20 Useless and Overrated Kitchen Tools, According to Chefs
Professional chefs know the value of space in a drawer or on a countertop better than anyone. Stroll through the swinging doors of any restaurant kitchen worth its salt, and you won't find an excess of single-function gadgets collecting dust. Every instrument and piece of cookware serves a purpose, earning the real estate -- however small -- it occupies.
That's what makes career chefs the perfect people to ask about all the kitchen the tools that don't belong in your kitchen, especially when space is at a premium.
To compile this list, I asked five professional chefs about the most useless and overrated kitchen tools and what they recommend using instead. Some on the list get knocked for simply taking up too much space to justify buying, while others get a failing grade for being downright gimmicky.
Here's what they said.
Masaharu Morimoto
Celebrity chef, restauranteur
Masaharu Morimoto shared his pick for the most overrated kitchen tool.
Dave Kotinsky/Stringer/Getty
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
Onion goggles
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.
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.
Metal, glass, stone and acrylic cutting boards
Glass, stone and metal boards are OK for serving but when it comes to 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 best cutting boards features plenty of knife-safe options.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
Egg separator
Why: "A tool just for separating yolks is unnecessary for most home cooks."
What to try instead: Cracking an egg and using the shell halves or your fingers works just as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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: A set of quality kitchen towels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vogue
11 hours ago
- Vogue
The Maturing of Matcha: The New (Old) Wave of Matcha Sweeping the Country
Green is in: Matcha has become ubiquitous among the fashion set, millennials, and Gen Z—even my boomer mom is obsessed—with nearly every cafe offering it alongside coffee, and plenty of cafes dedicated solely to matcha. From national matcha-devoted chains like Cha Cha Matcha, Matcha Café Maiko, and Kyo Matcha, to nearly every coffee shop from Starbucks to Blue Bottle to even Dunkin' Donuts offering matcha lattes, it's safe to say matcha is firmly entrenched in the zeitgeist. Matcha is a vibrant green tea drink born in China and Japan thousands of years ago. It's made from grinding green tea leaves—which can be varying grades of quality—into a fine powder, which is then whisked with hot water to create a thick, frothy liquid. In many modern cafes around the world, it's combined with milk or an alternative milk to create a latte, and this is typically what you'll find in most cafes serving matcha in the U.S. But are you getting an authentic matcha at Dunkin' Donuts? Definitely not (it's green tea powder mixed with 32 grams of sugar, milk, and fruit pectin, according to their website). Even at most matcha-devoted places, your drink will likely be sweetened and watered down as a way to help cover up the bitter taste of lower-grade matcha. Over the last decade, in most of the U.S., matcha has become so far removed from its roots that it has become a coffee alternative at best and a TikTok trend at worst. And while these drinks might be tasty, if you're looking for authentic, unadulterated matcha, it has been harder to find in the U.S.—until now. While chains like Cha Cha Matcha, which opened in New York City in 2016 and has expanded to seven New York City and four Los Angeles locations, show no signs of slowing down, there has been a recent spate of more authentic matcha cafes utilizing extremely high-quality matcha unadulterated by sugar and other mix-ins. These boutique shops typically partner with a specific farm in Japan or Korea for sourcing, as opposed to the Japanese corporate distributors that the larger chains use. But what exactly is the difference between a matcha latte from Starbucks and a so-called authentic matcha? We checked in with Darla Murray, the co-founder of Make, a premium matcha brand selling hand-selected tea direct to consumers.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cats Who Live Outside Sushi Chef's House Getting Fresh Fish Are Truly Living the Dream
Cats Who Live Outside Sushi Chef's House Getting Fresh Fish Are Truly Living the Dream originally appeared on PetHelpful. Cats and sushi go together like peanut butter and jelly. They are pretty much a match made in heaven, or at least we are pretty sure that's what most of the cats in the world would tell you if they could tell us humans. It's something that most of our feline companions can only dream of. Fortunately for one group of cats, who just so happen to live outside of a sushi chef's house, that dream is a reality. Thanks to this kindhearted sushi chef, these adorable little cats get their daily helping of fresh sashimi on a daily basis. These adorable little felines, which this video has lovingly dubbed "sushi cats," are certainly living a good life. And honestly, who could resist giving these pretty creatures fresh fish each day as they popped up outside their window? Not us, we can tell you that much. Part of what makes this so cute is how these precious sushi cats line up outside the window, Annie-style, waiting for the chef to open the window just a sliver and give them some delicious fresh fish. If we could speak cat, we are pretty sure these felines would all be saying, 'Please, sir, may I have some more?' This video is also a great argument for why every kitchen should have windows. Not only do they let in natural light and provide a gorgeous view of the outside world, but they also make it possible to observe adorable kitties in action as they have a little fish feast! Why Do Cats Like Fish So Much? We are pretty sure that any cat parent will tell you how much their feline companion loves fish, and tuna in particular. But why is this? According to a report from Psychology Today, cats have evolved to be obligate carnivores, meaning that they are digested systems have evolved to only process meat. As such, their taste receptors have also evolved to have high sensitivity to umami, which is the flavor of meat. Because the feline palate has evolved with such a deep sensitivity to umami, foods that are very rich in this flavor, such as tuna fish, are amongst their favorites. That's probably part of the reason why these cats are so drawn to this sushi chef's house; they can smell the good stuff, and if there is any chance that they can get some of it, as any cat parent will tell you, they are going to take it! first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 19, 2025
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Air India says plane 'well-maintained' before crash
Air India's Boeing plane was "well-maintained" before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people on board, the airline said Thursday. Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 people were also left dead. As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane's black boxes -- the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder -- the airline said that no problems were detected with the jet before the disaster. "The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023," Air India said in a statement. "Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight," the airline said. The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad moments after takeoff. Initial checks since the crash on Air India's Dreamliners "did not reveal any major safety concerns", the country's civil aviation regulator said Tuesday. India's aviation investigative unit said Thursday the probe was "progressing steadily". "Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway," the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. The airline said Thursday the pilots were accomplished flyers. "The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft," it said. "First Officer Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of flying experience." While investigators try to piece together what went wrong, families of dozens of victims are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified. As of Thursday, 210 victims have been identified through DNA testing, state health minister Rushikesh Patel said. bur-rsc/jfx
