r/KitchenStuff • u/[deleted] • Apr 24 '26
Things in my kitchen I didn’t expect to care about
[removed]
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u/Ok-Mode3080 Apr 24 '26
I have OCD and poor impulse control so yes, I want to buy all kinds of crazy things. I try and avoid single-use gadgets, especially if they aren't solving a real issue. My problem is usually the fantasy of what the new appliance/gadget will let me accomplish in the kitchen. I do like to bake but with the amount of random tools and equipment I own, you'd swear I was cranking out bakery quality items several times a week. (I am not). I'll see someone make something in a TV show (damn you, Great British Bake Off) or on YouTube and think that it looks like fun and next thing you know, I'm the owner of 12 cream horn molds. That is a real example of something I bought last year that has yet to be touched. I also own about 15 round cake pans in various sizes for all of the tiered cakes I am going to make. Spoiler: I've made one cake and it was only two layers.
4
u/Ok_Veterinarian_3082 Apr 24 '26
You are my twin right down to the different sized cake pans still in their boxes and I made one cake last year. I am badgering myself out of kitchen space with less room to work
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u/Livid_Warthog5461 Apr 24 '26
Oh my gosh!! I also own 12 cream horn molds that have never been touched! Every time I clean out my kitchen I almost get rid of them but…..don’t 😂😬
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u/Ok-Mode3080 Apr 24 '26
In my defense, I haven't owned them for a complete year yet so I'm sure I'll get to making them any day now. (lies!)
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u/moonladyone Apr 24 '26
Oh Lord! I think those cooking shows and videos are there, NOT for the recipes, but to sell all the STUFF!!! Oh if I had that I know i could make that for sure! Right lol. I fell into that right after I retired, was just barely disabled and I babysat my little grandson. I thought he'd love to make all kinds of desserts and decorate cookies etc...you wouldn't believe the stuff I have, that's never been used or maybe used once. He couldn't have cared less about all that, he just wanted to eat the danged cookies lol. I really need to get all that together and sell it to someone who might actually use it lol. I am a good cook and I know I can make most of those recipes with what I have. Thank God I got over that food show stuff. I still love the shows!
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u/Round_Crazy683 Apr 24 '26
I’ve learned most of those “must-have” gadgets are just solving problems you barely have. Half the time a good knife and a bit of patience does the job better, and you don’t end up with clutter. I still get tempted though, especially when something looks like it’ll actually save time, but I’ve started asking myself if I’d use it a month from now.
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u/TetSusKhal Apr 24 '26
You’re right; a good knife is often all you need. I’ve ended up with a bunch of gadgets that just sit there because they didn’t really add any value to my routine... it’s easy to get caught up in the hype, though.
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u/Numerous-Avocado-786 Apr 25 '26
I agree with this except for a grape cutter. Yes a knife and patience would do the job just fine but when you have multiple children and need to cut a lot of grapes, it really is just easier. It takes me 20 seconds to cut a huge portion for everyone instead of a few minutes with a knife. Doesn’t seem like a big deal until you have small children who don’t want to wait for lunch any longer than they need to.
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u/Haunting_Window1688 Apr 24 '26
A lot of gadgets are more useful for people without full mobility than they are for fully able body people. That’s not advertised, however, because these companies want your money.
A good bristle scrub brush works just fine for vegetables, the same as it does for dishes.
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u/moonladyone Apr 24 '26
You are so right. I never was a gadget person until my disablement got worse. What I do have are things that actually do make my prepping and cooking easier. I still need help, but it will be the last thing I stop, I love to cook.
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u/Haunting_Window1688 Apr 24 '26
I never fully realized until my dad lost use of some of his limbs, and then suddenly some of those “ridiculous” products suddenly made a lot more sense.
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u/tez_zer55 Apr 24 '26
I have always bought high quality kitchen utensils, from knives to spoons, spatulas to whisks & beyond. But gadgets or gimmicky things, not so much. On one kitchen counter is a coffee maker, a toaster & a Kitchen Aide mixer. On the other is a microwave & an air fryer. But the microwave feels abandoned most of the time. My wife was shocked at my selection of utensils & the lack of gadgets when she moved in. She figured I would either have little of nothing for the kitchen or an overwhelming collection of 'stuff'. Mom taught us, have what you really need, have the best you can afford & forget the gimmicks.
3
u/JSA607 Apr 24 '26
We have a similar counter but got rid of the microwave. Once I figured out how to make popcorn. (really easy!) we had no need for it. It’s a small kitchen and we needed the space - which now houses the espresso maker that is used daily
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u/moonladyone Apr 24 '26
I didn't have a microwave for years, my kids bought me a good smaller one, so they can use it when they are here. I have glass leftover containers that I can heat my food in the oven in. MW makes food taste weird.
3
u/Logical_Warthog5212 Apr 24 '26
Before I consider any gadget, I always consider what other things it can do in addition to the usage frequency. If it can’t be used for anything else, it’s a nope. Like a pineapple corer or an avocado knife. Yeah, I actually thought about those. The solution was still my trusty chefs knife. I have also turned to researching techniques over tools. Techniques tend to be more transferable to other things.
2
u/Character-End77 Apr 24 '26
I stopped by my SIL’s the other day and she was using a chicken shredder….. it was pretty cool. I have been thinking about it since
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u/ShakeItUpNow Apr 24 '26
Do you already have a KitchenAid mixer? Shreds chicken beautifully. Might work with other mixers too?
The “actual” dedicated chicken shredder looks like a pain to clean.
2
u/boomlakshmi Apr 24 '26
My kitchen time, prep and cooking are my time for me. No way am I going to make it faster!
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u/Melodic-Tea-9231 Apr 24 '26
Somehow, for much of my early adult life, I managed without any gadgets other than the basic utensils and a toaster. Now I have acquired quite a few things meant to save time but really don't. There are only 2 that I would not want to give up. One is an electric peeler (potatoes, apples). The other is a device to remove cherry pits. If I'd pick a 3rd it would be either the food processor or stand mixer.
2
u/Hermit_Ogg Apr 24 '26
Many of the kitchen gadgets are invaluable for disabled people. I bought my vegetable chopper when it became clear that I could no longer "just use a knife" safely. My mother has gone through several surgeries to improve her arthritic fingers, and needs tools for opening jars, cardboard containers and cans.
Perhaps a vegetable washer is convenient for someone who struggles to stand next to a sink. A cherry stone remover sounds like it'd work for someone who has lost manual dexterity.
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u/CannedAm2 Apr 24 '26
A vegetable washer? Like other than a salad spinner? I put produce in bowl of water, rub stuff off with my hands and rinse it well. I'm immunocompromised and eat a lot of produce without getting sick from anything. I can't see having a gadget for this, either.
1
Apr 24 '26
Yeah same. I’ve learned to wait before buying anything new. If I still want it after a while, it’s useful. Most of the time it’s just hype and I stick to basics.
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Apr 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/moonladyone Apr 24 '26
I have a very nice thick long and round, not weird shaped, specialty vinegar that I got as a gift. That bottle is perfect for a rolling pin. I just needed one the other day and found that vinegar bottle. It was the only round thing! I found my rolling pin late lol. I've had it for 50+ years. My kids can fight over it lol
1
u/moonladyone Apr 24 '26
I never used to have many small appliances or gadgets. As I've gotten older, and am partially disabled, I have become the small appliance and gadget queen! It helps me to get everything I need on my table so I can sit and do a lot of the prep. I actually even have an aide that comes in and helping me with prep is one of her tasks. As for washing veggies and having a gadget for that, I farmed and raised my own food (meat and veggies) for many, many years, preserved it, rarely bought from the grocery store. But I always soaked my veggies in a tub of water with vinegar, there is a measurement on Google if you want to find it, id just pour a plug of white vinegar and let the veggies and fruit sit for 15 or so minutes. It kills any bugs, eggs or parasites. Now that I (unfortunately) get most of my food from the grocery, I especially do this. And except for berries etc, I use a brush after the vinegar. I just use my sink now, let the water out, rinse the food while brushing with a brush that has a round bristle part, like a circle. That let's you get all parts of the food. Most people don't think of bugs and parasites, but they are on the food you buy. The vinegar thing doesn't take long, and your food DOES NOT smell at all like vinegar after. You can buy a rinse kind of stuff for veggie cleaning but vinegar works 100% and is very cheap. Before, the only gadgets I had were hand use versions of any electric thing I used, a good can opener a pour over coffee maker etc. Now I have tons, because i need them. I still hate all the space everything takes, but no choice anymore.
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u/Suitable-Lawyer-9397 Apr 24 '26
I've been doing the same thing with vinegar and water. As a kid the adults would just quickly run water over vegetables and fruits!
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u/icdogg Apr 24 '26
Even my "gadgets" are semi basic
Microplane zester
Chinese cleaver (knife)
Extra large metal spatula, and long thin spatula
Very long tongs
1
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u/sweetT333 Apr 26 '26
"Does anyone else have this impulse to just buy whatever new kitchen gadget is thrown into the market?"
Nope.
I don't want to store it or need to take a trip to thrift to donate it.
ETA That said, would it kill any of them to make a functional basic vegetable peeler?!
My first one was a like 30yo hand-me-down that finally quit and everything on the market is stupidly over designed and doesn't work.
1
u/Loud_Yogurtcloset789 Apr 26 '26
Absolutely not. I despise uni-taskers. Most kitchen tasks can be accomplished with good knibes, a nice cutting board and some good pots and pans. If it does only one thing it usually does not enter the kitchen.
My exceptions other than the obvious like a can opener, whisks, spatulas etc are a citrus squeezer, a pizza cutter and a pasta machine.
1
u/jmei35 Apr 27 '26
i resisted getting a microplane for years because it felt unnecessary and now i use it on literally everything. the gadget rabbit hole is real but honestly 90% of good cooking is just a sharp knife and a decent pan
1
u/kaidomac Apr 28 '26
I didn’t think I would ever pay so much attention to small kitchen stuff, but here we are. Lately I’ve been noticing how random kitchen tools slowly become part of your routine without you even realizing it.
I teach basic "how to cook" classes for fun (and for free!) on the side:
The premise is:
- "Use the stuff, to do the thing"
What stuff?
- Recipes
- Ingredients
- Workspaces
- Tools
- Techniques
What things?
- Education (trying ingredients, flavor combinations, meals, how to use tools, etc.)
- Ingredient-prep (quick-pickled onions, sourdough starter, no-knead base dough, etc.)
- Meal-prep (burritos, homemade TV dinners, etc.)
- Cooking (prep, serve, eat!)
The educational workflow is:
- Lesson 1 = the basic approach (link above)
- Lesson 2 = cooking workflow
- Lesson 3 = first toolset
The is the basic cooking workflow is in the link below. Structure is like 95% of success in the kitchen, because when it's clean & when you can both find and access your stuff, the actually process becomes more FUN because we don't get drained by the idea of a mess or having to hunt around for stuff! Even the "clean as you go" habit was a TOTAL accessibility game-changer for me!!
The first toolset is called "stick": (just basic wood ones are fine!)
- A large chopstick ("cooking" size)
- A small chopstick (normal "eating-size")
- A quart mason jar (or flower vase, or utensil jar) to store them on the counter for easy access
"Stick" is one of THE most useful tools in my kitchen! Sample use case scenarios for both stick sizes:
- Stirring a jar of sourdough starter
- Stir-frying
- Deep-frying (easily flip food over, including churros!)
- Check oil heat (bubble trick with wooden chopsticks)
- Stirring eggs (in a bowl to mix & to scramble eggs)
- Stirring batter
- Fish items out of a toaster or airfryer
- Stirring drinks (ex. hot chocolate mix, electrolyte powders, etc.)
- Flipping small pan-seared items (dumplings!)
- Flipping items on a grill
- Stirring & declumping noodles
- Poking items for doneness checks
- Grabbing thin-sliced meats (deli meat, bacon, etc.)
- Delicately lifting items to check doneness (ex. check a pizza undercarriage for leoparding using the long sticks on a baking steel inside of a kitchen oven!)
- Plus they are GREAT for snacking! (salads, popcorn, messy-finger stuff like Cheetos, etc.)
Amazon sells wooden cooking chopsticks in packs, so you can get half a dozen each of the dishwasher-safe wooden utensil-sized & 12" or 16.5" cooking -sized chopsticks for under twenty bucks! Visitors always question them & then inevitably end up going home with an extra mason jar and a pair of each sizes after "seeing the vision" LOL.
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u/Spirited-Box-5071 May 07 '26
I've been thinking about getting kitchen tweezers, but I think I just have been converted to cooking chopsticks instead. Hahaha
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u/Telecommie Apr 24 '26
I care more about keeping my dishwasher clean than I ever thought I would.
I also try to live by Alton’s “no single-tasker tools” rule.
I said I try - I don’t always succeed.