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"I remember first getting into kitchen gadgets 'cause I got tired of doing things the hard way," said Mike, a Salesman. "When you find something that makes a difference, you can get really excited about it."

Like what? Well, like the Microplane graters, those rasp-like tools that strip off the perfect amount of zest from a lemon and the fluffiest curls from a block of Parmesan, and caused quite a sensation among gadget lovers (including me) when they debuted a few years ago. "I will admit to having several sizes of these in my kitchen," he said.

As we talk, a customer interrupts to ask Mike if he has a tortilla warmer (nope), while another reaches high onto a top shelf for a Zyliss chopper, which is like a manually operated food processor. I strike up a conversation with a 50ish woman, hoping to divine why she's here. "I think the less people cook, the more gadgets we have," she says in a conspiratorial tone. "I mean, I raised four kids and had minimal gadgets, and now they're all grown and here I am in a kitchen store shopping for gadgets."

She's ashamed of herself, frankly - so much so that she won't even give me her name. Clearly a candidate for gadget recovery, but I refrain from proselytizing.

David Stewart, a professor of marketing at the University of Southern California, thinks she's wrong that it's non-cooks who collect gadgets. "Whether it's cooking that's the hobby, or computers, or audio equipment, the hobbyist is the person who's most interested in the novel, the new gadget, even though ultimately it may end up unused in a drawer somewhere," he says in a phone interview. "This is the person who can actually imagine a circumstance where they might need to pit a cherry."

Of course, Stewart readily acknowledges that novelty alone isn't the best reason to buy something: "You thought it was neat, this apple corer, and then you discover you don't necessarily need to core a lot of apples."

What if you know that, but your friends don't? God help the minimalist cook when it comes to gift-receiving time. Our friends get us something cooking-related, and choose something safe, something they're sure we don't have. Of course, if we don't have it, maybe that's because we don't want it.
At Kitchen Arts on Newbury Street, where gadget sales make up half the revenue, owner Owen Mack sees a lot of Christmastime buying, and he said the lack of functionality is often appreciated. "As they're buying them, they say, 'This is silly, I know, but I'm going to give it to my aunt, and she'll get a kick out of it.' Gadgets are not serious purchases, like pots and pans and knives."

Mack says gadget sales are up, and he pegs that to the economic downturn: People still want to try new things in their kitchen, but rather than go for a $200 saute pan, they'll pick up a $24 whisk.
Julia Collin, senior editor of books at Cooks Illustrated, tries to keep her kitchen streamlined of such excesses, but it doesn't run in her family. Her father is a late-night TV junkie, and falls prey to the gadget ads. "He has three types of portable ovens," she says, "one that's just for jerky, one that's circular and inductive, one for appetizers. And they're all in the basement."
Collin allows herself only a few indulgences: a truffle shaver she never uses ("I think it speaks to the fantasy of having such an expensive ingredient to play with") and an arsenal of rubber spatulas ("even though you really only need one or two"). On her list is a high-powered instant-read thermometer that can go from 0 to 300 degrees in five seconds. "I don't really need it," she admits. "I have one, and it works just fine. But I want it."
Behind the public's interest in kitchen gadgets, she says, lies the illusion that they can greatly speed up food preparation, even though finding the right peeler in an overstuffed drawer might take up as much time as merely learning to properly use a paring knife in the first place.
Sometimes, she says, the gadgets themselves add unneeded complexity to a task. "I saw something in the Baker's Catalog recently, a little ceramic bird that you put in a pie to release the steam. You'd rather put an object in there rather than just cut a hole? I don't get that."
Of course she doesn't get it. She's not an addict.
For the rest of us, aspiring to a streamlined kitchen but falling far short, it helps to come up with some rules to help make sense out of overwhelming choices in gadgetry.
With that in mind, I decided to test a batch of gadgets. For fairness's sake, I chose some I knew or suspected I would appreciate (the immersion blender), some I was pretty sure I wouldn't (onion holder), and some I wasn't sure about (6-in-one tool). Take a look at the pictures and captions on H1, and you'll see what I discovered.
Ultimately, the goal of the testing was to come up with a strategy for future gadget analysis and purchase. Thus, here are three rules of resistance I think can help any cook get that gadget monkey off his or her back.
1. Resist gadgets that do only one thing (pit cherries, for example) unless that one thing is something you do often (juice limes).
2. Resist gadgets (such as a battery-operated vinaigrette emulsifier) whose function is easily replicated by an existing tool (a whisk).
3. Resist gadgets that look cool (a ball whisk) unless they also operate easily and efficiently (a steel corkscrew).
Perhaps most important, check stores' return policies, and if, after buying a gadget, you don't like the way it works, try to get your money back. If that doesn't work, wrap it up and save it for an unsuspecting friend's next birthday. You're bound to know somebody who will think it's pretty nifty. At least at first.

household LaCuisine™ Salsa Maker/Food Processor.household items, Do you hate to go to the trouble of wrestling with that big, bulky, household electric food processor you were given as a gift? This compact, easy to operate food processor will make chopping a pleasure. It comes with two attachments, one for chopping and one for beating. Simply place the appropriate blade in the container, cover, turn the handle, and you are on the way to great tasting home-made salsa, cole slaw, and spreads. You can even make your own dips and home-made salad dressings in a snap! Includes triple action rotary chopper, and rotary beater. Container measures 6-1/2" x 3"
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household Conjure up exciting meals with this Kitchen Magician 8pc Multi Grater Set. Chipping, slicing, shredding, grating and garnishing are made easy. This set allows you to prepare and present food in a way that rivals all the great chefs and in less time, just like magic! Includes juicer, slicer, regular grater, small grater, and garnish maker. With a handy safety holder, the stainless steel blade processes food quickly and is dishwasher safe.
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LaCuisine™ 18pc Microwave Cookware Set. Microwave safe up to 140ÝC/290ÝF, refrigerator and dishwasher safe; this set is also table serving ready. Includes a 48oz covered casserole, four 14oz covered bowls and four 8oz covered bowls. White color. this is a kitchen gadget you will enjoy.
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kitchen home gadget Maxam®
7pc Surgical Stainless Steel Kitchen Tool Set with tubular stainless handles and gold colored tips on tools and rack. Set includes: slotted spatula, whisk, solid spoon, potato masher, slotted spoon, ladle and 6 hook rack. Tools and rack are 18/10 surgical stainless steel and dishwasher safe. Rack stands 15-3/4" tall.
accents.
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Household Maxam® 7pc Surgical Stainless Steel Kitchen gadget Set with tubular stainless handles. Set includes slotted spatula, whisk, solid spoon, fork, slotted spoon, ladle, and 6 hook rack. Tools and rack are 18/10 surgical stainless steel and dishwasher safe.
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Whether peeling, pressing or opening cans this Chef’s Secret® by Maxam® 6pc Kitchen home Gadget Set will be right at home in your kitchen. Includes garlic press, peeler, bottle opener, can opener, pizza cutter and decorative stand. Utensils are stainless steel with gold plated tips. Stand is 10-3/4" tall with a base circumference of 5-1/4". Beauty and capability—a wonderful combination. Household
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