Celebrity chef Alton Brown contends that a kitchen tool that does only one job is mostly useless. He calls anything like a garlic press, strawberry stem remover or hot dog steamer a “unitasker.”
His advice? Don’t waste your time and money on any kitchen tool if it is only good for one thing.
It sounds a bit like Brown spent time with my grandma who was big on buying a sack of flour to bake bread and then sewing the sack into a dress. And when the dress wore out, she would cut it into rags for a rug. Or pieces for a quilt.
Grandma Schwartz, an elegant woman of means, would save bread wrappers and crochet them into kitchen rugs. When one of Grandpa’s shirts would begin to show wear, she would meticulously take the collar and cuffs off, turn them and re-sew them in place. Voila! The worn sides would now be on the inside, where they wouldn’t show, offering that shirt a whole a new lease on life. Oh, wouldn’t Alton be proud?
GARLIC PRESS
It does just one thing, and not so well, according to more than a few professional chefs. Brown doesn’t think you need one. Well, actually, he said, “There is absolutely no reason for a garlic press to exist. It is utterly, completely, magnificently useless.”
Mincing the garlic with a sharp knife is quick and easy, and you won’t lose all of the oils and garlicky goodness that gets left behind in a press. Besides, who wants to spend the time cleaning one of those things?
STRAWBERRY HULLER
Easy to use, for sure, and kinda cute, too. But this tool does only one thing: removes the hull of a strawberry. Alton sees no reason anyone should waste the money on this gizmo. I have to agree, since I’ve learned to do the exact same thing but so much better — with a plastic drinking straw. Just hold the strawberry in one hand and push the plastic drinking straw up through the bottom of the strawberry. The entire hull and stem will pop right through the top.
ELECTRIC KNIFE SHARPENER
Alton contends that if he were to have any knives that he hated, he might use one of these electric things. Instead, he keeps every blade in his home and garage razor-sharp with a whetstone sharpener.
DEHYDRATOR
Just one word from our pro regarding a kitchen dehydrator: useless. There are myriad ways to dry herbs, fruits and jerky. Alton uses a box fan, bungee cords and cellulose furnace filers from the hardware store. Me? I find that my oven, set to the lowest heat setting (150 degrees F) with the door slightly ajar to allow for air circulation, does an amazing job.
MARGARITA MAKER
Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? And it’s a good-looking piece of kitchen machinery. But it also takes up a lot of space. And truth be told, a margarita machine is pretty much just a blender with stickers on it. As for Alton’s take on the situation, “I suspect people who would buy a margarita machine have already been drinking heavily.” Nicely put, sir.
STAINLESS STEEL AVOCADO PIT REMOVER
It’s classy-looking, but so is an Andy Warhol print. Doesn’t mean you need either in your kitchen. And again, that pit remover has only one function. If you are really worried about how on Earth you will ever get that pit out of the avocado, a spoon and knife (both of which have many other uses in the kitchen) will do a great job.
I’m pretty sure Alton Brown would highly approve of my Instant Pot, which is a rice cooker, slow cooker, pressure cooker, baker, yogurt maker and saute pan all in one. It really is just the coolest thing ever — and anything but a unitasker.
— Mary invites questions, comments and tips at EverydayCheapskate.com , “Ask Mary a Question.”