Kitchen gadgets you used a couple times and thought , do I need this ?

Question

Those ones that are in the bottom of the drawer . They were nifty but now you hardly use it ? I liked my potato ricer at first , I have two of them but now I just use my old fashion masher . I'm ready to put the micro plane and silicone baking mat on the list . What's in the bottom of your drawer ?

Answer

silicone mats, all clad master chef saucepans, double boiler, all collect dust.

Answer

Silicone baking mat.Most useless piece of *modern* equipment ever invented.My new wok. Why I bought it is beyond me:( At least it was on sale.

Answer

Cookie cutters. 

I love my microplane and ricer. Use them all the time.

Answer

Garlic press. It's always much more work than just using my microplane or smashing and quickly chopping and it's just another thing to clean.

Answer

I had a spiral apple peeler that I never used. It wouldn't spiral correctly, and it was easier to use my paring knife. The spiral peeler went to the church thrift shop. (I always though it could be "operator problems.")

Also, one of those rubber tubes that will remove the skins off of a garlic clove. Never used it.

Answer

Onion blossom cutter. Back in the 90's when these were so popular I received 3 of the cutters one Christmas. I think one is still inhabiting the top shelf of a closet somewhere.

Edit: And they still sell them!

http://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Steakhouse-Onion-Machine/dp/B0007UX88O

Answer

Deepfryer (got rid of it). I still usually whisk with a fork and not a real whisk but the one I have is flat so I don't mind keeping it around. Got rid of the silicone baking mat (burned).

Answer

I still use my microplane and silicone baking mats regularly. I just bought a salad spinner that I thought I could use "all the time! every day!" but it's still in the packaging - maybe I'd use it if I had more space in my kitchen, but at this point I'll probably return it. Hopefully I still have the receipt stashed somewhere.

I think I've used my springform pans once for a pineapple upside down cake, four years ago. I just donated my pastry blender because I always use my hands to blend butter into flour - much faster, easier, and harder to overwork. I am a fanatic about leaving enough chunks of butter to create those pockets of steam.

Answer

Bundt pan - I was thinking of buying one, then Dude pointed out the one sitting on top of the fridge. Who knew?

Half my microplanes - the rasp and small grater stay.

A couple of my carbon steel pans.

Salad spinner.

Do test-for-review items count? If so, a handheld zoodle thingy, silicone muffin pans, silicone square ice cube tray (this could rock for Jell-O shots). The pastry mat (not baking mat) and grill mat I tested are complete winners, you'd have to pry them from my cold dead hands.

Answer

Orange juicer - It always seems like such a waste of 3lbs of oranges to drink it. Pastry cutter, fingers are easier to clean. Universal lid that's collecting dust. All the attachments that come with immersion blenders and food processors. Fat wooden spoons that tire my wrists out, the small ones are so much nicer. I used my garlic press once and threw it away because I couldn't actually get it closed around the garlic.

Love my salad spinner, exactly how does everyone dry their veggies without one?

Answer

One gadget I'd like to ban to the outer realm is my husband's French fry cutter. When he asked for one for Christmas, I told him he had one...me. Whenever we decide to make homemade fries, I have to try to cut them before he digs that damn thing out. It's hard to use, hard to clean and worst of all, it sprays the starchy potato liquid all over my kitchen.

Answer

I got rid of an electric wok. Blech, Love my Silpats. I also got rid of the french fry cutter, but only because it was too hard to push 'em through - I need a longer arm. I never use my microwave steamer. I don't use my Chinese hot pot with a chimney, but that's because it doesn't take standard sterno. I have an electric single burner (hob) but I use the gas one exclusively, now. I think I still have a fondue pot, but I use a regular pot on the tabletop gas burner. I haven't used my chinois in a while, but I still like it. I'd use my mini ravioli molds more if I could get fresh pasta sheets at the store: making them is just too time-consuming sometimes. Oh, and I never use my Rosette maker, even though I love them. I miss my deep fryer, but I'm learning to pan fry and use the oven - I wish home ones got hotter and lasted longer...

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Kitchen gadgets you used a couple times and thought , do I need this ?

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