Common household items that are pointless...

[ilovebruuuceandbags]

Ok, the ruined designer washing up bowl which has popped up all over again has just prompted me to ask…what is the point of having a washing up bowl? We used to have one, then moved house and now don't bother with one. We just use the sink, which, to be honest, is much easier for washing up the dishes. It was a revelation!

What common 'essentials' do most of us have, which actually aren't essential at all?

Butter dish

Heresy. I love my butter dish. What else do you keep your butter in if not a butter dish?
Having a butter dish means I can keep my butter in the cupboard and it is instantly spreadable. No need for marg.

Have looked around the kitchen and the only dubious item I can find is the zester - I just use the grater, much quicker. But I'm very down on kitchen gadgets. My parents had drawers full of crap like melon ballers and egg slicers ( ) and you could never find what you wanted. So useless shite palmed off on us by MIL gets relegated to the barn for two years and then quietly chucked. Like the multi-attachment food mangler wossname that did nothing useful at all, the electric breadknife and the rice cooker.

Also I agree with PPs about the washing up bowl. We have a double sink and another one in the futility room so all it does is create something else that needs washing. And the underside is always covered in gak

Don't own or use a microwave, ditched it about three years ago now.

Salt and pepper pots are just a decoration, never put actual salt or pepper in them.

Egg poacher things. They don't work, water just gets in and ruins the damn egg. And it doesn't even resemble a poached egg.

Knife block. I don't want knives on display thanks, I'm not a serial killer most of the time.

Washing up bowls are nicer to crockery surely? As in they don't bash against them. Plus agree you can tip the coffee/milk etc.. down the side and still wash up.

Instant hot water maker SIL had one of those and insisted it was the best thing ever. It wasn't, it made Luke warm tea.
Then the had a baby and realised it wasn't safe to make luke warm bottles.

Electric dread knife

I think rice cookers are great. The texture is so much better.

bread

Microwave. Haven't had one for a couple of years at least, and don't miss it.

Multiple knives. One bread knife, one calving knife and one chopping knife is enough.

Multiple chopping boards. One is plenty.

Those crappy bed cushion things that you see in tossy magazines like Country Living.

Bread bins. Bread needs to be in the fridge or it goes mouldy.

Things that aren't useless:
Bread machine
Kenwood mixer
Slow cooker
butter dish

Mcfox I'm so jealous of your drinks globe, been lusting after one for years but they're too expensive.

Typical actually, keeping bread in the fridge makes it go stale quicker, so it wont be mouldy but it wont be edible either. A loaf of bread shouldnt be expected to last more than 3 days.

I have a cupboard full of gadget crap my Mum buys. I offer, juicer, ice cream maker, food processer, small gizmo for frothing milk, coffee maker that looks like a Robot chicken, pressure cooker, bread maker, yoghurt maker. All pristine and in their original boxes. The only thing I use is the soup maker. I swear she twitches every time we talk about the fact that I don't have a microwave. I think it is a PA criticism of the fact that I am a single working mother with a good career that I enjoy and value, rather than the SAHM with a rich husband that she planned for me. My brothers think it is because she is massively unimaginative (tho agree the PA argument has legs).

I am at the love for our drinks globe! According to DH it has sentimental value, so it's staying...what this actually translates as is "I'm a total mummy's boy and she might get angry with me if we ditch this stuff, sorry long suffering wife."

I'm going to do a clear out by stealth

bogeyface - agree max 3 days for bread machine bread - probably because it doesn't have any preservatives in it, but shop-bought bread seems to be ok longer than three days in the fridge - still seems quite soft and doesn't taste stale?

Thanks everyone….just read the whole thread and now have a list of must-haves as long as my arm

uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/jo-romero/foods-keep-fridge-definitely-shouldn-t-103125461.html

Why you shouldnt keep bread in the fridge!

I didnt know about the tomatoes, I always keep mine in the fridge, will try leaving them out and see what happens!

Ooh, actually, I have a pasta and ravioli maker. But that's not mega common and IMO not pointless, even though I cba to use it very often.

DH did buy a crank operated apple peeler and corer from Lakeland. FFS what's wrong with a hand peeler or a paring knife? We tried setting it up once then gave up and did the apples by hand

I had a pasta machine, used it once, gave it away. To my knowledge the person who wanted it also used it once and passed it on :o

I've never managed to make anything good in a slow cooker except it's really, really good for making Christmas puddings and then steaming them on the day. For that reason alone, I haven't chucked mine.

Anything you have to keep "for best".
Skillet
Bread bin
Ramekins
Ornaments
Bed cushions and bed spreads
Nappy bin
Special changing bag
Lots of baby stuff actually
Those smelly lavender things in wardrobes
Garlic press
Fancy corkscrew with levers and weighs a tonne
Cafetiere
Fancy complicated potato masher
The holes in the fridge door for eggs.
Spice rack
Place mats
Those sponges on a stick where you put fairy liquid in the handle.
Juicer
Special things for storing plastic bags, cotton wool, nappies etc
Special things for hiding boxes of tissues , toilet roll
Pizza stone
Moon cup
Non- applicator tampons
Sanitary towels

That looks like toilet roll was on the list of non essentials. I meant the thing for hiding it! I do think toilet roll is essential.

Any coffee machine that takes up more space than a kettle. I had a massive one and yes it did make lovely coffee but it was such a faff that I hardly used it. Freecycled it in the end.

Things I love....

Slow cooker
Food processor
KitchenAid
Steamer

All are used on at least a weekly basis, the steamer is used almost daily. I love my microwave for things like the kids porridge and for when I realise that I havent got anything defrosted for dinner so they have cheesy bean jackets!

Osmiornica

I have one of those, my dad was chucking it out so I said I wanted it. I see now why he was binning it, utterly useless as it doesnt chop so much as completely pulverise. I think it will be seeing the inside of a bin bag soon!