10 Tools That Aren’t Worth Your Money

Kitchen gadgets multiply. Someone invents something to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

It gets marketed as essential. You buy it.

It sits in your drawer. You wonder why you spent money on it.

These are tools that people believe in but that actually complicate cooking.

The garlic press

A gadget designed to press garlic. You have a knife.

Use it. The garlic press costs $15 to $30.

It solves a problem that takes 30 seconds with a knife. It’s hard to clean.

It wastes garlic inside. It’s not worth the space it takes up in your drawer.

The egg slicer

A device with wires to slice hard-boiled eggs. You have a knife.

A sharp knife slices eggs fine. The egg slicer costs $10.

It only does one thing. Your knife does a hundred things.

Choose the knife.

The avocado slicer

A plastic tool specifically for slicing avocados. You have a knife.

You can slice an avocado with a knife in the time it takes to find the avocado slicer. It’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

The apple slicer

Thin metal spokes in a circle to slice apples all at once. You can slice an apple with a knife in under a minute.

You spend more time washing the apple slicer. It doesn’t work well with all apples.

It’s one of the kitchen gadgets that makes sense until you actually try it.

The corn peeler

A tool with small wheels to remove kernels from corn on the cob. You can do this by running a knife down the cob.

It takes a minute. The peeler costs money and takes up space.

The knife is free and already in your hand.

The asparagus peeler

Thin blades to peel the outside of asparagus. You can snap asparagus by bending it.

Where it breaks is where it should be cooked. You can peel with a knife if you want.

You don’t need a special tool.

The bread keeper

A plastic container or bag designed to keep bread fresh longer. Bread goes stale.

That’s what bread does. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a cloth.

Put it on the counter. You don’t need a special container.

The money is wasted.

The herb keeper

A container to keep herbs fresh in the refrigerator. You can put herbs in a jar with water.

You can wrap them in paper towels. You can use what they come in.

A special container costs money and takes space. It doesn’t make herbs last longer.

The onion holder

A gadget to hold an onion while you slice it. You hold the onion with your hand using proper knife technique.

The holder doesn’t protect you better. It takes time to set up.

It wastes space in your drawer.

The vegetable chopper

A lever device to chop vegetables. You have a knife.

The knife is faster once you learn how to use it. The chopper costs more money.

The knife was money already spent. Use what you have.

What these share

They’re all designed to solve problems that don’t exist if you know your knife. A good knife and proper technique eliminate the need for 90 percent of kitchen gadgets.

The money you save by not buying these things is money you can spend on a really good knife. That’s the real investment.