I love kitchen gadgets. In some cluttered drawers and in an old glass vase – a very lovely, chipped Crate & Barrel one that held the first bouquet of deep red roses my husband gave to me in the early days of our courtship – you’ll find, among other things that I don’t even know about, a mushroom brush, a fondue pot scraper from my best friend, a corer, a wooden juicer, a cherry/olive pitter, serrated and regular peelers, decorative wine corks and wine paraphernalia, a wide variety of ladles, spatulas, whisks, tongs and spoons. These are my “savory” catch-alls. In my “baking” drawer, you’ll find whisks, gelatin, dry yeast, tons of cookie/biscuit cutters, non-stick mini tartlet pans, Silpat, silicone pie crust protectors, thermometers, baking pins, spatulas, colored sugars and other stuff.
My husband used to whine about how many gadgets I’d collect and wonder when I would ever use that mushroom brush my mother gave me. (My mother actually gives me many of my toys. My best friend also contributes to my collection and usually in a way where she knows my husband will benefit from the gift, such as a wine aerator. It would be rude to not accept their gifts. And using their gifts makes me feel like they are cooking alongside me in the kitchen.) But then, a few birthdays ago, he gave me a cookbook holder. And then a knife sharpener for Christmas. I felt freedom! No longer did I need to bury my latest acquisition and surreptitiously use it when his back was turned. He finally realized that I actually use every single one of my gadgets and appliances and decided he may as well feed my addiction. After all, he is the primary beneficiary of my cooking and baking. It’s a win-win.
Which brings me to my latest prize. I love doing dishes (another post for another time) but absolutely DETEST when food leftovers, especially cheese and egg, get caught in the strands of the sponge. Recently, I discovered a nifty little gadget at Crate & Barrel – a bamboo pot cleaner. It’s eco-friendly, it’s tiny and it works beautifully! I no longer worry about scraping the pan or getting food caught in the sponge. And at $1.99, it’s a steal. The pot cleaner makes doing dishes a breeze. I’ve even got the husband now using it. Clearly, I am easy to please. Just buy me a little kitchen gadget and I am yours forever.
I can certainly relate. I recently got some fish tweezers since the fish shops up here don’t seem to want to debone the salmon. Also got a nice garlic press so I’ve been putting garlic in nearly every dish now.
As for your bamboo pot cleaner, it sounds like it would make for excellent company swag. Perhaps slap a logo on it send some out to loyal customers?
Love our wine aerator too! And it makes a fun noise!
Fish tweezers? New to me, perhaps I should add them to the list!
Anything with a company logo, Mark…
Sounds like a cool tool. I really don’t know why it’s taken so long to use bamboo to its fullest potential. We now have bamboo flooring, cutting boards, fabric (Cotton/bamboo blend towels are the greatest). And now pot cleaners!