Dumbest Item in Your Kitchen

weinoo · January 22, 2011

The following is the dumbest item in my kitchen, and why the hell did I ever buy it?

Spoons don't fit properly and stuff drips all over the counter anyway.

Got any?

Anna N · January 22, 2011

The following is the dumbest item in my kitchen, and why the hell did I ever buy it?
Spoons don't fit properly and stuff drips all over the counter anyway.
Got any?

Had one almost identical to that! Gave it away. Don't use spoon rests anymore since I inevitably have to wash the rest and the counter.

I have bought various garlic gadgets - all gone now and I am sure dozens of other useless items but they are not coming to mind right now. I'll work on it and post when I remember.

Peter the eater · January 22, 2011

The following is the dumbest item in my kitchen, and why the hell did I ever buy it?
Spoons don't fit properly and stuff drips all over the counter anyway.
Got any?

It almost looks like it's mooning you.

aaronfennell · January 22, 2011

my k.p./ trainee totally useless

Darienne · January 22, 2011

Had one almost identical to that! Gave it away. Don't use spoon rests anymore since I inevitably have to wash the rest and the counter.
I have bought various garlic gadgets - all gone now and I am sure dozens of other useless items but they are not coming to mind right now. I'll work on it and post when I remember.

Ditto for posting when I think of the useless gadgets.

In the interim, I could not live without my spoon rests, but they are all silicone.

ps. Got one and it embarrasses me: The Magic Bullet. Useless little twit of a thing.

Edited January 22, 2011 by Darienne (log)

ScoopKW · January 22, 2011

I bought a hamburger patty press once. That and a "bloomin' onion" cutter.

They both went into the "sell this crap at the next yard sale" box. Now I only buy knives and pans. (And tried-and-true things like ricers, food mills and stick blenders). Can't go wrong with that.

qrn · January 22, 2011

A set of Spring Copper pans, absolute garbage things,paid about $500 for em(in 1964,when you could buy a car about that.)They are still in the basement, but never use them

Bud

NancyH · January 22, 2011

- I've got that one and you're right, it's pretty useless. The large oval one from that same manufacturer is actually very good - what a difference a few grooves make!

**Mjx** · January 22, 2011

. . . .
It almost looks like it's mooning you.

I don't know about mooning, but... Well. I guess I have a filthier mind..?

Dumbest thing I've got is a small mortar and pestle, one of those hand-held ones (looks like this), but owing to its geometry (close-fit mortars and pestles only work properly if the pestle and interior of the mortar are some section of a sphere), it sort of useless: you can only pound up and down with the pestle, since as soon as you turn it in the mortar, most of the two surfaces lose contact with one another. As soon as I offload it on someone (I'm a sucker for finding good homes for even my least favourite possessions), I'll get one with better geometry (like this).

cbread · January 22, 2011

A dear friend gave me one of those spoon rests. Were it from anyone else, I would have chucked it long ago. A wish to have my friend feel her gifts are appreciated makes sure it gets used all the time. I made my peace with it by using it merely as a rest to elevate the working end of my utensils off the counter. I place the handle end of the spoon or whatever on the counter and just the working end stays elevated. The tools don't roll of quite so easily used this way making it passably functional. Any shallow dish would work about the same.

Said friend has given me a few other kitchen items. All have been harder to make good use of than the spoon rest. They collect in a bin. Gifts for someone who cooks even somewhat seriously are risky.

Edited January 22, 2011 by cbread (log)

DickL · January 23, 2011

That thing looks like it might work as a tea bag holder.

technophile50 · January 23, 2011

qrn

Whats the problem with the Spring cookware? I've never heard of them.

**andiesenji** · January 23, 2011

I have a couple of spoon rests that I find very helpful.

I use this one most of the time and it will hold even my largest spoons and all but my largest ladles.

I've also got a double one but do not use it as much and it has smaller bowls and is somewhat lighter in weight.

qrn · January 23, 2011

qrn
Whats the problem with the Spring cookware? I've never heard of them.

it is very light gauge copper,with stainless lining, makes for very very dificult temp regulation.

The only item I still use is a covered stock pot that only gets liquid in it so never burns stuff up like the rest of it...Its Swiss made , I think. I bought it from a restaurant supply place...have not seen the brand for years

Bud

weinoo · January 23, 2011

I have a couple of spoon rests that I find very helpful.
I use this one most of the time and it will hold even my largest spoons and all but my largest ladles.

I've also got a double one but do not use it as much and it has smaller bowls and is somewhat lighter in weight.

But...I reiterate...what's the dumbest item in your kitchen?

natasha1270 · January 24, 2011

One of those stainless steel mushroom things for smashing garlic. I always forget I have it.

Amco Stainless Garlic Smash

but the item I probably should never have bought has got to be my food processor because I don't think I have ever even used it!

Edited January 24, 2011 by natasha1270 (log)

qrn · January 24, 2011

Interesting on the Garlic things, I bought a garlic press from the resraurant.supplyplace that in addition to the normal "squeeze thing" ,has a second hole/area, that will slice them in very thin slices if thats what you need..

saves lotsa time,,,,and easy to clean...

It is an AMCO brand item...

Bud

weinoo · January 24, 2011

Interesting on the Garlic things, I bought a garlic press from the resraurant.supplyplace that in addition to the normal "squeeze thing" ,has a second hole/area, that will slice them in very thin slices if thats what you need..
saves lotsa time,,,,and easy to clean...
It is an AMCO brand item...
Bud

I think AMCO makes a lot of this stuff. Including that crappy spoon rest up top.

angevin · January 24, 2011

Dumbest item in my kitchen?

Well, that would probably have to be...me.

**andiesenji** · January 24, 2011

But...I reiterate...what's the dumbest item in your kitchen?

I had to think about this for some time. I have an extensive collection of "dumb" things in my kitchen (and elsewhere) because I actually collect odd, weird and inherently useless gadgets.

For fun!

I have surveyed the kitchen and have decided that this is my current "dumbest" contender.

I think I used it once to be sure it actually "worked" and since then it has simply been gathering dust as a sort of decoration.

Made by Mastrad, designed by Lüka.

The egg-shaped timer on top is held to the top of the shaft by a very strong magnet. The parts all separate and it can go into the dishwasher. I don't think it was on the market for more than a few months because it was a novelty item. I bought it at Tuesday Morning.

A description

I have to add that when I got up from my desk and my basenji Aston saw this thing, his hackles went up and he began growling. One never knows what goes through the mind of a dog but I think he thought this was some kind of alien animal, reptile or insect. He acts the same way when he sees some of the odd desert critters in the yard.

Edited January 24, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

Katie Meadow · January 24, 2011

That's a very odd contraption for a number of reasons. The two that strike me at once are that 1) the design is most appropriate for boiling eggs in a rectangular pan, which no one has and 2) in order to set or adjust the time or kill the alarm one must reach directly across the steam from the boiling water, no easy trick without getting a bit of a burn.

**ChrisTaylor** · January 24, 2011

Housemate has a dedicated hot dog 'maker'. Worthwhile, I guess, if you eat lots of hot dogs and are incapable of the highly complex process of tipping the things into a saucepan full of water. What makes it especially stupid is how he uses it: to store hot dogs, on the counter for hours or days (at typical Australian room temperatures), until he feels like eating them.

Actually, I'll just expand that to include my housemate as the dumbest kitchen item. He'll boil up some pasta and make bolognese sauce (re: jar of sauce and mince) and let it sit in the stove for a day or two before putting it in the fridge. Or he'll go out, leaving one of those little Italian coffee pots on the stove. You find out when the house smells of melted plastic and burnt coffee.

sparrowgrass · January 24, 2011

ChrisTaylor, I believe your submission of your housemate gets the grand prize--an in-the-egg scrambler and two weeks in Philadelphia.

**andiesenji** · January 25, 2011

That's a very odd contraption for a number of reasons. The two that strike me at once are that 1) the design is most appropriate for boiling eggs in a rectangular pan, which no one has and 2) in order to set or adjust the time or kill the alarm one must reach directly across the steam from the boiling water, no easy trick without getting a bit of a burn.

It's not necessary to leave the timer on the top while cooking the eggs. It has a flat bottom to sit on a counter. I also don't think the steam would be good for the innards.

I think they made it this way so the timer would always be handy when one was ready to boil eggs.

This was, of course, aimed at the "lowest common denominator" of user who could not be expected to know how to find an egg timer.

And it fits fine in a 3-qt saucepan.

Edited January 25, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

Porthos · January 25, 2011

Dumbest item in my kitchen?
Well, that would probably have to be...me.

You beat me to it!

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