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Unusual & mysterious kitchen gadgets

andiesenji

By andiesenji
in Kitchen Consumer

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

He makes it look so easy and it often was but if you got it off-center, you were toast. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, blue_dolphin said:

And if you used the wrong tool to pry up the edge of the strip, it could break right off, leaving nothing to attach the key to. 

I watched that video again, and finally decided what made it so disturbing.  It is that edge on both sides of the opened can!  

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

FauxPas

FauxPas

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I watched that video again, and finally decided what made it so disturbing.  It is that edge on both sides of the opened can!  

 

Because of the sharpness of those edges? 

Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted
Just now, FauxPas said:

 

Because of the sharpness of those edges? 

Those edges were deadly sharp and because it was so awkward to open it, it was very easy to cut yourself. I'm sure that I did it more than once.

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, FauxPas said:

 

Because of the sharpness of those edges? 

Yes!  There are so few cans now that pose such potential danger.  There are still some sharp edges around, but nothing like we used to contend with. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

AlaMoi

AlaMoi

Posted
Posted

I remember those little keys from opening coffee cans . . . and ye' who saved the key by unwinding , , , paid in blood.....

 

the sardine cans had much "longer" keys . . . stretched across the tin . . .

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Maison Rustique

Maison Rustique

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, AlaMoi said:

I remember those little keys from opening coffee cans . . . and ye' who saved the key by unwinding , , , paid in blood.....

 

the sardine cans had much "longer" keys . . . stretched across the tin . . .

Yes, I remember Mom opening the cans of Folgers with one of these keys.

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Deb

Liberty, MO

DianaB

DianaB

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 8/11/2022 at 11:41 AM, liuzhou said:

Here's one that may stump many people. Each 'leg' is about 4¼ inches / 11cm long. The one with the pointed foot is marginally longer than the other. It is made for a very particular purpose.
 

1897280647__20220811181351.thumb.jpg.b04b1e45f77f9a0914188638ec032b4b.jpg

 

I realise that this is going back awhile but I can’t find a response to this conundrum, have I just missed the relevant post or are we still waiting to discover what this strange device might help with?  

Edited by DianaB
Edited to remove repetition (log)
Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, DianaB said:

 

I realise that this is going back awhile but I can’t find a response to this conundrum, have I just missed the relevant post or are we still waiting to discover what this strange device might help with?  

I don’t think we got even a guess never mind an answer.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, DianaB said:

 

I realise that this is going back awhile but I can’t find a response to this conundrum, have I just missed the relevant post or are we still waiting to discover what this strange device might help with?  

 

7 hours ago, Anna N said:

I don’t think we got even a guess never mind an answer.

 

A double apology.

 

First, I believe I posted this and was then hospitalised and largely out of contact. No one did supply a guess, which brings me to the second apology.

 

Apologies for posting something so obscure. I guess you don't see many water caltrops round your way. I bought a bunch (they are similar in taste to water chestnuts but a different shape. That tool came with them and is intended to aid in opening the stubborn little shits!

 

e4dfbc95-51ea-4536-8e42-0a653d90b600.thumb.jpg.ea8804dc4bd190dc7a0a6e3866c41d7e.jpg

Water caltrops

 

I never got to test it as the woman whom I pay to clean my apartment decided she didn't know what they were and binned them while I was in hospital. She also binned my dish draining rack (go figure?), my shrimp knife and at least one oyster knife along with a priceless* piece of artwork that I loved and treasured. My famous half a plate - gone!

 

half.thumb.jpg.b0a02a879457613b401cb3d6ec4a0cab.jpg

 

There may be other things missing. I'm not accusing her of theft; I just honestly think that she has no idea and anything alien to her must be garbage. Including me. I have now binned her.

 

*Some spell that "worthless".

 

 

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted

I see these seasonally at a nearby Chinese  market.    No one has been able to tell in (in English) what they are or what to do with them.  Thanks for any clarification.

eGullet member #80.

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

 

A double apology.

 

First, I believe I posted this and was then hospitalised and largely out of contact. No one did supply a guess, which brings me to the second apology.

 

Apologies for posting something so obscure. I guess you don't see many water caltrops round your way. I bought a bunch (they are similar in taste to watre chestnuts but a different shape. That tool came with them and is intended to aid in opening the stubborn little shits!

 

e4dfbc95-51ea-4536-8e42-0a653d90b600.thumb.jpg.ea8804dc4bd190dc7a0a6e3866c41d7e.jpg

Water caltrops

 

I never got to test it as the woman whom I pay to clean my apartment decided she didn't know what they were and binned them while I was in hospital. She also binned my dish draining rack (go figure?), my shrimp knife and at least one oyster knife along with a priceless* piece of artwork that I loved and treasured. My famous half a plate - gone!

 

half.thumb.jpg.b0a02a879457613b401cb3d6ec4a0cab.jpg

 

There may be other things missing. I'm not accusing her of theft; I just honestly think that she has no idea and anything alien to her must be garbage. Including me. I have now binned her.

 

*Some spell that "worthless".

 

 

Sheesh. Talk about adding insult to injury.  Good help is hard to find.  
I know you have been kind enough to share so much information about this gadget, but I would still like to know how it is used. Why does it have those funny feet?

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/31/2022 at 1:58 AM, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I see these seasonally at a nearby Chinese  market.    No one has been able to tell in (in English) what they are or what to do with them.  Thanks for any clarification.

 

I presume you are referring to the water caltrops. If you can get them open and like fresh water chestnuts, then you are in luck. You can drop them into soups, stews and hotpots, but most people just eat them from the shell.

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/31/2022 at 2:01 AM, Anna N said:

Sheesh. Talk about adding insult to injury.  Good help is hard to find.  
I know you have been kind enough to share so much information about this gadget, but I would still like to know how it is used. Why does it have those funny feet?

 

Good help is indeed hard to find and I haven't found it yet!

 

I need to get hold of a new batch of caltrops and experiment. Probably, I'll get a new tool thrown in which is just as well, because I just realised she may have binned that too. It isn't where I left it!

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

DianaB

DianaB

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Good help is indeed hard to find and I don't found it yet!

 

I need to get hold of a new batch of caltrops and experiment. Probably, I'll get a new tool thrown in which is just as well, because I just realised she may have binned that too. It isn't where I left it!

Many thanks for revealing what the tool is used for, I very much doubt that I will find one in England.  We are very much appreciating new to us fruits at the moment, having discovered a shop selling online at reasonable prices.  Will have to look out for caltrops, never heard of before today…. 

  • 1 month later...
Marmish

Marmish

Posted
Posted

Can anyone tell me more about this?  I'm sure it's not super unusual, but I can't find any details anywhere other than one eBay listing and I need to share a resource with 5th grade students as I have bought one and am using it for a primary source lesson.

D951E4BA-82B1-4B95-A65D-615C7B848497.jpeg

Dr. Teeth

Dr. Teeth

Posted
Posted

Combo lice comb/cake server   (My three pre teen boys think I’m funny)

 

or it’s a butter knife.    The teeth make butter curls when you pull it over the top of a stick of butter

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