Useless utensils

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Posted at 12:02PM, 31 January 2011 by Sarah Sysum - Assistant editor, Easy Cook magazine

Hands up who got a kitchen gadget for Christmas? Now keep your hand raised if you're still using it... thought so.

An impromptu poll around the office recently resulted in most saying they received a kitchen gadget over Christmas, and sadly many of these were already gathering dust.

A recent study suggested that over three quarters of breadmakers are abandoned within six months of purchase.

The most popular 'I used to love it but don't now' was the breadmaker. It appears we're in good company as a recent study suggested that over three quarters of machines are abandoned within six months of purchase.

For the record (and I'm sorry if you bought me these), my dust gatherers were: the electric fondue maker - come on people it's not the 1970s and if I do get the urge for a fondue, I'll just use a sturdy casserole and forks; the electric pizza wheel - it looked liked a mini masonry grinder and almost cut my fingers off - and (my favourite) the kiwi guard. Now I get the need for a banana guard; anyone who has carried a banana around in their bag has found them blackened and bruised by the experience, although I do concede it's not one of life's major issues. But a guard to protect a kiwi fruit? Really?

I take comfort in knowing I'm not alone. Other gems in the office included the electric pasta maker, the strawberry slicer - it takes twice as long apparently to line the berry up in the slicer than it would to cut it by hand - and the mushroom brush, or as it was quoted to me 'those dirty little brushes lying on the edge of sinks'.

I could rant on but I won't, and anyway you probably have other gadgets to add to this list as well. Come on, admit it. You don't really use that electric garlic roaster, do you?

Comments

1-20 of 22 comments

jenny

1 February 2011, 3:45PM
jenny

haven't used the juicer in a few years, or the pasta maker. banana guard has been neglected recently although has had so much use it is actually cracked. Electric food slicer gets used weekly to slice a loaf of bread from the artisan bakery! None of the gadgets are expensive in this house, mainly argos own versions which although some of the cheapest (about Â£20) work well enough & then when they get neglected i don't feel too bad about them sitting in the cupboard & wasted money.

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poppysuze

1 February 2011, 6:55PM
poppysuze

It has to be a sandwich toaster. . . it was a gift which I have never used and never will as I never eat toasties. . .

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**Flora**

2 February 2011, 9:15PM
**Flora**

Our bread machine is incredible!! I love it and use it every weekend when I am home. I guess, being in a family of 6 people all want different bread so the attitude is really - 'if you want it, make it!' So we all make our own bread. And the smell in the morning is DELICIOUS!

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Colette

3 February 2011, 4:04PM
Colette

oooh, the electric steamer - had all these great intentions of getting healthy and haven't even used it once!

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Mothergoose

3 February 2011, 6:36PM
Mothergoose

Our Christmas gadgets have been the talk of parties before and after the Christmas celebrations - singing sombrero dip and crisp server - you have to be fast to get your crisps in and out before the lid comes down. Pie maker which takes for ever to make the 2 pies, pancake pan which buckles over the heat to the point that the batter runs off!

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poppysuze

4 February 2011, 6:02AM
poppysuze

Mothergoose so glad you commented about the pancake pan, being a huge fan of pancakes almost purchased one will continue using my trusty frying pan. . .

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Lushious

4 February 2011, 9:30AM
Lushious

Collette - I too have a steamer - it's only seen daylight the once!!! Breadmaker I use all the time, but alas, my ice cream maker takes up too much room in the freezer so does not get used.

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ipek

4 February 2011, 5:43PM
ipek

My pasta maker is used once in 18 years. Now it is burried deep in someplace in the kitchen. Once in a year I decide to get rid of it then decide to keep it. "who knows?" My electric steamer was used once to steam salmon and it was impossible to get rid of the fishy smell so I gave it away. My juicer was also used once to make beetroot juuice for some weird recepie. Now it is coloured purple. My breadmachine was used more than a year but no we make our bread manually,so it was given to a neighbour. The only two gadgets we use are a solid Kitchenaid blender and a very pricey mandoline slicer. More than enough....

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Jill

5 February 2011, 12:48PM
Jill

We were given a breadmaker as a wedding present about 3 years ago. It was hardly used until we moved to Ireland. Now we use it every other day - especially useful for pizza dough, naan and pitta breads. We haven't used the ice cream maker (another wedding present), but never say never.......

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Coleykitch

5 February 2011, 3:14PM
Coleykitch

I received a Halogen Oven as a wedding present which sat in it's box for a year until we moved house and I had space for it. I fully expected to use it once then car boot it but it is used almost every day and I hardly ever use the big oven now. The bread maker, however, now that's a different story............

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Justice mob

6 February 2011, 1:26PM
Justice mob

We had a juicer as a present once. Not sure where it is now but we used it once and made such a mess that we called it a day. My husband wants a bread maker but I feel it will go the same way as the juicer!!

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erimar

8 February 2011, 2:40PM
erimar

I find that our juicer is too messy and so it has been condemned to live on the top of the freezer along with the ice cream maker, popcorn maker, coffee maker, steamer and loads of other gadgets that I HAD to have!! I find that the steam fresh bags that you can buy are a heck of a lot easier to use rather than having to dig out the steamer. I do like the sandwich toaster though and my breadmake rgets used at least once a year lol :)

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smudger1939

10 February 2011, 2:18PM
smudger1939

One would need a massive kitchen to store all the gadgets available. Many are a waste of space and inefficient. It is often easier to do something by hand than use a gadget and then have to clean it. I only use two regularly. The bread maker is used for most of the bread we eat as we find it delicious and can make what we fancy. The other is a good hand blender; who needs a liquidiser when you have one of these?

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Sam

12 February 2011, 12:28PM
Sam

I LOVE my bread maker, I use it all the time, the timer is great and the smell of fresh bread filling the house in the morning is unbeatable. the dough option is great too, I make plaited bread with poppy seed, pizza dough and a fresh loaf every other day, great to know that it's good honest food with no additives. Can't see myself living without this gadget!

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tordis

15 February 2011, 12:03PM
tordis

I, too, admit that I'm one of the people who used to love their breadmakers, but no longer do. All because I started making sourdough bread and the machine didn't work well with it, so I switched to hand baking (and haven't looked back since).

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99bonk

16 February 2011, 7:46PM
99bonk

Breadmakers are useful for dough if you prefer free form loaves. However, the New York Times recipe for no-knead bread makes even that step unnecessary. Look it up - it makes fantastic bread and takes about 5 minutes actual work time (the rest is letting the dough rise). I used to be the world's worst bread baker until I found Jim Lahey's no-knead recipe - now I bake bread all the time.

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gravygirl

16 February 2011, 11:23PM
gravygirl

I waited for 45 years to get a stand mixer; haven't used it yet. Replaced a processor (after 20 years w/o one); haven't used it. Ordered a VitaMix wannabee for $200; hope I use it! Gave away my sandwich maker and a coffee press. Mostly use my toaster oven and a skillet. What is the matter with us?

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Cookie

17 February 2011, 9:58AM
Cookie

I love my gadgets. I use the breadmaker regularly. Nothing quite like home made fresh bread. Then there is the food processor, liquidiser, the hand blender, electric knife, electric mixer, toaster, table top oven, slow cooker (couldn't do without that) all used every week. Less often used - sandwich maker, electric steamer, yogurt maker, electric jam maker and dehydrator.

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R Zantvoort

17 February 2011, 10:16AM
R Zantvoort

"It is often easier to do something by hand than use a gadget and then have to clean it." I beg to differ; I have arthritis (43 yrs old) and without food processor, blender and bread machine I wouldn't be able to cook. I can't knead bread by hand, cut hard veg by hand, or hold a stick blender and press the button at the same time... Washing up the various gadgets after using them is a small price to pay to be able to "carry on cooking". I'm very fortunate to be able to afford them!

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Lindafromkrcookshop.com

17 February 2011, 11:48AM
Lindafromkrcookshop.com

In many ways I do agree that you can have too many gadgets. My worst buy was a second hand George Foreman grill. I later read that this is the most donated kitchen gadget to charity shops. I really should have read something in that it was second hand in the first place! (and the glee on the lady's face as she took my money). Good quality essentials, knives and pans are the important thing. However we are all different and things that many of us use in the kitchen everyday would have been called a gadget 50 years ago, so have a heart for some of todays. Personally I wouldn't be without my bake-o-glide sheets.

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