What is your most useless gadget?


 
Originally posted by Wolgast:
Shawn W: like this one?



Seen em around and the time to setup and clean this junk! i could have peeled and eaten an apple or 2
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My wife does, or rather, did Pampered Chef for a number of years. We have one of those apple slicer things. While not the most practical device, it's the best thing there is if you're making an apple pie or two.

However, because of her previous membership, I have cabinets full of crap that never get used. Micro zester? Strawberry/Egg slicer? I've two mandolin slicers - and I admit one gets a lot of use, but two?!? However, the most useless, worthless item in any drawer in our house is this little space-eating cumbersome little thing:
Corn Butterer

God forbid you actually use a knife to butter anything.
 
My wife has held a few Pampered Chef parties, because the people who hold the party get huge discounts on the merchandise and they do sell a few things that are slightly useful.

Thanks to multiple parties and several orders we have a cabinet shelf full of slap chops. I did find a use for one of those things, they're good for chopping peanuts for Pad Thai if your Sous Chef is 6 years old. That one use is hardly worth the shelf space consumed by our "collection".
 
Originally posted by Craig A:
My wife has held a few Pampered Chef parties, because the people who hold the party get huge discounts on the merchandise and they do sell a few things that are slightly useful.

Thanks to multiple parties and several orders we have a cabinet shelf full of slap chops. I did find a use for one of those things, they're good for chopping peanuts for Pad Thai if your Sous Chef is 6 years old. That one use is hardly worth the shelf space consumed by our "collection".
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Us too, Craig. We use the heck out of those things. Nuts, onions, leftover pulled pork to add to cream cheese for ABTs
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- just about anything that needs to be finely chopped.
 
I'm not hating on Pampered chef exclusively. I don't like the idea of those types of parties in general. Making all your friends and familly over pay so you can get big discounts isn't very kosher IMO. that being said they do have pretty good quality stuff. We have a grill basket from Pampered chef and it works very well,and we have the 1 cup prep bowls with lids, I use those all the time.

I wish I had a 6 year old sous chef! Tell me Craig, does he wash dishes? Cause if you were able to get him to do that, my wife and I would love to hire him.
 
I haven't used one in quite a while because I went through 2 or 3 different ones in a year and swore them off, but I'll say the garlic press. I don't know, the cleaning always bothered me. And there's something about cutting garlic by hand that appeals to me. Maybe it's that scene from Goodfellas when they're in prison and the guy's slicing garlic with a razor blade. Can you see this guy using a garlic press? Nuff Said!
 
I've been thinking and thought of one. Those corn on the cob holders for the grill. A friend got me one several years ago for christmas,along with a BCC can holder. I've used the can holder several times,but the corn holder just sits. When I'm grilling corn,I'm usually doing 6-10 pieces,so I don't let 4 feel special!
 
I also vote for the long BBQ fork. Somebody gave me one of those BBQ sets for Christmas some time ago and I couldn't bring myself to use it. Still looks brand new. Gonna have to try that coal trick.

The other useless thing I inherited was a can of charcoal lighter fluid. One of the neighbors was moving out and he gave it to me cause he knew that I BBQ. I didn't want seem rude so I took it. Don't have a clue what to do with it. Can't just throw it in the trash so it just sits there on the shelf. ????

Russ
 
My vote would have been my 2 long BBQ forks. But I finally realized they are great for moving coals, as mentioned aboved. I even took 1 of them and bent the forks so that I can easily move hot grates around with it.

My new vote is the BBQ fork with built in thermometer. 1st, not accurate. 2nd, instead of having 1 large gaping hole in my meat, I would have 2!
 
A few years ago, my Mother In-law gave me this. Bless her Heart.
It's flexible and kind of squishy. You place a garlic clove inside and roll it with your hands and it removes the skin.
It works as designed but I do the something with just my hands. I don't mind the smell of Garlic on my hands.


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Well, then. I do not agree. I use it everytime when i want to remove the skin from several garlic cloves. Not because I'm afraid of the smell, but because it works much better. A gadget that looks stupid, but really works!
 
I agree with Geir. Must be the color of yours
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It is great to skin a large batch of garlic for spaghetti sauce or pesto. I still reek of garlic, but it only takes a couple of minutes to skin 'em
 
Of course it could be something wrong with the quality of the one that you have. mine is very sticky, and works perfectly. Goes into the dishwasher after use.
 
I received one of those BBQ fork/thermometers, like this one, as a gift when I first began BBQing. I've never even opened the package. Matter of fact, I don't even know if it's still in the cupboard. If I'm lucky, my X took it when she left!
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Originally posted by John Mason:
I received one of those BBQ fork/thermometers, like this one, as a gift when I first began BBQing. I've never even opened the package. Matter of fact, I don't even know if it's still in the cupboard. If I'm lucky, my X took it when she left!
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Sad thing is that has a 4 star rating...
 
Reading some of the reviews is kinda scary, from a BBQers perspective.

(Of course, after posting my comments I'm hoping no one on this forum uses one and swears by it!)
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I already thought that I would have a winner, but after reading about the corn butterer, I not so sure anymore
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I spotted these from local department store and I could not resists myself - every self respecting home chef should have these:

Swedish meatball scissors:
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I think Antti wins. pretty funny.
I'm sort of an anti-gadget guy. The tools on my work bench are as follows: one philips head screwdriver, one reg screwdriver, one hammer, and lots of duct tape.
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