Don't get me wrong, I love things that make stuff easier, and despite my best intentions, I frequently exclaim "oooh, shiny!" when I see an interesting gadget, but new does not equal great, and not all gadgets are created equal. Sometimes what seemed like a great idea like this strawberry slicer turns out to be a waste of time and space.
I’ve put together a list of gadgets that, in my humble opinion, are duds. Take a look and see if you agree.
Top row: This citrus slicer is touted as being convenient, but all I can think about is the clean-up. Imagine all of the citrus pulp and juice all over the base of the slicer. Also, maybe it’s just me, but I love cutting up lemons – it’s no chore.
Beside the slicer is the “musical cake knife”, which plays three songs: "Happy Birthday", "The Wedding March", and "Jolly Good Fellow". It is just me, or is a singing knife a little creepy? Not to mention, people typically sing before the cake is cut, not during, so whoever is cutting the cake has the embarrassing and challenging task of holding it up in the air while not looking mildly psychotic.
Bottom row: More items that solve problems that don’t exist: a box designed to hold popcorn bags (don’t the bags already come in a box?), a “self-stirring” mug (it’s called a spoon, Sherlock), and an egg cracker (I have no words).
Think I’ve got any of these picks wrong? Got another useless kitchen gadget to share? Leave a comment!
Related: More one function kitchen gadgets over at the Food Network Canada blog!