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CNET
2 minutes ago
- CNET
I Asked Pro Chefs: What Are the Most Worthless Kitchen Tools?
Our kitchens have become hotbeds of innovation, packed with high-powered air fryers, countertop smokers and other impressive tools designed to make cooking easier. But not every gadget deserves a spot on your counter -- some are better off in the trash with the food scraps. Rather than falling for every shiny new trend, it's wiser to invest in reliable, versatile gear that can actually make life easier. To help separate the helpful from the hype, we asked chefs and kitchen pros to weigh in on the tools they think are overrated -- and the ones worth holding onto. If you're looking to cut clutter and boost efficiency, knowing what not to buy can be just as valuable as knowing what to keep. These career cooks are the ultimate authority on which kitchen gadgets should get the boot -- especially when cupboard, counter and drawer space is limited. Each one listed their least favorite kitchen tools and offered their preferred method or tool for completing the cooking task that they're meant to do. Masaharu Morimoto Celebrity chef, restauranteur Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool. Dave Kotinsky/Stringer/Getty 1. Mandolin Chef Morimoto encourages beefing up your knife skills to make thin and uniform vegetable slices. Milk Street Why: "While it brings good slices, mastering proper knife skills gives you more control, precision and safety in the long run. Mandolins can be bulky, hard to clean and risky if you're not extremely careful. Relying too much on a mandolin, or tools like a two-in-one apple cutter or a tomato corer can hold you back from developing real technique. Taking the time to learn how to handle a sharp chef's knife or Japanese blade will help you in almost every recipe." What to try instead: Mac 8-inch Japanese chef knife. Lead chef-instructor Institute of Culinary Education, Los Angeles Culinary instructor Eric Rowse knows a gimmicky kitchen tool when he sees one. Institute of Culinary Education 2. Onion holders Why: "These look like a weapon for Wolverine wannabes; it's meant to help you hold a whole onion and "chop" it. Instead, cut the onion in half to create a flat surface so it won't roll away. If you're trying to cut rings, save the $14 and stick a fork in the root and hold the fork." What to try instead: Learn to properly slice an onion the old-fashioned way. 3. Onion goggles Save your money -- and some dignity -- and skip the onion goggles. Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty Why: "A waste of money, as they don't form a great seal around the eyes to prevent the sulfur compounds from getting to your eyes and making you cry. Keep your knife sharp and open a window or turn on a fan instead." What to try instead: CNET's Peter Butler shares tips for cutting onions without crying. 4. Metal, glass, stone and acrylic cutting boards Glass, stone and metal boards are OK for serving but when slicing and dicing, wood is the way to go. David Watsky/CNET Why: "Cutting on hard surfaces is bad for your knives; instead, go for wood or poly." What to try instead: Our list of the best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options. 5. Chicken shredder Why: "I can't think of anyone needing a tool devoted to shredding chicken outside a restaurant and even restaurants don't use it. This item only has one purpose so I'd skip it." What to try instead: Two forks. 6. Herb stripper Why: "I love thyme but hate stripping it. When I was young I got suckered into believing this tool would help me … It's been sitting in my cupboard, laughing at me for almost a decade now." What to try instead: For heartier herbs like rosemary and thyme, just use your fingers to slide down the stem, opposite to how the leaves grow. 7. Bluetooth wireless probe thermometer Instant read meat probes work fast and don't require fussy Bluetooth connection. Chris Wedel/CNET Why: "These are a great tool but can be very expensive. I can see myself losing, breaking, dropping, accidentally throwing away or dropping it in the coals." What to try instead: ThermoPro's Lightning Instant Read Thermometer Cookbook author and lifestyle expert Cookbook author Peter Som didn't hold back when asked about his least favorite kitchen tools. Peter Som 8. Electric can opener A manual can opener is cheaper, works great and is less likely to break. Nelson Aguilar/CNET Why: "Most of us grew up with an electric can opener permanently stationed on the kitchen counter, like it was a vital appliance. But truthfully, they're more nostalgia than necessity. They take up space, can be a hassle to clean and often struggle with irregularly sized cans. A good manual opener is compact, reliable and gets the job done without needing an outlet or a user manual." What to try instead: Oxo's soft-handled can opener. Richard Ingraham Personal chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and author of Love: My Love Expressed Through Food Richard Ingraham avoids certain kitchen tools when cooking for celebs like Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union. John Parra/Gett 9. Avocado slicer Why: "A knife and spoon do the job just as easily and the specialized tool rarely fits all avocado sizes properly. It's a one-trick pony that clutters drawers." What to try instead: A good paring knife like this $35 Wusthof. 10. Egg separator Separating an egg by hand isn't so that difficult that it requires hardware. Yipengge/Getty Why: "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks." The only exception may be this one, and even that is just for yolks. Err, I mean yucks. What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well. 11. Garlic peeler tube Why: "Rolling garlic cloves in a silicone tube may work but requires storing a single-purpose gadget." What to try instead: Smashing garlic cloves with a chef knife is quicker and more reliable. 12. Pizza scissors Chef Ingraham says skip the scissors on pizza night. Zoranm/Getty Why: "A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster. These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean and take up more space than they're worth." What to try instead: KitchenAid's stainless-steel pizza wheel. 13. Herb scissors Why: "They're hard to clean and don't offer a huge advantage over a sharp chef's knife. Plus, they tend to crush delicate herbs more than slice them." What to try instead: Made In's 8-inch Chef Knife. 14. Electric egg cooker Why: "Boiling eggs in a pot is straightforward and flexible. The electric version just adds clutter unless you boil eggs constantly and hate using a stove." What to try instead: This 1-minute hack for making poached eggs in the microwave. 15. Butter cutter and dispenser A good butter knife works just as well and requires less space and maintenance. Williams Sonoma Why: "It slices sticks of butter into pats… but why? A knife works instantly, and you don't have to load and clean a plastic gadget for it." What to try instead: Williams Sonoma breakfast butter blade. 16. Pasta measurer Why: "It's a plastic disc with holes to tell you how much spaghetti to cook. Just eyeball it or learn the rough weight by experience. It's not worth the drawer space." What to try instead: A kitchen scale for precise measurements. 17. Oil mister Why: "Often clogs, sprays unevenly and requires constant cleaning. A small spoon or brush does the job with less frustration." What to try instead: World Market's olive oil cruet. 18. Electric potato peeler A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to skin a batch of potatoes. Capelle.r/Getty Why: "Takes up a surprising amount of space and peels slower than a regular peeler. Plus, it's overkill unless you're peeling dozens of potatoes at once." What to try instead: Oxo's Swivel peeler. 19. Bagel guillotine Why: "Sold as a safer way to slice bagels but takes up a ton of space and is awkward to clean. A serrated knife does the job just fine." What to try instead: Opinel's 8-inch bread knife. Jackie Carnesi Executive chef, Kellogg's Diner Jackie Carnesi StarChefs 20. Oven mitts There's a reason pro chefs don't use oven mitts. Webstaurant Why: "Oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen! A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job, and odds are, it's more likely to be washed regularly. I don't know many people who wash their oven mitts frequently enough ... it seems many have deemed it an item that doesn't warrant regular cleaning. It does." What to try instead: Stock a plethora of kitchen towels.
News24
4 minutes ago
- News24
SARS slaps anti-dumping duties of up to 67% on imported top loaders
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Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
6 All-Too-Familiar Signs You Grew Up In An 'Enmeshed Family'
Having a close, loving family is a goal for most people, and while some people clearly have that, not all do — even if it seems that way from the outside. This is known as enmeshment, which is a dysfunctional pattern that can show up in any relationship, but especially within a family system. 'A lot of times people will think of enmeshment as a positive thing ... sometimes enmeshment can appear like closeness, but really it's still a dysfunctional pattern,' said Danica Harris, a somatic therapist and coach based in Texas. 'When this is present in a family system, there are not good boundaries, which means that people don't have personal agency and autonomy in the way that they ought to,' Harris noted. This isn't to say you should have strict boundaries that push your family away (unless that's what is safest for you), it's a good thing to help your family members out when you're able or support them during tough times. But, there are some red flags that the kind of support your family needs from you is actually enmeshment. Here's what to know: 1. You make your family member's problems your own. 'Individual problems are family problems. Family problems are individual problems. There's just no distinction between an individual and the family system,' said Aparna Sagaram, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and owner of Space to Reflect in Philadelphia. The main difference between a healthy familial relationship and enmeshment is this, she noted. 'You can be there for family and listen and help out and do whatever you can, but then if you're part of an enmeshed family, then it feels like it's your responsibility to figure out how to help that family member,' Sagaram explained. There is no separation from you and the problem, and it becomes all-consuming, Sagaram added. 2. You feel guilty when you don't help a family member out. 'A big part of enmeshment is the guilt feeling,' said Sagaram. You may feel guilty for stepping away from your family, for instance, or for saying no to an outlandish request, she said. When you do try to create some space between yourself and someone's problem, you probably feel guilty 'because you feel responsible for the family problem or whatever that person's going through,' added Sagaram. Even if you are physically able to step away from it, emotionally stepping away is tough, and can add to those feelings of guilt, Sagaram said. Oftentimes, guilt is what keeps people stuck in enmeshed patterns and enmeshed dynamics, she noted. 3. You don't have any boundaries with your family. '[Enmeshment] basically comes down to family members having very weak or almost nonexistent boundaries with each other,' said Holly Humphreys, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks in Roanoke. As a result, family members are generally over-involved in each other's lives, which makes it really tough to create boundaries, Humphreys added. Think about it: If your mom insists on constantly asking for advice regarding a tough situation at work, it'll be hard to set a topic boundary with her. 'Even if you want to set boundaries, like, 'All right, I'm not going to take this problem on,' it takes practice to unlearn the feeling,' Sagaram said. Even if you set a boundary to not jump in and save the day, you're likely still thinking about the problem a lot. 4. You lack a sense of self. Within an enmeshed family, there are often blurred individual identities within the family, said Humphreys. This is known as emotional fusion, 'which is a struggle to differentiate their own feelings from others,' Humphreys explained. In some cases, kids in an enmeshed family may feel obligated to feel the same way their parents feel about a certain situation or a certain person, she added. So if your dad doesn't like your neighbor, you may also decide you don't like that neighbor (even if that person has been nothing but nice to you). This can make it hard to decipher how you actually feel, which makes it common for folks to struggle with their sense of identity and independence. This could look like difficulty making decisions without their parents' approval, said Humphreys. This is a learned behavior from growing up in a family where you were constantly expected to jump in and solve other folks' problems. 'You don't have space, you don't have the ability to think for yourself, because you're constantly thinking about everybody else,' added Sagaram. There wasn't time to think about what brought you joy when you were constantly checking in on family members to make sure they're OK. 5. You never disagree with family members. 'If someone grows up in a family system where there wasn't any conflict, that is kind of a sign to me that people weren't really able to differentiate from one another,' said Harris. In enmeshment, everyone does their part to uphold the family system, which likely doesn't involve much differentiation or question-asking, Harris added. It's normal to disagree with your parents, siblings, aunts and uncles — that's what makes a family a family. But, in the case of enmeshment, no one is allowed to have differing views or choices. 'A healthy relationship system allows you and me to be separate people while also being in connection with one another,' Harris said. 'An enmeshed family system says we all have to be the same to be in connection.' Differentiating would pose a threat to the family system and the roles each person plays. 6. There's too much emotional reliance. According to Humphreys, enmeshed families rely too heavily on each other emotionally, and this may be something that started when the kids in the family were young. 'This can be seen when parents rely too heavily on their children for emotional support,' said Humphreys. This often happens in families where there's a 'family secret of such' like a parent with substance abuse problems, she added. It's also common when a parent looks at their child as a therapist or 'best friend,' Humphreys noted. 'Whenever you hear parents say, 'Oh, my child is my best friend,' that's not a healthy boundary or relationship,' she said. While you want to have a good, close and fun relationship with your child, seeing them as a best friend is a blurring of boundaries, Humphreys said. Here's what to do if you are part of an enmeshed family. 'The enmeshed family system is a very complicated one, and it takes patience and time to unlearn some of those toxic dynamics,' Sagaram said. What's most important is taking it one step at a time and understanding how you actually want to show up in your family system versus how you think you should show up. 'Because there's rules, right? There's unspoken rules in enmeshed families, and recognizing what those unspoken rules are and then starting to challenge them in small ways, I think, is a really great way to break away from an enmeshed family,' Sagaram said. Key word: small. These don't have to be radical, huge changes, Harris added. Putting pressure on yourself to show up totally differently or never speak to certain people again can feel 'really flooding and overwhelming,' said Harris. Instead of going at this with an all-or-nothing mindset, simply start to make choices that align with what you actually want. This could be something like saying no to hosting a family dinner or telling your sister she needs to contribute money for your mom's birthday gift. 'That's going to create some shift, and you don't have to do anything huge — and it's OK to be scared and still do it,' Harris said. It can also be a challenge to find healthy relationships outside of your family because of the 'norms' of your upbringing. 'You want to look for a relationship that is reciprocal, whether it's a friendship, a work relationship, or significant other, if you are always the one giving, giving, giving and that's not reciprocated, you know that's that's an unhealthy relationship,' said Humphreys. It's easy to make anything the norm in your life, even if it's unhealthy — like enmeshment or an unhealthy relationship, and it takes a major shake up to make changes. 'You don't always have to give everything that you have to somebody. You are allowed to actually think about what you need and what you want,' said Humphreys. 'If you're not looking out for you, no one else is. That is your job as a person, is to look out for yourself.' Related... 7 Signs You Grew Up With Emotionally Immature Parents The 1 Thing Therapists Say Harms Your Happiness The Most 'Dry Begging' Is A Form Of Emotional Manipulation That Sounds All Too Familiar
