Cook's Tools You Don't Need
Gadgets That Don't Earn Their Drawer Space
Sure I've got gadget-envy. I've also got limited kitchen space. How I learned to streamline my vision of a million-tool ktichen.
In Essential Cook's Tools we looked at equipping our kitchen with a smart array of good gadgets. Let's take a look at cook's tools we can live without.
Admit it, you like the porn just like me. Williams-Sonoma, Dean & Deluca, Napa Style...the catalogs arrive and we're breathing heavy, pulse racing, reaching for the phone and our credit card. Wait! Do we really need a Mozzarella slicer? Who really needs a laser temperature gun?
Here are toys to avoid - unless you have unlimited funds and space.
- Egg slicers, tomato slicers, specialized choppers – these are completely unnecessary. Why wash and store a slicing contraption that has only one task? When you consider a good knife is all you need and the bulk these items bring...
- Garlic presses – all one needs is a good chef’s knife and cutting board. These are generally difficult to wash and bulky in a gadget drawer.
- Other garlic tools – I’ve seen tubes for removing garlic peels and special mincers some the size of peanut butter jars. Knife, cutting board.
- Egg timer – The only egg tool more ridiculous are self-timing eggs. How hard is it to keep track of three minutes? If you can’t do it, self-timing ink or a timer probably won’t help.
- Rolling herb slicers – unnecessary bulk, if you make pizzas at home and feel you must have a rolling herb tool, use your pizza wheel. I prefer a good knife.
- Popcorn poppers – paper lunch bag and one staple. No oil, no fuss, no bulky single use appliance.
- Steamer baskets or specialized steaming equipment. Use your pasta pot, most come with a shallow steaming basket and a deeper pasta basket insert.
- Bread boards with trays to catch crumbs. Think about the last time you sliced a boule or baguette. Did the crumbs fall straight down or flip all over a 2 ft radius? That's the problem with the crumb catching tray on these boards, they miss half the crumbs and take up space for their incomplete work.
- Corn zippers. This tool is designed to zip corn kernels off the cob. Repeat after me: all I need is a good knife.
- Seasonal items. A heart shaped bundt pan just for Valentine's Day. The penguin cookie jar for Christmas time. I guess if you have space, but I know I'd forget that cake pan, or where I stored it!
One tool I allow myself is my cherry pitter. I use it for cherries as well as olives and that's about it. It is compact and efficient so it's earned its keep.
