Hi Emily, grab a potato. Congrats on the family accumulation.

ETA: my favourite baked potatoes get nuked first (for speed) then thrown on the barbeque in foil, but alas I have no bbq these days. I miss it.

Also, accidental slumbernut, woot.

That's what the top of the fridge is for.

My fridge is about 5'10. Small yet tall and light things are stored very close to the front edge. That's about it.

With the new kitchen, I have a bit more space and need to decide between a grill, toaster oven, or microwave. Jury's still out.

Betsy -- I have a KitchenAid mixer, an ice cream machine with dual vats, a crock pot with a timer, a 400 watt hand blender, cordless electric kettle, and one of those one-handed pepper grinders. Am not averse to the kitchen gadgets. However, West LA kitchens? Way short on counter space.

Put it on the floor in the livingroom, stick a pillow on top, and call it an ottoman.

There's always the danger of getting lost in a potato discussion, isn't there?

I fail to taste teh difference between potatoes microwaved, baked in an electric oven, and baked in a gas oven. All yummy and potatolicious, if you ask me.

I have not much counter space, so when I decided to get a microwave I went for one that also acts as a toaster oven and sort of grills. It microwaves slowly (I generally have to add half again the time on the bx to anything) but effectively, toasts just fine, bakes just fine over a limited range of temperatures, and has similar "grilling" results to Foreman grills, as far as I can tell (I've only grilled a steak or two, they were better than pan fried)

Put it on the floor in the livingroom, stick a pillow on top, and call it an ottoman.

Hey, that's what happened to a paper box my parent used to ship stuff to me. I never got around to putting it away. The cats quite like it.

-t (I'm potato and gadget obsessed, which is no reflection on Emily, and a very sad one on me), what brand is that? Sounds like it'd make a great ottoman.

-t, I considered getting one of those since I didn't have the space for microwave and toaster oven. I knew the slow microwaving would drive me batshit, though, so in the end I sacrificed versatility for speed.

There's always the danger of getting lost in a potato discussion, isn't there?

It's true. All the same, folks, there's a good bit of Chaucer and medieval theology in the story, if anybody's interested. Just let me know when the potato fever has passed.

Also, if you have an opinion on balsamic v. red wine vinegar for pasta salad dressing.

I fail to taste teh difference between potatoes microwaved, baked in an electric oven, and baked in a gas oven. All yummy and potatolicious, if you ask me.

I think the difference is in the skin, more than in the innards. The innards always taste the same to me, provided I cook them sufficiently. But the skin is better in the oven, than in the microwave. I pre-nuke, like Betsy suggests.

I haven't noticed a difference between my electric oven (which I generally hate) and my old gas love (my own, my precious).

Nothing to add on the gadgetry front, but a note that the restaurant wherein we karaoke every week deep-fries their baked potatoes. Poke, plop them in the oil, remove, put in oven to finish, and voila. Yummiest baked potato evAR.