Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Hacks & How-to's
  3. Inspiration
  4. Style
  5. Evergreens

How many kitchen gadgets do you really need?

By

If your kitchen drawers and cabinets are full of excessive clutter, then it may be time to reevaluate what kitchen tools and gadgets you really need. It can be easy to collect and accumulate a variety of kitchen gadgets over the years from online shopping, gifts, inheritances, hand-me-downs, and more. Sometimes, however, you may have more than you need. You may just be harboring some kitchen tools that you use maybe once a year, and that’s only because you feel bad for never using it. Other tools may still be in the original packaging because you just don’t need it. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to evaluate all the specific gadgets you can ditch to clear up some drawer and cabinet space for your kitchen.

Cluttered kitchen drawer
Graham Hughes / Shutterstock

Dull knives

Many knives have a lifetime, and if yours has reached their end, it’s time to let them go. Even though there are knife-sharpener tools out there, some knives simply cannot be saved. It is important to buy high-quality knives and take good care of them. This way, they can last a lifetime. If you’re ready to start over and get a fancy set of chef’s knives, then it’s time to part with the old, dull, and rusty knives you once knew. Even though dull knives lack sharpness, they can still be a hazard in your kitchen drawer. By getting rid of them, you not only save space but also improve the safety and functionality of your kitchen drawer.

Fancy, one-use gadgets

Unless you use it regularly, you likely are not in need of an avocado de-pitter or quesadilla maker. These types of tools are non-essential items that can take up a lot of space. They are typically large, clunky and awkwardly shaped, making them difficult to store in cabinets and drawers. One-use gadgets are designed to make creating that one specific food item or for making that one small kitchen task a little more easy. These tools ultimately don’t improve your kitchen experience, however, and just take up more space. You can accomplish nearly every task with the pans, pots, knives, peelers, and other essential tools that you already have in your kitchen.

Citrus zesters

Even though citrus zesters are very good at doing their job, they are an extra expense that can be easily replaced by your standard peeler. Citrus zesters typically start around $9 and can cost as much as $25 if they are stainless steel and from a high-end store. In addition, citrus zesters can be difficult to clean because of the tiny ridges that are used in the design. So to sum it all up, citrus zesters are somewhat expensive, very difficult to clean, and will end up being one extra thing that you don’t need in your kitchen drawers.

Craftsy reveals, “There are two common tools you can use to get the skin off of your lemon without one of these specialty tools: a paring knife or a vegetable peeler.”

Garlic press

Another example of a kitchen gadget that you probably aren’t using very much nowadays is the garlic press. The original allure of the garlic press was how quick it was at crushing garlic. Unfortunately, the big downside of the garlic press is how much garlic is left behind in the little holes of the garlic press. This means that even though you may save time crushing the garlic, you are going to end up spending more time in the long run because you are going to have to get each little garlic piece out of the press using a toothpick. Instead, it is much easier for you to use the flat side of a knife to crush the garlic, then remove the skin and finally dice the garlic cloves down to the proper size.

Not only does Delish have the same thoughts on the garlic press, they’ve dedicated a whole list as to why you shouldn’t use it.

Person opens an organized kitchen drawer
brizmaker/Getty Images

Pizza cutter

The pizza cutter is still used in many restaurants today and is indeed a very useful tool if you are cutting a pizza every 30 seconds. However, thanks to the massive increase in cheap food-delivery services, it is going to be a very rare occasion that you actually need to use a pizza cutter. Instead, the best idea would be to use a pair of versatile kitchen shears whenever you need to cut your frozen pizza.

As the world continues to speed up in pace and focus on environmental concerns, more and more people are adopting a simpler lifestyle. This minimalistic lifestyle includes smaller kitchens in the home. Therefore, it is going to be imperative that you use your kitchen space optimally and only include the most versatile kitchen gadgets.

Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

How to Style a Coffee Table That Feels Collected, Not Cluttered
Plant, Furniture, Table

A well styled coffee table can make your formal living room stand out and should feel intentional, considered and appropriately arranged. The goal is balance, and it should support the room rather than compete with it.

Start with a foundation. Use one or two large books to ground the arrangement. Choose books with substantial covers that reflect the palette of the room, whether neutral or tonal, and complement the space. Stack them rather than spreading them out. This creates structure and gives everything else a place to sit.

Read more
Flowers From the Garden: A Summer Centerpiece Method
Flower, Flower Arrangement, Plant

A simple, season led approach to summer florals, built on what is in bloom rather than what is in stock.

There is a particular generosity to summer that no other season offers. The garden is full and the flower markets overflow. The roadside stands begin to set out buckets of zinnias and dahlias by mid June and July. The backyard, once an afterthought, begins to feel like an extension of the home itself. The question is no longer whether to bring flowers into the house, but how often.

Read more
The Easiest Way to Set the Table
Cutlery, Fork, Spoon

Have you ever wondered why the fork sits on the left and the knife on the right? Or why Europeans eat “Continental style,” holding the fork in their left hand and the knife in their right, while Americans cut, switch hands, and then eat? It turns out there’s a reason for all of it, and once you understand the history, setting the table suddenly feels far less mysterious. Before beautifully layered place settings and Pinterest-worthy tablescapes, dining was far more practical. Medieval feasts were less about etiquette and more about survival. Plates were often shared, forks were nonexistent, and eating with your hands was the normal standard. Tables were filled with trenchers (pieces of bread used as plates), and the idea of “proper placement” simply didn’t exist.

By the mid-to-late 1800s (around 1860–1870), European dining evolved again as meals began to be served in courses. This shift introduced what became known as the Russian style of dining, where utensils were laid out intentionally and used from the outside in. The fork stayed in the left hand, the knife in the right, and the table itself began to reflect structure, rhythm, and order. This approach eventually became the “Continental style” still used across much of Europe today.

Read more