Throw or Keep? The Kitchen Gadgets You Do and Don’t Need

If you’re a modern lover of all things cooking, then that tends to mean one thing: gadgets.

It’s impossible to look for recipes online without seeing a suggestion for the latest must-have purchase. Every gadget that you come across is going to be billed as simply the best ever; the one you can’t live without. This new gadget is going to change your life, improve your entire existence and perhaps even alter the space time continuum.

Or so one too many overly-enthusiastic reviews would have you believe, anyway.

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Of course, the result of all of this gadget fever is kitchens that are heaving with supplies. You can’t move without knocking something over in a kitchen. Cupboard space being used for storing food? It’s been so long since you were able to do that, you’ve forgotten it’s remotely possible. Your cupboards are for the gadgets – none of which have actually changed your life at this point.

So, with a new year on the horizon, it’s time to be brutal. Some gadgets are useful; others you need to part way with. Below, there is an overview of some of the most popular kitchen gadgets, and advice on which of them should survive through to 2017.

KEEP: Digital Scale

If you don’t cook from scratch very often, it can be tempting to think the scale goes into the “throw” pile. However, this will just mean you make a mess of it the next time you do cook from scratch. Eyeballing ingredients is a guarantee of disaster; scales don’t take up much space, so they should always have a home.

THROW: Bad Cookware

To paraphrase an infamous meme, no one has got time for cookware that isn’t fit for purpose. If it’s cracked, has a split in its non-stick coating or doesn’t heat evenly, then it’s time to say goodbye. It’s not difficult to go and check for alternatives; to read a induction cookware review and assess your options as to what might actually work. If your cookware is past its best (or never had a best, to begin with), then get rid of it.

KEEP: Anything That Makes Slicing Easier

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They may seem ripe for throwing away, but slicing implements and machinery actually do what they say: they make life easier. Unless you’re a professional (who can slice through even the toughest of vegetables at terrifying speed), then slicing, chopping and dicing is one of the most arduous parts of preparing a meal. If it makes this chore easier, then it’s worth keeping it around.

THROW: Ice Cream Maker

There was a time when we all lusted for an ice cream maker, but it’s unlikely that you have used it often. If you can’t remember a time in the last six months you used it, then it’s time to part ways.

KEEP: Food Processors

Anything that has multiple uses is good to keep around; food processors top that list due to their triple or quadruple usage. So save these for another day and focus on ridding yourself of the single-use items that never actually get used!