oddly, I’ve found this to be much more inconvenient than losing the clothes dryer.
My daughter, whose mean mother now makes her do her own laundry, has been begging for a new clothes dryer but thinks my microwave angst is just funny. Once she offered to take our plates to the corner where the microwave used to be and hum in a monotone while turning them around and around on the counter.
Ha, Funny.
When our washing machine went out last spring, we replaced it as soon as we could. When SEVERAL of our dishwashers died in rapid succession, I would have sold my legs if necessary to get a working machine back ASAP. We don’t have a garbage disposal, though, and couldn’t care less. Same with an electric can opener, rice cooker, Wii and TiVo.
I would kill anyone who tried to take any of our multiple computers, though, and I NEEEED my George Foreman electric grill.
What about you? What appliances can you not live without?
October 7th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
We do well w/o dishwasher. We could do fine w/o the microwave. If we were to replace our 4-eye electric and oven, I’d only vote for a 2-eye, better yet a 2-eye gas stove with oven. Gotta have a washer & dryer; dryer’s a convenience but it’s over rated. Gotta have a computer and gotta have a TV. I can do w/o my 8 component stereo system now that i-pod has landed. I do like cd’s though and I think it’d be neat to have an lp turntable again. None of the audio stuff is essential. I’d rather sing in choir, make real music. In our basement a dehumidifyer is a blessing, but it’s not essential. I’d love to have a clothes line; that fresh smell is heavenly. Books, they’re not appliances but they are being turned into one. Oook. Gotta have books.
October 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Dishwasher. Washing machine. Dryer. Microwave. Garbage disposal. No negotiation. Take it or leave it–or rather, I do.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Lived without the lot when I was in the Peace Corps, (did have a two burner gas stovetop though), and the one that was the nicest to have available was a clothes washing machine. Washing by hand is no fun…and not very effective either…
October 8th, 2009 at 12:14 am
I thought I would freak out without my toaster, but it’s been broken for half a year and I have yet to run around the house screaming. About the toaster, that it.
I would have to say the washer and dryer, given the two year old currently inhabiting the building in which I take shelter. Austin is so freakin’ humid and covered in allergens that I fear line drying, though I suspect it is unreasonable of me.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:20 am
GOT to have a dishwasher and a hair dryer. Clothes dryers are overrated and over used in my opinion. You can buy microwaves for pretty cheap though.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:26 am
A shorter list would be which ones CAN we live without?
October 8th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Fridge, range, microwave, deep freeze, dish washer, toaster, washing machine, tumble dryer, hair dryer, computer, TV, radio, garage door opener. I WANT THEM ALL AND REFUSE TO GIVE THEM UP!!
I’m alright now. Took some cleansing breaths. Whew!
October 11th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
The rice cooker. This thing rocks. Drop the rice in. Fill it with water to the first knuckle. Press cook.
The new model we bought today has a steamer built in so you can steam things while the rice cooks.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I don’t like the way my clothes feel when I dry them on a line. I know dryers use a lot of energy, but I like using them. It was always such a chore to haul the clothes to the laundromat, too. In those days, it cost $10 a week to do our laundry. That was 20 years ago, and I’m sure it costs more now. $520 a year is a lot of money.
We did OK without a dishwasher when we ate out a lot. But cooking at home is a lot more fun (and more likely to happen) when you can just put the dirty dishes in a dishwasher. We only eat out about once a week now and 20 meals x 2 people is a lot of dishes. I’ve also noticed my hands, esp. nails, are in much better shape now that we’re not handwashing all the dishes.
When our kitchen was not air-conditioned, I REALLY appreciated the microwave. Now I’ve just gotten used to having it and it does save time in the kitchen.
But the little gem I really love is a toaster oven.