Air India pilot's medical records examined after mental health claims
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was 56, was months from retirement but had been considering leaving the airline to look after his elderly father following the death of his mother in 2022, The Telegraph can reveal.
The pilot, who had more than 15,000 flying hours to his name, last undertook a Class I medical exam on Sept 5 last year.
His records have been handed to investigators, whose initial report said their focus was on the actions of the pilots rather than a technical fault with the plane. The Airline Pilots' Association of India said it rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry.
Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India, told The Telegraph: 'I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues. He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that.'
The Telegraph understands that Captain Sabharwal took bereavement leave following the death of his mother. However, Mr Ranganathan said: 'He must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors. They must have given the clearance certificate.'
All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed when the aircraft plunged into a medical student hostel last month, less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad airport.
The preliminary report released by the Indian authorities early on Saturday indicated that switches controlling fuel flow to the jet's two engines were turned off, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust at take-off.
According to the report, one of the pilots is heard in the recovered cockpit voice recording asking the other why he cut off the fuel supply. The other pilot responds that he did not. It is not known who said what.
While the initial report did not draw any conclusion, it has drawn attention to the actions of Captain Sabharwal, the plane's captain, and Clive Kundar, the First Officer.
As per cockpit procedures, the pilot flying and in control of the take-off was First Officer Kundar, who would have had both hands on the control column during take-off.
Captain Sabharwal, the pilot monitoring, would have had his hands free, leaving him in a position to cut off the fuel supply, Mr Ranganathan claimed.
He joined Air India in 1994, building a record of more than 8,000 flying hours on this type of aircraft. After his mother's death, he moved from Delhi to Mumbai to care for his father, even considering leaving the airline altogether to devote himself fully to his family.
Neighbours in Powai, Mumbai, remembered him as a quiet man who was often seen escorting his father on evening walks. 'He was a doting son who never missed a chance to take his father down for fresh air,' said one.
Neil Pais, a former colleague, said the pilot was a 'thorough gentleman', telling The Telegraph: 'He was actually considering early retirement in the next couple of years. His father is very old, 90, and he was going to look after him full time. That was the plan.
'We're all human beings. Yes, there have been crew who've displayed tendencies towards mental health issues, and they've been grounded straight away. It's not allowed to go unchecked.
'Often it's more about life outside the job, which of course plays a part in how you perform. But if there's a concern, it's taken up by operations, by the right departments. They don't let anyone fly if there's any doubt.'
Savitri Budhania, an elderly neighbour of Captain Sabharwal in Mumbai, said: 'I told him, 'Your father is too old to be alone.' And he replied, 'Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa.''
'Who could have known that would be the last time? Whenever he wasn't flying, he would walk hand in hand with his father in the evenings. They smiled at everyone, just gentle, quiet people.'
Air India declined to comment, but an official working with the Tata Group, the airline's parent company, told The Telegraph that Captain Sabharwal had not taken recent medical leave.
'He did take bereavement leave in 2022 following his mother's death, and his medical records were submitted as part of the investigation, and the preliminary report did not find anything noteworthy,' he said.
Both pilots had passed the Class I medical exam, which evaluates a pilot's psycho-physical capacity, within the last two years.
First Officer Kunder, 28, came from a family steeped in aviation. His mother was a flight crew member, and he began his professional career with an aircraft maintenance course at Mumbai's Bombay Flying Club before moving into the cockpit.
Raised in Air India's colony at Kalina before the family moved to Borivali, he had logged 1,100 flying hours early in his career.
Relatives and friends of the victims called the report's findings a 'slap in the face' and questioned how 'something so trivial as a simple switch being deactivated' had caused such a catastrophe.
The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association said the crew of flight 171 had acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions. It strongly rejected insinuations of malpractice, saying it was deeply disturbed by the speculation.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Atlantic
5 hours ago
- Atlantic
Three Ways to Stop Feeling Like an Impostor
Want to stay current with Arthur's writing? Sign up to get an email every time a new column comes out. 'I am not a writer. I've been fooling myself and other people,' wrote John Steinbeck in his private journal when he was working on The Grapes of Wrath, his 1939 epic novel about a family fleeing the Oklahoma Dust Bowl during the Depression to seek a better future in California. You might think he was simply experiencing momentary self-doubt but, informed by my work as an academic and writer, I see a hint of something more insidious, which plagues many people of great intellect and erudition: impostor syndrome. For many of these high achievers, the more plaudits they receive, the more they worry that they're putting one over on everyone. You don't even have to be a genius to feel like an impostor. In today's environment, when people are assiduously cultivating an image on social media that accentuates the positive and buries the negative, anyone can be made to feel they're a failure and a phony. If you worry about this too, I have some good news for you: The fact that you have the worry means you probably aren't a phony; the true phony is convinced they're not one. Even so, suffering from impostor syndrome is certainly deleterious to your happiness. But you can do something about that. The condition was first described in 1978 by two psychologists in the journal Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice as the common affliction in which people who possess real skills and knowledge secretly believe they're inadequate or incompetent. The authors of the study found evidence that many high-achieving women felt insecurity about their abilities—'an internal experience of intellectual phoniness.' Later research found that this phenomenon applied not just to women or to any particular demographic group; 'impostor phenomenon,' as they labeled it (syndrome was a later refinement), was something anyone could experience. (One exception is age—older people experience it less than younger adults.) A number of tests have been validated for impostor syndrome. One is the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, which asks respondents whether they agree with such statements as 'I'm afraid people important to me may find out that I'm not as capable as they think I am.' (You can get an idea of how you score on the scale by using a slimmed-down online survey.) By testing, researchers find that certain personalities tend to experience the syndrome more than others. People high in neuroticism and low in conscientiousness are more afflicted than others. Perhaps not surprisingly, introverts are prone to feeling fake more than extroverts (who tend toward narcissism). Perfectionists typically feel like phonies, because they're so focused on their own perceived errors. Impostor syndrome tends to manifest among people who work in highly technical fields that require the trust of others. Multiple studies have found a high incidence among young physicians: For a 2021 survey, more than three-quarters of surgical residents reported a significant or severe feeling of being an impostor. I suspect this occurs because doctors think that they must demonstrate a great deal of confidence they don't authentically feel—which is indeed a form of phoniness, albeit a functionally necessary one. You hardly want your surgeon saying, 'Hmm, let's see how this goes, then,' as you're being wheeled into the operating room. And if you're a parent, remember the way your kid looked at you when they were little—with complete trust. If they only knew, I used to think. Some scholars have argued that impostor syndrome can theoretically lead to higher performance in tasks, insofar as it provides an emotional motivation to succeed. If you're telling yourself that you're merely a poser, you will be impelled to improve, the theory goes. But just as such denigration would be destructive when applied to a child, such an abusive method, when self-inflicted, can have huge psychic costs, possibly provoking depression and anxiety. Such negative feedback can also lead to cognitive distortion, causing its subjects to discount legitimate compliments and overgeneralize failure. This makes useful learning harder and is associated with impaired job satisfaction and burnout. If you experience impostor syndrome, your well-being is almost certainly compromised. Fortunately, several straightforward ways to treat the condition are available. 1. Don't talk to yourself like someone you hate. Just as you wouldn't, or shouldn't, tell your spouse or your child that they're an incompetent idiot, you should avoid speaking that way to yourself. Kinder self-talk might sound like the sort of indulgent self-focus that characterizes narcissism, which would indeed hazard phoniness, but in this necessary therapeutic context, it is simply recognizing reality: You are not an incompetent idiot; you are simply a person hoping to learn and improve. 2. Track your progress. Whether you're a surgeon or a parent (or both), when engaged in a challenging task, try framing your activity as an opportunity for growth and learning. Keep an account of your personal progress to create an objective record of your momentum toward your goals, as opposed to obsessing over what you haven't yet achieved. So for example, if you've recently started a new job, think each day about the new skills and knowledge you've acquired, rather than worrying about what you still don't know or can't do. Keep a log of these accomplishments and review it regularly. 3. Get some company. Building or joining a community of people similarly situated professionally can be very helpful. This provides a peer group with whom you can speak frankly about any insecurities and discover that such doubts are quite common. This turned out to be a benefit of the Lean In movement started by Sheryl Sandberg, the former Meta executive, because the circles of professional women it created were invited to share the experiences that held them back—and impostor syndrome was a very typical example. The business group YPO's Forum program for young chief executives is based on a similar idea, which members find enormously helpful as a venue for unburdening themselves of feelings of isolation and insecurity. Arthur C. Brooks: The strength you gain by not taking offense We've looked in depth at people who feel like an impostor but aren't. Despite the temporary misery he confided to his diary, Steinbeck clearly was no fraud: The Grapes of Wrath went on to win the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was a major factor in his later being awarded the Nobel Prize. But we should consider a phenomenon closely related to the syndrome: people who disingenuously claim to be impostors, even though they don't think they are, out of false modesty. I'm talking about the humblebraggarts who say such things as 'I'm the last person to deserve the personal invitation I just got from the president to visit the White House!' Nothing is phonier, of course, than this veneer of humility. The humblebrag's ruse is transparent, and makes its perpetrator instantly irritating and unlikable—a bit like, well, a phony.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
15 Signs Your Marriage Is Being Slowly Destroyed By Gaslighting
Gaslighting can slowly erode the foundation of your marriage, leaving you questioning your reality and feeling isolated. It's a subtle form of manipulation where one partner makes the other doubt their perceptions, memories, or sanity. Recognizing the signs early is crucial to addressing the issue and protecting your relationship. Here are 15 subtle yet telling signs that gaslighting might be creeping into your marriage. Pay attention, because acknowledging these signs is the first step toward regaining control and clarity. 1. You Constantly Second-Guess Yourself You can't seem to shake the feeling that you're always wrong. Even the simplest decisions leave you second-guessing yourself, as if you've lost the ability to trust your own judgment. Your partner's input seems to overshadow your instincts, and you find yourself deferring to them more often than not. This isn't about healthy compromise; it's about losing your sense of self. According to Dr. Robin Stern, author of "The Gaslight Effect," gaslighting can undermine your confidence, making you doubt your perceptions and decisions. You might notice that your recollections of events are constantly challenged. You remember something vividly, but your partner is quick to tell you it didn't happen that way. This repetitive undermining of your memory isn't just frustrating; it's destabilizing. When you can't trust your memory, you lean more on your partner for the 'correct' version of events. It's a subtle but effective way to create a dependency and keep you off-balance. 2. Your Words And The Truth Gets Twisted You start to notice that stories and facts are bent to fit your partner's narrative. It's as if the truth is malleable, changing shape to suit their needs. This isn't just bending the truth; it's reconstructing reality. Whenever you try to discuss it, you're met with deflection or even blame. It's exhausting, and over time, you might find yourself giving up on conversations altogether. In these twisted tales, you're often painted as the villain. Your partner's version of events places you in a negative light, even when you were just trying to help or communicate. It's bewildering to hear how your good intentions are portrayed as malicious actions. This manipulation can make you weary of sharing your thoughts or opinions. Gradually, you might stop defending yourself, allowing their version to become the accepted reality. 3. You Feel Isolated From Friends And Family Your social circle seems to be shrinking, and it feels like it's by design. Your partner might subtly discourage you from spending time with family or friends. They could criticize your loved ones or question their intentions, planting seeds of doubt. Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, a psychotherapist and expert in gaslighting, explains that isolating the victim makes them more dependent on the abuser. Before you know it, you start withdrawing from those who care about you, feeling more alone and reliant on your partner. Communication with the outside world becomes a rare occurrence. You might find your partner taking over your phone or social media accounts, dictating who you can talk to. Slowly, their influence extends beyond your relationship and into your social interactions. This grip on your communication can make reaching out for help seem daunting. As your world narrows, the gaslighter's influence over you strengthens. 4. Your Partner Plays The Victim Whenever you point out an issue or express hurt feelings, your partner deftly shifts the narrative to how they are the victim. Somehow, your concerns become about their struggles or pain. This tactic throws you off balance, as you're left tending to their needs instead of addressing your own. It's a clever distraction, making you feel guilty for having brought up your feelings. Over time, this deflection trains you to suppress your emotions to avoid conflict. Your partner's victimization isn't just reserved for arguments. It seeps into everyday life, turning minor inconveniences into major dramas. You might find yourself constantly reassuring them or apologizing for things beyond your control. This dynamic can be draining, leaving you emotionally exhausted. You may start to question whether your feelings are even valid, given how much your partner seems to suffer. 5. You Apologize Without Knowing Why Apologies have become a daily habit, even when you haven't done anything wrong. You find yourself saying 'I'm sorry' for things that don't warrant an apology. This reflexive apologizing often stems from a desire to keep the peace or avoid further conflict. According to relationship expert Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, constant apologizing in a marriage can be a red flag for deeper issues, including gaslighting. It signifies a power imbalance where one partner feels perpetually at fault. Your partner's reactions often trigger these apologies. The slightest hint of displeasure from them sends you scrambling to make it right. Over time, this behavior can erode your self-esteem, making you feel inadequate or perpetually in the wrong. This cycle of guilt and apology keeps you treading on eggshells, never quite sure of your footing. It's an exhausting routine that leaves you doubting your worth. 6. You Feel Like You're Walking On Eggshells There's a palpable tension in the air, an underlying anxiety that makes you cautious. You weigh your words carefully and anticipate potential landmines in daily interactions. This constant vigilance isn't the hallmark of a healthy relationship but of one where you fear repercussions. It's as though you're living with an emotional time bomb, never sure when it might explode. The unpredictability of reactions keeps you on edge. This heightened alertness seeps into your daily life and affects your well-being. You might notice physical symptoms like headaches or a knotted stomach. Your focus shifts from being present in the moment to anticipating your partner's moods. This hyper-awareness is mentally and physically exhausting, leaving you drained. Instead of enjoying your relationship, you're merely surviving it. 7. They Deny Things They've Clearly Done You catch them in a lie, or recall something they did, yet they flat-out deny it ever happened. This denial isn't just frustrating; it's designed to make you question your reality. Over time, these denials chip away at your confidence in your memory and perception. Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, a cognitive psychologist and expert on human memory, explains that repeated denial can manipulate your recall, making you doubt your experiences. It's a calculated tactic that leaves you feeling disoriented. These denials aren't just about big issues; they can be over the mundane things too. From forgetting to call you to denying they agreed to plans, the constant refusal to acknowledge their actions is maddening. It diminishes your trust in them and erodes the sense of partnership that a marriage should have. You begin to question if you're being unreasonable or overly sensitive. This doubt keeps you from addressing the real problem: their dishonesty. 8. They Use Your Fears Against You Your vulnerabilities, once shared in a moment of trust, become weapons. Your partner might bring up your insecurities in arguments or use them to manipulate you into compliance. It's a cruel tactic that turns your honesty against you. Instead of feeling supported, you feel exposed and unsafe. This betrayal corrodes the trust that's crucial in a marriage. You might notice this manipulation in subtle ways. When you express a fear of abandonment, they might threaten to leave during conflicts. Or, if you're self-conscious about something, they make offhand comments that hit that nerve. This exploitation makes you hesitant to share your thoughts or feelings. Over time, you might find yourself guarded and defensive, unable to fully open up to your partner. 9. Your Accomplishments Are Minimized Achievements that once brought you joy now seem insignificant in your partner's eyes. They might downplay your successes or dismiss your hard work. This minimization isn't about keeping you grounded; it's about controlling your self-esteem. When your accomplishments are belittled, it chips away at your confidence. You start to wonder if your achievements are truly valuable or just trivial. This dismissal can make you feel invisible in your relationship. You might hesitate to share good news, fearing the inevitable downplay or lack of interest. This lack of support is isolating, especially when you're looking for affirmation from your closest ally. Over time, your enthusiasm dims, and you might stop striving for success altogether. Without validation, even your proudest moments lose their shine. 10. Your Emotional Connection Is Nonexistent Conversations that once flowed now feel stilted or superficial. Emotional intimacy, which should be the cornerstone of a marriage, is fading. When emotions are shared, your partner might respond with indifference or dismissiveness. This lack of connection leaves you feeling alone, even when you're together. It's as if there's an invisible wall between you that's steadily growing taller. This emotional distance can stem from a lack of genuine interest in your partner's world. You might feel like your thoughts and feelings are barely acknowledged, let alone understood. The absence of empathy can make even the smallest of interactions feel hollow. You find yourself yearning for a deeper connection but unsure of how to bridge the gap. Over time, this disconnect can make you question the foundation of your relationship. 11. You're Always The Butt Of Jokes What starts as seemingly harmless teasing slowly morphs into something more insidious. Your partner's jokes often come at your expense, leaving you feeling embarrassed or diminished. While humor is a healthy part of any relationship, these jokes cross a line. They're not about making each other laugh but about undermining your confidence. It's a subtle form of belittling wrapped in the guise of humor. These jokes can be especially hurtful when they touch on sensitive topics. Your insecurities and vulnerabilities become punchlines, eroding your self-esteem over time. You might laugh along to keep the peace, but inside, it stings. This constant ribbing can make you feel like you're never truly respected. It's exhausting to be the perpetual punchline, especially when the laughter comes at your expense. 12. They Make You You Feel Guilty For Their Actions When your partner does something hurtful, somehow, the blame lands on you. They twist the narrative, making it seem like their actions stemmed from your behavior. This blame-shifting can be incredibly confusing, leaving you feeling responsible for their mistakes. It's a clever manipulation that absolves them of accountability. Over time, you might find yourself taking on guilt that's not yours to bear. This tactic can make you wary of addressing issues. You start to second-guess whether raising concerns is even worth the potential backlash. This dynamic can create a toxic pattern where your needs are constantly sidelined. It's a disheartening cycle that keeps you from seeking the resolution you deserve. By internalizing guilt that isn't yours, you give up the power to hold your partner accountable. 13. Your Partner's Temper Is Unpredictable You never know what might set them off, making your home feel like a minefield. Their mood swings can be swift and intense, leaving you scrambling to soothe or placate them. This unpredictability keeps you on edge, constantly trying to prevent the next eruption. It's a stressful environment that leaves little room for genuine connection or relaxation. Instead of a partnership, it feels like a volatile balancing act. Living with this unpredictability can affect your emotional health. You might find yourself anxious or on high alert, even during calm moments. This constant state of tension is draining, both mentally and physically. You become more focused on managing their emotions than nurturing your own. Over time, this dance around their temper can erode the sense of safety that a marriage should provide. 14. You're Gaslighted About Being Gaslighted When you bring up gaslighting, your partner dismisses it or accuses you of overreacting. This denial can make you question the validity of your concerns. Instead of addressing the issue, they might turn it back on you, claiming you're the one gaslighting them. This twist is a classic gaslighting move, designed to confuse and disorient. It leaves you wondering if your reality is skewed. This tactic can further isolate you, making you hesitant to seek outside perspective. You might fear that others will also dismiss your experiences or blame you. This isolation reinforces the gaslighter's control, leaving you without a support system. Doubt creeps in, undermining your confidence to take action. The cycle becomes self-perpetuating, trapping you in a distorted reality. 15. You Feel Like You're Losing Yourself The person you once were seems to be fading, overshadowed by a version shaped by your partner's influence. You might struggle to recognize the thoughts and feelings that are truly yours. This identity erosion isn't an overnight change but a gradual shift, fueled by constant manipulation. Your likes, interests, and opinions become mirrors of your partner's preferences. It's as if you're blending into their shadow, losing your distinctiveness. This loss of self can manifest in subtle ways. You might stop pursuing hobbies you once loved or shy away from expressing divergent views. It's a gradual dimming of your inner light, making you feel like a mere echo of your former self. This identity crisis can make you question your place in the world. Rebuilding your sense of self becomes a crucial step in reclaiming your autonomy. Solve the daily Crossword
CNET
10 hours ago
- CNET
Professional Chefs Beg: Don't Buy These 20 Pointless Kitchen Gadgets
As long as we have kitchens, brands will continue to pump out tools. Many are essential, while others just collect dust or don't perform their duties any better than a great knife or pair of kitchen shears. Instead of chasing every buzzy new appliance, it pays to stick with gear that's versatile, reliable and actually makes your life easier. To help you sort the essentials from the excess, we asked chefs and kitchen pros which gadgets are worth the hype -- and which ones are better left behind. Because when decluttering your kitchen, knowing what not to buy is just as important 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, restaurateur 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 a 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 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.
