Let's be honest: your kitchen drawers are a graveyard of “life-changing” gadgets you bought to make cooking easier, but now they just sit there collecting dust. All those special slicers and holders won't make you a better cook; they just take up space.
So how do you know what's actually worth saving? I asked professional chefs and they all gave the same advice: stick to the basics. You don't need a drawer full of single-tasking gimmicks. A great knife, a sturdy cutting board, and one trusty frying pan will get the job done. It's time to master the real tools and get rid of the clutter.
To separate the essentials from the unnecessary or downright useless, we asked culinary experts to share the tools they use and the gadgets they'd skip. Their tips will help you avoid getting carried away with flashy products and instead invest in items you'll buy every single day. When tidying up your kitchenyou'll have to make some tough decisions, but we're here to help.
Masaharu Morimoto
Celebrity chef, restaurateur
Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool.
1. Mandolin
Chef Morimoto encourages mastering your knife skills to cut thin, uniform slices of vegetables.
Why: “While it produces good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision and safety in the long run. Mandolins can be bulky, difficult to clean, and risky if you're not extremely careful. Over-reliance on a mandolin or tools like a two-in-one apple peeler or tomato corer can prevent you from mastering real technique. Taking the time to learn how to use a sharp chef's knife or Japanese blade will help you with almost every recipe.”
What to try instead: Japanese chef's knife Mac 8 inches.
Eric Rose
Lead chef-instructor Institute of Culinary EducationLos Angeles
Culinary instructor Eric Rose knows a useless kitchen tool when he sees one.
2. Bow holders
Why: “They look like weapons for Wolverine fans; they are designed to help you hold the whole onion and “cut” it. Instead, cut the onion in half to create a flat surface to prevent it from rolling. If you're trying to cut rings, save yourself $14, stick a fork into the root and hold the fork.”
What to try instead: Learn properly chop the onion the old fashioned way.
3. Onion glasses
Save your money and some dignity and ditch the onion glasses.
Why: “It's a waste of money because they don't form a good seal around your eyes to keep sulfur compounds from getting into your eyes and making you cry. Keep your knife sharp, open a window or turn on fan instead of.”
What to try instead: Reporting by CNET's Peter Butler Tips for chopping onions without crying.
4. Cutting boards made of metal, glass, stone and acrylic.
Glass, stone and metal boards are suitable for serving, but when cutting into cubes, wood is best.
Why: “Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; choose wood or poly instead.”
What to try instead: Our list best cutting boards has many options for protection against knives.
5. Chicken chopper
Two forks are all you need to successfully shred chicken.
Why: “I can't imagine anyone needing a tool to shred chicken outside of a restaurant, and even restaurants don't use them. This item only has one purpose, so I would skip it.”
What to try instead: Two forks.
6. Herb remover
Why: “I love thyme, but I hate picking it apart. When I was young, I believed that this tool would help me… It has been sitting in my closet laughing at me for almost ten years.”
What to try instead: For more heartfelt herbs like rosemary and thyme, simply slide your fingers along the stem, the opposite of how the leaves grow.
7. Wireless thermometer with Bluetooth probe.
Instant-read meat sensors are fast and don't require complicated Bluetooth connections.
Why: “It's a great tool, but it can be very expensive. I see myself losing it, breaking it, dropping it, accidentally throwing it away, or dropping it into the coals.”
What to try instead: ThermoPro Instant Read Thermometer
Peter Som
Cookbook author and lifestyle expert
Cookbook author Peter Som couldn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools.
8. Electric can opener.
A manual can opener is cheaper, works great, and is less likely to break.
Why: “Most of us grew up with an electric can opener sitting on the kitchen counter at all times, as if it were an essential appliance. But to be honest, they feel more like nostalgia than necessity. They take up space, are difficult to clean, and often cause problems with odd-sized jars. A good manual opener is compact, reliable, and gets the job done without the need for an outlet or user manual.”
What to try instead: Oxo Can Opener with Soft Handle.
Richard Ingram
Personal Chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, Author Love: my love expressed through food
Richard Ingram avoids certain kitchen tools when cooking for celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.
9. Avocado slice
Why: “A knife and spoon do the job just as easily, and a dedicated tool is rarely suitable for all sizes of avocados. He’s a one-trick pony that clutters drawers.”
What to try instead: A good paring knife, for example it's Wusthof for $35
10. Egg separator
Separating an egg by hand is not so difficult that it requires equipment.
Why: “Most home cooks don’t need a tool just to separate the yolks.” The only exception may be This oneand even then only for yolks. Uh, I mean sucks.
What to try instead: Break an egg and use shell halves or your fingers.
11. Garlic peeling tube.
Why: “Pumping garlic cloves into a silicone tube may work, but it requires storing a single-purpose gadget.”
What to try instead: Breaking garlic cloves with a chef's knife is faster and more reliable.
12. Pizza cutters
Chef Ingram advises against using scissors on pizza night.
Why: “A knife or pizza cutter works better and faster. These scissors are useless, awkward to clean, and take up more space than they're worth.”
What to try instead: KitchenAid Stainless Steel Pizza Wheel.
13. Herb scissors.
Why: “They are difficult to clean and don't offer a huge advantage over a sharp chef's knife. They also tend to chop up delicate herbs rather than chop them.”
What to try instead: 8″ Chef's Knife Made In.
14. Electric egg cooker.
Why: “Boiling eggs in a saucepan is simple and convenient. The electric version just adds to the mess, unless you boil eggs all the time and hate using the stove.”
What to try instead: This 1 minute hack for preparing poached eggs in the microwave.
15. Oil cutter and dispenser.
A good butter knife works just as well and requires less space and maintenance.
Why: “He cuts pieces of butter into pieces… but why? The knife operates instantly and does not require loading and cleaning a plastic gadget.”
What to try instead: Williams Sonoma Breakfast Butter Blade.
16. Pasta measure.
Why: “It's a plastic disc with holes in it that tells you how much spaghetti to cook. Just look at it or find out the approximate weight experimentally. It’s not worth the space in the drawer.”
What to try instead: A kitchen scales for precise measurements.
17. Oil Mr.
Why: “It often clogs, sprays unevenly and requires constant cleaning. A small spoon or brush gets the job done with less frustration.”
What to try instead: Mug with olive oil at the world market.
18. Electric potato peeler.
A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to peel a batch of potatoes.
Why: “Takes up a surprising amount of space and cleans slower than a regular vegetable peeler. Plus, it's overkill unless you're peeling dozens of potatoes at once.”
What to try instead: Rotary knife Oxo.
19. Guillotine for bagels
Why: “It’s marketed as a safer way to cut bagels, but it takes up a ton of space and is awkward to clean. A serrated knife does the job very well.”
What to try instead: 8″ Opinel Bread Knife.
Jackie Carnesi
Chef, Kellogg's Diner
Jackie Carnesi
20. Potholders.
There's a reason why professional chefs don't use oven mitts.
Why: “Oven mitts are the most useless item in the home kitchen. A durable tea towel serves the same function and is more likely to need to be washed regularly. I don't know many people who wash potholders often enough… many people seem to think that they are an item that doesn't require regular cleaning. This is true”.
What to try instead: Have plenty in stock kitchen towels.
