Cooks seem to be divided into two camps – those who love their gadgets and others who stick with the basics. Which do you belong to?

Definitely the basics. I like to keep it simple in my kitchen apart from my two mixer gadgets, a KitchenAid and a kMix, both of which I love. With a KitchenAid you get lots of different attachments, making it great not just for baking but also for making sausages, fresh pasta, or getting ingredients chopped quickly and efficiently.

Which tech has revolutionised the kitchen?

Sous vides [the devices for slow-cooking food beloved by modernist chefs such as Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal] enable you to cook ingredients in little pouches until they are succulent and beautifully tender. Results like this really weren't possible before sous vides were introduced and now they are available for home kitchens as well as professional ones. That said, I don't have one.

How has technology changed cooking?

Getting food on the table fast and conveniently seems to be the priority these days, and technology like the microwave facilitates that. I think cooking was done for pleasure more, and that food brought people together more regularly, in the old days.

Satnav or map book?

I know London pretty well, I've been here since I was 16, but on bad days I do rely on my satnav.

Would you keep your phone on the table at dinner?

If I'm not with my daughter, then yes I do, just in case she calls, but otherwise I try not to.

What's your favourite app?

Hailo's brilliant and I like the TED Talks app as well. I watched high school teacher Rita Pierson's amazing "Every Kid Needs a Champion" talk about how she inspires her pupils. But perhaps my favourite app at the moment is You Are Your Own Gym.

It gives you exercises, videos, targets and reminders for a workout from home – all you need is a chair, a bed and a door frame.

What social media do you use?

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. They are pretty different audiences. Twitter can be a tough crowd, so I like the simplicity of Instagram. I upload lots of pictures of beautiful skies.

Is technology making us stupider?

It's probably not helping our memories. Technology means we don't ever have to remember anything – there's always a search engine at our fingertips or an iPhone with all our important information. This probably makes us less patient and in need of instant gratification, but I think there are huge advantages to it too. The accessibility of so much information stimulates intellectual curiosity and means we know about more things outside our everyday experience. If you wanted to know the national flag of a certain country in the old days you'd have to march down to the library. Now you can find out immediately.

Does technology isolate or connect?

It gives the illusion of connection but I think it in fact isolates us. I have a lot of friends abroad so it serves the noble purpose of keeping us in touch, but there's nothing like looking into the whites of someone's eyes and having a face-to-face conversation. That's real connection.

Alarm clock or mobile phone?

I don't sleep – so I don't need either! I actually downloaded a sleep app to monitor my sleeping patterns, but knowing it was there beside me stressed me out … so it made things worse!

Do you talk on the phone at a check out?

Yes, I'm afraid I probably do! I know it's rude...

Are you a fan of self service tills?

Yes, I love them. They are quicker, you can bag up yourself and avoid queues.

What's the most entertaining piece of technology on the market?

The iPhone – I've had a few and they are amazing. I do find it strange how regularly handsets and mobile phone technology are upgraded, though. Imagine if you got a new oven every year like that. Kitchen equipment is built to last, not like computers and phones. I've only just thrown away a conked-out Magimix after 12 years of faithful service, and knives last a lifetime.

Kindle or paperback?

I prefer paperbacks. I like the satisfaction of seeing how much you've read, the feeling of the book in my hands, and putting it back on the shelf when I've read it.

Do you use text-speak when writing text messages and emails?

Goodness, no! I'm too old to do all that! I might use the odd 'lol', but that's normally to my daughter.

Online banking or in the branch?

I'm too scared to use online banking, I'd rather talk to the bank manager. I don't feel secure managing money online.

Which three websites couldn't you live without?

Google, TripAdvisor, Guardian online. My guilty pleasure is the Daily Mail's sidebar of shame ... sorry.

The Matrix: fiction or the future?

Future. Everything feels very high tech at the moment – I think anything could happen with where we're going. I love my mobile but I do miss the days when they weren't around...when you had a green phone card and a pager clipped to your belt.

How many times a week do you Google yourself?

Never, never, never! I used to, but stopped because there might be some nice stuff but there's always horrid stuff too.

If you could invent anything, what would you like to create?

An app that could invoke calm and peaceful energy at one click. You'd just put it on the table and it would create zen.

Teleport or time travel?

Time travel, but sometime after the 1950s when race relations were a bit more friendly.

Lorraine Pascale's A Lighter Way to Bake is out now (HarperCollins, £20)