The one where I confess to a craving for Kitchenaid

I've watched a few Saturday Kitchens in my time - I don't have a thing for James Martin I just love watching people cook and the celebrity Masterchef bits always make me shout "what do you know about food Torode you saddo !" The main thing I love is when they start cooking something and use lots of fabulous gadgets. I have to admit that I have a few of my own: some electric mixers, a lot of spatulas, whisks, beaters, an electric cheese grater (don't ask !) and at one point I had a mushroom brush. A brush to wash mushrooms with in the shape of a mushroom. I have no idea where that went and I miss it.

I am the person who treats the Lakeland brochure like a guilty pleasure and hides it under the sofa cushions when Hubbie walks in. I fold the corners over when I see something I might find useful one day. The banana holder, the wine glass charms, the weights for the corners of tablecloths used outdoors. Yes at some point I've expressed a genuine passion for each of these items, but thankfully I've not purchased any of them. At some point I rationalise that I won't really need them and I already have so many boxed gadgets I don't use. 

Then along came Kitchenaid. It's the machine that Lorraine Pascal uses to mix her lovely cakes and pastries. It's the wondrous item whirring away on the counter whisking eggs while James Martin blathers on about something to the featured sleb on the show. I believe it's also featured in Nigella's kitchen, but I don't think I've seen the beloved Nigel Slater using one. I think I'm actually in love with it.

The issue is that I cannot bring myself to be ok with spending over £400 on a food mixer. Yes it's gorgeous and it probably is better than my humble Breville mixer that judders when it's on and where the paddles don't quite reach the base of the bowl. However, I don't see myself as a high end kitchen gadget user. I once talked myself out of asking for a small blowtorch for Christmas as I reasoned that I don't like creme brulee and what else would I realistically use it for other than to crisp the sugar topping on one ?

It's the same argument I use against having a range cooker. I love them so much, but I don't think my amateur efforts justify spending four figures on something I'd be too scared to use as it cost almost as much as a small family car. Hubbie very sweetly says he'd like to treat me to these luxury goods, something about "the style to which I'd like to become accustomed." I think it's nice to have far flung dreams that are ever so slightly unattainable.

Of course if anyone is offering me my dream kitchen complete with range cooker, enormous Smeg fridge and the entire Kitchenaid range it would be terribly rude to turn it down wouldn't it ?