Most useless kitchen tools you've seen

[ChesterV]

I bought one of those egg boilers for my future mother in law, she gave it back to her soon a few weeks later Lol, yeah, I realized how useless that gift was since the start, but I was all like ''meh''. But who knows, I might use it at least once or twice in a while Not a huge fan of boiled eggs, but that might change

Well, I love deviled eggs, as do some of my friends, thats why I bought some......aside from them only being $1.00 per box.

If the Eggies weren't so time consuming, it would be ok. But it's faster and easier to just boil and peel an egg the old fashioned way.

Heck I even got one of these things....

A Cuisinart Egg Steamer.

It steams up to 1 dozen eggs in 20 minutes! It works really well, and there is no mess.
I've only used it once or twice though....I always forget I have it and end up boiling and peeling the old fashioned way.

And for some reason, using the steamer....they peel a lot easier than boiling them too!

I may have to dig this sucker out and use it again.

 

[Trellum]

Well, I love deviled eggs, as do some of my friends, thats why I bought some......aside from them only being $1.00 per box.

If the Eggies weren't so time consuming, it would be ok. But it's faster and easier to just boil and peel an egg the old fashioned way.

Heck I even got one of these things....

A Cuisinart Egg Steamer.

It steams up to 1 dozen eggs in 20 minutes! It works really well, and there is no mess.
I've only used it once or twice though....I always forget I have it and end up boiling and peeling the old fashioned way.

And for some reason, using the steamer....they peel a lot easier than boiling them too!

I may have to dig this sucker out and use it again.

I might use mine soon too, you motivated me to do so, lol. I'm not so sure mine works though, my fiance dropped it on the floor while it was still in its box once. Can you believe we never tasted it? It costs me just 10 euros, it was perfect because I really didn't have that much cash left and I still had to buy other gifts. Next year I might try homemade gifts, like for example those nice and fancy food baskets or the like.

 

[Zyni]

OMG!!! Does anybody remember the Ronco gadgets from the 60's and 70's????

Specifically the slicer/dicer gadget???

Ha ha, yes. For the low, low, price of only $9.95 (plus shipping and handling, restrictions may apply, not valid where prohibited...lots of other fine print).

Now, they probably have an infomercial that passes for "programming" in your cable TV package.

I do still love me some gadgets though. Something about them...

 

[GenevB]

Probably the most useless one I have every seen, was one that I have owned also, it was a kind of juicer, it got all the juice away from the fruits in a recipient, and the fruit itself into another one, however I found it pretty useless, as I was never that much into drinking only the juice, and it was also very hard to clean it after one use, so it was not the equipment you'd use for only a glass of orange juice.

 

[Zyni]

Probably the most useless one I have every seen, was one that I have owned also, it was a kind of juicer, it got all the juice away from the fruits in a recipient, and the fruit itself into another one, however I found it pretty useless, as I was never that much into drinking only the juice, and it was also very hard to clean it after one use, so it was not the equipment you'd use for only a glass of orange juice.

So many of them look cool at first but don't work as promised or are an absolute pain in the butt to clean. Some of those contraptions look like you'd never be able to put them back together after cleaning. I want gadgets, not puzzles, ha ha. Still, some of the ones people think are lame seem kind of cool to me. I guess I"m weird like that.

 

[Valeria]

Just the other day, we saw a commercial on TV for this thing that cuts veggies into spiral shaped strings.... It seems like they have been having some problems to sell this item because with the sale they were also including 52 plastic container boxes! (I kid you not)

I'm also unsure why they decided on this odd number (or where one would put all those boxes.....)

 

[Diane Lane]

Wow, that banana slicer sounds crazy. I can't imagine using it. I tend to eat bananas whole, or I mash them for use in breads or muffins. I can't imagine needing a slicer. I do recall those Ronco gadgets. They were all over late night television. It seems kitchen gadgets are making a comeback, because some who missed out on having a lot of family meals are now getting into cooking, and are open to trying new things.

As far as the spiralizers, it seems people either love or hate them. I do think perhaps they're useful for those making a lot of vegetarian dishes, since it can make the fruits and vegetables look pretty and seems to be especially useful for 'veggie' noodles for people looking to cut back on pasta noodles.

 

[ChesterV]

Some of the most useless slicers/kitchen gadgets, ever made.....................

 

[Clair02]

I don't usually buy kitchen stuff because I got all of what I need (and more) when I got married. Eventually I might have to replace a few of the things, but I haven't bought any kitchen tools since then. I do get what you mean about Walmart selling things that are a waste of money and space just to make money for themselves. Personally, I believe the less clutter you have in the kitchen the better.

 

[Roxanne G.]

I gotta say, I think the most useless tool in the kitchen is the dough hook in a stand mixer! If anyone wants t make bread, and really understand the structure of bread - get the feel of it with your hands, from start to finish. It's great!

 

[ChesterV]

In my opinion, here are more useless gadgets on the market.......


Cupcake makers

Sandwich maker

Smores maker

Bundt Cake maker

Cake Layer/Pancake maker

Donut maker

Pizza maker

Pizza baker machine

Quesadilla maker

 

[Becky]

I've never understood the purpose of those gadgets! Surely it's easier to just use an oven? I guess they're aimed at people who think they can't cook.

 

[AuntJamelle]

This thread cracks me UP! There is a lot of crazy stuff out there! I've had a few useless gadgets over the years and have gotten rid of them over time.

Although I will say that the gadget that cuts the corn off the cob is something that looks pretty handy - when sweet corn goes on sale for pennies I like to roast it in the oven then cut it off the cob and freeze. When you are doing a whole load of those a gadget to make the job go quicker sounds enticing! I've just been using a knife - and doing that in at least one oven mitt to avoid burning my hands holding the corn up! lol

I've gotten rid of my panini press too - I just make them in a frying pan and either press down real well with a spatula or use another cast iron frying pan (make sure the bottom is super clean of course) to press down over the tops. Works great!

And we won't mention the George Foreman grill that went to Goodwill

One gimmicky kind of thing you see advertised on TV that we DO love is our NuWave oven. I don't use it for baking but we got it while living in an apartment after a house fire years back. Our smoke alarm would go off at the slightest WHIFF of anything going on in the kitchen. With a sleeping toddler you can imagine how fun that was at times! It does a great job though and I like to "air fry" certain things in it to this day.

 

[KatsInTheKitchen]

I remember the Ronco gadgets from Ronco and it seems like they had something for everything you needed to do in the kitchen, but could no longer do with the simple tools you had laying around in your kitchen. I remember that my mom used to love to sit around and watch the infomercials.

this is just SOME of the stuff Ron Popeil came up with...

• Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ • Showtime 6 Star Plus Knife Set • Veg-O-Matic • Chop-O-Matic
• Dial-O-Matic • Popeil's Pocket Fisherman • Mr. Microphone • Ronco Electric Food Dehydrator
• Ronco Giant 10-Tray Food Dehydrator • GLH Formula #9 • Popeil's Pasta & Sausage Maker
• Ronco Grip Spatula • Ronco Flip-It • Smokeless Ashtray • Inside the Eggshell Egg Scrambler
• Auto-Cup • Door Saver • Back Relief - Vibrating Back Massage Air Cushion • Battery Tester
• Miracle Broom • Miracle Brush • Pottery Wheel • Ornamental Ice • Bagel Cutter • Mince-O-Matic
• CleanAire Machine • Ronco Seal-A-Meal • Buttoneer • Rhinestone & Stud Setter • Bottle & Jar Cutter
• Candle Making Kit • Drain Buster • Cellutrol • Feather Touch Knives • Glass Froster • Hav-A-Maid Mop
• Instant Shine • Kitchen Magician • Mr. Dentist • Record Vacuum • Roller Measure • Salad Washer & Dryer
• Speed Tufting Kit • Whip-O-Matic • Ronco Spray Gun • Splatter Screen • Crepe Kit • GLH-9 Hair in a Can Spray

 

[Diat60]

I think without a doubt the single most useless gadget I ever saw was a banana slicer. It was a plastic device, shaped just like a banana, with 10 or 12 (or thereabouts) sections so you could literally put it over your banana, push down and it would cut your banana into even sized slices. Truly the most ridiculous thing I've seen! It's not even like a banana is tough to cut through - I must admit I bought an apple slicer once which has metal blades and you just push down on the apple to cut it - but I think that's far more useful than a banana slicer! I guess someone out there though is probably making millions off their banana slicing invention so I guess I shouldn't judge!!

My granddaughter and her husband though these were so funny they actually framed one and have it hanging in their kitchen!

 

[PaddyL]

My sister and I used to buy silly things in the kitchen gadget shops when we were growing up, and the silliest of all was the egg squarer. You put a hard boiled, peeled, egg into a little square plastic thingy an pushed down on it. Voila! Square eggs!

 

[Linus]

And they STILL don't work!!

 

[Linus]

In my opinion, here are more useless gadgets on the market.......


Cupcake makers

Sandwich maker

Smores maker

Bundt Cake maker

Cake Layer/Pancake maker

Donut maker

Pizza maker

Pizza baker machine

Quesadilla maker

Add THIS one to the list. It's been yanked from the store shevles becauce it's too dangerous to use. You have stand at the table & babysit with it, or it will walk off the table!! A complete piece of junk!!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

This is a Japanese thing—we have to put everything in a container. And don’t get me wrong, I have a billion little containers. But bananas already come sealed in their own container. The argument is it protects your banana. But how bashed up is your banana going to get just sitting for a couple of hours in your lunchbox? And yes, some of my family members own these things.

 

[Linus]

Ha ha, yes. For the low, low, price of only $9.95 (plus shipping and handling, restrictions may apply, not valid where prohibited...lots of other fine print).

Now, they probably have an infomercial that passes for "programming" in your cable TV package.

I do still love me some gadgets though. Something about them...

It was called Veggi-matic.

Usually, these items are advertised as As-Seen-on-TV These products are usually no good Then they offer a 2nd item of the same value, but they charge you for separate processing & handling, as though you're getting it for free but you're not!! It's just a scam!