Baseball, apple pie and kitchen gadgets. Let’s face it we love our gadgets regardless of cost, usefulness or necessity. Isn’t that why we created junk drawers – those sacred storage havens for the useless, underperforming gadgets we just had to have?  Do “avocado slicer”, “flavor injector”, “egg separator”, or “iced tea maker” ring a bell?  You guessed it –certifiable duds tucked neatly away.

Now that we know all gadgets are not created equal, what about the ones that truly make life in the kitchen easier? Kitchn.com, the daily food magazine on the web, recently came out with a list of their 10 best small gadgets and designed tools.  Here they are:

• Microplane zester: A classic gadget that works on everything from cheese to chocolates to fruit.
• Salad spinner: Great because it can also double as a storage bowl for freshly washed greens.
• Garlic press
• Mandoline slicer: It slices, minces, and juliennes.
• Digital timers
• Thermometers
• Manual juicer
• Pepper mill
• VeggiChop: A little manual food processor that is lighter and easier to clean than a traditional food processor.
• Can opener:  A can opener is a great gadget; there really isn’t anything else that can do its job.

Do you have a gadget you just can’t live without? If so, please send us an E-mail with the name of the tool and how it works.

Related Reading:
Ron Popeil: Biography and Ronco Inventions www.popeilfamilystore.com
Gadget Nation: A Journey through the Eccentric World of Invention, by Steve Greenberg (www.gadgetnation.net)
Inventors at Work: The Minds and Motivation behind Modern Inventions, by Brett Stern