5 Surprising Kitchen Tools Our Food Editor Would Never Buy

I actually have one of these in my kitchen. I used it just last night, after rummaging through three drawers of measuring cups, rolling pins, tongs, whisks, and spatulas to find it. In the time it took to find the egg slicer I could have sliced the egg with a knife, mixed it into my main dish salad, and been well into dinner. So yes, a good sharp knife is all you need to slice an egg, or an avocado, a bagel, or anything else that needs slicing. Two or three quality knives of varying sizes will take care of all your slicing needs. And while we are on the subject of knives…

I have one of these as well and I can’t even remember why or when we bought it. It is noisy when being used, it takes up space in the back of a drawer, and I have to be extra careful with the detachable blades whenever I wash and pack them away (in the back of the drawer so I don’t forget where I put them, and I don’t cut my fingers on them when rummaging around for the egg slicer). My husband likes to use the electric knife when carving the Thanksgiving turkey, but after cutting a couple of large slices from the breast area, he usually reaches for one of our good quality knives to finish the job. You can just maneuver around the bird so much better with a handheld carving fork and knife.

Most test kitchen professionals will tell you that a garlic peeler is just a waste of money. My favorite way to peel the skin from garlic? Lightly smash the garlic clove with the flat side of a knife and the skin will easily peel away or cut the root off and peel from there.

You can spend a few dollars and get a specialized gadget that can take the middle out of your strawberry. Knowing that the fresh strawberry season is so (tragically) short-lived in most areas, do you really want to buy a gadget that has only one use? It seems like the common theme in this article is that a good sharp knife is all you need for most of your culinary jobs and, in this case, that is also true. A small, sharp paring knife can hull your strawberry as cleanly and as quickly as a specialized gadget.

I am happy to report that I have never been tempted to purchase a pair of pizza shears. It may seem like a good idea for cleanly cutting and removing a slice of thin-crust pizza, but can a pair of pizza shears handle a deep-dish pizza or gooey, runny cheese? Another one trick pony. A good pizza cutter makes quick work of slicing pizzas of all sizes and textures, plus, you can use this handy tool to cut piecrust dough, cookie cakes, fresh herbs, and so much more.