
<p>Walk into any kitchen store and you’ll find endless tools and gadgets claiming to make cooking faster, easier, or more fun. The reality? Most of them just create clutter.</p>



<p>Professional chefs tend to keep things simple: sharp knives, solid cutting boards, reliable pans. Those essentials last for years and help you become more confident in the kitchen. Flashy gadgets, on the other hand, often fall short.</p>



<p>To help separate the useful from the wasteful, chefs and culinary instructors shared the items they’d never spend money on—and what to use instead.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Mandolin</h3>



<p>Chef Masaharu Morimoto believes knife skills are more valuable than relying on a mandolin. While these slicers deliver uniform cuts, they’re bulky, tough to clean, and potentially dangerous. Developing control with a sharp chef’s knife will serve you better in almost every recipe.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Invest in a quality chef’s knife, such as a Japanese blade.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Onion Holders</h3>



<p>These gadgets look more like weapons than kitchen tools. Their only purpose is holding an onion while you chop. Instead, simply cut the onion in half for stability or stick a fork in the root when slicing rings.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Good knife technique.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Onion Goggles</h3>



<p>They might look quirky, but they don’t work. The goggles fail to seal tightly, so the sulfur compounds still make your eyes water.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Keep your knife sharp, open a window, or turn on a fan.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Glass, Metal, Stone, or Acrylic Cutting Boards</h3>



<p>Hard surfaces damage knives quickly. While they might work for serving, they’re terrible for everyday chopping.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Wood or poly cutting boards.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Chicken Shredder</h3>



<p>A single-use gadget for shredding chicken is unnecessary—even restaurants rarely use them.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Two forks work just as well.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Herb Stripper</h3>



<p>These promise to pull leaves off stems quickly but rarely deliver. Many chefs admit theirs ended up collecting dust in a drawer.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Slide the leaves off with your fingers.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">7. Bluetooth Probe Thermometer</h3>



<p>While accurate, these are expensive and easy to break, lose, or accidentally toss.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> A sturdy, traditional instant-read thermometer.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">8. Electric Can Opener</h3>



<p>Once a kitchen staple, these take up counter space, require cleaning, and don’t handle irregular cans well.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> A reliable manual can opener.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">9. Avocado Slicer</h3>



<p>Knives and spoons handle avocados just fine. Specialized slicers often don’t fit every size of avocado anyway.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Knife + spoon combo.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">10. Egg Separator</h3>



<p>This gadget has a single function—separating yolks. It’s rarely worth the space.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Use the shell or your hand.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">11. Garlic Peeler Tube</h3>



<p>It works, but why keep a gadget just for garlic?</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Crush the cloves with a knife and peel.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">12. Pizza Scissors</h3>



<p>A pizza cutter or sharp knife is quicker, easier to clean, and less bulky.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">13. Herb Scissors</h3>



<p>Multiple blades seem clever, but they crush delicate herbs and are a nightmare to clean.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> A sharp knife.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">14. Electric Egg Cooker</h3>



<p>Boiling eggs in a pot is simple. Unless you eat boiled eggs every day, this is unnecessary.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">15. Butter Cutter</h3>



<p>It slices sticks of butter into pats—but so does any knife, without extra cleanup.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">16. Pasta Measurer</h3>



<p>A plastic disc with holes to measure spaghetti portions isn’t worth drawer space.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Eyeball portions or weigh pasta if precision is needed.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">17. Oil Mister</h3>



<p>These clog easily and spray unevenly.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> Use a spoon or brush.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">18. Electric Potato Peeler</h3>



<p>Bulky, slow, and only useful if you peel potatoes by the dozen.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> A handheld peeler.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">19. Bagel Guillotine</h3>



<p>Marketed as safer, but it’s oversized and hard to clean.</p>



<p><strong>Better alternative:</strong> A serrated bread knife.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">20. Oven Mitts</h3>



<p>Surprisingly, some chefs consider them overrated. Towels are more versatile, easier to wash, and always nearby.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thought</h3>



<p>A clutter-free kitchen is often a more efficient one. Chefs agree that mastering the basics with a few high-quality tools is the smarter way to cook. Before buying into the next trendy gadget, ask yourself: will it really save time—or just space in your drawer?</p>

20 Kitchen Gadgets Chefs Say You Don’t Need
