It’s easy to get carried away by marketing messages about how a kitchen item will make your life a thousand times easier. But, more often than not, you get a gimmick that only takes up space in your kitchen. So here are 17 kitchen items you should avoid buying.
Garlic Press
Garlic presses are single-purpose items that can be easily replaced with a good, sharp knife. Getting to particles in the nooks and crannies of a garlic press can be a stressful task, too, making it difficult to clean. The only advantage of these gadgets is that they produce more flavor.
Yogurt Maker
You’ll only need a yogurt maker in your kitchen if you eat a lot of yogurt. As the New York Times assures about homemade creamy yogurt, “all you really need is good-quality milk, a few spoonfuls of your favorite plain yogurt to use as a starter culture, and some time to let it sit.”
Avocado Slicer
Like garlic presses, avocado slicers are tools with very specific uses that can be easily replaced with a knife. Not only do they unnecessarily take up space that could be utilized for something more valuable, but they can also be dangerous when not handled properly.
Strawberry Huller
Yes, strawberry hullers don’t lose much fruit compared to other kitchen utensils. But the problem with having one is that you won’t use it as frequently as you’d like. A knife can help you achieve the same results when you’re careful with it, and because of its small size, hullers are also easy to lose in drawers.
Egg Slicer
Eggs are so soft that they can be diced up using something as fickle as dental floss. So, why do you need a specialized gadget for them? Knives will do just right without unnecessarily cluttering up your kitchen space, and egg slicers are flimsily designed, too, forcing you to replace them if you aren’t careful.
Banana Slicer
Bananas are also soft food items that can be easily sliced up with a knife or spoon, and you don’t need specialized gadgets for them. Single-purpose slicers barely save you any time cutting up your bananas, and they’ll only give you one extra utensil to clean and store.
Citrus Peeler
Don’t be surprised to buy a citrus peeler and see it get damaged after only a few uses. It’s common for these single-purpose items to be flimsily designed. The Spruce Eats actually says that the best way to peel (and section) your citrus fruits is by using your hands or, more preferably, a knife.
Herb Scissors
Herb scissors are more of a gimmick utensil than a super-functional gadget. Single-blade shears can make more precise cuts, and standard scissors are more than enough to help you cut herbs and spices fast. Knives can also come in handy here, and all these are easier to clean than multi-bladed herb scissors.
Electric Can Opener
Electric can openers are bulky compared to manual openers, and they aren’t the most portable piece of equipment you’ll have in your kitchen. Their tiny job doesn’t make them worth the space. They also use up power in your home and can malfunction unexpectedly—problems you don’t have with manual openers.
Tea Infusers
Although they’re called ‘tea’ infusers, these devices are functional only for people who drink loose tea. They’re also often very delicate and hard to clean. Using a cup or a strainer can help you get the same results without spending any money on an extra device.
Apple Corer
Apple corers are unnecessary to own. They’re rarely used and only benefit bakers who regularly use apples. They also waste space as they can only be used for this one small task. Instead, a simple knife paired with a chopping board will do the trick.
Cake Tester
Yahoo shares that “the somewhat harsh reality is that cake testers, while handy in so many ways, simply aren’t great (or even good) at testing cakes.” Cake testers are too sleek to show what exactly is happening inside the cake, and toothpicks are the more effective, cheaper alternative.
Melon Baller
Not only are melon ballers specialized tools hardly ever used in the kitchen, but they aren’t significantly quicker than regular spoons either. Melon ballers only make your salads a little more fun, and this is where they stop when it comes to functionality.
Milk Frother
If you’re a coffee enthusiast who prefers to take yours with frothed milk, there are many manual alternatives you can opt for over an electronic frother. These manual methods are especially beneficial for you if you’d like to save some extra money on batteries or electricity.
Pasta Measurer
On our list of unnecessary kitchen utensils, there’s none that beats the pasta measurer. Your hands are a simpler alternative to this item. Whether you use a specialized measuring tool or not, your judgment plays the most crucial role, as it’s quite easy to underestimate or overestimate pasta servings.
Potato Ricer
A potato ricer is only essential for specific types of dishes, like gnocchi. So, unless you intend to make these often, it doesn’t serve you well to buy and store bulky ricers in your kitchen. Instead, like Lifehacker teaches, force your boiled potatoes through a colander.
Corn Kernel Stripper
You should get a corn kernel stripper only when you regularly cook fresh corn from scratch. Instead of cluttering up your kitchen with an item of limited use, you could just perform this task with a knife instead.
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