Kitchen/household items that seem useless

[Arseulaundress]

The very fine bit on a grater, ostensibly for zesting citrus fruit.

Utterly pointless. It all gets gunked up and I have to spend 10 minutes ungunking it with a pointy knife. Just use a hand-held zester.

I also fail to understand the point of oiling and lining a cake tin with parchment. Won't the parchment just do the job anyway?

What irks you?

I accept this explanation, but still feel sceptical.

There is always one isn’t there. Draw drawer, you knew exactly what she meant, why the need to say? Weird

My potato ricer has been used twice. Only because I don't have the strength in my hands to push the level down once the potato is inside it. The second time I asked someone else to do it for me. It made some of the best mash.

I bought a hand held blender with an attachment for mash in the end but find it easier to buy ready made.

Fine grater, I do use for zest, my graters have bowls so I bang the grater hard on the bowl to get it off, and then run a knife point through the gaps in the pointy bits and scrape the back.

lever not level

Difference of opinion, not weird, accurate and pissed off. The Home-Counties- centric attitudes on here really piss me off: the drawer/ draw is only acceptable/ interchangeable to people wih the accent that doesn't differentiate it. If it was some 'horrid Northern/ Welsh/ Irish/ Scottish affectation" it would be poo-hooed out the playground with a Southern sneer.

THIS is why I challenge it every time. So, yes, there's always one- me.

I like this for garlic, easy to wash. No use for zest (use a microplane). Keep it in the draw.

Garlic saucer

Interesting gizmo!

I have remembered another gadget I have only ever used twice: a raclette. Messy and smoky indoor BBQ.

I have this garlic press and have used it without issue for roughly 10 years. Put whole unpeeled clove in, squeeze over pan, use small knife to scrape it off the outside and the same small knife to flick leftovers into food waste. Then take apart and put into dishwasher. All the stuff comes out because what's left is still stuck to the skin. Easy peasy. No garlic flavoured board or fingers.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/koncis-garlic-press-stainless-steel-00089163/

I have a mandolin/e (whichever one chops and isn't a sort of guitar) which is too much faff to use and clean but I can't bring myself to get rid because it was carefully chosen.

Ah, now that seems like a good gadget.

Damn you @spuddel, I’ve just been on the Kitchen Aid website looking at mini blenders. I already have a Non- kitchen aid but still quite nice blender and a kitchen aid hand held thing, both of which live in the cupboard full time.

I feel a mini blender would really be the thing to draw out my culinary aptitude though…

I’m feeling a tiny bit smug because I have ruthlessly donated each and every useless item out of my kitchen … except the back of the grater which is now going to irritate me forever more.

I once saw a tv chef demonstrating how to cover the grater with clingfilm before zesting the lemon so that you didn’t lose any zest. Ever since I wonder how much plastic I’m eating whenever I tuck into anything lemon flavoured.

I bought a potato ricer to when I was a PFB new mum so that I could make delicious, nutritious organic baby food because my DSis said that's what all new mums did.

Spent HOURS in the kitchen fannying around with the bastarding ricer after roasting organic butternut squash, steaming broccoli and sweating my arse off and cursing DSis. When confronted with my rage she said "oh sorry... I meant a Mouli, not a ricer oops"

I threw the ricer in the next charity bag that came through the door.

To make matters worse DD flatly refused to eat the orange and green mush I'd made.

(ps I buy gnocchi now too after a disastrous attempt at making them. Somethings just aren't worth the effort)

@Mamette buy it, you will not regret it, I promise! I cannot believe such a tiny machine has so much power and so many uses. Like many of us, I've long since given up dragging out the huge blender and parts. This mini lives right next to the cooker and is used at least four or five times daily.

I use kitchen scissors to cut up pizza

The picking up spaghetti tool, I just use forks!

Potato ricers rubbish unless you're cooking for one. I have had the most success with a cheap regular metal masher, done in pan they're cooked in with hot milk and butter.

The side of the grater with tiny circular holes, never use that and can't see how they wouldn't become blocked.

Agree scissors are awesome in the kitchen. I cut all the dcs food up with them, so easy! My dm looked at me in bewilderment and disapproval asking why I wasn't using a knife and fork to do it, i almost told her the 1950s was calling and wanted her back!

Chopping swede by hand, cooking then mashing it- never! I just use the microwave, it is amazing.

Mini blender is great