Joel Callen
Home & Garden

5 kitchen gadgets you need (and 5 you actually don’t)

If you’re trying to save valuable cupboard or bench space in your kitchen, knowing which items you need and which you don’t can be a big help.

5 gadgets that are actually useful

Slow cooker: add your ingredients in the morning and come home to a delicious home cooked meal. In a pinch though you can just use a casserole dish with a lid, in a low oven (but unlike a slow cooker you can’t really leave the house when it’s on).

Vegetable peeler: you can get some great peelers now that make peeling a breeze with very little wastage.

Non-stick pans: life is too short for soaking and scrubbing regular pans each night.

Garlic press: no need to fiddle about peeling garlic cloves when you can just throw it in the press. Plus you can avoid having smelly garlic fingers.

Stick blender: takes up minimal room and is great for blending soups, smoothies or batters.

5 items you could get rid of

Knife block: save your valuable bench space and keep your knives in a drawer instead.

Meat mallet: these are used infrequently and their bulky size means they aren’t exactly drawer-friendly. Use a small, heavy based saucepan instead.

Sandwich press: these bulky items can take up a whole cupboard. Pop your sandwich in a frying pan and place a heavy pot on top.

Icing bag: these are tough to clean and most likely get used once or twice per year. Just fill a zip lock bag with icing or cream and snip the corner off for a disposable icing bag.

Avocado or egg slicer: these one-trick ponies just clutter up your utensil drawer without making life that much easier. Just use a sharp knife.

Image credits: Getty Images

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home, kitchen, gadgets, appliances